Why the 'Nones' Are No Longer Growing and What it Means for Christianity

[frienden thalord]

John 15:26 But when the Paraclete cometh, whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceedeth from the Father, he shall give testimony of me.

Seems a bit unclear. Jesus can send the Holy Spirit to them, but also says that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father.

WHO . the question is WHO is the SPIRIT , WHO IS THE WORD .
How did GOD create the world and all things . HE SPOKE . HIS own essence , his own SPIRIT
created . GOD IS HIS SPIRIT and HE IS HIS WORD . This be a fact .
As for the FATHER being greater than the SON . Take notice
WHEN GOD SPOKE and said LET there be LIGHT , LIGHT was , yet ONLY LIGHT was created .
THE WORD DO ONLY WHAT ITS COMMANDED . What IS SPOKEN .
The FATHER speaks , HIS SPIRIT be HIS WORD . ALL things were created by GOD , THROUGH JESUS CHRIST .
JESUS IS the very essence of GOD himself . AND IF GOD sayeth , IT IS DONE .
Ever wonder why paul in the same sentence says the SPIRIT OF GOD
and then the SPIRIT of CHRIST . ITS THE SAME SPIRIT folks .
GOD BE HIS SPIRIT , GOD BE HIS WORD . ITS his own essence . The three BE ONE . and that be a fact .
Thus allow me some parting words . IF JESUS SAID IT , GOD SAID IT . that too be a fact .

 

[frienden thalord]

Oops, you missed that Bible verse about preaching the Gospel to all nations.

Have you ever noticed that the biggest reason people walk away from faith is the hypocrisy and bad example of church members.

So instead of doing some needed soul searching, it's your suggestion that the remaining members double down?

No . this is not at all why people reject or walk away from the faith .
Its an excuse perhaps . BUT IT IS NOT the real reason at all .
People treated me like dirt , i seen all kinds of hyrprocricies , YET IT DIDNT KEEP ME FROM THE FAITH
You really wanna know what keeps people either from the faith or why they walk away .
THEIR OWN SIN . THEY didnt like things that CONTRADICTED their own lusts .
But you can bet folks will use the excuse , OH the reason i didnt come to Christ is blah blah blah .
NO , its because THEY loved their sin . i know folks in these churches DO PLAY the hyprocrite . YOU are right about that .
BUT THAT AINT what kept people from GOD OR CHRIST .
IT aint what caused one to turn from GOD or the faith . THEY TURNED cause THEY DESIRED SOMETHING ELSE .

 

[frienden thalord]

Was this a reply to me?

My point is knowing they aren't saved, so we can reach out to them.

This is about sharing the Gospel to peoples understanding, not about filling up pews. Jesus cares about quality, not quantity.

When you know they need to understand the Gospel better, you can share that better understanding with them.

You probably already know what i am about to write .
But endure it anyway .
Seeker friendly did destroy . It was a message , NOT to save souls , but to increase NUMBERS .
a man pleaser it was and it is .
It all came down from the idea about HOW to grow the church . it stems from the three legged stool and etc .
NOW it was brought and sold to the churches as an idea to save souls .
BUT ITS NOT about that . Its about CHURCH GROWTH . BUT as you rightly said
JESUS aint concerned with quantity but about QUALITY .
and in a parable we willl see this .
FOr many fish for men and they catch many fish , but the fish caught were caught BY WORDLY BAIT
and thus THEY WONT BE PUT INTO GOOD CONTAINERS at all .
TIS a number game my friend . in other words its a way to increase THE MONEY FLOW pardner .
the more people you get , HEY the MORE MONEY YOU GET TOO .

 

[frienden thalord]

John 15:26 But when the Paraclete cometh, whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceedeth from the Father, he shall give testimony of me.

Seems a bit unclear. Jesus can send the Holy Spirit to them, but also says that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father.

Take notice what JESUS also says about this HOLY SPIRIT this COMFORTER .
Take note HE said it was amongst them already and that JESUS would send it
that HE WOULD NOT leave us comfortless that HE HIMSELF WOULD COME UNTO US .
WHO do you think this HOLY SPIRIT is .........................
ITS GOD , ITS CHRIST . Its not like GOD created HIS own SPIRIT or HIS OWn word .
ITS HIS OWN ESSENCE . itsnt that just beautiful .
SO the next time anyone triest to deny the DIETY OF CHRIST , my advice DONT HEED THEM at all .

 

[frienden thalord]

Oops, you missed that Bible verse about preaching the Gospel to all nations.

Have you ever noticed that the biggest reason people walk away from faith is the hypocrisy and bad example of church members.

So instead of doing some needed soul searching, it's your suggestion that the remaining members double down?

Speaking of preaching the gospel to the LOST . How come i see another gospel getting preached .
that wont be saving anyone . rather it allows the people to beleive that muslims and others serve the same GOD we do .
And that all we need is a beatles song , as in ALL YA NEED IS LOVE .
but rather odd this is . cause the last time i checked the LOVE OF GOD POINTED TO THE DIRE NEED TO BELIEVE ON JESUS .
IT didnt DENY THE DIRE NEED to BELIEVE ON HIM and accept other religoins as okay and fine as
long as we all hugged and found us some common ground and maybe did us some good works .
ME smells a false love , a false gospel . and it DO TROD JESUS RIGHT UNDER FOOT .
it even honors certain sins and calls them love too . Let us always remember
that the DEVIL can quote scrips and that means HE can also say GOD is love
but beware his verision , his broad path version and sin accepting version OF WHAT HE cliams LOVE IS .
I hope that encouraged you big time . As my desire is life and good for all .

 

[frienden thalord]

So.

The nones.

It's not a bad thing, Scripture doesn't depict it as something bad.

"They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us." 1 John 2:19

So this is a good thing. You don't want people sitting in pews pretending, you want believers. Believers are the real goal.

As church members or church leaders, we should want to know who really believes and who doesn't as it provides opportunities to address issues of faith and belief for those leaving the church that wouldn't be addressed if they simply made a good pretence of it.

Bingo my friend .
Yet because of another worldly version of love
another wordly version of another gospel
SIN is no longer corrected in the church . NOR is the idea even being taught in many places
that ONE MUST BELEIVE JESUS IS the CHRIST .
RATHER , under the guise of wordly love and influence of the dragon and his workers
A love has come in . it has turned their hearts away from GOD , HIS DOCTRINE , HIS GOSPEL , HIS CORRECTION
HIS PATTERN and has allowed leaven to take over . and thus
not only do the anti christs not leave , heck more and more of them are now even leading the churches .
ITS ALL ABOUT A BIG HUG FEST NOW . all about LETS have us some unity and common ground .
THE problem is they have no idea what christainty has lost , let alone that they are still lost in sin and darkness .

 

[Oompa Loompa]

Have you ever noticed that the biggest reason people walk away from faith is the hypocrisy and bad example of church members.

I completely agree.

 

[The Barbarian]

ake notice what JESUS also says about this HOLY SPIRIT this COMFORTER .
Take note HE said it was amongst them already and that JESUS would send it
that HE WOULD NOT leave us comfortless that HE HIMSELF WOULD COME UNTO US .
WHO do you think this HOLY SPIRIT is .........................
ITS GOD , ITS CHRIST . Its not like GOD created HIS own SPIRIT or HIS OWn word .
ITS HIS OWN ESSENCE . itsnt that just beautiful .
SO the next time anyone triest to deny the DIETY OF CHRIST , my advice DONT HEED THEM at all .

All Christians realize Who the Paraclete is. The issue is whether He proceeds from the Father and the Son, or only from the Father.

 

[The Barbarian]

I completely agree.

I think it is often that professed Christians do not live up to the way Jesus showed us, and add their own prejudices and ideas to Christian doctrine.

"Reckless and incompetent expounders of Holy Scripture bring untold trouble and sorrow on their wiser brethren when they are caught in one of their mischievous false opinions and are taken to task by those who are not bound by the authority of our sacred books. For then, to defend their utterly foolish and obviously untrue statements, they will try to call upon Holy Scripture for proof and even recite from memory many passages which they think support their position, although they understand neither what they say nor the things about which they make assertion."
St. Augustine

Witnessing to an unbeliever, I emphasize that I'm a sinner who often fails, and do not understand everything in scripture. I emphasize His death and resurrection, and the way He told us to live and deal with others. If He was willing to build His church on a man who denied him three times before the rooster crowed, then maybe, I tell them, there's some hope for me.

 

[frienden thalord]

All Christians realize Who the Paraclete is. The issue is whether He proceeds from the Father and the Son, or only from the Father.

The issue . It cometh of the FATHER through the SON . that is about as simple as i can put it .
If it cometh of the SON then it came of the FATHER . The SON proceedeth of the FATHER .
ALL things pertaining to GOD , to CHRIST , came of the FATHER .
GOD is HIS SPIRIT , HE IS HIS WORD . the answer is IT CAME OF THE FATHER .
It came OF GOD . The Spirit of Christ is the Spirit of GOD .
SO the answer is it did COME OF THE FATHER but it came BY THE SON WHO IS OF THE FATHER
So since we are on this topic i do have a question .
How come so many are now overlooking certain teachings of JESUS the CHRIST , as they do the apostels and prophets .
WHY are so many sitting in places where men through their own doctrines have actually
made void CERTAIN parts of what The prophets , oF what THE SON HIMSELF said .
WHY are we gonna heed any man who tries to tell us that other relgioins namely muslims and etc
are serving the same GOD we do .
Now i ask this , i beg this question . Because IF JESUS told the unbelieving jews
Ye are of your pappy the devil , EVEN THOUGH THEY CLIAMED WITH LIP BIG TIME GOD IS OUR FATHER
WE KNOW MOSES TOO . HE even told them IF YE actually believed MOSES ya WOULD HAVE BELEIVED ME
for HE wrote OF ME .
SO , if the jews who did not BELIEVE JESUS was THE CHRIST , THE SON OF GOD
were given the words you are of your father the devil
What on earth makes us think just cause the muslims claim to know torah , moses , abraham or the law
THEY suddenly get a pass . WE might wanna CHECK what some of our leaders are TELLING us , cause they be liars indeed .
So allow me some parting words of john himself WHO i know KNEW JESUS .
WHO is a liar , HE who DENIES JESUS IS THE CHRIST . ooopsy muslims do this . they dont believe HE IS THE CHRIST ,
HE is the SON of GOD . yet , we heed so called wise leaders who try and tell us
they do know GOD . NO they DONT . Just wanted to remind us is all . HOPE it encouraged ya .

 

[RileyG]

Its why the churches changed their approach . you are right sister .
most folks do cling for the mystical .
the problem is most of what is called mystical NO longer honors GOD at all .
People have always been enamoured by miracles , signs and wonders and experiences . NOW This
is true for anyone . But what they lack is HUNGER FOR TRUTH , FOR GOD , for sound doctrine .
Its so easy to decieve people my dear sister . just pander to experience
and spout whatever feeds their flesh . Simeone knew how to do that .
SO does new age . SO do many .
The problem is many no longer , if ever they had , a hunger for the TRUTH , a love FOR TRUTH .
I want to invite you to read something .
NO its not my own writing . Its not my own thoughts . ITS In the very bible itself .
Something many do not know .
DID you know
that GOD does test us . i bet you KNOW that very well .
BUT do you know HE can allow things to test us to prove whether its HE we love
or NOT .
Lets examine us some scrips .
IF any prophet , teacher , etc has a dream or a vision
and that vision EVEN COMES TO PASS
I THE LORD GOD have allowed it , TO TEST YOU , TO PROVE YOU
to see whether YOU loved ME .
SO many are caught up with so much emotional experiance , so much myticism
BUT they just have ZERO LOVE FOR GOD and FOR HIS WORDS , HIS DOCTRINE . that BE THE PROBLEM indeed .
SO easy it is to decieve the people . But lambs WONT HEED SUCH .

For future reference, I’m a guy

 

[frienden thalord]

For future reference, I’m a guy

I know a Riley C who is female so i assumed you were . Anway to them trenches my friends . The hour is late .

 

[frienden thalord]

I completely agree.

I walked into many churches who did this and yet by grace i did not walk away from GOD .
The real reason anyone chooses not to serve and to beleive on Jesus the Christ
is because they love their sin .
Jesus explains that quite well . you see many make excuse for WHY
and as such the church has also done a huge mistake .
What mistake . It went about under seeker friendly
to try and figure out how to get these people back into church .
Guess what , to get those back into church you will have to please them .
And that is what seeker friendly did . IT took notes from those who did not Even desire GOD .
And it formed its own methods of what it thought would get folks back into church .
OH it got many back in , but take a peek at what is going on in them churches .
Rock concerts , no sin is corrected , if one does try and correct they get told to cease it .
And what has happened is that leaven left uncorrected TOOK over the places and worse and worse they get .
The CHRIST JESUS himself , did not try and pander down His message and to please man in order to win man .
HE spoke truth , exposed sin , did many good works and etc
And whoever came amen and whoever rejected its on them . WE cannot win anyone to GOD
when we preach what pleases man to them . WE must speak the truth
and GOD alone will give the increase . Just keep the pattern that JESUS taught and later the aposetls taught .
That pattern DOES Work .

 

[frienden thalord]

for if i were to please men i would NOT be the servant of CHRIST . always remember that .
What is pleasing to man , what is esteemed highly in the sight of man is abomination to GOD .
We cannot preach a message that panders to the flesh and is pleasing to men
that message will not save them , nor is it pleasing TO GOD .

 

[frienden thalord]

I think it is often that professed Christians do not live up to the way Jesus showed us, and add their own prejudices and ideas to Christian doctrine.

"Reckless and incompetent expounders of Holy Scripture bring untold trouble and sorrow on their wiser brethren when they are caught in one of their mischievous false opinions and are taken to task by those who are not bound by the authority of our sacred books. For then, to defend their utterly foolish and obviously untrue statements, they will try to call upon Holy Scripture for proof and even recite from memory many passages which they think support their position, although they understand neither what they say nor the things about which they make assertion."
St. Augustine

Witnessing to an unbeliever, I emphasize that I'm a sinner who often fails, and do not understand everything in scripture. I emphasize His death and resurrection, and the way He told us to live and deal with others. If He was willing to build His church on a man who denied him three times before the rooster crowed, then maybe, I tell them, there's some hope for me.

I have a simple question for you my friend .
Tell me , if you were to die tonight where do you beleive you would end up .
There is a reason i do ask this . Can a man KNOW He has eternal life
or does he have to simply hope for the best and see what awaits Him at the end of his life .
Again there is a huge reason i am asking this .
IT boils down to WHO and what are we truly trusting IN for our salvation .
Now , as for me , I shall cling to the ONE I KNOW has given me eternal life .
And knowing full well i never earned nor deserved it . That the only goodness i know have
COMETH of GOD who through CHRIST JESUS works in ME that which is well pleasing in HIS SIGHT .
There is a contrary monster present with us , known as the flesh . BUT SO TOO is the SPIRIT , if so be we have
the SPIRIT . The SPIRIT will unction us at the site of evil , when even that evil pops into our minds by the flesh .
Let us HEED the SPIRIT , NOT the flesh . Now concering those who JUSTIFY their sins and lies
I say , WHERE ON EARTH IS THE HOLY SPIRIT in such a one .
CAUSE the HOLY SPIRIT I have been given , has me to even HATE the very evils of my own flesh .
WHERE Is their CONVINCTION if they can sit day by day in SIN and even justify it , call it love
and etc . Dead faith is a very common thing amongst this generation . I call us back into the scriptures
to be refreshed again , to be stirred up by REMEMBRANCE of that TRUTH and to learn IT WELL for ourselves .
Cause many who even teach and lead this people are teaching lies and leading all astray who sit under them .
HOPE that encouraged you my friend .
So the answer is JESUS THE CHRIST . and if our trust be in HIM , then we would KNOW due to HIM
we DO HAVE ETERNAL LIFE . and , AND we would have the SPIRIT
and would by the SPIRIT do the things that PLEASE GOD . ps , SIN AINT PLEASING TO GOD now is it .
Thus if any who claims to KNOW CHRIST is passing off the certain deeds of the flesh as good and fine
WELL they do not FOLLOW THE SPIRIT of the very CHRIST they are claiming to BELEIVE ON .
You see many claim to BELIEVE IN JESUS THE CHRIST and yet they sure dont seem to BELEIVE SOME OF HIS TEACHINGS .

 

[frienden thalord]

IF any comes and brings any other gospel unto you
if even we oursevles or an angel were to preach another other gospel unto you
Let them be accursed . seperate them out .
Take note that didnt say have UNITY with them .
As with john too . IF any brings NOT this doctrine , dont even recieve them into your house .
WE are supposed to preach JESUS to the lost , not try and find common ground with them .
Lets remember that well my friends . For to be unequally yoked will cause only one thing to occur .
YE FALL .

 

[frienden thalord]

If the leadership of any falls short on doctrine and teaches lies and falsehoods
correct it . IF they heed you not , GET OUT and take whoever you can with you and meet
together with the likeminded whose minds are stayed on CHRIST . Who love the Word and words of OUR LORD .

 

[frienden thalord]

Paul corrected peter before them all . thus when anyone or even a leader falls into a trap and a snare
and error , YOU correct such a one . Take note PETER HEEDED .
If one heeds not but continues in error , Have no company with such a man , put him out
until repentance is made .

 

[frienden thalord]

I think it is often that professed Christians do not live up to the way Jesus showed us, and add their own prejudices and ideas to Christian doctrine.

"Reckless and incompetent expounders of Holy Scripture bring untold trouble and sorrow on their wiser brethren when they are caught in one of their mischievous false opinions and are taken to task by those who are not bound by the authority of our sacred books. For then, to defend their utterly foolish and obviously untrue statements, they will try to call upon Holy Scripture for proof and even recite from memory many passages which they think support their position, although they understand neither what they say nor the things about which they make assertion."
St. Augustine

Witnessing to an unbeliever, I emphasize that I'm a sinner who often fails, and do not understand everything in scripture. I emphasize His death and resurrection, and the way He told us to live and deal with others. If He was willing to build His church on a man who denied him three times before the rooster crowed, then maybe, I tell them, there's some hope for me.

I notice something vastly different about many men and specially more so as of late .
When peter entered into the house of cornelious and cornelious and his friends saw peter
They tried to kneel before peter . I seem to notice he said GET UP , i am a man just like you .
Rather odd though i dont see this in many today . rather i see a TOUCH not GODS annointed attitude
as they desire the praise and worship of men . Even peter and john had to stop the worship of men
when those men saw the healed man and ran up to them as though they were the great thing .
I aint seeing this hardly at all these days . Rather i see men giving out flattering titles .
SO allow me some parting words
not a one of you all had better ever once call me MOST HOLY anything . GOD gets them titles folks .
we are but sinners saved and changed by grace and our holiness cometh OF HIM .
We really do need to be refreshed in the scriptures daily . This does such good for us to be reminded
and to learn the true pattern they set and gave to all . My desire is ONLY GOOD for everyone .
I was one of the worst never deserving nor earning The Grace of GOD .
BUT PRAISE GOD FOR HIS GRACE GIVEN ME IN JESUS CHRIST . which saved AND CHANGED
and CONTINUES TO WORK on me daily . now raise them hands up peoples . I beleive it BE LORD PRAISING TIME again .

 

[frienden thalord]

The closer one is drawn to GOD
the smaller they become in their own sight . You just come to the point
that one has such a DIRE NEED of GOD , OF CHRIST to keep them even from the evils of their own flesh .
You come to the conclusion that the ONLY righteousness and goodness one can TRULY have
COMETH OF GOD HIMSELF and is given by HIM whose faith and trust be IN THE ONE WHOM HE DID SEND .
Even GOD draws us to CHRIST and CHRIST to the FATHER . you come to the conclusion
You can do nothing WITHOUT HIM , CEPT FAIL . That HE IS our STRENGTH , our hope and our salvation .
Now on that note , ITS HIGH time to praise and to thank THE GLORIOUS LORD .