Churches / Denominations / Branches.

[SpagLard]

Hello all,
Reading all of you here,
I get the impression that most Christians on this forum (correct me if I assume wrongly) belong to a Church , denomination, or identify with a specific branch of Christianity.

Not to say that people don't have their personal , individual relationship with God, they surely do,
but just to learn / better comprehend how important congregating with fellow Christians is to most people.

I can understand the benefits of congregating and finding fellowship, but I myself never felt the urge
to actively seek out other Christians or join a church or group (well ok, on a forum like this , sure)

I suppose what interests me the most is how people came to consider themselves Christian,
and whether the substanciation or recognition as a Christian by other people matters in that process.

for instance:
-some were brought up in the faith and never knew any different, ( a lot of folks I imagine)
-some actively chose to turn to and accept Christ as saviour at some point in their life (me, as an example)
-some were culturally /socially / under peer-pressure "persuaded" to become Christian (my jewish grandfather)
I'm very interested to hear from you all how it happened for you !

 

[reba]

Moved this thread to The Lounge ...
This forum is quit the mix of folks lots of different backgrounds...

 

[WIP]

I grew up with the teaching of the Catholic church but as I got to my later teens and early 20's I left the church, which is not uncommon. About 15 years later after getting married to my current wife, she suggested that we consider finding a church to attend and associate with. I had no feelings one way or the other so I agreed. We finally settled on a local country ELCA Lutheran church which was formerly ALC. I began to get more involved with the church and eventually my heart began to soften and my life was changed. We have since dis-associated ourselves from the ELCA and are currently an independent relatively conservative church but basically reinstated most of the original ALC constitution and statement of faith.

 

[evenifigoalone]

Grew up baptist and mostly still am, but I consider myself nondenominational and not tied to any particular doctrine aside from core ones.

 

[Knotical]

I grew up in the CRC (Christian Reformed Church). When I moved out on my own I attended a non-denominational church (Calvary Chapel) in Southern California (yup, the one with Chuck Smith). After I got married we attended a church in Costa Mesa that was loosely affiliated to the Assembly of God (Newport Mesa).

When we would visit my wife's brother (who attended a PCA church in San Diego) she discovered, and I rediscovered, the reformed theology. Though for me it was a bit different as the CRC was more based on the continental (European) reformed theology (heidelberg catechism and the like), where the PCA (Presbyterian Church of America) was more closely tied with the Scottish Presbyterian version of reformed theology, though since all of this sort of falls under Calvinism it all is very similar.

Eventually we decided to see out a reformed church, this ended up coinciding with me needing to find work outside of where we were living at the time. Ultimately we ended up finding a church in the California central valley that is affiliated with the OPC (Orthodox Presbyterian Church), which is reformed and rather conservative.

 

[Obadiah]

One thing I've noticed and always liked here is that it doesn't seem very prevalent for those members who are church members to dogmatically stick to doctrines and beliefs of their particular churches, but rather most will look to scripture for what God actually said. That's not to say that their long held church doctrines won't ever color their interpretation of that scripture, but it's rare to see someone declaring something like "Well I"M part of the XXXX church so THIS is what we believer and that means it's true." I'm not even aware of what denomination or non-denominational church most of our members attend, and we also have several members like yourself who are not part of any organized church.

However "fellowship", that's something that is pretty essential to a healthy Christian life and is also a command in scripture. ("not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Heb 10:25 NIV) This forum can be a source of some fellowship, but really, nothing compares to the face to face real life experience of fellowshipping and worshiping with real life people in real life settings. That's something that I've been missing greatly lately. The church I'd been a member of and in the end even an employee of developed some serious internal problems part of which resulted in my leaving them several months ago. Since then these problems have escalated to the point that just yesterday someone who still attends and was very involved told me that it's doubtful they are even going to be able to continue on as a congregation anymore. That's not the kind of fellowship the Bible talks about, and as much as I miss what it used to be, I'm glad I'm not part of it now. I've also searched for good fellowship in my neighborhood, but living in a small town I just haven't found any good church or groups to be part of, and I just can't afford to drive more than half way across the county several times a week to attend good groups or churches that I know of. So I can attest first hand that not having fellowship is a detrimental thing and that if a Christian has the opportunity to fellowship with other true, loving, God worshiping Christians, they should definitely do so!

As for how people come to know the Lord, I don't think Christians actually just grow up in a Christian setting and have just always been Christians. I think everyone in this kind of setting will eventually come to a point where they will have to ask themselves if they really believe this and wish to follow the Lord for the rest of their lives or not. A lot of times this will happen when they are young and it may not be some big event that they can look back and tell you the date and time. It may not even have changed their lives a lot if they were already living in a Christian environment. But at some point they will have been confronted with these questions even if only in their own minds, and to be a Christian will have to have made a conscious decision that yes, they do believe and yes, they do want to let God have and control their lives.

As for those who were "persuaded" under pressure to become Christian, well if that's the only reason they finally said "OK, I'm a Christian now", sadly I don't think they are really Christians. They may have had people persuade and pressure them until they finally did realize the truth of scripture in their hearts and then turn their lives over to God, and they truly became Christians. But if they only said they were now Christians to get people to stop pressuring them, I don't believe that is a true Christian.

 

[Corn Pop]

I want to do some study on deception. I am interested to know what truely saved is.

Many just use one verse for example if you confess with your mouth and believe you are saved. Yes true, but what other conditions are there in scripture.

Can someone be decieved and saved?. They believe on the Lord Jesus Christ but yet belong to a pagan church who mislead them into pagan beliefs and all sorts.

I think the letters to the churches say a
lot.

Can an athiest say sorry i was decieved so you must save me. Same goes with church and denominations and there beliefs and what they believe and do. But Lord i believed in you thou.

I was going to join a church but there sof said they believe in the Lord Jesus Christs will be done, and someone like myself believe its the Father will be done.

 

[Obadiah]

I want to do some study on deception. I am interested to know what truely saved is.

Many just use one verse for example if you confess with your mouth and believe you are saved. Yes true, but what other conditions are there in scripture.

Can someone be decieved and saved?. They believe on the Lord Jesus Christ but yet belong to a pagan church who mislead them into pagan beliefs and all sorts.

I think the letters to the churches say a
lot.

Can an athiest say sorry i was decieved so you must save me. Same goes with church and denominations and there beliefs and what they believe and do. But Lord i believed in you thou.

I was going to join a church but there sof said they believe in the Lord Jesus Christs will be done, and someone like myself believe its the Father will be done.

Salvation and how to get it really isn't that complicated unless we make it so. There is no need to make it so complicated.

 

[Corn Pop]

Matthew 5:17
Matthew 19:17

But Jesus, the church says we not under the moral law or the law is done away with in different ways.

Matthew 5:17
Matthew 19:17

But Jesus, the church says you make everything clean, so its ok i can make and eat a bacon roll, and do it on the sabbath right?

Matthew 5:17
Matthew 19:17

But i just need to believe in you for salvation right?

Matthew 19:17

 

[JCitoL]

i visited some denominations years ago for a while, then i have continued to walk the path of faith without any denomination(s) - God made me be so, and i can say it is the best way for me, because no one and nothing compels me to deviate from the right direction of faith in the true Lord God, there are and i found and still find a lot more "heavenly riches", there is a continual increase, while there was something like a dingy dogmatism in many denominations

Blessings

 

[Obadiah]

Matthew 5:17
Matthew 19:17

But Jesus, the church says we not under the moral law or the law is done away with in different ways.

Matthew 5:17
Matthew 19:17

But Jesus, the church says you make everything clean, so its ok i can make and eat a bacon roll, and do it on the sabbath right?

Matthew 5:17
Matthew 19:17

But i just need to believe in you for salvation right?

Matthew 19:17

Yeah, as I said, salvation isn't that complicated. Don't make it so.

 

[Corn Pop]

Yeah, as I said, salvation isn't that complicated. Don't make it so.

Yea. I dont make it complicated. I just stick to the direct words Jesus said. If he said one must hold the commandments, and because the sabbath is one of the 10, i must obey the sabbath and put one day aside to the Most High. If i need to break sabbath to do good works or for some situation, thats where God has Mercy and gives Grace through Christ. Like a fireman who gets called out half way through there sabath, or had to work 7 days straight.

But if im lazy and dont do my best to hold sabbath, the Most High thinks im lazy and disrespectful.

Love God and thy neighbour. Keep the sabbath.

 

[evenifigoalone]

Keep in mind Jesus hadn't died at the time, so what He said about salvation before His death might be different than what applies afterwards? Jesus was a practicing Jew after all. There are many places in the New Testament that talk about salvation.

 

[reba]

Dad was in Bible School when i was born.. i kinda grew up a Christian .Literally lived in a few churches.. As OB said there comes a point when.. .. i remember some one said something about Nowhere in the Scriptures do you find God has grandkids...

 

[Corn Pop]

Keep in mind Jesus hadn't died at the time, so what He said about salvation before His death might be different than what applies afterwards? Jesus was a practicing Jew after all. There are many places in the New Testament that talk about salvation.

Well i will just stick to what Jesus says. If others want to change things thats there choice.

There are many things because of that deception have caused people to do exactly the opposite of what Jesus directly said. He says left, they say right. He says right, they say left.

Keep the commandments. We rest in Jesus now.

Pray in private. We all pray together.

Dont do works before men. We all donate in front of people.

Dont sound a trumpet. We like our names being called.

 

[evenifigoalone]

Well i will just stick to what Jesus says. If others want to change things thats there choice.

There are many things because of that deception have caused people to do exactly the opposite of what Jesus directly said. He says left, they say right. He says right, they say left.

Keep the sabbath. We rest in Jesus now.

Pray in private. We all pray together.

Dont do works before men. We all donate in front of people.

Dont sound a trumpet. We like our names being called.

I'm talking about within the scope of Scripture. I mean, unless you believe that nothing that the apostles say is applicable.

But I'm not interested in starting a whole discussion...salvation and what Scripture says about it, like is it works-based or not, is a huge can of worms. But I would suggest reading the entire Bible to get perspective on it.

 

[Corn Pop]

I'm talking about within the scope of Scripture. I mean, unless you believe that nothing that the apostles say is applicable.

But I'm not interested in starting a whole discussion...salvation and what Scripture says about it, like is it works-based or not, is a huge can of worms. But I would suggest reading the entire Bible to get perspective on it.

Its not works based but still have to keep the commandments. So salvation does not come from works, it comes through Christ on conditions the commandments are kept to the best of ones ability. When i fall or i cant keep it, Christ has covered it.

 

[Corn Pop]

Lets be honest. If someone is in prayer with another person,two people or more praying together, does that not violate the exact words Jesus said.

He said pray in private, just because he does not say dont pray with others people go and do it.

Same with donations. Dont do it in front of men passing around collection plate.

Just like Paul teaching to the gentiles, he said many things about the law, like about love and wickedness, and grace, and just because he didnt say somethings, people think they dont have to do it.

People either are decieved or the dont know Jesu, to busy having fun not bother to know him in scripture, he will say to them i never knew you.

 

[Obadiah]

This is the kind of thing that happens when people are out of fellowship and dismiss the wise council of elders who have studied to rightly understand the word of truth.

Acts 16:30b-31 ESV;"Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household."

Judaism and the law are complicated and no one has any chance of being saved by obeying the law of the Old Testament. We are Christians. For us salvation is simple. Period. How to be saved, and how to live life after being saved are two different subjects.

 

[Corn Pop]

This is the kind of thing that happens when people are out of fellowship and dismiss the wise council of elders who have studied to rightly understand the word of truth.

Acts 16:30b-31 ESV;"Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household."

Judaism and the law are complicated and no one has any chance of being saved by obeying the law of the Old Testament. We are Christians. For us salvation is simple. Period. How to be saved, and how to live life after being saved are two different subjects.

So if its that easy people can freely sin?.

What is sin?. Its breaking the commandments.

You have to go precept upon precept to get full understanding. You cant just use one verse. If thats the case i just need to believe and can freely live under grace i can break as many of Gods Laws as i like.

What does Paul say, should we continue breaking the law, God forbid.

We have to Believe on the Christ and keep the commandments.