The Bottom Line Is......

[mrhappy3]

Until you reach the place where you are willing to die to self & live in the Spirit.

Its just games.

My 2 pence worth

I'm talking to YOU...yes YOU.

The world have have had enough of trumped up prima donna's, they are STARVING out there for the REAL and the TRUE manifestation of the SONS OF GOD.

talk about GROANING !

Come forth and sell out !

For all the talk of pentecost - its don't men diddly squat until you release the channel via the CROSS to get the flow going.

 

[_Sonnie]

Yes, we must really "walk the walk". It's not enough to "know", but we must act on what we "know", and it's important to find people "of like precious faith" so we can help each other fulfill our calling in Christ Jesus and reach out to those in need and who want Jesus. Otherwise we are like those described in 2 Timothy 3:5.

2 Timothy 3:5

For [although] they hold a form of piety (true religion), they deny and reject and are strangers to the power of it [their conduct belies the genuineness of their profession]. Avoid [all] such people [turn away from them].

 

[lismore]

For all the talk of pentecost - its don't men diddly squat until you release the channel via the CROSS to get the flow going.

From my experience of the pentecostal church and I'm not meaning this as a criticism, they are lagging behind other churches in the preaching of the gospel.

They preach other things, prosperity gospel maybe, church growth and tithing, but a lot of people in the pentecostal church aren't saved. They lay hands on unsaved people to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, say 'ug' after me type thing!

When I was head usher in an AOG church, my two sub-ushers, who had been in the church for years used to ask me strange things. One, a middle aged lady asked me if there was an afterlife, another a young guy asked me to help him 'get laid', find a female for him.

They had been in the church for years but weren't saved!

We need to preach the gospel and then pray for people to receive the Holy Spirit.

 

[mrhappy3]

Hmmm.

I think we are onto something...

 

[lismore]

There is something to be said for like the Baptist and Brethern churches who take new people through the whole thing, telling them about Jesus, the Cross, repentance, making sure the person understands and agrees with it all.

Jesus is the only saviour, people need to fully understand why! {Not just hear 'Jesus is the only way' as a cliche!

 

[mrhappy3]

I agree.

we need more depth of teaching.

 

[Joy]

More teaching no

each of us need to co-operate with the Holy Spirit to apply God's Truth that we know into our lives vso that we not only have a 'head knowledge' of the Word but we are 'doers'.

 

[lismore]

I agree.

we need more depth of teaching.

More gospel preaching!

Many churches do not regularly preach the gospel and a lot of church is growth is by taking people from other churches. Sad, but true!

 

[mrhappy3]

Gospel preaching ?

ain't heard that for a while

 

[lismore]

More teaching no

each of us need to co-operate with the Holy Spirit to apply God's Truth that we know into our lives vso that we not only have a 'head knowledge' of the Word but we are 'doers'.

What I meant is that from my experience, my days in the pentecostal church, the people didnt know the gospel or the word, head or heart knowledge, didn't have any knowledge.

Prosperity gospel yes, real gospel no!

As a joke one American guest speaker asked the people to turn to the book of Hezekiah, most did which didn't make him laugh!

 

[disciple-ofjesus]

I agree with all these posts. I also think, that we should apply what true gospel we have heard and walk it out. Our pastor is doing a series on Acts. It is good, but I have to say, I do miss the preaching of the Word. I don't want a walk through reading it to me, and expounding on it any more. Does that make sense?

 

[Faulty]

As a joke one American guest speaker asked the people to turn to the book of Hezekiah, most did which didn't make him laugh!

Sounds like something I would do. How long did he sit there and let them search for it?

 

[disciple-ofjesus]

I heard a pastor ask people to read the book of Mark that week. The next Sunday, he asked if people read all 17 chapters...and many put up their hand!

 

[Faulty]

I heard a pastor ask people to read the book of Mark that week. The next Sunday, he asked if people read all 17 chapters...and many put up their hand!

Did that to my wife once. She asked me where something was in the Bible and I told her, "Mark, chapter 17".

After a minute or so of page rustling, I hear, "Ha! Ha! Very funny...not!"

It was funny to me.

 

[disciple-ofjesus]

I find that funny too. I can see her smacking ya one!

 

[lismore]

Sounds like something I would do. How long did he sit there and let them search for it?

Until they realised there was no such book.............quite a few minutes in some cases!

IMO we need to get back to basics, back to the bible, back to fellowship and prayer, dispense with a lot of the modern rubbish-spin doctoring and sound bites in the church.

 

[disciple-ofjesus]

Until they realised there was no such book.............quite a few minutes in some cases!

IMO we need to get back to basics, back to the bible, back to fellowship and prayer, dispense with a lot of the modern rubbish-spin doctoring and sound bites in the church.

you mean like the Rick Warren seeker friendly churches??

 

[lismore]

you mean like the Rick Warren seeker friendly churches??

I mean all churches............I was out of church for a while, visited about 20 churches. Was struggling to find one that preached any sort of gospel!

The AOG church I left was heavy on prosperity gospel and positive confession........in the time I was there didn't see even one soul saved.....many of the church members didn't have a clue whether they were saved or how to be saved. The very last meeting I went to in AOG was Christmas week 2007. I expected a gospel message about Jesus at Christmas, no, it was all about how to look wealthy and nonsense like that.

We need to get back to preaching the good news about Jesus and cast off all sorts of trash the church has picked up.

Like a snowball rolling down a hill picks things up, so the church has picked up stuff. We need to get back to the pure message about Jesus.

 

[lismore]

you mean like the Rick Warren seeker friendly churches??

There is only one seeker friendly way.....................when you preach to people the absolute unadulterated gospel, the truth about Jesus and the only way to salvation, why he is the only way to salvation. Give people what they need to hear for repentance, not just what they want to hear for comfort.

At the day of pentecost the people were cut to the heart and 5,000 were saved.

As far as I can see many churches {in this country} are just preaching their own concotions and going nowhere.

 

[Andy S. Wright]

The world have have had enough of trumped up prima donna's, they are STARVING out there for the REAL and the TRUE manifestation of the SONS OF GOD.

Good post, mrhappy3, although I would beg to differ on the point quoted above. It has been my considerable experience that the "REAL and the TRUE manifestations of the SONS OF GOD" are the last thing the world is hungry for; both inside and outside the church (but especially inside).

You start bringing actual truth and reality to the church and you'll be amazed at how many Demetriuses there are in the Body as well as how far they'll go to retain their power (Acts 19:24-29). Stoning will seem a preferable alternative.

Just my .50. Do with it what you will.

ASW