Posted on 01/30/2008 8:56:00 AM PST by Gamecock
Did not mean to offend.
I was just wondering what you meant by New Testament Church.
Sounds like the Joe Wilson/Plame's comment regarding Karl Rove.
We sometimes go to another similar church in the same area.
Those churches are bringing people back to worship by building real and powerful relationships with God. The focus is on God instead of money, ceremony, and symbolism. They have attracted many of us who have become very cynical of organized religions.
I simply cannot understand why some people cannot enjoy one type of worship without condemning those who like other types.
Personally, I cannot stand hymnal music. And I cannot stand country music.
But I am not going to say every person who sings hymnals is a sinnner ... like all those country music people. : )
Again, you miss the point by a mile, but that just lets me know that your ability to understand, or at least be honest about understanding, is limited.
Thank you for your communication and goodbye
It’s not like I am Latvian Orthodox. < rimshot>
I am a member of a church that does hymns and praise and worship. I really don’t care about the music as long as it glorifies God. But the focus of the service must be Christ.
Everything I have ever read about Willow Creek, to include closing on Sunday/Christmas Day a couple years ago, raises red flags.
Know ye not that we humans are not angels?
And just how does closing on Christmas/Sunday focus folks on God?
IMO the New Testament seems to show that Jesus is a lot more approachable than you make him out to be.
Would anyone in the New Testament have been been able to approach Jesus for healing or deliverance if they were forced to adhere to your strict doctrine first?
You did not offend me, but I do take offense to the perversion of New Testament worship.
I dunno, you might want to consider it...Especially if you're cursed with...kevorka!
I dare say many Christians carry books that have the word “Bible” printed on them but some of them bear diminished resemblance to the Christian example (salt and light) that the Bible calls us to be.
Matthew 15:11: "Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man."
Matthew 15:17-20: "Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man."
Jesus taught in the Bible that when a man curses or uses profanity it is a sign of evil that is in that man's heart. Many of us never think of it as an evil condition our their heart, but rather a small thing that everyone does. These small words of cursing the Bible says, will defile the whole man if they are not repented of and stopped.
Jam 1:26 Do any of you think you are religious? If you do not control your tongue, your religion is worthless and you deceive yourselves.
James 3:9-10 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.
Col. 4:6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
The author should have focused his article on Hybels, instead of condemning non-KJV believers and non-hymnal churches.
Like I said, I am no fan of Hybels.
I just can't stand banal, repetitive songs with three-chord melodies and hand-written lyrics flashed on the wall with an overhead projector.
--ccm
Rebuking false doctrine with the word “crap” offends you? OK by me. Think stern talk about such is always sinful? The Lord said “O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” That was a nasty name He called those church people. He went with this, “An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign”. Ouch!
I agree that the “c” word I used is not gentle nor gentile. I do not think that flesh pleasing non-Bibles should be lightly passed over as they lead men to hell.
“And just how does closing on Christmas/Sunday focus folks on God?”
I don’t know what you are referring to. However, since we worship at church on Christmas Eve (or once the Sunday before Christmas) it is unimportant to me. On Christmas Day we celebrate Jesus’ birth at home with family.
It’s just that most of us believe that you can can sound doctrine without the King James Version (which you quote) and 400 year old hymnals sung to organ music.
Ya know, I took the KJV as a tongue in cheek comment......
Willow Creek closed on Sunday a couple of years ago because it was Christmas.
However, since we worship at church on Christmas Eve (or once the Sunday before Christmas) it is unimportant to me.
And that's fine. But for some of us it is important to attend church on Sunday, regardless of what other holiday falls on the Lord's Day. W.C. decided no one should worship on Sunday. That is wrong.
On Christmas Day we celebrate Jesus’ birth at home with family.
Again, that was your choice. W.C. members were not given a choice.
Then you should go elsewhere if that annoys you that much.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.