2 Corinthians 4:6

"For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." (2 Corinthians 4:6)

 

The light that shines in the soul of a lost sinner when he first comes to Christ can only be compared to the light that Christ called forth on Day One of the creation week. We met this God of glory spiritually when we first beheld in our hearts the face of  Christ.

 

But the face of Jesus Christ was not always deemed so glorious. We read of a time when ungodly men "did  spit in his face"He was beaten and bruised to the point that he no longer resembled a man. Yet he suffered all this for you and I. That we might stand in his glory light and his death was what offered us a chance to walk out of the dark into his marvelous light.

Ephesians 1:13-14

In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory." (Ephesians 1:13-14)

From very ancient times it has been the custom to confirm and guarantee an agreed-on purchase by sealing the contract with a seal which could only be broken by the buyer when he was ready to take possession of his purchase.

The marvelous transaction seen by John at God's throne in heaven was in reference to this practice. There, only the Lamb is found worthy to open the seven-sealed scroll on which is recorded the title to the whole creation. "And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the |scroll|, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood"

Isaiah 12:2

"Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation." (Isaiah 12:2)

The English name, usually written "Lord" in the English Bibles, stems from the Hebrew word Yahweh, the meaning of which cannot be fully put into words. Although scholars differ some arguec there is no real meaning to the word at all, the consensus is that it seems to be a compound of the three tenses of the Hebrew verb "to be," implying the ever living nature of God to which Christ was referring when He said, "I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty". For God is define by many as love the perfect love and that God is a judge anad other that God is simply an identifier not his name but simply stating what he is.  What I know without a shadow of a doubt is simply this. Without him, I'm  nothing, with the blood at Calvary I would be damned. Yet his love for a sinner let me is what saved me. So my heavenly Father is not only my Salvation but my redeemer.

Philippians 2:14-15

"Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world." (Philippians 2:14-15)

 

The Holy Spirit makes sure that we do not take lightly the obligation to live godly lives. This "list" contains both warnings and promises.

 

Everything is to be done without "murmurings" and "disputings." Both words are very interesting synonyms of heart attitudes that produce ungodly behavior. The Greek word translated "murmur" is goggusmos, and it is almost an onomatopoeia (sounds like what it actually is)--a secret debate, muttering to oneself. The "dispute" (Greek dialogismos) suggests a logical debate with oneself.

 

We are commanded to excise that kind of behavior from ourselves so that we may well be blameless and harmless as the "sons of God," living "without rebuke." These words are powerful in their description of God's expectations for us.

 

The blameless condition is first an eternal promise that comes with salvation: "To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God"

Acts 17:32-34

"And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter. . . . Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them." (Acts 17:32, 34)

 

Today's verse describes the reaction of the Athenians to Paul's preaching on the resurrection. These listeners seem to have consisted mostly of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers: these were the ones who got Paul to come over to the Areopagus (near the famous Parthenon) to present his case there to an open-air gathering of curious spectators.

 

Now these philosophers, like most of our modern philosophers, were evolutionists. The Stoics were pantheists and the Epicureans were atheists: neither believed in a personal Creator God nor in a primeval creation. Paul began his message by stressing the fact of special creation. They had been worshipping many nature gods and goddesses, but Paul insisted that they must turn to the true Creator God, who had revealed Himself in Christ and had "given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead"

The Body of Christ (Something to think about)

White Man.....Sitting in your pew

Surrounded by your "white brothers"

"Comfortable" in your white church.

Did you read?

Have you heard?

Heaven's going to have people from every tribe and tongue (See Revelation 5:7-10).

For God so loved the world that He gave his only Son.

That whosoever (that's whosoever!) believes in Him

would not perish,

but would inherit eternal life! (John 3:16)

Black Man....Sitting in your pew

Saying "Amen brother!" to the preacher

Surrounded by your "black brothers"

"Comfortable" in your black church.

Did you read?

Have you heard?

Heaven's going to have people from every tribe and tongue (See Revelation 5:7-10).

For God so loved the world that He gave his only Son.

That whosoever (that's whosoever!) believes in Him

would not perish,

but would inherit eternal life! (John 3:16)

Affluent Man....Sitting in your pew

Surrounded by your "affluent brothers".

"Comfortable" in your affluent church.

Looking perfect.

Did you know?

Have you heard?

That person who has struggles

That you and I can only imagine...

Disabled....Possibly disfigured.

That person.....

Might be the one whom God blesses

To be our worship leader in Heaven.

For God so loved the world that He gave his only Son.

That whosoever (that's whosoever!) believes in Him

would not perish,

but would inherit eternal life! (John 3:16)

Faithful brother of the "White Carpet" denomination...Sitting in your pew

Surrounded by your brothers of the "White Carpet" denomination.

Secure in your theology

that the white carpet

properly shows a picture of our state of grace.

"Washed in the blood, we're now in robes of white." (Revelation 7:13:14)

"Knowing" that the "Red Carpet" denomination has it all wrong.

Faithful brother of the "Red Carpet" denomination...Sitting in your pew

Surrounded by your brothers of the "Red Carpet" denomination.

Secure in your theology

that the carpet must be a picture

It has to be a picture

of the blood that Christ spilled on Calvary (Revelation 7:13-14)

"Knowing" that the "White Carpet" denomination has it all wrong...

"By this, all will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." ...Quote from Jesus Christ (30-33 AD) (John 13:35)

Philippians 2:12-13

"Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." (Philippians 2:12-13)

 

In this passage with an unusual play on words, we are told to give our salvation a "workout." The Greek word is katergazomai, an interesting compound word that means to "perform." When we are told that God is working in us, the Greek word is energeo, which is the "energy" to do work.

 

Paul puts it this way: "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh |energeo| in us". This "energizing" is an internal and spiritual resource, demonstrated most poignantly by "the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working |energeo| of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead". Since the energy to produce comes from the same Creator who saved us by grace, He has every right to expect us to "will and to do of his good pleasure."

Galatians 3:1

O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?" (Galatians 3:1)

 

The Greek word for "bewitched" is used only this once in the New Testament and does not necessarily refer to witchcraft as such. The connotation is "fascinated" or "deceived." Unlike most of his other epistles, the book of Galatians includes no commendations from Paul, nor even any prayer requests. Paul evidently was very disappointed in this church and its ministry.

 

He had clearly preached the gospel to them, setting forth "Jesus Christ, and him crucified"  among them, and they had apparently believed and started out well. They seemed to understand the great doctrines of salvation by grace and of liberty in Christ, and it was hard for Paul to understand how they had been so quickly led astray.

Romans 9;20

"Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?" (Romans 9:20)

 

Whenever one begins a question with "why," he should realize that the answer must necessarily be theological, not scientific. Science can deal with the questions of "what" and "how," sometimes even with "where" and "when," but never with "why"! The "why" questions have to do with motives and purposes, even when dealing with natural phenomena. ("Why does the earth rotate on its axis?" "Why do we have mosquitoes?") Even though we can partially explain such things by secondary causes, we finally encounter a "first cause," and then the "why?" can be answered only by God.

 

The wise thing to do is simply to believe that He has good reasons for everything, whether we can discern them now or not. "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?"

Philippians 2:10-11

 

"That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:10-11)

 

Often this passage is thought of as an admission by all sentient beings of the Deity of the Lord Jesus--and it certainly is that. There surely will come a point in time in which "every thing that hath breath" will praise the Lord. Those of us who are the twice-born will do so with great joy. "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear."
What a day that shall be!!!! For those whom have been faithful even until death, to know that the final judgement of the world is about to begin and we that we that confessed and accept Christ as savior that we shall never shade another tear nor feel pain again, It is what you call the beginning of the end. The old world is being cleared away for a glorious new one with our Father and our Savior  walking and talking with us his children the apple of his eye. 

 

Advocates: For the Hundreds of Kitsap Homeless, Too Few Beds

• By Rachel Pritchett

BREMERTON
A couple with a newborn baby lose their home and are desperate.
The community responds by covering the $17-a-night cost for space at Illahee State Park.
"Thank God for the weather; it's good," said Pastor Art Speight of Taking it to the Streets Ministry.
Too few emergency shelter beds and transitional-housing units were quickly recognized as the biggest frustration in helping the homeless during a first-ever summit devoted to the subject Thursday at Holy Trinity Catholic Church.
More than 100 social service workers, politicians, landlords and pastors compared notes and made recommendations at the summit, convened as the Kitsap County Homeless Housing Plan undergoes an update in this pain-filled economy.
The goal of the plan is to reduce homelessness in the county by 50 percent by 2015.
Waiting lists for transitional housing in Kitsap County have soared into the three digits. People routinely are denied space at emergency shelters because all the beds are full, first-line homeless responders said.
There are roughly 48 shelter emergency beds and another 15 emergency housing units in Kitsap. About 60 transitional-housing units are here, according to a Kitsap Community Resources spokeswoman. Emergency beds are used for a short periods; transitional housing is used for periods lasting into months.
Just a few of the other gaps in helping the homeless that were identified included:
—Too few support services for mentally ill people;
—A pervasive lack of education about homelessness in the community;
—Depleted shelves at food banks that are seeing supplies disappear three times faster than a year ago; and
—Lack of emergency beds for large women.
Agencies counted 715 homeless people in January. The real number could be in the thousands, Speight said.
"If we don't deal with this, we could have a tsunami that could hit and make us respond to the situations that are prevalent today," he warned.
The answer, they agreed, starts with housing.
A Pierce County homeless worker, Troy Christensen, said it costs $14,000 a year to provide housing and services to one homeless person. That's sharply down from the $35,000 it takes to provide services for a person living on the streets, he said.
Homelessness today is being fueled by the high cost of housing, lack of jobs with decent pay, lack of health-care insurance, and the high cost of gas and food, said Larry Eyer, KCR executive director.
Another cause is addiction.
"Certainly our old menace, alcoholism, continues to plague us," Eyer said, adding that the use of methamphetamine and crack cocaine added to the problem.
Yet another cause: domestic violence.
Eyer said Kitsap County has a higher percentage of domestic- and child-abuse victims than other Washington counties. No one is sure why.
Bishop Larry Robertson of Emmanuel Apostolic Church said homeless people need mentors to "serve as a bridge" back to the community.
There was acknowledgment of the strengthened role the faith-based community is taking against homelessness, like One Church One Family, a group of local churches that provides housing, along with care teams.
Part of the solution can be a 10-year plan, said Paul Carlson, regional coordinator for the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness.
"You are not starting from scratch today; lessons have been learned," Carlson said.
Kitsap's plan is among 49 such plans in the Northwest. The effort for communities to have a plan started with the National Alliance to End Homelessness in 2000. The Legislature directed counties to have plans in 2005.
The local summit to update the plan was sponsored by agencies including KCR, Kitsap Continuum of Care Coalition, Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council and others. The updated plan goes to the KRCC at the end of the year.

Religion and denominationlism are they one in the same ??? Yes :)

And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning,

the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.

(Colossians 1:18)
True Christianity  is not a religion based on rules and rituals,
but a living relationship with Christ. When I encounter people in
my daily endeavors, when given a chance to share my faith I'm often
times ask with denomination am I apart of. I love to share with them
the difference between us who have a relationship and those who
follow after religion. One is about man made rules, the other is about
living for our savior and delight in doing His perfect will.


Many people reduce Christianity down to attending church
meetings and trying not to commit a list of certain sins.

But being a Christian is being united with Jesus, a member of
His body, with His life in your heart.

  Christ should be your focus -- not religious activity -- For we are called
after Christ for we are called Christians,  which means
to be Christ like. Not Catholic like, or Baptist like , or Calvary like.
But Christ like, we are to live for Christ and only for Christ. Guess
girls and boys if was important which church we went we would all
be in trouble, because Christ never ordained or order another church
which means we would all be Jews going to temple on Saturday.
Lucky for us Christ is not concerned with buildings but with us.
For only true Church is inside of each of you, which is where the spirit of
the Lord dwells.


Church meetings, Bible reading, etc. can be good, but should
not be allowed to become an end in themselves. They are tools
to help us know Jesus and walk more closely with Him.

The Bible says we are to be faithful; but faithful to what: a
religious system, an organization -- or, a Person? Are you
serving Christ -- or serving something else as His substitute?

The focus of your life must be Christ .Paul said he would
preach only one thing Christ and he lived or died he counted it all
glory cause he knew he was doing it for Christ.
 
Tell me does Christ have a place in your life?
Does Christ have a place in your church or does your by laws
not have room for the creator of the universe?  Do the ideologies
of me leave room for Christ plain of redemption for man kind?
Stop  worrying about or talking about denomination for their is no
salvation in a denomination but in Christ himself and only in him.
The Word of God tells me there is no other name under heaven that
we can be saved by. Its Christ and only Christ, not in the Church of Christ
nor Ladder Day Saints etc... Say it with me people I'm redeemed by the blood of Christ.
Cause if it was a denomination we would have missed that boat by miles, since Christ was a
Jew and attended temple not Saturday Mass.  Take you eyes off of the devil deception and 
put your focus on the savior.

denomination is the curtain that divides the body???? (Part 2)

Denominationalism mocks Christ' prayer for unity. In the shadow of the cross, Christ poured out his heart in prayer to the Father. Observe one particular for which Jesus fervently prayed: "Neither pray I for these alone , but for them also which shall believe on me through their word: That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me" (John. 17: 20, 21). The reality of multiplied thousands of different churches and theologies make a mockery of Jesus' prayer for the oneness of his followers (see addendum).

What does the word of God say about denominations?   Christ said that many would fail to keep the Word of God  simply because they loved the traditions of man more than the true word of God. (religion)

We now call it religion. 

The traditions of men that will not earn right standing before the lord  only faith, love and a true relationship with God, not  the religions of men.

Catholics, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Muslims, Buddhists, Faith Prosperity and many Christian Religions and People are caught up in denominations!!!! God has been removed from the equation, some say the greatest trick that Lucifer ever pulled was the day he convinced man he did not exist, I say it was the day he invented denominations and told man it was good and man drank from that polluted cup of blasphemy.

There is only way and it is not Mary or the Pope or Allah or Muhammad or Joseph Smith or Michael the  Archangel, or Gautama Buddha nor You or I.   Denominations have become many people new god, Christ told the religious nut jobs of his time, that they knew the way in but did not go and hindered others from going in also.

Now, please do not conclude that I'm  against fellowship for  iron sharpens iron, my concern is that the theories of men are taking the place of the Word of God. No where in the word of God at least not to my knowledge did he advocate us creating different denominations.

Dear God let us see what  we have been to blind to see, that it  is only  one way to heaven and that way is through you, not a denomination, but the living breathing God.

Denominationalism cause division in the body

  This may sound shocking to many of you the  concept of denominationalism (many different churches, teaching many different doctrines) is not taught or sanctioned in the New Testament. Christ promised and did build "one body" or church (Matt. 16: 18, Eph. 1: 22, 23, Eph. 4: 4). The concept of many different churches was absent in the First Century. Paul, therefore, taught "every where in every church" (I Cor. 4: 17). Denominationalism is division personified. The closest that we can come to denominationalism in the New Testament is the divided state of the church at Corinth. Paul did not praise this fragmented condition, but rather he condemned it. Observe Paul's inspired teaching:

     "10: Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11: For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. 12: Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. 13: Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?" (I Cor. 1.)
     Denominationalism rests on the claim of justified diversified understanding of God's word. However, oneness and the avoidance of changing the word of God are enjoined (Gal. 1: 6-9; Rev. 22: 18, 19). How can one be expected to "contend earnestly for the once delivered faith" if the faith cannot be understood and understood alike (Jude 3; Eph. 3: 1-6). I want to briefly share with you what denominationalism in essence does to Christ.
     In the shadow of the cross, Christ poured out his heart in prayer to the Father. Observe one particular for which Christ fervently prayed: "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word: That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me" (John 17: 20, 21). The reality of multiplied thousands of different churches and theologies make a mockery of Christ prayer for the oneness of his followers.
      Beloved, the state of many different churches, teaching many different doctrines is a prolific cause of unbelief. Notice why Christ prayed for unity: "that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me" (John17: 21). The atheist is heard to say, "how can you expect me to believe the Bible when there are so many different religions that claim to believe and go by the same book?"
    Have you ever really stopped and thought about all the mixed messages of denominationalism? For instance, some teach that all babies are born sinners and if they die in that state, they are eternally lost (hereditary total depravity). Others present babies as pure and innocent (Matt. 18; 19). Some say the non-Christian must be scripturally baptized (Acts 2: 38); others contend water baptism has nothing to do with salvation. Calvinists teach that unless God arbitrarily selected you for salvation before he created the world, there is nothing you can do to alter your lost condition; others maintain salvation is available to all (John. 3: 16). The point is that denominationalism is responsible for contradictory messages being given to the lost. Some in hearing these conflicting teachings have concluded Christ is a contradictory Lord.
      If Christ embraces and sanctions all the incongruous teachings of denominationalism, he is indeed hypocritical. This is especially true in view of the teaching of strict obedience and doctrinal purity found in the New Testament (Luke 6: 46, Matt. 7: 21).
      Just think of all the inequities of denominationalism - some men must be baptized; others do not need to in order to be saved; some babies are in sin; other babies are in a safe condition, ad infinitum. The Bible says: "…God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him" (Acts 10: 34, 35). Christ said, "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8: 32).
     The doctrinally diversified religious world is nothing short of mass and utter chaos. One can find anything taught today that one wants or desires. Many "worship services" today are nothing more than side shows that seek to placate the selfish desires of their clients. Consider what the scriptures actually say about God and such chaotic contumacy: "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints…Let all things be done decently and in order" (I Corin. 14: 33, 40).
   . Denominationalism, in view of the conflicting teaching and practices, would have us believe that Jesus was unable to present to the world a Book that all could understand and understand alike. However, the problem is not the Lord's inability, but the problem is man's unwillingness to accept what is taught in the Bible. This is why creeds, dogmas, and confessions of faith in addition to the Bible are needed. Many religions also exist only based on the "authority" of latter day revelation, a matter strictly forbidden (Jude 3).

Can a divided house remain standing (denominationalism)

The concept of a denomination, as commonly believed today, involves all the following elements:

* Each denomination is an affiliation or confederation consisting of a number of local churches. (Southern Baptist, Calvary Chapel, Catholic. Methodist, etc...)

* Each denomination has its own peculiar name, doctrine, organization, plan of worship, etc., which distinguishes it from other denominations.

* Each denomination claims it is composed of Christians, but it does not claim to contain all faithful Christians. Each denomination believes there are faithful children of God in other denominations. "There are saved people in all the denominations." "We're all going to heaven, just by different routes." 

Okay stop, the bus in case any of you didn't catch that. let try it again:"We're all going to heaven, just by different routes." Hmm, There is only one way to heaven, and that is through Jesus Christ.by Lee Strobel. Okay is Lee Strobel  contradicting these denominatsionlist? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6) Wait a second is Christ also saying that there is only one path to Heaven? So why do we have all these denomination again? oh wait I know,"One church is as good as another." It's just a matter of personal preference, like different kinds of cars, colors of clothes, etc. So "join the church of your choice." Didn't know Christ was like Mcdonalds that you could have salvation the way you wanted it.  To bad someone didn't tell Job that cause I'm sure he would choose not to suffer, or told Jeremiah that it really was all about his wants and desires instead of God's will being done.

Ask any informed denominationalist, and he will confirm what we have said. Ask: "Are there saved Christians in your denomination?" He will say, " Why of course." Ask: "Are there Christians in other denominations, who will go to heaven?" He will say, "Certainly there are." Ask: "Does one have to be a member of your denomination to go to heaven?" He will say, "No." So each denomination claims to consist of some Christians, but not all Christians.

A denominational preacher once said the following in a letter:

"There is only one 'holy Christian Church,' of which Christ is the Head, but it is now made up of many denominations ... But faith in Christ is the first criterion of membership in the holy Christian Church, and we feel that such believers can be found in all Christian denominations."

One true church (denominationalism isn't it)

How can we please God?  If we are not a members of the one true church of the Bible, despite the existence of denominational division?

 Come out from among them and be separate. Have no fellowship with the works of darkness, but reprove them am I saying that all Baptist are going to  hell or any other denomination??? No there are saved among all Christian faiths, but it is not the way that Christ instructed us to be.  For the Word of God is the seed of the kingdom. We purify our souls and are born again into God's family by obeying truth (not error). Does not the Word of God tell us to repent and be baptized for remission of sins and God will then add you to His true church. Then find a  church that walks and lives by the true Word of the living God  and is not part of any denominational system.  God luck on that one cause if the church has more than one church then it can be classified as a denomination.

In the first century, living the Messiah' true gospel made people members of  the Messianic faith  ' the one true church. It did not make them members of any denomination. That gospel can have the same effect in your life as it did in theirs, for God is no respecter of persons (Acts 2:39);  (Mark. 16:15,16). The seed of the kingdom will produce the same result today as it did in the first century (Gal. 6:8).

If you avoid man-made doctrines and obey just the true gospel of Christ our savior you and I can not go wrong. Let us daily seek the Lord our God and desire to live and do his perfect will, seeking out always God will not what a preacher or some holly man has said but is God's word saying to you. If he his word is not speaking to you, pray and ask God to give you clear understanding of his Word.

Denominartionalism

Despite the contradictory practices in denominationalism, we are told that it does not matter what church we attend, so just "join the church of our choice." Lets you and I make up a church and see if it "does not matter" if we attend this church. Suppose we had a church that taught all the following things:

* We follow the Bible as our sole guide in religion, but we also follow the Book of Mormon, the Catholic catechism, and Jehovah's Witness Watchtower publications as authority.

* We believe that a child of God can so sin as to be eternally lost, but we also believe that it is impossible for a child of God to so sin as to be eternally lost.

* We believe that immersion is the only true form of baptism, but we also practice sprinkling and pouring as valid forms of baptism.

* We believe that man is justified by faith alone, but we also teach that obedience is essential to justification.

* We believe that the seventh day of the week is the Christian sabbath and the first day of the week is a perversion, but we also believe that the first day of the week is the Christian sabbath for worshipping God.

* We worship the God of the Bible as our only God and Jesus as our only Savior, but we also worship the sun, moon, stars, and Satan.

What would you think of a church that believed and practiced all these contradictory doctrines? "Ridiculous! Hypocritical!" Yes, but when different churches teach  contradictory doctrines, some would say it "does not matter" which we join. Isn't that also ridiculous and hypocritical?

Consider what denominationalism says about the Messiah. We are told that "you can find our Savior in any of these churches." And "there are people in all the denominations that are following the Messiah."  If Christ is found in all the churches, though their teach are often contradictory doctrines,  so does make it all false doctrine?  Ponder this for a second if you dare, if all these churches are following the Word of God, yet they are going in opposite directions, what does that mean? 

What is the real problem with our imaginary church? The problem is that no one could believe all these contradictory doctrines because truth does not contradict itself! This is the real issue. Christ teaches truth, and truth does not contradict itself. Denominations contradict one another. Therefore, they cannot all be teaching truth, and they cannot all be following The Word of God!

The Word of God emphasizes the importance of truth. We are told the truth will set us free. Obeying the truth is what makes us free from sin.  There is one true faith, just as there is only one true God (Eph. 4:3-6).

 If the denominational concept is true, then all denominations are acceptable to God even though they flatly contradict one another regarding worship, salvation, etc. This means error is just as good as truth and unrighteousness is just as good as righteousness. Cleave  not to the words of men but put your trust in the Word of God and seek his face and trust only in his word. Not in the ideologies of  men for the Word of God tells me put not my trust in kings or princes for they will fail me.  Trust not in a denomination to save you, but trust in Christ whose blood paid the debtors debt for you and I.  Meaning no denomination can save nor deliver us from evil only placing our faith in the son of God.   I grew up in a family of decons, pastors, musicians, Sunday School teacher, part of my family was Southern Baptist the other half was Seven Day Adventist, Brothers and cousins could not plain family activities on Saturday for some that was their Sabbath day and Sunday could not be used for family  activities for that was the Southern Baptist sabbath. Till this the family is divided many of the children walked away from Church cause they grew weary of the fighting.  Tell me how could this be of God when it causes division?

Surely Denominationalism do not differs from God's Plan?

God's plan involves all of the body(the church).
Denominationalism seemly endeavor is to alter the  plan by adding the concept of denominational affiliations - associations of local churches that contain some of the saved but not all of the saved - organizations that are more than just local churches, but less than the universal church. Denominations were unknown in the Bible. They constitute an addition, a change in God's plan. Most people can easily read their Bibles and see that this is so.

What difference does it make?

Any man is accursed if he preaches a gospel different from what is revealed in the New Testament. But denominationalism is different from the gospel. It is nowhere authorized in the gospel.

 Whoever does not abide in Jesus' doctrine does not have God. (2 John 9)
Is denominationalism part of Jesus' teaching? No! It is not revealed in His word. Therefore, those who practice this unauthorized change have not God!  (Rev. 22:18,19)

The church is part of God's eternal wisdom in the Bible (Eph. 3:10-11).
Denominations are not in the Bible, so they must have come from men. If we participate in them, we are followers of men, and of of God.
We must not lean on our human wisdom, but must trust in God to guide us. There are ways that seem right to men, but their end is death.  Human traditions and commands make our service to God vain or empty. Everything religiously which God did not plant will be rooted up. By whose command do denominations exist? Who planted them some of you might accuse such men as Peter, but he promoted simply a Messianic following, or maybe you would accuse Paul, he also promoted a following of the Messiah nothing more nothing less. For you see they already had a religion and that was Judaism. Since there is no where in God's written Word or any of his followers made any statement of creating a new denomination it can only mean one thing. Denominations were simply the ideologies of men,not based on God's word but the feelings and thoughts of men.. Are we then not in danger, for our worship and service must be  God first and foremost. Let every mouth confess that Christ is Lord, for we are all told every knee shall bow, yet many among you are bowing now to  a denomination that was sanctioned by  but by man.

Image if you will for a second to come home to a construction crew tearing up your living room, simply because your neighbor over heard you say you hated the floors in your house and wished they were removed. So the site boss explains to you that your neighbor hired them to come in and remove all your hard wood floors and put down carpet. Are you confused as to why your neighbor would take it upon themselves to do this without your permission???

Which denomination would Christ Choose???

In todays society, there are approximately 38000 Christian denominations in the world. All claiming to be Christian. Yet they are divided and contradict one another.  How is that possible when we are told by Christ that a house divided will not stand?  Yet among the so call Christian faiths there is  doctrine differences  that keep denominations from even fellowship together and in some parts of the world this Christian groups are willing and have been know to have caused bodily harm to one another, based on the fact they are not of the same denomination.

If we really want to please God, however, we must forsake what we want and practice what He wants.

Man's whole duty is to fear God and keep His commands. We should be determined to do God's will, not our own. (Ecclesiastes 12:13)

  To follow Jesus one must deny himself. True religion does not consist of what pleases us. It is entirely a question of what pleases God. (Matthew 16:24)


Heavenly Father let our eyes and heart be on you, and not a denomination, for it was not a denomination that saved a sinner like me, but the precious blood of Christ.   Denominations have taken away from the real light of the world which is Yeshua (The Messiah/The Christ). Not the first Baptist Ebernizer Holy Light Evanglic Church of Christ(fake name)  One type of Christian one Messiah one faith.  I've heard the explanation that some Pastors and others give for why we have many denominations. Yet if I use that same excuse, to say that there should be many paths to Christ, I would be called a liar and false teacher.  Which would be true for there is only one way to Heaven and that is through Yeshua the son of Yahweh.  Yet we have thousands of denominations, because of men's ideologies. Each denomination is simply based on the ideologies of men, not the word of God. Christ did not preach denomination because he was a Jew and he knew whom he worshipped and where.  He did not create the Catholic faith, nor the Baptist, nor Methodist, nor Apostolic  or any other of man's self created denomination.   If there was a true denomination for believers to have followed it would have been the Messianic faith simple put (followers of the Messiah). Heaven want be divided off into denomination, it will only contain the truly faithful.

Zechariah 2:8

"For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye." (Zechariah 2:8)

This common phrase is often used to identify an object of one's special favor or affection. The apple of the eye, of course, is not a fruit, but the pupil of the eye, so essential for sight that it becomes a peculiarly apt symbol for a prized possession. It is used five times in the Bible as a translation of three different Hebrew nouns, none of which refer to the actual apple fruit. In each case, however, it speaks of something highly valuable to the owner.
Again showing how much we mean to the Father, his plan to redeem that which was lost because of the love he has had from the beginning of time. Father thank you so much for an unyielding love that you have for us.

Psalm 44:21

for he knoweth the secrets of the heart" (Psalm 44:21).

It is a wonderful day when we realize that God knows our hearts. It can be frightening, of course, if our hearts are not right with God, but it can also be of great comfort and exhilaration--it all depends on the thoughts and motivations of our hearts. As David wrote long ago: Thou understandest my thought afar off.

 Then, as we read of Jesus' wrath at the desecration of the temple by those who would commercialize their religion there, it was said that He needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man heart.

John 13:15

"For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you." (John 13:15)

  Christ told us that the things we see him do, was because he saw his heavenly Father do them first.    Let Christ be our example of our we are to live and love and care for others????   Christ's life matched His teachings, and so must ours. Consider, for example, Christ's teaching that we should "pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you". He taught that our prayers should not be done so that "they may be seen of men". Perhaps His teaching "love your enemies" is best illustrated by His tender prayer for those who would soon take His life as He hung on the cross for the very ones responsible for His death (today's text), all the while dying for them.

Psalm 139:1-2

 "O lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off" (Psalm 139:1-2).

   Even the hairs upon your head are numbered and he knows that number, the Psalmist David said whether I make my bed in heaven also shall you be and if I make my hell even there David realized that nothing could separate the love of the Father from us.  Look to what limits he has gone to reconcile us!!! Our Father wants to sit with you and reason with you concerning the issues of your heart. He knows your struggles and wants to help you. He knows your burdens are heavy but he wants to give you his for they are light. 
 Father, let us know you as you know us, let each of us become more of you and less of our sinful nature, Father speak to our hearts that we might know your perfect will for our lives. Guide us in all of our decisions and  grants us your wisdom that our actions will glorify you,

2 Chronicles 7:14

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14).
And God did hearken as He had promised long ago: "
Nehemiah had such a great burden for his nation that, although he himself had not been guilty of their sins, he was willing to confess their sins as his own, if God would only restore them to the Promised Land.

Ezra also felt the same way. "I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens" . Daniel had also prayed for his people, identifying himself with their sins. "We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly. . . . O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name".What a loving Father we have that even after we turn from him and chase after sin, if we but turn from sin and seek his face he is quick to forgive us. Perfect love, is what our Father is and has for each of us. Could you welcome back into your home the murder of your children and wife? Could you say all is forgive let us sit and eat together and have no hate or desire no harm come to that man? Yes well we were once the enemy of God's and yet he sent his only begotten son down from Glory so that we might be able to reconcile to him.  Have you reconciled your sin with the Father today, I do not know about you but daily do I sin and daily must go before the Father and ask forgiveness and strength to become the man he desires me to be. Call on him any time he is there he will hear you, for he promised never to leave you nor forsake you.

Romans 9:3

"For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh" (Romans 9:3).

 Paul felt the same burden in his day, that many of us feel in this present day and age.
Our own land today surely needs healing. The Father's desires "my people" to confess as their own the sins of their people (we are surely at least in part responsible, because of our past indifference, merely criticizing instead of praying), then perhaps our heavenly Father will hear as He heard the prayers of Daniel and Nehemiah.Let us remember this that we are to be in this world but not of this world. Let us daily come before the Father, ready and willing to confess our sins, and seek his healing hand and ask him to grant us the strength to have victory over our sin nature. For without our Father's help we can never have the victory over sin.

I'm bring it back (denomationalism so stay tune and watch for it )

You know JT is not the only one who can bring something back, no I'm not bring sexy since I never took it away or in my case I never had it.  I will be endeavoring to discuss denominationlism again, so don't freak out there is nothing wrong with your computer, the web page didn't error. It is I who felt it was time to discuss a topic that the world and  our arch enemy the devil certainly loves that keeps the body divided something Christ never authorized, but men did supposedly in the name of Christ. Sound like aka Holly wars which were simply men's greed, so much is done in the name of our Father that was neither his will nor his desire. So I want each of to understand, what things like denominationalism does to the body, and confuses the unsaved and gives other false religions so many reason to shoot holes in our faith. The issue is not in God's word, but in many thinking that the clay somehow needs to assist the potter. In Isaiah 55: 8-9, The father says:

    “ For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
      Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. 
     For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
      So are My ways higher than your ways,
      And My thoughts than your thoughts.  "

 

Psalm 92:5-6

"O LORD, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep. A brutish man knoweth not; neither doth a fool understand this." (Psalm 92:5-6)

In God's sight, brutish men are not those who act like animals, but those whose understanding of God is like that of animals. And those who are fools are not those who seem stupid about the ways of this world, but those who refuse to understand the ways of God.

1 Corinthians 13:1

"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal." (1 Corinthians 13:1)

 

It is well known that this word "charity" (Greek agape) is translated as "love" in most modern translations of the Bible. In fact, even in the King James Version, it is translated "love" more than three times as often as it is rendered by "charity." One wonders why these scholarly translators of the seventeenth century did not translate agape by the word "love" here in this very familiar "love chapter," as it has been called. They certainly knew the word did not mean giving to the poor, for they translated verse 3 thus: "And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, . . . and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing." How could anyone exhibit greater charity than to give everything he owns to the poor?

 

They evidently knew well that agape did not mean "charity" as we think of charity today. But neither does agape mean "love" as we think of it today. People today usually are thinking of romantic love, or erotic love, or brotherly love, or perhaps even a sort of happy feeling (e.g., "I love a parade!") when they speak of love.

 

Actually, the original English concept of "charity," meaning a genuine and unselfish concern for others because of their own intrinsic worth in the sight of their Creator, is the true meaning of agape in its biblical usage. "Charity" may not be the best word to express this attribute today, but "love" is so common and so misused that it seems even less appropriate.

 

1 Timothy 6:13

"I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession." (1 Timothy 6:13)

Young Timothy also had "professed a good profession same word as 'confession' before many witnesses", evidently of similar substance and quality to that in the witness of Christ before Pilate. When the Jews urged Pilate to condemn Jesus to death, their charge was that "he made himself the Son of God". Pilate gave Jesus opportunity to deny this charge and save His life, "but Jesus gave him no answer". Both by His silence, when a denial of the charge could have saved Him, and by His open testimony before Pilate that He was, in fact, a King from heaven itself--indeed "the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords", it becomes clear that our own "good confession" must be a confession of our faith in Jesus Christ as Son of God, our Savior and Lord, especially when that confession is made openly before hostile witnesses.

Jesus said: "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven", shall we deny the Father or shall we be like young timothy. I would rather be like Peter to die first than to die Christ. I can only speak for myself, but to live without Christ is not to live at all. For He is my everything without him I'm nothing.

Job 19:23-24

"Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book! That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever!" (Job 19:23-24)

In the midst of terrible calamities and sufferings, righteous Job expressed a heartfelt longing to write down his experiences and meditations, that others might later understand. This longing no doubt later led him, when the Lord finally restored him to health and prosperity, to do just that.

Job apparently wrote his book, originally, not on some perishable material but, as we see in our text, on tablets of stone with a pen of iron so that his testimony might be permanently available to all future generations. Indeed, God in His providence has ordained exactly that, by incorporating it in the Bible.

And the essence of Job's testimony is surely one of the most wonderful statements of faith ever penned, all the more remarkable in view of Job's circumstances when he uttered it, and in light of the limited knowledge of God's plan of redemption available in his day.

Here it is: "For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth".  Even before the days of Moses, Job knew that God Himself would become, not just the world's Redeemer from its bondage under the great Curse, but his own personal Savior! He even sensed the necessity of God's bodily incarnation, for he said He would stand on the earth in the latter days.

Mark 14:62

And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven." (Mark 14:62)

After His arrest, "the chief priests and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to put him to death; and found none" . Then they got their sought-after witness from Jesus Himself when the high priest asked Him: "Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?" As a matter of fact, this was not the first time He had thus identified Himself as the self-existent, eternal God. On an earlier occasion in Jerusalem, He had told the Pharisees: "I am the light of the world," and then, "I am from above: . . . I am not of this world. . . .He made this especially clear a few minutes later when He asserted: "Before Abraham was, I am". But when He finally made this wonderfully truthful claim in the presence of the council, "they all condemned him to be guilty of death" . He had committed the capital crime of blasphemy in their opinion, by claiming to be God.

"I am" is, in fact, the very name of God. When Moses, at the burning bush, was called by God to deliver the Israelites from slavery, God said His name was "I AM THAT I AM"

Philippians 2:8

"And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." (Philippians 2:8)

The only begotten Son of God substituted Himself for all humanity to save them from the righteous judgment of a thrice-holy Creator.

Jesus found Himself "in fashion as a man," which therefore made it possible for Him to humble Himself and to become obedient to the death that had been ordained for Him prior to the very foundation of the world .

Perhaps it is too much to suggest that Jesus "woke up" when He "found" Himself in Mary's womb, but it is certain that He "increased in wisdom"  as He grew in "stature." Basically, because He "became" human, He experienced the normal increase in awareness and experience that all of us do.

The difference was, obviously, that He "humbled" Himself, even though He "was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin"). Christ's sinless behavior could have easily "exalted" Him as His wisdom and miracles became known throughout Israel. Indeed, many tried to make Him King.

2 Timothy 3:16

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." (2 Timothy 3:16)

Among the many evidences for verbal inspiration, both within and without Scripture, is the frequent interchange of God recognized as the author of a particular passage with the human author who actually penned it. This can be true only if the very words recorded by the various authors are "God breathed" (the meaning of "inspiration").

For example, the early Christians exclaimed, "Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is: Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?"

Which Jesus do you serve???

Yes your right this one is a repeat and it I will continue to repeat this till i know that each of us has answered this question. Is probably the most important question that you or I could ever ponder.

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 5:1-2)

 The call to imitate God is a call to separate ourselves from the world though we may be in but not of it  (Ephesians 4:17-19) and how we have been made new (Ephesians 4:20-24) and then gave us specific ways to do that (Ephesians4:25-32).

Our call is to live with the same love that Christ has demonstrated.  Jesus laying down his life for us, was first of all an expression of his love for his Father. Jesus did it, not only because of his love for us, but because first of all he loved the Father and this was  the Father’s will. This ‘life of love’ is not to be something we do to make ourselves feel good or appear good, it is to come out of and be an expression of our love for God Himself.  When John says, “We love because he first loved us,” (1 John 4:19). The first thing we need to do in the Christian life is become utterly convinced of God’s love.

On Sunday they raise their hands to heaven and declare that it is Jesus that they serve.

Then why do we look so much like the world?

Did you know that the wheat and the tare, the world can't tell which is which and quite frankly neither can I. So I pose the question again, which Jesus do you serve?

My Savior bleed and suffered and died and rose again for a sinner like me. My Savior, was a friend to friendless, He remembers the forgotten ones among us, Which Jesus do you follow?

 Which Jesus do you serve?

Is it this picture of the American dream that you chase after? Is the prince of this world who you serve or did you miss that part when you decided you want fortune and power?

If Jesus was here would you walk right by him or cross over to the other side of the street? 

Would you even recognize him or have time to speak to him?

Pretty blue eyes and curly brown hair and a white complexion Michael Angelo version of Jesus ,is that the Jesus you serve? My Savior was battered and bruised for my sins, did you miss that part? Sometimes I ponder do we really understand what the price he paid for us?

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for they understand and they know My Savior. So which Jesus do we serve. is it the one whom we pray to bless us with great wealth? Or the Jesus who said

blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousness?

 So who do you serve? The one whose promises are like shifting sand?

Marine says it God , then country and the marine Corp, what comes first for you?

My Jesus would he be accepted in your churches today? All bloody and bruised with no shoes on his feet, would we want him sitting next to us?  He was not rich he didn't have a pillow to lay his head upon. Today my Jesus would look like a homeless man or perhaps we would see him as mentally insane.

He spent His time with criminals and those that are considered the least among us. Did you know he had a heart for the poor, so which place would  He come to eat Sabbath meal at your house or among those that were forgotten by society?

Its time we decide which Jesus do we serve but I'm not sure we understand what that means to be like Christ,

Jesus said to live like HIM, love like HIM but then does that mean we must be willing to die for HIM as he died for you and I???

Can we be Imitators of Christ? Can we live like our Savior?  Which one do you want to be ? I turned on the TV set today and heard a man preaching Jesus wants to make you rich and that he never intended for us to be poor.  Is that the Jesus your seeking??? Heard a pastor say that his Jesus says that we should never be sad. Yet my Jesus wept when heard his good friend was dead. So which Jesus do you serve?  I know that I want to be more like my Savior and less like me.  I want to be an imitator of my Savior what about you????