i need some help

[whatisthetruth]

Hiya i am 15 and i would like to become a christian, i would like to know what type of different christiany there is and why they have some chruches and how would i go about joinin them

 

[thereselittleflower]

hi whatisthetruth!

Welcome to Christianforums . . .

I was wondering if you could share what you feel is drawing you to the christian faith?


As to help you understand the differences within Christianity, that is a big question, as big as a mountain!

You do need to differentiate between true christianity and psuedo-christianity . .

Christianity early on developed creeds of faith to help people distinguish between true christianity and false . . one of the earliest is the Apostle's creed . . any christian faith has to measure up to that creed on the basics of the christian faith . . if they do not, then they are not truly christian . .

As for those that do . .they fall into one of 3 main camps:

Roman Catholic
Eastern Orthodox
and Protestantism (not all who "fall" into this group in lists are indeed true christianity, but sometimes psuedo, or false christianity .. so they need to be looked at in light of the historical creeds of the church from the first few centuries - 2 that stand out are the Mormons and the Jehova's Witnesses as ones that many call Protestant but in reality are not christian in thier beliefs).

The first 2. Catholic and Eatern Orthodox, are very alike in many ways, and have maintained the same beliefs as the early church from 2000 years ago ..

Protestantism began about 400 years ago splitting off from the Roman Cathoic Church . . and have continued to split and split and split since ..

My relgious background started in Eastern Orthodoxy as a child, then I was part of various Protestant denominations, and now I am, what I and others call, coming home to the Catholic Church . .

From my experience, one of the best analogies is that Christianity is like a massive mountain . . and in Protestantism, certain aspects of that mountain are in view, but not others, and each denomination is emphasizing a certain aspect of that mountain as they see it and focusing on that. So in moving from one denomination to another, it is like climbing the mountain, getting a different perspective . .

What I am finding now though, coming into the Cahtolic faith, is that the Catholic perspective of the Christian faith emcompasses the whole of the mountain - the pieces no longer seem pieces, but part of a beautiful and coherent whole . .

My recommnedation is to investigate Early Church history and Catholicism ..

You want to follow truth, not what seems comfortable to you right now . . If you choose what feels comfortable to you now, you may find that it no longer is comfortable later on because as your faith grows you grow, but a Protestant denomination does not grow like you need it to . . and the only Church I have found that can accomodate such growth fully is the Catholic Church

Becoming a Christian is all about surrendering yourself to Christ, about accepting His attoning work for the forgiveness of sins by His death on the cross for you . .that you are a sinner in need of a savior, and that only savior is Jesus Christ . . If you believe in Him - and this entails believing Him to be who He said He is, the Son of God, God incarnate in the flesh, to die for our sins - and believe what He said and taught; If you Repent from your sins - not only be sorry for them and ask forgiveness for them, but turn from them as well; and make Him your Lord and desire to live for Him and be like Him by His power and grace in your life, then you will become a Christian . . When you are baptized, you are baptized into his death and resurrection and born into the family of God and God fills you with His living grace, empowerment to live for, and follow, Christ . .

A Christian is a disciple of Christ, and Jesus said we have to take up our crosses and follow Him, or we cannot be his disciples . .. but He also tells us His burden is light . .He is there to help us every step of the way . .

The fullest teaching of this I have found to be in the Catholic and Orthodox churches . .


Peace in Him!

 

[Carico]

Your first step is to ask Christ into your life. He will come to you in His time, not your time, but He will come. Once you receive the Holy Spirit, it will lead you into all truth. You will then see the glorious life He can give you. You are blessed to want to do this at such a young age. You are also wise to want God's help in living your life. Good luck and God bless you.

 

[altya]

Hiya i am 15 and i would like to become a christian, i would like to know what type of different christiany there is and why they have some chruches and how would i go about joinin them

Our most precious possession is our “inner being” and we do have to take care of the afterlife. While you are busy to consider becoming a Christian, is time to look at scriptures and what be needed to be saved. Jesus paid the price for everybody who believes in Him.



John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.



First, you have to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God Almighty. We have to believe that God send His only Son to die for our sins.



Acts 16:31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.



This is the starting process. To believe in something calls for action. If we do believe that Jesus is the Son of God, you will repent from your sin. The change of the mind produces a change of the way. It is still as necessary to repent and humble ourselves, to prepare the way of the Lord. There is a great deal to be done, TO MAKE WAY FOR CHRIST INTO OUR SOUL, and nothing is more needful than the discovery of sin, and a conviction that we cannot be saved by our own righteousness, but need the blood of the Lamb to wash away our sins.



Acts 2:38. Then Peter said unto them; Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the me of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Mark 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be ******.



Repentance calls for obedience: -

You cannot repent from your wrong ways without believing that Jesus Christ, Son of God, died for your sins. When believe in something you will do the works that goes with the believe. To believe in Christ the Savior you have to be baptized – not as a baby but as an adult.



Acts 8:12 But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.



Acts 8:13 Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.



The following scriptures show when you have to be baptized – As soon as you hear the word, understand it and believe the word believe.



Acts 8:35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.

36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?

37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.



We need to be immerging in water to symbolize that we are one with His death on the cross and one in His resurrection.

After repentance and the baptism, God gives us a gift – The Holy Spirit. We need the Holy Spirit to teach and guide us through life.



John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall TEACH YOU ALL THINGS

John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will GUIDE YOU INTO ALL TRUTH:



No outward forms can make us clean. No ordinances, by whosoever administered, or after whatever mode, can supply the want of the baptism of the Holy Ghost and of fire. The purifying and cleansing power of the Holy Spirit alone can produce that purity of heart, and those holy affections, which accompany salvation.

 

[altya]

Please follow this link too. http://www.christianforums.com/gospel.html

 

[chilehed]

Hello, whatisthe truth, welcome.

ditto what thereselittleflower said.

I was raised in a Protestant denomination, and went through a couple of others before I became a Catholic recently. The Catholic Church is where you will find the fullness of the Christian faith.

The peace of the Lord be with you.

www.catholic.com

 

[Jinn_Ku]

Since this looks to be heading in the direction of "my church is better than your church," I'll say this: There are more churches and different teachings than you could ever count. Just post a question about any scripture and ask how it should be interpreted.

Even within certain denominations (Catholic, Lutheran, etc.) the beliefs vary from church to church. I've met Catholics and Protestants alike that believe in the Rapture, Limbo, or other such topics that seem to be mostly confined to certain denominations.

I have attended Catholic, Lutheran, and Pentecostal churches. My advise to you is find out the beliefs of churches in your area, and what those beliefs are based on (Scripture, tradition, whatever). Then go to the one that will bring YOU closer to God.

I really hope that was helpful.

 

[ALL4J3SUS]

Hiya i am 15 and i would like to become a christian, i would like to know what type of different christiany there is and why they have some chruches and how would i go about joinin them

This is from a track made by one of our church members:

If YOU had DIED the minute you started to read this where would you go HELL or HEAVEN?

The Bible says:
John 14:6 Jesus said, I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No man comes into the Father but through Me.- This means no one can enter Heaven except by being born again of Jesus name.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.- This means God sent Jesus to die for our sins. But we only receive salvation if we receive Jesus Christ.

1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.- Upon receiving Jesus, we are washed in His blood.

Romans 3:23 For ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Everyone that is, is born in sin, and we must be born again into the Kingdom of Heaven.

Revelation 3:20 Behold I (Jesus) stand at the door and knock, if any man hears My voice and opens the door, I will come into him and sup with him and he with Me.- This verse tells you how you can be saved!

If you then, can now see that you are a sinner and need Jesus, to save YOU from Hell; then right now talk to Him (Jesus) and ask Him into your heart.

2 Corinthians 6:1-2
1 As God’s partners, we beg you not to reject this marvelous message of God’s great kindness. 2 For God says,
“At just the right time, I heard you.
On the day of salvation, I helped you.”
Indeed, God is ready to help you right now. Today is the day of salvation.

Just say this prayer:
"Dear Jesus forgive me all my sins and save my soul. I turn from all of my sins and ask you to come into my heart and be the Lord of my life. Take control of my life, I give myself to You. Thank you for hearing my prayer and saving my soul. In Jesus name I pray, Amen."

WHAT TO DO NOW

1)Read the Bible daily. Jesus said I am the Bread of Life and The Word. You now have Life in you (Jesus), feed that Life and grow. Read the Bible and see what Jesus says, not man. In 30 seconds you can read 6 verses.
Matthew 6:11, John 6:35, Acts 17:11

2)Also pray daily. Just talk to Jesus as a friend. God is ALIVE and He will speak to you and guide and lead you in all that you do.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do and He will direct your paths.

Give Jesus a fair go in your life.

3) Seek baptism in water, Luke 3:21, and Holy Ghost/Spirit baptism, Luke 3:22.

 

[Yitzchak]

Hiya i am 15 and i would like to become a christian, i would like to know what type of different christiany there is and why they have some chruches and how would i go about joinin them

There are books at the library that will tell you what the basic beliefs of different church groups are. The best way to find out though is to go visit in person.
If you look in the phone book in the yellow pages under churches you will see a listing in alpabetical order by church type. Many churches have a full time youth pastor on staff who deals with just teens. Some even offer rides to church.
After you have visited a church, the best course of action to join that church is to call the church during business hours and ask to make an appointment with one of the ministers there about joining the church. Almost every church will take the time to sit down with you and explain about their beliefs and things.
One caution, there are many different types of churches and it does take some time to sort through it all. So don't be in too much of a hurry. Also some churches can be very very high pressure and others not so much.
This message board is a good place to start getting information actually. There is a section for different catagories of churches on here. Orthodox, Catholic, protestant, reformed, charasmatic, etc.
The most basic beliefs are very similar among almost all christian groups. Beliefs about the Bible being given to us by God and being God's word. Beliefs about Jesus dying for our sins on the cross and the need for us to have faith.

 

[Yitzchak]

Which church you decide on depends somewhat on what you value more. There is sometimes a trade-off. For example, some churches offer a huge amount of stablity and have a lot of traditions but the trade off is they are not very flexible or open to modern things. Other churches at the other extreme can be open to so many things that they sometimes get weird or flaky about stuff. But those type of churches can also be much more fun. there are dozens if not hundreds of different issues like this where a person needs to decide which they prefer. One extreme, the middle, or the other extreme. Most people have a difficult time finding a church which pleases them on every issue. Also, it takes time for most people to figure out what it is they really want from a church anyway.
So don't be afraid to visit several different churches. I would advise visiting at leats once a Catholic, an orthodox and a few different protestant churches.

 

[Serapha]

Hiya i am 15 and i would like to become a christian, i would like to know what type of different christiany there is and why they have some chruches and how would i go about joinin them

Hi there!



I would encourage you to take the first steps in a new life as a Christian. Ask God for the forgiveness of your sins and accept Jesus Christ into your heart and life.

Then, begin to talk to God about where He wants you to be. Talk to Him just like you would talk to one of your personal friends. He already knows your thoughts and needs (such as a church family), and if you ask Him to lead you where He wants you to be, someone will open the door for you.

Look to the Bible for guidance also, begin to systematically read the Bible, book by book, or topic by topic asking God to give you understanding.

Being a Christian isn't about being in a denomination, but about being in a personal relationship with Christ.


~malaka~

 

[pmarquette]

there should be several site with search engines for state , town , and particular type of church . One where they teach , faith , hope , love , & Jesus ....

there is a church locator as part of www.cfaith.com for Word of Faith Churches / state / town ...

where you find peace , people who reach out to you , kinda know you are " home " within your spirit man .... just know , feel welcome

 

[SamIAm2]

Hey whatisthetruth! I'm 14, and I've been going to church and all that my whole life, but only recently have I actually wanted to get real and follow God completely and totally. I'm a Baptist. anyway, if you would like to become a Christian, it's pretty simple. The simplest way I can explain it is the little ABC thing I learned. A: Accept Jesus into your heart. B: Believe that he died for you, so that you could join him in heaven one day. C: Confess your sins, and confess that you need him, because without God you'd be nothing. Once you become a Christian, just live your life for God! He'll be with you in every circumstance, and in every problem, whether big or small, whether easy or hard. God wants to be your best friend!