With So Many Denominations...

Backlit said:

No, God forbid.
KJV John 14
17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
KJV John 17
17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

Jesus is here praying that the holy Spirit Will lead His people into truth through His word. You think His Father answered that prayer in the affirmative or negative?


Are you suggesting I'm ignorant and unstable? Surely not. It was only difficult for the ignorant and unstable. Peter didn't say anything about Paul's letters being difficult for anyone who had the Spirit of God leading and guiding their hearts and minds. Do we not have the mind of Christ?

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You artfully dodged both of these questions which are based upon your theory:

Why are Pauls letters (or any part of Scripture) not difficult for YOU to understand 2,000 years later?

Who decides what a “strange teaching” is?

Patient Mary

BarnyFife said:

I don't regard the Apostles any more than I do Matthew the publican or Luke the physician or any of the penmen of the Old Testament. And I certainly don't regard the students' (of the apostles) opinions for interpretation of Scripture.

2 Peter 1
20knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, 21for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

From this and common sense I gather that the prophets and apostles themselves didn't even know the ramifications of everything they were writing. And it's a little too late, I would say, for the early apostles' students to interpret yet uninterpreted and unfulfilled prophecy.

Also, Christ managed to do just fine teaching the mourners on the road to Emmaus all things concerning Himself from the law and the prophets (the Old Testament).

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Fascinating......

BarnyFife said:

Now that I'm off the milk, so to speak, all I really need is the word and the Spirit.

Just as in the way they raised me, in general, I think they did the best they knew how.

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Hi Barny5,

Is it fair to say that you do not believe your parents had “the word and the Spirit” when they raised you up the best they knew how?

Curious Mary

BarnyFife said:

It almost seems like you're trying to get me to break the 5th commandment. Not gonna happen.

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Lol....very well done (artful dodge)

So your actions, when you didn’t accept the teachings they passed onto you, did not dishonor them but your concerned your words will dishonor them? Interesting....

Curious Mary

One day, the body of Christ will take their place in the Kingdom Of God, alongside a reunited and restored Israel, and, along with the 144,000, will join in together with the angels of Heaven to sing the praises of our Eternal God. It's gonna be awesome!!! Anyone for washing their robes in the Blood Of The Lamb?

Ron Coates said:

One day, the body of Christ will take their place in the Kingdom Of God, alongside a reunited and restored Israel, and, along with the 144,000, will join in together with the angels of Heaven to sing the praises of our Eternal God. It's gonna be awesome!!! Anyone for washing their robes in the Blood Of The Lamb?

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Who are the 144,000?

Marymog said:

Who are the 144,000?

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Hi, Marymog. The book of Revelation talks about God choosing 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel. "Then I heard the number of those sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel." Revelation 7:4 Shalom

Ron Coates said:

Hi, Marymog. The book of Revelation talks about God choosing 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel. "Then I heard the number of those sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel." Revelation 7:4 Shalom

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Hi Ron,

I think i have read about that before. It’s been 2,000 years since the book of Revelation was written. Wonder what’s taking so long to get to that 144,000?

Marymog said:

Hi Ron,

I think i have read about that before. It’s been 2,000 years since the book of Revelation was written. Wonder what’s taking so long to get to that 144,000?

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Hi, Marymog. Cool handle. One day in June, 1996, we were about to have a prayer meeting, but first we worshipped our Creater. As we were resting in God's presence, He gave me a picture. I saw a wave in the distance. Then I was standing about 50 feet behind myself. This brought the wave into proper perspective. I jumped because it startled me. It must've been 1,000 feet tall. I'm not exaggerating. With it came the sense that it was coming soon. I thought by the following weekend. I was wrong. But I do see it coming now. A few years ago, God gave me an update regarding it. This time the wave looked like it was maybe, 20 yards from me. Wave filled the whole picture. Inside the wave, I saw President Trump and an F-16 fighter. I didn't think about when, this time. Nothing can stop it. Shalom. P.S. I believe this wave to be the end-time harvest wave. Bye.

Marymog said:

Who are the 144,000?

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Hi Mary,
I know where we can find 144000 virgins consecrated to the Lord..

And the world despises them...

Peace be with you!

Ron Coates said:

One day, the body of Christ will take their place in the Kingdom Of God, alongside a reunited and restored Israel, and, along with the 144,000, will join in together with the angels of Heaven to sing the praises of our Eternal God. It's gonna be awesome!!! Anyone for washing their robes in the Blood Of The Lamb?

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@Ron Coates I do indeed believe in a future for Israel, as per Romans ch.s 9, 10 & 11(what calls itself Israel, is not necessarily what will be future Israel). For the church the coming of the Lord Jesus for the church is the immediate event in view; John 14; 1 Thess.4. Good to remember the distinction which Paul makes in 1 Corinthians 10.32: Jews, Gentiles and the church of God.

Or as I say it, the body of Christ, the restored 12 tribes of Israel, and the 144,000. Best of all is that we will be His people, and He will be our God for eternity. Together, we are the congregation of God. Hallelujah!

THE TRUE CONGREGATION(CHURCH)

If WE want to live eternally in God’s new system we must acknowledge the true church and its foundation. With reference to them, Jesus said: “Upon this rock I will build my Church.” Matthew 16:18 What is this church and what is the rock or foundation upon which it is built?

The true church or congregation is compared to a virgin girl engaged to Christ, because as a group the members of the true church are to be closely united to Christ, as a wife is to her husband. Writing to certain members of the church, the apostle Paul said: “I personally promised you in marriage to one husband that I might present you as a chaste virgin to the Christ.” 2 Corinthians 11:12; Revelations 21:2, 9, 10. So the true church is a clean congregation, free from worldly corruption and devoted to its Head, Jesus Christ.

This true church is also likened to a human body, because it has many members, but only one head, just as a human body has. The inspired Scriptures, at Ephesians 1:22, 23 in the Catholic Douay version of the Bible, tell us that God made Christ “head over all the church, which is his body.”

Could any one of us decide to “join” this body or church simply by getting one’s name placed on some membership roll here on earth? No; as Hebrew 12:23 explains, this is the “church of the firstborn who are written in the heavens.” God is the one who selects the members. As the Bible explains: “Now God has set the members in the body, each one of them, just as he pleased.” 1Corinthians 12:18 These are the ones who will be with Christ in heaven. And Jesus revealed that, far from including all who profess to be Christians, they are limited in number to just 144,000.Revelation 14:1-3; Luke 12:32.

They are, indeed, a group of persons called out from spiritual darkness for a special purpose. While here on earth they boldly “declare abroad the excellencies” of the Most High God, who called them out of darkness into his wonderful light. 1Peter 2:9 And, after their resurrection, they will have the grand privilege of ruling with Christ in his heavenly kingdom. Luke 22:28-30

The first members of this true church were all Jews (as were Jesus and his apostles) or circumcised Jewish converts. At Pentecost of 33 C.E. just ten days after Jesus had ascended to heaven and opened the way for others to follow him in due time Jehovah indicated his selection of these members through the pouring out of holy spirit. Their receiving of the spirit on that occasion bore witness to them that they were now God’s spiritual sons and heirs of the kingdom with Christ. Acts 2:1-4,16-21,33; Romans 8:16, 17

However, the membership of the true church did not remain all Jewish. Three and a half years after Jesus’ death the way was opened for Gentiles or non-Jews to be included. The first uncircumcised Gentile members of the Christian church were an Italian army officer and his household. Acts 10:30-33, 44; Romans 9:23, 24 So, in course of time, the true church came to have an international membership.

Who is the foundation of the true church? Jesus Christ made clear that he himself is that foundation. He applied to himself the prophecy of Psalm 118:22 saying: “The stone that the builders rejected is the one that has become the chief cornerstone.” Matt.21:42-44

The apostle Paul adds his testimony that Jesus is the “chief corner stone,” writing to Christians at Ephesus: “You are fellow citizens with the saints and the domestics of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone.” Eph.2:19, 20 The apostle was very definite about it, saying again: “For no other foundation no man can lay, but that which is laid: which is Christ Jesus.” 1 Cor.3:11

Jesus, the Head, does not split up the body of his congregation into a clergy class and a laity class of the “common people.” He says to his followers: “Do not you be called Rabbi, for one is your teacher, whereas all you are brothers. Moreover, do not call anyone your father on earth, for one is your Father, the heavenly One. Neither be called ‘leaders,’ for your Leader is one, the Christ.” Matt.23:8-10

So Jesus shows that there is no division among those who make up the true church. All are brothers; there are no class distinctions. Is that the case of any religious group with which you may be associated? Jesus did arrange, however, for men to take the lead in the Christian congregation, to serve the spiritual needs of their brothers and organize the work of preaching the good news. He said such ones were not to “lord it over” their brothers but were to be like slaves or servants to them. Matt.20:25-28 Is that true of the clergymen you know?

To fit the Bible’s description of the true church, those who make it up must be united in their worship. In this regard the apostle Paul wrote: “I exhort you, brothers, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that you should all speak in agreement, and that there should not be divisions among you, but that you may be fitly united in the same mind and in the same line of thought.” 1Cor.1:10 So we cannot Scripturally expect to find the members of the true church scattered among all the conflicting religions of Christendom. They must be gathered together in just one congregation. As Ephesians 4:4,5 says of them: “One body there is, . . . one Lord, one faith.” It is vital for us to know what that “one faith” is.

Hi, Barney. It appears you and I are on the same track. I think I agree with everything you said. The Lord will soon unify His church.

Ron Coates said:

Hi, Barney. It appears you and I are on the same track. I think I agree with everything you said. The Lord will soon unify His church.

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@RonCoates I think that true church unity is spiritual, centred on our risen Head (1 Corinthians 11), discerned by an understanding of truth and doctrine from Scripture. Creating human, world organizations really goes in the opposite, wrong direction, in my humble view.

Ron Coates said:

The Lord will soon unify His church.

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If this is with reference to denominations, that's a negative.

Episkopos said:

The cross must take away the outer man to give the inner man access to God and His grace.

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Verily, verily, I say unto you, еxcept a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.