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Loving God is obeying Him, and the most legitimate form of worship.
And loving one's neighbor ,is best accomplished by listening to God, who knows the heart, and meeting the need from God's point of view.
Nobel deeds are fine but they render nothing on an eternal basis. usually done with an ulterior motive for the most part.
But when done in obedience ,so much more is accomplished .
arleigh, you have it backwards. Loving one's neighbor is loving God. You keep the first greatest commandment when you keep the second. This is accomplished by DEEDS which are the proof of faith.
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and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, "You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works."…
My biggest problem with organized religion is that God has been imagined as a human being with emotions. I feel if you let go of that, then it's possible to see God as a force, to connect to him or her spiritually.
--------Christopher Durang
I completely agree with Christopher Durang. I think organized religion has taught me that God is a punishing, vindictive God, instead of a loving, compassionate God.
I still believe in God, but I don't have much confidence for organized religion. This has been my constant struggle. Many people in my life still believe that the only way to become true Christian is going to church faithfully. Well, I don't like going to church on Sunday or any day, but I do believe in God and I believe I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Because of the faith required in religion it has been the target of con men for centurys. I admire faith but would be cautious of "blind" faith.
Is it possible to be a true Christian without organized religion? Please advice and share wisdom.
Thank you.
There is a plan of God that few follow, and it is extremely hard getting past preconceived ideas that everyone grows up in but there is definitely a plan that is not taught by the majority. Jesus walked as an example of how a man should walk in 7 feast days. Not that you should keep any particular day but that they become everyday lifestyle like dying daily to selfishness and anger is to live in a lifestyle of Passover but Passover is just one lesson. There is a plan like steps on a ladder that lead to a conclusion day of the entire year, and the goal of walking in these days is that you would receive the same promises that Jesus received. He promises the overcomers who walk in the plan that they would rule ALL NATIONS, and that means that they will rule an entire earth just as Jesus came and did. That they receive the same promises from Jesus that his father gave to him, and this means that you are born a son of God and you will go down to another earth and do what Jesus did here.
That's what Revelation 2 insinuates when it makes promises to sons born, and how they alone will rule all the nations and receive the same promises as Jesus received from his father. It in fact insinuates that there is a million Earths out there.
My biggest problem with organized religion is that God has been imagined as a human being with emotions. I feel if you let go of that, then it's possible to see God as a force, to connect to him or her spiritually.
--------Christopher Durang
I completely agree with Christopher Durang. I think organized religion has taught me that God is a punishing, vindictive God, instead of a loving, compassionate God.
I still believe in God, but I don't have much confidence for organized religion. This has been my constant struggle. Many people in my life still believe that the only way to become true Christian is going to church faithfully. Well, I don't like going to church on Sunday or any day, but I do believe in God and I believe I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Because of the faith required in religion it has been the target of con men for centurys. I admire faith but would be cautious of "blind" faith.
Is it possible to be a true Christian without organized religion? Please advice and share wisdom.
Thank you.
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Originally Posted by FundamentalBibleBeliever
We often confuse what church means. It's not a building or a man made organization with a human leader. It's the "assembly" of a group of believers. It is this gathering that we are told not to neglect for that is what Jesus gave us and is the only way to a part of the church. You cannot be a part of the "assembly" without assembling. As long as you are meeting with a group of believers you are doing it the way Jesus set it up.
See, lilyflower, this is the problem with organized religion. BibleBeliever wants to get men together to form an "assembly" as he blithely phrases it. But as soon as you get a bunch of men together--and there's ALWAYS a corrupt man or two or ten with evil intentions and a thirst for power lurking among them---you corrupt the whole barrel. It never fails. In EVERY religion and in most churches, they are run by vultures like Paul and jan Crouch, Benny Hinn, Joseph Prince, Robert Tilton, Creflo Dollar, Fred Price, Ken Copeland, Bishop TD Jakes, the list is endless.
Anyone who wants to truly worship God in spirit and truth must get as far away from organized religion as they can, preferably become a deist, and worship God in their heart---NOT in a beautiful temple of glass and concrete with a giant cross on top of it.
See, lilyflower, this is the problem with organized religion. BibleBeliever wants to get men together to form an "assembly" as he blithely phrases it. But as soon as you get a bunch of men together--and there's ALWAYS a corrupt man or two or ten with evil intentions and a thirst for power lurking among them---you corrupt the whole barrel. It never fails. In EVERY religion and in most churches, they are run by vultures like Paul and jan Crouch, Benny Hinn, Joseph Prince, Robert Tilton, Creflo Dollar, Fred Price, Ken Copeland, Bishop TD Jakes, the list is endless
...although all the names you mentioned are in particular "word of faith" preachers--a quite narrow range of Christianity, but with characteristics guaranteed to make them popular particularly to Americans.
...although all the names you mentioned are in particular "word of faith" preachers--a quite narrow range of Christianity, but with characteristics guaranteed to make them popular particularly to Americans.
True, and it seems to be working.
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Of the four biggest megachurches in the country, three—Joel Osteen's Lakewood in Houston; T.D. Jakes' Potter's House in south Dallas; and Creflo Dollar's World Changers near Atlanta—are Prosperity or Prosperity Lite pulpits. ----Wikipedia
And more churches than ever seem to be jumping on the prosperity gospel's bandwagon because pastors see this as a way out of poverty and closed church doors and most important, unemployed pastors and Boards of Directors
Is it possible to love God without organized religion?
Absolutely! The organized church is man's system of religion, not built by God. It's like a prison of sorts filled with many fearful people.
Not my experience. I'm sorry it was yours. My church is a group of people who love God and show it by caring for people, both Christian and non. We enjoy worshipping our God, studying His word and living life together. It's a pleasure to meet together.
Satan believes in God and Satan is also spiritual.
I go to church so I can not only worship God with other believers but I can also receive Him in the Eucharist, his body, soul, blood, and divinity. Satan loves it when we give that up.
Quote:
Originally Posted by FundamentalBibleBeliever
We often confuse what church means. It's not a building or a man made organization with a human leader. It's the "assembly" of a group of believers. It is this gathering that we are told not to neglect for that is what Jesus gave us and is the only way to a part of the church. You cannot be a part of the "assembly" without assembling. As long as you are meeting with a group of believers you are doing it the way Jesus set it up.
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Originally Posted by grmi66
Yes it's possible, but is it optimal? If you don't go to church, at least find some other community of believers to hang out with. Had some of my best times just being in a small group that met at my house once a week. Plus hanging out with a few other believers will help keep you true to the Bible. Without fail, every guy in my small group that decided to go off on his own because he did not need church would end up with some odd beliefs that they found off the internet.
There are churches out there that are solid, just takes a little digging to find them. A friend of mine found a church by looking on MeetUp of all places.
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Originally Posted by Vizio
Heb 10:24-25 "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."
It's good for you to meet with other believers.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vizio
I've also seen a lot of Christians develop some really weird theology after leaving a local church.
Both prejudice and faith have one important thing in common--both begin where reason ends. (Harper Lee)
Unfortunately, organized religion too frequently mixes up the two-- meaning prejudice always overcomes faith in practice toward people. It becomes almost impossible to be part of an organized religion which purports itself to be representing the God of love while whining about being persecuted. How can one love one's enemies while complaining about their views of christians or the church?
Few, if any denominations call on us to walk in the shoes of our enemies--and we don't. Instead they call on us to make our enemies think like we do--and we work hard at that, thinking WE can change them when only God can, and only He should.
There are some good churches scattered among the tares of many others. But they are hard to find. We need to search them by looking first for prejudice. For if their loss of reason leads them to that, it isn't faith.
Faith without reason is one that loves when the response may not be in our own best interest.
Neither prejudiced believers, nor, I think, most agnostics or atheists, are willing to love that much.
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