What do you mean by mixing law with faith?
Do you know Jesus gave us His commands to obey? His commandments are His law.
Let's not go down this road here. There are other threads where this is debated -ad ifinitum.
John
NZ
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What do you mean by mixing law with faith?
Do you know Jesus gave us His commands to obey? His commandments are His law.
Let's not go down this road here. There are other threads where this is debated -ad ifinitum.
John
NZ
Amen.Months ago while on a job I was given a box to discard in the trash as I did so and threw it into the trash heap I heard a strange sound so I tore into the box and found a money bag of old coins. Immediately satan came with lies but God won and I gave the money back to the owner. The world would say it was thrown out therefore it was legally mine yet God said other wise. This was an example I saw as Gods laws being written on my heart. I believe we now worship in Spirit and truth and when I fail in any area I run to my Lord to cleanse me and enable me to do His will. Right now I'm in the fire to forgive someone who has hurt me and my family yet I know and trust GOD will prevail not me. I expect He'll always be working within me to do His will. I trust nothing in my flesh. Are we saved unto good works, YES.
It has been that way since Paul's time . His writings did not put an end to it . In fact , people have used and are using Paul's own writings to have a works-based religious righteousness . Everytime people quote Paul or any part of the Scriptures and demand obedience to it , it throws faith to the curb and elevates Law as god . The "Scripture only" doctrine promtes this doctrine .This thing of mixing Law with Faith is sweeping through many areas of the church now. Sad ending for the end time church, I'd say it's causing great confusion.
It has been that way since Paul's time . His writings did not put an end to it . In fact , people have used and are using Paul's own writings to have a works-based religious righteousness . Everytime people quote Paul or any part of the Scriptures and demand obedience to it , it throws faith to the curb and elevates Law as god . The "Scripture only" doctrine promtes this doctrine .
Good for you! May God move deeply in the hearts of each member, and everyone they have contact with.Please pray for me as I have a small group in my home.
What a painful experience. Sometimes in those cases, leaders don't even realize they're doing something harmful. It grows and the fire is fed by passionate followers.We nearly went crazy, blaming ourselves for our lack of understanding we learned the way of silent conformity.
I had been a youth (pastor/leader) for years and was disillusioned with the fact that I couldn't hear GOD'S voice as I thought I should.
Frustrated, with telling others what the Christian Life should look like, but not knowing the power to get there or showing them how to get there.
Do, Do, Do
Don't Touch, Don't Taste (as Paul said).
One Sunday morning, I was shaving, as my family was getting ready to go to church (building).
It was a typical Sunday - or so it appeared...
Then....
GOD spoke!
To me - Of all people! Believe me, I wasn't ready for what I was about to hear.
DAD speaks to Eric "Son, I want you to STOP going to Bayview______ church" (i left the name out on purpose but GOD spoke the entire name.)"
Eric: Where do you want me to go - LORD??
- no answer....
I repeat my request, as to where do you want me to go to church? My thinking is, if I leave one I must take my family to another - right?
So that Sunday I ignored the LORD, thinking HE wasn't telling me enough.
And for 1 month (4 Sunday's) continued to go, there was a strange silence.
After 4 weeks, my wife comes to me and questions "Whats wrong?"
Saints, you can ignore what GOD tells you for so long, but it weighs on you.
And you also know, our spouses know us, they know when we are up or down.
You see, I didn't know what to tell her, if I tell her we aren't going to church anymore, she will wonder if I'm backslidden, and if I tell her what GOD said (very clearly to me), she will ask what I asked, in that ..ok, where do we go next?
So, I was confused - it doesn't take much at times...
But after a month of fighting what the LORD directly told me, I couldn't take it.
I told my wife, what the LORD told me shaving that Sunday morning.
What she then said, floored me!
"that is what the LORD told me too, but I was afraid to tell you!" she said!
We got on our knees and asked together, what do we do next?
The LORD spoke "You are to leave the church, so that you learn how to BE the church"
And we left that day, and never returned! Hallelujah.
The training HE gives, and the growth and the miracles just keep getting better and better.
That was years ago, and later the LORD sent an angel to confirm things for me, but that is another story.
Just like Mary told the servant at the wedding of Cana: "Whatever, HE says - do it!".
John 2:5
The other thing I learned through it, is this:
GOD won't give you the 'next thing', until you do the 'last thing'.
-eric
The Exchanged Life
Forum members,
I want to hear your stories or reasons why you left your particular church organization. For me, it was because my church was superficial and 80% of the sermons was about money. It wasn't about Christ anymore or his teachings. It was more like a for-profit corporation than a meeting place for believers to come together.
What are some specific things that have caused you all to leave your organizations?
Nothing. I haven't left my Church. I enjoy it very much.
This is just what we need. A place for disgruntled Christians to gripe.
I used to be like you, about 20 years ago. I thought God had only enlightened me and it was my job to tell others that they were wrong, no matter what the method, no matter what the outcome.
Over time, God taught and I learned, that I can't beat people up, that my opinion was not always correct, that it was better to focus on the things that bind us together rather than the things that divide us.
I have been in so many different churches that I think I have a fairly good idea of how a majority of them function. There is no perfect church this side of Heaven, we are the church and we are sinful by nature.
God has called different people to different "churches" different denominations, to focus on different aspects of Himself. We are His body and we don't all function in the same way.
I just recently started home churching due to many reasons. I consider my theology reformed and I tend to be a little confessional; I bring these things to my home church. I act as a leader, but am only a single person and not the most important person in the group. I like the fact that in a home church we can be more interactive, become more relational, and don't have to conform to the traditions of men. We try to live and worship together in a way that brings glory to God, in a way that will help attract people to our fellowship and ultimately to Him.
We also go out and minister in the nursing homes and I help lead a men's group where I work.
Nothing. I haven't left my Church. I enjoy it very much.
This is just what we need. A place for disgruntled Christians to gripe.
God has called different people to different "churches" different denominations, to focus on different aspects of Himself. We are His body and we don't all function in the same way.
I left my church (Assemblies of God) because like most here it was getting superficial and I am tired of trying new churches thinking that I will find one that I feel at peace in. I did have one like that a few years ago, but one day after talking to the Pastor and expressing a difference in theological beliefs to him he told me I was under God's curse for disagreeing with him and so I left.
I do know now though that God wants me to run a "house church" but what I'm running into right now is I feel He has told me to wait until my wife fully gives herself to Him. Not that I'm perfect but there are somethings there that really make me uneasy about beginning such a ministry, least of which being her propensity to want all the nicest and newest gadgets and lack of Bible study and prayer. Once again, not that I'm perfect but how can I run such a ministry on my own and I really don't feel comfortable with her level of maturity in the faith to have her assist me.
But yes, back to the OP, I left my church because of it's superficial nature. The sunday school teacher (for my class at least, adult class) were never prepared for class and if you were not part of the leadership group, or part of the "trusted brothers and sisters" club, then you were not allowed to participate in discussion. The Pastor being a part of that class would allow side bar chat to be engaged in and I didn't feel it was my place to speak up and tell them to straighten up, especially if the man God had placed there as Pastor was allowing it and even participating in it. The people would always decry how little people prayed in the church as a whole, but yet, the church has a 915 prayer meeting every sunday and the only ones that would go out of a church of 200 or so were myself, a dear senior hispanic lady, and the Pastor. Then this one lady, who is also a Sunday School teacher and a church elder, is very good at drawing attention to herself during praise and worship as she blurts out just random things. She has actually stopped praise and worship once just to call the Pastor forward so everyone in the church could file past him and shake his hand. She sang a special once (one of my last services there) where as she sang she was bebopping and hipbouncing behind the pulpit. I had just had enough. Either churches are too legalistic and narrowminded, or they are way too liberal and anything goes type because of God's grace, etc.
I don't know I know I sound like I'm complaining, but I'm trying not to so I apologize. God has told me though something very dear to Him. That is He has chosen ones, a new generation within the saints, who are being personally led and trained by the Holy Spirit for a special hour of service to the King. They will be the ones to lead the church through the end times and leading the saints to the triumphal procession of our King as He returns. Those currently in charge of big and fancy meetings and churches/ministries now are VERY SOON going to wake up and realize that something remarkable has happened and this new generation has led the church on to the fullness of the realities Jesus has for us! Praise to His name!
Hi!
The Lord gave me a vision a few years ago and I think that it's pertinent to share it now:
I saw the Lord standing with a shoulder strap type of thing which could carry seed. It was filled in such a way that it was huge in size.
I saw him walking & sowing the seed using his right hand.
As he sowed the seed, I saw the seed go from real time to slow motion until it finally stopped mid air.
I then saw each seed in mid-air crack and singular shafts of light came out of each seed I could see and then the whole "scene" flared up with light and the vision ended:
This is the interpretation:
Jesus is the sower.....Christians the seed.
The Lord said that new believers would be manifesting and that the Lord would do an accelerated work in & through them (Hence the seed breaking & send out light BEFORE going into the ground & receiving sunlight & water).
The overall gist was that the Lord was saying that things are being "fast forwarded" per se, in the Spirit......God was accelerating believers everywhere.
That's it!
Stefos
Comments or questions? I'd be happy to answer them.
Forum members,
I want to hear your stories or reasons why you left your particular church organization. For me, it was because my church was superficial and 80% of the sermons was about money. It wasn't about Christ anymore or his teachings. It was more like a for-profit corporation than a meeting place for believers to come together.
What are some specific things that have caused you all to leave your organizations?