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Open Theism Discussion Board > Public Forums > Questions about Christianity > (No Subject)
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Wahoo
Registered Member
Date Joined Jan 2004
Total Posts : 142
| Posted 4/8/2004 10:31 AM (GMT -6) |   | | Most people get their daily bread from several of these. But which one of these is the most effective/satisfying in your spiritual life? | | Back to Top | | |
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Wahoo
Registered Member
Date Joined Jan 2004
Total Posts : 142
| Posted 4/14/2004 3:02 AM (GMT -6) | | This poll has been open for almost a week and I even gave it some press on the "why go to church?" thread. As of April 14th, only 4 people actually get spiritual food anywhere? C'mon you guys. Voting is anonymous. Is there some category that I am missing here that all of the dozens of readers who haven't voted partake in?
Wahoo | | Back to Top | | |
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Tigress
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Date Joined Feb 2003
Total Posts : 1252
| Posted 4/14/2004 11:50 AM (GMT -6) | | Hmmm....interesting results so far. I'm wondering where is the best place to get spiritual food. I know that the Catholic Church believes that a priest should always be present with the laity to interpret the Bible to them, so lay people couldn't just learn from the Bible or anything else about Jesus, spiritual growth, etc. without a priest's input, presumably inspired by the Holy Spirit. So, home Bible studies and personal and family devotions would be out of the question for them.
Do any of you believe that there is truly only one best place to get your spiritual food? The obvious answer would be in church listening to the pastor's/priest's preaching. Yet, is that really true? Was there always a learned pastor present in each of the house churches during the time of the early Church after Jesus' resurrection? We know they didn't each have their own Bible that they could read through prayerfully, so personal devotions wasn't even a reality for them, although they could always spend time with God in personal prayer.
They could always have discussions like we do here on the internet, but again, most people weren't very educated in the Scriptures so without a pastor's guidance, the discussions could have led to misinterpretations, confusion and even heresies. Has the Protestant Church moved in that direction? I've heard the argument that Bible studies are often more about how each individual perceives or interprets something, and not about what the Bible is actually saying. Do you think that's one of the reasons why the American church is in such a shoddy condition right now?
And where does the Holy Spirit fit into all this? Obviously Jesus promised us that the Spirit would guide us into all truth but are all the ways Christians try to seek God the most beneficial in regards to what I said above? There are always pros and cons for each type of method. So, what do you think is the best method and least likely to cause Christians to stumble?
Tigress 
"Name a shrub after me. Preferably one that's prickly and difficult to eradicate."
-Captain Jack Aubrey
"Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World" | | Back to Top | | |
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Wahoo
Registered Member
Date Joined Jan 2004
Total Posts : 142
| Posted 4/14/2004 12:25 PM (GMT -6) | | quote:
Originally posted by Tigress
Do you think that's one of the reasons why the American church is in such a shoddy condition right now?
And where does the Holy Spirit fit into all this? Obviously Jesus promised us that the Spirit would guide us into all truth but are all the ways Christians try to seek God the most beneficial in regards to what I said above? There are always pros and cons for each type of method. So, what do you think is the best method and least likely to cause Christians to stumble?
Ahhhh! Good point that you brought up about the Catholic Church. And now that we are out of the dark ages and have such wanton access to the scriptures, how has that improved the state of the church and the world?
I think that the church IS shoddy in nature. I had a difficult time last spring, being cynical towards the Western Church. Then I spent a month in the jungle. I saw a church made up of people who are essentially cut-off from the world. Same old problems, same old sin nature.
So my image of the church, with understanding was healed. But the practical side of things became so huge. In the jungle, church was community. We thought we were so cool because we had a generator and projection screen TV and systematic theology. But I couldn't help but think that they had it so much better than me. They build homes out of bamboo and eat mangoes, and then when they get sick, they really have to believe for a miracle. My mind is so full of "answers" that I don't know what to do when crisis hits.
I love this topic.
Wahoo | | Back to Top | | |
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Wahoo
Registered Member
Date Joined Jan 2004
Total Posts : 142
| Posted 4/14/2004 12:35 PM (GMT -6) | | Methods:
I think that whatever works for someone is the best method. Water flows to the lowest point it can reach. If someone WANTS to know God and love Him, then the method is really no consequence. But Thank God we have the Holy Spirit. I don't know how many times I have been overjoyed. The Holy Spirit connects the dots for us. If we have questions and we ask, the answers come. If we need something, there always seems to be a way.
The Holy Spirit comes up with some whack methods.
Wahoo | | Back to Top | | |
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Wahoo
Registered Member
Date Joined Jan 2004
Total Posts : 142
| Posted 4/16/2004 3:04 AM (GMT -6) | | Laika,
Are those the little witnessing comic books? If that's what you are talking about that can fall under Street Witnessing. Or if you prefer, spiritual reading. But, point taken. Some people have only read chick tracts. That would be their source.
I added Gospel tracts to the Street Witnessing/Preaching selection.
Wahoo | | Back to Top | | |
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larris
Registered Member
Date Joined Mar 2004
Total Posts : 181
| Posted 5/6/2004 3:41 AM (GMT -6) | | There has to be a balance between the Word of God and what you have labled praise and worship. Primarily I get my spiritual food from the Word of God, and secondly praise and worship via speaking in tongues a.k.a. praying in the spirit on a personal level.
I know that when I do not pray in the spirit, I am unable to do the Word and keep myself in the love of God. Also if all I do is pray in the spirit and do not take heed to the bread of life daily, I also cannot do as I would like to do, which is to do the Word and walk in the love of God.
At one time I read MANY books by many different authors, however I came to realize that all these did was give me a temporary fix that seemed like true spiritual food. Faith comes by hearing the pure unadulterated Word of God, from the Bible itself. You and God alone looking into his Word, without someone elses multitude of comments.
When you read too much other literature, it closes off the still small voice of God, who is the true interpreter of his own word. You wind up quoting what this person and that person says about God, but in reality you have very few opinions of your own, because you have very few conclusions that you have come to on your own. You think you know the truth, when in reality all you know is someone elses opinions about the truth, which may or many times may NOT be correct.
It pretty much seems like books on theology have taken the place of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God in private study. It would also seem that they have also taken the palce of praise and worship, since you must praise and worship, and pray when you study the scriptures for God's guidence and also to ask specific questions of things you do not understand.
Take a book any book, and then take it upon yourself to find out how the author came to his conclusions. Then begin to take it apart and put it back together again and you will find that many of his conclusions do not actually line up with what the scripture is really trying to convey. I did this and that is one of the reasons why I no longer read so may books and go directly to scripture itself and to God for the answers. I make mistakes in conclusions and judgement too, but as I keep going to the scriptures these things are revealed to me as I continue to grow in knowledge. However at least they are my mistakes and not just the mistakes of others that I have claimed as my own for the gospel truth.
larris
"If you continue (abide and live) in my word, then you shall be my disciples indeed, and you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free." Jesus Christ. (John 8:31) | | Back to Top | | |
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Starkman
Registered Member
Date Joined Oct 2001
Total Posts : 1747
| Posted 5/8/2004 10:39 AM (GMT -6) | | Where do you get spiritual food?
A spiritual store?
Sorry!
Starkman | | Back to Top | | |
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