What The World Is Coming To!

[ViaCrucis]

What pastoral training do you have?

This is no attack on you; but I am deeply troubled by the idea of people just up and "starting a church".

I believe, very strongly, that the call and ordination of ministers is a very important thing for the Church. And I also believe the Lord's own words apply to it, "To whom much is given, much is required."

A person could, for example, have a great deal of expertise in Scripture, on theology. They might be extremely good biblical exegetes, and extremely good theologians. And they still may not be fit for being a pastor. Because taking on that kind of responsibility is to take onto one's shoulders not only the spiritual health of an entire community, but being a good spiritual father--a pastor isn't just a preacher or a teacher, but a counselor, a confidant, a shepherd. They are ministers of God's word and God's Sacraments, to handle the word with utmost care ("rightly dividing the word of truth" as Paul calls it when writing to Timothy).

When Paul writes about how to choose pastors, he speaks of a heavy and strong vetting process, and is not something an individual can simply choose for themselves apart from the general authority of the Christian Church. Paul didn't decide he was an apostle, Christ personally chose Him; Timothy didn't just decide to be a pastor--he studied and trained and worked with and under St. Paul for literal years before taking up a post in Ephesus.

I would, therefore, at the very least, advise walking with extreme caution here.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[IamHope]

What pastoral training do you have?

This is no attack on you; but I am deeply troubled by the idea of people just up and "starting a church".

I believe, very strongly, that the call and ordination of ministers is a very important thing for the Church. And I also believe the Lord's own words apply to it, "To whom much is given, much is required."

A person could, for example, have a great deal of expertise in Scripture, on theology. They might be extremely good biblical exegetes, and extremely good theologians. And they still may not be fit for being a pastor. Because taking on that kind of responsibility is to take onto one's shoulders not only the spiritual health of an entire community, but being a good spiritual father--a pastor isn't just a preacher or a teacher, but a counselor, a confidant, a shepherd. They are ministers of God's word and God's Sacraments, to handle the word with utmost care ("rightly dividing the word of truth" as Paul calls it when writing to Timothy).

When Paul writes about how to choose pastors, he speaks of a heavy and strong vetting process, and is not something an individual can simply choose for themselves apart from the general authority of the Christian Church. Paul didn't decide he was an apostle, Christ personally chose Him; Timothy didn't just decide to be a pastor--he studied and trained and worked with and under St. Paul for literal years before taking up a post in Ephesus.

I would, therefore, at the very least, advise walking with extreme caution here.

-CryptoLutheran

The answer to your question is none. I have no pastoral training.

John 14:27 KJV​

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."​

Not to change the subject- I was married in a Lutheran church. Are you not troubled about the Lutherans falling to Satan? From what I read and hear about the Lutheran denomination they are in deep trouble, they are failing to do God's work. Failing to spread the Gospel.

The reason for the downfall is all about (the lack of) leadership and the willingness to bend to worldly pressure. Leadership, in general, being any part of the highly indoctrinated and educated pastoral clergy. Man teaching man what is right and what is wrong! This is what troubles you. How could someone like me, whatever it is you think of me is not clear because you do not know me, start a church without whatever it is you think I should have or need, to start a church. Yikes!

Every church known to mankind has issues with leadership because all churches are built and constructed by man and his worldly ideas. All leadership is biased and for the most part, corrupted by tithing. Don't believe me? Ask any honest clergyman in a leadership role. Still don't believe me? Read more about what God has to say about man's heart.

I am only doing what I can with the little amount of time I have left. I never mentioned my position or role in my new church because I do not know where God will take me in it. I have no position. I have time and skills now to create something for good, honest Christians to be a part of if they choose. Their choice is to understand and accept the truth, and that truth is a simple understanding they have, or do not have, about Jesus.

Jesus is the church. He is the body of the church. And we the obedient that abide in Jesus make up the body. As we abide in Him, He abides in us. God has not made any requirements to spread the Gospel and where it should be done. In the spirit of Jesus, it would be my position to support any one of my brothers or sisters in Christ who wants to spread the Gospel and has the faith to do it. We are to glorify God and we do this by spreading the "Good News" as faithfully as we can.

As it stands, my church has failed to gain one new member. I set the bar to join only as high as what God expects of His children. It only takes one person to join. Then I know if one has joined there will be another. And if two belong then two more will belong. And if four have joined then eight are surely possible. Faith I have in what I cannot see or understand but God will provide- one or none. Either way, there is no shame in doing the Lord's work. His will be done. This is the Gospel truth.

Jesus has always been with me in truth. I intend to help people understand and live for the truth, Christ Jesus. I think the real trouble here is your understanding of the truth. Is it about you or Jesus? Jesus is the truth and the spirit of truth is in Him. I take none of your thoughts as attacks. I'm repentant to say, that they sound like they may come from a spirit wanting in true faith?

I hope you see my reply as sincere and that you find faith in Jesus to accomplish God's work in your life.

 

[Laodicean60]

I'm starting a new virtual Church for all the lost, hidden, unaware, and failing Christians. And yes, I am included right alongside everybody else. Since God has prompted me in everything that has led me in this direction it's only fitting, I think, to start out with a big bang.

Recently, I had an interesting experience where I asked an Artificial Intelligenc.

I hear nothing about your virtual church unless your church will have AI preach. Unless I'm misunderstanding virtual church. How the two are related is beyond me. You can have the computer write a sermon and weed out the points that you don't agree on.

and how an AI bot talks without any regard for the truth.

So the truth is you are bashing AI for its answers of the word that goes against your worldview It's a machine and biblical truth is in the eye of the beholder. To think logically as far as a computer is concerned there is no God, where is the proof unless you hoping the computer develops faith?

AI can be used as a tool for good and some bad actors will use it for evil.

It's almost like these forums if you ask a question you'll agree or disagree because of your worldview.
I looking at the answers to this question "What are Jesus's requirements for successful living in the world according to the bible?" The computer didn't do a bad job explaining.

This is why

It's a program how does it know what I want to hear? It might be easier if you point out a couple of things where you think the computer is opposed to your thinking.

Point out the lies about God but don't criticize it generalisation or nuance answers. Peace

 

[ViaCrucis]

The answer to your question is none. I have no pastoral training.

John 14:27 KJV​

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."​

Not to change the subject- I was married in a Lutheran church. Are you not troubled about the Lutherans falling to Satan? From what I read and hear about the Lutheran denomination they are in deep trouble, they are failing to do God's work. Failing to spread the Gospel.

Firstly, I must argue: There's no such thing as "the Lutheran denomination". There are Lutheran denominations. Plural.

What does exist, however, is an historic Lutheran theological tradition--the tradition that traces itself to the Evangelical Reformation which started with Martin Luther. All Lutheran bodies consider themselves part of that historic tradition. But in modern times different Lutheran bodies have split and merged and formed larger networks with other Lutheran bodies because of various circumstances.

Some Lutheran denominations identify themselves as "Confessional Lutheran", this is generally regarded as a "conservative" position, as it insists on a strict adherence to the historic Lutheran Confessions (known as the Book of Concord, a collection of doctrinal statements that date back to the time of the Reformation). This position, in modern times, is often described as a "quia" position toward the Confessions, quia is Latin for "because", as in we believe the Confessions because they agree with Scripture, as Scripture alone is our highest authority--Sola Scriptura. In distinction, some Lutherans in modern times hold to what is called a "quatenus" position toward the Confessions, quatenus is Latin for "insofar-as", as in the Confessions are believed insofar-as they agree with Scripture. In practice this means some Lutherans are very strict in their adherence to the Confessions, while others are more lax.

This also expresses itself in other ways, Confessional Lutherans who believe the Confessions because they are in agreement with Scripture are, therefore, much more theologically "conservative" generally speaking. On the other hand, Lutherans who take an insofar-as position sometimes, but not always, end up being more theologically "liberal".

These distinctions can manifest themselves in many ways, for example what position to take on female ordination, or how to engage the subject of homosexuality, or abortion. But it's not a clear, clean, straight line down the middle--that is far too simplistic.

Lutherans, like all other Christians, are inevitably shaped by environment; and when it comes to secular politics and societal views, the internal cultural context of any given country or region will be quite different. That means a Confessional or "conservative" Lutheran in the US probably still has different ideas about certain things than a Confessional or "conservative" Lutheran in, say, Germany, Sweden, or Ethiopia (yes there is an Ethiopian Lutheran church).

The context of North America, or the context of Europe, or the context of Africa, or the context of Asia, that all plays an impact on how Lutherans (as it does all other Christians) respond and engage with things in the larger whole--how to be faithful to Jesus and to His word where we find ourselves. And that can breed disagreemtn among individuals, and can create significant disagreements among congregations. It's why in the US there is the ELCA the more "liberal" Lutheran denomination, and the LCMS, the more "conservative" Lutheran denomination; to to mention many other, relatively smaller Lutheran denominations with varying degrees of fellowship and agreement with these (my own denomination, the AALC, is in complete fellowship with the LCMS for example).

If you want to discuss the internal dynamics of Lutheranism in America, I would encourage you to do more research. Simply speaking of Lutherans acquiescing to the devil isn't helpful, even where I might agree with you on certain problems which have entered into the Lutheran tradition in America. There are Lutheran churches here in the US that I would not even regard as validly Lutheran, or even Christian, because of such rampant compromise on doctrine and practice. And I would be more than happy to sit in agreement with you about those being deeply problematic, not just for Lutheranism, but for Christianity and the Christian Church on the whole.

None of this, however, changes the caution I continue to encourage toward you.

-CryptoLutheran