Church as an interface between you and God

What happens when the Church fails it's stated mission as you described? Does something need to be fixed? How would you fix what is broken? I have hope for a better tomorrow filled with peace and blessings... Peace and Blessings to you and yours, Sincerely, Gary

Gary, thanks for your response and questions and positive outlook for the future! You raise some interesting questions. "What happens when the Church fails it's stated mission as you described? Does something need to be fixed? How would you fix what is broken?" As you know there are thousands of different religions. Would God have an earth where there was no one truly representing Him or His viewpoints? It is my belief that throughout history there have always been individual, groups or large organizations representing His interests. It is no different today. Throughout the Scriptures, we see individuals who braved the world's hatred to do God's will and to be His messengers (prophets, Jesus, apostles, true Christians). Jesus foretold that Christianity would become corrupted. (See Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43) But in the time of the harvest (I believe we are living at that time), as it says in verse 43 and other Scriptures like Malachi 3:18, we could again be able to distinguish the true Crhistian from the counterfeit (wheat or weed). So today, if you look around you will be able to discern who is living up to the mission that Jesus stated.

When Jesus returns the bride will be removed. If the Church is really the bride of this Jesus the Christ that will return according to the scriptures, we then have two problems. We have to remove the Church for the return of Jesus the Christ and secondly we need to know this Jesus and bring this Spirit of Christ into our hearts and minds to become our leader. It is an individual action and if you can't find that Jesus the Christ in others how are you going to find this Christ in yourself? In other words if you don't know Jesus how will Jesus know you? You think about that... Then maybe you'll see why I posted my reply to Gaylesglimpses at the end of the first page. How can we move into the future carrying this burden that is built on a crumbling foundation? I still have hope, and maybe you will one day understand. Of this I know... There is only one truth and one will of GOD... And that will is not that none shall perish but that all shall come to know and love GOD. It does not mean that all will it is the hope of GOD that we will choose to know love. Our Blessings with love will bring us peace, Hopefully and Sincerely, Gary

And which is your religion Galena?

I am a Pagan. the term itself describes more a category of religion, rather than a specific religion, so in more detail, I am, as you may have figured out from the way I've described my belief above, Pantheistic, and the most similar point of reference that most people would understand is when I explain that what I percieve as deity is rather like the force in Star Wars. an energy that holds the universe together. because this energy is polar, I see deity as a Goddess and a God. I think that all Gods of all religions are faces we give to the divine energy in order to build a bridge between us as humans, and something so different to ourselves, even if it is a part of us, that the anthropomorphised form helps us to understand it. so while I believe completely in my Goddess, a stern old woman, and my God, an antlered man, who I do not name, rather they are The Old Girl, and The Old Boy, I also understand that they do not physically have form, the form I give them is my bridge to the divine consciousness. I hope that makes some kind of sense. it's always tricky to explain.

The only and always having different interpretations in Christianity is what life all about and how to have life.... Life in physical body in this physical world and life of the soul in the spiritual world.... Because humans is diversified in knowledge in its individuality there always be different views and interpretations.... Humans has freewill to decide of what knowledge to have or will be having.... And freewill is one of the greatest gift God and has no powers to intervene such gift because of eternal divine love.... That's why in christian world have lots we called denominations but still there are common and basic knowledge and wisdom.... And that there is only one true Almighty God and all are one with Almighty God.... All of this christian denominations are searching for its own self and individuals for the truth of christ.... The true meaning of christ is the consciousness or awareness one-self highest self or the uppermost or the true zion.... And to achieve that christ self the lower self must have the the truth of true knowledge and true wisdom of consciouness and awareness... It is like a geometric triangle with a peak and the base to support the peak.... Or a mountain peak if the base or foot is weak the upper most peak will stumble and fall....

If the Bible is genuine and reflects the will of God, then denominations are human alterations that are offering different interpretations for Jesus' gospel.

Ok, churches is where one meet for fellowship. But the sets of behavioural norms, the sets of religious norms each Church has settled actually transform this meeting into a clerical monologue which has to be subtantiated by other's acceptance. I disagree with the conception that God is in the midst of a human gathering. Many religious people (as Joan the Baptizer) spent their lives in solitude. Still God was allways with them. At least the Bible says so.

To a certain extent, I agree. However, generally speaking, clergy has another vision about what church should mean within a community.

Oh, I definitely think that is the case with most clergy members. And I'm sure that the majority of church-goers see church as an interface between them and God. But I have more "puritan" sense of religion. I am a mennonite. I don't hold value in icons, I don't ask for the prayer of the saints, I don't use intercessors in confession, and I do not partake in communion on a weekly or even monthly basis. I don't think that any of these things are necessary for salvation (nor do I think they are detrimental to one's salvation), but rather, helpful to certain people who hold value in more ritualistic types of communication with God and whose faith may otherwise not be as strong without it.

Oh' wow, thank you, I'm honored... I was just listening to Delilah interviewing an astronaut about looking at the Earth from afar, we are all united with no boundaries and the next song... Do you hear what I hear... I just choked up... Thanks, Sincerely, Gary

If the Church leadership decides that a person accused of another person's speech should plead guilty to the crime that the other person committed, as the other person was profane and acting disorderly. That would constitute being requested to lie or give a false confession to a crime that you or I did not commit. I don't think that is too hard to comprehend. Please feel free to ask for further clarification if you still don't understand. Look, there was more that was done to me than just being told that I should plead guilty to a crime that I never committed, they performed an intervention and I was so violated as a result. Needless to say, the congregation was led to believe the worst of me and tortured not only me but also my children. I know the harm of a Church gone mad...

intermediary, mediator, inter mediator, or middleman. Someone who intercedes between two parties, individuals or entities. That is how I read the post, maybe I have that wrong... And would the Church view the definition any different? The Church might think themselves as an advocate and if that is the case why would a Church or the leadership of a Church cover up the lies in order to force a false confession from one of their members? I would say that the Church has a problem a huge flaw...

"force a false confession from one of their members" I can't understand. I think the church is the mediator as in the sense of the church communicating the message of Jesus to the world. It is the Christian community that carries the message across. The message does not go out on its own. So in that sense the church or rather the Christian community serves as the mediator.

There is a new way to meet and it does not involve any building or teachings that require false beliefs. Seek and know, The Truth, For the path to Peace and Blessings,

For me a meeting where we find GOD is the key to the Kingdom. Happy MyLotting, :) Merry Christmas and may the light of Christ be evident where every you go. I also seek Peace on Earth and Goodwill toward all...

I prefer to meet the same way the early Christians met. They met for Bible study and encouragement. It worked fine then and it works fine today. Happy meeting!

I agree. The churches however institute certain habitual norms. In other words limits the individual options in finding God. The Bible says that God is in everything. Some could discover God while painting, sculpting, etc. However if a painter from a remote village doesn't go to the Church he/she is considered a social paria of the community

I highly doubt that your error was a sin, because you lacked intent to sin. Shared computers can be troublesome, but I for one am glad to know that you two are cavorting together, which will explain a lot about future posts and similar beliefs and styles. Keep and open mind and keep looking for the truth. When you can finally see you will know the truth because you will hear and listen. Your heart and mind will be open to a new understanding and a peace beyond. This will not come from any written source, but when it happens you will know. Peace and Blessings, Sincerely, Gary

Garlesglimpses I think Khayem has taken poor in spirit out of context in his meaning I believe and I'll let him correct me if I am wrong but if I understand him he is saying that a person that is not knowing (poor in spirit or ignorant) they shall inherit the kingdom of heaven. What he fails to realize is what you know. It is not the ignorant that will gain the kingdom but those who have been broken for they will see the truth. Those like myself and Gnosisquest and many of my friends who are considered meek in spirit. We have seen the failings of the Church and the teachings of the leadership. We do not have a blind faith but we abhor those that blind their followers to the truth that they hide with lies using a book called the Bible. Only until you wrestle with the truth and have your preconceived ideas broken will you know that your perceptions that you were given to follow as a child were built upon a false foundation the pillars that hold up the Earth do not exist and the Church has failed miserably to reveal the real truth. The Bible is full of lies and the truth will set us all free. This freedom will allow us to live in peace. We can then hold the liars accountable for the deceptions they attempted in order to gain and control other people or countries. I could add so much... The people that believe the Bible is the truth are following a source of lies and because of the lies they reject the truth that other people see and know. When people reveal the truth and prove that something is true and the Bible is false then the people that believe the Bible is true call the people exposing the lies, liars. Who really knows the truth? Keep your ears and eyes open learn to think with an open mind and you will know that there is someone trying to show you the way to the real truth the one and only absolute truth. The truth can be proven, it is an absolute universal truth. No smoke and mirrors here, just plain truth talk. Believe it or not... Peace will come with accountability, Blessings will be shared, Think about it, Sincerely, Gary

Sorry. I never said that the church was to be a receptacle for our faith. God is our receptacle. The church is there to help us learn to communicate with God. Some people don't know how to do that. If you do, then I am glad for you and wish everyone your ability. But, fact is, that some don't know and it's sad. But no, by teaching people to communicate with God the church is not going against the teachings of the Bible as you stated.

We don't know how to manage our symbiotic relationship with God? Allow me to smile in a subtle way. "Part of the responsibility of the Church is to teach us how to communicate with God so we can have the relationship we need". I personally doubt the Church's role of being the receptacle of spiritual communication with God, of shaping our spiritual dimension. Because if a Church does that, it does something that's against Christian's Beatitudes. One of them (Matthew 5:3): Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

I wonder how an agnostic could say things like this about God, church and believers.