Any other Christians in here?

[colt45er]

I am a Christian. I do not associate myself with a domination and am a "member" of a small church in rural Monroe County. Still looking for a church to attend in Indy while in school, rmcrob I will stop by yours sometime, I promise and this Harvest church seems like one I'd like too!

rmcrob...which church do you go to? sorry if I missed it.

Griffeycom Harevest is a great, laid back, contemporary church, if you want more info just let me know.

 

[jennybird]

I am. However I refrain from discussing it much due to the controversy the subject tends to engage and I prefer not to tarnish it in any way. Let's just say, my faith is very private, very personal, very fulfilling.

 

[rmcrob]

Some view these passages as proof that there will be a pre-tribulation rapture. Jesus will come back, Christians are taken from Earth only to leave the non believers here. I, as well as a lot of more qualified scholars, believe this to not be the case at all.

Yessir. In fact, you will see that the "one taken and one left" has been reversed by those guys who like to chart out the end times and try to scare people into God's kingdom. In Matthew 24 and Luke 17, the picture is said to be like the days of Noah. The whole idea is that those who are not ready will be taken away and the ones that are ready will be left. Nothing like a so-called rapture.

For what it is worth -- which is the same thing anyone's opinion is worth -- I think those parts are referring to the taking of Jerusalem by the Romans in AD 70.

 

[colt45er]

I am. However I refrain from discussing it much due to the controversy the subject tends to engage and I prefer not to tarnish it in any way. Let's just say, my faith is very private, very personal, very fulfilling.

Jenny,

I respect your wishes and will not force the issue, but I do encourage you to read and pray about the following verses. religions is a very controversial subject, however I believe that as a believer in Christ it is my duty to share what Christ has done.

Matthew 28:18-20 18Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

 

[rmcrob]

rmcrob...which church do you go to? sorry if I missed it.

Griffeycom Harevest is a great, laid back, contemporary church, if you want more info just let me know.

I didn't say here, but I PMed it to the one who asked. Griffeycom knows because we discussed it earlier when he bought a gun from me.

But since you asked:

Grace Pointe Church - Indianapolis, IN

For me, though, my walk with Jesus is only peripherally connected to my church experience. That is, "going to church" is only one very minor part of what it means to be a Christian.

I understand those who say they would rather not attend church. Church can end up being more of a stumbling block than a help to the Christian. I've seen that in my own life. But I would encourage those people to keep looking until they find a church that fits. I find the community-ness of the church to be indispensable, the more so the older I get.

 

[colt45er]

Yessir. In fact, you will see that the "one taken and one left" has been reversed by those guys who like to chart out the end times and try to scare people into God's kingdom. In Matthew 24 and Luke 17, the picture is said to be like the days of Noah. The whole idea is that those who are not ready will be taken away and the ones that are ready will be left. Nothing like a so-called rapture.

For what it is worth -- which is the same thing anyone's opinion is worth -- I think those parts are referring to the taking of Jerusalem by the Romans in AD 70.

In fact, if you go back to the origional next "taken" is the same "taken" that was used in reference to Noah. As you said, the ones taken are most likely the non-believers.

 

[colt45er]

I didn't say here, but I PMed it to the one who asked. Griffeycom knows because we discussed it earlier when he bought a gun from me.

But since you asked:

Grace Pointe Church - Indianapolis, IN

For me, though, my walk with Jesus is only peripherally connected to my church experience. That is, "going to church" is only one very minor part of what it means to be a Christian.

I understand those who say they would rather not attend church. Church can end up being more of a stumbling block than a help to the Christian. I've seen that in my own life. But I would encourage those people to keep looking until they find a church that fits. I find the community-ness of the church to be indispensable, the more so the older I get.

Alright I am going to stop quoting you since this is turnign into a a colt-rob dialog

I believe also that going to church is a small part of my faith, but it is essential to my faith. I too encourage all that have not found a church to keep looking.

 

[henktermaat]

I hear a lot of people saying that they believe and "have faith" and such, but don't go to church. Or they think that all/most organization is a bad thing. I myself have been non-denominational my whole life, but still, I woudn't throw out the baby with the bathwater, so to speak. Believers can't be a "lone ranger". The Bible encourages us not to forsake the gathering of the saints. The body needs all of its parts.

Sure, denominations differ in style and small things. And that's ok. but there are non-essentials and essentials.

Link--> Christian Doctrine: What are the Essentials?

Also I notice a lot of "moral relativism" and "What's right for you is OK for you" and that sort of thing. The fact is that God's Word is super clear on what Truth is. One must either believe it or not.

Also something that has really helped me was to go back and learn some foundational facts: stuff like "Why do we believe the Bible?" and "did Jesus really rise from the dead?" With a little research one can discover that there's airtight cases for the birth, death, and resurrection of Christ, the origin and accuracy of the Bible, etc. This stuff just didn't evolve and morph over time, but is a case study in excellent error-checking and continuous correction.

It's common to talk to Christians who have bought the lie that the Bible is not completely true. We are inundated with society's war against Christ, and some of the lies and relativism have seeped in. People think of faith and reason as being polar opposites - which is just not the case.

Anyhow, I would urge new or uncertain/drifting Christians out there to do a little fact-checking about the roots of their religion. Faith can be founded on Fact.

 

[chubbs]

proud to be. But like most people, i won't talk much about beliefs, politics , or money

 

[kingnereli]

I am very encouraged by this thread. I have enjoyed reading all the professions and personal stories. I too would like to encourage everyone to find the fellowship that a church offers. No man(or woman) is an island. That being said our walk with Christ isn't measured by church attendance. Our presence in a pew doesn't grant us extra access to God. However, the fellowship of like minded Christians is beneficial. I find myself slipping if I neglect that for any length of time.

I would also like to share some of my present troubles. A few years ago I went off to bible college to become a pastor. I got food poisoning that kept getting worse and due to lack of insurance and probably a fair amount of youthful perceived invincibility I never went to the doctor 'till it turned into pneumonia and almost killed me. I was laid up for a few weeks with steroid breathing treatments which, needless to say, interupted my schooling. So, I came back to Indiana after I recovered and started the ordination process in a local church. About two years into that the pastor decided to pull the churh from the denomination which ended my candidacy for ordination. Now I'm a foundry worker just trying to support a family with no time or money to pursue the pastorate. I feel that it is a calling on my life that has gone unanswered. I share this only as a request for your prayers.

Anyway, Jesus is king of my life and I am glad there are others here within the flock as well. God bless you all.

 

[Roadie]

I am growing to dislike the term "Christian" due to its general, and sometimes negative, connotation in today's society. Many call themselves Christians, but the Bible says there will be "few that find" the Way. An online friend of mine calls himself a "Meshiachim". Or "follower of the Messiah", for this reason.

I am a Believer that Jesus is the Way the Truth and the Life and noone comes to the Father but through Him. I believe He was beaten, sacrificed, and resurrected, for me(and you, and everyone that accepts Him).

I am not always as close to Him as I know I should be, but in times of trouble, He has never been far from me. There have been a couple "turning points" in my walk with Him I can share. One, is when I went to the last Youth even I as "eligible" to attend at my church after graduating High School. I hadnt planned on going, but that morning I woke up, packed a bag and met everyone else to go camping and canoeing. I didn't even have a tent, I slept in my car. Our last nite there a friend of mine (we are still friends after all these years) led the devotions. All I remember is him saying "remember, it's not who you are that counts, it is WHOSE you are". Wow. So simple, so true.

Flash forward years later. I grew up in a church that was very legalistic. Every little sin made you a backslider, and a failed Christian. I was listening to Hank Hannagraf on the radio on the way home from work one nite, and he said something that profoundly changed me, and my walk with the Lord. He said something to the affect of:

“You can not break your union with God, but you can break your communion with God”.

I then realized I was not a failure as a Christian, I was a human in need of a Savior. Period. I WILL fail, I will slip, but God is faithful to forgive. He casts our sins "as far as the eat is from the west'. This does not give me license to sin, but it does give me assurance that even when I fail Him, He will not "leave or forsake me"

"I fall down, I get up. I fall down, I get up. The Saints are just the sinners who fall down, and get up again."

 

[henktermaat]

I am growing to dislike the term "Christian" due to its general, and sometimes negative, connotation in today's society. Many call themselves Christians, but the Bible says there will be "few that find" the Way. An online friend of mine calls himself a "Meshiachim". Or "follower of the Messiah", for this reason.

Meeting society's approval it's a lost cause.

The Bible says that we'll be extremely unpopular. I see it as a badge of honor. I have no desire to please "today's society" as they are not who I serve or who defines me.

Love the Hannagraf quote, I heard him say something similar once.

 

[TopDog]

I am a Christian, I profess to be a Christian and I must be a Christian as when most people hear me profess to being a Christian they start judging me harshly. I don't mind, I just smile, ask them if they have accepted Christ as their only salvation and usually that is the end of it.

I have found this however. Its much better to seek enlightenment from the bible led by the Holy Spirit and through prayer, then with the help of other Christians.

 

[jontheturboguy]

Funny thought just popped into my head. The liberals & DHLS would all scream at the sight of a bunch of Christian open carrying restaurant diners. Heck, might even get to be put on a "list" as a group....

:-)

 

[henktermaat]

Funny thought just popped into my head. The liberals & DHLS would all scream at the sight of a bunch of Christian open carrying restaurant diners. Heck, might even get to be put on a "list" as a group....

:-)

Crap, I knew that I shouldn't have posted in this thread...

Christian AND a gun-owner???

 

[theweakerbrother]

I'm down for some Columbus OC-ing.

 

[jblomenberg16]

I'm a Christian. Glad to see so many other's on the board that are confessing their faith with me.

My most intersting step in the journey thus far: Being a father to my 2 year old daughter.

I am reminded every day that:

When you pray for wisdom, God gives you the opportunity to be wise.

When you pray for strength, God gives you the opportunity to be strong.

When you pray for patience, God gives you the opportunity to be patient.

 

[nighthawk80]

I'm down for some Columbus OC-ing.

Or just getting together to eat or shoot!!!

 

[1946]

Yes I am a Christian and God has shown Himself to me so many times and ways. Just finished doing a study on the book of Matthew---would encourage everyone to read it.
Covers a lot of what is being said here on this thread. It is only by God's grace and love that I'm still here.

 

[MoparMan]

I am a Christian and definately believe. I am not a supporter of organized religion idea though. I can read, research and dont need someone else how to interpret the scripture.