So, I have a dilemma so I decided I would search a place on my social site called "communities" for a community of Christians and find someone to discuss my dilemma with. What I found was so sad. I found community after community with the word "Christian" in the title but the member count for each was mostly between 1-6. I did find some with 26 and one or two communities with more than that number but I don't believe I found one community created by a Christian that had 100 members in it. It's worthy to note that the headings were things such as "Fundamental Christians", and "Christians Following God", and "Country Christians," "Compassionate Believers", things like that, but none of which had more than a few members at any given time.
It's fair to point out that the people who create those communities are usually men in the social network who have very few people following them in their circle count so that means invitations usually don't reach too many people and most people ignore them when they get an invitation to join a community. But if you look through the communities on cat lovers, techies, or LGBT, they're 1000s strong. But do you know what community I found with the highest number of members? Islam. 10,000 members.
The second thing disturbing to me were the subtitles of those Christian communities wherein the moderator or creator of the community would announce that his/her community was a "place to connect" or "a place to share ideas" or "be one in the Lord." But guess what I found in each and every community I opened to look around in? Comments were ALL disabled. Every single person who posted something had disabled their comments. How's that connecting? How do Christians expect to connect with one another that way?
It's also worthy to note that we're talking about millions of people from around the world so somewhere in there the Christian faith is turning into something that nobody wants anything to do with and those who still are a part of it don't really want to connect.
I'll now weigh in on that and give my personal opinion based on what I feel myself and what I see. Religion is destroying the faith. The faith is not a heart thing anymore, it's a Bible thing, a church thing, a religion thing. Christianity is no longer the faith in God it was initially meant to be and taught to us by Christ himself, but rather something people practice in their flesh and if you practice God in your flesh and not in your heart, then you're not a Christian, you're a religious zealot who has no Spirit of God in them. Religion will not save you. Bible thumping won't save anyone. All the church services in the world are doing nothing for people. They're using the religion to grow further into their own "good deeds" and further away from simple service to God in the form of love and truth and benevolence. We're not to act in the flesh as Christians. Quoting scripture does little more than show the world you've memorized some words. Even I am turned off by the quoting of scripture. One or two verses that you know have meaning and when you say them it's because the Spirit compels you, is one thing. Quoting scripture to every thing that happens around you and using it as a shield to hide your true self behind isn't what it's meant for.
Religion has all but destroyed the faith. It's clear to me that the devil has gotten into the church and he's working diligently at destroying Christians from the outside in. They see and believe, they hear and believe, but they don't know and believe based on the indwelling of the Holy Spirit who comes at the moment of salvation and makes us to know the truth, which immediately should set us free from the practice of religion. Remember the scribes and pharisees folks, remember what Jesus said about them and you'll know.
It's fair to point out that the people who create those communities are usually men in the social network who have very few people following them in their circle count so that means invitations usually don't reach too many people and most people ignore them when they get an invitation to join a community. But if you look through the communities on cat lovers, techies, or LGBT, they're 1000s strong. But do you know what community I found with the highest number of members? Islam. 10,000 members.
The second thing disturbing to me were the subtitles of those Christian communities wherein the moderator or creator of the community would announce that his/her community was a "place to connect" or "a place to share ideas" or "be one in the Lord." But guess what I found in each and every community I opened to look around in? Comments were ALL disabled. Every single person who posted something had disabled their comments. How's that connecting? How do Christians expect to connect with one another that way?
It's also worthy to note that we're talking about millions of people from around the world so somewhere in there the Christian faith is turning into something that nobody wants anything to do with and those who still are a part of it don't really want to connect.
I'll now weigh in on that and give my personal opinion based on what I feel myself and what I see. Religion is destroying the faith. The faith is not a heart thing anymore, it's a Bible thing, a church thing, a religion thing. Christianity is no longer the faith in God it was initially meant to be and taught to us by Christ himself, but rather something people practice in their flesh and if you practice God in your flesh and not in your heart, then you're not a Christian, you're a religious zealot who has no Spirit of God in them. Religion will not save you. Bible thumping won't save anyone. All the church services in the world are doing nothing for people. They're using the religion to grow further into their own "good deeds" and further away from simple service to God in the form of love and truth and benevolence. We're not to act in the flesh as Christians. Quoting scripture does little more than show the world you've memorized some words. Even I am turned off by the quoting of scripture. One or two verses that you know have meaning and when you say them it's because the Spirit compels you, is one thing. Quoting scripture to every thing that happens around you and using it as a shield to hide your true self behind isn't what it's meant for.
Religion has all but destroyed the faith. It's clear to me that the devil has gotten into the church and he's working diligently at destroying Christians from the outside in. They see and believe, they hear and believe, but they don't know and believe based on the indwelling of the Holy Spirit who comes at the moment of salvation and makes us to know the truth, which immediately should set us free from the practice of religion. Remember the scribes and pharisees folks, remember what Jesus said about them and you'll know.
The Faith is dying. I think it has to happen for the Lord to come back. The great falling away. True born again Christians are getting harder and harder to come by. On the internet and off the internet. I believe it's happening, I believe the Lords return is soon. Come Lord Jesus Come!
ReplyDeleteAmen sis!! He hears me begging for His return constantly. I wonder if He ever wishes He had done things differently and made the one tiny rule that allows Him to appear from time to time to the physical eyes and just say, "You're going to be okay and I'll be here soon."
DeleteInteresting message. I watched on the 700 club where they did a segment on the Muslim's out numbering the Christians in the UK. A Muslim interviewed said, "We will be the number one religion in the UK and the world soon". On MSNBC they reported that a Mosque was overcrowded in the UK somewhere, apparently they have to pray every hour on the hour those muslims, and a Pastor of a Catholic or Anglican church allowed the members to come into his church to pray to allah. Craziest thing I have ever heard of ever.
ReplyDeleteYou stated, "The faith is not a heart thing anymore, it's a Bible thing, a church thing, a religion thing." You would not have known about faith if it wasn't for the message presented in the Bible or by hearing someone mention it, like a pastor who has also learned about faith from the Bible. I see what you were saying and find it very interesting. I wouldn't include the Bible in the list of things destroying the faith though. You have a different outlook at it and that's cool. The enemy is destroying the faith through doctrines of men that contradict what is written in the Bible. I see what you were saying I do believe religion is one of the tools the enemy is using to damage the church. Although many religions were formed from folks taking certain scriptures from the bible and twisting them to the way they see fit. But when used correctly, the Bible is an asset to the faith not a hinderance, it is the "..sword of the Spirit". Very interesting post, laced with many truths.
Hi Anonymous,
DeleteI wouldn't have Islam to be a finer point of this post. I believe in each person seeking out their own source of faith and belief. I respect all religions as I would have them to respect mine, so I personally don't see anything "crazy" about the circumstances you wrote about. I don't happen to follow that path for myself but to each his own.
I would respectfully point out that there's nothing in my post that accuses the Bible of destroying the faith. What I said was that people are falling back on the worldly religious activities of church going rather than the deeper issue of benevolence. If I had not started in a church, reading a Bible, hearing the word preached by a man appointed by God, I would not have the faith I have now. I never said the Bible destroys faith. I'm fully aware of what is destroying mankind, I live in the same world you live in and see the same failures you see. I'm living it just like every other Christian.
I know my Jesus, and I know what He warned us against most aggressively, "Beware of the Scribes and the Pharisees," which were those who represented the very thing I'm talking about, religion. They dressed in their Sunday best, quoted their scriptures, and "chose for themselves the highest seats in the synagogues." As Jesus said, "They worship me with their mouths but their hearts are far from me."
It's very easy to blame everything on the enemy, but what of our failures? What of our lack of concern? This is what I posted about early in the text above. I went seeking my brothers and sisters in Christ and I found a cold community of people who wanted to appear as Christians with their many posts (Words spoken with their mouths) but finding a live connection was impossible as all chances to communicate were disabled by each person who had posted their religious words.
I now run the risk of repeating my entire post in this comment.
It is sad to need my brothers and sisters so much only to find them all inward-seeking and outwardly religious. The real issue is what I choose to do with my own faith and life. I see it around me, I choose not to be the same.