Why Are There So Many Denominations In The Church

[Neighbor]

4 hours ago, Charlie1988 said:

It doesn't matter what we think or what the Government thinks the Church should do. The only thing that matters is what God wants. I would say that the majority of Churches are nothing more than self deluded organizations. God rejects their worship and He doesn't even recognize them as valid Churches.  

Hi, Wow that  is quite the indictment. You are certain  God doesn't even recognize "them" as churches?

[Neighbor]

4 hours ago, Charlie1988 said:

He teaches that there is only one church (the Body of Christ), and he considers certain Denominations as being outside the Body of Christ due to what they believe, that being contrary to what the Bible teaches.  

  Perhaps I am confused, for the Bible it seems to me shares of many churches, each with  quite unique qualities assets and liabilities. Yet it's many members are all Christians receiving exhortations and blessings as well as being blessing to God.

 It is also so that some very early on had already left their first love and were in danger of rejection by God, but to indict all bodies except one's own seems a bit risky a pride to carry for any  lead pastor of one church body. Seems to me better to be humble before God, allowing Him His due and not judging for Him that only one's self has the only way to acceptable worship of Jesus as Lord God and personal savior.

As early as my Lord's earthly walk of his two year ministry, I think he exhibited much generosity in how anyone worships God and is found acceptable. Specifically there is encouragement of that in his encounter  with a Samaritan woman.

As for myself I find I can fellowship with most if not all  that  love God. And I need not remove myself from those that do not  yet even know of His reality  in their life. Instead I am to go when offered opportunity to those very individuals and to bring "light" as humbly as I am enabled to do all in the name of Jesus.

[RdJ]

51 minutes ago, Neighbor said:

Well of course. 

Can't imagine ( In the USA) employees of  churches or non profit organizations not having to pay  income tax state and federal on their wages paid them. They sure are going to want the benefits of unemployment,  disability, health,   and government retirement programs.

They are going to want the community benefits of paved roads,  police and fire departments, and so on. They too  need pay up and feel the pain of paying to Caesar what is Caesar's.

The church leaders I have known have always advocated  being completely  honest with government authorities in the way one pays taxes. As to their compensation, shame on any local body that violates the adage that a worker is worth his wage. 

Yes but in Holland you already pay 30 percent taxes at least for everything you said plus the unemployed and then they give some extra to the church, but it's way too little to get an income from. It was just irritating. All these people got paid normal but the pastor with his 700 euro income had to pay 500 taxes, make even more debts. Looking back I just shouldn't have been so stupid to pay tithes. 300 from the 700 was my tithes for my own then husband and 100 was from my mom which she could have just given without having to pay taxes over it. I understand now why that church here wants no money. We had 3 unemployed guys in church who got paid better than the pastor and had a nice big house. Long live socialism.

Edited June 22, 2024 by RdJ

[farouk]

The idea of one big central organization ensuring uniformity is not Scriptural for local churches. Acts 2.42 principles need to be worked out locally in each individual local church.

[RdJ]

18 hours ago, Neighbor said:

Now see? That is something I would never do. (Go to facebook).

My  own comfort zone is found in exposition of the Bible at sermons by Rev. C. H. Spurgeon.

I once found a guy there who gives great Bible studies. I went there a few month after work. Had to sleep with my parents on the way back, because it was so far away, but it's awesome. He's a truck driver. Not a pastor. But he lost his job for 2 years and now he's retired. He got 2000 people saved in 2 years on the streets with a small group he taught how to evangelize. He's the guy who sang that song I posted here lately. I also found others who were nasty or anti Israel, but you can just block or ignore them. One guy got mad. I joined a group that went to the street. A woman there asked for prayed. She was sick. I said yes I'm gonna pray for you. He started to bark at me that God doesnt heal and churches that believe that are evil blablabla. She also got nasty. I said: oh sorry I thought you were from this group. I will not pray then. Bye. Block. Leave group. Join funny cat pics group. My cousin posts a beautiful sunrise or sunset there every day.

[RdJ]

6 hours ago, Charlie1988 said:

My Pastor doesn't allow us to attend any events where people from Non Reformed Churches will be present. His view is that we are not to have fellowship, with Churches who hold to different systems of theology. 

He teaches that there is only one church (the Body of Christ), and he considers certain Denominations as being outside the Body of Christ due to what they believe, that being contrary to what the Bible teaches.  

My mother was raised Dutch reformed, but my dad was atheist so she never went to church anymore and had to shut up about God. My dad would mock and say God didn't exist. I thought that was very cool and did that too as a kid, but you know how teens can get rebellious. At 13 I thought: My dad may be wrong. Lets check this out. Year later my brother and I believed God existed. He went to look for a church. Visited several. Only the pentecostal church was not boring. He took me there. My mom thought we had gone to a cult and came over to check. She also stayed. Poor dad. It was too much for him. He got saved too but almost 40 years later.

[Neighbor]

As I said, no facebook for me.  I'd much rather read within the Spurgeon Archives. As time goes by  it is harder and harder to avoid facebook, as but I am still holding out, and doing nicely without it.

The only influencer I want to be "pestered" by  is the Holy Spirit, and that I welcome and even pray for daily.

[farouk]

19 hours ago, Neighbor said:

Now see? That is something I would never do. (Go to facebook).

My  own comfort zone is found in exposition of the Bible at sermons by Rev. C. H. Spurgeon.

Hi @Neighbor Spurgeon is a great guide to the Scriptures; the Lion in Winter, as he was called...............

[Charlie1988]

3 hours ago, RdJ said:

No wait. Sorry. They don't have to, but only the pastor has to pay taxes if he gets an income from it. The rest just gets an income from the government here.

Our Senior Pastor, is on a salary. He is a full time Pastor, so it's only fair we support him with our tithes and offerings. I don't see any justification for the government to demand that he pay tax. 

The Church is a Charity Organization, all of us who support the Pastor and the Ministry of the Church have already paid tax on our income. So why should the Government tax the money which has already been taxed. 

Our senior Pastor has 5 children to support and he is paying his house off, so we need to make sure he has enough money to send all of his children to private Christian Schools and service his mortgage and cover the cost of living. 

Our Church is independent and non denominational, so we don't pay or receive any external entities and the government has no jurisdiction to dictate what we preach or how we run the Church.  

[Neighbor]

On 6/20/2024 at 8:58 PM, Charlie1988 said:

I think that spirit of hatred for others in the Church who hold to different views is still in the Church but it's being restrained. 

Hi, From what I read of your posts, there is not much "restraint" by your pastor  in expressing his disdain for those who do not toe the line of his doctrines.

So that I understand though, will you  provide your own definition of reformed? What constitutes   being reformed as you know of it?