Looking For A True Church To Call Home

6/21/11 | Me

[Elsie]

God hates sodomy and destoryed cities for it.

Sometimes a REFRESHER is needed...

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Genesis 13:13

Now the men of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the LORD.

Genesis 18:20-21
20. Then the LORD said, "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous
21. that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know."

Genesis 19:4-7
4. Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom--both young and old--surrounded the house.
5. They called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them."
6. Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him
7. and said, "No, my friends. Don't do this wicked thing.

 

Psalms 12:8      The wicked freely strut about when what is vile is honored among men.

      More?

Isaiah 3:9   The look on their faces testifies against them; they parade their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to them! They have brought disaster upon themselves.

2 Peter 2:13b  Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you.

 

 

Ezekiel 16:49-50
49. "`Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.
50. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.

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2 Peter 2

 1.  But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them--bringing swift destruction on themselves.
 2.  Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.
 3.  In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.
 4.  For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell,  putting them into gloomy dungeons  to be held for judgment;
 5.  if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others;
 6.  if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly;
 7.  and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men
 8.  (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)--
 9.  if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment.
 10.  This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature  and despise authority.   Bold and arrogant, these men are not afraid to slander celestial beings;
 11.  yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not bring slanderous accusations against such beings in the presence of the Lord.
 12.  But these men blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like brute beasts, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like beasts they too will perish.
 13.  They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you.

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But there IS hope!!!

1 Corinthians 6:9-11

 9. Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived:
     Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders
10. nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
11. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

 

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If you could NOT change, you would be in most pitiful shape...

[NoGrayZone]

"But it was SIN that CAUSED the wandering..."

Amen! My thread was simply to find a cure for sin, even though I don't believe one exists, I still think we could try.

Perhaps if enough of us tried, He will prolong what is to be done (in my "unicorn world") we could stop it.

But He knows all; however, there are still things we can do to lesson our suffering.

[toothfairy86]

Especially in the South, Orthodox churches are receiving many converts from Protestant denominations. Many of the Greek Orthodox churches up North still do their liturgies in Greek. But there are many Orthodox churches that are very welcoming to American converts. You don’t have to belong to a particular ethnic group to become Orthodox. The Greek Orthodox Church of America also has a wonderful website that explains lots of things about ancient Church history. http://www.goarch.org

[Elsie]

I recommend prayer. Ask God to send you to where He knows is best for you and for furthering His will on earth.

Worked for me.

After messing my life up pretty good, after being saved as a young man, my second marriage going down the tubes, I asked.

My experience was Methodist (a few times as a teenager), Baptist (what brand - I really don't know - but not Southern) I got saved in Moses Lake, Washington (air force), then Southern Baptist (in Thailand) then that wandering and screwing up for 15 years.

I was looking in the newspaper (it was Saturday) at the church ads, looking for a Baptist type of church, but found none close enough; when I swear I heard a voice say, "What's wrong with the one down the street?"

I looked around, for I was the only one in the house!

To this day it was so clear that I thought I heard it!

So I drove down the street to see the sign: Wesleyan.

I had NO idea what a 'wesleyan' was: "What if they're WEIRD??"

Well; they couldn't be THAT bad that trying it out the next day would kill me.

So; I went. Sure enough - they were weird! Weird enough to take me in - just as I was.

Been there now since March '81.

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Oh...

Wesleyan is very much like Methodist, as John Wesley is in the lineage of both.

[Elsie]

Not ALL of them! ;^)

[Elsie]

I usually just babble to Him about regular stuff, when I do babble.

Don't we all?

[Elsie]

I always feel like I’m bothering Him when I speak to Him.

Guess where that 'feeling' comes from...

[Elsie]

If he cares about the hairs on your head I doubt anything (except sin) is a bother.

Even SIN is not a 'bother'!

Who ELSE can we confess to and be forgiven?

[Biggirl]

Second Salvation, look into the Roman Catholic Church.

[Elsie]

You understand the norms for receiving the Sacrament in the Catholic Church...

I don't.

Could you list them?

[Elsie]

And if you are Jewish...

[Elsie]

No.

Neither do MORMONs.

[NoGrayZone]

I happened across 2 JW’s at the train station on my way to the Celebrate Israel Parade on 6/5/11.

I told them I do not belong to any religion, although the JW’s taught me how to study my Bible.

They were not pushy or anything (2 old black ladies, just in case anyone wanted to know). I told them of everything I've been religiously been through including my Bible studies with the JW’s.

We talked like we have been friends, the hardships, etc, but they did not push me.

They only wanted me to pray to Jesus, to get to God....very simple.

Of course they wanted to set something up, but I told them I don't believe in ANY religion. He will guide me to where I am suppose to be.

They were the nicest ladies and I wish I had more time to speak with them but my train to NYC was on time.

[Elsie]

I finally concluded that if one is going to be a Christian, the only real choice is the Roman Catholic Church (with the Eastern/Greek Orthodox a close second). There is no other Christian church with a theology/dogma that is as intellectually sound.

John 6:28-29 (niv)

Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”

Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

[diamond6]

I just kind of scanned your post and have not read all the replies, but have you prayed to the Holy Spirit for guidance? I would just continuously ask our Blessed Lord to lead you where He wants you to go. His way is perfect after all :)

God bless you on your journey, you will be in our prayers.

[Former Fetus]

I think that with the Baptists you have to stay on their rolls actively, or you get removed from their count

Not true, at least not for Southern Baptists.

[NoGrayZone]

You do too? I thought I was just annoying Him.

[RegulatorCountry]

I know they’re not all that way. My own mother subscribes to The Watchtower but has never set foot in a Kingdom Hall to my knowledge.

The door to door JW proselytizers do have a reputation for it, though.

[Elsie]

My thread was simply to find a cure for sin, even though I don't believe one exists, I still think we could try.

DEATH seems to work quite well!

But until that time; I think I am going to rely on FORGIVENESS for sin.

[ansel12]

It certainly is true in some cases at least.

http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=2140