BibleloverBill said:
There is too much tolerance of wrongs in the Christian churches and in society.
and too much people-pleasing worship and preaching instead of Holy Spirit guided worship and preaching and many Bible study discussion groups for preparation of Great Commission ministries outside the church.
***If Christians were doing what Proverbs 3:5-6, Philippians 2:1-5, and Ephesians 4:11-16 say,
they would be for almost all of the same things
because they would all be guided by The Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ (John 16:13).
Learning the mind of Christ means learning to think as He does.
But most Christians just want to focus on religious rituals, feelings, opinions, gossip, and slander instead.
Most preachers I have heard use Bible verses out of context and opinions and psychology.
I prefer verse by verse or careful word study sermons. Usually contexts of verses is very important.
I am just for what the Bible says.
I am not for arguing about denominational distinctives or spiritual theories.
Having the right faith in God and the Bible is what is important.
Our desire to become more Christ-like should be the result of such faith.
***I am tired of so many preachers emphasizing and misusing the Old Testament stories and Proverbs.
The latter are easy to manipulate or twist for teaching psychological changes of thinking and doing.
I think that such preachers are afraid of discouraging their followers
Apostle Paul called them “ear ticklers”.
The Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Galatians indicates why we should want to be
New Testament Christians instead of Old Testament Christians.
I did not say not to read or learn from the Old Testament,
because the whole Bible is for our learning and improvement.
The Ten Commandments are still for today
and Proverbs 3:5-6 is the best way to be sensitive to The Holy Spirit.
But we are in New Testament times.
Hebrews 11
39 And all these, having gained approval through their faith,
did not receive what was promised,
40 because God had provided something better for us,
so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.
Hebrews 12
1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us,
let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us,
and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
2 fixing our eyes on
Jesus, The Author and Perfecter Of Faith,
Who for the joy set before Him endured the Cross, despising the shame,
and has sat down at the right hand of the Throne of God.
3 For consider Him Who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself,
so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
4 You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin;
5 and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons,
“MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD,
NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM;
6 FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES,
AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON {AND DAUGHTER}
WHOM HE RECEIVES.”
7 It is for discipline that you endure;
God deals with you as with sons {and daughters};
for what son {or daughter}is there whom {his or her} father does not discipline?
8 But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers,
then you are illegitimate children and not sons.
9 Furthermore, we had Earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them;
shall we not much rather be subject to The Father of spirits, and live?
10 For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them,
but He {disciplines us} for {our} good, so that we may share His holiness.
11 All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful;
yet to those who have been trained by it,
afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.