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| Where Is Heart-Moving, Life-Changing Christianity? |
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5:17 Therefore, if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come.
I sometimes wonder, where is heart-moving, life-changing Christianity in America?
I hear the preaching, the teaching, the doctrines, the creeds; but where is the passion to follow and obey Jesus every day?
I see the beautiful buildings, the preachers' promotional pictures, the 'Christian celebrities', the hyped-up and personality promoting meetings and TV shows; but where are the tears, the humility, the brokenness, the sacrifices?
I have attended the religious services, the Sunday meetings, the contemporary concerts, the revivals, the conferences; but where is the 'consider others better than yourself' and the service of love to the broken, the poor, and the 'least of these'.
I hear the fund raising, the promise of wealth, the manipulation, the personal kingdom building, the unabashed self-promotion; but where are those who want no name recognition so that Christ can receive all the glory?
I see those seeking for material blessing, spiritual feel-good experiences, miracles, a thrill, a rescue; but where are those seeking to lay down their pride, their rights, their position, their life, and give their all for Jesus? |
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| To add a comment to "Where Is Heart-Moving, Life-Changing Christianity?" |
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| August 12, 2008 |
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www.newpsalmist.org
live on Sundays 7:30-9;30 & 11;45
You will find Heart-moving, Life changing Christianity.
Bishop Walter S Thomas Sr. Preaches Jesus every Sunday
He is on sick leave, had minor surgery Last Monday and will be back in the pulpit in September.
GOD BLESS & ENJOY
(also |
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| August 12, 2008 |
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Yes, st simms. I agree. I have gone from church to church.. and my eyes have been opened to the weakness of a church. Is there really room for the birth in the inn - the birth and the raising of the child that grows in the wombs of the called.
Once the Lord shows us the problem. It is up to us who see, to discover what our role is.. to pick up the mantle, and run with it. with the tug on our own hearts.. yours. mine. It is ours to respond.
Father, show us, each individually, what you have laid in us, to do.. that 'we' may be the church, may build the church, may build a kingdom in your name.
Lord, what small part that you will increase can I play; what small measure that you will enlarge, can I take. As for me, I have heard the call in the words of Isaiah 54 -
54:1 Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith Jehovah. 54:2 Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thy habitations; spare not: lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes. 54:3 For thou shalt spread aboard on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall possess the nations, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited. 54:4 Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth; and the reproach of thy widowhood shalt thou remember no more. 54:5 For thy Maker is thy husband; Jehovah of hosts is his name: and the Holy One of Israel is thy Redeemer; the God of the whole earth shall he be called. There is a part spelled out in each of us. Lets uncover it, and bring it forth. Then! THe church will be, the true bride that CHrist is looking forward to receiving. With blessings, denise |
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| August 12, 2008 |
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Its got to be us. Its got to be you, and me. 6:6 Then flew one of the seraphim unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: 6:7 and he touched my mouth with it, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin forgiven. 6:8 And I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then I said, Here am I; send me.
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| August 12, 2008 |
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Stop going from church to church to church and make it happen at your home church.
Show your pastor this blog......MAKE IT HAPPEN!
AMEN |
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| August 12, 2008 |
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Sister Remarkable, Sometimes the Lord moves one along. It is part of a journey to what he desires us to see, and know. Truly. We are not all called to remain put. I am thankful for the journey the Lord has taken me through. It is like pebbles in a stream, each pebble having been a blessing, and given me new perspective and growth. There is a reason for the moving. THe moving is on the wings of the Spirit. Some are called to stay, and build up where they are. Others are called to go. Respectfully, your sister in CHrist, denise |
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| August 12, 2008 |
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| There are also some really really special heart-felt churches out there! I've seen a few. One very special ministry stands out - where the founders/ministerial couple have a truly strong heart for the youth, to build them up! And they do. Where really needy youth become strong and full of hope and vision, in Christ. There are beautiful heartfelt ministries spread out across our lands out there. // None will be found to be perfect. Since they are made up, of us... a shattered and broken people, still imperfect - but hopefully striving upward and onward to perfection. |
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| August 12, 2008 |
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| I have much love for Jesus Christ for He shed His blood for me . I have the same love for my church of The Salvation Army in Orlando for it has been and allways will be my church. I have been given a wounderfull spiritual journey .Many tears have come from me for the love of Jesus Christ GOD BLESS ALL |
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| August 12, 2008 |
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| Some great comments today. Thank you all. |
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| August 12, 2008 |
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| The best thing we ever did was stop doing te church hop, settle dawn and find a church. THEN we grew and served the way God intended! |
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| August 12, 2008 |
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Hi Steve, I began having these same questions after I spent 9 years with the same local small church group. I'm not a church hopper, and I expressed my concerns with my pastor. He had no idea what I was talking about.
So I left church. No more sunday morning meetings for me, thank you. I've seen enough of the Sunday suits and dresses. I've heard enough of the empty how are you's.
Instead, my wife and I meet locally with others who are looking for something that they are not getting in their traditional church. We have discovered that a weekly 4 hour lunch in a restaurant provides us with more spiritual growth in 6 months than we experienced in 9 years with our local church group.
So if you settle down in a church and discover you STILL don't see authentic Christianity, then maybe you should consider something different. |
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| August 12, 2008 |
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| A Christian cannot be a church hopper, because there is only one church. The church is all true, born again Christians. It is not a building or a religious organization. Therefore you cannot hop churches since you belong to the Church. |
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| August 12, 2008 |
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Praise the Lord, for coming out of the box, Jonathan T. And, if this proves to be sufficient to spur you on in the things of the Lord. What I have received in moving to and fro, is a wonderful smorgasbord, a pleasant experience in variety - of worship, & of flavor of family. - Did you ever stop to consider that families each have their particular flavor? Like individuals. -
I have been to a church that was 'firey" in its characters and worship, and I have been to a church that was a "tender calming breeze", an inviting warmth, in worship and character. // Though there was a longing for a certain something that was not ... and so, I moved on. But I know that I received much with each place. And met many beautiful persons on route.
What comes from this all, is a certain interior calling, to build a 'church'.. build a kingdom for the Lord/in the Lord - that encompasses the longings in my heart. It is how the Lord has seen fit to carry me along.. that His purposes and plans for me/in me may come about. Walls were meant to build security, safety... never to stop the flow of the Holy Spirit. // There is many out there, who need to see the Lord in us. If we move, outside the doors of the church bldgs, with which they have become leery, they will see the Lord. If we come together and play baseball for instance, young and old, multi-colored, multi-nationed, in the Spirit of Christ - believe me.. they will have a stirring in their hearts - and wonder, and ask - Who are these? What is this stirring I feel inside to enjoin them? Friends, Brothers and Sisters. The answer to them is: It is the Holy Spirit, dear folks, dancing in the wind! |
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| August 13, 2008 |
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Steve I'm with Denise on this one....she covered a lot of ground....but in response to when you said...
I see those seeking for material blessing, spiritual feel-good experiences, miracles, a thrill, a rescue; but where are those seeking to lay down their pride, their rights, their position, their life, and give their all for Jesus?
I say this to you Steve.....come to Baltimore..LOL..LOL I'll meet you at the Air Port ;o) |
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| August 13, 2008 |
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My brother I have to say...I understand just what you are say
I remember going into Praise and worship and we may have
worshipped for hours but we didn't care because all we wanted was God
Now most preachers are trying to be the next T.D. Jakes
All I want is to be the one who's name gets called by my Heavenly Father....
There are still some of us who just want God in the purest form of Him...
No that does not mean we are perfect but we a pressing and pushing to stay in our Father's will
Thank my brother for that word |
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| August 13, 2008 |
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| Amen to all. It is all about Jesus and being passionately in love with and obedient to Him. |
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| August 13, 2008 |
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When we submit to His Calling in our lives and in the lives of others; there's no higher fullfilment. Dying to self is an onging process...and all day long we are counted as sheep to slaughter. Not always an easy pill to swallow, but so is the Christian life a paradox...I'm finding it a glorious one!
Adn we know that only God gets the glory
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| August 13, 2008 |
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| Read Bonhoeffer's "The Cost of Discipleship" Seems like he found what you are looking for at the foot of the cross |
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| August 13, 2008 |
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| We are located in a little town called Cottageville, SC an we are members of Little Rock Holiness Church. You see Jesus will give all the rewards due a to a man. There is no reward until we meet our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I agree there is alot of those types of things going on today. There is still a heart-moving Life-changing christianity going on. Like Jesus said "to those who diligently seek Him". I give all the praise, honor, blessing, glory, to my Lord Jesus Christ. The messenger is not important but it is the message. There is no reason for people to know me just Jesus. |
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| August 14, 2008 |
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Yes I completely agree with all that is said. There are some churches that follow the bible completely, they teach it, they preach it, they live it, they walk it. Unfortunately there are others that seem to become so watered down with political correctness that they seem to lose the entire context of the bible. Yes it is ok to backslide, at times, but does that mean WEEKLY... I think not. You are supposed to continue to strive for righteousness.
6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well. The church has to be accountable to this as well. I have been in so many churches it is unbelievable. One because, of moving, two because God moved me there in my walk with him. Not that I was constantly church hoping I wasn't. For example, I was in a Methodist church that agreed that it was ok to marry homosexuals in the church. Now I believe a sin is a sin is a sin, but to condone it in the church? come on... moved on to the presbyterians... They wondered why attendance was low and tithing was dropping, hmmmm... It has to begin with the leaders, and then the sheep. Everyone must be accountable. Then again, there are some sheep out there I have met who have had to actually lead the shepard in the church.
We are living in the end times. There will be a great divide. I agree with Wyatt... come Jesus Come. |
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| August 16, 2008 |
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Steve, There is Christianity today as you seek - but unfortunately it's hiding inside a building each week...
We need to really understand that even as we support mission and work in far off places, the most under-served mission field sits right outside the doors of the buildings we gather in each week.
Where did Jesus say "Gather together each week for 60 to 90 minutes. Sing and study the Word for short while. That will be sufficient to further the Kingdom?"
The fact is that many have not been taught this model as a part of our faith even though the early church was obviously very active in the lives of their community. It would stand to reason that there were many in that crowd who were not followers of Christ. They saw what the church was able to accomplish and knew that they wanted top be a part of it!
Where is the sense of excitement, the filling of joy in our faith and our walk that would so inspire our contemporaries? Hiding in a building once a week... |
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| August 18, 2008 |
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| My heart cry exactly, we need a true mourners bench repentance. Life changing revival. |
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