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Post by timothyu on Mar 16, 2018 16:50:51 GMT -5
It seems to me...
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Post by timothyu on Mar 16, 2018 16:52:08 GMT -5
It seems to me that no matter where we go, here we are.
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Post by timothyu on Mar 16, 2018 17:10:06 GMT -5
It seems to me, Jesus' teachings on the Kingdom made any institution of man especially empires (nations) and emperors (governments) anti-Christ in nature (as they still are today). This included the institution of the 'official church' which rejoined the world of man to work in tandem with the Empire of Rome to control the masses, eventually becoming a king maker itself. How could this Gentile religion which served man and not God's will of loving neighbour as self, teach Jesus' Gospel of the Kingdom which opposed anything of man and gave a better way to live, not to mention the Kingdom as an alternative?
It couldn't, hasn't and won't. Truth is in the scripture and words of Jesus, not in the theology of church or Christianity. ©
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Post by timothyu on Mar 16, 2018 17:11:36 GMT -5
Mainstream Christians follow a religion. It seems to me it would be better to do as Jesus and His followers did and live outside the mainstream. His Kingdom does not resemble the mainstream world of man. ©
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Post by timothyu on Mar 19, 2018 15:44:04 GMT -5
It seems to me mankind is all about self.. until it comes to blame. ©
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Post by timothyu on Mar 20, 2018 13:02:42 GMT -5
It seems to me that those with the least have the most giving spirit. ©
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Post by timothyu on Mar 20, 2018 13:43:47 GMT -5
It seems to me that Christianity has gone from a practical way of life as originally intended and based upon the Gospel of the Kingdom, to become a religion of unpractised beliefs ignoring the now while claiming the future.. ©
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Post by timothyu on Mar 27, 2018 2:56:53 GMT -5
Seems to me the one thing certain types hate is anyone asking questions or teaching scripture that conflicts with the tidy little package they have made for themselves so they can dislike everyone not of their own kind, yet think they are saved. No wonder the Gospel of the Kingdom and loving neighbour/enemy as self is a threat to their religious sect/s.
Stubborn, aggressive, angry people were that way before they found their 'Christian' faith that fit their character... and unfortunately their faith encourages them to stay that way.©
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airfresh
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Our job is to love others without stopping to inquire whether or not they are worthy.
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Post by airfresh on Mar 27, 2018 7:04:48 GMT -5
"Mainstream Christians follow a religion. It seems to me it would be better to do as Jesus and His followers did and live outside the mainstream. His Kingdom does not resemble the mainstream world of man." Seems to me mainstream Christians do live outside the mainstream. Seems to me political Christians are the mainstream media spokesmen for Christianity but they are far from the mainstream of Christianity. IMO or STM  |
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RNorm
Champion Member
Cry Aloud and Spare Not...
Posts: 6,919
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Post by RNorm on Mar 27, 2018 10:36:40 GMT -5
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Post by timothyu on Mar 27, 2018 14:21:47 GMT -5
While thinking about Christians who merrily spend their days making the religion over in mankind's image in order to justify their secular ways, I got to thinking about those dedicated to the examples set by the earliest followers, the Way.
Regardless of how self sufficient or charitable, it seems to me that for them the lovers of neighbour/enemy as self, it is a no win situation here in earth. Consider homesteaders, or as a better example the Amish who live off the land and could handily survive a pulse that shuts down anything electronic which will be not for a short period. It was recently estimated that 80% of the population would be dead within a month (including of boredom for some cell addicts), the dependency for electricity so high these days. Yet the Amish with their own food and no need for electricity would be as oblivious to the outage as birds foraging in a war zone. Even if charity kicked in and they shared bread with the starving, it wouldn't be long before the violent and greedy would overrun them and wipe them and their supplies out with no consideration for replenishing, but only looting.
Hence the ways of the Kingdom can be applied here but were never meant to survive the self serving ways of man, that is until the King arrives to set things straight. Those who practice the ways of the Kingdom can neither expect favour or neutrality in earth. There is no self justification for those of the Kingdom in the world of man in the same way that worldly Christians wish to make it apply to themselves. But then again, unlike the worldly, their reward is not here nor meant to be..©
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Post by timothyu on Mar 28, 2018 13:49:24 GMT -5
It seems to me Christianity, the religious institution itself, always been on shaky ground, EXCEPT for when it was aligned with empires and kingdoms of man, the controlling voice over the masses and of nations. Did it not become an empire itself and even in one case a nation?
Did we not look until recently as Christianity being the big three or whatever... Orthodox, Catholic, and the various big names of Protestant... Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian. That was it. You were one or the other or none of the above. Simple. Yet these were seen for what they were, monoliths of Christianity. There are those within who use God to suit their purposes. There are those who change themselves to serve the will of God. It is very lopsided. The official institution itself has always served as a tool of the world of man, not exclusively of God.
Yet in the last hundred years, especially with free enterprise, thousands of new Christian faiths/cults/businesses have sprung up. As was mentioned about media, if it were not for media those snake oil tent revivalists would still be wandering around in the desert all but unheard of. Communism, the great capitalistic experiment, removed the institution but the faith remained in the homes. This while the opposing side at first used Christianity as a banner against the new heathen foe. Political manipulation using the reliable religious ally. All human manipulation of Christianity or the purposeful lack of it, for gain at the expense of others.
But what is happening today? Religion after a thousand plus years is no longer needed to manipulate or control the people (make that Christianity as other religions still control as we have seen). We have the digital age as the new god of control over the people's privacy and wealth, determining who may or may not buy and sell soon. Confessionals, religious stool pigeons, or easily managed territories as data gatherers no longer necessary in a global world posing the same threat at the time of Babel when God confounded language to weaken the power of man.
As a result, Christianity is being allowed to self destruct as we are seeing, it's purpose no longer needed by the worldly powers who have used it for over 1700 years. It's a new world.
Is this good or bad? Well IMO the fall of Christianity as a moral/ethical force is bad, but the movement back into the homes, like what happened in Russia or China, and gatherings can be good as people focus on scripture rather than the institutions (no longer needed by God to move scripture forward). Jesus is not in the institutions but rather in the scriptures, the people and their gatherings. The Kingdom as shown by Jesus' life has always survived through simplicity. Those repenting of their complex worldly ways will find it.
We know the outcome of what is happening now. Why fight what is meant to be as the final battle between the will of man and God unfolds. Hopefully the Kingdom has been chosen over the world that man has built in our image. Turn on the media to see what is not the Kingdom.
©
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airfresh
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Our job is to love others without stopping to inquire whether or not they are worthy.
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Post by airfresh on Mar 29, 2018 13:50:48 GMT -5
<<<but the movement back into the homes, like what happened in Russia or China, and gatherings can be good as people focus on scripture rather than the institutions (no longer needed by God to move scripture forward).>>>
Seems to me to be like small group Bible studies.
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Post by timothyu on Mar 29, 2018 14:46:49 GMT -5
Certainly and that is what happened in those countries to keep Christianity going, but like with the first gatherings of old, with no Roman influenced hierarchy, but with elders acting as human holy ghosts to keep things focused, the focus remained on the scripture, Jesus' Gospel, the Messiah and the Kingdom. Otherwise someone will eventually revert even those gatherings back into the world of man just as the religion eventually did when the Roman hierarchy and institutional tradition was inserted.
Look at Putin. Rather than crack down on those home meetings as the Soviets once did, he has realigned Russia with the state church in order to gain the support of the underground home followers of that faith. Yet without the Gospel of the Kingdom, people never learn. They were still focused on the traditional church and rites rather than the scriptures and the Kingdom, so they willingly rejoined the State.
But then again that is the way of man. It seems to me God knew this when He gave the gentiles their time. It was the only way scripture, the Messiah and the Kingdom could move forward while mankind butchered the religion out of self interest.
Do you mindlessly trust the bus you are riding on or do you occasionally check the map?
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airfresh
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Our job is to love others without stopping to inquire whether or not they are worthy.
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Post by airfresh on Mar 29, 2018 15:59:07 GMT -5
Seems to me there is no better map than the Bible. Studying it IS checking the map no?
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