Why are we being told to stay away from _______________?

[olger]

Ameneth.

[fccool]

Jesus and the gospel are relevant to contemporary society! If we really are the remnant church then shouldn't we be preaching the same message as is in the Bible? I sometimes wonder if contemporary worship services and so on are just thinly veiled worldly entertainment. To me such services have little substance. I think care must be taken so we are not caught up in similar circumstances as the acceptance of the sacrifices of Cain and Abel. Just my take on this. . .

Nikto ne govorit chto Evangeliye nye aktual'no. Mi prosto govorim chto mi dolzny predstavlyat Evangileye dlya lyudye takim obrazom kotoriy bil im ponyaten. Isus poetomu i govoril skazkami.

If you have trouble understanding what I've said above, it's because you are not Russian. So, I don't expect you to understand things that I would present in Russian.

When we present the Gospel, we need to use the lexicon and imagery that would be conducive to the current culture.

Jesus spoke to fishermen using fisherman analogies, likewise he spoke to using agricultural and cultural analogies that were understood in these days. When we are trying to relay that message in the same way we did in 19th century... we don't get it out in a way that will be clearly understood by most, especially younger generation.

So, when we sing "When the roll is called up yonder" I can guarantee the young people are going ... Whaaaaaahhhh?????

[antcreations]

So, when we sing "When the roll is called up yonder" I can guarantee the young people are going ... Whaaaaaahhhh?????

This will be my Facebook status for the hour! Can i use this? :)

[SivartM]

After probably singing it dozens of times in church, I just now noticed that I had no idea what that song meant. It took me a minute to figure it out...

[fccool]

Originally Posted By: fccool

So, when we sing "When the roll is called up yonder" I can guarantee the young people are going ... Whaaaaaahhhh?????

This will be my Facebook status for the hour! Can i use this?

Go for it :)

[Dr. Shane]

Jesus and the gospel are relevant to contemporary society!

[Dr. Shane]

After probably singing it dozens of times in church, I just now noticed that I had no idea what that song meant. It took me a minute to figure it out...

It's not talking about Cinnamon rolls but if cinnamon rolls were called up yonder I sure would like to be there.

[mrsducky]

Originally Posted By: mrsducky

Jesus and the gospel are relevant to contemporary society!

They are more relevant when presented with a set of drums and electric guitar.

Hogwash!

Originally Posted By: mrsducky

I sometimes wonder if contemporary worship services and so on are just thinly veiled worldly entertainment.

Don't wonder too hard, it can make one's head hurt. Just look at the fruits. We shall know them by their fruits. Do those that listen to contemporary Christian music sin more than those that listen to only traditional hymns?

I don't know that those who listen to one kind of Christian music over another kind of Christian music are more or less prone to sin. Never thought about it. I only know how some kinds of music affect me and my relationship with Jesus. There is nothing wrong with a guitar and drums either. But I rather doubt that they make Christianity more relevant. For me they can be are exclusionary.

My point was not that one style vs. another is necessarily good or bad but rather can we uplift Jesus ? That is what is important. If the answer is yes then it is ok. If not then manybe not.

[Dr. Shane]

No hogwash here please. If we are going to wash any animals lets choose clean ones like chickens, cows or buffaloes. Ok, we can wash the dog but NOT THE CAT!

[mrsducky]

No hogwash here please. If we are going to wash any animals lets choose clean ones like chickens, cows or buffaloes. Ok, we can wash the dog but NOT THE CAT!

Very funny! I simply identified the substance you brought.

[Aliensanctuary]

Quote:

Thou shalt not assemble thyselves together every Sabbath morning,

or Sunday morning, in order to participate in the rites, rituals, entertainment, and indoctrination of man-made religions, falsely thinking that these meetings are the worship of thy Creator.

We may think we are worshipping the LORD in our religious services, but we're mistaken. In the actual presence of the LORD, all of us would likely fear for our very lives, falling on our faces, praying for mercy. That is what true worship is, a demonstration of our subservience to the LORD. The LORD is a powerful being, a terror to those who disobey his Code of Ethics, but a lifesaver to those who listen and obey.

In the End, we will all realize that our man-made religious ceremonies and practices, all fabrications, had little to do with our Final Choice in the Last Days.

Quote:

The Kingdom of God is not a religion.

The Kingdom of God is more like a job. If we want the LORD to hire us, we must prepare ourselves by familiarizing ourselves with his Code of Ethics, then observing its instructions. In the Last Days, we will realize that all of Earth's religions were just hogwash mixed with great deal of baloney. They will all be discarded in the scrap-pile of human history.

We have the Scriptures and most of us can read them. We don't need to attend meetings where others keep telling us what to believe. Ancient Israel assembled at times to listen to the Law read to them. We, too, can assemble to hear the Scriptures read, not man's interpretive sermonizing. Most of Jesus' teaching did not occur in temples, synagogues, or churches.

Until we put the red books down for a while and read the Scriptures with open minds, we will never understand the Last Day prophecies. The Last Day events described in the Book of Revelation and Daniel do not occur until after a world-wide Resurrection. Only after this resurrection can the Four Beasts arise in sequence to conquer the entire planet. In the Last Days, the Remnant, those who survive the destruction of Israel, will re-establish communication with the LORD and return to rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple of the LORD.

Like the "worship" that the Sticklers of Israel created by the time Jesus arrived, all of the Defenders of Man-Made Religions have replaced the original One-on-One worship of the LORD with their own conflicting versions of mass-"worship". Our focus should not be on mass-worship, and all of its pitfalls, but on our One-on-One communication link to the LORD. We can't hear his voice, yet, but someday we will if our only goal is to please him.

Quote:

Churches and denominations and religions create walls to keep people out, keep people in.

The Kingdom of God has only one wall. It separates those who believe and obey from everyone else. We can change our focus from corporate "worship" to a different mode. One-on-one study mode with other individuals may not fill churches, but it will protect us from the money grab, and the propaganda and baloney that our mother churches feed us with, and instead, create a network of believers that could grow exponentially.

[fccool]

As I would say... it all began in small groups, and it all end there too.

[mrsducky]

As I would say... it all began in small groups, and it all end there too.

Yes!

[mrsducky]

After probably singing it dozens of times in church, I just now noticed that I had no idea what that song meant. It took me a minute to figure it out...

I want my name on that roll.

[mrsducky]

But a person can be in the SDA church in terms of membership but in his mind and heart, he can be in Babylon.

There are some ideas and teachings that individual members are copying from Babylon, but the church itself isn't Babylon.

It seems so subtle that one could be a church member and in Babylon at the same time copying worldly ways. How can one safeguard against that?

[olger]

Genuine repentance!

og