American hating americans--yes--can't believe i left that out. It's like an episode of the Twilight Zone--except a lot more disturbing.
Thanks for sharing about your struggle in finding a new church. I've pretty much given up--I'm looking for a house church and praying about finding others who might be interested in starting one--I believe there are many others like me who are done with the institutional church (though how to find them?)--all the money going to the running of the machine--move trailer sermons--Tune in next week!--and every week they follow the same script. I run into Christians I've known for years who serve in the church and they are accepting so many things of the world--same sex marriage as an example or their teenage daughter's friend who has decided at 14 that she is a boy. Or Pastor John Ortberg's (you can look them up if you don't recognize the name) daughter who decided at 30 she was a man and then married a man who transitioned to being a woman--yes, truth is stranger than fiction.
The bible says don't forsake fellowship, but what if you want the fellowship but can't find it? The only good thing is I know the bible better now than I ever have--but thru studying discovering that every denomination has some false doctrine.
And back to what you said--among other things you said--closer to the love of God. I know what the bible says about God's love, but I never really have experienced it--I pray often but I don't feel I am praying as I should. I normally read my bible just before bed, so I don't feel I am spending as much time in the word as I should--anyway, I'm glad you mentioned it because it gave me something to think about--thank you.
now it's late, so that's why i'm not editing. (;
Thanks for sharing about your struggle in finding a new church. I've pretty much given up--I'm looking for a house church and praying about finding others who might be interested in starting one--I believe there are many others like me who are done with the institutional church (though how to find them?)--all the money going to the running of the machine--move trailer sermons--Tune in next week!--and every week they follow the same script. I run into Christians I've known for years who serve in the church and they are accepting so many things of the world--same sex marriage as an example or their teenage daughter's friend who has decided at 14 that she is a boy. Or Pastor John Ortberg's (you can look them up if you don't recognize the name) daughter who decided at 30 she was a man and then married a man who transitioned to being a woman--yes, truth is stranger than fiction.
The bible says don't forsake fellowship, but what if you want the fellowship but can't find it? The only good thing is I know the bible better now than I ever have--but thru studying discovering that every denomination has some false doctrine.
And back to what you said--among other things you said--closer to the love of God. I know what the bible says about God's love, but I never really have experienced it--I pray often but I don't feel I am praying as I should. I normally read my bible just before bed, so I don't feel I am spending as much time in the word as I should--anyway, I'm glad you mentioned it because it gave me something to think about--thank you.
now it's late, so that's why i'm not editing. (;
Thanks for sharing about your struggle in finding a new church. I've pretty much given up--I'm looking for a house church and praying about finding others who might be interested in starting one--I believe there are many others like me who are done with the institutional church (though how to find them?)--all the money going to the running of the machine--move trailer sermons--Tune in next week!--and every week they follow the same script.
We had tried to start a house church and I taught weekly with great discussions but over time people moved away or stopped coming and went back to traditional church. We would invite but people wouldn't come. I also believe we had no one in the group who was gifted in evangelism. I know myself is an introvert and I take a lot of preparation and thought into what I say or will say. So small talk is not easy for me. I like the deep thinking questions, the rich studies and in depth discussions.
I run into Christians I've known for years who serve in the church and they are accepting so many things of the world--same sex marriage as an example or their teenage daughter's friend who has decided at 14 that she is a boy. Or Pastor John Ortberg's (you can look them up if you don't recognize the name) daughter who decided at 30 she was a man and then married a man who transitioned to being a woman--yes, truth is stranger than fiction.
Unfortunately this is true for so many self proclaimed Christians. There are Christians who think there are other ways to salvation outside of Jesus, that good people go to Heaven (versus saved people), that the Bible is not the objective Word of God, and morals are subjective to only time and location.
For these people many believe they are not true Christians. For some this is true but for others I just hope it is of ignorance and a infant thinking Christian.
Also for the LGBT issues many do not know how to evangelize these individuals. We have to remember the Church is for the sinner, the pews or seats are for the sinners. But not for false teachers. The leadership is also for those who are following Jesus (still a sinner) but not enslaved to sin. There are Christians who struggle with homosexual or gender confusion. The only difference is if they struggle with the sin nature like us all.
This group statistically are many who have been abused as children, who have been brainwashed by their parents into thinking as a four year old boy they can be a girl, peer pressure or wanting to be accepted has been the leading cause in the rise of teen girl homosexual behavior, other studies show not only peer pressure but environment, upbringing, biology play into lgbt choices (biology as in damage to the brain through abuse or mental illness) and people who have been in bad relationships with the opposite sex, gender dysphoria is a real but rare case where someone is genuinely confused on their gender (this is typically fixed with therapy), and of course, just like the 70s and 80s it has also become a sexual freedom movement and a middle finger to traditional values of a system they have been taught to hate.
The bible says don't forsake fellowship, but what if you want the fellowship but can't find it? The only good thing is I know the bible better now than I ever have--but thru studying discovering that every denomination has some false doctrine.
Every Christian should study and get to where you are now.
And back to what you said--among other things you said--closer to the love of God. I know what the bible says about God's love, but I never really have experienced it--I pray often but I don't feel I am praying as I should. I normally read my bible just before bed, so I don't feel I am spending as much time in the word as I should--anyway, I'm glad you mentioned it because it gave me something to think about--thank you.
Natural/general is God moving in nature or a message through other humans.
Supernatural/ Special is God speaking in dreams, visions, audibly, miracles, and revealing of wisdom from His written Word which in my opinion is His most used source to speak to us. Especially through the man of Jesus Christ.