How do we resurrect the ones who have had the church experience but seem to be spiritually dead?
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Bible Study The Lazrus Generation
- Thread starter Albert Finch
- Start date
Kidron
Member
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Explain to them that there are 2 certainties in this life.
1.) You are going to DIE.... (unless you are raptured first).
2.) Ither way, dead or raptured, you are going to be standing directly Face to Face with Jesus The Christ, at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
Nail holes in his wrists, scars on his back and sides, and EYES that BURN LIKE FIRE and they are Looking INTO YOU. !
Have them REALIZE those, asap..... and often this can be such a reality check, that suddenly, "its time to get SERIOUS about our Christianity",= becomes no longer just something to do each Sunday from 8:30a - Lunch Time, (depending on your denomination).
See, the REAL CHRISTIAN WORK.... 95% = happens outside the church walls, and never in the nice restaurant.
Explain to them that there are 2 certainties in this life.
1.) You are going to DIE.... (unless you are raptured first).
2.) Ither way, dead or raptured, you are going to be standing directly Face to Face with Jesus The Christ, at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
Nail holes in his wrists, scars on his back and sides, and EYES that BURN LIKE FIRE and they are Looking INTO YOU. !
Have them REALIZE those, asap..... and often this can be such a reality check, that suddenly, "its time to get SERIOUS about our Christianity",= becomes no longer just something to do each Sunday from 8:30a - Lunch Time, (depending on your denomination).
See, the REAL CHRISTIAN WORK.... 95% = happens outside the church walls, and never in the nice restaurant.
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th1b.taylor
Member
They will not be resurrected with words but can be touched by men and/or women that walk the walk and yes, that does preclude and Missionary Sex. We must never look like the World.
Born Again 2004
Member
All churches have both Heart Christians and Head Christians. If you have a Head Christian that has not been "Born Again" spiritually, all you can do is relate to them where Jesus said you must be born again and what it means, other than that, we don't resurrect anyone, thats up to God!
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iLOVE
Member
How can a person you labeled as a Christian not be born again?
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Born Again 2004
Member
The church is full of people called Christians in name only! Your right, a true Christian is born again with Christ in them. With regard to what I said, a Head Christian is not a true Christian!
Christ_empowered
Member
I'm w/ Born Again, because I was a "Head Christian" until I finally managed (by God's grace) to get genuinely saved. Then I gradually went from knowing about Jesus (and being puffed up a bit) to getting to know Jesus (and realizing that this is a lifelong journey).
th1b.taylor
Member
That is simple, obey God and read beyond the first verse of Matthew 7 and judge their fruits. Better than 98% of the church membership are not members of The Church of The Christ.
"Jesus called in a loud voice, 'Lazarus, come forth!' ......Jesus told them. 'Unwrap him and let him go!'" - John 11:43,44
Just as Jesus told the people to unwrap Lazarus, so we must obey. The "Lazrus Generation" must clean up. and renounce the works of darkness. But we must not re-wrap them in church grave clothes. We must not let the Christian Clone Factory get their hands on them. We must give them the Word and the Spirit along with proper discipling into their inheritance in Christ.
ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
Just as Jesus told the people to unwrap Lazarus, so we must obey. The "Lazrus Generation" must clean up. and renounce the works of darkness. But we must not re-wrap them in church grave clothes. We must not let the Christian Clone Factory get their hands on them. We must give them the Word and the Spirit along with proper discipling into their inheritance in Christ.
ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
New Christians need to grow just like babies... they need to be nourished , loved , cleaned up when they make a mess... You are growing CE
Emotions can be deceiving in what can be the "church experience" as no one is Spiritually born again by the church, but only through the power of the word and the Holy Spirit can one truly enter the kingdom of God, John 3:5,6; Matthew 25:33
smaller
Member
Maybe more like an eternal journey.
Christ_empowered
Member
That's an interesting point. I think of emotionally charged service with tearful testimonies, intense sermons, altar calls, moving music...
...do these "Born Again Experiences" save many? Anybody?
Not trying to be critical, but...well, I also think of Billy Graham and his crusades. So many people making a "decision for Christ..." so few becoming bona fide Christians. I do like Billy Graham, though. For me, as a Christian, I find some of what he has written helpful in my own life. But there again: I admire him (because I'm a Christian), and I find some of his writings and such useful (because I'm a Christian). What he's saying and his life's work both warm my heart....because I'm a Christian.
I went from obviously wretched unbeliever to genuine, growing Christian over a period of about 4 years. I even went to a 1 year Pentecostal rehab program (residential) where I was made to read huge chunks of The Bible and they taught us a whole lotta traditional Protestant doctrine. They only got 12 months, so they made the most of it. Still...that didn't save me.
I got genuinely saved when I felt a strong pull on my heart to do so. Yes, there were hardcore things going on in my life at the time, but it wasn't until I felt the pull on my heart, when I was all alone in small, 1 bedroom apartment at age 28, that I could muster up the humility and whatever else it is one needs to start the process of being genuinely saved.
So, now...the Pentecostals fed me a lot of good info that --now-- I can appreciate and process and think about. The Scripture study has proven beneficial...now that I"m saved.
See where I'm going with this? This is why I'm leaning towards TULIP. Maybe not the whole of TULIP, but...those calvinists make some valid points, I think.
Kidron
Member
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You take Christ, God takes you.....done deal.
Salvation is actually that simple.
By Faith... Christ did it, we get it, problem solved.
After that, you serve God or you dont till you die.
And that is up to you, everyday.
Dont concern yourself with becoming anything other then doing what makes God happy.
"be a doer of the word", and the word is... "Love, share, care, sacrifice, obey".
If it does not make God happy, then dont do it.
If it does, then do that.
Calvin burned people at the stake, and so did the Pope. (or some similar execution, maybe worse...)
Yet, within both "theologies", not everything is wrong, tho some of it is...
Does this make God happy when you burn people alive?.....then dont do that..(unless you are a servant of ALLAH).
Does it make God happy for you to love Him with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself?.....then do that.
Keeping it simple is to keep it real.
th1b.taylor
Member
When God is in it, yes but when He is not the mover, no!
smaller
Member
I'd like to think that Jesus Works in spite of our attempts to control the settings by showmanship and forcing now or never "decisions" out of people. If it happens to coincide, so be it. Closer baptists used to drive me nutz with their endless sales pitches for Jesus. I spent my life in sales. They were just taking my playbooks and selling Jesus, usually doing a poor job of it in the process. Worldly nonsense. But whatever. Jesus Sells Himself to any He Pleases regardless of 'man.'
In my earlier years when I first accepted Jesus as my Lord and Saviour (more lip service then a hearts condition at that time) I went through what I like to now call the "congregational emotional highs", but soon after the service was over and the hallelujahs and Amen's were done that high would dissipate. I always thought I was missing something and it would not be many years later that what I was missing was that personal Spiritual relationship with Jesus. I ended up having my own Damascus Road experience and from that point on my relationship with Jesus has grown so much and everyday is a love experience with Him as now I know His Holy Spirit not only indwells me, but also fills me with so much joy and content in my heart that I want to climb the mountain top and shout hallelujah and Amen knowing it's no longer just a physical emotion, but a Spiritual renewal.
th1b.taylor
Member
AMEN!In my earlier years when I first accepted Jesus as my Lord and Saviour (more lip service then a hearts condition at that time) I went through what I like to now call the "congregational emotional highs", but soon after the service was over and the hallelujahs and Amen's were done that high would dissipate. I always thought I was missing something and it would not be many years later that what I was missing was that personal Spiritual relationship with Jesus. I ended up having my own Damascus Road experience and from that point on my relationship with Jesus has grown so much and everyday is a love experience with Him as now I know His Holy Spirit not only indwells me, but also fills me with so much joy and content in my heart that I want to climb the mountain top and shout hallelujah and Amen knowing it's no longer just a physical emotion, but a Spiritual renewal.
Jim Parker
Member
Jesus told specific people at a specific place and time (friends of Lazarus, Jerusalem, ~2000 years ago) to unwrap Lazarus.
To try to make that some kind of a command for the entire church today is just nonsense.
You really don't need a gimmick to preach the Gospel.
What we must obey is what Jesus commanded all believers to obey: Love God, Love one another, love your neighbor and love your enemy.
Televangelists use gimmicks.
Jesus didn't use gimmicks. Imitate Him.
my 2 kopecks
iakov the fool
th1b.taylor
Member
And when the whole Bible is taught, salvation comes to people for a multitude of reasons, all scriptural and all without trickery.