So true. I've been to many "churches" and been around many "Christians" . You know, The Lord said, come as you are. Being across the table, reading and studying Gods Word, or just walking and talking about HIM.... Is what I've found is best, with my Relationship with My Lord... Thank you, Jack.
You are really on to something! It is soooo important to study with the new babes in Christ. If we could get people to sit down and go thru BASIC Bible studies with those who have just been baptized, that would be amazing. I think there are Christians in the church who would be happy to do that. We have started doing this in place of a Wednesday night class and sometimes Sunday morning class with 2 or three mature Christians and 2 or three new Christians. It is helping to mature these babes in Christ. Just going thru easy correspondence lessons is very helpful. Many don't even understand how to take communion. Yet, they were studied with for only and hour and then baptized and set free. Why are we doing this? Did they have time to count the cost? I dare say that anyone who baptizes someone needs to be responsible for getting them set up for follow up studies. Many will say they dont know how to study with someone to convert them but it is much easier just to read thru a correspondence course with them after they have been baptized. This is what is missing in the church and how to keep them from walking out the back door!
I pray that many will find & know the freedom to know Jesus within the simplicity as He Himself reveals to them,without the trappings of religious institutional systems, mindset & thinking and their programmes, formulas, & the traditions of men, through performance, control do it our way or else! Teaching you must go to a church building to be blessed by God. And instill fear to control & drive the performance mentality and in elevating the carnal flesh that comes in only to steal, kill & destroys above the spirit of Christ Jesus his gospel & Gods heavenly kingdom and his true rest as His body called out to indeed preserve their holy intimacy of relationship and walk of faith humbly with Him that actually propels in maturing and growing deeper with Jesus & being led by the spirit and His finished work in you & through you, & gives us the ability by his indwelling as christ. And this is so offensive to the institutional carnal religious systems that creates divisions, and I still absolutely love those that are going to such places. But these cannot seem to love those who Jesus had called out of such places, & make the assumptions they must be backslidden or in sin, that is just not the truth & whom Jesus clearly tells us that it is his sheep who hear his voice firsthand Jesus said this, but sadly many within the institutional church systems don't believe this, that it always has to be secondhand from someone else other than Jesus himself, nor are they able to fully trust Jesus to be a good shepherd and faithful to his very sheep and over their souls. As sheep we follow the GPS of truth of God's Spirit that leads us, like his creation of animals know how to follow the design Heavenly father created for them. Did they need to be taught by another or was it internal through their very Creator himself? And He teaches us how to grow up in Christ Jesus' indwelling in us, being a household with Jesus as the head and father in heaven whom are full of love and of newness of spirit & life, nurturing spiritual growth and maturity in us and coming into the fullness of the stature of the living Christ Jesus.
Restoring NT Christianity is more than not using mechanical instruments in worship, taking the Lord's Supper each first day of the week, etc. Your points are a welcome to me, since I have thought the same way you expressed. We usually baptize someone and just let them go on their own. We have spent so much time emphasizing baptism we neglect repentance. Yes, we should expose the false doctrines of the denominational world, yet we close our eyes to our own issues. Making disciples is like going to school and graduating, yet always continue to grow.
So true. I've been to many "churches" and been around many "Christians" . You know, The Lord said, come as you are. Being across the table, reading and studying Gods Word, or just walking and talking about HIM.... Is what I've found is best, with my Relationship with My Lord... Thank you, Jack.
And no one ever had their face sharpened on a screen. (Proverbs 28:17)
Excellent point
You are really on to something! It is soooo important to study with the new babes in Christ. If we could get people to sit down and go thru BASIC Bible studies with those who have just been baptized, that would be amazing. I think there are Christians in the church who would be happy to do that. We have started doing this in place of a Wednesday night class and sometimes Sunday morning class with 2 or three mature Christians and 2 or three new Christians. It is helping to mature these babes in Christ. Just going thru easy correspondence lessons is very helpful. Many don't even understand how to take communion. Yet, they were studied with for only and hour and then baptized and set free. Why are we doing this? Did they have time to count the cost? I dare say that anyone who baptizes someone needs to be responsible for getting them set up for follow up studies. Many will say they dont know how to study with someone to convert them but it is much easier just to read thru a correspondence course with them after they have been baptized. This is what is missing in the church and how to keep them from walking out the back door!
I pray that many will find & know the freedom to know Jesus within the simplicity as He Himself reveals to them,without the trappings of religious institutional systems, mindset & thinking and their programmes, formulas, & the traditions of men, through performance, control do it our way or else! Teaching you must go to a church building to be blessed by God. And instill fear to control & drive the performance mentality and in elevating the carnal flesh that comes in only to steal, kill & destroys above the spirit of Christ Jesus his gospel & Gods heavenly kingdom and his true rest as His body called out to indeed preserve their holy intimacy of relationship and walk of faith humbly with Him that actually propels in maturing and growing deeper with Jesus & being led by the spirit and His finished work in you & through you, & gives us the ability by his indwelling as christ. And this is so offensive to the institutional carnal religious systems that creates divisions, and I still absolutely love those that are going to such places. But these cannot seem to love those who Jesus had called out of such places, & make the assumptions they must be backslidden or in sin, that is just not the truth & whom Jesus clearly tells us that it is his sheep who hear his voice firsthand Jesus said this, but sadly many within the institutional church systems don't believe this, that it always has to be secondhand from someone else other than Jesus himself, nor are they able to fully trust Jesus to be a good shepherd and faithful to his very sheep and over their souls. As sheep we follow the GPS of truth of God's Spirit that leads us, like his creation of animals know how to follow the design Heavenly father created for them. Did they need to be taught by another or was it internal through their very Creator himself? And He teaches us how to grow up in Christ Jesus' indwelling in us, being a household with Jesus as the head and father in heaven whom are full of love and of newness of spirit & life, nurturing spiritual growth and maturity in us and coming into the fullness of the stature of the living Christ Jesus.
Perfectly said! Right on point. Thank you
Restoring NT Christianity is more than not using mechanical instruments in worship, taking the Lord's Supper each first day of the week, etc. Your points are a welcome to me, since I have thought the same way you expressed. We usually baptize someone and just let them go on their own. We have spent so much time emphasizing baptism we neglect repentance. Yes, we should expose the false doctrines of the denominational world, yet we close our eyes to our own issues. Making disciples is like going to school and graduating, yet always continue to grow.
So the ultimate question is why is this not actually being done by the vast majority of Christians?! Especially those who go to church buildings?