It was paid for long ago

[DCP]

It was paid for long ago

Heed my words; remember them well, for one day they will make sense to some of you.

Some will say this isn’t my walk with Christ. I am a good Christain
I believe, GOD would say search deeply inwards not outwards

Do you tithe every week, go to church every Sunday. Give God credit for everything in your life and all those other things that Good Christians do

But won’t reach out your hand to help when someone is being bullied or worse., you just hide your head and say I don’t what to pick sides, I don’t have time to help or just don’t care to help, and many other lame reasons. Do you think you will look or feel foolish?

Will you take a stand for what is right. No matter what the cost. You may even say I would lay down my life for Christ. But the real test would be would you lay down your life for your fellow man.

Christ has unconditional love and forgiveness. Do you, if not you must learn to love and forgive and then change the life path you’re on.

It is not man’s place to judge you. Only Gods;

Not even God can change the past

I pray one day this helps someone, just so you know there is forgiveness. It was paid for long ago

Vaya con Dios

[Preacher Jim]

DC P, is it not a wonderful thing Jesus uses grace upon grace and forgives us. As a child of the King we should be growing to fulfill what you have stated so well. Some day we will be perfect.

[GhostHawk]

I have no problem with the big guy in charge up there.

I have some very real problems with my tithe going to fund gun control and terrorists. (proven fact at time, and the preacher bragged about the money spent to fund gun control) Same one that told me that using simple dowsing to find something for someone else, was doing the devils work.
As a result you might say that me and organized religion have parted ways.

The Lord knows my feelings on the subject, and I know his.
The church is his bride. The problem is all too often that church has turned into the painted ***** of Babylon.

Try this, let your hair/beard grow out a little. Put on a clean home spun knee length robe, a simple pair of sandals.

If you walked into 100 churches on Sunday morning in time for service. What number do you think you would feel comfortable at? Made welcome? Offered fellowship, food, drink?

We have wandered far from the fold. There are exceptions of course. But the majority?

[frkelly74]

you need to go to another church if the church is spending money on any political agenda .

[Blackwater]

Great post, DCP. This is the reason I love and support all the good cops out there. Some sign up for other reasons, a few because they don't really like working and don't take directions well. But the good ones truly have my respect. I don't usually do any campaigning for local folks, but we've got a guy who's running for Sheriff now, and I've called a bunch of folks and have some signs supporting him in the yard near the highway. The old sheriff is retiring and there are at least 4 in the running. The supposed front runner was picked by the county "fathers" that try to run the county, and the guy I support is one they're trying to suppress, because he's still a working deputy. But his signs are popping up all over. I hope he wins.

And Ghost Hawk has a point. It's the effect of PC on the church today, and if you ask most of those folks if they're PC, and they'll act shocked that you'd ask and say "NO!" But they are. That they just don't realize it shows how effective Lucifer has gotten in our modern world today. And there ARE churches that would indeed welcome you. And really, most of those churches aren't quite as bad as you paint them. After all, in our crazy world today, those who break with traditions are looked askance at, and not wholly without reason. But if you conducted yourself dressed as you describe, they might think it odd and a little pretentious, but they'd mostly welcome you after you'd proven who and what you are, I think.

So don't pan all "organized religion" just because some are less than what they've been told they should be. Christ said, "Many will come in my name and say 'yea, yea,' but they do not know me." It really seems we're in the midst of many like that, but it would do no good at all to just tell them this. It's difficult to know what to do with the ones like this, really, but they DO need to be dealt with lest they infect others with their thinking, which they seem to be unable to resist spreading.

One of the real shortcomings for many of us hwo believe is our simply not coutering bad theology when we find it. And you'd do as well telling them it's bad as throwing a bucket of ice cold water on them. Either way, now you're dealing with someone who's "mad as a wet setting hen!" And wet setting hens who are mad are impossible to talk with. I usually just try to ask a question and let THEM answer their own selves. Nothing always works, but this has yielded the best results to date, and it does at least do at least a workman's job of keeping too many from agreeing with them and stops the spread of bad theology or interpretation or application of the right things in the wrong way.

I figure if Christ forgave me all my sins, I'd be rather presumptious and unthankful if I can't do the same for others. And when I think back at all the bad theology I once tried to convince myself to believe, it's humbling enough that I just can't put those folks down even when I DO in fact know them to be right, at least as well as we can truly KNOW anything.

It just doesn't upset me any more to see people spouting bad theology, and really, the only thing that DOES get me angry, and even then, it's a lot more controlled and bridled than it's ever been in the past, is when they try to "win" the debate by trying to pull rank of some kind or talk down to me, when I know I'm right. Then I get kind'a peeved, but even moreso, I just get disgusted with their cynicism and haughtiness. Christ was NEVER cynical or haughty, even when He, the Son of the Living God, had every reason to be.

So be careful you don't paint with too wide a brush when you talk about "organized religion." You're throwing the baby out with the bathwater when you do that, and that's no way to propagate our ranks as we've been instructed to try to do. He also never mocked, even though he was sorely mocked by so very many. He was THE Son of God. We also are lesser sons of God, and we're supposed to follow His example as closely as we can. The temptations are many, though, and we all succumb in ways great and small, but we have to keep trying. That's all I've ever been able to find in it all, anyway.

[DCP]

Yes there are feel good churches out there. Just like there is feel good Christians right here in the Chapel

I found this. I fear many will fall short

Human nature being what it is, there are few that will respond to a worship service that corrects. Most of these churches are filled with people who know nothing about doctrinal truth, and are completely unaware of the responsibility placed on the ministry.

To the ministry the Bible instructs: “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine” (2 Tim. 4:2).

Rather what is taking place is this: ” . . . My people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water” (Jer. 2:13). ” . . . This is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD: Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits” (Isa. 30:9-10).

The kind of worship in these churches could not be successful if people did not want it to be. Mega churches are a big business. Some mega churches have a budget larger than some cities, and since their membership is made up of suburbanites and college-educated couples with children, money problems are rare. Each week brings in a solid income of offerings for the church.

[castalott]

I needed this post.... Thanks, Dale