Results 1 - 7 of 7
|
|
|||||
Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Please I'm looking for your opinion! | Bible general Archive 2 | EdB | 101991 | ||
I was sent this yesterday and I found it interesting. I thought I would post it to the forum for comments. Plese read this and tell me what us what you think on this subject. "I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH." MATTHEW 16:18 The church's all-time biggest blunders is never too late to learn from our blunders. Here are 7: (1) We've made unbelief a doctrine. While third-world nations believe God for New Testament results, we teach our seminary students that God doesn't do miracles anymore. (2) We've tolerated division. Who needs the devil when we're so adept at hating one another in the name of denominational loyalty? (3) We've cultivated a religious spirit. We've taught that Christianity is about avoiding things like smoking and drinking. As a result we've lost our joy, because intimacy with God cannot be achieved through performance. (4) We've encouraged "super stars. " Consequently, some of our preachers have stopped modeling servanthood, and forgotten that Jesus washed feet and rode on a donkey. (5) We've equated money with success. We've found a way to "theologize" greed, instead of using our God-given prosperity to feed the poor and reach the world with the Gospel. (6) We've stayed in the pews and become irrelevant. We freak out when somebody uses rap or rock music to reach the younger generation. Instead of engaging the culture we're hiding from it. (7) We've taught people to be escape-artists. Instead of "occupying till He comes," we'd rather be astronauts and fly away. We read rapture novels when we should be praying for those living on the verge of martyrdom. Why can't we have their kind of faith? We can - if we're willing to pay the price and commit ourselves fully to God! |
||||||
2 | Please I'm looking for your opinion! | Bible general Archive 2 | John Reformed | 101992 | ||
Hi Ed, While there is some truth in what the writer says, I find it overly critical; an idictment of all people, in all churches in America. That is obviously not the case. The tone of the writer is somewhat self-righteouss. He complains, but offers nothing but complaints as if he is above it all! I thought that Satan was the accuser of the brethren. I know...I've been guilty of complaining and hand wringing also. But that don't make it right! Which one of us does not pray and long for God to give us the strength and grace to live our lives as Christ led His? We all desire a much greater degree of holiness and obediance to be manifested in our walk of faith. Listen! God is on His throne. He is ruling over His creation and He will accomplish all His good pleasure. That is the great comfort that the saints stand on. Things may look grim and the church may seem to be tottering on the brink, but Praise God, He will hold us up by His power and might and we will see the final victory! Things looked pretty bad to God's children after the crucifixtion also...It was Friday...but Sunday was coming. Take courage. The angels of the Lord are encamped all around us and we're all in this fight together. Your brother in Christ, John |
||||||
3 | Please I'm looking for your opinion! | Bible general Archive 2 | EdB | 102020 | ||
John Is this writer the accuser of the brethern or the watchman on wall sounding the alarm? Yes God is in control but as we see many places in the Old Testament God's people don't always do what God desires and many times God allows us enough rope, if you will, to get ourselves into real trouble. Once again Christianity is a participation religion not one like Islam where things happen due to Kismet. Prayer changes things and we even see prayer changing God direction. I believe we have more actual control over our destiny than you do. EdB |
||||||
4 | Please I'm looking for your opinion! | Bible general Archive 2 | John Reformed | 102031 | ||
Hi Ed, He's probably neither an accuser or a watchman. I think he's just upset. Many of us are. The question is...is God upset? I don't believe that he is upset. In fact I'm certain that He has not changed His eternal plan one iota. Neither do I believe that we, apart from grace, can hit a lick Now...don't be shocked...but, I'm not into kismet or fatalism. Not one who says "Why pray? If God wants something to happen, it will happen regardless of my prayers." What I do believe is that God ordains our prayers as a means by which His will is manifested on Earth. "Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven". I also hold that every good work which God has ordained for us to do will be done. How? By giving us the opportunity, the desire, the ability and every tool we need to accomplish it. Can we take credit for it? No, because it is not ourselves that have done it, but Christ in us! I think we lose sight of that fact from time to time. Matt 16:18 "I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. Num 23:19 "God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? What we need Is some good old fashioned exhortation from the Word of God. That comfort that causes our hope to rise in or breast, that causes us to quit looking down at our shoes but instead, lifts up our heads toward Heaven from whence our salvaion comes! Glory to God! John God Bless, John |
||||||
5 | Please I'm looking for your opinion! | Bible general Archive 2 | EdB | 102065 | ||
John I have absolutely no doubt God is in control of tomorrow however I do believe prayer changes things. Which occurs first? I think you find yourself in the old chicken and egg go around. However whether you want to admit it or not your are fatalistic and very much do hold to Kismet. You view God in total control and we are made to act and react according to His plan. I say God's plan is so all inclusive that no matter how we act or react we fit into His plan. Exodus 32:10-11 Now therefore, let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them. And I will make of you a great nation." [11] Then Moses pleaded with the Lord his God, and said: "Lord, why does Your wrath burn hot against Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Genesis 18:20-26 And the Lord said, "Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, [21] I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know." [22] Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. [23] And Abraham came near and said, "Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked? [24] Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it? [25] Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" [26] So the Lord said, "If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes." Numbers 11:2 Then the people cried out to Moses, and when Moses prayed to the Lord, the fire was quenched. Numbers 21:7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, "We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord that He take away the serpents from us." So Moses prayed for the people. Deut. 9:20 And the Lord was very angry with Aaron and would have destroyed him; so I prayed for Aaron also at the same time. 2 Samuel 24:17 Then David spoke to the Lord when he saw the angel who was striking the people, and said, "Surely I have sinned, and I have done wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray, be against me and against my father's house." Even Jesus went to the cross out of obedience not because God forced Him. His prayer in the garden reveals this along with Jesus' claim that legions of angels were at his disposal to free Him should He so desire. Your arguement doesn't hold water in light of what has actually taken place in scripture. I don't want to argue this with you and I won't so let it go! EdB |
||||||
6 | Please I'm looking for your opinion! | Bible general Archive 2 | John Reformed | 102131 | ||
Dear Ed, You said "I have absolutely no doubt God is in control of tomorrow however I do believe prayer changes things. Which occurs first? I think you find yourself in the old chicken and egg go around." Not me...I don't concern myself with whether or not God has ordained our prayers. I know that He has! You see, we really do not know how to pray as we should. That is why God's Spirit within us intercedes on our behalf. I believe that our prayers are "good works" which God has pre-pared before hand for us to do. It is possible that I am wrong. But until God reveals my error to me, I am bound by my consciece to follow the light that I have been given. You said yourself that you don't know for sure; you called it " the old chicken and egg go around." Forgive me Ed, but you rarely get what I say right. I never said that prayer is ineffective or does'nt change things, which your post infers my position to be. I simply believe that my prayers are a result of the Holy Spirit's moving in my heart and His interceding of my prayers in such a way (ineffable groanings of the Spirit) that they are effective because they are God speaking to Himself through me. Is it possible to change God's mind? No! He is immutable and changeth not. He is omniscient and knows EVERYTHING from alpha to omega. He does'nt need to be informed or advised by anyone. He knows our needs before we do, and has known them throughout eternity! Our prayers are for our benefit. God uses them as a means for us to have communion with Him. They are a comfort and joy for the saint. They give us an outlet for our hopes and fears. They provide us an opportunity to have an audience with The Lord God,the Creator and Ruler of All that exists, our loving Father. It was His good pleasure for us to be co-workers with Him in the working out of His eternal plan. But God is not dependent on us. His plan will not fail because we are at times dis-obediant or lazy. No...His will will be done. God Bless Ed, John |
||||||
7 | Please I'm looking for your opinion! | Bible general Archive 2 | Radioman2 | 102142 | ||
Prayer does not change GOD. Prayer changes US. | ||||||