Back from hiatus

[Godsunworthyservant]

I engaged in discussions here for awhile last year and have taken a break. Now I'm back with a second wind and a renewed spirit. I am a non-affiliated Christian with unconventional beliefs. This time I thought I'd summarize those beliefs in this introduction. My core belief is simple. First, I believe that a "Christian" is one who by faith accepts Jesus as the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament and is the "only begotten Son of God" who came to give His own sinless earthly life as a sacrifice for the sins of mankind and who lives their life according to the teachings of Christ and the commandments of God on which they are based. Thus, I believe that the answers to all of the questions about living a Christian life can be found in the teachings of Christ and the commandments of God. Nothing more, nothing less. I believe that the biggest problem with the modern church is that the teachings of Christ and the commandments of God have become obscured by the teachings of men. For 2000 some odd years, men have added their two cents worth and have altered, added to, taken away from, and replaced the teachings of Christ with new self serving ones. It is those teachings that have divided us into an estimated 45,000 different "denominations" worldwide. Every denomination has their own teachings of men that they follow and deem holy and so they reject anyone who doesn't believe in those teachings, leaving the Christian faith hopelessly splintered. With that in mind, once you dismiss and eliminate the teachings of men, then the teachings of Christ and the commandments of God actually come into focus. I have studied the teachings of men for my own educational purposes and find that while many of them simply elaborate on the teachings of Christ, the majority veer from them in detrimental ways. When God opened my eyes to this simple fact, I began to realize just how much of what is being taught in modern churches is the teachings of men that alter, add to or take away from the teachings of Christ. My purpose here is to discuss those beliefs that are based on the teachings of men and compare them to the teachings of Christ for those who, like myself for many years, are searching for the truth at the bottom of it all.

 

[Michie]

Welcome.

 

[rocknanchor]

", , what is being taught in modern churches is the teachings of men that alter, add to or take away from the teachings of Christ. My purpose here is to discuss those beliefs that are based on the teachings of men and compare them to the teachings of Christ for those who, like myself for many years, are searching for the truth at the bottom of it all.

FWIW, After relocating for employment on the other side of the country, I began attending a Church with a rather well-known Pastor. One day he was heard saying the exact same thing in a sermon, that he came to a point to start out reproving them one-by-one. To which he later realized overall, it is pointless and can be a distraction from pressing on into knowing Christ. Now this Pastor had a televised Bible Q&A show which he still touched on errors on occasion in brief bite-sized corrections. But the days of running things down was no longer the his mission.

If God is behind it, you will be blessed in that struggle. Welcome back!

 

[linux.poet]

Welcome back to CF!

Our Lord Jesus rebuked the teachings of the Pharisees, who added to God's words with the teachings of men. May the Lord bless You on your journey of learning.

 

[RileyG]

Welcome back!

 

[jmldn2]

I engaged in discussions here for awhile last year and have taken a break. Now I'm back with a second wind and a renewed spirit. I am a non-affiliated Christian with unconventional beliefs. This time I thought I'd summarize those beliefs in this introduction. My core belief is simple. First, I believe that a "Christian" is one who by faith accepts Jesus as the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament and is the "only begotten Son of God" who came to give His own sinless earthly life as a sacrifice for the sins of mankind and who lives their life according to the teachings of Christ and the commandments of God on which they are based. Thus, I believe that the answers to all of the questions about living a Christian life can be found in the teachings of Christ and the commandments of God. Nothing more, nothing less. I believe that the biggest problem with the modern church is that the teachings of Christ and the commandments of God have become obscured by the teachings of men. For 2000 some odd years, men have added their two cents worth and have altered, added to, taken away from, and replaced the teachings of Christ with new self serving ones. It is those teachings that have divided us into an estimated 45,000 different "denominations" worldwide. Every denomination has their own teachings of men that they follow and deem holy and so they reject anyone who doesn't believe in those teachings, leaving the Christian faith hopelessly splintered. With that in mind, once you dismiss and eliminate the teachings of men, then the teachings of Christ and the commandments of God actually come into focus. I have studied the teachings of men for my own educational purposes and find that while many of them simply elaborate on the teachings of Christ, the majority veer from them in detrimental ways. When God opened my eyes to this simple fact, I began to realize just how much of what is being taught in modern churches is the teachings of men that alter, add to or take away from the teachings of Christ. My purpose here is to discuss those beliefs that are based on the teachings of men and compare them to the teachings of Christ for those who, like myself for many years, are searching for the truth at the bottom of it all.

I too have been away from here for a long time. I no longer attend regular church because of some of the reasons you spoke of above. I am a Christian who fails often yet I continue to live as the Lord says in His Word. Welcome back.