43 Years A Christian

[-=H=-]

I need to talk about what it’s like after 43 years as a Christian.

I know there are those that come in here to troll and flame and have egos that they have to bignote themselves by attacking others. If that’s you please go elsewhere as I’m now 50 and too old for that nonsense.

So after growing up in a Christian home, knowing my whole life God is real and making Jesus Lord of my life. Having been active in missions, evangelism and ministry there are things I need to talk about and get off my chest.

Firstly, I can no longer stand religious Christianity. The Pharisee and Sadducee spirit is now strong in the church. People have a form of godliness but deny his power. As a friend said “Christianity is a mile wide and an inch deep.”

Where are people truly following Jesus as disciples these days? Of loving God and loving neighbor as themselves? It’s rare and I’ve only really seen it in one major city. People dying to selves and loving like Christ.

I’m terms of church, the Christianese and religiosity and church programs just get up my nose. The churches are so busy with programs and marketing and congregation building they’ve forgotten their first love.

In terms of “Christians” I meet, they’re not disciples and mostly are just American. They elevate the constitution above Jesus and my goodness the hypocrisy and selfish ambition and vain conceit is sickening. Backstabbing, lying, adultery and sexual immorality.

Then there’s trying to find a mature church that teaches meat not milk. Trying to find pastors that can deal with real life issues. But most aren’t equipped to handle life other than the surface.

Then there’s militant evangelicals who are stuck on the message of sin and repentance, where Jesus said let’s move on from the elemental teachings of sin and repentance and acts that lead to death and move on to maturity in the faith. These same militants attack more mature pastors and call them heretics and false prophets. What the heck?

Most of all I’m done with religion, Christianese, programs, selfishness and hypocrisy. We are called to love God and love our neighbors as ourselves. It’s the greatest commandment that Jesus said and it fulfills ALL of the teachings in the Bible.

I want to live my faith in Christ, not for man, not for religion, but to hear the words, well done good and faithful servant once I reach heaven.

 

[Laodicean60]

I can no longer stand religious Christianity.

I can't either.

truly following Jesus as disciples these days?

Is loving your neighbor but it's hard with our egos. It's proof you love God. We can be too judgmental or arrogant.

militant evangelicals who are stuck on the message of sin and repentance,

I think it's a bad message to be sin conscious. Also, the turn-and-burn message creates hate. If we truly love our neighbor or humankind all the other stuff will come out in the wash or Romans 13:9. Love them where they stand let God do the rest. Look at whats going on in the world.

 

[Laodicean60]

Whoops. This is for GenX sorry. Boomer here.

 

[Brihaha]

I need to talk about what it’s like after 43 years as a Christian.

I know there are those that come in here to troll and flame and have egos that they have to bignote themselves by attacking others. If that’s you please go elsewhere as I’m now 50 and too old for that nonsense.

So after growing up in a Christian home, knowing my whole life God is real and making Jesus Lord of my life. Having been active in missions, evangelism and ministry there are things I need to talk about and get off my chest.

Firstly, I can no longer stand religious Christianity. The Pharisee and Sadducee spirit is now strong in the church. People have a form of godliness but deny his power. As a friend said “Christianity is a mile wide and an inch deep.”

Where are people truly following Jesus as disciples these days? Of loving God abd loving neighbor as themselves? It’s rare and I’ve only really seen it in one major city. People dying to selves and loving like Christ.

I’m terms of church, the Christianese and religiousity and church programs just get up my nose. The churches are so busy with programs and marketing and congregation building they’ve forgotten their first love.

In terms of “Christians” I meet, they’re not disciples and mostly are just American. They elevate the constitution above Jesus and my goodness the hypocrisy and selfish ambition and vein conceit is sickening. Backstabbing, lying, adultery and sexual immorality.

Then there’s trying to find a mature church that teaches meat not milk. Trying to find pastors that can deal with real life issues. But list aren’t equipped to handle life other than the surface.

Then there’s militant evangelicals who are stuck on the message of sin and repentance, where Jesus said let’s move on from the elemental teachings of sin and repentance and acts that lead to death and move on to maturity in the faith. These same militants attack more mature pastors and call thwm
Heretics and false prophets. What the heck?

Most of all I’m done with religion, Christianese, programs, selfishness and hypocrisy. We are called to love God and love our neighbors as ourselves. It’s the greatest commandment that Jesus said and it fulfills ALL of the teachings in the Bible.

I want to live my faith in Christ, not for man, not for religion, but to hear the words, well done good and faithful servant once I reach heaven.

I hear you my friend. Maybe members of congregations should be more vocal in demanding preachers return focus upon God's word. I hope to find a comfortable church in which to worship. I may try two more down the road in the near future. It is discouraging to see so many church leaders focused on increasing their membership, number of services and donations above the primary directive. This I thought was to preach the gospel of God to us exactly what Jesus taught us 2000 years ago.

My dad found an agreeable church where he learns the Bible thru a trusted pastor. I am happy for my father. Yet he lives in another state so my search will continue. Luckily I have fellow believers around me with whom to worship God. And I feel Him with us when discussing the word.

I was baptized and saved as a young teenager in the 80s. I mistakenly believed that was all I needed to do. Luckily God graced me with enough time to read the Bible and discover how my faith without works wasn't true faith. He literally carried me through ten years of alcoholism before blessing me with sobriety since 1995. I just celebrated my 28th sobriety anniversary this December. And I am here to testify God is great and Jesus is my savior. Amen.

 

[eleos1954]

I need to talk about what it’s like after 43 years as a Christian.

I know there are those that come in here to troll and flame and have egos that they have to bignote themselves by attacking others. If that’s you please go elsewhere as I’m now 50 and too old for that nonsense.

So after growing up in a Christian home, knowing my whole life God is real and making Jesus Lord of my life. Having been active in missions, evangelism and ministry there are things I need to talk about and get off my chest.

Firstly, I can no longer stand religious Christianity. The Pharisee and Sadducee spirit is now strong in the church. People have a form of godliness but deny his power. As a friend said “Christianity is a mile wide and an inch deep.”

Where are people truly following Jesus as disciples these days? Of loving God abd loving neighbor as themselves? It’s rare and I’ve only really seen it in one major city. People dying to selves and loving like Christ.

I’m terms of church, the Christianese and religiousity and church programs just get up my nose. The churches are so busy with programs and marketing and congregation building they’ve forgotten their first love.

In terms of “Christians” I meet, they’re not disciples and mostly are just American. They elevate the constitution above Jesus and my goodness the hypocrisy and selfish ambition and vein conceit is sickening. Backstabbing, lying, adultery and sexual immorality.

Then there’s trying to find a mature church that teaches meat not milk. Trying to find pastors that can deal with real life issues. But list aren’t equipped to handle life other than the surface.

Then there’s militant evangelicals who are stuck on the message of sin and repentance, where Jesus said let’s move on from the elemental teachings of sin and repentance and acts that lead to death and move on to maturity in the faith. These same militants attack more mature pastors and call thwm
Heretics and false prophets. What the heck?

Most of all I’m done with religion, Christianese, programs, selfishness and hypocrisy. We are called to love God and love our neighbors as ourselves. It’s the greatest commandment that Jesus said and it fulfills ALL of the teachings in the Bible.

I want to live my faith in Christ, not for man, not for religion, but to hear the words, well done good and faithful servant once I reach heaven.

All the churches are in an apostate condition .... they are deceived .... the letters to the churches in Revelation were written to the churches of that time and depicted their condition .... the same condition applies to the various churches of today .... there is nothing new under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 1:9
New International Version​

9 What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.

and so it is
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ecclesiastes 1&version=NIV

 

[Richard T]

I need to talk about what it’s like after 43 years as a Christian.

I know there are those that come in here to troll and flame and have egos that they have to bignote themselves by attacking others. If that’s you please go elsewhere as I’m now 50 and too old for that nonsense.

So after growing up in a Christian home, knowing my whole life God is real and making Jesus Lord of my life. Having been active in missions, evangelism and ministry there are things I need to talk about and get off my chest.

Firstly, I can no longer stand religious Christianity. The Pharisee and Sadducee spirit is now strong in the church. People have a form of godliness but deny his power. As a friend said “Christianity is a mile wide and an inch deep.”

Where are people truly following Jesus as disciples these days? Of loving God and loving neighbor as themselves? It’s rare and I’ve only really seen it in one major city. People dying to selves and loving like Christ.

I’m terms of church, the Christianese and religiosity and church programs just get up my nose. The churches are so busy with programs and marketing and congregation building they’ve forgotten their first love.

In terms of “Christians” I meet, they’re not disciples and mostly are just American. They elevate the constitution above Jesus and my goodness the hypocrisy and selfish ambition and vain conceit is sickening. Backstabbing, lying, adultery and sexual immorality.

Then there’s trying to find a mature church that teaches meat not milk. Trying to find pastors that can deal with real life issues. But most aren’t equipped to handle life other than the surface.

Then there’s militant evangelicals who are stuck on the message of sin and repentance, where Jesus said let’s move on from the elemental teachings of sin and repentance and acts that lead to death and move on to maturity in the faith. These same militants attack more mature pastors and call them heretics and false prophets. What the heck?

Most of all I’m done with religion, Christianese, programs, selfishness and hypocrisy. We are called to love God and love our neighbors as ourselves. It’s the greatest commandment that Jesus said and it fulfills ALL of the teachings in the Bible.

I want to live my faith in Christ, not for man, not for religion, but to hear the words, well done good and faithful servant once I reach heaven.

I admit it can be hard to find a sincere church. Course you could always start your own or look abroad. I would not forsake fellowship though. When David was on the run what did he do? Gathered up the misfits and made a nice force.

 

[The Liturgist]

Whoops. This is for GenX sorry. Boomer here.

That’s alright. I have grave concerns of the tendency of some people to disrespectfully refer to persons of your generation or preceding generations such as the War Babies and the surviving members of the WWII generation using the phrase “OK, Boomer,” and insofar as generation X may have engendered an attitude of such disrespect and raised our youth to behave in that way, I feel compelled to apologize.

 

[The Liturgist]

I need to talk about what it’s like after 43 years as a Christian.

I know there are those that come in here to troll and flame and have egos that they have to bignote themselves by attacking others. If that’s you please go elsewhere as I’m now 50 and too old for that nonsense.

So after growing up in a Christian home, knowing my whole life God is real and making Jesus Lord of my life. Having been active in missions, evangelism and ministry there are things I need to talk about and get off my chest.

Firstly, I can no longer stand religious Christianity. The Pharisee and Sadducee spirit is now strong in the church. People have a form of godliness but deny his power. As a friend said “Christianity is a mile wide and an inch deep.”

Where are people truly following Jesus as disciples these days? Of loving God and loving neighbor as themselves? It’s rare and I’ve only really seen it in one major city. People dying to selves and loving like Christ.

I’m terms of church, the Christianese and religiosity and church programs just get up my nose. The churches are so busy with programs and marketing and congregation building they’ve forgotten their first love.

In terms of “Christians” I meet, they’re not disciples and mostly are just American. They elevate the constitution above Jesus and my goodness the hypocrisy and selfish ambition and vain conceit is sickening. Backstabbing, lying, adultery and sexual immorality.

Then there’s trying to find a mature church that teaches meat not milk. Trying to find pastors that can deal with real life issues. But most aren’t equipped to handle life other than the surface.

Then there’s militant evangelicals who are stuck on the message of sin and repentance, where Jesus said let’s move on from the elemental teachings of sin and repentance and acts that lead to death and move on to maturity in the faith. These same militants attack more mature pastors and call them heretics and false prophets. What the heck?

Most of all I’m done with religion, Christianese, programs, selfishness and hypocrisy. We are called to love God and love our neighbors as ourselves. It’s the greatest commandment that Jesus said and it fulfills ALL of the teachings in the Bible.

I want to live my faith in Christ, not for man, not for religion, but to hear the words, well done good and faithful servant once I reach heaven.

Respectfully, how do you know that what you say applies to all religious Christians or all denominations? It seems to me like you are over-generalzing based on negative opinions

 

[The Liturgist]

I admit it can be hard to find a sincere church. Course you could always start your own or look abroad. I would not forsake fellowship though. When David was on the run what did he do? Gathered up the misfits and made a nice force.

I myself will not attend any church that uses praise and worship music rather than traditional hymns (the older the better; in my church the average age of the hymns in terms of their lyrics at least is about a thousand years), or that departs from the Patristic reception of the Apostolic faith, or that makes concessions to sin in the interests of political correctness, vis a vis homosexuality and adultery