Who is a Christian?? !!

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oldbadger
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Who is a Christian?? !!

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Post by oldbadger »

Before Covid I used to cycle around my local area and would visit chapels and churches which held tea'n'chat meetings. On one occasion I passed a Christian hall and saw a poster which read something like 'soup and chat', and I walked inside just as the event was commencing. A long table was set and many mid-aged and elderly folks sat around; I was guided to a place.

A very stern lady across the table fixed me in her gaze and an interrogation began:-
Who are you?
Hello I'm oldbadger.
Why have you come here?
I wanted to meet you, and the soup is interesting.
How did you know about this meeting?
I saw a big poster outside.
Do you walk in to any place because of posters?
Yes..... I often do.
Where else have you just walked in to?
Oh, lots of places. The Methodist church holds tea/biscuit meets on Saturday mornings.
She grunted what sounded like disapproval. I mentioned a few other meetings and then the room erupted.
I said....
Oh, and the Christian Spiritualists in T--------- offering healing and tea on Mondays at 1.30pm.

This stern lady exploded.
They are not Christians! They worship the Devil! All these evil people who pretend to be Christians...... Jesus warned us about you all! And that disgusting Halloween...... ............ well this carried on for minutes until she could be calmed down.

This has happened many times....... I once mentioned that we have JW Christian friends and we are pleased to let them park on our driveway when visiting homes in the area, and several Christians immediately pointed out that JWs are different, or not proper Christians......

There are many many differing churches and creeds, and so I wonder....... who is a proper Christian?

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Re: Who is a Christian?? !!

Post #141

Post by tam »

Peace to you,
oldbadger wrote: Fri Jun 17, 2022 4:45 pm
tam wrote: Fri Jun 17, 2022 2:35 pm Peace to you,
[Replying to oldbadger in post #136]

Thank you for your post
And you are a Christian. On the side, I've got to be so careful with my mobile auto correcter.... It just decided to change the above to ' and you ate a Christian'...!!!
Lol. Thanks for the chuckle.


Though I do eat and drink of Christ (John 6: 27, 50-58, Matt 26:27-28), as He has said.




Peace to you,
your servant and a slave of Christ,
tammy
And so you are a Christian, in the single sense, and I'm guessing in an isolated sense from what you say.
If by isolated, you ONLY mean not being part of a sect or denomination, then sure.
Do you ever go to any church services?


Not for the service, no.

I might go to give a witness to Christ (if possible), or if someone invited me to come with them so we could discuss something being taught. Or if my Lord sent me somewhere to give a witness.

But I would not go for myself (for what reason? To sit there sick to my stomach at the many lies the leaders are spewing about Christ, about God?).. and never to join them. I cannot do that.

"Come out of her, my people! So that you do not share in her sins, and you do not receive any of her plagues. For her sins are piled up to heaven and God has remembered her iniquities."

"Stop touching the unclean thing and I will take you in."


It would be like if Israel went back to Egypt, and ate their food, instead of relying upon God in the wilderness and eating the manna that He sent them (and indeed, Israel did grumble and long to return to Egypt). Or if Abraham went back to the land he had been called out of.

Religion is like Egypt. We who belong to Christ have been called OUT to walk (and also to worship) in the wilderness (the place between Egypt and the promised land), relying solely upon the Light (Christ) to guide and guard and FEED US. TRUE food. TRUE drink. THIS requires FAITH. If one does not have that faith, then one can always ask to be given it (or to be given more).



I can of course talk to anyone I want, associate with anyone I want, and show love to everyone (including Christ and God first and foremost). I love to bear witness to my Lord (He gave HIS LIFE for me and has continued to teach me, guide me, feed me, and so much more). If someone else (from a religion or not) is willing and wishes to speak of Him (or any matter of faith), of course I am happy - blessed even - to do so, even though I am a poor servant. But perhaps there will be an opportunity to expound the truth more accurately (such as what Aquinas and Priscilla did with Apollos Acts 18), or plant a seed that might grow, that might help this person to seek Christ, seek the truth of a matter from Him?

But it is about Christ (not me). Bearing witness to Him, the Truth. For anyone seeking truth, even if you are currently in a religion... HOLD ALL things up against the LIGHT (Christ is that Light, as well as the Truth). If something contradicts Him, it CANNOT be true. It CANNOT have come from Him. Test also against love, because a) God is love, and b) there is no law against love; love covers over a multitude of sin.


And as Christ has said,

"The one who loves me will remain in my word. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with(in) them."


Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”


I know these promises are true because my dear Lord kept them with me.




Peace again to you!
your servant and a slave of Christ,
tammy
- Non-religious Christian spirituality

- For Christ (who is the Spirit)

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Re: Who is a Christian?? !!

Post #142

Post by tam »

Peace to you,
2timothy316 wrote: Fri Jun 17, 2022 10:59 pm
tam wrote: Fri Jun 17, 2022 1:57 pm Peace to you,
2timothy316 wrote: Fri Jun 17, 2022 11:08 am
tam wrote: Wed Jun 15, 2022 10:53 pm
2timothy316 wrote: Wed Jun 15, 2022 10:48 pm [Replying to tam in post #112]

Not a single thing to back you up. Its all your words Tam...as usual. You're no part of an organization.
I always back up what I share, timothy. You can make whatever accusation you want to make, but the people reading will be able to see otherwise.


Peace again to you.
Backup with what?
Sometimes (I think most often) with what Christ has said, often also with what is written. Often also with love, reason. (I have since added in the biblical references to the post you took issue with, so you can look them up for yourself. Post 112, right?)
Your word? I don't trust your word.
Sometimes I have given personal testimony in bearing witness to Christ, but I have never asked anyone to just take me at my word. Take the matter (any and all matters) to Christ, to know the truth from THE TRUTH: Christ Jaheshua. I am a witness to Christ. One should listen to HIM.


Peace again to you, and to you all,
your servant and a slave of Christ,
tammy
You cherry pick the Bible to fit your dogma and I have no reason trust your 'witness of Christ' since most time it is contrary to the very Bible you quote only to fit your needs.
Timothy, you just finished accusing me of supporting what I share with just my word (something that was not true), and here you are doing that very thing.

As far as dogma on this site, the one you teach might be most dangerous one on this forum
.

Most dangerous to what?

I have said nothing in contradiction to Christ. I do not tell anyone to obey me. I point to Christ. Hold all things up against Him. Test the inspired expression against HIM - He is the Truth and the Light. Take all matters to Him, believe and obey HIM.

Your religion on the other hand, teaches her members to refuse the body and blood of Christ. That is in direct contradiction to Christ. He never taught that, the apostles never taught that, the bible does not teach that. Christ said that ANYONE may eat, that UNLESS one eats His flesh and drinks His blood, one has NO LIFE in them. (John 6:50-58) Not a chosen few. ANYONE.


Your religion teaches that Christ does not speak. That is ALSO in contradiction to Christ, and to the bible, and to common sense and love. Why would the LIVING Word of God not speak to His sheep, His children, His bride whom He loves? Especially when He said He would, that He had more to call by name, and that His sheep would listen to His voice and follow Him? (John 10:16, 27; Revelation 3:20) Especially also when the bible gives examples of Him doing just that? (Acts 8 with Phillip and the Ethiopian Eunuch; Acts 9 with Ananias and Paul; Acts 10 with Peter; all of Revelation to John of Patmos.)


Your religion also LITERALLY shuts up the Kingdom of heaven in men's faces, by teaching the majority of her members (and acolytes) that they ARE NOT ABLE (and are not even invited to be) in that Kingdom (of heaven). Christ rebuked the Pharisees for doing that very thing!

"But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in."

I am not the one telling you that you cannot eat and drink of Christ, that you cannot be a brother of Christ, that you cannot be part of His Body, His Bride, His Church. Your RELIGION is telling you that, and sending you out to tell others that. Your accusations are misdirected, timothy.


As I don't think you want people to listen to Christ as much as you want them to listen to you.

Isn't that the very thing that your religion is doing when they tell you that you must obey them?





May you be given ears to hear if you wish them, to be able to hear the truth of this and any other matter from the One who is the Truth: Christ Jaheshua.

May you and anyone who is thirsting and wishing, "Come! Take the free gift of the water of LIFE!"

Peace still to you, and to you all,
your servant and a slave of Christ,
tammy
- Non-religious Christian spirituality

- For Christ (who is the Spirit)

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Re: Who is a Christian?? !!

Post #143

Post by oldbadger »

onewithhim wrote: Sat Jun 18, 2022 11:52 am
Jesus left us a pattern to follow. (I Peter 2:21). He regularly met with congregations in synagogues and wherever there were his followers getting together. (Luke 4:16).
No..... they were not followers of Jesus...... They were Jews meeting at meeting places. And they were not 'in' synagogues so much as 'at' them.
Would an example help?
Mark {6:2} And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing [him] were astonished, saying, From whence hath this [man] these things? and what wisdom [is] this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands? {6:3} Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here
with us? And they were offended at him.

........no followers were those.
And all this stuff about Jesus 'teaching'! He made speeches, he spoke.. yes, but he was a very inadequate teacher because so few people understood what he was telling them. Would you like some evidence of that?

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Re: Who is a Christian?? !!

Post #144

Post by oldbadger »

tam wrote: Sat Jun 18, 2022 1:11 pm Peace to you,


Though I do eat and drink of Christ (John 6: 27, 50-58, Matt 26:27-28), as He has said.

If by isolated, you ONLY mean not being part of a sect or denomination, then sure.

Not for the service, no.

I might go to give a witness to Christ (if possible), or if someone invited me to come with them so we could discuss something being taught. Or if my Lord sent me somewhere to give a witness.


I can of course talk to anyone I want, associate with anyone I want, and show love to everyone (including Christ and God first and foremost). I love to bear witness to my Lord (He gave HIS LIFE for me and has continued to teach me, guide me, feed me, and so much more). If someone else (from a religion or not) is willing and wishes to speak of Him (or any matter of faith), of course I am happy - blessed even - to do so, even though I am a poor servant. But perhaps there will be an opportunity to expound the truth more accurately (such as what Aquinas and Priscilla did with Apollos Acts 18), or plant a seed that might grow, that might help this person to seek Christ, seek the truth of a matter from Him?

But it is about Christ (not me). Bearing witness to Him, the Truth. For anyone seeking truth, even if you are currently in a religion... HOLD ALL things up against the LIGHT (Christ is that Light, as well as the Truth). If something contradicts Him, it CANNOT be true. It CANNOT have come from Him. Test also against love, because a) God is love, and b) there is no law against love; love covers over a multitude of sin.

And as Christ has said,

"The one who loves me will remain in my word. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with(in) them."

Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

I know these promises are true because my dear Lord kept them with me.

Peace again to you!
your servant and a slave of Christ,
tammy
Thank you for that, Tammy. All of it.
I acknowledge what you say.
I have emboldened where you wrote about 'giving witness' and 'bearing witness'.
What do you do when you give or bear witness? Is that speaking to people, or something that you just do within yourself?

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Re: Who is a Christian?? !!

Post #145

Post by JehovahsWitness »

oldbadger wrote: Sun Jun 19, 2022 1:45 am [
No..... they were not followers of Jesus...... They were Jews meeting at meeting places.
... that also followed Jesus

JOHN 6: 59, 60


He said these things as he was teaching in a synagogue in Capernaum. When they heard this, many of his disciples said: “This speech is shocking; who can listen to it?”
INDEX: More bible based ANSWERS
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 81#p826681


"For if we live, we live to Jehovah, and if we die, we die to Jehovah. So both if we live and if we die, we belong to Jehovah" -
Romans 14:8

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Re: Who is a Christian?? !!

Post #146

Post by oldbadger »

JehovahsWitness wrote: Sun Jun 19, 2022 2:22 am
oldbadger wrote: Sun Jun 19, 2022 1:45 am [
No..... they were not followers of Jesus...... They were Jews meeting at meeting places.
... that also followed Jesus
JOHN 6: 59, 60

He said these things as he was teaching in a synagogue in Capernaum. When they heard this, many of his disciples said: “This speech is shocking; who can listen to it?”
I don't think the Jews mentioned in the original verse mentioned were followers, do you?
And in your example he wasn't doing very well...do you think many people learned from him just then?

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Re: Who is a Christian?? !!

Post #147

Post by We_Are_VENOM »

oldbadger wrote: Sun Jun 05, 2022 3:38 am Before Covid I used to cycle around my local area and would visit chapels and churches which held tea'n'chat meetings.

There are many many differing churches and creeds, and so I wonder....... who is a proper Christian?
Ok, so let me see if I can grasp this concept..

You, a professed unbeliever of Christianity, are going around, cycling, and visiting chapels and churches?

So, out of all the places an unbeliever can go, he is choosing to go to a place where believers gather.

Look, people, I know I've vented on numerous occasions as to how my mind continues to be blown away about stuff like this.

And shout out to all those who've weighed in and shed some light on the issue...and I assure you, every time I get a reasoned response, I walk away feeling satisfied.

That is, until I see the next thread or post pertaining to an unbeliever, who, has zero belief in Jesus/Christianity, yet unknowingly shows us (on this forum) every single day his deep down hidden obsession with the religion.

So, let me place myself in a similar scenario...

Star Wars: I find the entire franchise to be boring, lame, and a complete waste of presented entertainment...and I CERTAINLY don't believe any of it is real.

Now, in what world will I ask myself; who is a real Star Wars fan?? !!

As I ponder...

1. Is a real Star Wars fan someone who can recite every single line of every single movie in the franchise?

2. Is a real Star Wars fan someone who has pictures and memorabilia and paintings of Star Wars in his home?

3. Is a real Star Wars fan someone who, for every single day of the week, wear a different Star Wars costume for the entire day?

Why do I care!!!

Am I going to ride my bike around town, looking for Star Wars spots and gatherings so that I can chat and have drinks with Star Wars fans?

Will I be like that one guy on that show "Finding Big Foot" (about big foot enthusiasts who are on a quest to find big foot), who is a Big Foot skeptic...he doesn't believe in Big Foot; yet he goes around with the group, as they are on a quest to "find Big Foot"!?!?

Why would a non-Christian..a skeptic...a person who DOESN'T believe in Jesus/Christianity, concern himself with who is/isn't a Christian?

????????
Last edited by We_Are_VENOM on Sun Jun 19, 2022 3:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Who is a Christian?? !!

Post #148

Post by William »

[Replying to We_Are_VENOM in post #147]
Who is a Christian?? !!
If one is looking for an answer, it may be because one is trying to discover if there is any truth to it all - so naturally one would look...

I myself have spent time looking and that time spent has convinced me that the question itself has become more one of a rhetorical nature as it dawns that it cannot truly be answered.
Once this becomes apparent to the individual, one can freely mingle with whomever is giving out gifts, their reasons for doing so ... by the by...it matters not a hoot who they do this in the name of...

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Re: Who is a Christian?? !!

Post #149

Post by We_Are_VENOM »

William wrote: Sun Jun 19, 2022 3:10 pm If one is looking for an answer, it may be because one is trying to discover if there is any truth to it all - so naturally one would look...
Appreciate the response, but no...there is much more to it than that.

Most of you folks aren't spring chickens on here just searching for truth.

I reckon that most of you guys are seasoned veterans...knowing the ends and outs of Christianity, and in most cases even more so than actual Christians.

You guys know about all the evidences, and it simply isn't enough for you.

Fine. But all of the probing, prying, inquiring; just strikes me as...weird.

Something else is there. Has to be.
I myself have spent time looking and that time spent has convinced me that the question itself has become more one of a rhetorical nature as it dawns that it cannot truly be answered.

Once this becomes apparent to the individual, one can freely mingle with whomever is giving out gifts, their reasons for doing so ... by the by...it matters not a hoot who they do this in the name of...
I hear you...i truly do. But still..smh.
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Re: Who is a Christian?? !!

Post #150

Post by William »

We_Are_VENOM wrote: Sun Jun 19, 2022 4:07 pm
William wrote: Sun Jun 19, 2022 3:10 pm If one is looking for an answer, it may be because one is trying to discover if there is any truth to it all - so naturally one would look...
Appreciate the response, but no...there is much more to it than that.

Most of you folks aren't spring chickens on here just searching for truth.

I reckon that most of you guys are seasoned veterans...knowing the ends and outs of Christianity, and in most cases even more so than actual Christians.

You guys know about all the evidences, and it simply isn't enough for you.

Fine. But all of the probing, prying, inquiring; just strikes me as...weird.

Something else is there. Has to be.
I myself have spent time looking and that time spent has convinced me that the question itself has become more one of a rhetorical nature as it dawns that it cannot truly be answered.

Once this becomes apparent to the individual, one can freely mingle with whomever is giving out gifts, their reasons for doing so ... by the by...it matters not a hoot who they do this in the name of...
I hear you...i truly do. But still..smh.
William: Things are not always as they might appear to be...Wonder. Stop. Listen. Observe. [779] SOURCE

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