Good Point, HugATree
Sunday Morning
Very good way of putting it. You can be three persons in one.
Let's all be that polite and don't call each other deceived or delusional, basic good manners, okay? Otherwise I could just say that's your delusion about the Bible-thumper weakening and becoming atheist. I have no way to validate that. And no, I haven't been deceived, changed churches, and so did my two oldest of five grown children. The three youngests are still holding on to a group that, as you said, want power, like a cult, call themselves a restoration movement, but I think are dwindling like the Quakers did, due to lack of any Christian empathy or love. So I understand where you're coming from, and you just have to look around for a group that's more compatible with your personality, and not look too hard for flaws because you might find them. They're only human. Only God is perfect, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. About which we never were taught and I don't claim to know much. Don't know if anyone does.
Hey, welcome to the club about the apostle Paul, you guys. Some of his commandments you have to wonder if Jesus Himself would have said ! For instance shunning the man who lived with his father's wife. I suppose there was nothing else to do, but the Quakers expanded shunning to include not-so-bad things too, right? I haven't completely researched this, but don't you think probably Paul's opinions "evolved" and got more and more Christian, "mellowed" in other words?
This being Sunday, why not try a new denomination today, and just don't commit to it for a long time, if at all, until you find one you like or can tolerate? Remembering that God and the church are totally different entities, not to be confused with each other. Church is just a place to try to reach God and thank Him for giving us our lives, not striking us with lightning when we get too big for our britches and ungrateful to Him. If you meet new people who become friends, fine, as an added bonus, but I'm always careful for a very long time.
In case I'm not articulating this well enough, let me try to rephrase.
The Godhead are perfect, unlike the very worldly church, and we should never confuse one with the other. Don't throw out the baby along with the bath water. As the African-American preacher on TV says, "Don't mess with God. He's got lightning and stuff."
They used to say in church, there are no atheists on deathbeds. That they always or nearly always seem to convert "just in case".
If I decide I can't help you feel better about God, separate from flawed churches, I'm out of here, but do not ever assume my faith wavered.
I learned to read using a childrens' Bible, sitting at the kitchen table spelling out words to my mother as she cooked. Even before the "Omen" movies and like that I seemed to have an intuition for things like that. When they made movies about our final confrontation with Satan in sheeps' clothing (he poses as one of the messengers of light, 2nd Cor. 11, but teaches hatred, in the house of his God, when God is love) it all seemed downright familiar, although I'd probably never read Revelation 12.
And the movies weren't very strictly By the Book. It was just the general idea. They didn't emphasize that Satan wages verbal war against saints, and causes deaths, probably malpractice as well as using the muslims as a "cover", Habakkuk 2. Yes, you could ask thousands and nobody would have unearthed these details that I have discovered, like archeology.
I get very impatient with their slowness. Very very frustrating. Even those who're on TV and making movies. BTW, I think some churches labelled the LeftBehind authors heretics. Our being kept from the Great Tribulation doesn't mean a Pre-Trib Rapture, but just protection like in Psalm 91. Meanwhile, the Bible certainly is the REVEALER OF SECRETS, but at church it's always just the same old same old, never venturing any farther into it. If you suspect some of the speakers are just into it for money, I couldn't argue that. I've said they're just human, not at all Divine. We have to be forewarned to make that distinction or may get offended a lot.
It's no skin off my teeth if you don't want to try a new place today and just see if you like it , and if it might enhance your life. I have lots of different places to worship, depending on how I'm feeling that day and whether I want to talk to anyone or be anonymous. It's your life.
Are we all married people, so we're not completely unable to understand the thing called love? You don't go into things like science with your wife or husband, and simple legit love makes everything more tolerable.
Loving and being loved, you can put up with the pride of some church people, or just don't get personally too involved with them.
Sunday Morning
Very good way of putting it. You can be three persons in one.
Let's all be that polite and don't call each other deceived or delusional, basic good manners, okay? Otherwise I could just say that's your delusion about the Bible-thumper weakening and becoming atheist. I have no way to validate that. And no, I haven't been deceived, changed churches, and so did my two oldest of five grown children. The three youngests are still holding on to a group that, as you said, want power, like a cult, call themselves a restoration movement, but I think are dwindling like the Quakers did, due to lack of any Christian empathy or love. So I understand where you're coming from, and you just have to look around for a group that's more compatible with your personality, and not look too hard for flaws because you might find them. They're only human. Only God is perfect, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. About which we never were taught and I don't claim to know much. Don't know if anyone does.
Hey, welcome to the club about the apostle Paul, you guys. Some of his commandments you have to wonder if Jesus Himself would have said ! For instance shunning the man who lived with his father's wife. I suppose there was nothing else to do, but the Quakers expanded shunning to include not-so-bad things too, right? I haven't completely researched this, but don't you think probably Paul's opinions "evolved" and got more and more Christian, "mellowed" in other words?
This being Sunday, why not try a new denomination today, and just don't commit to it for a long time, if at all, until you find one you like or can tolerate? Remembering that God and the church are totally different entities, not to be confused with each other. Church is just a place to try to reach God and thank Him for giving us our lives, not striking us with lightning when we get too big for our britches and ungrateful to Him. If you meet new people who become friends, fine, as an added bonus, but I'm always careful for a very long time.
In case I'm not articulating this well enough, let me try to rephrase.
The Godhead are perfect, unlike the very worldly church, and we should never confuse one with the other. Don't throw out the baby along with the bath water. As the African-American preacher on TV says, "Don't mess with God. He's got lightning and stuff."
They used to say in church, there are no atheists on deathbeds. That they always or nearly always seem to convert "just in case".
If I decide I can't help you feel better about God, separate from flawed churches, I'm out of here, but do not ever assume my faith wavered.
I learned to read using a childrens' Bible, sitting at the kitchen table spelling out words to my mother as she cooked. Even before the "Omen" movies and like that I seemed to have an intuition for things like that. When they made movies about our final confrontation with Satan in sheeps' clothing (he poses as one of the messengers of light, 2nd Cor. 11, but teaches hatred, in the house of his God, when God is love) it all seemed downright familiar, although I'd probably never read Revelation 12.
And the movies weren't very strictly By the Book. It was just the general idea. They didn't emphasize that Satan wages verbal war against saints, and causes deaths, probably malpractice as well as using the muslims as a "cover", Habakkuk 2. Yes, you could ask thousands and nobody would have unearthed these details that I have discovered, like archeology.
I get very impatient with their slowness. Very very frustrating. Even those who're on TV and making movies. BTW, I think some churches labelled the LeftBehind authors heretics. Our being kept from the Great Tribulation doesn't mean a Pre-Trib Rapture, but just protection like in Psalm 91. Meanwhile, the Bible certainly is the REVEALER OF SECRETS, but at church it's always just the same old same old, never venturing any farther into it. If you suspect some of the speakers are just into it for money, I couldn't argue that. I've said they're just human, not at all Divine. We have to be forewarned to make that distinction or may get offended a lot.
It's no skin off my teeth if you don't want to try a new place today and just see if you like it , and if it might enhance your life. I have lots of different places to worship, depending on how I'm feeling that day and whether I want to talk to anyone or be anonymous. It's your life.
Are we all married people, so we're not completely unable to understand the thing called love? You don't go into things like science with your wife or husband, and simple legit love makes everything more tolerable.
Loving and being loved, you can put up with the pride of some church people, or just don't get personally too involved with them.
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