Pastor doesn't want members praying or reading bible together

Euphemia said:
I don't think you can judge about majority. God knows who are His own, because He looks upon the heart. Everyone who is His, by accepting Jesus Christ by faith, yet you may not think so, will be taken to be with Him.


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Agreed. Who we think is saved may not be who God says is saved and vice versa. I read somewhere that the killer, Jeffery Damure who ate his victims, accepted Christ while in prison and was killed there in prison. Who would have thuk that?
 
geralduk said:
Yet you do not seem to be willing to see things in the light of what the Spirit sayeth to the churches?

The church is a prodigal church.
For it is NOT what the first church was like when it was born on the day of Pentecost and the Bride cannot be anything less than the church then.
Pray tell also what does God say about the church . Present?

and how does those churches most of which needed to repent fit with your perception of it?

and if the Lord is OUTSIDE the church knocking on its door .Is that not a call to repent to a church that thinks he is inside?
For after the resurection what door was a barrier to Him?
How is it then he is outside and knocking on the door?
Then the knockign on the door is to ALL but the promise is to them that have ears to hear and opens the door .

in Christ
gerald
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I do not agree. The church has evolved and grown. Now whether that is good or bad is another question altogether.

Is it not true that God uses different things and methods at different times according to Hebrews 1:1-2..............
"God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds".
 
Euphemia said:
Indeed it is a use of a form of judgment to declare that the majority of the Body of Christ is less than what God says it is.

I choose to see things how God views them.
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Dr. Billy Graham once wrote in one of his books that he believes that only 25% of church members are truly saved.
"I" say that is a very high number.
 
geralduk said:
Yet you do not seem to be willing to see things in the light of what the Spirit sayeth to the churches?

The church is a prodigal church.
For it is NOT what the first church was like when it was born on the day of Pentecost and the Bride cannot be anything less than the church then.
Pray tell also what does God say about the church . Present?

and how does those churches most of which needed to repent fit with your perception of it?

and if the Lord is OUTSIDE the church knocking on its door .Is that not a call to repent to a church that thinks he is inside?
For after the resurection what door was a barrier to Him?
How is it then he is outside and knocking on the door?
Then the knockign on the door is to ALL but the promise is to them that have ears to hear and opens the door .

in Christ
gerald
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The Church is not prodigal. People can be, but the true Church, the Bride of Christ is a people after God's own heart. He sees her as spotless and worthy because of the blood of His precious Son covering her.

There is no place for pessimism in the Body of Christ. If you feel that way, choose to stir yourself and launch out to encourage those who are in Christ and appear to be flagging.
 
geralduk said:
Be ye also ready said Jesus to his disciples .
and there will be some who are not ready .
and will be like the foolish virgins whos false expectation as to they being ready was the reason of their folly .
But then again another message to the church that says its not for us but to the world and the unsaved .

Praise the Lord then if you are ready .
The vast majority are not.
In Christ
gerald
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I'm ready!
 
Major said:
Agreed. Who we think is saved may not be who God says is saved and vice versa. I read somewhere that the killer, Jeffery Damure who ate his victims, accepted Christ while in prison and was killed there in prison. Who would have thuk that?
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Yes! Many people we never expected to see in heaven will be standing right there greeting us. Conversely, many we expect to see there will be tragically missing.
 
Euphemia said:
Yes! Many people we never expected to see in heaven will be standing right there greeting us. Conversely, many we expect to see there will be tragically missing.
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That is 100% correct. I am glad to know you will be waiting for me, wait.........maybe it is me who will be waiting for you.
 
Major said:
That is 100% correct. I am glad to know you will be waiting for me, wait.........maybe it is me who will be waiting for you.
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I think I am older than you, so there is a possibility I will be waiting to show you the way to your mansion.
 
I do so wish that this idea of salvation of being 'saved' is only being BORNagain. was built on rather thanmade the be all and end all of it .
When all of scripture says so much different .

in Christ
gerald
 
Major said:
Agreed. Who we think is saved may not be who God says is saved and vice versa. I read somewhere that the killer, Jeffery Damure who ate his victims, accepted Christ while in prison and was killed there in prison. Who would have thuk that?
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I wonder who ate him? There is always a bigger fish in the sea of humanity! :)
 
geralduk said:
I do so wish that this idea of salvation of being 'saved' is only being BORNagain. was built on rather thanmade the be all and end all of it .
When all of scripture says so much different .

in Christ
gerald
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What embellishment do you want to add to the offer of salvation as received by faith and confessed before men?

Do you mean there is more to that? Sure...there is, once one has received that free gift of grace. The bible is our source of all that we need to grow in Him, as well as the mentoring that He brings to us from among the Body of Christ around us where He places us.
 
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geralduk said:
I do so wish that this idea of salvation of being 'saved' is only being BORNagain. was built on rather thanmade the be all and end all of it .
When all of scripture says so much different .

in Christ
gerald
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Gerald.........."Saved" simply means that we will not be judged for our sin. We are "Saved" from the judgment!

The PROCESS or ACTION by which that took place is through being "Born Again".

Saved is the result of being born again. It really is not that hard brother.
 
Major said:
I saw your picture on your avatar and I know very well that you can not be a day over " ? " and I passed that a long time ago.
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Lol...I have been blessed to look younger by about 10 years!
Major said:
Gerald.........."Saved" simply means that we will not be judged for our sin. We are "Saved" from the judgment!

The PROCESS or ACTION by which that took place is through being "Born Again".

Saved is the result of being born again. It really is not that hard brother.
Click to expand...
 
Major said:
I am still learning! I just wish I could remember what it is I learned!

Just yesterday I was standing at the bottom of the stairs trying to remember if I was going up or if I had just came down.
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That is a sign of high intelligence. Your brain couldn't be bothered with trivial things.
 
Hello everyone.
This is the original poster.

After months of prayer and counsel I have decided to leave my church.

It is a good church in many respects but also one which is lacking in many respects. No church is perfect but this is not the one for me. After 10 years I am gracefully leaving.

Issues include:
- that outlined in the thread on pastor trying to control all bible discussion in private time with other members of church. I cannot submit to this.
- my pastor is a psychologist and much of the preaching is "principles" from the bible to overcome problems etc. He will pray for God to be glorified etc but the teaching is centred on psychology techniques of applying principles to help people.
I see things much differently. I think the core is the gospel. I believe that we need to see and know God and through doing so more and more we will be transformed day to day. When we see God for who He is we will desire to die to ourselves and live for Him.
Prayer and Bible is mentioned in sermons but it almost seems like a footnote rather than the absolute two means of transformation and power in our lives.
Spiritual maturity needs to be such a fundamental emphasis. The Biblical "idea" of spiritual maturity, not just behaving well and smiling.

My pastor is a genuine man of integrity and I have no doubt that he is doing the best that he knows how but I just don't agree with him.

Other pastors that I have met with get this totally. But when I saw him very humbly and inquisitively he said I was "claiming higher revelation" that I "had to have other motives" for raising this and that I had an "Absalom spirit".
I felt this was a deflection from the theological points that I desired to discuss with an open bible.

It's been tough but I know I've made the right decision.
 
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