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MrBillPro
Member



Joined: 2005/2/24
Posts: 3422
Texas

 Re:

Quote:

BrianMira wrote:
Greetings All...
Silly, I know, but this thread started out as humor in a unhumorous world...let's not take joy from one another, there are enough of those people in the world already.
God Bless / One Love
Brian



Amen Brian, Might I add, you might know if your visiting a bad Church "these days" if you happen to see someone smiling.:-) It's kind of funny we have about two or three of us "one is me" at Church that people just seem to flock to before the service begins just to laugh with us because were alive in the Joy of Christ, it's almost as though these folks hate to return to their seats when the service is beginning, go figure. :-P


_________________
Bill

 2007/2/6 14:20Profile









 Re:

Now that, Murray, I can agree with. We all can easily get caught up in spiritual pride. It happens to me all the time, especially on this forum.

I dont believe everyone posted with malice & pride. I think your post shows that you understand that. One thing Ian did was he caused my to examine my own motives. I think I was being honest when I expressed that this thread is very sobering for me... meaning saddening. Sad that the church in this country has become so immune to the Word that it has slipped away from the things of God and become a circus.

In a way the American church reminds me of Israel when Moses was on the mount. They built a golden calf and began to behave worse than pagans. God told Moses to go take a look... and Moses was shocked.

Thats where we're at, only it isnt Moses comin'... it's Jesus.

Most churches are not holy anymore. They are profane. And I'll go out on a limb and say many are just flat out lost.

Krispy

 2007/2/6 14:21









 Re:

Hey Bill... I thought you attended Osteen's happy church???

:-) :-( :-D ;-) :-o

Krispy

 2007/2/6 14:22
MrBillPro
Member



Joined: 2005/2/24
Posts: 3422
Texas

 Re:

Quote:

KrispyKrittr wrote:
Hey Bill... I thought you attended Osteen's happy church???

:-) :-( :-D ;-) :-o

Krispy



Actually, I quit going there I got "plenty happy" to last me for a while, now I am at a meat of the Word Church but hey they don't know what happy is everyone looks like this :-x there except me, so I am still attending, but also looking for one with Meat and Happiness I really think I will probably never find one but I am going to stretch my faith and hope for one in the near future. :-)


_________________
Bill

 2007/2/6 14:30Profile









 Re:

Total Topics...14282

Total Posts...112566

Total Humorous...1 (You know you've visited a bad church if...)

Numbers, like scripture, or anything else can always be used to make your point...good or bad.

Relax in Jesus,
Brian

 2007/2/6 14:40









 Re:

Check out this paper if you think this thread is a waste of time and the warning doesn't need to go out:

http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/orrel12.html

 2007/2/6 16:05









 Re:

Quote:
Numbers, like scripture, or anything else can always be used to make your point...good or bad.



Brian... maybe I'm thick or something... what's your point you're trying to make? :-)

Krispy

 2007/2/6 16:21
PaulWest
Member



Joined: 2006/6/28
Posts: 3405
Dallas, Texas

 Re:

Quote:
don't have a problem with a V-Day dinner either.



The point with the V-Day dinner is that it took place in my church a few weeks after a brother delivered a message about how worldly-integrated the church of Jesus Christ has become, how far it has fallen from its Apostolic beginnings. The brother mentioned in passing how the "house of prayer" which Christ was so zealous for has since degenerated into a banal meeting place where worldly, secular festivals are now upheld and even sponsored! This was right after Christmas. Our pastor wasn't there for the message, and, sadly, the next week everyone saw in the church bulletin:

Come to Valentine's Nite for Couples!
Chocolate-dipped Strawberries
Gourmet cuisine
Candlelight dining and dancing
Cost per couple - $20.00

I'm sorry, brethren. Call me a legalist hypocrite if you like - but this really vexed me in the spirit. And I think it would vex [i]anyone[/i] who has been praying for revival of holiness and brokeness and personal travail. Actually, I got what I prayed for - spiritual anguish - over the compromised and worldly state of my church. God always answers prayer! The answers are invariably "yes", "no", or "wait." God gave me travail, only through a means I wasn't expecting.

I pray this post is understood.

Brother Paul


_________________
Paul Frederick West

 2007/2/6 16:28Profile
iansmith
Member



Joined: 2006/3/22
Posts: 963
Wheaton, IL

 Re:

I think my whole focus, however abrasive was that instead of focusing on what other churches are doing wrong that we should instead focus on what we are doing to get right with Jesus.

There is a place for the Leonard Ravenhills and Keith Greens to go out and storm strongholds -but there's also a place for quiet intercessors like Praying Payson of Portland (one of Len's favorites).

One of the incredible blessings we have here at SermonIndex is the wealth of scriptural teaching -but just like Jesus' disciples we can still bicker about who's greater than one another even after listening to an amazing sermon by Zac Poonen or Art Katz. That is what I see so often in this forum -and it gets to me.

I hope it gets to you too...

The other day I was sitting in a cafe, and I overheard a conversation between a highschool student and a college advisor. This kid told the advisor how his parents were missionaries and he grew up in Russia, and he hoped to goto Princeton University and study business so that he could go abroad like his parents.

I sat there and slapped my head and thought to myself -why doesn't this kid go and follow his parents into the mission field instead of getting into a hundred thousand dollars worth of debt going to Princeton. The mission field is way more exciting than international business!

I very seriously thought about going and interupting, but realized that the realization was not for his sake, but for mine! If I had gone over there and broken in I would have looked like a fool -even if what I said was entirely truthful!

But here's what I also realized -God has shown me that missions are exciting and that's where he's put my heart! But that young man's heart was elsewhere, and it may be that God is going to use him in international business for His glory.

How much more like a fool would I have looked if I'd walked over there and said he should go be a missionary if he'd already been told by his parents to goto Princeton, if he'd had it confirmed by God in his heart and been encouraged by his church.

The fact of the matter is that we sit and accuse all of these churches of sin -some of them no doubt are sinning. But on the off chance that some of them are being lead in a different direction and ministry than ourselves, I would not be so bold as to condemn them all!


_________________
Ian Smith

 2007/2/6 16:36Profile
iansmith
Member



Joined: 2006/3/22
Posts: 963
Wheaton, IL

 Re:

Paul,

I don't know if you're married -I should start by saying that I'm not, but God help me I'd like to be some day! But for me, I think about it this way; if I had a wife I'd want to do something special for her on valentines day. So what if it's a pagan festival, we can eat meat sacrificed to idols.

This would be an wonderful opportunity to spend some time with your wife, show her how much you love her and do it in the presence of your church brethren!

Honestly, I think by doing it at the church, they're actually taking the pagan out of valentines vs. putting the pagan in the church!

Like Zac Poonen said about the man with the TV, instead of condemning it, maybe the reason that you have a problem with it is because you have a condemning spirit in your own heart and you're living under the law.

Zac Poonen's answer to that man was to go and buy a TV. Instead of condemning his brothers who weren't walking in sin, Zac turned around and showed that brother who was really erring.

I wasn't going to mention it, but Mars Hill church had a party on New Years Eve -with wine! Yes they served wine and champaign in the church. Why? Because everyone attending was adults... they were going to have a Christian message, listen to some good music and celebrate the new year.

Now that was just one night, and if you took it out of context you'd think that Mars Hill was the most pagan church on the planet. But quite to the contrary, Mars Hill is one of the most dynamic and powerfully moving churches in the Seattle area. Heavily involved in missions and social ministries, preaching the Gospel from the word of God with authority!

You can even download a sermon from Mars Hill, and no doubt you'll here the word SIN, and that Jesus is the only way! That we have to get on the cross. But if we condemn them for having a new years eve outreach party with drinks and a band we'll entirely miss the fact that they are walking powerfully with the Lord and doing mighty works in his name!


_________________
Ian Smith

 2007/2/6 16:47Profile





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