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Post by Kuba "The Demon Slayer" on Jul 15, 2007 22:22:09 GMT -5
I am not trying to invoke rebellion from the institutionalized church, rather take a step back far enough to ask ourselves.. Do we ultimately rely on God or mankind? Not ideally, but realistically speaking. On a personal level.. Ask your self ( and I will too) how much of a percentage of our average day to we spent practicing God's presence?
95%? 85%?? 75%?? Less??
What are some ways that you practice God's presence throughout the day?
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Post by edgecrusher on Jul 23, 2007 0:51:48 GMT -5
what do we do during the day that we can add and not add God? In reality there is nothing. Now this may seem nuts, but though we choose to sin, the Lord is beside us, and that thought is enough to make me want to puke, especially when I sin
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Post by norman on Jul 25, 2007 20:23:10 GMT -5
My intentions are 100%, but it never works out that way due to different things that happen during the day. Its difficult to describe an average day because every day is different, with different challenges, etc. . But.....painfully I will say 50%. I'm far from perfect. I continually and humbly help others which is what God has taught me. Though as I stated above, my "track record" (percentage) isn't very good due to me falling prey to another's sinfulness. Even though one can help another, it doesn't mean the other is appreciative of the helpfulness. I never look for rewards or even thank you's, but there are those unclean ones who can really get the best of me sometimes. And then I let it go later, and during evening prayer I ask for forgiveness. And then onto another day, and a similar thing happens again. Its difficult when there are evil ones (sinners) all around you. Though through my faith and God's forgiveness and grace, I have gotten much better at following His way and not my own. Soon, I'll be able to give you a much better percentage!  |
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Post by Kuba "The Demon Slayer" on Aug 23, 2007 21:49:52 GMT -5
I here you man. I think the key is to never get to the point where we stop growing. Or act as if we know enough. The more I learn the more I realize that I need to know. There are many Christian floks that don't have the capacity to even admit their mistakes.. I have been there too. But I think we rob ourselves from being able to better ourselves when we can't repent from our shortcomings..
All we can really do is try to be a little better of a person every day..
Food for thought..
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Post by sabbatharian on Jan 31, 2008 18:49:02 GMT -5
Eucharist adoration, praying the rosary, wich is really praying the Gospel.
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Post by Kuba "The Demon Slayer" on Apr 9, 2008 12:00:25 GMT -5
Eucharist adoration, praying the rosary, wich is really praying the Gospel. That is debatable as you full well know. In all due respect to the Catholic Faith, for you to discuss Catholic doctrine with non-Catholic believers could inadvertently be perceived as religious persecution on your part. As The Full Armor Of God Ministry does acknowledge The Catholic Denomination as Orthodox Christian, would you like to do a Catholic Board for you to discuss your doctrines more extensively? |
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Post by sabbatharian on Apr 12, 2008 20:42:58 GMT -5
Everything you have in your christian faith, you recieved it from the Catholic Church!
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Post by Kuba "The Demon Slayer" on Apr 12, 2008 21:07:10 GMT -5
Everything you have in your christian faith, you recieved it from the Catholic Church! From an "Institutional Christian" perspective, I see your point. I do recognize the deeply rooted Romanistic patterns that exist in most institutional Christian Churches today. There is no doubt that God has used the Roman Catholic Church to achieve many good things over the centuries. However, from a Biblical stand point, our "Institutional Christianity" whether Catholic or otherwise, is ONLY as good as our personal relationship with the Lord. Our faith can not stand on any institution or a methodology, rather on a personal relationship with the Lord! ref. The Gospel Of St. Mark Chap 7 " 3For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. 4And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables. 5Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands? 6He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 7Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 8For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. 9And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. " I am NOT saying that you should leave the Catholic Church. I am urging you to let your personal relationship with the Lord be the foundation that you build your "Institutional Affiliation" on. Not the other way around. |
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Post by sabbatharian on Apr 12, 2008 22:20:30 GMT -5
Also concerning the Pharisses Jesus said; "The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees sit in the seat of Moses, so you must do everything they tell you, but don't do what they do, for they do not practise what they preach." Matthew 23: 2-3 So you see Jesus did not condemn the institution, but rather the abuse of it, today we have the institution of the Church, Sacred Tradition, the Magisterium, the Papacy.... This idea of a personal relationship w/God apart from the Church is not biblical. www.catholic.com/library/What_Your_Authority.aspwww.catholic.com/library/Scripture_and_Tradition.asp |
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Post by sabbatharian on Apr 12, 2008 22:35:02 GMT -5
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Post by Kuba "The Demon Slayer" on Apr 13, 2008 21:28:04 GMT -5
So you see Jesus did not condemn the institution, but rather the abuse of it, today we have the institution of the Church, Sacred Tradition, the Magisterium, the Papacy.... This idea of a personal relationship w/God apart from the Church is not biblical. The corruption of the institution is exactly what Jesus rebuked and that still holds true today. I am very eager to see what your Biblical references are for your last statement. There is no doubt that our personal relationship with the Lord is of the utter most importance. Without a strong personal relationship with the Lord our "Institutional" church experience is just a mechanical method of operations. But FYI, I did not say that we should not be a part of an institutional church fellowship. What I said was that our faith should not stand on "The Institution" but rather on our personal relationship with the Lord. Our church relationship is a very important part of our walk with the Lord, but it is built on our personal relationship. |
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Post by sabbatharian on Apr 14, 2008 8:31:37 GMT -5
Yes the personal relationship is important, but where do you see in scripture people having one apart from the Church? Of course you can go through the motions at church, but the Church still stands, the gates of Hell shall not prevail against Her, if folks are going through the motions at church it's on them.
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Post by Kuba "The Demon Slayer" on Apr 20, 2008 21:47:45 GMT -5
All through out scripture God's people have had to cling to their personal relationship with the Lord in the midst of institutional religious corruption and unrest. Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Elijah, Peter, Paul and John had all been disenfranchised by the institutional religious system of their day. Look I am not just debating from a "Protestant" stand point for the sake of "Protestantism", dude. I am simply advocating that our personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ is paramount in our faith. Everything else stems from it, not the other way around.
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Post by edgecrusher on Feb 8, 2009 22:39:25 GMT -5
without personal relationship all we are is a machine. Just because we qoute scripture, and raise our religious tradition, we have nothing with God. For with Him or faith is it impossible to believe for he who comes to God must believe that He is God, and He will reward us.
It is best to stay humble in our religious belief at times.
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