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Are you a real Christian? Have you read the posts lately? Who are the REAL Christians, and who is just out to make a point no matter the cost? Would the real Christians PLEASE stand up? Now go get in a line and we'll allow the people who do not believe as we do, pick out the true Christians.
Oh yeah, does anyone remember the song "And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love, aannnddd they'llll knooowww we are Christians by our love!"
Anyone who does not believe the way Christians do...thank you for your POVs. Thank you for your honest and forthright comments about how you see the church and how you perceive Christians. You have taught me a lot and I appreciate ALL of you...whether we've disagreed in threads or not, you are awesome!
Could everyone who does not believe the way Christians do, do me a favor? Tell me two things you do not like about Christians (be specific) and please tell me one thing you DO like about Christians. Please don't hurt yourselves too badly on the second one.
All REAL Christians...please do not post in this thread. Please take a moment to read what everyone has to say about us. Reflect on it. And thank the God we serve for these truly wonderful people. I don't know about anyone else but I'm not on here to recruit. I'm not on here to save anyone...that's not MY job.
Now get to work people! And know that everyone that I've encountered in this forum is in my prayers regularly! And you can always pm me with prayer requests...you don't have to believe as I do for me to pray for you!
Hoosier, my friend, according to my definition of a christian, I cannot find anything wrong with them...
One thing that I like about Christians (and Jews) is that they are generous in giving to the needy. I don't care about their motives, either. I just like the fact that someone in need of food, clothing, shelter, or counseling can get help from Christian (and Jewish) organizations.
One thing that I don't like about Christians (and Jews) is their unfailing penchant for accepting every occurrence in life as "God's Will". After almost any tragedy you will see the suvivors crediting God with their good fortune.
Were those less fortunate souls less deserving, or perhaps not as special?
Along this same line, warriors on opposing sides going into battle pray to their god for His protection. Now, it's not enough that God has to decide who will win the football game, but He/She has to break away (if not a Multi-tasker) to decide who will die in this conflict. That is big-time responsibility.
I envy Christians. They can take the load from their shoulders and put it on God's back. The rest of us have to live with ourselves, accept the fact that bad things happen to good people for no reason, and treat others as we would like to be treated, knowing that there is no reward other than how good you feel when you have done the right thing.
I know it will all be revealed to me one day, maybe even in a CD post. In the meantime, please allow me to meander the path of life in ignorance. I do not hate you. How could I? All of my children are Christians.
One thing that I like about Christians (and Jews) is that they are generous in giving to the needy. I don't care about their motives, either. I just like the fact that someone in need of food, clothing, shelter, or counseling can get help from Christian (and Jewish) organizations.
One thing that I don't like about Christians (and Jews) is their unfailing penchant for accepting every occurrence in life as "God's Will". After almost any tragedy you will see the suvivors crediting God with their good fortune.
Were those less fortunate souls less deserving, or perhaps not as special?
Along this same line, warriors on opposing sides going into battle pray to their god for His protection. Now, it's not enough that God has to decide who will win the football game, but He/She has to break away (if not a Multi-tasker) to decide who will die in this conflict. That is big-time responsibility.
I envy Christians. They can take the load from their shoulders and put it on God's back. The rest of us have to live with ourselves, accept the fact that bad things happen to good people for no reason, and treat others as we would like to be treated, knowing that there is no reward other than how good you feel when you have done the right thing.
I know it will all be revealed to me one day, maybe even in a CD post. In the meantime, please allow me to meander the path of life in ignorance. I do not hate you. How could I? All of my children are Christians.
Are you a real Christian? Have you read the posts lately? Who are the REAL Christians, and who is just out to make a point no matter the cost? Would the real Christians PLEASE stand up? Now go get in a line and we'll allow the people who do not believe as we do, pick out the true Christians.
Oh yeah, does anyone remember the song "And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love, aannnddd they'llll knooowww we are Christians by our love!"
Anyone who does not believe the way Christians do...thank you for your POVs. Thank you for your honest and forthright comments about how you see the church and how you perceive Christians. You have taught me a lot and I appreciate ALL of you...whether we've disagreed in threads or not, you are awesome!
Could everyone who does not believe the way Christians do, do me a favor? Tell me two things you do not like about Christians (be specific) and please tell me one thing you DO like about Christians. Please don't hurt yourselves too badly on the second one.
All REAL Christians...please do not post in this thread. Please take a moment to read what everyone has to say about us. Reflect on it. And thank the God we serve for these truly wonderful people. I don't know about anyone else but I'm not on here to recruit. I'm not on here to save anyone...that's not MY job.
Now get to work people! And know that everyone that I've encountered in this forum is in my prayers regularly! And you can always pm me with prayer requests...you don't have to believe as I do for me to pray for you!
I have considered myself "A Christian" in the past....But due to Whacky, Right Wing, Christian Fanatics, Pentacostals, etc.
I am a a "Catholic"...
The Lunitic fringe of "Psuedo-Christians" is a turn off, and an example of how NOT to practice "Christianity"...
Again, I am not posting my opinion. I'm restraining again from the long page of my views and personal convictions. In other words, I'm BEING GOOD, Hoosier, so thank me later.
But I thought this:
I've read sooo many posts that say the like: "Well, I don't go to church, but I'm a Christian." Or maybe, "I don't tithe, but I'm a Christian." I even read, "I no longer read the Bible, but I'm a Christian."
What is a Christian? Let's break it down.
1) Christ: Jesus Christ, Son of God, Second Person in Holy Trinity.
2) -ian: "Of, relating to, or resembling" (Heritage Dictionary)
So, a Christian: One who is "Of Christ" or "Resembles Christ" or "Relates to Christ". I believe that we could all agree that a Christian is "One who loves and follows Christ". Agreed? Agreed.
Good.
So, to truly love and follow Christ, would that not mean that we would obey Him?
"If ye love me, keep my commandments." Jesus said that.
"Peter, lovest thou me more than these? Feed my sheep." Jesus said that.
"Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." Again, Jesus.
So, clearly, following Jesus has to do with keeping His commandments. It's not just following the ones we want to or feel comfortable following. And we can't even choose not to follow the ones that we believe that we cannot follow, or do not apply to us. We are to willingly and THANKFULLY obey His EVERY command in order to actually follow Him. I didn't say it. He did.
That being said, if you really are a Christian, won't you do what He says to do? Won't you follow Him?
If you say you don't read the Bible, but Christ wants you to read the Bible (Matthew 4:4, II Timothy 3:16), are you following Him? Sadly, no. You may be saved, but you are not a Christian. You are not obeying Christ!
If you say you don't go to church, but Christ wants you to go to church (Heb. 10:25, Heb. 4:12), are you really a Christ-ian? No.
If you say you don't tithe, but Christ wants you to tithe (Numbers 18:26, Mal. 3:8), are you really a Christian? Again, you may be saved, and that's WONDERFUL! Seriously! But...are you really a...Christian? No.
What does Christ want you to do? How can you follow Him? If we say no, or rationalize why we couldn't or shouldn't, then we are not true Christians. We are not true followers of Christ.
Oh, in closing, in the New Testament, a follower of Christ is called a "disciple". Here's what the Bible says about true disciples, or, followers of Christ (Christ-ians):
"And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple." - Luke 14:27.
But...
"And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments" - I John 2:3.
If you love God, and call yourself a Christian, live it. You can continue to call yourself a Christian (one who loves and follows Christ) all you want. It won't bother me or most of the people out there. But it bothers God. If you say that you are a Christian, live it. Do what He says.
Only THEN will you be...a Christian.
Thanks for reading, friend.
Last edited by spike1611; 04-19-2007 at 07:00 PM..
Reason: Spelling error
Again, I am not posting my opinion. I'm restraining again from the long page of my views and personal convictions. In other words, I'm BEING GOOD, Hoosier, so thank me later.
But I thought this:
I've read sooo many posts that say the like: "Well, I don't go to church, but I'm a Christian." Or maybe, "I don't tithe, but I'm a Christian." I even read, "I no longer read the Bible, but I'm a Christian."
What is a Christian? Let's break it down.
1) Christ: Jesus Christ, Son of God, Second Person in Holy Trinity.
2) -ian: "Of, relating to, or resembling" (Heritage Dictionary)
So, a Christian: One who is "Of Christ" or "Resembles Christ" or "Relates to Christ". I believe that we could all agree that a Christian is "One who loves and follows Christ". Agreed? Agreed.
Good.
So, to truly love and follow Christ, would that not mean that we would obey Him?
"If ye love me, keep my commandments." Jesus said that.
"Peter, lovest thou me more than these? Feed my sheep." Jesus said that.
"Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." Again, Jesus.
So, clearly, following Jesus has to do with keeping His commandments. It's not just following the ones we want to or feel comfortable following. And we can't even choose not to follow the ones that we believe that we cannot follow, or do not apply to us. We are to willingly and THANKFULLY obey His EVERY command in order to actually follow Him. I didn't say it. He did.
That being said, if you really are a Christian, won't you do what He says to do? Won't you follow Him?
If you say you don't read the Bible, but Christ wants you to read the Bible (Matthew 4:4, II Timothy 3:16), are you following Him? Sadly, no. You may be saved, but you are not a Christian. You are not obeying Christ!
If you say you don't go to church, but Christ wants you to go to church (Heb. 10:25, Heb. 4:12), are you really a Christ-ian? No.
If you say you don't tithe, but Christ wants you to tithe (Numbers 18:26, Mal. 3:8), are you really a Christian? Again, you may be saved, and that's WONDERFUL! Seriously! But...are you really a...Christian? No.
What does Christ want you to do? How can you follow Him? If we say no, or rationalize why we couldn't or shouldn't, then we are not true Christians. We are not true followers of Christ.
Oh, in closing, in the New Testament, a follower of Christ is called a "disciple". Here's what the Bible says about true disciples, or, followers of Christ (Christ-ians):
"And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple." - Luke 14:27.
But...
"And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments" - I John 2:3.
If you love God, and call yourself a Christian, live it. You can continue to call yourself a Christian (one who loves and follows Christ) all you want. It won't bother me or most of the people out there. But it bothers God. If you say that you are a Christian, live it. Do what He says.
Only THEN will you be...a Christian.
Thanks for reading, friend.
Wish I could have given you points!! This was something too think about THANKS!!!
When I read a scripture I look at the time on my computer. - zonababe 8:13.
Can you explain your Christian belief without quoting The Bible?
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Against my better judgement...
