Re: The Church of the Dead Sea
| Posted On: 07/26/07 01:44:20 PM |
Age 50, MN |
Man, even when you're at Church you are sitting there judging people, questionig thier motives and casting aspersions on thier spiritual lives. You consistently put yourself on a mighty pedestal where you feel completely justified in your conclusions that may have no basis in reality. //Remember, if God's word is being preached as you say it is here, it will not return void. // Your arrogance in judging these brothers at this service is telling. But people will say 'amen brother' because their itching ears love to ear this kind of criticism and finger pointing, makes us feel so righteous ourselves, doesn't it?
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Re: The Church of the Dead Sea
| Posted On: 07/26/07 09:32:52 AM |
Age 53, NY |
Coach,
True to form, Coach! Church, for many, is a time for refreshment & rest from the stess associated with life, instead of a time of being equipted to fight the good fight.
Many Christians do not receive all they can from a service (the "meat" of the Word) becasue, as it is stated in Hebrews Chapter 5, they are immature and unskilled in the Word of righteousness. The milk of the Word is that which is predigested by the Pastor or Sunday School teacher (books, radio, recorded sermons & from a "mentor") while "meat" refers to a mature (or weaned believer-see Psalm 131)who goes to God & gets his own food through personal time in the Word & prayer. When you are in a service, Coach, what the preacher says is "meat" to you, becasue you made an effort to stay current with the Lord, and so the preaching will often confirm what you have received during your own time with the Him. Those you have witnessed "grazing", do so becasue of a short attention span for the things of God. Their devotional time is minimal. They require milk and not meat to get jump started again and inspired to overcome worldly distraction. I say this as a matter of technique, not implying responsibility for the preacher for this immature spiritual condition. Nor is a preacher to become a "milkman". Ultimately, we are all responsible to respond to God's grace. A child is content to know that their Father is in the house, but will still continue in their play. An adult will seek to grow, and partake of their father's wisdom and be responsible with his resources. By languishing in the "needy" spiritual state, immature Christians provide "cover" for the unregenerate and even wolves in the midst of the flock. In addition, the unregenerate can attend church and feel comfortable in their sin, and fall short of salvation in the process. The failure to make an individual's "calling & election sure" (II Peter 1:9 & 10) will bring this spiritual apathy home, to work and into Sunday service, and is probably the best description of what is going on in America today.
Jay the Janitor
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Re: The Church of the Dead Sea
| Posted On: 07/26/07 09:10:29 AM |
Age 60, MO |
Thank you, Dave. I've heard this message in other contexts, and it will always be something Christians should be cautious of not falling into--that is complacency. I would also add that the corporate Life of God's people will only rise as high as the individuals represented. That is to say, if there is no spirit-and-truth worship in our prayer closet at home, we cannot expect spirit-and-truth worship when we gather together. So often we come to a gathering expecting to "enter in" to a place in God. Instead, the gathering of believers should be the celebration and continuation of Who we have already entered into. George Cancilla
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WATER BECAME WINE WHEN IT WAS POURED OUT
| Posted On: 07/26/07 12:16:19 AM |
Age 63, OH |
What you say is true. This is what Jesus was showing us in His first miracle. They poured the water of the word into the clay jars. Paul says we have this treasure in jars of clay. The clay jars are us. The water became wine when the water was poured OUT. If the water had been kept in the jars it would have remained water and never would have become wine. This has happened to me many times. I know something that the Holy Spirit has shown me and I go to share it when the Holy Spirit tells me to. As I share it when it comes out it much more than I knew and I learn along with the person I am sharing with. The water becomes wine as it is poured out. This is why our churches are dead in this nation. One man pours out and no one else is given a chance to pour out their water. 1 Cor 14: 26What then shall we say, brothers? WHEN YOU COME TOGETHER,EVERYONE has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. ALL OF THESE MUST BE DONE for the strengthening of the church. 27If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. 28If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God.
29TWO OR THREE prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. 30And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. 31For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. 32The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. 33For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.- This is not being done in our churches and Paul says that it MUST be done. We do not seem to think much of what Paul said, but the same is true of what Jesus said. Lou
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