"quote" And when one makes a stand against what is established, that very establishment will come after you with all their might because you threaten their very existence. "quote"I must agree with you there, brother.I think the question is: Has the church become completely beyond redemption?That is where some good Christians may disagree.
_________________Fifi
"I think the question is: Has the church become completely beyond redemption?That is where some good Christians may disagree"And on that we agree brother :) ........ brother Frank
Matthew 13:24, 25 "Another parable put He forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, His enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way."John 9:4 "I must work the works of Him that sent me, while it is day..."1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 "But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do."The early church was immersed in the power of the Holy Spirit because they were awake and children of light and of the day. They were sober, they were vigilant, they were watching at the watchtower. The majority of the church today is beyond lulled and beyond sleeping... they're dead (1 Timothy 5:6). They're too busy watching TV and movies than watching the sheep and for the enemy.Men slept...The enemy plants hypocrites (false prophets) in the world to fool the saved and the unsaved - they're actors, fooling you is what they do best. He is able to do this because appointed men of God are passed out asleep, drunk with worldliness. We're exposed like Noah was, our shame is so evident. And our enemy laughs and is able to plant religious workers of iniquity. The name of God is blasphemed in the world because of this (Romans 2:24). Do you have areas in your life where you are lax and lulled and comfortable with worldliness that leads to sin and death?Ephesians 5:14-18 "Wherefore He saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit..."while it's day...The early church followed our Lord. He was urgent and quick with obedience, ever inclined to the Father. He was under the authority of His Father. He knew the night was coming soon and He was compelled to watch and pray and listen and act while He could, while it was still day. If you're still alive, you have the day! Let us follow our Lord's example. The early church was sober and vigilant during their day and see what they accomplished. See the outpouring of the Spirit and His prevailing power, delivering the captives!We still have time, you're alive, it's still day. The revival starts in YOU. Submit to each other and be clothed with humility... humble yourself under the mighty hand of God... THEN will He exalt YOU... thus the church! Please allow revival to begin in YOU.
Appolus.I am saddened that our Church had devolved to this low level as early as 250 AD. It had long been my view that the corruption of the Pristine Christian Church occurred when Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity, and banned paganism, took over and looted the Pagan temples, and turned many into Churches. I call the early Church 'PRISTINE' because there existed no earthly rewards for being a Christian, except for God's grace upon them. Christians were constantly severely persecuted. Thus the only reason to be a Christian is true faith in Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross.When Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire, pagans converted en masse to Christianity simply because that was where the power and money was to be found. In place of their Gods and Goddesses, they brought into Christianity their paganism, disguised as being Christian. They introduced praying the to dead male and female saints, with each saint representing a different want that they desired. And they made Rome to be the seat of Peter, there never was a seat of Peter, it can not be found in the Bible.But now you reveal to me that Christians in circa 250 AD was not at all pristine, they were killing fellow Christians, albeit claimed to be apostates. THERE IS NO AUTHORIZATION IN THE NT FOR CHRISTIANS TO MURDER OTHER CHRISTIANS OR EVEN APOSTATES because of their beliefs..There was no Catholic Church in 260 AD. It slowly evolved into existence from the time Constantine Declared Christianity as the official Religion of the Roman Empire, up to Pope Leo who made it official that only the Bishop of Rome could be THE LEADER, the POPE of the Christian Church, and He was a Bishop of Rome. BTW, The Mediterranean area were not the only places where Christianity existed. There were Christians throughout Africa and Asia that were not associated with the Church of Rome.As for young girls piercing their ears, I'm not for it. If they choose to pierce their ears in their latter teens, it is their choice. Their Christianity will not depend on not wearing earrings, but of their acceptance and relationship with Jesus Christ, and their heart condition.
_________________Arthur Biele
deedandtruth wrote:"Matthew 13:24, 25 "Another parable put He forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, His enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way."John 9:4 "I must work the works of Him that sent me, while it is day..."1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 "But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do."The early church was immersed in the power of the Holy Spirit because they were awake and children of light and of the day. They were sober, they were vigilant, they were watching at the watchtower. The majority of the church today is beyond lulled and beyond sleeping... they're dead (1 Timothy 5:6). They're too busy watching TV and movies than watching the sheep and for the enemy.Men slept...The enemy plants hypocrites (false prophets) in the world to fool the saved and the unsaved - they're actors, fooling you is what they do best. He is able to do this because appointed men of God are passed out asleep, drunk with worldliness. We're exposed like Noah was, our shame is so evident. And our enemy laughs and is able to plant religious workers of iniquity. The name of God is blasphemed in the world because of this (Romans 2:24). Do you have areas in your life where you are lax and lulled and comfortable with worldliness that leads to sin and death?Ephesians 5:14-18 "Wherefore He saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit..."while it's day...The early church followed our Lord. He was urgent and quick with obedience, ever inclined to the Father. He was under the authority of His Father. He knew the night was coming soon and He was compelled to watch and pray and listen and act while He could, while it was still day. If you're still alive, you have the day! Let us follow our Lord's example. The early church was sober and vigilant during their day and see what they accomplished. See the outpouring of the Spirit and His prevailing power, delivering the captives!We still have time, you're alive, it's still day. The revival starts in YOU. Submit to each other and be clothed with humility... humble yourself under the mighty hand of God... THEN will He exalt YOU... thus the church! Please allow revival to begin in YOU. "Amen!!!God Bless you!!- Travis
_________________Travis
deedandtruth, I will join Travis in saying 'Amen' to your post.You'll be glad to hear that in my circles where I live, the Church is alive and well and bearing fruit."The enemy plants hypocrites (false prophets) in the world to fool the saved and the unsaved - they're actors, fooling you is what they do best. He is able to do this because appointed men of God are passed out asleep, drunk with worldliness. We're exposed like Noah was, our shame is so evident. And our enemy laughs and is able to plant religious workers of iniquity. The name of God is blasphemed in the world because of this (Romans 2:24). Do you have areas in your life where you are lax and lulled and comfortable with worldliness that leads to sin and death?"Could you expand on this paragraph as to: Who is the 'we' and 'our' that you are talking about?Surely you are not talking about yourself?
1 Samuel 16:7But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at......whether or not we have pierced ears, or dyed hair, or things like hair length, makeup, and necklaces. According to the initial post at least.Somehow I remember God actually wording it a bit different than that though.
[Edit: I corrected the misspellings.]Thank you for posting Brother Greg. The spirit of the writing is pure; the author, I know, later sealing his testimony with his own blood...A true Christian, (one at peace with God, through faith in His dear Son), strives to obey every commandment of his Lord and Master. He strives therefore to excel in being a shining light to the lost and benighted mass of people on every side. It is no light thing then, dear Brothers, to be a representative of the Creator God to this wicked world. No my friends, it is a GREAT thing, an AWESOME responsibility. Our public walk, the life we live, has ETERNAL consequences...Sisters: You are precious in God's sight and one of the mightiest weapons in God's arsenal. A chaste, holy, Godly woman stops the mouth of the wicked; she devastates the spiritually wicked strongholds, pounding their walls to dust... Knowing the great good that is in your power to fight for the Kingdom of God, you have a responsibility to act. If you are doing everything in your power,(everything that can reasonably be done), to stop wicked men from committing spiritual adultery with you, you are doing well. But if the Spirit convicts otherwise, prayerfully search the Scriptures to find out what you must now do.In the end, those of us who know God, who have Christ dwelling within, are free. We are free from Pharaseeism on one side, and we are free from Reactionism on the other. We are free to love God with all our hearts; we are free to love everyone, yes, even laying down our lives for them, if need be.Now let us go forth in this glorious liberty and shock the world again. Let us go forth in the beauty of holiness and in the brilliance of God's reflected light.Be well in Christ,Doug
Thank you bro. Travis, I receive that! Much grace to you!!
That report is an encouragement to me bro. ArtB. In what I've been witnessing, it seems to be very rare for local body's to be alive and bearing fruit unfortunately. I'm greatly grieved by this and am constantly praying and remaining hopeful by bearing, believing the best and enduring all things (1 Corinthians 13:7). Only through His love can we do this so we must continue to beg for more of Him and less of us.To answer your question, I believe we're in this together. There was a time when I was deceived, whirling round and round in the world's system. My job at one point took so much of my thoughts, energy and time. I know first hand what's its like to feel trapped as a sincere Christian, feeling that you can't escape yourself and the worldliness that's ever so present. I know shame and I know guilt... I know what it is to be appointed but feeling trapped in the world and stuck in the mire of sin. I WAS apart of the 'we' and 'our' at one point in my walk but God got in the pit and rescued me as I truly repented! The pit can't touch Him! Greater is He that is in me than He that is in this world! I identify and suffer with any 'sinner' desperately wanting out of the mire and worldliness. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. We must humble ourselves and seek repentance wrought forth by godly sorrow, not a worldly sorrow that is proud. Truly sit still and think of the magnitude of ONE sin. ONE sin led to what we're dealing with now in 2011. How much more vast and greater is ONE deliberate sin today in our bodies, the temple of God? He will destroy us (1 Corinthians 3:16,17). We need light on the magnitude of sin; yet where sin abounded, grace did much more abound (Romans 5:20). He knows us and extends His mercy but take heed, He judges righteously.
