Posted on 12/23/2019 11:22:12 AM PST by Gamecock
Megachurch? --- casino? --- megachurch? --- casino?
Sometimes the casino gives a little back. And it's a lot more fun. Much better meditation. And a lot more conducive to spirituality and godliness.
Faith the size of a mustard seed. Nothing said about “holding out hope”.
Exactly right. The fastest way to find the spirit of anti Christ is not in a bar or other “hellion” place. It’s in a church filled with people who place their faith in healing, or visions or dreams. Who believe that chanting certain things or praying to Saints will endear them to God. Feelings are substituted for facts. Emotions rule their lives. They do not realize that the “light” they are following is Satan, transforming himself.
I believe Tony Alamo tried this when Susan died. When his “church” broke up, Susan’s body was stolen.
I was being sarcastic. I thought it was obvious.
I would not give it credibility by calling it a church. It sounds as if it simply a money-making scam aimed at those who can be easily fooled. IMO
A Christian megachurch in California is soliciting prayers and US$100,000 in donations on behalf of two of its members, who are holding out hope that Jesus will “resurrect” their recently deceased toddler.
News I saw was that Bethel had actually called it off over the weekend.
James White's Dividing Line (here) had some good commentary on this. "Theology matters".
This makes me intensely bitter, and maybe that's sinful.
I lost a child, a 20 year-old beloved son when I was a member of a large Holy Spirit-led healing church. I didn't get a lot of support from the staff. The next Sunday, they had a special speaker, who talked about a sick child, and he talked about his pain when he thought he would lose that child - and he asked: "God, why?"
I was deeply touched, and felt the same way.
In the next breath, he said the child was saved! "Praise God!" from the congregation.
But where did that leave me? Faith is easy when God answers prayers, and these churches demand we pray because they tell us God will give us what we want if we do.
But what kind of failth do you need to maintain the love of God when he DOESN'T answer prayer?
These people have a cheap faith.
We had a little ministry in that church, but were always considered to be outsiders. What kept me there was the fact that it was a very good place for our ministry, and I saw people healed from spiritual, mental and emotional problems time and time again through our little group. Not my doing, but blessed by just being there to witness the work of the Holy Spirit.
Over the course of a year we saw people relieved of alcoholism, and three people suffering from chronic life-long depression were relived of that ailment. (How often to do you see that!) It was encouragement to me to keep doing what we were doing!
The pastor, in the prayer groups would constantly ask for miracle of healing - "I want healing of sickness and disease - cancer, life threatening illnesses! That will bring people in this town to Jesus!"
I pointed out to him the people who we witnessed being cured in our group... "Well, that's nice." he said, "Nothing wrong with that. But I want big, dramatic healings!"
Jesus had come and was healing people right in front of us, and he couldn't see it. Thank God the Holy Spirit was able to work with us, despite this guy!
That pastor's wife told the story of her young son, as a child years ago, diagnosed as very sick... she prayed, and suddenly he was healed! Proof, she said, that God hears, loves us and answers prayer!
So, where does this leave me? I guess by her logic God doesn't hear my prayers, love my or answer my prayers.
After my son died, some of my Christian friends never spoke to me again. (Many remained close, and helped me through that time.) But virtually no help from any of the pastoral staff. I didn't fit their model of what they expected from God, I suppose.
I remember sitting in a branch of that church where the pastor knew of my struggles. He just seemed to get a blank look on his face when I cried during prayer groups. One Sunday he turns toward the group of his "favorites," the little inside clique of the church, all seated together. He frowns and starts the service with "We just received some terrible news. We heard Rick Warren's son died. It's a surprise to us when we hear about terrible things happening to good Christians."
I was sitting 15 feet away from the guy. He knew my struggles - but he was better able to show concern and compassion to someone 3000 miles away that he had never met, than he was able to express to a member of his own congregation that he knew was struggling with the same thing!
I had to come up with my own money to bury my child - we had the service at a different church, by my ex-wife's request, and I certainly had no problem with that. The funeral home let me pay the bill over several months, and when I could afford a plot I bought one, and I paid for the stone in monthly payments over a period of about a year.
It's what the members of the congregation have to do. We're not bless and taken care of like the pastoral staff.
Didn't call off the fundraiser, though:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/heilifund
Oh Lord, won’t ya buy me a Mercedes Benz....
CC
Hope they are keeping her in the refrigerator while waiting. But even in the fridge, a dead guinea pig will begin to smell after about a week.
“I followed Mark Marks, who runs a “healing ministry”...”
I tend to distrust people with two first names already, but the SAME name? Oh hell no.
Although he was under 5 ft 8....Was a young guy..under 30yrs...Dropped dead on a B-Ball floor...
People came to me...to go lay hands on him to bring him back...I said.."why do that...when he is in paradise".
Does this church have a Pet Sematary?
Unanswered prayer is, I think, the hardest thing we Christians deal with. To cry out for deliverance and not receive it can be so demoralizing.
I will include you in my prayers.
sar-chasm (n.) the gulf between the sarcastic comment and the person who doesn't get it.
Then they aren’t a Christian church. They are an evil sham.
Full stop. It’s that simple.
I long ago stopped equating “evangelical”-anything with Christian and the sooner the rest of the world does the better for the potential salvation of all those in need of Christ.
If your doctrine is money based and anti-scriptural then you are at best apostate and at worst intentionally deceiving others in the name of Christ.
Plus at least the casino is going to have a good buffet.
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