How do non-denominational Christians pick a church?

[fbl9]

So God has different plans for different people?

He has the same plan for all persons,but we have the choice to find out what it is: or we can choose not to.
The choice is yours to make not mine. My choice has led to me from belief to knowledge.There are many things that i do not beleive rather i know these things.

 

[1beleevr]

I am not “trying to prove” anything at all - I am just trying to have a conversation with God that includes all of the information that He wants me to know.

]

Aren’t we all, sister; aren’t we all?

 

[1beleevr]

what about the theif on the cross who asked Jesus to remember him? He had no baptism, no communion, nothing but the belief in who Jesus was and that He might show Him mercy. Jesus told Him he would be with him in heaven.

]

What’s interesting about the thief on the cross, besides him being able to recognize Jesus’s glory; was how everyone was so quick to uderscore what Christ did on that day! Some say, "He couldn’t have been saved, because he wasn’t baptized, or no one gets to Heaven just by asking to be remembered! Let us not forget who we are talkig about!“With God, all things are possible!”.

 

[1beleevr]

Alright, then.

Can you answer my question now?

How do you know what verses in Scripture are essential and what are secondary? (Scripture does not tell us, does it?)

]

It is easy to see how some who read the Buble could be confused by all the verses, which say,"all who call upon the Lord wil be saved…, or “Whosoever believeth in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life…!” And I still am not on board with those who believe that baptism “saves” us! We are saved by the Blood of the Lamb, by grace through faith! And unless we are gnawing o His arm or leg, then "eating His flesh is representational!

 

[PRmerger]

] And unless we are gnawing o His arm or leg, then "eating His flesh is representational!

Really? So when his disciples left Jesus because he told them to eat his flesh why didn’t Jesus call them back and say, “Um…guys? This is all represantational! Come on back!”

In fact (I may be wrong on this one) didn’t Judas start hating Jesus in his heart at this point–because he simply couldn’t accept this requirement for salvation?

 

[Xavierlives]

Really? So when his disciples left Jesus because he told them to eat his flesh why didn’t Jesus call them back and say, “Um…guys? This is all represantational! Come on back!”

In fact (I may be wrong on this one) didn’t Judas start hating Jesus in his heart at this point–because he simply couldn’t accept this requirement for salvation?

No. Judas was from Satan.

 

[crazzeto]

No. Judas was from Satan.

No he was not, he certainly allowed him self to fall into sin though. The only unforgivable one he committed was against the Holy Spirit, by doubting he could be forgiven for betraying the Christ, then taking final action into his own hands condeming him self.

 

[jmcrae]

I am not saying there aren’t essentials. Alpha to Omega is essential, but if I have to pick a sign of salvation is it faith. If I have to pick something to strive for it is Love. But when it comes to laws, as a lawyer, I see that there are exceptions to rules. There is time where mercy is applied. I see examples of it in the Bible and it is all based on Faith.

My grandmother never received communion. My grandmother never was baptized. But I am not going to limit God’s mercy and say, well, she didn’t do those… she is hell-bound. Jesus hold the gavel, not me.

Right. But when it comes to yourself, you can know whether you are doing these things, or not. We are not called to pass judgement on other people’s salvation, nor comment on whether or not someone “appears” to be “saved” or not. That’s not our business, as you so eloquently point out - it’s God who holds the gavel.

But when it comes to evaluating our own journey, we need to know what constitutes an “essential” - something you know nothing at all about is obviously not going to figure in to your thinking - but stuff that you know about certainly should.

The “exceptions to the rules” are for other people - not for ourselves. You can say, “My grandmother had the best of intentions, so “the rules” were waived in her case.” But you can’t say, “Therefore, the rules also don’t apply to me - I can sit here in my easy chair and assume I am “saved” without worrying about all that stuff.” No. We must hold ourselves to the highest possible standards, while being generous to others, and giving them the benefit of the doubt.

 

[jmcrae]

]

What’s interesting about the thief on the cross, besides him being able to recognize Jesus’s glory; was how everyone was so quick to uderscore what Christ did on that day! Some say, "He couldn’t have been saved, because he wasn’t baptized, or no one gets to Heaven just by asking to be remembered! Let us not forget who we are talkig about!“With God, all things are possible!”.

No one ever says “he couldn’t have been saved” since obviously he was. The other one was not, however. Both had the same opportunities, and one of them blew it.

We today all have the same opportunity to be members of Christ’s Church, but some of us blow it off as “unnecessary” just as the second thief blew off Christ’s sacrifice for his sins. “Do something practical,” he said, “Get us down from here.”

So many people blow off the Church because it doesn’t seem “practical” to them.

 

[Xavierlives]

No one ever says “he couldn’t have been saved” since obviously he was. The other one was not, however. Both had the same opportunities, and one of them blew it.

We today all have the same opportunity to be members of Christ’s Church, but some of us blow it off as “unnecessary” just as the second thief blew off Christ’s sacrifice for his sins. “Do something practical,” he said, “Get us down from here.”

So many people blow off the Church because it doesn’t seem “practical” to them.

Hmm… and I have heard Catholics say he wasn’t saved. That when Jesus said this, he meant, “you be in paradise, where you can make your decision there.”

 

[Xavierlives]

Right. But when it comes to yourself, you can know whether you are doing these things, or not. We are not called to pass judgement on other people’s salvation, nor comment on whether or not someone “appears” to be “saved” or not. That’s not our business, as you so eloquently point out - it’s God who holds the gavel.

But when it comes to evaluating our own journey, we need to know what constitutes an “essential” - something you know nothing at all about is obviously not going to figure in to your thinking - but stuff that you know about certainly should.

The “exceptions to the rules” are for other people - not for ourselves. You can say, “My grandmother had the best of intentions, so “the rules” were waived in her case.” But you can’t say, “Therefore, the rules also don’t apply to me - I can sit here in my easy chair and assume I am “saved” without worrying about all that stuff.” No. We must hold ourselves to the highest possible standards, while being generous to others, and giving them the benefit of the doubt.

Mind clarifying this? I am not sure if this is an insult.

 

[Teneas]

Hmm… and I have heard Catholics say he wasn’t saved. That when Jesus said this, he meant, “you be in paradise, where you can make your decision there.”

They were gravely mistaken if they said he was not saved.

 

[jmcrae]

Hmm… and I have heard Catholics say he wasn’t saved. That when Jesus said this, he meant, “you be in paradise, where you can make your decision there.”

If he went to paradise (aka the Limbo of the Fathers) then he ascended into Heaven along with the Fathers, at the time of the Resurrection.

 

[ufamtobie]

Since my family has again recently moved, we have once again started the search for a church home. The search normally starts with denominations which are closest to our particular beliefs. Then we branch out. We have visited a couple of “bible churches” which really made me wonder, how do non-denominational Christians pick their churches?

I guess included in this question are sub-questions like does it take a while to find the right fit? Do you find yourself easily eliminating churches? What criteria is used?

Xavierlives,

Once again you say you started to look for a new church Home. You hop here and there looking for a protestant church that suits your “particualr beliefs”, and if you can’t find one, so why not start your own protestant church, according to the beliefs of “Xavierlives” many, if not all, protestant pastors do, this is why you are having a hard time in your particular surch for a Church.

One more protestant church by Xavierlives, added among to the thousand protestrant churches won’t hurt, right? …Wrong! For Example, Xavierlives, “IF” by starting your own church, Then you will have some one like yourself, entering your protestant church, looking for a home church and not liking your church because it did not have Their “Particular Beliefs.” When will it end LOL. I know you never stated that you wanted to start a church, again it was only for the example of the chaos in the Protestant church Regarding their many different teachings.

I mean, truly is this what Jesus Christ Wanted out of the “Protestant Reformation” do you believe that Jesus Christ wanted different Protestant Churches where people can find a Protestant Church that Suits their beliefs. Wrong! Wrong! Wrong!

Xavierlives, You must agree, that if you are trying to find a Protestant Church that suits your beliefs, then you must agree, that the protestant churches in their many diferent beliefs must be in chaos, since the begining of the Protestant Reformation, yes, Must be in cahos, if you have to surch and surch, for your belief, in a Protestant Church. Right? …

Xavielives, do you truly believe that the Protestant Reformation was an act of Jesus Christ? If you say yes, then why, do you have to hop here and there to find a Protestant church that suits your beliefs.

Xavirlives, By the way, what is your “Belief” and why can’t you find your “particular belief”, in the many protestant Churches, wether denominational or Non denominational that you have tried out, in your surch for a church home?

Xavierlives at the moment you are a seed that is blowing in the wind, and I hope and pray you will find good soil, Jesus Christ Established his Church before the Protestant Refomation. And what Church is that you will say, and I tell you Xavierlives, Look at the Facts look at the proof for Jesus Christ deals in Facts and Proofs and not in CHAOS and there you will find a Church home that started over 2000 years ago and still teaching the same message without wavering for this Church the gates of hell can not prevail over it.

What other Church Claims or can claim with proof and facts to its existance for over 2000 years? thats where you should plant your seed.

God Bless you on your journey Home.

Ufam tobie

 

[1beleevr]

They were gravely mistaken if they said he was not saved.

]

I have heard the same thing from catholic friends and co-workers; that he couldn’t have been saved, because he didn’t have time to get baptized

 

[SonofMonica]

]

I have heard the same thing from catholic friends and co-workers; that he couldn’t have been saved, because he didn’t have time to get baptized

It’s a good thing you can find the truth on this forum, then. Because they were wrong.
Catholic Answers:

Yet Christians have also always realized that the necessity of water baptism is a normative rather than an absolute necessity. There are exceptions to water baptism: It is possible to be saved through “baptism of blood,” martyrdom for Christ, or through “baptism of desire”, that is, an explicit or even implicit desire for baptism.

Want more than a paragraph? catholic.com/library/Necessity_of_Baptism.asp

 

[1beleevr]

No one ever says “he couldn’t have been saved” since obviously he was. The other one was not, however. Both had the same opportunities, and one of them blew it.

We today all have the same opportunity to be members of Christ’s Church, but some of us blow it off as “unnecessary” just as the second thief blew off Christ’s sacrifice for his sins. “Do something practical,” he said, “Get us down from here.”

So many people blow off the Church because it doesn’t seem “practical” to them.

]

The second thief did pass up the opportunity of a lifetime! And we do have the option of picking up our cross daily, and following Him, forsaking all who would persecute, ridicule, and abandon us! This is exacly how our Saviour was treated, yet went dutifully to the Cross! I am so glad that I didn’t “blow” my opportunity, and picked up my cross and have been following Him for many years! And heeding His call to make disciples, serve others in His name, and love one another!

 

[1beleevr]

It’s a good thing you can find the truth on this forum, then. Because they were wrong.

Want more than a paragraph? catholic.com/library/Necessity_of_Baptism.asp

]

I challenged them on it, saying that,"how can you say that this man, who got a “free Pass,” so to speak, from His Creator, not be saved? They were adamant, and swore that he wasn’t saved!

 

[1beleevr]

Xavierlives,

Once again you say you started to look for a new church Home. You hop here and there looking for a protestant church that suits your “particualr beliefs”, and if you can’t find one, so why not start your own protestant church, according to the beliefs of “Xavierlives” many, if not all, protestant pastors do, this is why you are having a hard time in your particular surch for a Church.

One more protestant church by Xavierlives, added among to the thousand protestrant churches won’t hurt, right? …Wrong! For Example, Xavierlives, “IF” by starting your own church, Then you will have some one like yourself, entering your protestant church, looking for a home church and not liking your church because it did not have Their “Particular Beliefs.” When will it end LOL. I know you never stated that you wanted to start a church, again it was only for the example of the chaos in the Protestant church Regarding their many different teachings.

I mean, truly is this what Jesus Christ Wanted out of the “Protestant Reformation” do you believe that Jesus Christ wanted different Protestant Churches where people can find a Protestant Church that Suits their beliefs. Wrong! Wrong! Wrong!

Xavierlives, You must agree, that if you are trying to find a Protestant Church that suits your beliefs, then you must agree, that the protestant churches in their many diferent beliefs must be in chaos, since the begining of the Protestant Reformation, yes, Must be in cahos, if you have to surch and surch, for your belief, in a Protestant Church. Right? …

Xavielives, do you truly believe that the Protestant Reformation was an act of Jesus Christ? If you say yes, then why, do you have to hop here and there to find a Protestant church that suits your beliefs.

Xavirlives, By the way, what is your “Belief” and why can’t you find your “particular belief”, in the many protestant Churches, wether denominational or Non denominational that you have tried out, in your surch for a church home?

Xavierlives at the moment you are a seed that is blowing in the wind, and I hope and pray you will find good soil, Jesus Christ Established his Church before the Protestant Refomation. And what Church is that you will say, and I tell you Xavierlives, Look at the Facts look at the proof for Jesus Christ deals in Facts and Proofs and not in CHAOS and there you will find a Church home that started over 2000 years ago and still teaching the same message without wavering for this Church the gates of hell can not prevail over it.

What other Church Claims or can claim with proof and facts to its existance for over 2000 years? thats where you should plant your seed.

God Bless you on your journey Home.

Ufam tobie

hey, ufamtobie: How does one explain former catholics, catholic reverts, and catholics who marry other faiths? Was the ccc not enough, or were they just waxing prodigal?

 

[SonofMonica]

]

I challenged them on it, saying that,"how can you say that this man, who got a “free Pass,” so to speak, from His Creator, not be saved? They were adamant, and swore that he wasn’t saved!

Well, I suppose you can rest easy knowing now that they were incorrect, that is not what the Catholic Church teaches. Thankfully, we serve a God that is not only just, but merciful. Praise be to God, everywhere and always.