P Jay Posted March 5, 2020 Group: Members Followers: 1 Topic Count: 6 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 32 Content Per Day: 0.02 Reputation: 27 Days Won: 0 Joined: 03/02/2020 Status: Offline Share Posted March 5, 2020 There is another topic floating around in my mind, and it's the idea that the Church is divided and disconnected. There are times that I believe it is, but other times that I don't think it is. It seems to be a fact to me that there are different churches that seem to interpret Scripture differently, and as a result they have different ideas about what it means to be a Christian, and what it means to be a church. There's the idea that a divided house will soon fall gives me concerns because I hear many Christian leaders talking negative ab0ut other leaders or other churches. It seems to me that some believe that one church is better than the other. And this seems to be one reason for the division in the Church. Is one church better than another? Or is it good to have diversity among the Believers in Christ? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmuffet Posted March 5, 2020 Group: Royal Member Followers: 34 Topic Count: 1,993 Topics Per Day: 0.48 Content Count: 48,691 Content Per Day: 11.76 Reputation: 30,343 Days Won: 226 Joined: 01/11/2013 Status: Offline Share Posted March 5, 2020 What is being preached and taught in the Church? The Bible tells us we should only listen to those who preach the true gospel of Jesus Christ. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Pv- Posted March 5, 2020 Group: Junior Member Followers: 2 Topic Count: 6 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 99 Content Per Day: 0.06 Reputation: 62 Days Won: 0 Joined: 09/11/2019 Status: Offline Share Posted March 5, 2020 (edited) The Bible itself is the firm ground. Keep our eyes on the firm foundation of Jesus and not on the failures of people. Consider: Matthew 3: 11 "As for me [John the Baptist], I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Matthew 13:24 "Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went away. But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also. The slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ The slaves *said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?’ But he *said, ‘No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them. Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn.”’” Comment: Jesus WILL separate believers from fence walkers by acts of God. When you see churches dropping into obscurity and ineffectiveness you are seeing God at work to perfect His bride. Just be sure YOU are not the source of this division as the following verse advises: 1 Timothy 6:3-6 "If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment." How do you know which is true?: 1 Corinthians 15:1-5 "Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve." Edited March 5, 2020 by -Pv- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnthebaptist Posted March 5, 2020 Group: Non-Conformist Theology Followers: 6 Topic Count: 118 Topics Per Day: 0.06 Content Count: 4,361 Content Per Day: 2.29 Reputation: 2,109 Days Won: 0 Joined: 02/25/2019 Status: Offline Birthday: 02/03/1953 Share Posted March 5, 2020 4 hours ago, P Jay said: There is another topic floating around in my mind, and it's the idea that the Church is divided and disconnected. There are times that I believe it is, but other times that I don't think it is. It seems to be a fact to me that there are different churches that seem to interpret Scripture differently, and as a result they have different ideas about what it means to be a Christian, and what it means to be a church. There's the idea that a divided house will soon fall gives me concerns because I hear many Christian leaders talking negative ab0ut other leaders or other churches. It seems to me that some believe that one church is better than the other. And this seems to be one reason for the division in the Church. Is one church better than another? Or is it good to have diversity among the Believers in Christ? Satan infiltrates the church whenever possible, tempting its leaders to go astray and take their congregations with them. Those that do go astray are pitted against the ones trying to follow Jesus. I doubt you'll find a perfect church. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 5, 2020 Share Posted March 5, 2020 I've lost patience and interest in going to church regularly. I go sometimes now. I find myself far happier reading my Bible, praying and analysing the Bible at home or in a small group. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis1209 Posted March 5, 2020 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 18 Topic Count: 350 Topics Per Day: 0.13 Content Count: 7,508 Content Per Day: 2.70 Reputation: 5,408 Days Won: 1 Joined: 09/27/2016 Status: Online Share Posted March 5, 2020 This goes all the way back to the establishment of the churches during the apostles time and some early church fathers, over time it continues to wax worse and worse. Acts 17:11 (KJV) These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R. Hartono Posted March 5, 2020 Group: Royal Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 775 Topics Per Day: 0.34 Content Count: 6,953 Content Per Day: 3.05 Reputation: 1,985 Days Won: 1 Joined: 02/15/2018 Status: Offline Share Posted March 5, 2020 The kingdom of heaven is found in the hearts that forgive n share happiness, not in religious buildings or denominations Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve morrow Posted March 5, 2020 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 5 Topic Count: 62 Topics Per Day: 0.04 Content Count: 1,059 Content Per Day: 0.62 Reputation: 376 Days Won: 0 Joined: 09/15/2019 Status: Offline Birthday: 07/07/1955 Share Posted March 5, 2020 DIVERSITY ??? JOHN 14:6 JESUS saith unto him --I am the way--the truth--and the life--NO MAN-- cometh unto THE FATHER but by ME PROVERBS 8:32 NOW THEREFORE HEARKEN UNTO ME O YOU CHILDREN FOR BLESSED ARE THEY THAT KEEP MY WAYS PSALM 119:59 I thought on my ways and turned my feet unto thy testimonies ISAIAH 55:8 for MY thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your ways MY ways saith THE LORD 1 CORINTHIANS for this cause have I sent Timotheus who is my beloved son and faithful in THE LORD who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in CHRIST --- AS I TEACH EVERYWHERE IN EVERY CHURCH --- __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ JOHN 7:16 JESUS ANSWERED THEM AND SAID MY DOCTRINE IS NOT MINE BUT HIS THAT SENT ME --JOHN 17:17-- IF ANY MAN-- WILL DO HIS WILL HE SHALL KNOW OF THE DOCTRINE WHETHER IT BE OF GOD OR WHETHER I SPEAK OF MYSELF --7:19-- HE THAT SPEAKETH OF HIMSELF --SEEKETH HIS OWN GLORY BUT HE THAT SEEKETH HIS GLORY THAT SENT HIM THE SAME IS TRUE AND NO UNRIGHTEOUSNESS IS IN HIM HEBREWS 10:36 FOR YOU HAVE NEED OF PATIENCE THAT AFTER YOU HAVE --DONE THE WILL OF GOD-- YOU MIGHT RECEIVE THE PROMISE ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ROMANS 15:18 for I will not dare to speak of any of those things which CHRIST hath not wrought by me to make the gentiles obedient by word and deed 1 CORINTHIANS 11:1 be you followers of me even as I also am of CHRIST JOHN 12:49 FOR I HAVE NOT SPOKEN OF MYSELF BUT THE FATHER WHICH SENT ME HE GAVE ME A COMMANDMENT WHAT I SHOULD SAY AND WHAT I SHOULD SPEAK --12:50-- AND I KNOW THAT HIS COMMANDMENT IS LIFE EVERLASTING WHATSOEVER I SPEAK THEREFORE EVEN AS THE FATHER SAID UNTO ME SO I SPEAK MARK 8:35 FOR WHOSOEVER WILL SAVE HIS LIFE ---SHALL LOSE IT--- BUT WHOSOEVER SHALL LOSE HIS LIFE FOR MY SAKE AND THE GOSPELS ---THE SAME SHALL SAVE IT--- LOVING THE LORD JESUS CHRIST Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jostler Posted March 5, 2020 Group: Mars Hill Followers: 25 Topic Count: 6 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 2,679 Content Per Day: 1.38 Reputation: 3 Days Won: 16 Joined: 01/19/2019 Status: Offline Share Posted March 5, 2020 Mat 18:20 “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” Quite a few modern western religious institutions that call themselves churches haven't seen the presence of the Holy Spirit in a very long time. A bible study with one other person is more "church" than those are. 2 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 6, 2020 Share Posted March 6, 2020 15 hours ago, charisenexcelsis said: "The eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; or again the head to the feet , "I have no need of you>" However difficult and however much effort is needed, the body of Christ is not an option. When we choose not to be part of the body, we make ourselves a denomination of one. Yes i agree with that. It is in the Bible. Pulling together is the best way. But oh so hard in practice, personality clashes and different opinions within churches. We are humans and we get on each other's nerves at times. For me i have come to a point where my well being and health is affected by the behaviour of some at church. I need peace, silence and time alone. To be with God. To find my role and path of service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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