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Guest, Join Papa Zoom today for some uplifting biblical encouragement! --> Daily Verses
Many Christians
- Thread starter ezra
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King Dan of Great the 1st
Member
Anyone can claim to identify as anything they want but if they don't know there most trusted source then in reality they are apostate. Claiming to be something they are not. And there is a big difference between a fan and a follower of Christ. For example someone says they are a christian and believe in Jesus and you could ask them what did Jesus teach, who is Jesus, and they wouldnt even know. He could have been a thief who hated and robbed caravans for all they know
How does anyone know they not being decieved. you read the most trusted source. How can anyone believe and claim to be a follower of someone if they don't know anything about them, who they are and what they taught.
How does anyone know they not being decieved. you read the most trusted source. How can anyone believe and claim to be a follower of someone if they don't know anything about them, who they are and what they taught.
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King Dan of Great the 1st
Member
Its like Christmas.
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Jim Parker
Member
Why do you think that is true? What causes that?
Just looking for general ideas
Tessa
Member
I think sometimes people get too comfortable. We believe are baptised and that's it. It is very easy to grow up attending a church and carry on doing so as an adult. It gives us a sense of belonging and all to easy to forget we belong to God not to any church.
Do we think about what we hear in church? Do we go home and study it for ourselves?
Too many distractions and cares of the world can absorb our minds.
Do we know The Father, Son and Holy Spirit? Do we know what they are like and love them for it?
Do we think about and mean the words of the hymns as we sing them? Or do we know The words off by heart and sing in parrot fashion?
Do we pray together at home? Do we have a quiet time with God - a one to one?
Churches can be very lukewarm but they can be awakened too, just like individuals can be.
ezra
Member
why the things i have seen the things i have heard said ..what causes it? lack of interest not all but many only know what thus saith the denom or gma gpa mom dad.. some even only what the preacher said .church attendance is in decline . some have replaced preaching with programs.... and many put on a better rock concert than the big name rock bands
JohnDB
Member
Studying isn't for everyone.
It's a lot of reading and dry reading at that.
And too much studying isn't good for anyone...it puts your head in the clouds and makes you think too much instead of actively seeking opportunity to live out your faith.
I've been guilty of that too many times to count.
It's a lot of reading and dry reading at that.
And too much studying isn't good for anyone...it puts your head in the clouds and makes you think too much instead of actively seeking opportunity to live out your faith.
I've been guilty of that too many times to count.
ezra
Member
depends on what your studying ..paul said study to show your self approved rightly dividing the truth. if your study is for argument to prove your right. then the study is in vain . study to know the truth for the right reason .they say the secret service studies the real money so they can discover a fake . i like to do word study for instance paul wrote to Timothy stir up the gift. what he was saying keep the fire going a type zeal
tim-from-pa
Member
This thread brought up the point of studying. Some may protest that not all are cut out to study (if by that it conjures up an image of a guy with big round glasses with his nose in a book). But one is to use all the effort they have to understanding the faith and know why they believe what they do. One does not have to be a great theologian but merely guided by the Spirit of God. The written word is on paper what the Word is ... Christ himself. So it's like getting to know him via the written word. I agree with your assessment here that some Christians see their faith like Christmas being to unmotivated to read the bible and learn enough to understand the faith while believing other nonsense. And by reading the bible, I mean ALL of it. Nothing in there was "done away with" unless that thought comes from a person who has not really absorbed the meaning of it all and the message the Word has.
King Dan of Great the 1st
Member
lisa-in-FL
Member
I grew up in church . . scratch that . . I am still growing up in church . . I know hymns and I know Him. Getting to know Him better and better each day.
I agree with your comments in post #8 as well. Too many churches focus on keeping attendance numbers up so they are becoming more and more like this world.
I don't know about you, but I'd rather hear good Bible preaching that convicts me about some sin in my life, than listen to a rock concert that makes me feel good about how much God loves me. I'm saved so I know how much God loves me already (John 3:16), so I should be living this life for Jesus, not for myself.
Now, if I could just remember that each morning!
Luminous_Rose
CF Ambassador
Some ideas:
-Unanswered questions, or church's inability to answer peoples questions (I feel this leaves people in the dark with uncertainty)
-Uneducated Preachers. While you don't need a degree or license to preach in a church that will allow this some know their Bible and how to find answers with using culture of the time, the original Hebrew/Greek, understanding of misplaced punctuation, and understanding of where absolutes are applied there ar others that think "love" is a universal word so they use the wrong verses together. They don't know the difference between eros and agape. I have also seen Sigmund Freud idealogy come up in Christian sermons more than I care to think about. This causes confusion and disinterest.
-Lack of quality fellowship is another. While there may be people around that doesn't mean they will all stand around and take their time to talk to other brothers and sisters in Christ. I did not look "approachable" in church as I was told so others ignored me. Even in all black with arms and legs crossed and head dowm, it would have made my day for someone to say hi to me.
-When you are in need and people only say, "God bless you." And, "We are praying for you!" without even asking, "Is there any way we can help?"
-Proud leaders who feel they are better than everyone else in the church and believe that they don't need others. This can make a congregation never feel good enough, or even doubt they are worthy of God's grace or entering Heaven.
-Being threatened or harassed if you miss a worship service or stop going all together.
-Trusting a sin confession with someone within the church and being betrayed or used as an example.This chases quite a few off from Christ.
Jim Parker
Member
I think one of the major reasons that people don't really know Christ is that Church leaders (ministers, pastors, priests, deacons, clergy, whatever) do not set high standards of holiness for the congregation to strive to uphold.
I've heard many sermons about how we are seated in heavenly places with Christ and how to have victory in Jesus and and how to overcome obstacles and problems in your life and 10 steps to a victorious life and and and...
I have never heard from any pulpit: "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God." (1cor 6:9-10) or "Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie." (Rev 22:14-15)
Or how about, "Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:"
Heb 12:14
Or maybe expound on: "Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me." (Mat 25:41-43)
I have heard over and over that Jesus did it all and we can just sit back and be blessed because we said "I believe" one time so we're bound for glory.
And, IMHO, that lie from the pit of hell is designed to make sure that no one actually does what the Lord has commanded us to do (re: the teaching of the "Sermon on the Mount") and that, instead of hearing, "‘Well done, good and faithful servant" we will hear "‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!".
It seems like so many preachers of all denominations are afraid to say things like, "bear fruits worthy of repentance (Mat 3:8) and don't think you are safe from hell fire because you said a sinners prayer one time 20 years ago."
But that's just obsessive, compulsive, anal ol' me.
iakov the fool
ezra
Member
you make a good point ( don't think you are safe from hell fire because you said a sinners prayer one time 20 years ago.} they may have said it but was it from the heart or just lip service ..there is no one certain reason while i have not been pastor of humteen churches . i have been pastor at several and each time just as i was seeing fruit/growth boom someone brought satan in and tore it up. from song books they didnt like the looks of . to ordained through wrong denom plus used the word foot washing . what all this amounts to is flesh when we FAIL to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit . we will not bear fruits worthy of repentance very little Holiness . at the church we attend they had homecoming and asked the founding pastor to preach. he told all the things he seen while building the church. each time he would say but that is a God thing .
hosea wrote my people are destroyed due to the lack of knowledge .."they rejected the knowledge " Jesus could not do many good things due to unbelief .
Mark 6 King James Version (KJV)
6 And he went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him.
2 And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?
3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.
4 But Jesus, said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.
5 And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.
6 And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.
how sad his own family . " what i do know unless it is of the spirit it will not work " i like to watch a church service out of n.c on f.b i see a lot of white heads some youth ..it takes both i have prayed earnestly and watched a church die before my very eyes . no matter how much warning no matter what D O A i am only 57 been preaching since 1999 .
Northman
Member
LOL no doubt. In my adult life there is no way I can get through any of the books of Leviticus, Numbers, or Deuteronomy without nodding off.
Jim Parker
Member
Mat 7:13-14 Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
But way too many preachers will tell you that there is nothing you need to do. (Except, maybe, tithe) They will tell you not to try "to work your way to heaven."
Salvation and eternal life are gifts from God. But nobody will get eternal life who doesn't act like he (she) is a son (daughter) of God who does the Father's will to the best of his/her ability.
Mat 21:28-31 But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my vineyard. He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went.
Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go.
Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said to Him, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you.
The first son represents sinners who repent and do the will of the Father.
The second son represents the religious people who go to church but do not do the will of the Father.
Mat 21:33-45
Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vine dressers and went into a far country. Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vine dressers, that they might receive its fruit.
And the vine dressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.
Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them.
Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’
But when the vine dressers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.
Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine dressers?”
They said to Him, “He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vine
dressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons.”
The Vineyard is the Church. (In the OT, Israel was represented as a vineyard.)
The Vine dressers are the Church members. (At the time of Jesus teaching, it was the religious leaders.)
The fruit of the vine are the good works of the Church. (OT: Israel)
The Son is, of course, Jesus, whom the religious leaders murdered by the hands of the Romans.
The owner of the Vineyard (Church) is the LORD GOD who will come to judge the living and the dead and those who did not produce fruit according to their alleged repentance, will be cast into hell.
Has anyone heard that preached?
That was my pastor's sermon last Sunday.
iakov the fool
(beaucoup dien cai dau)
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ezra
Member
i hear good preaching every sunday heaven to gain hell to shun.sun night visited a church message unshakable faith . while there are some who preach ear tickling . the pastor preaches strong meat provides plenty back ground scripture. preaching the word is important not watering it down is important . but in the Long run we can only deliver the message .the spirit has to convict .conviction is hard to get in a service . as they realize the preacher is getting ready to close. Bible close potty break during the altar call quench not the spirit
King Dan of Great the 1st
Member
I haven't been to a church in years. I should go again, it would be good to meet people and sing a few songs.
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