What's new
By:
Filters
Christian Forums

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Denominations

D4Christ said:
My mom just reminded me that I actually have attended a Church of Christ before in Philadelphia. I remember being attracted to the pastor for his "brute" honesty. I was also interested in him because he baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Even though I had been baptized as a kid, I was sure it was in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. So I got dunked again a few years ago to make sure I got it done right. The pastor's name is Gino Jennings and you can catch him on You Tube, and he also comes on tv in Philly, which is where I first saw him. He is quite a character and very controversial. So much so that he needs body guards in his chruch. But he also had some other strange ideas that definitely made his church a one time visit for me.

It just reminds me that churches are run by people and if the person is "off" the whole church could be in error.

Blessings,
Dee
Click to expand...
I do watch Gino Jennings on TV sometimes, and much of the stuff he preaches is right, and there is some stuff that I don't like. But this is one in your face preacher. When it comes to preaching about Biblical morality he is one of the tops in the nation. But I would not belong to his church. And speaking of body guards my pastor has them too. One Sunday my pastor was preaching and a woman charged him with a knife, and security had to take her to the floor. But he does have a body guard when ever he goes to other churches and at our own.
 
Lewis W said:
I do watch Gino Jennings on TV sometimes, and much of the stuff he preaches is right, and there is some stuff that I don't like. But this is one in your face preacher.
Click to expand...

You got that right! If your feelings get hurt easily, then he is somebody you should not watch. I do agree though, a lot of what he says is true and he is not afraid to say it to anybody, anywhere, anytime. :lol

Blessings,
Dee
 
Hi Dee---From what the above posts have said I wonder if Mr. Jennings is really of the church of Christ that is within walking distance of your home. Jesus did not have body guards and in the garden when Peter sought to defend Jesus He told him to put up his sword.
 
Webb said:
Hi Dee---From what the above posts have said I wonder if Mr. Jennings is really of the church of Christ that is within walking distance of your home. Jesus did not have body guards and in the garden when Peter sought to defend Jesus He told him to put up his sword.
Click to expand...

I have sinced moved to Toronto, so no Mr. Jennings is not near my home. But he is part of the Church of Christ, as far as I know and what he states.

Christ may have not had bodyguards but Peter had no problem pulling out his weapon did he? I wonder how many other apostles were armed? :chin

Blessings,
Dee
 
Lewis W said:
Dee you back in Philly ?
Click to expand...

No, still in Canada but missing the States and the swagger found in our communities if you know what I mean. Canadians are ok but they are not as nearly as friendly as you hear on all of those CNN reports. :lol

Hope I can straighten out my finances soon so I can visit though.

Blessings,
Dee
 
[video=youtube;-cZpnmEohE0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cZpnmEohE0&feature=related[/video]

[video=youtube;8gNo0sm6M8s]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gNo0sm6M8s[/video]
 
Lewis,

I haven't watched Gino in a long time. I was just getting into that 2nd video you posted. Do you have the full version or only the 9:45 min one?

Dee
 
It should all be on youtube, I was just watching him debate with the Nation Of Islam on youtube, it is in like 17 or 18 parts. He is the only preacher that I know of who has the guts to confront Muslims face to face in the pulpit, he invited them and they came. And they could not do nothing with Gino.
 
Hey, this would be a good time to get back on topic out of respect to the OP, Aqua.

Thank you!! :)
 
"So what's your denomination?"

Since I wasn't brought up in ANY church (Dad was Catholic, Mom was Baptist, and they solved THAT problem by being neither), I became an agnostic and was increasing suicidal until the Lord brought together the right circumstances, and I was saved as a result of a Baptist outreach in '62, and initially propagandized by the Southern Baptist Organization in Houston. When I went back home later, the Baptists in Boston (Where I grew up) were quite a different "Breed of Cat", so I jumped to the Assemblies of God in late '63 or so to get some "Warm blooded worship, and have pretty much stuck with them for most of the last 49 years.

In '72, I got tangled up with the Charismatic outpouring of the '70s (and wound up teaching in a United Church of Christ for several years). My experiences in the Charismatic Outpouring led to being "Forcibly non-denominationalized", and after the "outpouring" in the late '70s I stayed that way, and remain so to this day.

SO Since I'm personally "Non-denominational", it's really unimportant what the Church I belong to believes, or teaches, and within certain broad constraints, one church is as good as any other, whether it's Catholic, or Cowboy (Love the music there). I remain a "Free-Range Charismatic", and since I've been a "Tongues speaker" since '73, naturally I gravitate to church organizations that are "comfortable" with that. Consequently I'm a Member of, and a leader (Deacon) in an Assembly of God church in DeSoto, TX.

And I'm there specifically because God let me know in terms I could understand that it's the particular organization/group of people that HE specifically wants me with - NOW.

As long as that's true, and I don't change jobs and move away, I'll stick with it. SInce I'm almost 70, and not in great health, I told the pastor that he'd probably have to preach my funeral - so start taking notes.

Re: Denominationalism, in general, is essentially God applying the "Babel factor" to the visible church to PREVENT it from unifying prematurely in it's present Infantile, and flesh-driven condition, and (shudder) becoming a "POLITICAL FORCE" (like it did in the middle ages - and we all know how well THAT worked out).

When God DOESN'T want something built, He "Confuses the tongues", and destroys the ability of folks to "Work together" toward their own ends. and so it is today, where ALMOST NOTHING in Christendom is universally agreed upon. But He'll "Bring it together" easily in the power of the Holy Spirit - when it's time to.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Bob Carabbio said:
Re: Denominationalism, in general, is essentially God applying the "Babel factor" to the visible church to PREVENT it from unifying prematurely in it's present Infantile, and flesh-driven condition, and (shudder) becoming a "POLITICAL FORCE" (like it did in the middle ages - and we all know how well THAT worked out).

When God DOESN'T want something built, He "Confuses the tongues", and destroys the ability of folks to "Work together" toward their own ends. and so it is today, where ALMOST NOTHING in Christendom is universally agreed upon. But He'll "Bring it together" easily in the power of the Holy Spirit - when it's time to.
Click to expand...

I agree with this... I do believe that we are called to both unity... and to also recognize that we are far from perfection... God uses denominationalism to keep us from unifying in an evil way....

Good post, Bob... (I like "Free Range Charismatic"! :yes )
 
What an excellent thread this has been for demonstrating that so many of us have wandered from place to place seeking the right 'denomination' or perhaps still seeking the truth. The example of the $100 bill was pretty good although I would sort of reverse that and say that each Christian denomination has $95 in common and only $5 difference.

Despite what has been said earlier, there have always been denominational differences. Certainly Judaism had denominations and as Christianity got started there were wildly differing beliefs leading to much bloodshed and the banning of Christianity in the Roman Empire - even though they tolerated just about every other religion. Emperor Constantine insisted on the Canon of the Christian church being agreed and written down so that the inter-denominational fighting could be stopped and the Christians controlled to a standard set of rules.

With the Bible written, Constantine and subsequently Theodosius set about trying to further control the development of the church. In an attempt to maintain order, Theodosius killed many Christians of differing denominations who had not accepted the Bible and the rule of Rome. In an amazing reversal of power, Theodosius was symbolically banned from the alter, which had been the normal emperor's place until then and the Roman church set about building an independent power base. The church had, at a stroke, set itself above Emperors and got away with it.

As the Roman church started to expand into a major international power the differing denominations had to hide themselves away as best they could or be slaughtered (Cathars, Inquisition etc). The Protestant movement in Germany, Holland and England eventually enabled people to again believe what they wanted to believe and fragmentation into denominations accelerated from there.

Sorry if this reads just as a history lesson but I think a few people have misunderstood how we got where we are today. Whether God wants all these denominations and even completely different religions is, to my mind, very doubtful.
"Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household. He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it." (Matthew 10:34-39 NASB)​
Personally, I have great difficulty accepting that this is the word of God - and that is an example of how different denominations start:study
 
Hi, Elijah here: I just replied to Kev.. in India with his thread from another site. Then I read this one. Sounds like I am following the Lord around:study Rom. 8:14 (Providentially)
________

Kev.. says:

We have been having a “Home Bible Study Fellowship†since 1990 when my entire family accepted the Lord! (Earlier I was the only one in my family from 1977) Missionaries, pastors and people from abroad have visited us and shared the word with us. (USA, Australia and Seychelles, besides India) Our home is open to all denominations and groups! We have had sharing with Jehovah’s Witnesses, Christadelphians, Pentecostals, Church of Christ and Protestant denominations!

On many occasions, only my wife and I have come together for study and prayer! We continue to study and discern the truth. Recently, my wife and I have started “Home Prayer Ministry†that is meant to visit Christian families for singing, Bible reading and sharing the word and prayer requirements concerned with the family we visit! We visit about three homes in the evenings three days of a week. We do not accept any hospitality (like food or beverages) or money for our ministry from them. We only ask them to give their time of about 40 minutes as we go unannounced!
It has been a great mutual encouragement! The ministry is already more than two months old!
__________________

Sounds like a great start!
Rev. 18:4 has got to be the final reason.
And you must know that this is happening all around the world! That is why Rome has switched gears, and now are telling ex/protestants to stay in their churchs, because the daughters have come on back home to their mother. Matt. 6:2, Rev. 17:1-5.

Joshua 7
[12] Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.

[13] Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: for thus saith the LORD God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you.





 
Saved By Grace said:
I know this is "off topic", but exactly what are your "beliefs on the trinity" and how do you support that from Scripture?
Click to expand...

Saved by Grace:

For example, John's Gospel chapters 13 to 17 have many references to Father, Son and Holy Spirit, working together. Although the word Trinity is not in the Bible, yet the doctrine that it describes certainly is Biblical.
 
I was raised United Pentecostal and recently came back to them. My experiences with so-called ministers of the word have left a terrible mark on my life, so I rely upon Jesus and His promptings.

My personal view on denominations and the infighting between them is, "Don't fight but unite in the name of the Messiah." We are all one body and we are to work together as a whole to the betterment of the head (Jesus Christ). What happens when parts of our body rebels against the rest? We get sick. If the sickness is bad enough we will die.

My view on doctrines is that we are led individually by the Holy Spirit to the truth of God. We all have the right to believe in whatever doctrines we like provided they are backed up by scripture and lead by the Truth in the Holy Spirit.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top