The Changing Roll of the Church
- Thread starter Angelina
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@Nancy Indeed, prayer and the Scriptures daily should remind us greatly that we should never lose that yearning in faith....
"As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness." (Psalm 17.15)
marksman
My eldest granddaughter showing the result of her
marksman
My eldest granddaughter showing the result of her
One verse stands out to me in scripture, and it is this I will build MY CHURCH and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. The only church that Jesus will build is HIS. If your church is not HIS, HE AIN'T GOING TO BUILD IT.
His church is not part of a denomination. His church is not run by man. His church is motivated by His gifts. His church does not have a statement of faith. His church IS a statement of faith. His church is ministered to by every member. Ministries in his church are appointed by God, not man. His church does not make the bible fit our theology. Our theology has to fit the bible. The gates of hell will prevail against your church if it is not his church. Outside of his church, the church is irrelevant.
His church is not part of a denomination. His church is not run by man. His church is motivated by His gifts. His church does not have a statement of faith. His church IS a statement of faith. His church is ministered to by every member. Ministries in his church are appointed by God, not man. His church does not make the bible fit our theology. Our theology has to fit the bible. The gates of hell will prevail against your church if it is not his church. Outside of his church, the church is irrelevant.
Absolutely true but no matter how many times it is said there are still those who prefer to belong to their own idea of church and are missing out on the real thing.
Knowing God is so much more important than knowing about him.
Brakelite
Well-Known Member
You know brother, we don't have a lot of time to prepare for Christ's soon coming. There is a crisis coming the likes of which this world has never seen, nor will ever see again. Much of what you currently perceive as Christian truth is not truth at all. I make no apology for that considering your background. You need to start again, discard everything you've ever learned and allow Jesus to teach you afresh from the very beginning, and to prepare you for the future. Your eternal destiny depends on you understanding Truth. And you also need to make up your mind on a church. And you need to permit God to lead you in this. Don't second guess His directions, but don't intervene with your own ideas. Surrender everything to Him and let Him take the lead in all things. I perceive that you are in a crossroads here, God has lead you out of deception and error, but you are holding on to much which you need to cast off. You can trust Him. You need to move on. Love you brother, time to go forward, there's not much of that commodity left to us.I've only been Mormon and Catholic. Neither really follows the bible's strict directive to sell all your possessions and live in a common wealth and good. Caring for the poor and widows, etc. I think when Jesus returns things will be different though. But now I'm not really Mormon or Catholic. But I watch both online for something to do
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Brakelite
Well-Known Member
Keep searching then. "But there is not one..." Are you sure? Ask God to show you.
Hi Angelina,I'm not sure if we will ever get back to the traditional roll of the church as it has slowly evolved into something I personally do not recognise. Very much like the family unit, the church used to be the cultural and spiritual center of christian faith and activity. Te Ao (our world)
Now days, I don't recognise it very much as the same place . Has anyone else noticed this?
and why?
Very important subject. Now people have fallen for the lie that we `go to Church, and that is supposed to be in a building on a certain day.` The `Church` is the ekklesia, the called out ones from Israel and the nations - the BELIEVERS. The sooner we stop calling the public meeting on a Sunday the Church, the quicker we`ll appreciate what the Head of His Body has been doing is doing and will do. Labelling man`s organisations as the `Church,` the people, is like giving the Lord a bad report card.
We need to appreciate what the Head of the Body is doing in our lives and those we are connected to, (set in the Body. 1 Cor. 12: 18). And what the Head is doing in similar manner throughout the world.
The public meeting on a Sunday is organised by a person/s who is accountable to the government for health and safety regulations. Thus they have control over people who attend this public meeting. As regulations and laws are changing to fit the world system`s thinking, (lawlessness) then the organiser of the public meeting has to accommodate these changing laws too. And these are to do with different genders and pronouns and accepting different religions etc etc. And more and more lawlessness will be introduced.
Come out of it. See it for what it is - the Emperor has no clothes...............
Marilyn.
amigo de christo
Well-Known Member
The lambs follow the glorious King Jesus and are hearers and doers of the things He did teach . Let all be dug in those bibles
and be in prayer always . We are in a massive falling away now . Our HOPE is IN THE LORD . Praise be to HIS HOLY NAME .
Mama Etna
Well-Known Member
I have been blessed with a church family that has pretty much stayed traditional. By that I mean old fashioned church family that meets together to study the word and to worship God. Sin is called what it is. This church does go for that 'Affirming and Accepting' nonsense that has infected so many mainline churches. This body also takes care of its more needy members. They took care of my husband and I when my husband was out of work due to recovering from cancer surgery 12 years ago. I have visited other churches and have noticed what you mean. They do not seem like church anymore, but a social gathering where anything goes. It is the not calling sin, sin that has led the break down the role of the church in many instances.
See that's the kind of Body of Christ [Church] I am referring to. We use to gather together on a regular basis for Barbiques and enjoy each others company. Sometimes we would go as a group to another city to watch an international Christian speaker or go pray for someone at their home, or clean their house before they got home from hospital.
Back in the day. Church to me was not a building. It was a culture, a society, It had to do with recognizing everyone within it, as family in Christ.
Brakelite
Well-Known Member
Just recently returned from a church camp...a long weekend away from the bustle of civilization to simply enjoy God's and one another's company. What a blessing it was. Getting to know one another better, spend time talking about all manner of stuff, not only spiritual matters but family, friendship, broken homes, broken dreams and broken cars.
Yet getting together in church one day a week at a minimum, is essential. Jesus left is with an organized church. It developed even further into an organized body of believers that worked together in am orderly fashion for the betterment of the society they lived in, and for the sake of growing God's kingdom through the gospel. I'm not talking about the counterfeit in Rome. I'm talking real communities of dedicated soul winners who despite being opposed by the state church, overturned paganism everywhere they went. Now sadly, that is the church we need to get back to. That is the church that will result from seeking the face of Jesus, turning from our selfish sinful ways, and praying earnestly for the salvation of souls. But it does need to be organized and orderly. One man bands couldn't get the job done on the early church... It couldn't get the job done in the early middle ages... It couldn't get the job done during the reformation... And it won't today. Independent go it alone congregations aren't going to conquer the world, let alone independent individuals who refuse to commit to the communal power and spiritual authority of a group.
Yet getting together in church one day a week at a minimum, is essential. Jesus left is with an organized church. It developed even further into an organized body of believers that worked together in am orderly fashion for the betterment of the society they lived in, and for the sake of growing God's kingdom through the gospel. I'm not talking about the counterfeit in Rome. I'm talking real communities of dedicated soul winners who despite being opposed by the state church, overturned paganism everywhere they went. Now sadly, that is the church we need to get back to. That is the church that will result from seeking the face of Jesus, turning from our selfish sinful ways, and praying earnestly for the salvation of souls. But it does need to be organized and orderly. One man bands couldn't get the job done on the early church... It couldn't get the job done in the early middle ages... It couldn't get the job done during the reformation... And it won't today. Independent go it alone congregations aren't going to conquer the world, let alone independent individuals who refuse to commit to the communal power and spiritual authority of a group.
The fellowship I belonged to always call the Sunday meetings 'gatherings' the building we meet in is called Claremont House and most people now refer to the Sunday meetings as 'going to Claremont'.
Hi Brakelite,
I hear you in regards to man`s organisations. However, it seems that by saying they are the `Church` you are giving the Lord a `bad report card.` Is what the Lord has done across the centuries and across the world not amazing in our sight? Has not the Holy Spirit guided us into all truth?
Why do we measure what the Lord is doing by man`s ability to organise a public meeting?
What say you?
Marilyn.
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Brakelite
Well-Known Member
Tares have been responsible for forming church groups also. In fact, the largest. That wasn't God's doing. "An enemy had done this".
Mama Etna
Well-Known Member
We just had an ingathering feast today where the whole church family got together. before the Feast we had a session where members stood up and thanked God for various ways He blessed us this past year. A couple of ladies did the cooking and we had turkey, dressing, potatoes, gravy, green beans, and cranberries along with an assortment of desserts. Afterward the ladies cleaned up. It was a family affair. We do this every year to thank God for the harvest and provision He gives us.
The `tares,` are in the parables that the Lord confirmed to Israel concerning the promises made to the Fathers.
`Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to CONFIRM THE PROMISES MADE TO THE FATHERS.` (Rom. 15: 8).
Pathfinder7
Well-Known Member
It seems..many churches focus too much..
- on 'status, recognition & assets'..
- nicely packaged..weekly services & programs.
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I was involved in several churches..
- during my spiritual journey..since 1970's.
- on 'status, recognition & assets'..
- nicely packaged..weekly services & programs.
---
I was involved in several churches..
- during my spiritual journey..since 1970's.
Hi Pathfinder7,
I understand what you mean however you are Not correct in the way you have said it.
When we use the word `church,` it means ekklesia, the called out ones. It does NOT mean a public service on a Sunday, or a religious organisation. When we use the right word them our thinking comes into proper line with the true meaning.
Calling the public meeting and religious organisation the `church` places the burden of `doing it right,` on man. And then we judge what man is doing and thinking it is what the Lord is doing.
So, please let us call what man is doing - public meetings and organisations, and then call what the Lord is doing - maturing His called out ones. And we will not see much of that because it is in people`s lives down the centuries and across the world.
Marilyn.
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