This is my personal walk with God through faith

[BjornFree]

Yes he would tell the truth in a direct and understandable manner, using scripture to support his point of view.
You do not.

I have known David (mjrhealth)for well over 12 years (since my earliest forum days).
He has had very sad past circumstances, including his wife having deserted him.
IMO it all led to him being very 'anti', and the 'anti that he latches onto as his 'escape mechanism' is to oppose what he sees as 'Church religion'.
No one will ever change him (at least not via arms length forum interaction).
Best we all just pray for one another 'in love', and especially for those with whom we most strongly disagree.
And in the worst cases where we are unable to react 'in love' we have to resort to the 'ignore' facility, as I have had to do with OzSpen.

 

[StanJ]

I have known David (mjrhealth)for well over 12 years (since my earliest forum days).He has had very sad past circumstances, including his wife having deserted him.IMO it all led to him being very 'anti', and the 'anti that he latches onto as his 'escape mechanism' is to oppose what he sees as 'Church religion'.No one will ever change him (at least not via arms length forum interaction).Best we all just pray for one another 'in love', and especially for those with whom we most strongly disagree.And in the worst cases where we are unable to react 'in love' we have to resort to the 'ignore' facility, as I have had to do with OzSpen.

I did have another ignore for a long time but decided and that never give him another chance and for the most part until I feel God telling me to put him back on ignore it that's what I will do, but I won't ignore his propensity for being condescending to those who accept the word of God as our guide. I am also anti religion our religiosity if you will but they don't assume everybody falls into that category automatically.

 

[mjrhealth]

IMO it all led to him being very 'anti', and the 'anti that he latches onto as his 'escape mechanism' is to oppose what he sees as 'Church religion'.

No just anti "anti Christ". ceratinly no escape mecanism.

 

[StanJ]

No just anti "anti Christ". ceratinly no escape mecanism.

You're not being anti anti-christ you're being anti-church and anti-bible.

 

[H. Richard]

You're not being anti anti-christ you're being anti-church and anti-bible.

I am also anti-church since I consider the church today to be just like the church of Christ's day. They were anti-Christ since they murdered Jesus the Christ.

But you went to far when you said anti-Bible. There are many opinions about what the Bible says and therefore, to you, being anti-Bible is having a different opinion than yours as to what it says. Way to go!

 

[StanJ]

I am also anti-church since I consider the church today to be just like the church of Christ's day. They were anti-Christ since they murdered Jesus the Christ.

But you went to far when you said anti-Bible. There are many opinions about what the Bible says and therefore, to you, being anti-Bible is having a different opinion than yours as to what it says. Way to go!

Church didn't come into existence until after Christ died. Christians are with make up the church, the real Church, and not some Institution. Jesus is the head of the church so being Anti-Church you're also Anti-Christ. As far as I'm concerned anybody who reads the KJV and doesn't understand it or doesn't want to understand it and doesn't accept any other version as factual is anti-Bible. Your actions speak much louder than your words.

 

[H. Richard]

Church didn't come into existence until after Christ died. Christians are with make up the church, the real Church, and not some Institution. Jesus is the head of the church so being Anti-Church you're also Anti-Christ. As far as I'm concerned anybody who reads the KJV and doesn't understand it or doesn't want to understand it and doesn't accept any other version as factual is anti-Bible. Your actions speak much louder than your words.

The church of today is not God. The church is a ""congregation"". Try looking that word up in the O.T. and you will be able to see that there were churches in the O.T. too.

The churches of today are congregations of people that believe in the same ideas of religion.

To me the word religion is a dirty word because it is used to describe how mankind has seen gods in this world. All through history mankind has set up forms of religions. The Indians in South America had religions. The Romans had religions. The Egyptians had many religions. To God all these are idols that mankind worship.

Church = The Church is a "Spiritual Church" (spiritual house 1 Peter 2:4-5) (Mark 14:58) (Acts 17:23-25) (2 Cor. 5:1) (Heb 9:11 and 24) made up of Christians. Since it consists of 'born again Christians'. The true Church is as Jesus described a born again Christian in John 3:8.

John 3:8 NKJV
8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."

Therefore, the Church is a spiritual entity, made by the will of God and built without human hands of flesh, and the head of the Church is Jesus Christ who gave his life for it. I, personally feel that no man is to be considered as head of the Church. The Church's visibility in the world is shown through Christians that profess that faith in Jesus‘ work on the cross has saved them, individually and as groups. It is not a religious organization, or building, or certain place. Read LUKE, 17:20 "The Kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, here it is, or there it is, because the kingdom of God "is" within you.

 

[Helen]

Do yo disagree with the following?

The Church is a spiritual entity, made by the will of God and built without human hands of flesh, and the head of the Church is Jesus Christ who gave his life for it. The Church's visibility in the world is shown through Christians that profess that faith in Jesus‘ work on the cross has saved them, individually and as groups. It is not a religious organization, or building, or certain place. Read LUKE, 17:20 "The Kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, here it is, or there it is, because the kingdom of God "is" within you.

Well said and totally agree.
It is sad that so many people , good Christian people are so blinkered and brain-man-washed...that they cannot see this..let alone experience it as a living Body!
In 1 Kings 19 God said to Elijah "Yet I have left Me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him."

As @FHII mentioned....it will be a small number.
Do you think maybe these will be "The Overcomer's" of Revelation?
It is obviously from reading the first few books of Revelation that not all of God people make it in to the Overcomer's mentioned here.

.

 

[amadeus]

I consider just what God started with in the Garden of Eden before Adam and Eve messed up by disobeying. The place where they were was clean and unspoiled. If they had eaten of the Tree of Life first and then left the Tree of knowledge of good and evil alone, would they not now be or be traveling toward with a higher beginning point to where God wants all of His people to be.

[For God's reasons He set it up so we could go this way, which is a long hard way through trials and tests and growth into something that gradually becomes more and more like Him. The headstart that Adam and Eve had was thrown away, lost, but not for always. God sent His Son, Jesus, to make it a replacement possibility of the possibility lost in the garden.]

So how similar to that pre-sin Garden of Eden is any church group today? Probably none are very close at all. In addition to Jesus God has given us help to come back toward that place, but our helpers are most the part either defaulting in their assigned duties, or they are false helpers who never called by God at all.

Eph 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
Eph 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Eph 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
Eph 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
Eph 4:15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
Eph 4:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

So now some will argue that their place is where Jesus and salvation is. I then consider these words of our Lord:

Mar 13:21 And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not:
Mar 13:22 For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.

 

[aspen]

I couldn't deny the beginning of the anti-church position when I read the history of the Protestant Reformation - it fits so well with their movement; so necessary for breaking away from Catholicism. I felt manipulated by their teaching, as I did with Sola Scriptura - both were factors in my decision to join the CC.

 

[bbyrd009]

Eph 4:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

interesting contrast to "...dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow" huh

 

[amadeus]

interesting contrast to "...dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow" huh

God does have and always has had a plan. It includes all of the things seeming to be the same and the things that seem to be in contrast one to another. For some at some level of their walk with God it may also seem to include contradictions, but God does not really contradict Himself, does He? Sometimes we may not clearly see what His purpose is. Sometimes, some things written by men under God's anointing are are murky in appearance to us because we need more help from God to get it...

The Sword God gave to men will help us sort things out as will really anointed ministers as per the verses I cited above in Ephesians chapter 4. The availability of false ministers will confuse some and cause others to stop seeking. In spite of this, will not a person who really is hungry and thirsty for the righteousness of God be filled?

 

[amadeus]

I couldn't deny the beginning of the anti-church position when I read the history of the Protestant Reformation - it fits so well with their movement; so necessary for breaking away from Catholicism. I felt manipulated by their teaching, as I did with Sola Scriptura - both were factors in my decision to join the CC.

Many of the "reformers" were probably not really reformers at all, but people looking for an excuse to do what they wanted to do. This does not excuse the established organized church which failed in that they provided so many real points of criticism for those who really only wanted to know God better and to do things His Way.

 

[pia]

I have known David (mjrhealth)for well over 12 years (since my earliest forum days).

From what you have written here, you may claim to have known 'about' David for 12 years, but you most assuredly cannot say that you 'KNOW' him, and believe me, if you did know him, you would not write such tripe about a believer, who had to learn anew, how to believe and trust Jesus, after having been raised a Catholic. He probably won't like that I have jumped to his defense here, but I am not doing it for him, he doesn't need me to defend him, I am doing it for those who may read your post and actually take your word for it, as if you are some sort of authority on David, which you are clearly not.
I think even the Bible states somewhere, that people usually believe the first person they hear speak of a thing or a person or what they have supposedly done, which is very unwise.......
My questions to you are :" Are you a believer in Christ Jesus?.......... Do you follow His command; To love others as He has loved you?...... His Love is far superior to what you are flaunting here, and we would all be in huge trouble if His love was anything like yours.
Most people who call themselves Christians, do exactly what you just did in regard to David.....They confuse greatly 'knowing something ABOUT someone'...............with 'KNOWING someone' , and what's worse !!! They do it about Jesus Himself.
If you believe the Bible when it says that you will give account of every word you uttered, perhaps you should ask His help in getting at least this problem of yours attended to.....Jesus said also :" You err, because it is not what a man puts into his mouth which defiles him, but what comes out of it." ( perhaps paraphrased a little ), you will know the chapter and verse way better than me.
It would be lovely to see if you have an actual Testimony to share.

 

[quietthinker]

interesting contrast to "...dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow" huh

Yes, it is an interesting contrast. The scriptures use of similar metaphors to illustrate seemingly opposed positions happens in everyday life as well and it is only context that separates the intended meaning.

 

[Enoch111]

On the other hand, i also believe in the importance of a physical Church (for lack of a better term).

This is correct and according to Scripture. You could call it a local church or a local body of believers, but Christians are meant to gather together for worship, prayer, hearing the preaching and teaching of the Word, and Bible study on a regular basis.

And they continued stedfastly in the [1] apostles' doctrine and [2] fellowship, and in [3] breaking of bread, and in [4] prayers. (Acts 2:42)

Its tough to find one that preaches truth without compromising. Chances are great it'll be small.

This is also true. The truth is never popular, even among Christians. And the mega churches have to compromise in order to please the crowds.

 

[quietthinker]

Church didn't come into existence until after Christ died.

As I read the scriptures I find that The Church has always been in existence wether OT or NT.
The division of history is ours. Salvation is for all people in the worlds history.

The literal nation of Israel is a real life metaphor for God’s Church throughout all time.

The way salvation has been understood throughout the ages has not been as clear as it is in our age. It was couched in many symbols and metaphors. I doubt that even Satan understood Gods plans for the salvation for the race. If he had of done surely he would not have pronounced his own death sentence by having Jesus killed.

The knowledge of this mystery hidden for ages has now been revealed.
Yes, God has saved people by the same plan wether it be Adam, Abraham or the hipster in New York today.

Having an affiliation with any organisation or belonging to a particular ethnic group in any age has never been a ticket for salvation.