Christian Posted May 25, 2006 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 2 Topic Count: 25 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 583 Content Per Day: 0.09 Reputation: 3 Days Won: 0 Joined: 03/07/2006 Status: Offline Birthday: 10/14/1962 Share Posted May 25, 2006 Then we should ask the topic originator, Snow4JC, who has not responded at all, what the intention of this post was....eh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christ's Free Servant Posted May 25, 2006 Group: Royal Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 197 Topics Per Day: 0.03 Content Count: 2,461 Content Per Day: 0.35 Reputation: 4 Days Won: 0 Joined: 02/18/2005 Status: Offline Birthday: 12/31/1949 Share Posted May 25, 2006 Then we should ask the topic originator, Snow4JC, who has not responded at all, what the intention of this post was....eh? My impression of the Original Post is that it is talking about the condition of the Church today. Many churches, pastors, lay leaders, etc. are not preaching the gospel according to the word of God, but according to man. Time is short. I believe the question was, "Will the true message of the gospel get out there before it is too late?" I believe the challenge is to "come out from them before it is too late!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NikNak4700 Posted May 25, 2006 Group: Members Followers: 0 Topic Count: 6 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 41 Content Per Day: 0.01 Reputation: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 05/18/2006 Status: Offline Share Posted May 25, 2006 I think that is exactly what he is saying...or at least what I got from it. And I have to agree to an extent...I mean, so many people jump from the "popular" region to another - just because it's convenient because it's prominent..does that make sense? People become enamored with one televangelist and then switch ideas because that person fades to the background when another louder, more popular preacher pops up. And I don't mean this with any disrespect to any evangelist out there. I just mean that so many people want someone to TELL them how to be or what to believe and don't want to put the effort into finding anything out for themselves. Yes, we need teachers and preachers to tell us what the Bible says....but to take complete ownership of our faith, we have to be willing to study on our own and question that...we can't just take everything we hear and believe it...II Tim. 2:15 says, "STUDY to show thyself approved unto God, a workman needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christ's Free Servant Posted May 25, 2006 Group: Royal Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 197 Topics Per Day: 0.03 Content Count: 2,461 Content Per Day: 0.35 Reputation: 4 Days Won: 0 Joined: 02/18/2005 Status: Offline Birthday: 12/31/1949 Share Posted May 25, 2006 I just mean that so many people want someone to TELL them how to be or what to believe and don't want to put the effort into finding anything out for themselves. Yes, we need teachers and preachers to tell us what the Bible says....but to take complete ownership of our faith, we have to be willing to study on our own and question that...we can't just take everything we hear and believe it...II Tim. 2:15 says, "STUDY to show thyself approved unto God, a workman needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." I agree!! I have seen this way too much. As a teacher of the Word myself, I have often been presented with people who did not want to study for themselves, and they would even challenge the word of God if it did not agree with what their pastor taught them. People are followers of men as a general rule, but God wants us to follow him. I think another key thing here is that we live in a society that wants to be entertained all the time, and so the church tries to provide that same level of entertainment as the world, only from a Christian perspective, and many people follow bands and music teams just as much or more than they follow preachers. Sometimes it is the church that puts on the best show that gets the biggest following. That is not true across the board, but it often seems like it represents the majority. And, it also seems as though that majority has watered down the gospel to something that is more palatable. They don't want to offend people with the truth of the gospel. What concerns me most is this whole philosophy of "easy believism" where it is being taught that repentance is not necessary for salvation. They want to make the path to Christ broad, but it is narrow, and the Bible says that there are few who find it. In the letters to the churches in Revelation we see where God warns the lukewarm church and the church who has lost its first love, etc. that if they do not repent, he will come like a thief or he will remove their lampstand or he will spit them out of his mouth. He promises divine judgment on his Church if they continue in their folly. I believe that is where we are right now. I believe God is saying "enough" and he is going to bring a huge dose of divine judgment down on his Church for the purpose of turning their hearts back to him. We see where he did this all through OT history with the children of Israel, and there are many warnings in the NT concerning God's divine disciplines, and especially in Revelation we see God's warnings to his Church to repent or else... I believe we are soon to see the "or else" and that through this many people will turn their hearts back to God and there will be a great harvest of souls prior to the final days before Christ's return. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted May 25, 2006 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 2 Topic Count: 25 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 583 Content Per Day: 0.09 Reputation: 3 Days Won: 0 Joined: 03/07/2006 Status: Offline Birthday: 10/14/1962 Share Posted May 25, 2006 Christ's Free Servant and NikNak4700 I agree completely with your summary of the topic subject, I was just responding with a little humor to EricHwho was stating that he wasn't sure where the thread was going. As you can tell by one of my posts within this thread that what you are saying rings very true with me. NikNak4700 ,your statement..... Yes, we need teachers and preachers to tell us what the Bible says....but to take complete ownership of our faith, we have to be willing to study on our own and question that...we can't just take everything we hear and believe it... is very much along my lines of thinking. and Christ's Free Servant your statment.... I think another key thing here is that we live in a society that wants to be entertained all the time, and so the church tries to provide that same level of entertainment as the world, only from a Christian perspective, and many people follow bands and music teams just as much or more than they follow preachers. Sometimes it is the church that puts on the best show that gets the biggest following. That is not true across the board, but it often seems like it represents the majority. And, it also seems as though that majority has watered down the gospel to something that is more palatable. They don't want to offend people with the truth of the gospel. This is such a pitfall that Christianity is experiencing and I'm so glad that as a teacher of the word that this perspective is presented by you in hopes of illuminating it's trend. Private Scriptural reading, Bible study, and prayer are such an important part of our journey and growth. Keeping in mind always: 1 John 2:27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. Blessings to you both in His service -CC- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snow4JC Posted May 26, 2006 Group: Advanced Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 151 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 359 Content Per Day: 0.05 Reputation: 1 Days Won: 0 Joined: 02/17/2005 Status: Offline Birthday: 01/05/1946 Author Share Posted May 26, 2006 Then we should ask the topic originator, Snow4JC, who has not responded at all, what the intention of this post was....eh? My impression of the Original Post is that it is talking about the condition of the Church today. Many churches, pastors, lay leaders, etc. are not preaching the gospel according to the word of God, but according to man. Time is short. I believe the question was, "Will the true message of the gospel get out there before it is too late?" I believe the challenge is to "come out from them before it is too late!" Susan~ Thank you! Your comments are Right on! Snow4JC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
st. Worm Posted May 26, 2006 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 2 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 1,447 Content Per Day: 0.22 Reputation: 45 Days Won: 0 Joined: 12/26/2005 Status: Offline Share Posted May 26, 2006 Quote: snow4JC Susan~ Thank you! Your comments are Right on! Snow4JC SW: I think before anyone agrees or disagrees with you they should have at least some idea what you perceive the "true gospel" to be. You make general comments that you have the true gospel and others don't and that they need to leave their churches. Of course, Mormons. JW's, Benny Hinn groupies, those who want the prosperity gospel of Creflo Dollar, and other assorted heretics believe they have the true gospel too. You may be an orthodox believer or you may not, so how about some more specifics before asking us to sign on. What is the true gospel to you and what is the false gospel of which you warn? Fair enough? sw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pilgrim7 Posted May 28, 2006 Group: Senior Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 6 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 635 Content Per Day: 0.09 Reputation: 19 Days Won: 0 Joined: 05/07/2005 Status: Offline Share Posted May 28, 2006 One must be born again to enjoy spiritual things such as Bible Study, righteousness and holiness. When one is born again, Jesus and His love for truth and spiritual things is planted into his heart. If it is not there, then Jesus us not there. Look at the council to the 'Lukewarm church'. Jesus is on the outside, knocking to get in. Lukewarm believers are volunteers who have not been heard the call of Jesus to 'be zealous and repent'. God bless, Dennis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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