Which Christian denomination is true?

[Yeshua153]

Let's define denomination - Greek word from de - no & nomos - law, so no law, man makes his own laws & rituals, so no denomination, of course, has God's Truth. (as I have found out to my cost, of time, over 40yrs), but it's worth the wait, to get to the truth!

[Guest]

I do not concern myself with that. I follow my own path. I go to an Anglican church but the vast majority of my growth as a Christian is private study of the Bible. I take what i need from books and programmes on TV and a variety of sources. I seek the truth which means always referring to the Bible and in prayer. The rules, regs, arguments and methods of various denominations is of secondary importance to me. Just labels really. I am interested in people, mutually helping each other to make sense of life and learning the Word of God effectively and applying it. I do not care if someone is Catholic or Quaker or Jehovah's Witness. Talk, understand and learn peacefully from each other. 

 

[Guest]

6 hours ago, Seasoned by Grace said:

I liked reading all the pages of opinions on this topic. I don't often respond anymore to a lot of the topics, but it gives me an idea where the culture is with church people. I thought I might try my hand here at sharing my experiences and opinion.

I'm sure most of you are familiar with Hebrews 10:24-25, "(24) and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, (25) not forsaking our own assembling together as is the habit of some....".

I've had these 2 verses used against me several times by people who are into legalism or rule keeping, not into love or seeking out God's truth.

What's wonderful for me is I know those 2 verses are for people with a poor heart condition about attending a church assembly, and have unholy excuses for not attending in accordance with God's word.

For over 40 years I went to a church building to worship and raised all my 5 children in a church building all the years they were growing up. I served a lot and was eventually ordained as a deacon and either served in many ministries or led several ministries and did some preaching in 2 different churches, all the while studying my bible and researching the history of Christianity and the history of the bible Old and New Testament. It's been fascinating and opening my eyes journey especially when I started studying the New Testament in the original written language years ago.

For all my years of going to worship I would hear or see things that wasn't in harmony with the scriptures I read, and so in the back of my mind that always bothered me, but life was so busy raising a family and providing for them, that all I could do was file all that away in the back of my mind for a later date as I continued to study when I had the time, usually at work on breaks and lunch, or before bed when it was quiet and I could concentrate.

Fast forward several decades and I'm retired and all that I had filed away and sometimes had the time to write down, I was finally able to begin searching out, always praying for the truth, wisdom, knowledge and discernment (Proverbs 2).

What a beautiful journey I started with the Holy Spirit, always leading me into the answers I was looking for to the questions I had for many decades. I had no agenda but the truth. His faithfulness was astounding and He led me to begin studying in the original language of the bible and that's where my eyes were really opened, and my faith slowly began to change. So here I am 17 years into retirement and my faith is hardly recognizeable compared to my earlier years with the Lord.

What I had seen and heard in my earlier years of faith and questioned, God was faithful to help me understand all of that, and to set my faith and beliefs correctly, making adjustments and changing how I functioned in some area's of my faith, to where I am now at peace where my faith should be, according to God not man.

Romans 14:22, "The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who doesn't condemn himself in what he approves."

Earlier at the beginning, I mentioned Hebrews 10:24-25 about the attitude we should have about attending church from our hearts.

If you have kept aware of what's happening in the church culture in the U.S., you'll know according to a ton of research polls that there is a mass migration and exodus from all the  churches across our country. Some have left the faith completely, while others have left their churches but NOT the faith. Disappointed with the church teaching and doctrine as they grew into the truth, they have left and many are now meeting in church homes or still searching for something more meaningful and authentic.

I'm in the later category. I too have left  and won't return to anything like the first 40 years. I have moved on to a faith that is precious and real to me, and I want to be with authentic people who want to worship in truth and live by GOD's TRUTH in love for God and one another, and the world around us.

This last year has been hard for me as this has been my first year in over 40 that I have been without a church home, but I know how much God loves me, and he will be faithful to open the right doors because He knows my heart, and He will honor my hearts desire to live my faith and my life to honor Him the way He has called me to - PRAISE GOD and HIS HOLY NAME

To answer your original question, WHICH CHTISTIAN DENOMINATION IS TRUE I myself don't see any saving truth in any of the main stream churches at all today.

Because of what is happening across America in churches today, the next 10 years could see a major shift as things continue to snowball as peoples beliefs continue changing.

I even hear the same thought here. God is moving quietly in a mighty way if your paying attention to see it and hear it.

Hi

I absolutely love your journey! I am relieved not to be alone in thinking this way. Seeking the truth, thinking for yourself is vital. Our personal relationship with God is crucial. 

[JustPassingThru]

In response to the original OP, asking the question, "Which denomination is true," ...may I suggest a different approach, ...to know which church the Holy Spirit is "working" in, ...judge it by Acts 2:47:

Praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

What are you looking for, the parable of the wine skins explains this, the new wine, a fresh move of the Holy Spirit will be adding to the Church regularly,  and it must be placed in new wine skins so that it can expand,...then there are the old wine skins, the "denominations" that have been around for centuries, Jesus said the new wine can't be placed in them because they can't expand and will burst, ...once upon a time they were the "new" wine skins and Jesus still Loves them and blesses them, ...and He doesn't want the skins to burst and lose the wine,

...so what is it you want, the old wine skins that can't handle a "fresh" new outpouring of the Holy Spirit, ...or a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit where the new Church is invigorating and effervescent?

I'm not saying one is better than the other, ...it's just a question of which one appeals to you...

Lord bless

[Dennis1209]

17 hours ago, Sower said:

I personally agree with what you have stated as your personal opinion, except the last line.
Before 'abandoning' a sinking ship, as good stewards, great effort should be made to 'plug' the holes, first.
Several years back, our new pastor brought in a charismatic music director, his previous friend, and later we found/caught
him laying on hands  to many different choir members and others to proclaim he had direct messages from God for them.
Pastor was confronted this was against our core beliefs, but would not change his mind, after much prayer and discussions.
The pastor felt God had told him to choose this individual, would not change his mind, and would not replace him.
The eventual result, a church split. Pastor and music director ask then forced to leave.
Our first church split after a hundred and thirty plus years.
Result was the pastor and leaving members and music director started a new small church.
A few months later, they let the music director go.
Most people will try to fix a car, a leaky roof, a friendship or marriage, etc,
before throwing them out to find a new one to replace it.
If all those mature solid believers run when the problems get tough,
then there is no hope for the growing body of fellowship. Reality is there are always problems in every church.
I agree we should not join a church fellowship if it did not proclaim core doctrine truth.
I would keep looking, as led.

 

 

 

 

You're right. I wasn't thinking when I was writing this. I was commenting from the perspective of someone visiting and looking for a home church, and not a member or regular attendee. From that perspective, what's your options?

[johnthebaptist]

16 hours ago, Margo1945 said:

of course none are perfect .. they are man-made and man-serving and man-ruled .. man can make inadvertant errors or even deliberate errors - only the TRUE BODY OF CHRIST with CHRIST AS HER HEAD can be perfect BUT only if each and every member of the Body submits 100% to doing Christ's Will ONLY

And I don't know if anyone is perfect yet. I'm not.

[Seasoned by Grace]

On ‎1‎/‎25‎/‎2020 at 12:13 AM, Melinda12 said:

Hi

I absolutely love your journey! I am relieved not to be alone in thinking this way. Seeking the truth, thinking for yourself is vital. Our personal relationship with God is crucial. 

Melinda 12 from the U.K.

How are you my wonderful sister in Christ.

You are definetly not alone  in your thinking. God is quietly on the move in a mighty way, and is bringing true believers, truth seekers, together to love and support each other in our walk on a road less traveled - "The narrow road".

God bless you as you seek The one and only truth - Gods truth.

I will be praying for you as I do for others in my life.

My name is Oligos

Edited January 26, 2020 by Seasoned by Grace

[Seasoned by Grace]

On ‎1‎/‎25‎/‎2020 at 2:07 AM, Margo1945 said:

you said: "I'm sure most of you are familiar with Hebrews 10:24-25, "(24) and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, (25) not forsaking our own assembling together as is the habit of some....".

I've had these 2 verses used against me several times by people who are into legalism or rule keeping, not into love or seeking out God's truth.

---------------------------------------

I don't understand what you mean .. how is it legalism and rule keeping to "consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds" .. we are to believe and love and that love is to be actively shown in deed and truth ..

as for forsaking the assembling together as is the habit of some, how is that legalistic and rule keeping .. and some can't gather in fellowship in a Church setting for various reasons .. 

you are right about churches today .. most are man-loving, man-pleasing, and man-serving instead of God-loving, God-pleasing, and God-serving

 

 

Hi margo1945

Great questions and comments.

Your absolutely right about verse 24. I wasn't referring to verse 24 as part of my point, but I used it to complete my thought and keep my comments in context instead of just plucking verse 25 out without any connection to the rest of the biblical thought. Verse 25 was my point.

Not forsaking the assembly and my comment about legalism and rule keeping is about when your an older more mature  Christ follower, who gather together to worship  as a heart condition out of love for our lord, not just because we're told we should, as we did when we were babes in Christ, and knew no other way, which is how I started, and was perfectly fine. But as God revealed Himself to me and opened my heart to His love, I progressed into going to church to praise and worship from a more mature walk and love for my Lord, and an excitement to be there to worship and be loving towards my brothers and sisters in Christ, and to serve from my heart as a much more mature Christ follower.

The rest of my point is that many Christian types never get past doing things out of head knowledge, and there knowledge is never allowed to move down into their heart, and live all they do from a heart of love and much appreciation and a loving obedience for God, and they try to put that legalism and rule keeping on others in the church also.

If your not familiar about this ides, do some research and it will help you grow in you faith and maturity.

Not just my view, but something easily studied to find God's truth on the love we develop during our maturing process at Christ's feet from His truthful word.

God bless as you continue on your walk,

and I hope I explained everything properly for you to understand.

My name Is Oligos

Edited January 26, 2020 by Seasoned by Grace

[JustPassingThru]

On 1/25/2020 at 5:05 AM, Margo1945 said:

I am but believe me, it is lonely at the top .. lol .. I am far from perfect but am striving to be so as we are commanded to do .. to strive to be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect .. 

And friends, ...therein lies the problem, ..."every" born again child of God "IS" perfect, ...declared "perfect" by God not from the moment we became "born again, ...not even from that day approximately 2,000 years ago when Jesus finished His "contract" with/for us on the Cross John 19:30, ...but "BEFORE" the foundation of the world, waaay back in Eternity past when "we," His born again children "only" existed in His Mind, ...He declared, ...we "are" perfect!

 according as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, Eph 1:4

Does not the definition of "perfect" mean without any defects, blemishes, impurities? 

In this verse the Holy Spirit is telling us "before," that is, waaay back in Eternity past, we "should be," present infinitive, meaning we "already" are holy and blameless, ...where? ...before, directly in front of His Presence, in His sight, ...as He gazes at us with/in His Agape Love, ...knowing that at this particular moment in Eternity past we "exist" only in his Mind, ...He is waiting for that day in His "TIME" when we come before Him as one of His adopted children and His Love is reciprocated, from our hearts to/for Him.

This spiritual Truth was best illustrated for me when I met my future wife and we were living on two different islands, after being with her on Sunday, ...Monday, back on my island, I was in a daze, basking and reminiscing over the few hours we had spent together, ...then Tuesday and the rest of the week I was thinking about my love for her, it was not what I could do for her or what she could do for me, ...but my love was "focused" on who she was, ...just being with her and in her presence, ...our situation was unique, since we couldn't communicate with one another, because of the language barrier, after church we would just go somewhere to be alone and just sit and hold hands, ...just being "together" was all we needed...

And I have learned and I have chosen to "live" in Eternity as my true "reality," ...even thought I'm currently living in this "present" time-space continuum, ...my God and I are in constant communion, ...I don't have to "do" anything to make it happen, ...I don't have to "do" anything for it to continue and I don't have to "do" anything for His Presence to be with me tomorrow, ...so isn't the logical question, "...how could I, a physical, biological human living in a mortal body do anything that would "allow" me to live at this present moment, ...and every "moment,"...in Eternity with God?"  

For every human there are two "realities," the one we relate to with our five senses and the other one that we can only relate to, from our heart with our regenerated spirit using our five spiritual "senses", ...taste Psa 34:8, smell Psa 45:8, see Matt 5:8, hear John 10:27, touch Heb 13:5.

His spiritual kingdom is all around us, enclosing and embracing us, within the "reach" of our "inner" regenerated selves, ...just waiting for us to recognize it, ...Father Himself is constantly gazing on us with the same Agape love He had waaay back in Eternity past for us, ...and like my experience of being separated from my beloved by 8 miles of ocean, ...we are "separated" from the One who loves us the most by, ...which "reality" we chose, "reckon" to live in, ...the reality recognized by our five physical senses, or, ...the "TRUE" reality the Word tells us is the Kingdom and the Presence of God.

Jesus explains this to us:

But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such to worship Him. God is a spirit, and they who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth (reality).  John 4:23-24

The question is what "reality" have we chosen, "reckon," ...to live in?

Lord bless

 

[JustPassingThru]

On 1/24/2020 at 4:04 PM, Seasoned by Grace said:

Earlier at the beginning, I mentioned Hebrews 10:24-25 about the attitude we should have about attending church from our hearts.

And that is truth, we "assemble" together in the Name of Jesus because of the common bond of His love in our hearts, ...we're family and everyone of us has had/has some member of the family that was just plain weird and we loved them and fellowshipped with them anyway, ...we didn't kick them out, ...but the Holy Spirit is telling us, His family,  "they" chose to leave.

However:

...not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, Heb 10:25a

The question that needs to be asked is, "Why did they stop going to church with the saints?"

Was it because of false doctrine and teaching 2 Cor 6:14-18, ...if that was the reason then they should of asked Father to place them in one of His Churches that teaches the "Truth."

Or was it because of prideful heart, selfish arrogance that "they" had the only "Truth" and the "Spirit" filled and Holy Spirit taught assembly wouldn't listen to them?

Just something to think about...

Lord bless