mwdegutis Loc: Illinois

Geri Ungurean
I can just hear the evil one whispering to church leadership “If you would just make it more fun, more worldly, you would attract more people. They won't even feel like they’re in church!”

And so goes the slippery slope in the Seeker Sensitive churches. The Word of God becomes obscure — almost obsolete. Surely people know how to pack their church pews, right? They make sure that the name of Jesus is mentioned, at least a few times. But the main thing is that everyone has a good time. After all, we want them to come back!

Why not throw in some Eastern Meditation? Most of the women in the congregation attend Yoga each week anyway, so why not create a Christian form of meditation. Not the meditation of which God speaks in the Word — not filling our minds with His Word. No, no…..just emptying our minds of all noise and trouble. Maybe some visualization; yes, you’re at the beach and you hear the birds and the waves and smell that salt air…..and then ohm ohm ohm……..

Then there is that business of God. Is He the same god as other religions worship? Well, certainly there is only one God, so He must be the same as the Muslims worship, right? We don’t want to alienate people. We want everyone to feel a part of the experience of worship. God can be called by many names, right? What does it matter…..Jehovah or Allah?

ENOUGH!!!!!

Do these people not know that their hearts are far from the Lord?

“Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the t***h.” (2 Timothy 3:5-7)

Can these people actually believe that Jesus Christ would come to earth to die the most horrific death at the hands of wicked men, so that they could come once a week (maybe twice) to a building to socialize and have fun? Do they never read the Word of God? Has no one ever told them that they are wretched sinners, and that Jesus came to pay their sin debt? Have they not heard of repentance and placing their trust in Jesus for salvation?

When these Sunday socialites approach Jesus, they will hear the most dreaded words in the Bible:

“Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matthew 7:22-23)

They will be distraught and dumbfounded. All the good deeds they did in His name. All the people they served from their church pantries. Why would He say these words to them?

SALVATION IS A GIFT
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: (it is) the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

WE MUST BELIEVE
“For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:11-13)

CHRIST DIED FOR US
“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

GOD LOVED US SO MUCH
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” (John 3:16-17)

ONLY JESUS CAN SAVE US
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

WE MUST CONFESS
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

THOSE WHO DO NOT BELIEVE WILL NOT BE SAVED
“He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” (Mark 16:16)

WE MUST ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE ARE SINNERS
“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

WE MUST BE BORN AGAIN
“Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and [of] the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5)

WE MUST DO GOD’S WILL
“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21)

What is God's will?

"Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." (Matthew 22:36-40)

These Scriptures about salvation are key to our becoming children of God. They have nothing to do with how many good things we did in church.

All of the so-called “Righteous deeds” that we have done in our flesh, are as filthy rags before our Lord:

“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” (Isaiah 64:6)

So, that means that all of the things that church goers do to try to enter the Kingdom of heaven are to no avail. IT’S ALL ABOUT JESUS!!

If a person has not come to the place in their life where they know that they are sinful, desperately in need of a righteous Savior (Jesus) and they have not repented of their sinful life, and have not placed their trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins, then they have not been born again. When a person comes to God with a broken spirit, and kneels before Him and confesses their need for Him; only then are they truly born again. This is a supernatural event!

After a person has been born again, then their good works are very important — they are the evidence of genuine salvation!

And until that takes place in the persons’ life, the Word of God will not make sense to them.

“But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is t***h, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.” (1John 2:27)

When we are truly born again, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us. He guides us; teaches us, and leads us unto righteousness.

Have you been trying to reach God by good works? Do you notice that there is an emptiness inside of you? You are trying to do that which only God can do. He is the one who saves you.

Commit your life to Christ today. Tell him how sorry you are for your past sins. Tell him that you know that you need Him. Ask Him to come into your life and your heart and t***sform you into a child of God. He will do it! He waits for you.

“O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.” (Psalm 34:8)

Shalom b’Yeshua

MARANATHA!

Weaver

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Mountain Woman Loc: the wide open spaces

The Koran itself makes clear that Jehovah and Allah are not one and the same, for it states, "Let it not be said, 'Allah has a son...Allah has no son.'"
"(God) spared not his Own Son, but freely delivered Him up for us all, how shall he not, with Him, freely give us all things?" Romans 8:32
Doesn't resemble the god of Islam to me!

DanceTherapist Loc: NYC, now Oakland, Ca

I really liked your post. I actually enjoyed the quote at the bottom. If you are over 20, and so on.
I cannot say much more. Whoa! I really don't know about the "Sunday" socialites...I accept that this is so.
It is certainly not about "Jesus" if one goes to church to be seen! A saviour. A Jewish carpenter. Humble. Loving.
Kind. Tending to all..this is how I see Jesus.

I am not a "Christian". Jesus and His Holiness, the Dalai Lama,, and the new Pope - all about loving kindness. And, about ridding corruption...Jesus was punished for his radical deeds. DanceTherapist.

mwdegutis Loc: Illinois

Jesus came as the Suffering Servant the first time he was here. He won't be the next time but will come as the Conquering King. And I can guarantee it will not start out very pretty.

Mountain Woman Loc: the wide open spaces

Actually, Jesus was punished for OUR radical deeds. Romans
5:8 says,"While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
In John 10:17-18 quotes Jesus Himself forthtells, "...I
lay down my life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again."
Jesus never sinned...He never had to say, "Oops."

fiatlux

"Having a form of godliness" has been one of those verses that really struck home and revealed its enormous depths. Acting kind, gentle, patient, or any of the fruit of love without actually having this fruit is "a form of godliness." We are to be genuine or we will never mature. Looking like a good Christian and being as Christ are a universe apart. It is to become as little children, not pose as little children. "You will cry 'Lord! Lord!' but I will not know you."

mwdegutis Loc: Illinois

All of what you say is well and good but it ain't worth diddly squat unless you are saved and changed by the cleansing blood of the cross of Jesus Christ.

fiatlux

What I said is what it means to be actually changed by the power of grace and the spirit.

mwdegutis Loc: Illinois

You've STILL left out Jesus Christ.

no propaganda please Loc: moon orbiting the third rock from the sun

I am adding this prayer here, because I think it is appropriate.

Prayer for April 3, 2015
t***h
What is t***h? Is t***h just what we can understand with our senses. that is empirical t***h- the concept that all knowledge is derived from the senses- what we can see, hear, taste, weigh or measure. It is not t***h if it cannot be calibrated. Obviously moral t***hs cannot be stuffed into a test tube or studied under a microscope. As a result, moral t***hs have come to be considered just matters of opinion., not t***hs at all, but merely expressions of emotion. If knowledge is based ultimately on sensations, then morality too must derive from sensations-pain or pleasure according to this concept.We call things good when they cause us pleasure and bad when they give us pain. Philosophers have come to the conclusion that morality is just a matter of taste and sentiment. As such one man's pain is another man's pleasure, so inflicting pain is immoral for some people, and moral for others. Traditionally t***h has been conceived as a whole, both moral order and natural order. But by the new philosophy only the natural world can be recognized through the senses, so that is considered t***h. But moral order is not gotten through the senses, so has been reduced to subjective feelings, thus not to be considered moral but just individual preferences. Therefore religion which is the ultimate source of morality is just a preference, and what ever any one person perceives as moral is true for them and the rest of us have no right to condemn or argue with their choices. that goes for everything, even those things which have been considered immoral for hundreds of years.

In the past , people treated the gospel as a genuine t***h claim that could be supported by giving reasonable evidence. Now the average response is to say "what right do you have to say that? you are bigoted . you are intolerant. just who do you think you are, and what right do you have to judge anyone's behavior" Usually followed by "Judge not, lest you be judged" and for good measure "you must love one another, and love your neighbor as much as you love yourself" How do we approach those comments without sounding either wish washy or mean, nasty and hard hearted? just what do we do as Christians to spread the word of god and the love of Jesus Christ, who gave his life for our sins if we are not allowed to say that anything is immoral? do we have to tell people that stealing from their neighbor who has more than you do is moral because you needed those things? do we have to tell him that having sex outside of marriage is moral if your spouse doesn't mind? There is only one t***h-the T***h that is God. We cannot say that we accept God and His son Jesus, if we do not believe in the Ultimate and One and Only t***h. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was the T***h, and the Word was made God. That IS the t***h that we must believe deep within our hearts and minds or we are play acting and commuting fraud .

Almighty God, the Word of T***h is Thy very being. help us, your humble servants to understand this t***h in all its implications, and under all circumstances. Without a full acceptance of this t***h, our words ring hollow like the echo of the owl's call, with no spiritual meaning. It is difficult for us to fully grasp the entirety of this concept, and we pray that you will open our hearts fully so we can grasp the full meaning of Your T***h. If we are to do as you direct us, to spread Your word in every thought and deed in every waking minute of our earthly lives, we need to humble ourselves as children who learn at their parents feet, so we can feel the strength of the true word as it enters our very being. in the name of Jesus Christ we ask for the strength necessary to accomplish this immense task. AMEN AMEN AMEN

Please pray for all who need your prayers, that God will be with them and comfort them in their hour of need. Thank you.Prayer for April 3, 2015
t***h
What is t***h? Is t***h just what we can understand with our senses. that is empirical t***h- the concept that all knowledge is derived from the senses- what we can see, hear, taste, weigh or measure. It is not t***h if it cannot be calibrated. Obviously moral t***hs cannot be stuffed into a test tube or studied under a microscope. As a result, moral t***hs have come to be considered just matters of opinion., not t***hs at all, but merely expressions of emotion. If knowledge is based ultimately on sensations, then morality too must derive from sensations-pain or pleasure according to this concept.We call things good when they cause us pleasure and bad when they give us pain. Philosophers have come to the conclusion that morality is just a matter of taste and sentiment. As such one man's pain is another man's pleasure, so inflicting pain is immoral for some people, and moral for others. Traditionally t***h has been conceived as a whole, both moral order and natural order. But by the new philosophy only the natural world can be recognized through the senses, so that is considered t***h. But moral order is not gotten through the senses, so has been reduced to subjective feelings, thus not to be considered moral but just individual preferences. Therefore religion which is the ultimate source of morality is just a preference, and what ever any one person perceives as moral is true for them and the rest of us have no right to condemn or argue with their choices. that goes for everything, even those things which have been considered immoral for hundreds of years.

In the past , people treated the gospel as a genuine t***h claim that could be supported by giving reasonable evidence. Now the average response is to say "what right do you have to say that? you are bigoted . you are intolerant. just who do you think you are, and what right do you have to judge anyone's behavior" Usually followed by "Judge not, lest you be judged" and for good measure "you must love one another, and love your neighbor as much as you love yourself" How do we approach those comments without sounding either wish washy or mean, nasty and hard hearted? just what do we do as Christians to spread the word of god and the love of Jesus Christ, who gave his life for our sins if we are not allowed to say that anything is immoral? do we have to tell people that stealing from their neighbor who has more than you do is moral because you needed those things? do we have to tell him that having sex outside of marriage is moral if your spouse doesn't mind? There is only one t***h-the T***h that is God. We cannot say that we accept God and His son Jesus, if we do not believe in the Ultimate and One and Only t***h. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was the T***h, and the Word was made God. That IS the t***h that we must believe deep within our hearts and minds or we are play acting and commuting fraud .

Almighty God, the Word of T***h is Thy very being. help us, your humble servants to understand this t***h in all its implications, and under all circumstances. Without a full acceptance of this t***h, our words ring hollow like the echo of the owl's call, with no spiritual meaning. It is difficult for us to fully grasp the entirety of this concept, and we pray that you will open our hearts fully so we can grasp the full meaning of Your T***h. If we are to do as you direct us, to spread Your word in every thought and deed in every waking minute of our earthly lives, we need to humble ourselves as children who learn at their parents feet, so we can feel the strength of the true word as it enters our very being. in the name of Jesus Christ we ask for the strength necessary to accomplish this immense task. AMEN AMEN AMEN

Please pray for all who need your prayers, that God will be with them and comfort them in their hour of need. Thank you.

mwdegutis Loc: Illinois

Thanks NPP. I needed that.

no propaganda please Loc: moon orbiting the third rock from the sun

I thought it would fit in with your discussion. you are welcome.

Mountain Woman Loc: the wide open spaces

Thank God for the precious Blood of Jesus the only thinin existence that has the power to take away sin!

fiatlux

What? Where? Grace and spirit, as I mentioned, can only come through Christ. Chill!