Don't let your guard down at church?

The world is not a safe place for believers. Yes, God will protect us as long as we remain in Christ, but your local church is probably a greater source of corruption than the outside world itself.

The first century apostles had pure doctrine. Their understanding was not complete at that time, but what they understood was unadulterated, and the early Church was instructed to be diligent in defending it from corruption.

We cannot say the same is presently true. No two denominations agree on how to understand the basic doctrines listed in Hebrews 6. Most churches uphold false gospels that either say you have to participate in works of liturgy as part of your salvation; or, to the other extreme, many churches will teach you that once you're saved, there is nothing you can do to forfeit your salvation.

In between these two extremes are errors and assumptions of every kind that yield all sorts of rotten fruit.

The Church that preceded the Protestant reformation systematically taught heresies and, in the process, made themselves a contagious plague; also withholding the scriptures from the masses. The Protestant reformers failed to leave the cursed relics of Babylon behind them, and instead built their empires on new interpretations of old lies.

Ask God if he really wants you involved with your church; and if so, hear what your teachers and leaders have to say, but believe only what the Holy Spirit tells you to believe. Yes: This will require a leap of faith on your part. There will be times that you will have to separate yourselves from the group, and they will try to discourage you for doing so.

[Mat 23:8-9 NASB95] 8 "But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 "Do not call [anyone] on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.

[Jhn 4:24 NASB95] 24 "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."

[Jhn 16:13 NASB95] 13 "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.

[1Jo 2:27 NASB95] 27 As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.

Beware of wolves in sheep's clothing. Some of them are sitting next to you in church, some of them are the so-called shepherds of the flocks.

They tell you not to "forsake the gathering" (Hebrews 10:25): Indeed, do not be led astray by their errors so that you gradually forsake the gathering together on the day of the Lord's return, as you see the day approaching. Don't let them twist the word of God to justify their dominion.

Ask yourself the following:

Who laid hands on your pastor to ordain him as a minister? Were they an apostle?

Or did the trail of ordination lead all the way back to an apostle?

Can it be proven?

If teaching sound doctrine is a requirement for ministry, then the trail of ordination (holy orders) has been broken over a thousand years ago, and why then do our present "ministers" teach a denominationally prescribed conjecture?

a reply to: BELIEVERpriest

May I ask what the NASB95 stands for, I know it’s a Bible.

Edit: never mind, I found it.

Sunday coming up - oh my what a flock of wolves.

Humans are imperfect, don't judge each other too harshly.

My partner is a minister of 50 years, I’m agnostic and we both 100% respect each others beliefs/opinions.
I was just reading this thread and was thinking, if heaven is so glorius, why do some Christians cry at funerals? I guess it’s just a norm when you lose someone but shouldn’t you be equally happy? I like the idea of partying and celebrating as a funeral, like the do in South American (in think) countries.
Christians got it all wrong imo, I’ll chat to my better half later lol


Ps I’m going to a funeral today, not family, just to support some people that did lose someone.

a reply to: halfoldman

Not too harshly, but let's not be doormats and cult members either.

originally posted by: Albert999
My partner is a minister of 50 years, I’m agnostic and we both 100% respect each others beliefs/opinions.
I was just reading this thread and was thinking, if heaven is so glorius, why do some Christians cry at funerals? I guess it’s just a norm when you lose someone but shouldn’t you be equally happy? I like the idea of partying and celebrating as a funeral, like the do in South American (in think) countries.
Christians got it all wrong imo, I’ll chat to my better half later lol


Ps I’m going to a funeral today, not family, just to support some people that did lose someone.

I totally agree. Celebrate.
The place we go to is an amazing beautiful place full of joy, positivity, love, clean, nice.

Im a total atheist but i was given a beautiful message in a beautiful place.

READ THIS

There is nothing religious about the realm i was in but it had a profound effect on me. Changed me forever.
Some will say its just a dream. Then why was i given a message for people alive today?

Read that it may be of some foresight.

a reply to: BELIEVERpriest

Yeah, there is the claim of "Apostolic Succession" from the Eastern (Greek) Orthodox prior to the so called Great Schism which created the Western (Roman) Orthodoxy and a "Pope" was made, versus the Protestant (everyone else) understanding (and over-standing) of Jesus Christ's "Great Commission". The authority argument. Yuck.

In-fighting between Christians of any claim is the most destructive weapon next to outright personal sin. (No, you cannot commit a crime against yourself, but one can sin against Creation. Stop being bad fam, and be good.)

I like a quote from a preacher named Adrian Rogers. "Animals have natural instincts. Humans have the Holy Ghost."
You know what's not in the Bible? All the books written about it. Circle back to "apostolic succession".

a reply to: BELIEVERpriest

Ask God if he really wants you involved with your church; and if so, hear what your teachers and leaders have to say, but believe only what the Holy Spirit tells you to believe. Yes: This will require a leap of faith on your part. There will be times that you will have to separate yourselves from the group, and they will try to discourage you for doing so.

My house was built by a pastor of of decent sized church….When I say he used the finest materials I mean it.
We even found money hidden after the sale. Imagine having so much money you forget some…..

a reply to: BELIEVERpriest

The only church worth a damn to me is when two or more people praise in Truth and in Spirit.

Hell, even lone worship is better than meaningless repetition of sermons.

Although, some say having kids at 80 is actually perfect.

You get to meet them when they're sweet and tiny.

And when they become teenagers and get all cocky?
Hey, not my problem, I'll be playing a harp.

On many levels this is an hilarious joke on souls that do not go deeply into hidden meanings.

[Mat 23:8-9 NASB95] 8 "But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 "Do not call [anyone] on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.

Seek the being called ONE. ONE is the teacher.



[Jhn 4:24 NASB95] 24 "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."

[Jhn 16:13 NASB95] 13 "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.

[1Jo 2:27 NASB95] 27 As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.

4 lines from the bible that can be tested with spiritual awareness and found objectively true for the ONE:S who seek.

a reply to: BELIEVERpriest

You dont have to go to a bulding to be in Church.

ANytime you study the bible,read it or pray,you are in your own personal church.

Works,are of the old testament and too hard for the majority of people to follow and do.

Being saved by Grace is what modern christians should be.

CAtholic church has made the NT covenant harder by trying to get people to do the OT 10 commandments. They do not seem to grasp the concept of doing what Jesus said to do in the new covenant he helped established.
The following is the greatest command Jesus gave to Christians. Those 2 things sum up the entire OT covenant in the NT covenant.

Matthew 22:37–39
Jesus said to him, 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' (NKJV)

I don't think I have ever read Hebrews 6. It has many similarities to scripture in Buddhist diamond path. I don't know what they teach in churches but diamond path states that if the substrate of all desires is not totally burnt off we can fall back from enlightenment back into ignorance. To burn off the substrate of desires its no use just ignoring desires. We need introspect all desires to the tenth degree. Understand their true roots. Realizing those roots as being devoid of true eternal happiness.

a reply to: yuppa

I see nothing false about the OT 10 commandments, are you saying that Christ released our obligation to them? Or that they are no longer relevant.

a reply to: BeNotAfraid

Apostolic Succession in the Ortho-Catholic sense may not be biblical, but the apostles did give us a specific procedure to ordain ministers. Not just anyone can do it, and it shouldn't be done to just anyone. Honestly, I think we're too far gone from the truth to function as a living Church.

The Church is dead. It is the body of Christ and had to die like Christ. The gates of Hell will not prevail, but we are collectively no more alive than Sardis was - at least in this age.

a reply to: yuppa

We're not justified by works of the Mosaic Law or church liturgy; but we are justified by faith first, and given the Holy Spirit so that we can walk in the works of God and remain in Christ. This is God's grace. We didn't earn salvation, but we can definitely lose if we don't use it. The stingy slave in the parable of talents is a classic example of that.