None's on the rise, not on the run

[hotcoffee]

Originally Posted by Zguy28

Pastor Keyser retired in December. So, I am preaching there tomorrow. Wish I could meet you. Probably won't be the last time I will be over there though I'm sure.

One question, if you believe that is what a church should be like, why didn't you stay?

I would only caution you to be careful with letting feelings and intuition majority inform your judgment. Obvious doctrinal dysfunction or heresy is different.

Pastor Keyser was at Southern Calvert with Pastor Hancock at Southern Calvert....when I was active there.

After they left the church just changed so much.... I'm sure you've heard that all before...

Obvious doctrinal dysfunction is easy to spot if you spent your life in the church. I come from a long line of preachers, deacons, and teachers.

[cheezgrits]

So the most touching church service I've ever attended was at a Scout camp. O a hill in the woods, you had to walk through an alley of towering pines to get to the outdoor chapel, benches made from logs, a pulpit made from rocks. It was a non-denominational service. We call the, Scouts Own Service. It's a service to touch on the points of Scout laws and oaths and how we turn them to everyday life. It was a beautiful morning, birds chirping, breeze blowing through the trees. A hawk landed on a tree, observing us. I truly felt the spirit of the Creator there with me.

So, how is this not a church? No organized deacons, politics, building committees, no clicks, no acceptance rituals, no judgment, no requirement to tithe, no after service coffee clutches, no dress code, just people gathered to observe a moment in time in fellowship and a recognition of something bigger than all of us.

Tell me again why it's not a church. Why your church is right and mine is wrong.

[StoneThrower]

Originally Posted by PsyOps

Calling me out for what? Because I don't go to a structure called a 'church'? Are there no other ways to assemble? This is the very reason I don't attend 'church'; because people like you have very narrow and limited view about how things should be. You try to define in a very singular way how you think everyone should worship; and if we don't you call our salvation into question.

When Orthadoxy (which many can regurgitate correctly) and Orthorpraxy dont match, the world has a term for that, hypocrisy.

If you say you believe Gods Word and Christ is your Lord (anyone not just you) but He isnt, than theres a problem. 1st John address that with a fruit test. Yesterday, I heard Adrian Rogers address this very thing. How can you say you love the head of the church and not the body they are insepteratable?
How can you say you love the groom, but not his bride, thats offensive to the Lord.

Yes there are other ways to assemble but not for corporate worship, nor are they in view with the verse not to foresake the assembly?

You say so yourself, the reason you dont attend is because your somehow better. "What do you have that you were not given"?

How do you take communion reguraly?

How do you partake in corporate worship, with the saints that have gone on before us?

Fellowship needs to have Christ at the very center of it and requires walking with.
Personal scantification can not take place till the body is being scantifed at the same time.

For a Christ follower to not follow his Lords commands, and participate in His plan for the church, and not be a part of His other followers.

Thats a very differnt duck, it may quack like a duck, but it isnt walking like a duck, or feeding where ducks feed, and eating what ducks eat and it dosent look like a duck. Am I to be convinced its a duck there is no church behind it affirming its testimony? Are you really sure your a duck?

[StoneThrower]

Originally Posted by hotcoffee

Going to Prince Frederick tomorrow.... I think... The Potter's Place is one of the best churches in the area... I'd highly recommend it to anyone... it's alive... and working.... Good example of what a church should be like...

I know the Preacher there... he's awesome... and he teaches the truth all the time!

:

Potters Place no longer has a pastor, but has various people filling the pulpit every Sunday.

[StoneThrower]

Originally Posted by RPMDAD

My first post in this forum topic, and i am not here to judge anyone. Also i apologize if this has bee brought up before. I do believe in God and i do accept Jesus and i am not an unbeliever. I find your forum name interesting StoneThrower especially in a religious type forum. I thought Jesus said "let he who is without sin, cast the first stone" and yet your forum name is StoneThrower. I am a little confused about the name you use and some of your opinions shown on this forum. Do you really feel in your heart when Jesus said "let he who is without sin, cast the first stone" you would have been a Stone Thrower? By the way, i am technically a none, i believe in God and accept Jesus, but i do not belong to any formal church.

Hi,
Your reading way to much into the name. It was chosen because "People in Glass House Shouldnt Throw Stones", It had nothing to do with scripture and I defintely live in a glass house (every Christian does) it also went well with the Avatar of the album cover Billy Joel's Glass houses, which was probably what I was listening to when I picked the name.

I dont belive in coddling false converts, as I was one myself for many years. I believed once saved always saved, and I still do, the problem was I was never born again, but had a expirence and was prounced as being saved, because I said a prayer and really really meant it. I had no concept of Lordship salvation though, and what that meant. I had accepted Jesus as Savior but he wasnt my Lord, and I was still calling all the shots. Just like your hearing in here with the excuses. By the way one of the downwards steps in sinning is justifing it.

I cant judge anyones heart, nor am I trying, but scripture says by their fruits you will know them. Christians love being with other Christians you cant keep them apart. If the fruit is not there, or smells rotten it’s much more kind to tell someone, even if they get their feelings hurt or get upset with you, than let them be self deceived. The heart is deceitfully wicked who can know it? We not only lie to others but we lie to ourselves about our true state and that is exactly what Satan wants, he doesn’t care if you are religious, or love a God that you crafted to suit your needs, or if you religiously attend a church or are a religious do gooder, He's thrilled to keep people in that state.

All I am asking is folks that make excuses for un Christian like behavior examine themselves to see if they are in the truth.

When someone would rather be in a bar on Sunday Morning then a church that's a really bad sign. When someone is self righteous and making excuses that out of 200 churches they can’t find one, that’s a bad sign especially when it’s all about them and what satisfies them. Church isn’t all about us; it’s all about God and offering glory to him.

[PsyOps (Premo)]

Originally Posted by StoneThrower

You say so yourself, the reason you dont attend is because your somehow better.

Where the heck did I say this? Making things up, in any other words, is a lie.

Originally Posted by StoneThrower

For a Christ follower to not follow his Lords commands, and participate in His plan for the church, and not be a part of His other followers.

Whatever God’s plan for the Church is, I have yet to see it. What I’ve seen is churches caught up in money, bigger is better, greed, ritual, ideals and practices that are not biblical, and judgmentalism. If you don’t follow my denomination you’re not saved. If you are part of that denomination you’re not saved.

None of the denominations can agree on practices and ideology. The ‘body of Christ’ is broken. The ‘Church’ can’t even agree on who/what Christ is, and yet you accuse me of not understanding this simply because I wont attend the very thing that is broken.

[hotcoffee]

To those of you who are also reading the Matthew threads.... as we go on with the New Testament reading.... we'll get into how we are supposed to worship.

I'm actually looking forward to it....

We started in Matthew and the intent is to go from cover to cover.

[ladyhawk]

Originally Posted by hotcoffee

My apologies to everyone reading this thread....

I've continued to say the church needs to change.... but I haven't said how it needs to change....
Yes June, I'm talking to you.... you can get back to nature all you want to ... and I totally understand how close to God you feel when you are in nature... but unless you accept Jesus Christ into your heart... you will never see Heaven...

How do you know I haven't already seen it....

June

[hotcoffee]

Originally Posted by ladyhawk

How do you know I haven't already seen it....

June

June.... what's on earth here is nothing like what's in Heaven....

If you love nature here.... well.... I just can't imagine a word that would describe what you will experience there....

After all, June, Heaven is where God hangs out.... and since he made everything don't you think He would hang out in the best?

And.... unless you know Jesus... you don't get to see heaven....

[ladyhawk]

Originally Posted by hotcoffee

June.... what's on earth here is nothing like what's in Heaven....

If you love nature here.... well.... I just can't imagine a word that would describe what you will experience there....

After all, June, Heaven is where God hangs out.... and since he made everything don't you think He would hang out in the best?

And.... unless you know Jesus... you don't get to see heaven....

Quite Frankly, I do love nature but that has nothing to do with my previous post.. with exception to who created it...

June