Getting the Church back on track

[JohnD]

“Scripture is infallible; other teachers... are liable to lead into error. To place above Scripture and prefer to it, human traditions, doctrines, and ordinances, is nothing but an act of blind presumption." From John Wycliff's 'Of the Truth of Holy Scripture', 1378 A.D.”

“Every great doctrine revealed in the Scripture has a balancing truth and both are necessary to a knowledge of the whole truth." p181” ― E.H. Broadbent- The Pilgrim Church

“Zwingli's introduction of capital punishment for those who differed from him on points of doctrine..." p179” ― E.H. Broadbent- The Pilgrim Church

 

Edited September 2, 2015 by JohnD

[missmuffet]

I do not think the Church will be back on track until Jesus comes back.

[Secret__]

I do not think the Church will be back on track until Jesus comes back.

I see nothing off-track with the Body of Christ church:

And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

http://biblehub.com/matthew/16-18.htm

 

 

 

 

[FresnoJoe]

I do not think the Church will be back on track until Jesus comes back.

I see nothing off-track with the Body of Christ church:

And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

http://biblehub.com/matthew/16-18.ht

~

Nothing?

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. Revelation 3:20-21

Wrong?

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. Revelation 3:22

[Ezra]

When we talk about "the Church" it can be a little misleading.  Outward Christianity (Christendom) is NOT the Church but many within it are also within the Church (redeemed Jews and Gentiles in one Body).  Many bear the label "Christian" but have not been born of the Spirit, therefore they are not in the Body of Christ. False Christianity (including the cults) is probably more dominant than genuine Christianity.  So getting "the Church"  (Christendom) on track is probably an exercise in futility.

What Bible-believing Christians should understand clearly is that today there is a greater and greater departure from Bible truth (and practice) within the evangelical and fundamentalist churches -- the ones who would presumably be faithful to the Word of God. That should be a wake-up call to all Christians to "be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, SEEKING WHOM HE MAY DEVOUR" (1 Peter 5:8 KJV).

As to "nothing happens by mistake", that is a good platitude but does not address the issue.  If is simply means that for every effect there is a cause (the Law of Sowing and Reaping), then yes, nothing happens by mistake.  On the other hand, if it suggests that God is responsible for the sin and evil within the churches (or within the world) then that is utter nonsense, and even more serious than nonsense.

[peacemakerIND]

oH GETTING CHURCH BACK?

It is very great need, but it is not possible,,

because leaders are diverted.. Leaders of the church, pastors of the Church, elders of the Church need to born again and they need to stand in right path and vision.. They are drivers of the church. If a driver is with careless driving but can go to valley of death, and passengers + driver can go to die..In this way church elders, pastors and leaders need to drive the church in right way,.,. if we see ,.,., it is not happening in these days,.,. 

Every leader and pastor are becoming as employers like job workers.. they are not with right doctrine and right understanding on word, This is very very sad thing.. In my country i saw very sad things.. They are working as agents of light of Angel. I am very sorry to say this.. please forgive me for this comment, They want only self glory, self benefits and self gain.. They are not thinking to maintain the standards of church. Churches are becoming as religious institutions,. No repentance, no care on sin, no care on doctrinal values., I saw practically. in 1988 i have quit from a traditional church where pastor is giving baptism for marriage only.. 

in my view very strong saints or good pastors or leaders who are seeking to  see the truth in church,, they need to unite in all .,.. to pray, to unite, to share, to warn and to work together .... we need to conduct seminars, conferences and spiritual awareness  camps.. we need these things..

That can give small results to see church back

 

 

 

 

[JohnD]

The Sermon on the Mount.

It has a New Testament address. But it is under the Old Testament Covenant.

Hebrews 9:16–17 (AV)

16 For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.

17 For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.

This is why there are so many provisos for forgiveness in the discourse and none exist in the New Testament Covenant other than belief.

John 3:16–18 (AV)

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

The Sermon on the Mount contains elements of the New Covenant Testament (but so does the rest of the Old Testament).

As Chuck Missler often said, "The Old Testament contains the New Testament concealed. The New Testament contains the Old Testament revealed."

Passages like 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 are referring to the Old Testament since the New hadn't even been written yet.

[JohnD]

The LORD's prayer as it turns is actually the disciple's prayer. The disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray like John (the Baptist) taught his disciples to pray.

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done in Earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespassed against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Old Testament.

1. The Father needed to be introduced to the world (Matthew 11:27)

2. The Kingdom of God (in the person of Jesus) had come (Matthew 12:28)

3. His will is being done on Earth as in heaven (John 6:28-29)

4. Jesus is the bread of life

5. Our forgiveness is contingent on belief in Christ alone.

The actual Lord's Prayer is:

 

John 17 (AV)

1 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:

2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.

3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.

5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

6 I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.

7 Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee.

8 For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.

9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.

10 And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.

11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.

12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.

13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.

14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.

19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.

20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

25 O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.

26 And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.

[FresnoJoe]

Amen~!

[Truth Seeker]

A major problem with this type of discussion is the word church. The word church can mean so many different things I.E. a local group of people, a denomination, a building, all of the religious entities in the world that call themselves Christian, all of the entities in America that call themselves Christian or what I consider to be the true church which is all sincere believers where ever they may be in the world. So are we talking church, church or church?

As for the religious entities in America that call themselves Christian, in my humble opinion, the vast majority of them are way off track and that is the reason that America is way off track. Christians used to influence America. Now it is exactly the opposite. Again, in my humble opinion, if America continues down the road that it has been on for decades now we will face God's wrath. We must turn America around but to do that we must first turn Christianity in America around.