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Showing results for tags 'jesus return'.
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I have been going through one of the most challenging physical and financial times in my life. So much so that at times it's made me question my faith in God. I have reached out to over 70 churches for help and have been sorely disappointed with the responses I recieved. They ranged from indifference to flat out shaming me for asking for help, even though I know that Jesus would gladly help me if he was here. He is helping me now to stay alive. Many churches that I spoke to said they had no money or were close to bankruptcy. They ones that said they could help, refused to help because I was not a member of their congregation. So far I have been able to find a small amount of help from 3 churches and $25 worth of grocery cards from another. This is out of over 70 plus churches that I contacted. I find this absolutely shocking and a disgrace to the Christian faith. I contacted 2 very famous mega churches that I have tithed with and was turned away. I keep wondering what is going on . Are the churches not there to help the sick and poor as Jesus instructed so many times? I don't remember him telling anyone that he wouldn't help them because they were not members of his clique. It is literally by the Grace of God that I am still alive. I tried contacting government and city services that are set up to help the poor and those without housing and was not able to get help. I called several non profits but because I have no children, I didn't qualify. I filed for disability since I have had to have 8 major medical procedures to stay alive and was denied. Others said to apply again , that you are alwats denied the first time you apply, but the process takes almost a year to go through again. I have had to walk completely by faith, hour by hour and I am happy to say that God has been faithful. The thing I keep thinking about is how with the government cutting funding for food,housing and healthcare for the poor, is that more and more people will be turning to the churches for help. What is going on with the church? Through this experience I see that many have become more social centers, concerned with putting on concert like music productions and opening new "campuses" rather than following Jesus' mandate to help the poor and sick. Even though this experience has been humiliating and challenging to the point where at times I wanted to just give up on living, I am grateful for the experience. God has shown me that He is here, even if "the church " is not. I pray that for those still reading, that if you attend a church whose focus is not on helping others, then please consider trying to set something up. Remember, that whatever you do to and for those that need help, you have done to Jesus. If you judge the poor, you will be judged. If you say horrible things to those asking for help , your words are heard by Jesus. It seems that many Christians have forgoten this. https://www.biblestudytools.com/topical-verses/bible-verses-about-helping-others/
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The whole "waiting upon the Lord" thing was part of looking forward to Christ's first coming: Isaiah 40:31 But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. ...Thus, Jesus Christ's coming 2,000 years ago, was to be the end of the Israel's waiting for Messiah - not the beginning of our waiting. On the contrary, when Jesus Christ (Messiah) came, He did not say "wait upon the Lord", He said "today is the day of salvation." So...when we hear about "waiting upon the Lord" today, it either means one of three things: There is some particular thing that someone is waiting on, perhaps that they have been praying about, or: The person has not taken to heart that "today is the day of salvation", or: The person is applying that Old Covenant scripture of "waiting upon the Lord" to explain why the sky did not part the day they came to believe in the salvation of Christ, and therefore look for another day when Jesus will finish what He started...against His telling us that "today" is that day, and "Behold I come quickly" and not in the distant unknown future. It is #3 that has literally become the "strong delusion" foretold by the apostle Paul about our time...because, Christ did come, He said "It is finished", He laid out the next phase of world history under the New Covenant, explaining that it was a matter of being born again of the spirit of God, and clarified the timing, saying "today" and "behold, I come quickly." Then came the teachings of men. Shortly after Jesus' resurrection and ascension into the kingdom of God, the apostle John received what we read of in the book of Revelation. Therein, Jesus reports on the status of the seven churches and indicates that He had somewhat against 5 out of 7 of the churches even during that first generation after the cross. And now the children of the 5 are greater than the children of the 2...meaning most have been teaching an imperfect gospel for 1,900+ years, and almost everyone you know did not get the truth, but rather, got an erroneous translation of the truth now commonly believed among the church. As a result, every end times scenario from prophecy has been skewed by that first generation not believing in the simple truth that "today is the day of salvation" and that Christ said He was coming "quickly." And now there are 40-some generations of people including scholars, theologians, priests, pastors, teachers, and popes who will argue in support of the 5-churches errors, and literally team up on any who speak against the error with accusations of heresy. So...good luck. I recommend you do your own homework and consider everything you hear as being 5 out of 7 wrong, or worse. And for those who have an ear to hear what the spirit says...listen to the Spirit instead.