church expressions

[simplejeff]

On 2/20/2018 at 7:34 PM, creativemechanic said:

Went to my grandmothers funeral at an anglican church (although i dont like to use denominational titles- i go to an independent Baptist church)

Service began with a procession with people in long robes carrying crosses with poles

At the front of a church was something like an altar with a gold cross with Jesus on it. Numerous times   throughout the service the robed people passed in, whenver they did, they'd bow or kneel before it. Happened multiple times (we will use the altar only for prayer)

Throughout the service as someone said something, the congregation  would recite a refrain  to it. Sometimes making the sign of the cross as they did. In the funeral pamplet , there was a  series of mantras to recite, such as the apostles creed and a Nunc Demittis  (we do no recitations)

At the end the preacher  came and put incense and sprinkled water on the coffin (no such thing doen at ours)

There was communion in the service open to anyone (in m church the pastor specifies its only available to born again believers )

 

4 minutes ago, creativemechanic said:

but isnt that judging in itself?

How does anyone,  or who can, judge the differences as noted in your previous post. 

How can anyone tell simply what is idolatry,  and what is not ?

[simplejeff]

"Worthy Christian Library » A.W. Tozer

Preface – Knowledge of the Holy

True religion confronts earth with heaven and brings eternity to bear upon time. The messenger of Christ, though he speaks from God, must also, as the Quakers used to say, ”speak to the condition” of his hearers; otherwise he will speak a language known only to himself. His message must be not only timeless but timely. He must speak to his own generation.

The message of this book does not grow out of these times but it is appropriate to them. It is called forth by a condition which has existed in the Church for some years and is steadily growing worse. I refer to the loss of the concept of majesty from the popular religious mind. The Church has surrendered her once lofty concept of God and has substituted for it one so low, so ignoble, as to be utterly unworthy of thinking, worshiping men. This she has done not deliberately, but little by little and without her knowledge; and her very unawareness only makes her situation all the more tragic."

http://www.worthychristianlibrary.com/category/aw-tozer/

"Since this book is neither esoteric nor technical, and since it is written in the language of worship with no pretension to elegant literary style, perhaps some persons may be drawn to read it. While I believe that nothing will be found here contrary to sound Christian theology, I yet write not for professional theologians but for plain persons whose hearts stir them up to seek after God Himself."

... ... ...

"The gospel can lift this destroying burden from the mind, give beauty for ashes, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. But unless the weight of the burden is felt the gospel can mean nothing to the man; and until he sees a vision of God high and lifted up, there will be no woe and no burden.

Low views of God destroy the gospel for all who hold them.Among the sins to which the human heart is prone, hardly any other is more hateful to God than idolatry, for idolatry is at bottom a libel on His character.

The idolatrous heart assumes that God is other than He is – in itself a monstrous sin – and substitutes for the true God one made after its own likeness. Always this God will conform to the image of the one who created it and will be base or pure, cruel or kind, according to the moral state of the mind from which it emerges."

... ... ...

http://www.worthychristianlibrary.com/category/aw-tozer/

[LadyKay]

13 hours ago, simplejeff said:

How can anyone tell simply what is idolatry,  and what is not ?

Yeah I have to say I am not sure if this would be consider idolatry or not. It seems to me to be just a different way to worship.  What matters is what is inside a person's heart. No one can know that except the person and God. 

[frienduff thaylorde]

18 hours ago, simplejeff said:

 

How does anyone,  or who can, judge the differences as noted in your previous post. 

How can anyone tell simply what is idolatry,  and what is not ?

Jeff you know .       HIS SHEEP hear HIS VOICE and into idolatry he leads them not .   WE discern and judge by the Power of HIS SPIRIT within us

and we test all spirits against what was written in the Book of THE HOLY ONE , aka yeah the bible .

JESUS never said NOT TOO JUDGE   < HE said JUDGE RIGHTLY.      aka the mote has to be cleared from the eye,  THEN in CHRIST with clear eyes we see HOW to judge rightly

and how to pull the speck from the others eye.    

[frienduff thaylorde]

Just now, frienduff thaylorde said:

Jeff you know .       HIS SHEEP hear HIS VOICE and into idolatry he leads them not .   WE discern and judge by the Power of HIS SPIRIT within us

and we test all spirits against what was written in the Book of THE HOLY ONE , aka yeah the bible .

JESUS never said NOT TOO JUDGE   < HE said JUDGE RIGHTLY.      aka the mote has to be cleared from the eye,  THEN in CHRIST with clear eyes we see HOW to judge rightly

and how to pull the speck from the others eye.    

Judge not lest you be judged ,   means we sit not AS THE JUDGE nor judge as does man after the flesh does see and judge.

IF the eye is made clear by JESUS, then that one knows how to judge righteously and not by  appearance as man after the flesh does judge.

THEN you will see clearly HOW TO PULL.      HOW TO CORRECT .   HOW TO HELP ,  HOW TO WARN ,  HOW TO REBUKE , HOW TO follow and live BY CHRIST , HIS SAYINGS

are the meat of our soul and as honey to the taste and are the standard of righteous holy living .  And the SPIRIT reminds us of all that HE has said.

NOT what men try and twist have said..................WHAT HE HAS SAID .   its so clear to those who follow the lamb.  

[frienduff thaylorde]

4 hours ago, LadyKay said:

Yeah I have to say I am not sure if this would be consider idolatry or not. It seems to me to be just a different way to worship.  What matters is what is inside a person's heart. No one can know that except the person and God. 

And what SPIRIT truly dwells in that heart can be seen by action or lack thereof .

What IS inside the heart of man is evil from his youth.

YES,  one must be born again .    IF they have well they unlearn the world and learn to walk as DID CHRIST .

What is truly within one will show its fruits .    And YE SHALL KNOW THEM BY THIER FRUITS,  not by what physcology says as in aka you don know their heart .

RIGHT .    What is in one always SURFACES and IT can ALWAYS and WILL always be seen by its fruits.

And if one does err,   ITS why we so lighting fast are quick to correct .    What matters IS what is inside a person ,   AND IT BETTER BE CHRIST and if HE is............IT CAN AND IS SEEN.

 

[frienduff thaylorde]

Here is a wonderful idea.     TO know if something is IDOLARTY,    LET US SEE what GOD calls idolatry and what HE said TO NEVER DO.

DO NOT MAKE unto yourselves ANYTHING that is in heaven , earth  or the likeness of it .

DO NOT BOW DOWN to this images...................HEY LADY KAY....................IT IS IDOLARTY to bow down to images .    IT IS .  

[simplejeff]

1 minute ago, frienduff thaylorde said:

What IS inside the heart of man is evil from his youth.

And foolishness - "bound up in the heart of a child" as written in Scripture,

driven out as YHVH Says (in His Word) only by [correct] chastisement/discipline. (however old a person may be).

[simplejeff]

2 minutes ago, frienduff thaylorde said:

Here is a wonderful idea.     TO know if something is IDOLARTY,    LET US SEE what GOD calls idolatry and what HE said TO NEVER DO.

DO NOT MAKE unto yourselves ANYTHING that is in heaven , earth  or the likeness of it .

DO NOT BOW DOWN to this images...................HEY LADY KAY....................IT IS IDOLARTY to bow down to images .    IT IS .  

BUT this (idolatry) is what 'our group'  has ALWAYS done - so it must be okay - right ?   We don't even call it idolatry any more !   So it must be okay - right !??

 

no.

[frienduff thaylorde]

Just now, simplejeff said:

BUT this (idolatry) is what 'our group'  has ALWAYS done - so it must be okay - right ?   We don't even call it idolatry any more !   So it must be okay - right !??

IS man THE JUDGE or GOD ALONE.

and do we stand before mankind at our end or GOD .

And man changes , times do change jeff,   come on they change ...........................YEP < BUT GOD DONT .   HIS WORD DONT ....................

DO IT .     NOPE .    and grace don't make void GOD or what HE SAYS .   ITS LIVED OUT BY THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT .

but I got a strong feeling you done knew the answer when you asked the question.     JESUS no aurthor of lawlessness.      And I fear for the masses who have made him such.