Source of Doctrine

[Genevanpreacher]

Also, people tend to put a little more emphasis on what they hear on the radio sometimes than the actual sense of what the Bible really says. After all, if someone is good enough to get on the air, they must be speaking the truth. Right?

Hardly.

The feel good voice of the radio/TV/internet preacher is lulling some to sleep.

Remember Matthew 25? The virgins all sleep.But only some wake with the 'oil' they need to meet the bridegroom in readiness.

The 'oil' of knowing Jesus personally.

The church is gonna wake one day and find out he never knew them, even though they prophesied in his name.

Guessing the end of the world and its 'final destruction' to scare people into stocking up contrary to Jesus' own words in Matthew 6 is one of those ways. (in my humble opinion)

[John81]

I'm seen now even some secular writers are picking up on some of these many end times, doomsday speculations, and writing articles on the "Babylon Code" (ever notice how many books have been written over the years claiming to have discovered a hidden code in Scripture?), Newton's theory, this or that "new revelation" on the book of Daniel, special insights into Revelation, etc.

I read a piece the other day saying devastation will hit us (America and perhaps the world!) in September and/or October. Then, to cover themselves they said the bad stuff could just begin in those months and the actual doom hit next year or later. So, time to buy those survival buckets of dried food, cases of bottled water, some first aid supplies and make sure you have a very large stash of toilet paper!

For some reason, I don't notice Christian doomsday preppers ever telling folks to make sure they have Bibles in their stockpile.

[Invicta]

I'm seen now even some secular writers are picking up on some of these many end times, doomsday speculations, and writing articles on the "Babylon Code" (ever notice how many books have been written over the years claiming to have discovered a hidden code in Scripture?), Newton's theory, this or that "new revelation" on the book of Daniel, special insights into Revelation, etc.

I read a piece the other day saying devastation will hit us (America and perhaps the world!) in September and/or October. Then, to cover themselves they said the bad stuff could just begin in those months and the actual doom hit next year or later. So, time to buy those survival buckets of dried food, cases of bottled water, some first aid supplies and make sure you have a very large stash of toilet paper!

For some reason, I don't notice Christian doomsday preppers ever telling folks to make sure they have Bibles in their stockpile.

There was no such thing as toilet paper here during the war, you had torn up squares of newspaper hanging on a nail in the loo, or the lav as we called it in those days. It there are no newspapers in the preppers days then they are in trouble.

[Ukulelemike]

Bing such a small church in a small area, we don't do much, aside from, in service, singing a couple songs, prayer, announcements and preaching. We celebrate the Lord's Supper each month, have our mid-week service, which is just a couple songs, Bible study and prayer, and that's about it. Most evangelism is personal, because, again, a concerted effort in the neighborhood would only take a few weeks of Fridays or Saturdays and we'd be done. Also, since there's so little here, most people leave on the weekends, so not many to evangelize. So word of mouth, and whatever local events I can get to, and we talk with folks and tell them about the word and the Lord.

We also have opporunities to do some witnessing through our farm. So, not much in the way of traditions

 

I'm seen now even some secular writers are picking up on some of these many end times, doomsday speculations, and writing articles on the "Babylon Code" (ever notice how many books have been written over the years claiming to have discovered a hidden code in Scripture?), Newton's theory, this or that "new revelation" on the book of Daniel, special insights into Revelation, etc.

I read a piece the other day saying devastation will hit us (America and perhaps the world!) in September and/or October. Then, to cover themselves they said the bad stuff could just begin in those months and the actual doom hit next year or later. So, time to buy those survival buckets of dried food, cases of bottled water, some first aid supplies and make sure you have a very large stash of toilet paper!

For some reason, I don't notice Christian doomsday preppers ever telling folks to make sure they have Bibles in their stockpile.

We do a little stockpiling, but not for 'the big one". No, because of where we live, a wildfire, which are common out here, or a sufficient storm, (expecting a big El Nino and potential flooding), could effectively cut us off. So keeping some food and supplies, just in case, in common sense out here. And we do have plenty of Bibles. We just bought a dozen for the church, so got plenty of new ones. We had to buy some, because we keep our church Biblies in a cabinet in the building we rent for Sundays, and AA uses the building, too, and it seems they have been helping themselves to the Bibles. We don't make a big deal of it, because if there's one thing they need, its God's word.

[John81]

My parents, grandparents and some other folks have spoken of having no toilet paper and using newspapers and other such. They all had outhouses back then.

A lot of people try to keep enough supplies on hand so if they had to they could survive a week, couple weeks, maybe even a month, if they had to. Weather events of one kind or another have the potential to strike just about anyone so they may be cut off from supplies for a few days, a week, or perhaps even longer in some cases.

Having an extra weeks worth of good in the house is prudent as even more "mundane" emergencies like having to help a relative for a few days could mean no shopping for a few days past the normal shopping day. The other things, power outages, road blocking snow storms, wildfires, tornadoes, hurricanes, flooding and the like also happen across the country all the time and sometimes even when not directly hitting a person, they can effect the transportation of goods to stores for a time.

It doesn't cost much to have an extra weeks worth of good in the house, which are typically the normal stuff we use anyway; but it typically costs thousands of dollars to store a year or more of good. In some cases it can cost thousands more to build a secure location for the goods.

While I don't expect God to drop manna on our property if some "big one" hits, I do believe He will meet our needs one way or another. Even if God determines it's time for us to depart from this life, the final destination makes that a victory too.

[trapperhoney]

Most people tend to not question the Pastor and his wisdom.

We were attending a church where my husband got into a conversation with the pastor about something, and hubby commented that he doesn't take anyone's word for anything about the Bible, that everything he hears he checks up on himself.  The pastor commented something like "You don't do that with my preaching, do you?" To which my husband said he did.  The pastor got MAD.  We left shortly after that....

[OLD fashioned preacher]

We were attending a church where my husband got into a conversation with the pastor about something, and hubby commented that he doesn't take anyone's word for anything about the Bible, that everything he hears he checks up on himself.  The pastor commented something like "You don't do that with my preaching, do you?" To which my husband said he did.  The pastor got MAD.  We left shortly after that....

If there's one thing the folks here have heard me say numerous times, it's : "Back up and read the whole chapter or the chapter before and after -- get the whole context. Study the passages, don't take my word for it. When you stand at the judgment seat of Christ (I Cor 3) your saying 'My pastor said ...' won't be an excuse for not obeying 'Study to shew ..."

Edited September 3, 2015 by OLD fashioned preacher

[Genevanpreacher]

We were attending a church where my husband got into a conversation with the pastor about something, and hubby commented that he doesn't take anyone's word for anything about the Bible, that everything he hears he checks up on himself.  The pastor commented something like "You don't do that with my preaching, do you?" To which my husband said he did.  The pastor got MAD.  We left shortly after that....

I think he needs to reread Acts 17:11. It is one's duty to search out the scriptures to make sure what we are hearing preached is the truth. The scriptures call it being more noble to be a christian that does this, unlike some who only profess Christ and faith, we search it out and live it.

[trapperhoney]

I think he needs to reread Acts 17:11. It is one's duty to search out the scriptures to make sure what we are hearing preached is the truth. The scriptures call it being more noble to be a christian that does this, unlike some who only profess Christ and faith, we search it out and live it.

Yes, indeed.  We figured it could only go downhill from there....

[John81]

If there's one thing the folks here have heard me say numerous times, it's : "Back up and read the whole chapter or the chapter before and after -- get the whole context. Study the passages, don't take my word for it. When you stand at the judgment seat of Christ (I Cor 3) your saying 'My pastor said ...' won't be an excuse for not obeying 'Study to shew ..."

Amen! Sounds like what our pastor says.

[hermanj04]

If there's one thing the folks here have heard me say numerous times, it's : "Back up and read the whole chapter or the chapter before and after -- get the whole context. Study the passages, don't take my word for it. When you stand at the judgment seat of Christ (I Cor 3) your saying 'My pastor said ...' won't be an excuse for not obeying 'Study to shew ..."

Unfortunately, some (perhaps even most) Christians are too lazy to take the time to understand why they believe something, and they end up being swayed by smooth-talking people who come along with false doctrine.

[John81]

Unfortunately, some (perhaps even most) Christians are too lazy to take the time to understand why they believe something, and they end up being swayed by smooth-talking people who come along with false doctrine.

This is also a reason some study Bibles can be dangerous. I've known so many Christians who act as if the study notes in their Bible are perfect. They will read the notes and remember the notes more than the actual Word. I've had Christians quote study Bible notes as if what the note said should be fully accepted. They are shocked, sometimes angry if a person tries to point out a flawed note by appealing to Scripture.

Yes, most Christians are lazy, even very lazy, when it comes to reading Scripture. I know men and women who have been Christians about as long as I've been alive and to this day they don't know what the Bible actually says.

Have a potluck and everyone shows up. Have a Bible study where folks are actually expected to read the Bible and suddenly everyone is busy.

[Invicta]

This is also a reason some study Bibles can be dangerous. I've known so many Christians who act as if the study notes in their Bible are perfect. They will read the notes and remember the notes more than the actual Word. I've had Christians quote study Bible notes as if what the note said should be fully accepted. They are shocked, sometimes angry if a person tries to point out a flawed note by appealing to Scripture.

Yes, most Christians are lazy, even very lazy, when it comes to reading Scripture. I know men and women who have been Christians about as long as I've been alive and to this day they don't know what the Bible actually says.

Have a potluck and everyone shows up. Have a Bible study where folks are actually expected to read the Bible and suddenly everyone is busy.

I clicked like to this post but got a message saying I wasn't allowed to give a reputation to this user.  I don't know what that means but it says I like it.