[Quix]

They read their Bibles or scraps of Bibles and

DO WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS.

--including assembling together in small groups to study, worship, pray, teach.

I'm shocked anyone would question that God would not honor His word with such earnest, often desperate folks taking God's Word at face value and applying it.

And, as the blind man said to the skeptics . . .

I don't know about all that--I just know that I was blind but now I see.

If God's Spirit is honoring these Christian Believer's walk WITH HIM with miracles--authentic Holy Spirit birthed miracles . . .

I wonder what God thinks of your throwing rocks at their Christianity.

Actually, that's not true. I don't wonder what God thinks about it.

[mike182d]

I wonder what God thinks of your throwing rocks at their Christianity.

Who's throwing rocks? You exemplified my point by saying they're Chrisitians because they read their Bibles and do what it says. The Gospels were not even written yet, but Paul was out preaching. Was he not a Christian because he didn't have Bible (which would later contain his very letters)?

The Gnostics believed in Jesus Christ, but they are not "Christians." Why?

[TomSmedley]

I wonder what God thinks of your throwing rocks at their Christianity.

Actually, that's not true. I don't wonder what God thinks about it.

A lot of people have invested their lives in an extreme form of pre-millenialism that denies the gospel any power anwhere other than between the ears of the individual believer. Frequently failures in their own lives, such folks can only take a sour satisfaction in selected factoids that reinforce their sense of being spectators at history's train wreck. Like the drawrves in C. S. Lewis's book The Last Battle, they are blind to wonders of grace all around them. Immune to good news of God's gracious interventions. Convinced that wholesome fare is stable dung.