Is it the church or is it just me?

[YosefHayim]

I've been to only a baptist and a non-denominational church. It doesn't seem like there's enough prophecy being preached. And what does get preached, in my opinion, seems diluted. Maybe it's just my Church experience. I only went to the baptist when I was younger, and then after a gap of time I've been going to a non-denominational for almost a year. I'm young and I need an understanding on this.

What I mean is that it seems like people are for Jesus so much, that they don't know him. What it seems like the same message over and over "Come to Jesus! Apply the bible to your life! Tithe! Glorify God! Dismissed.". And whenever they do preach from the old testament it seems like they rarely ever talk about prophecy. From what I've heard from both these church experiences about the book of Daniel is just that Shadrack. Meshack, and Abednego refused to worship the idol and got saved from a furnace, and then later on Daniel got thrown into a lion's den and then saved. But here's the good part! They threw the men that accused Daniel in the lions den after they got him out. I mean, what is Daniel 6-12?

I feel like prophecy is just missing out. Maybe it's just from my church experiences. It seems kinda boring, and unbalanced. It seems like to read from the Old Testament is just a little side special every now and then. Of course, Jesus should be preached every service, and an opportunity of salvation should be offered and all that good stuff.

Jesus said if you knew him, you knew the father. And he came not to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I haven't ever heard prophecy, or much about law discussed, talked about in the church. Maybe a quote once about how "there's over 300 prophecies concerning Jesus," but even that I can't remember. I want to hear about what's going on worldwide compared to the bible. The only time this church has talked about Hell was when Bill Weise was a guest speaker. What about Israel becoming a Nation in the 40s? What's going on with RFID, Schools expelling students refusing microchips, and the mark of the beast? The Lords going to return and split the mount of olives. There's a fault line discovered there.

Is this just my church experience? Should I look for a different church? Are your churches the same and do you feel the same?

Am I overlooking things?

I feel like if things as such aren't discussed there's gonna be sleeping Christians that only pray at a Sunday service. Miracles proven can give faith for miracles to come. I'm not saying that all people are going to need to see miracles for faith, since John 20:29 says "Yeshua said to him, “Now that you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen me and have believed.â€" However there are many who need to see to believe. Jesus said that not all those who say "Lord Lord, I cast out demons and prophesied in your name" will make it into heaven. I feel these things would help turn Sunday visitors into devout professors of faith and Jesus as their savior.

 

[P31Woman]

We do indept Bible study in classroom/small group settings at the Churches I have attended.

 

[Claudya]

Churches have their favourite topics, that's only human.
Maybe you should talk to your church's pastor and ask him or her why some topics that you think are important are being left out. Maybe they will hear you and include topics of your interest in some of their future sermons.
In my church sermons seem to be way too soft, too. It's a lot about Jesus and God's love, but little about hell, judgement or prophecy.
But I know why that is, it's because people attending my church come from a variety of backgrounds, some are radical, some are liberal, we have atheists attending, recovering alcoholics, former catholics, complacency christians and hardcore disciples. And our pastors are trying hard to meet everyone's needs in their sermons. They leave the very tough stuff out because they are trying to be diplomatic.
And a sermon in a service isn't the best setting of learning about faith anyway.

 

[gr8grace]

I believe that you are the right track for finding truth. These are good questions. Here is a list of Doctrinal Churches.

*** Joe Sugrue *** Streaming Audio Bible Classes
*** Ron Snider *** Streaming Audio Bible Classes
*** John Farley *** Streaming Audio Bible Classes
*** Robert McLaughlin *** Streaming Audio Bible Classes
*** Don Hargrove *** Streaming Audio Bible Classes
*** Bill Wenstrom *** Streaming Audio Bible Classes
*** Bob Bolender *** Streaming Audio Bible Classes
*** Ed Collins *** Streaming Audio Bible Classes
*** Gene Cunningham *** Streaming Audio Bible Classes
*** Joe Griffin *** Streaming Audio Bible Classes
*** Mike Lemmon *** Streaming Audio Bible Classes
*** Ron Adema *** Streaming Audio Bible Classes
*** Rory Clark *** Streaming Audio Bible Classes
*** Robbie Dean *** Streaming Audio Bible Classes

ALL these men TEACH bible doctrine and bible doctrine in the soul will teach us to live the true Christian life in Grace.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

Twenty-five years ago the answer to this unbalanced approach to Christianity was the FULL Gospel movement. Meaning they taught and believed in ALL of the Bible. I'm not so sure they've been true to that vision or not these days, but my experience is that the more charismatic churches are where you will hear everything from the basic salvation message, to gifts of the Spirit, prophecy, worship, and deeper Biblical knowledge and understanding. That's where I was exposed to so much that I now know and cherish today. Just don't know if that's a very good place to be nowadays, though, with the way the perverted prosperity gospel has ruined so much in those movements. I haven't been in the more charismatic churches in years.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

It seems churches split along the lines of gifting: evangelism, generosity, teaching, prophecy, etc.

They seem to devote themselves according to a particular gifting instead of devoting themselves to ALL the duties and responsibilities of the church. What was supposed to bind us all together--our various giftings--is actually what divides us. How ironic.

In my mind this is what makes the difference between a 'ministry', and a 'church'. A ministry devotes itself to a particular gifting and calling (evangelism, for example). A church is where all the needs of the body are met through all the gifts given to the body.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

Churches have their favourite topics, that's only human.
Maybe you should talk to your church's pastor and ask him or her why some topics that you think are important are being left out. Maybe they will hear you and include topics of your interest in some of their future sermons.

Chances are good the pastor has only one gifting and can only operate in that particular gifting.

And a sermon in a service isn't the best setting of learning about faith anyway.

So true.

I'm of the opinion (supported by the Bible) that open, but controlled, fellowship and worship is where we learn the most about knowing and living the Christian faith. Unless your pastor is a popular TV pastor chances are you're not going to be well fed in the one-man sermon tradition that rules the church these days. Not bashing anyone. If you like that tradition and it works for you...God bless ya.

 

[EdenBorn]

I've been to only a baptist and a non-denominational church. It doesn't seem like there's enough prophecy being preached. And what does get preached, in my opinion, seems diluted. Maybe it's just my Church experience. I only went to the baptist when I was younger, and then after a gap of time I've been going to a non-denominational for almost a year. I'm young and I need an understanding on this.

Become Roman Catholic. People, ironically, complain that it's too potent :D

I was once a Calvinist, and I thought the same: impotency. I took a few months of RCIA, took communion and became a bonafide Catholic:

Potency galore. It may even overwhelm you . The Church knows it's stuff.

 

[ezra]

Revelation 19:10
And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy . if a church will focus on Jesus Christ and him Crucified then they are focused on prophecy... nothing wrong with with prophecy being taught but we need to learn how to live first..:amen

 

[stranger]

Hi Yosephayim,

If you start at the beginning, in the NT age with the establishment of the Church around 33AD (Pentecost) and trace the history of the Church to the first great schism between the Catholic West and Orthodox East in 1054AD, you can then see where these two churches are today.

Next follow the Western or Catholic Church to the second great schism, the Reformation in 1517ff, and you arrive at the beginning of Protestantism. After that trace the 'schisms in Protestantism' and you should arrive at where your Baptist and Independent 'church' came from.

Mindful that this is a Protestant forum -- I hope the above gives you some sense of the question I once had despaired to answer: 'Which Church?'

 

[Jethro Bodine]

We do indept Bible study in classroom/small group settings at the Churches I have attended.

Do you mean 'inept', or 'indepth' studies?

...or, worse...both, an indepth, inept study of the Word?

 

[Deborah13]

Chances are good the pastor has only one gifting and can only operate in that particular gifting.



So true.

I'm of the opinion (supported by the Bible) that open, but controlled, fellowship and worship is where we learn the most about knowing and living the Christian faith. Unless your pastor is a popular TV pastor chances are you're not going to be well fed in the one-man sermon tradition that rules the church these days. Not bashing anyone. If you like that tradition and it works for you...God bless ya.

Agreed, unless you can find a church that is full gospel and closely connected to a teaching ministry such as a small college that the profs are full gospel with much experience and gifted in teaching. Where they don't emphasis the gifts of the Spirit over any other part of the ministry.

 

[Guest]

Some churches teach that Satan and his demons were cast down to earth from heaven after October 1st, 1914 yet Satan caused Adam and Eve to disobey God from heaven?? Also wasn't his name Lucifer when he resided in heaven, the most glorified angel in heaven? Some churches believe that death is a state of non-existence with no consciousness, but they believe in Heaven?? Some churches also believe there is no Hell of fiery torment! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jehovah%27s_Witnesses

Word of advice, if a church teaches these things especially believing there is no fiery torment, run!! run as fast as you can from that church!! Wouldn't you think that Satan and his demons were cast down from heaven in the 1930's during the Great depression?

:toofunny