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There are so many denominations and perspectives yet there is only one truth and hopefully we are all seeking to know what it true with God's help. This is why I don't believe that we should condemn each other for not having the same interpretation but we can share the scriptural reasons for why we believe something to be true, for example, and give the scriptural reasons as to why we believe something may not be true and also share other pertinent information if needed. God bless.
ShanaBrown,
We may not agree on each other interpretations but I do think we agree that Jesus Christ is Lord, that He was concieved by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin birth, walk this earth for 33 years did numorous miricles, went to the cross on his own accord, died and 3 days later rose again, making atonment for my sins and yours. Because of this we are united in the body of Christ. Thank you for being Christ like in your quote.
May God recieve the glory forever.
In Christ,
Last edited by bwmillard; 01-13-2008 at 09:29 PM..
Reason: addition
Hey Marks,
The problem is,you can go to a baptist church down the street and they believe what is taught from their pulpit is the adherent word of God. You can then go a couple of blocks further down the street to an assembly of Gods church and they will believe differently and believe that Baptist,Methodist,congregational churches etc. deny the power of the Holy Spirit and are remiss in some of their teachings. It goes on and on. The point for me is this....Is God a God of one truth? Does the bible contain just one truth? Then why is there such fragmentation within God`s church? Is that the way he wanted it. Is that an example to the world? That is what we hear over and over. How can the church be right when they can`t even agree on what is taught in scripture. That tells me that the church doesn`t have it right. Each denomination thinks they have the truth and they are the ones that are interpreting scripture correctly. So who has it right? Was the bible intended to be interpreted differently?
2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
That's why we are to have independant study in addition to going to Church, just between ourselves and God, and his Holy Spirit will direct us to the Truth of the matter. Having a balance of both Church and independant study is important in this day and age.
Ecclesiastes 4:9 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.
We need the support of others who are truly trying to abide in the faith - and going to Church helps us glorify God, as well as give support/love one another, as well as edify the body.
If we are believers and practice our belief alone or apart from others... is that belief?... or does it become "our" religion? When we are not engaged with other believers is there accountability in our life? and are we easier to be deceived? I see many have rejected "church" for may reasons.... "is it better, or easier"?
2 Cor 10:12b But when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding.
How can you believe what you believe, if what you believe is only your belief?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave_n_Tenn
We all are accountable to ourselves, and certainly that is a part of accountability, but that is only part of "accountability". For instance I also have accountability to my wife and join with her at various levels to maintain and edify our relationship... but an accountability partner asks the hard questions, challanges you, motivates you. You can not get this apart from the body. God tells us "two are better than one, and a cord of three strands is not easily broken".
Great thread, Dave! It's interesting, yesterday the pastor spoke on accountability... I believe it is a very important part of a Christian's life, and we should all welcome it. I think that is the key word on why it is important to go to church, or to have a desire to worship with others.
Great post, kaykay!
Quote:
Originally Posted by kaykay
Dave, I think people withdraw for a myriad of reasons, but usally from hurts or disappointments received in church.
I think it's a shame, though. Proverbs 27:17 says "Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another." NASB I think we NEED each other in the body of Christ.
In my weight watchers class this morning, the instructor was talking about the help that group support is when trying to lose weight and she was sharing about how geese fly in the V-formation with each other. I was thinking about the body of Christ as she was sharing. She was talking about how that the geese get supposedly 70% more "lift" by flying in formation with the others. I think this true for the body of Christ too. She related that if one goose is injured a couple others will accompany it to the ground and stay with it until it either is healthy again or dies. Ideally, this is the kind of support we get in the body of Christ.
I would just exhort anyone who has dropped out to try again. IMO the rewards are worth it.
This idea of "moral relativism" as I have heard it called kills me. More and more people have the idea of what is right for one person isn't right for another? Is that really true? If so, where do we draw the line?
People then state that "well, as long as what you're doing doesn't infringe on others it's ok." Smoking comes to mind as in America we have all but taken away the rights of smokers (an no, I'm not a smoker.) Who's right is it to take away another's if they want to smoke where they wish? What I'm trying to say is that at some point you have to take a side and say that one right overtakes the other. There IS absolute truth in the world. Just because you say something is wrong for you doesn't mean it is. Something is wrong because IT IS WRONG, regardless of who says it. Oh well...maybe I'm rambling here.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tricky D
It is my experience that church is just like school and I dropped out of college because I don’t need anyone to tell what to think since I am perfectly able to find out by myself how to think. I don’t need a school or church to become me.
Who I am has nothing to do with who you are, so I believe that everyone is free to choose whoever he wants to be.
And as long you do not hurt others I will not interfere with the choices that other people have made.
The reason I (we) quit going to our old church (SBC) was because the church was pretty much stuck on tradition, and if the older folks in the church didnt like it, it wasnt going to happen.
When my wife and I started to that particular church, we knew that the church was looking to start some type of out reach program, well my wife and I had spent two and 1/2 years in bus ministry right before that at a different church. It didnt take long to start having 15-20 children on the bus every Sunday, thats where the conflicts started..anytime you have children that have never been in church, you have to understand that they arent gonna be 1.clean (they come to church cause they want to, their parents didnt care whether they went or not as long as they didnt have to go. 2. sitting up straight 3. acting like children who been in church ever since they were little.
I tried to tell people this in one of the church meetings and pretty much was told "these children need discipline"..I was like okay..yall have it wrong, these children need love, they need to see Jesus in us, not a bunch of people so worried that someone was gonna make a sound, run down the hall, get a handprint on the wall, it was and still is my opinion that Jesus would love to see a thousand dirty little hand prints by the bathroom sink in the church. Anyway, after a lot of prayer, and quite a few other "incidents" we decided we needed to find a new church home, but not without a lot of hurt feelings.
The original point of this thread was why people leave the church. Most people have sumned it up on here. The church wants you to believe their way and if you don`t then there are problems. So people get turned of by all of the legalism and hypocrisy in the church and leave. Most don`t turn from God,they just realize the church has it wrong. Some new Christians may turn from God because of it but God is in control and he will accomplish his good pleasure.
The original point of this thread was why people leave the church. Most people have sumned it up on here. The church wants you to believe their way and if you don`t then there are problems. So people get turned of by all of the legalism and hypocrisy in the church and leave. Most don`t turn from God,they just realize the church has it wrong. Some new Christians may turn from God because of it but God is in control and he will accomplish his good pleasure.
If the Spirit of Love can't be found at a church an individual is attending, and God has plans for the individual to attend another - then I'd state it's good for them to go where they'll be of better use. I don't think the strategy of running away from all Churches is a sound one. Moving forward - perhaps we all should attend Church thinking what we can give(myself included) instead of what we can get. Maybe if we do this, we'll be happier and attend more(myself included)
ShanaBrown,
We may not agree on each other interpretations but I do think we agree that Jesus Christ is Lord, that He was concieved by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin birth, walk this earth for 33 years did numorous miricles, went to the cross on his own accord, died and 3 days later rose again, making atonment for my sins and yours. Because of this we are united in the body of Christ. Thank you for being Christ like in your quote.
May God recieve the glory forever.
In Christ,
In Romans 12:1
Therefore I exhort you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice – alive, holy, and pleasing to God – which is your reasonable service
If the Spirit of Love can't be found at a church an individual is attending, and God has plans for the individual to attend another - then I'd state it's good for them to go where they'll be of better use. I don't think the strategy of running away from all Churches is a sound one. Moving forward - perhaps we all should attend Church thinking what we can give(myself included) instead of what we can get. Maybe if we do this, we'll be happier and attend more(myself included)
I agree with that simple. It would be great to attend a church where there was like mindedness. On the other hand,we don`t don`t to congregate in a building to do good things and give of ourselves. Each one of us is the church and if we all gave of ourselves(especially me) we would all be better off.
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Accountability..
IMO the rewards are worth it.
It is my experience that church is just like school and I dropped out of college because I don’t need anyone to tell what to think since I am perfectly able to find out by myself how to think.
