Posted on 02/08/2015 5:22:25 AM PST by fwdude
With the appalling apostasy, both overt and subtle, engulfing many evangelical churches in these last days, I have found myself in search of a truly Bible-believing church body that is serious about the Truth taught by God through Jesus Christ.
To be specific, these are the things I am trying to avoid:
- The cultish "mega-church" mentality (though size doesn't not necessarily disqualify an otherwise orthodox church culture)
- Any sympathy, working agreement, or tacit acknowledgement of any Christian legitimacy with Rome.
- The hyper "grace only" heresy of the need just to "believe on Jesus Christ," nothing else matters (i.e. repentance, therefore renouncing sin, optional.)
- An above-all social component to church life, using Christ as the pretext to party and have a good time.
- The "contemporary worship" scene, where the great traditional hymns of devout saints are jettisoned in favor of the shallow, repetitive pap of me-centered guitar and percussion powered emotionalism.
- Teaching that completely avoids, or gives apologetic ground to, the deadly evil in today's society, especially the stridently militant homosexuality that is engulfing even many churches behind the scenes (even the SBC).
- The unlimited "welcoming" banner that is put out by many heretical bodies, i.e., no questions asked and no requirements for participate in the life of the church.
With these in mind, here is what I am seeking:
- A praying church where prayer is not just and afterthought or a mandatory formality.
- A church that holds its fellowshipping members accountable and expects real spiritual growth in them.
- A church that believes in the spiritual gifts as the Scriptures lay them out, without the emotionally caricatured ones. (I wouldn't even object to the gift of tongues if it were genuine and conducted biblically (a real existing language not learned by the practicer), and not like most maniacally charismatic church's wantonly display in disarray.)
- A church that meets regularly, and doesn't dismiss services for Superbowl Sunday.
These are obviously not exhaustive lists, but my point is that I am through wasting time in congregations that ignore the spiritual reality of the world, and focus on the empty wood, hay and stubble of the world, neglecting the members of the Body, and subjecting them to eternal danger.
At the risk of attracting caustic criticism, I'll also throw in that I've valued the teachings of Gordon C. Olson as biblically sound, so any recommendations for church bodies that adhere closely to the theology that he taught would be much appreciated.
He went to the Tabernacle on the Sabbath, as was his custom.
Mark 2
23 And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn.
He kept the Passover which would have been on Thursday night.
Also Genesis chapter two says nothing about ceremonial at all but only rest, meaning it is your day to get away from the grind stone,
Mark 2
27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: 28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
Ezekiel 20:12 Moreover I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them.
Ezekiel 20:20 Hallow My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God.
Keeping the Sabbath is a sign. Tell a friend you cannot help him move on Saturday because it is the Sabbath and you will not do work on the Sabbath. Soon everyone will know that you are "practicing Jew stuff" or something similar.
I find no Bible verses where Jesus changed the Sabbath from the seventh day to the first. Please share with me if I am wrong.
I find no Bible verses where Jesus changed the Sabbath from the seventh day to the first. Please share with me if I am wrong.
He did not accept the religiosity of it ( if that is the right word ) but put it in the right perspective.
He used common sense.
Mark
3 And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.
4 And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill?
The same thing would apply to any given situation.
Agree with your meat/milk point. The larger and, consequently, more “diverse” a church gets, the more the irresistable tendency to dumb down church teaching becomes a reality. Small groups help, but most of the time, I’ve found, these are directed by the large assembly of the church as far as direction and content of teaching. A lot of it is “duh” inducing, i.e., “God loves us and has his best intentions toward us,” etc. While true, we don’t get much APPLICATION from these effectively empty platitudes.
Some of the deeper truths of God are hard to take, and strike the immature as apparent contradictions to what they’ve been taught. I love the preaching of A.W. Tozer, and am overjoyed that more and more actual recordings of his messages have been posted online. Listening to them, you just become painfully aware of how shallow and insultingly patronizing most of today’s preaching is in most churches - the “milk” that is mentioned by Paul.
Just visited Watermark in Fort Worth this morning. Not my cup of tea. Loud, brash, abrasive dry-heave singing with screeching guitars was repulsive. The Fort Worth group doesn’t even have a live pastor/speaker, but has the main message piped in from, I presume, the Dallas group.
And the message? About wealth and what belongs to God. Perhaps this was just a coincidence since it was my first visit, but didn’t set well with me.
I don’t agree with preaching on giving. If members believe in the common mission of the congregation, are receiving the bread of the Word, and love Jesus, such prodding should be unnecessary.
I understand. Thinking about it this past week I decided it probably wouldn’t be right for you. When you find some place, I would like to know where it is if you don’t mind. I daughters in FW who may be looking to change. God will direct you.
I appreciate your prayers and concern. I’ve been told to find a man of God who pastors a group and go with that. Where are the Tozer’s, the Finney’s, the Wesley’s today? I can’t believe that they are extinct?
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