What are the three major points?

[Tzephanyahu]

Shalom All,

I am currently working on a project and could really do with some help from you guys on WCF!

What I would like to know is: What are the 3 main points/topics/issues that Christians struggle with today?  This might be a topic of confusion that you have, or that you have witnessed in many others in church or on here.  It might be about baptism, salvation, a book of the Bible etc.  Don't worry if you repeat someone else's point, as it will only highlight the importance with its repetition!

I'm not trying to answer all these points or seeking to start a debate really.  Think of this as more of a survey.

 

EVERYONE is welcome to reply!  But I am particularly interested in reading the opinions of: @turtletwo, @Tigger56, @BeauJangles, @PromisesPromises!, @thomas t, @GandalfTheWise, @BorderCowboy, @pinacled, @americaneagle82, @Cletus, @Hobie_, @Pekoudah, @Heybro, @Sonshine☀️, @George, @Still Alive, @In Him, @Jostler

Now, please don't take offence if your name hasn't been listed, these names were just in the front of my mind as I was typing.  So everyone please feel free to reply as it would be a great help.   

 

Love & Shalom

Edited May 23, 2019 by Tzephanyahu

[Behold]

There is always only one real issue a believer has and that is.......... living their life completely for the Lord.

The reason that this is the only issue that they have, is because nothing in a believer's life, matters as much.

So, maintaining true and complete devotion to God and Christ is always the real struggle, is the "working out your faith with fear and trembling"....and IS the "course" you are to complete.

Paul even suggest that believers never marry so that they are don't become tied up with "things of this life" that are going to come for you to deal with all your life,  >through marriage.

Time is Life.  And what you give your time to, is what you are living for.....every day, every minute.

[Still Alive]

1 hour ago, Tzephanyahu said:

Shalom All,

I am currently working on a project and could really do with some help from you guys on WCF!

What I would like to know is: What are the 3 main points/topics/issues that Christians struggle with today?  This might be a topic of confusion that you have, or that you have witnessed in many others in church or on here.  It might be about baptism, salvation, a book of the Bible etc.  Don't worry if you repeat someone else's point, as it will only highlight the importance with its repetition!

I'm not trying to answer all these points or seeking to start a debate really.  Think of this as more of a survey.

 

EVERYONE is welcome to reply!  But I am particularly interested in reading the opinions of: @turtletwo, @Tigger56, @BeauJangles, @PromisesPromises!, @thomas t, @GandalfTheWise, @BorderCowboy, @pinacled, @americaneagle82, @Cletus, @Hobie_, @Pekoudah, @Heybro, @Sonshine☀️, @George, @Still Alive, @In Him, @Jostler

Now, please don't take offence if your name hasn't been listed, these names were just in the front of my mind as I was typing.  So everyone please feel free to reply as it would be a great help.   

 

Love & Shalom

My three:

1. The level at which I should read, include and consider the extra-biblical books/writing that were "in the heads" of the new testament writers. 

2. The significance and daily impact of "by faith, not works".

3. Increasing my faith while unlearning and relearning everything I "thought I knew" about Christianity, thanks to the explosion of information (and misinformation) available on the internet.

Edited May 23, 2019 by Still Alive

[thomas t]

1 hour ago, Tzephanyahu said:

Shalom All,

I am currently working on a project and could really do with some help from you guys on WCF!

What I would like to know is: What are the 3 main points/topics/issues that Christians struggle with today?  This might be a topic of confusion that you have, or that you have witnessed in many others in church or on here.  It might be about baptism, salvation, a book of the Bible etc.  Don't worry if you repeat someone else's point, as it will only highlight the importance with its repetition!

I'm not trying to answer all these points or seeking to start a debate really.  Think of this as more of a survey.

 

EVERYONE is welcome to reply!  But I am particularly interested in reading the opinions of: @turtletwo, @Tigger56, @BeauJangles, @PromisesPromises!, @thomas t, @GandalfTheWise, @BorderCowboy, @pinacled, @americaneagle82, @Cletus, @Hobie_, @Pekoudah, @Heybro, @Sonshine☀️, @George, @Still Alive, @In Him, @Jostler

Now, please don't take offence if your name hasn't been listed, these names were just in the front of my mind as I was typing.  So everyone please feel free to reply as it would be a great help.   

 

Love & Shalom

thank you very much, Tzeph.

it seems to me it is:

a) disrespectful behavior against others and within the community

b) when Christians get political we often lack respect for human rights standards. We should be in line with human rights, I think. When Christians get persecuted we call for human rights, too. The Golden Rule: treat others with respect, the way you want to be treated, too.

c) worry about the kingdom of God first - money last.

My two cent,

Thomas

[GandalfTheWise]

@Tzephanyahu  Very good question.  I look forward to reading the responses here.

These were the three things in my life that have caused most of the problems and struggles I've had over decades.  My sense of things is that many issues Christians worry and obsess about (which I did for a long time) are rooted in these things which it took me a long time to slowly learn about.  

1. It sometimes seems that most Christians, ministries, and churches are more concerned about being doctrinally correct about Christ than actually being alive in Christ.  Sadly, many Christians seem to be more comfortable around Christians lacking fruit who agree with them doctrinally than around mature fruitful believers who disagree with them doctrinally.  I think most young believers are indoctrinated to believe that a particular doctrinal or theological system is required to grow spiritually.  When I started focusing on what fruitful mature Christians all tended to agree on, my list of important doctrinal items got very small and my focus became much more upon daily matters of spiritual growth.  

2. Most Christians fail to see themselves as the unique individual God has created them to be to reflect His glory in a way unique to each of us and instead view themselves through cookie-cutter requirements and generalities.  They see God's plan for their life as mostly being a giant to-do list (with goals, schedules, requirements, and deadlines which they only fall short of) rather than an ongoing weaving of a beautiful and majestic tapestry of our transformation and growth and walking with Him as a unique individual.  We often see our purpose in life as finding our calling and working hard to be worthy of it and achieve it rather than seeing our purpose as being transformed into the person God created us to be.  We fail to see what we accomplish in life as natural fruit from being transformed and incorrectly see it is as working hard at completing tasks.  This really changed the way I viewed other Christians as primarily now looking for who God created them to be and encouraging them toward that.

3.  Most Christians don't realize how much they are trying to do through their own efforts instead of through God's power.  We try to make things happen and change ourselves through our efforts, striving, dedication, commitment, and labor and feel guilty when things don't change as we expect.  We see some limited results through our dedicated efforts but at some point we'll hit a wall where we fail.  Many of us spend a lot of time at that wall mourning, moaning, soul-searching, and trying to figure out what is wrong.  We fail to see that some things will only change in our lives through God's power and intervention.  Our life is like a garden that needs to be tended and slowly grows, matures, and starts to bear fruit.  Many things we worry about simply disappear as we mature and God does things in our lives.  For me, it was a huge shift to change from seeing things God laid on my heart as a young Christian as callings I needed to strive and be worthy of to realize that those things were promises about what God would do as He transformed me into the person He intended me to be.

[Pekoudah]

3 hours ago, Tzephanyahu said:

Shalom All,

I am currently working on a project and could really do with some help from you guys on WCF!

What I would like to know is: What are the 3 main points/topics/issues that Christians struggle with today?  This might be a topic of confusion that you have, or that you have witnessed in many others in church or on here.  It might be about baptism, salvation, a book of the Bible etc.  Don't worry if you repeat someone else's point, as it will only highlight the importance with its repetition!

I'm not trying to answer all these points or seeking to start a debate really.  Think of this as more of a survey.

 

EVERYONE is welcome to reply!  But I am particularly interested in reading the opinions of: @turtletwo, @Tigger56, @BeauJangles, @PromisesPromises!, @thomas t, @GandalfTheWise, @BorderCowboy, @pinacled, @americaneagle82, @Cletus, @Hobie_, @Pekoudah, @Heybro, @Sonshine☀️, @George, @Still Alive, @In Him, @Jostler

Now, please don't take offence if your name hasn't been listed, these names were just in the front of my mind as I was typing.  So everyone please feel free to reply as it would be a great help.   

 

Love & Shalom

Faith, hope and love.

[AnOrangeCat]

The top three issues as I see it are these.

1) Saturation with worldly things. Society's standards of what's acceptable have slipped tremendously. More and more people in and out of the body of Christ are exposed to things that don't renew our minds in a positive way at all, and yes, this present generation in particular certainly has growing pornography issues. I love our tech and find that the internet has made my life much easier, but at the same time not all of the changes it's brought about have been good.

2) Inactivity. I'm possibly heavily biased with this one from my depression and personal experiences, but it seems to me that there's a lot of this going around among believers. This is not to say that we don't act at all or don't care, but rather that we don't act as strongly, persistently, and efficiently as we could. There are a variety of reasons for this and the world certainly chokes out a lot of ability and inclination to take action and keep on pushing. At least in the United States a large portion of our country is at least nominally Christian. So why don't our laws and elected officials reflect that more closely? Why does it seem more and more the country is slipping away from God?

3) PromisesPromises! has a very solid #3 so I'll have to strongly agree with it. It's probably an underlying cause to a lot of problems within the church, and the ripples caused by that likely extend out into the world as well.

[Tigger56]

4 hours ago, Tzephanyahu said:

Shalom All,

I am currently working on a project and could really do with some help from you guys on WCF!

What I would like to know is: What are the 3 main points/topics/issues that Christians struggle with today?  This might be a topic of confusion that you have, or that you have witnessed in many others in church or on here.  It might be about baptism, salvation, a book of the Bible etc.  Don't worry if you repeat someone else's point, as it will only highlight the importance with its repetition!

I'm not trying to answer all these points or seeking to start a debate really.  Think of this as more of a survey.

 

EVERYONE is welcome to reply!  But I am particularly interested in reading the opinions of: @turtletwo, @Tigger56, @BeauJangles, @PromisesPromises!, @thomas t, @GandalfTheWise, @BorderCowboy, @pinacled, @americaneagle82, @Cletus, @Hobie_, @Pekoudah, @Heybro, @Sonshine☀️, @George, @Still Alive, @In Him, @Jostler

Now, please don't take offence if your name hasn't been listed, these names were just in the front of my mind as I was typing.  So everyone please feel free to reply as it would be a great help.   

 

Love & Shalom

I believe the main issues Christians struggle with the most in these days and times is due to social issues and the lack of strength being provided by local churches. Too many churches have attempted to be "with the times" and have failed to maintain a strong stance on many issues facing Christians today. So none of my answers have to do with doctrinal issues such as baptism, salvation, etc.  As seen in this forum many have strong stances on these things. I also have strong stances on the three things I will list as I and the church in which I belong speak out about these things, but I do feel many struggle with these three things.

Here are my three:

( 1) homosexuality - some churches allow homosexuals to become preachers and leaders within their churches. This has caused division in various denominations. Christians struggle with "politically correct", are they born that way or is it a choice of lifestyle?" Should I judge or should I be tolerant?"  This is a major issue for various churches and individual christians at this time.

(2) This has some ties to number one, the question of love - how should it be followed in present times. "Is tolerance....love?, is judgement and discernment.... anti-love?"  Christians are bombarded by the mainstream media and much fun is made of Christians in this day and age. It is difficult sometimes to stand out and all have a desire to be accepted, but at what cost? Christians often are displayed as unloving and judgemental, this is difficult for a Christian to face and stand strong against.

(3) Despite calm displayed by many, most people, Christians included know that our world is in a downward spin. Evil has crept as a fog across this nation and across the world, there is fear and unease. Many believe in an end time, but most have always desired it to be in a time other than their lifetime. Christians need the strength of unity and conviction. We are in deed in the last generation that will walk apart from our Lord and the fear in many must be addressed and faith must be strengthened. There is a need for strong churches who preach truth without fear, but as I look across this landscape, I know it is surely missing.

[Jostler]

I appreciate the topic, and i have a feeling the REAL answers are more  like a spiderweb in relation  to  each other, than a linear list  of importance,  so I'd expect different ones among us may highlight different perspectives, but  I bet  the discussion  will be thought provoking.  I doubt  any  one answer  will encompass all there  is  to be profitably shared.

I personally identified most  with  @PromisesPromises! answer so far, but, I'd modify it a little.    I think my "angle" is just a little  different, expressed in different  words, but I'm still pretty much seeing  things the same  way, just looking at  it from a different direction.

In my opinion THE number  one problem is:

1.  Unbelief.  We have (corporately and individually) a real struggle with being unbelieving believers.  "Believing" is the work of God.  And its real work, and a constant challenge to continue in the work.  Where we fail to DO the  work, we suffer loss and lack of appropriating  the promises given as our own experiential reality.

Quote

Jhn 6:28-29

¶

Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?”

 

¶

Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”

 

One of the biggest "belief failures" is our lack of really  believing we ARE one with Him.  It denies us the depth of relationship He  died for us to be able to enjoy  with Him and Father through  Him.  Which leads to my #2 issue.

2.  Shallow personal relationships with Him.  We're not  guilty of wanting  too  much, but of settling  for way too little.

 

Which leads me to  think of what I believe KEEPS us from believing in and experiencing the depths of oneness and relationship with Him, which is #3.

3.  Shame is THE number one problem that  keeps us from experiencing depth of relationship.  And number 2 isn't even close.

 

my 2 cents

 

Edited May 23, 2019 by Jostler

[In Him]

13 minutes ago, Jostler said:

I appreciate the topic, and i have a feeling the REAL answers are more  like a spiderweb in relation  to  each other, than a linear list  of importance,  so I'd expect different ones among us may highlight different perspectives, but  I bet  the discussion  will be thought provoking.  I doubt  any  one answer  will encompass all there  is  to be profitably shared.

I personally identified most  with  @PromisesPromises! answer so far, but, I'd modify it a little.    I think my "angle" is just a little  different, expressed in different  words, but I'm still pretty much seeing  things the same  way, just looking at  it from a different direction.

In my opinion THE number  one problem is:

1.  Unbelief.  We have (corporately and individually) a real struggle with being unbelieving believers.  "Believing" is the work of God.  And its real work, and a constant challenge to continue in the work.  Where we fail to DO the  work, we suffer loss and lack of appropriating  the promises given as our own experiential reality.

 

One of the biggest "belief failures" is our lack of really  believing we ARE one with Him.  It denies us the depth of relationship He  died for us to be able to enjoy  with Him and Father through  Him.  Which leads to my #2 issue.

2.  Shallow personal relationships with Him.  We're not  guilty of wanting  too  much, but of settling  for way too little.

 

Which leads me to  think of what I believe KEEPS us from believing in and experiencing the depths of oneness and relationship with Him, which is #3.

3.  Shame is THE number one problem that  keeps us from experiencing depth of relationship.  And number 2 isn't even close.

 

my 2 cents

 

33

What Jostler said~is my 2 cents too. Stunned with the accuracy of the truth, in all honesty.