Churches without the SPIRIT

[Warrior FC]

Broken cisterns, that can hold no water

Has a nation changed gods, when they were not gods?

But my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit.

Be appaulled, O heavens, at this, And shudder, be very desolate, declares the Lord.

For my people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, The fountain of living waters, To hew for themselves cisterns, Broken cisterns, That can hold no water.

As the thief is shamed when he is discovered, so the house of Israel is shamed; They, their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets, Who say to a tree, "You are my father," and to a stone, "you gave me birth." (God is refering to the church buildings)

For they have turned their back to Me and not their face; But in the time of their trouble they will say, "Arise and save us."

But where are your gods which you have made for yourself?

Let them arise, if they can save you in the time of your trouble;

For according to the number of your cities are your gods, O Judah.

Why do you contend with Me? You have all transgressed against Me, declares the Lord.

In vain I have struck your sons; they accepted no chastening.

Your sword has devoured your prophets like a destoying lion.

How well you prepare your way to seek love!

O generation heed the word of the Lord.

 

[DeputyDan]

Its the repeating story of mankind and that without God was quickly sink in the mire.

 

[ZiSunka]

Originally posted by Warrior FC
[Broken cisterns, that can hold no water

Has a nation changed gods, when they were not gods?

But my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit.

Be appaulled, O heavens, at this, And shudder, be very desolate, declares the Lord.

For my people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, The fountain of living waters, To hew for themselves cisterns, Broken cisterns, That can hold no water.

As the thief is shamed when he is discovered, so the house of Israel is shamed; They, their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets, Who say to a tree, "You are my father," and to a stone, "you gave me birth." (God is refering to the church buildings)

For they have turned their back to Me and not their face; But in the time of their trouble they will say, "Arise and save us."

But where are your gods which you have made for yourself?

Let them arise, if they can save you in the time of your trouble;

For according to the number of your cities are your gods, O Judah.

]Why do you contend with Me? You have all transgressed against Me, declares the Lord.

In vain I have struck your sons; they accepted no chastening.

Your sword has devoured your prophets like a destoying lion.

How well you prepare your way to seek love!

O generation heed the word of the Lord.

What are you quoting from here, Warrior FC?

 

[Warrior FC]

Jeremiah

 

[hraedisc]

Are there churches without the Spirit?
What Spirit might they have?

These questions cut two ways.
Which Spirit do you have? How do you know?

 

[Warrior FC]

I should have worded it "Churches without the HOLY SPIRIT!

The "broken cisterns" = the churches
"that can hold no water" = The Holy Spirit

 

[e4God]

There are many churches without the Holy Spirit. Woe to the teachers, hypocrites, who are like whitewashed sepulchres on the outside, but full of rotten bones on the inside.

Program driven churches may be in danger of this error. The cisterns they hewed for themselves may be the programs they believe in so much....

Jesus had no program. He needed nothing but an authentic humility and readiness to teach. Maybe we should look more closely at that! There were no senior pastors in the early church who were exempt from the work of healing in the early church so that they could avoid being drained by ministry while they wrote books, or paraded their almsdoing on street corners.

 

[4sightsounds]

AMEN TO THAT!

 

[bluewolf]

It is sad. Here is something I wrote once, though some might disagree.

"THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH AS A WHOLE

I believe that the church as a whole has gotten away from many of the original teachings of Jesus. Jesus spoke strongly against "pharisaical" practices, and judging others. The Pharisees had many rules and regulations. Jesus came to abolish all of that. He taught a simple faith based on loving God and loving your fellow man. Jesus also hung out with a motley crew, excluding no one who was sincere.

I want to be clear here. Not all churches are this way. Not all Christians are this way. There are those, certainly in the minority, who practice what Christ taught. I have not found them in any particular denomination, but scattered throughout the churches. Since they are so disperse, I think that the Christian church as a whole is weakened and essentially run by bureaucrats rather than prayerful, sincere Christians"


Laura

 

[Warrior FC]

It is sad. Here is something I wrote once, though some might disagree.

"THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH AS A WHOLE

I believe that the church as a whole has gotten away from many of the original teachings of Jesus. Jesus spoke strongly against "pharisaical" practices, and judging others. The Pharisees had many rules and regulations. Jesus came to abolish all of that. He taught a simple faith based on loving God and loving your fellow man. Jesus also hung out with a motley crew, excluding no one who was sincere.

I want to be clear here. Not all churches are this way. Not all Christians are this way. There are those, certainly in the minority, who practice what Christ taught. I have not found them in any particular denomination, but scattered throughout the churches. Since they are so disperse, I think that the Christian church as a whole is weakened and essentially run by bureaucrats rather than prayerful, sincere Christians"


Laura

Amen!

 

[Magisterium]

Perhaps this is a suitable thread for this point of contemplation.

The Holy Spirit is One. It is Holy. Therefore, if the Holy Spirit is indeed Holy, It does not lie.

That said, being true, the Holy Spirit will not lead one man to believe one thing, and another to believe something which contradicts. In a sea of people asserting that their conflicting perspectives are granted by the Holy Spirit, we can clearly see that many are misled. Now the kicker...

Who is really being lead by the Holy Spirit? How does one discern? To simply say "we'll see on judgement day" is so fundamentally unsound I haven't the time or space here to explain the reasons. I really want to know how so many can take such a chance, not only with their own eternal destiny, but with the destinies of the sheep they've assumed into a flock.

 

[Quiet Storm]

Funny. This goes to show you that I haven't read any of the prophets yet, because I thought this was a prophetic utterance from the Lord by WarriorFC! I'm still reading the epistles and after that, Genesis to Malachi. Be patient with me until then, please. But I do agree with all that has been said.

 

[4sightsounds]

Perhaps this is a suitable thread for this point of contemplation.

The Holy Spirit is One. It is Holy. Therefore, if the Holy Spirit is indeed Holy, It does not lie.

That said, being true, the Holy Spirit will not lead one man to believe one thing, and another to believe something which contradicts. In a sea of people asserting that their conflicting perspectives are granted by the Holy Spirit, we can clearly see that many are misled. Now the kicker...

Who is really being lead by the Holy Spirit? How does one discern? To simply say "we'll see on judgement day" is so fundamentally unsound I haven't the time or space here to explain the reasons. I really want to know how so many can take such a chance, not only with their own eternal destiny, but with the destinies of the sheep they've assumed into a flock.

You raise a very important point here... my short answer would be that those that are truly a part of the church know.

I think 1st John 5:19 sums it up best.....but I'm curious to know how you would answer your own question.

 

[Magisterium]

You raise a very important point here... my short answer would be that those that are truly a part of the church know.

I think 1st John 5:19 sums it up best.....but I'm curious to know how you would answer your own question.

What do you mean they "know"? I don't know what denomination (if any) you belong to, but surely you understand that conflicting doctrines cannot both be true. Particularly about sin and salvation.
I'm trying to determine if if you're simply stating that members of the true church are the only ones who know, and everyone else just "thinks" they know, or if everyone else is aware that they're wrong, but persist in pride and defiance.

Additionally, 1Jn 5:19-20 actually implies the latter In that it states that discernment has been granted to know the one that is true.

19 We know that we belong to God, and the whole world is under the power of the evil one.
20 We also know that the Son of God has come and has given us discernment to know the one who is true. And we are in the one who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.