What has become of Christianity

FireDragon76 · Mar 4, 2019

ace of hearts said:
A place where people talk about Jesus would be very nice.

Lots of churches do that.

ace of hearts · Mar 4, 2019

Maria Billingsley said:
The Church is the "Body of Christ". Jesus said "few will find it". So that being said, there is a high bar that needs to be met however, many preachers today (not all) set the bar VERY low in order to grow a congregation where most are not saved. So don't feel frustrated, this has been prophesied by Jesus Christ of Nazareth so rest in that. Being a Christian is a personal relationship with Him first and second is to spread the reality of that relationship to others.
Blessings

All too true.

ace of hearts · Mar 4, 2019

FireDragon76 said:
Lots of churches do that.

I'm still looking after 50 years.

Kenny'sID · Mar 4, 2019

ace of hearts said:
What I'm trying to say I just don't see an assembly of believers in Jesus Christ.

Are you saying they don't use the same bible as you (the one that teaches Jesus) or is it they just don't live up to your standards of, or what you consider "believing in Jesus" to be, or mean?

It just seems you won't quite say what you are alluding to, or could be me, and I'm just missing something.

ace of hearts · Mar 4, 2019

Gideons300 said:
Brother, why is the church like it is.... religious but not righteous? We are asleep, warm and content all snuggled up with our doctrines to keep us warm, LOL.

Doctrines are important, I liken them to the skeleton of the Christian life. They give us proper structure, but.... they are not life. We have been led down a path where we assume that knowing about God is the same as knowing Him. Bad assumption.

Is it any wonder that we as the church... and yes, I am including ALL groups we call denominations as well as Rome..... are looked upon by the world as shallow hypocrites, a people who love the very same things the world does, just with a bit less excess?

Think about it. We serve a God who can forgive us of sin, but lacks any real power to do what He promised to do, to cause us to walk as obedient children.

Holiness is not seen as something beautiful or even to be desired, but as something restrictive, hard, legalistic, and intruding on our "freedom".

Walking in true victory over the world, the flesh and the devil is not believed possible, and unbelief has choked the limited life we do have into a ritualized cookie-cutter form, where God and Jesus are mentioned a lot, but none truly KNOW Him.

Bottom line is... we as the church are a mess. Thank God we are His mess. He is not through with us by a long shot. This sleep has pretty much lasted for nineteen hundred years, but our God is even now beginning to awaken us to His promises, and to who we are in Him! Oh..... and it will be GLORIOUS!

It will be so observable that those in the world will say "Look! That which brought froth only briars and thorns has become again like the garden of Eden! (Ezekiel 36)

blessings,

Gideon

The regular assembly of believers shouldn't be used for evangelizing the lost. The regular assemb;y of believers should be for building up the believers and worshiping God the Father and Jesus Christ the righteous, His dear Son.

FireDragon76 · Mar 4, 2019

ace of hearts said:
I'm still looking after 50 years.

You will never find a perfect church, they just don't exist. Good ones will not over-promise what they deliver.

nonaeroterraqueous · Mar 4, 2019

HTacianas said:
We have the liturgy then maybe coffee and chat afterward. It's pretty much been the same for two thousand years.

Six hundred years, actually. Before that, it was just liturgy and chat, though probably less animated chat, owing to the lack of stimulant.

ace of hearts · Mar 4, 2019

Kenny'sID said:
Are you saying they don't use the same bible as you (the one that teaches Jesus) or is it they just don't live up to your standards of, or what you consider "believing in Jesus" to be, or mean?

It just seems you won't quite say what you are alluding to, or could be me, and I'm just missing something.

Oh yeah many of them bring their book (Bible) to church for some reason which I haven't figured out yet. Most haven't touched it since the last time they came. I'm not seeking for anyone to become me or even like me.

What exactly do you want me to say? Something for you to argue about? or something to discredit and shame me with? You seem to keep going in this direction.

ace of hearts · Mar 4, 2019

nonaeroterraqueous said:
Six hundred years, actually. Before that, it was just liturgy and chat, though probably less animated chat, owing to the lack of stimulant.

just shakes head

Kenny'sID · Mar 4, 2019

ace of hearts said:
What exactly do you want me to say? Something for you to argue about? or something to discredit and shame me with? You seem to keep going in this direction.

As mentioned, what you are alluding to, but no matter, I can now see now, it's just that these people don't believe as you, so you "say" they don't believe in Jesus. But without more to go on, that's about as far as I can go with it.

The fact you are having such a tough time finding those who do believe in Jesus as you see him, may not be because of "their" shortcomings at all, it could be in the way you perceive Jesus/the bible.

That's why I asked you specifically what those differences were, and you chose not to answer, which is fine, but I don't see how we can help, or whatever you are wanting here without all the info.

dcalling · Mar 4, 2019

ace of hearts said:
Is Christianity just another place to fill idle time? I really see no difference except arguing from the secular world.

What I'm trying to say I just don't see an assembly of believers in Jesus Christ. What I do see in religious assemblies is vanity and people at each others throats. Even churches belonging to the same control group won't associate. I talk about football, weather, vehicles, civil government issues, pets, general gossip, etc everywhere else. All I see at church is a teacher promoting something not wanting discussion or ill prepared for one, a community sing, and a sermon very few if any remember past the door, if that long and visiting with others about everything except God and His dear Son, Jesus. One pastor told me he's sometimes shocked by those conversations.

Please don't use this thread trying to fix me. I'm not trying to be fixed.

Before Jesus go to the cross, He give this commandment: "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." That is the standard He set, that is what churches supposed to do and we all of course fell short.

It is not about trying to fix anything, it is about if you and those who around you are saved.

SeventhFisherofMen · Mar 4, 2019

ace of hearts said:
Is Christianity just another place to fill idle time? I really see no difference except arguing from the secular world.

What I'm trying to say I just don't see an assembly of believers in Jesus Christ. What I do see in religious assemblies is vanity and people at each others throats. Even churches belonging to the same control group won't associate. I talk about football, weather, vehicles, civil government issues, pets, general gossip, etc everywhere else. All I see at church is a teacher promoting something not wanting discussion or ill prepared for one, a community sing, and a sermon very few if any remember past the door, if that long and visiting with others about everything except God and His dear Son, Jesus. One pastor told me he's sometimes shocked by those conversations.

Please don't use this thread trying to fix me. I'm not trying to be fixed.

Hey ace,
Honestly I've felt the way you do for such a long time.

Ever since I remember being fascinated with Christ and trying to be a genuine christian I can remember being bored of the shallow conversations I'd listen to at church. Even the sermons seem to have the secular world infused into it, as if dumbing down the message is the only way to spoon feed the congregation. I will be honest and say even today I've had a hard time finding a church that I feel fully complements being a christian and following Christ. I could go on and would gladly do so but I think you get the point.

Just try to find like minded people to fellowship with, but if that can't be done where you live (as is the case with me) just know that when you talk to Jesus He knows how you feel about all of this, and I know it's not the greatest for the present moment but there is a place we are heading for, so long as we forgive and ask for forgiveness, that is full of fellow believers and great things prepared for us, and that place is Heaven.

Sometimes I like to pray about and think about all the things I will do when I get there, and then do my best here on Earth to make where I am a little slice of Heaven when I can. Like Jesus said to pray, "...Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven..."

Anyways that's all for now. Just know you're not alone in how you feel, I can relate to how you feel.

friend of · Mar 5, 2019

ace of hearts said:
Oh yeah many of them bring their book (Bible) to church for some reason which I haven't figured out yet.

You think it's weird that church attendees bring their bibles to church? Why on earth would you think that? Isn't the reason obvious?

ace of hearts · Mar 5, 2019

Kenny'sID said:
As mentioned, what you are alluding to, but no matter, I can now see now, it's just that these people don't believe as you, so you "say" they don't believe in Jesus. But without more to go on, that's about as far as I can go with it.

The fact you are having such a tough time finding those who do believe in Jesus as you see him, may not be because of "their" shortcomings at all, it could be in the way you perceive Jesus/the bible.

That's why I asked you specifically what those differences were, and you chose not to answer, which is fine, but I don't see how we can help, or whatever you are wanting here without all the info.

I've no idea why you're pursuing this or projecting it on me. I'm starting to think harassment and badgering. To me from this post it seems you want me to become them in that they're satisfied and do nothing with their faith. For me its so shallow and empty. Essentially you want me to leave is message I get from you.

ace of hearts · Mar 5, 2019

friend of said:
You think it's weird that church attendees bring their bibles to church? Why on earth would you think that? Isn't the reason obvious?

The last church I went to the preacher (speaker) was using a different bible every week. The problem I have with your post is your partial quote of me.

friend of · Mar 5, 2019

ace of hearts said:
The last church I went to the preacher (speaker) was using a different bible every week. The problem I have with your post is your partial quote of me.

I don't really see that as all that bad. Im sure a congregation uses many versions altogether. What version should a pastor be using? What is the correct version? Should a pastor that prefers ESV enforce ESV on members that may use NASB or lecture them over it?

Roidecoeur78 · Mar 5, 2019

ace of hearts said:
Is Christianity just another place to fill idle time? I really see no difference except arguing from the secular world.

What I'm trying to say I just don't see an assembly of believers in Jesus Christ. What I do see in religious assemblies is vanity and people at each others throats. Even churches belonging to the same control group won't associate. I talk about football, weather, vehicles, civil government issues, pets, general gossip, etc everywhere else. All I see at church is a teacher promoting something not wanting discussion or ill prepared for one, a community sing, and a sermon very few if any remember past the door, if that long and visiting with others about everything except God and His dear Son, Jesus. One pastor told me he's sometimes shocked by those conversations.

Please don't use this thread trying to fix me. I'm not trying to be fixed.

It has, as a business and for the most part, become little more than what the Pharisees and Sadducees practiced, but additionally based off of the new testament. A collection of people claiming their own righteousness for worshiping their religion and opinion of themselves, while ignoring the actual message of the source materials.

Here is a blurb that elaborates on this, as it is not an uncommon or novel realization:

"the Reformed view of church history, the true church cannot declare itself infallible, but rather calls itself ecclesia semper reformanda ("the Church which must be always reformed"), the church that is always repenting of error. This Protestant view is that people are naturally inclined to elevate tradition to equality with the written testimony of the Bible, which is the written word of God. The reforming churches believe that human weakness is naturally drawn to a form of false religion that is worldly, pompous, ritualistic, anthropomorphic, polytheistic, infected with magical thinking and legalism, and that values human accomplishment more highly or more practically than the work of God (divine grace) is valued. Given the chance, people will substitute the sort of religion they naturally prefer, over the Gospel, see also Cafeteria Christianity. The Hebrew Bible contains multiple episodes of backsliding by the very people who first received God's revelation; to the Protestant mind, this shows that teaching the Gospel is a strait and narrow path, one that requires that natural religion be held in check and that God's grace, holiness, and otherness be rigorously proclaimed"

That being said, I would like to add that there are plenty of interfaith coalitions(United Way, Salvation Army, etc), and outreach programs by individual churches, which conform to helping the poor, whether those programs are being exercised in and by the Holy Spirit God only knows. But the funds and volunteers that keep those programs operating are often being moved, at the very least, by compassion and sometimes even true belief. But then, when dealing within an empire the likes of which has never been seen, the excess wealth alone is enough to keep anyone fed and clothed so long as they want to be.

Kenny'sID · Mar 5, 2019

ace of hearts said:
I've no idea why you're pursuing this or projecting it on me. I'm starting to think harassment and badgering. To me from this post it seems you want me to become them in that they're satisfied and do nothing with their faith. For me its so shallow and empty. Essentially you want me to leave is message I get from you.

We were having a conversation, and I was answering your questions, if you choose not to have a conversation, then stop having the conversation/replying. Pretty simple.

Not sure what the harassment thing is. The times you answered my replies, I didn't see it as harassment.

ace of hearts · Mar 5, 2019

friend of said:
I don't really see that as all that bad. Im sure a congregation uses many versions altogether. What version should a pastor be using? What is the correct version? Should a pastor that prefers ESV enforce ESV on members that may use NASB or lecture them over it?

So you want to argue about versions. Why? I wasn't arguing about them. I will say I don't call ahead and ask what version will be used so I can follow along when read. I expect consistency. There must be some evil in expecting that I guess. But you introduce versions, I didn't. The versions that were being used were more recent editions than even the ESV or NASB.

JimSorrell · Mar 5, 2019

FireDragon76 said:
Lots of churches do that.

dcalling said:
Before Jesus go to the cross, He give this commandment: "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." That is the standard He set, that is what churches supposed to do and we all of course fell short.

It is not about trying to fix anything, it is about if you and those who around you are saved.

Kenny'sID said:
We were having a conversation, and I was answering your questions, if you choose not to have a conversation, then stop having the conversation/replying. Pretty simple.

Not sure what the harassment thing is. The times you answered my replies, I didn't see it as harassment.

What has become of Christianity

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