Reformation or Transformation

[2404]

A birth is a mess no matter where it takes place.

The Holy Spirit is not governed or influenced by church tradition, cultural norms, fashion or personal lifestyle preferences.

If our lives are not a reflection of the Word then we are worshiping a God of our own imagination.

In our 'christian' zeal are we only trying to win someone to our own way of thinking?

Is our witness in power with signs following or in word only?

Are we focusing too much on making Christianity marketable?

These are good questions for me too.

 

God bless

 

[JTC]

I'm not sure what you're asking.

 

But when we say sins that are clearly against Bible teaching are OK so we don't push people away, then we may be focusing too much on making Christianity marketable.  I'd say in my generation we did this with fornication.  We still do this. But now we're on the verge of doing this with homosexuality.

 

The 1st church I joined 30 years ago had a single man who was practicing homosexuality. One day our pastor said he was told to leave. Some of us protested this.  So our pastor said he and the deacons were meeting privately with this man for almost 6 months. They were counseling him and praying with him and for him.  They finally concluded he didn't want to give up his gay ways. So they finally told him to leave. I don't know what the answer is since our country now accepts homosexuality.  But I think if we are going to be true to God, if we ban gays from our churches that we also have to ban people who live together without marriage. Yes, this will reduce the membership of most churches drastically. But that's what we need to do if we are going to be true to God. And if we do this, we shouldn't have to worry about abortion, because the only women going for abortions won't be church members. Unless it was a rape, and I think that can be an exception.

 

We say we live by the Bible, and that we believe it's the word of God. But very few of us actually live by it. We all need to clean up our lives, before it's too late. (this includes me)

[2404]

I'm not sure what you're asking.

 

But when we say sins that are clearly against Bible teaching are OK so we don't push people away, then we may be focusing too much on making Christianity marketable.  I'd say in my generation we did this with fornication.  We still do this. But now we're on the verge of doing this with homosexuality.

 

The 1st church I joined 30 years ago had a single man who was practicing homosexuality. One day our pastor said he was told to leave. Some of us protested this.  So our pastor said he and the deacons were meeting privately with this man for almost 6 months. They were counseling him and praying with him and for him.  They finally concluded he didn't want to give up his gay ways. So they finally told him to leave. I don't know what the answer is since our country now accepts homosexuality.  But I think if we are going to be true to God, if we ban gays from our churches that we also have to ban people who live together without marriage. Yes, this will reduce the membership of most churches drastically. But that's what we need to do if we are going to be true to God. And if we do this, we shouldn't have to worry about abortion, because the only women going for abortions won't be church members. Unless it was a rape, and I think that can be an exception.

 

We say we live by the Bible, and that we believe it's the word of God. But very few of us actually live by it. We all need to clean up our lives, before it's too late. (this includes me)

 

 

Hello JTC, I'm with you on that one.

I guess I'm not so much asking a question but musing and hoping to connect.

Perhaps what Paul says in Ph. 2:12 applies here, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.