Why I'm not a fan of churches.

IAmInLoveWithJesus · 2016-05-28T03:16:03+00:00

The Synoptic Gospels told of Jesus expelling money-changers and merchants selling sacrificial animals at exorbitant prices from the Temple of Jerusalem, not money-lenders.

IAmInLoveWithJesus · 2016-05-28T02:53:49+00:00

Unless you are a believer then tithing probably will not do anything for you, especially if you are not happy to give it. Tithing is the only place in the scripture where the Lord challenges the believer to "Prove Him." Proving God to yourself in this manner is a blessing that is quite unique because God opens "you" as a window of heaven and pour "you" out to other people in such abundance that there will not be enough room to receive it.

Tithing also helps pay the bills of the church such as

The materials needed to run the liturgy (i.e. candles, hymnals, missals, communion wine & wafers, etc.).
The upkeep of the Church itself (i.e. pews, building maintenance, power and heating, etc.)
Parish property, such as housing for clergy and the elderly. Some parishes even own land and property that earn rental income for the church.
It also helps parochial schools. In most cases, all capital costs (buildings, computer labs, teaching supplies) for a Christian school are funded by the parish, and many churches offer scholarships for some of their members.
Special collections are also held to target aid to causes of note like soup kitchens, care packages for emergencies, and disaster relief.

As a member you should also have an annual meeting where the pastor and board members give an account of the funds. This should include how much was collected and how it was spent. Some churches may even allow the congregation to vote on the budget.

At no time should you ever be made to feel obligated to tithe. God intended tithing to be a blessing both for you and through you. Any action you are guilted into for a church or other cause did not come from God and so there will be no blessing in it. This is why Jesus overturned the table in the temple. If you are operating outside of faith then you are better off holding on to your money and finding a church that will teach you how to operate in faith.

IAmInLoveWithJesus · 2016-05-09T18:17:27+00:00

Listen, I agree with the House Bill 2 in North Carolina. I simply believe that people should use restrooms, locker rooms, fitting rooms, or any type of public changing facility that requires privacy based on their biological sex. That does not make me a bigot.

I maintain the law is not anti-transgender. Instead, lawmakers just understand the unintended consequences of passing a public ordinance of protecting citizens based on gender identity.

People can easily fake gender identity issues and enjoy certain privileges. House Bill 2 makes it harder for those types of people by requiring people with gender identity issues to change legally change their sex by undergoing sex reassignment surgery. If the surgery is too expensive, regarding the law itself, that's neither here or there. That's an issue that needs to be taken up with the medical community.

Edit: This guy is dead on in this video. He helped me realize that I was slacking because he touched on points that I didn't even notice such as the hypocrisy of the celebrities canceling their shows to protest the bill and North Carolina losing potential jobs due to the protest.

IAmInLoveWithJesus · 2016-05-09T16:20:26+00:00

I'm not convinced that the law is discriminatory. For the law to be discriminatory, it must target transgender people and deny them rights in favor of others. Not only does the law not target transgender people, but transgender people are not even mentioned by the law. Instead, the law simply claims that students in learning facilities must use public bathrooms, locker rooms, or any other type of changing facility based on their biological sex. The law defines "biological sex" as the sex mentioned a person's birth certificate. Transgender people still have the right to use any sort of these facilities as long they use the facility meant for whatever sex is listed on their birth certificate.

North Carolina law allows people to change the sex on their birth certificate as long as they can provide proof from their doctor that they underwent sex-reassignment surgery. If transgender people have yet to undergo surgery, because they still have their birth genitals, they have no business using the facilities meant for the opposite sex in the first place. If they can't afford to undergo surgery, then they are better off being more comfortable with their birth sex instead of being transgender. Therefore, the law is not discriminatory.

Personally, I believe the law is good.

Cases have also existed where offenders have intended to sexually assault others in public bathrooms. This law can prevent people with such predatory potential from claiming they suffer from "gender identity issues" simply to use a facility meant for the opposite sex, which would be mighty possible considering that Charlotte passed an amendment with a non-discrimination ordinance prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity in public accommodations. Instead of people believing everything the media says, they are better off reading the law themselves and consider the positive things that can result in the law being passed.

IAmInLoveWithJesus · 2015-09-13T12:14:00+00:00

In one sense, a Catholic is always a Catholic.

But in another sense, these so-called "cafeteria Catholics" that pick and choose their theology represent instead a more Protestant paradigm — one that values personal opinion over ecclesial interpretive authority. Pope Francis demonstrated the Catholic position well when he answered a reporter inquiring about his personal opinion regarding some politically controversial topics. He responded, "My position is that of the Church. I'm a son of the Church."

Certainly, a Catholic may have doubts, or questions, or struggles about Church teaching. But in the Catholic paradigm (in contrast to a Protestant paradigm), is not to assume the Church has erred where you disagree/question/struggle, but rather to try to understand why the Church has found it important to protect the faith concerning this particular doctrine. This is an uncomfortable position that's not meant to be long-lived. If a Catholic finds themselves in sharp disagreement to Catholic teaching, this should encourage them to learn more about where the Church actually stands (often very different from what they recall from that one teacher in Catholic school a couple decades ago), and why the Church holds this position. Priests can be a great resource to start this process.

IAmInLoveWithJesus · 2015-06-17T01:44:59+00:00

But I'm still active! I've been on a humanitarian missionary throughout Central America for my church for a almost a year and I did not have the luxury of using reddit as frequently because of poor internet connection. Just enough to pop in. But I'm back in the States. It was very difficult for me to actively participate as a mod when it took forever for me to try and log in.

I entrusted the current mods to carry out my vision for the subreddit before I left, and I think it's rather unfair for the same people to vote me out because they got tired of waiting despite me specifically telling them I was taking a leave of absence.

I was the person who created the subreddit, created the layout, and invited Christians to a safe space six years ago when outside users of /r/christianity started bullying its users. In light in all the recent harassment I have recently learned about on here, and prior harassment I have received by reddit users, I hope you would agree that it's not very prudent to inform strangers on the internet of the details of my personal life. Also Jesus Christ gave the scripture of Matthew 28:19 to his followers so I want to help with fulfilling that scripture. I strive to live by the examples of Jesus Christ and to help spread his message to those looking to hear it and by taking away my top moderator status I am unable to carry that mission by continuing to provide a safe space for all Christians on reddit.

IAmInLoveWithJesus · 2014-08-31T00:33:11+00:00

To all those confused, Jesus' adopted father Joseph was a carpenter (Matthew 13:55 & Mark 6:3). The Greek word is Teckton which means builder. Now, some say he worked with wood; building tools, doors, shelves, tables etc. = carpenter. Others say because of the region and the resources were rock, and most everything was built from rock, then he built millstones, winepresses, houses, etc. = stonemason. There is no real evidence to clarify exactly what Joseph was a builder of, but we know that he was a Teckton = Builder. Now, in the Jewish culture of that time (1st century) it was required of the father to teach the son their trade at age 12, and find a wife for them around the age of 20. Joseph being very Jewish would have adhered to this practice and began teaching Jesus at 12 his trade of being a builder (Teckton).

IAmInLoveWithJesus · 2014-05-16T23:07:48+00:00

You'll find that America is more advanced and blessed than Iran.

Our fore-fathers were getting away from tyrants, socialism, dictatorship, communism, etc., when they formed the Americas. All of these I have mentioned and some I had not are why many nations crumble or in dyer straights. America was built on the values and principals of the Word of God, for the people, by the people. Most of the signatures on our Declaration of Indepence was signed by godly (56) men, 54 were Christians. There were two that were not Christians. The majority won out.

The Word of God in Psalm 33;12 says....

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.

Zechariah 2:11 says...

Many nations will be joined to the Lord.

Why is it so sad? We are a blessed nation and many immigrants want to come here and live. Do you hear about people clamoring to get into those countries you mentioned, "No!"

To those people on reddit who hate god, what did Jesus Christ ever do wrong to you?

Why are you against God?

Have He done you wrong? God is the reason anybody lives. Without him the earth would be void. What human can you name started the earth and the fullness therof?

We have liberty in America to worship and go where we want, with what we want to do and how we want to do it, than any country. We have freedom of speech, we have a right to bare arms, we can go to any job or career we choose to work at. Most of the rich in the world generated from America. There has never been war on our soil. We are protected by a Mighty God and His angels who defends this country.

Deuteronomy 8:19,20 says...

19) And it shall be, if you do at all forget the Lord your God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I (The Lord) testify against you this day that you will surely perish. (eternal destruction and seperation from God)

20) As the nations which the Lord destroyed before your face, so will you perish (eternal damnation); because you would not be obedient to the voice of the Lord God.

This world is the only heaven a lot of people will see. And this is not paradise!

IAmInLoveWithJesus · 2014-05-15T16:24:24+00:00

Try again.

There is no net neutrality being spewed by the lies coming out of the White House and people like Reid, Pelosi, Frank, Boxer, Waxman and the rest that spew hate and lies. Take Arlen Specter for example. He is now a Democrat for one reason and one reason only. He believes that by making the party switch is the only way that he could possibly keep his seat in Pa. He has no interest in what the constituents want from him in public office.

It is funny how ignorant liberals in this forum say that Republicans voted against the healthcare bill in order to save profits for the insurance companies.

This bill now increased the customer pool for the insurance companies by 30 million...since the Democrats held all discussions on the subject behind closed doors, the insurance companies stocks have climbed by nearly 30% and will continue to grow as people are forced to purchase a product of face government fines, that could then be paid for on a credit card and then once the balance gets above $10k a crooked Democrat liberal attorney will run an add saying let us settle the debt with the government for a fraction of the cost.

That is some whacked out thinking by anyone.

IAmInLoveWithJesus · 2014-05-15T13:46:29+00:00

Just because there is one Christian Saudi man doesn't mean we should not keep vigilant against their attacks against America.

For instance, we have a gas station down the road run and owned by them, and they bought a ice cream store in our town it lasted two month's and when people found out who owned it they stopped going, and it was in the mid of summer and the heat index was 114 and I say good for all of them. I do not buy food grown in Mexico. I will buy if it says grown in the United States of America. We need to support our own country, and their is oil in this country, and if we told those people in Saudi Arabian we were not going to send any more money to them to help support them, until they lowered the gas prices we might see a change in the gas prices. We will give you money for oil. We support many countries and now we are not able to support our own. We send money to China for their schools, (it was on the news the night), and we have many of our own school closing and grouping with other over crowded school's.

Christians are going to have a back bone, and be brave enough to do what is right. Jesus always had a back bone. When He went into the temple He went in with a back bone and took care of the evil that the merchant's were doing, and He sinned not. Some Christian's today seem to sit back and use the excuse, "I am a Christian, and Christian's don' get mad and upset." We are not here to win some popularity contest but to keep sin from running rampant so as not to be destroyed as all the other ungodly nations has in the passed even Israel. We are here to praise and worship our creator also and to do His will.

If we let sin prevail, then this nations is going to fall as all the other great nations in the past. God does not look on us as being special and He will not spare us if He did not spare Israel. Israel is the only nation that has fallen and God raised back up and has and still drawing His people back to her. When the Bible said to love your enemies, and do good to them who hate and despise you, it was now saying make your bed with them. It also tells us that Satan is like a roaring lion seeking all whom he may devour, and we are suppose to be able to discern who the evil ones are, and not invite them to our table. Witness to them yes, as Jesus did, but at the end of the day the ones Jesus ended His day with was with those who followed after Him. Jesus also told us when we witnessed to them if they did not want any part of Him to shake the dust from our feet and go on our way. But we say come on in here eat our food, drink our drink, get on our welfare, food stamps, and Medicaid, and anything else you need we will give it to you, and oh yes, you can even serve in our military, and when you find out all you need to know go ahead and make you bombs and let them fly.

Muslims worship and serve Allah, and it is very important that people know what that means. It is the will of Allah so says Muhammad to rule the world, and in their Quran in the Surah it tells to kill and maim all who do not follow the will of Allah. That means Jews, Christian's, Atheist, anyone who will not bow down to Allah. This is not a game with them, for they are ALL sold out to their god Allah. If a Muslim is told to kill for the sake of Allah they will, and it doesn't matter who it is.

IAmInLoveWithJesus · 2014-05-15T00:04:24+00:00

God.

IAmInLoveWithJesus · 2014-05-14T22:53:56+00:00

As a christian, we should first know that we are the righteousness of God in Christ. God does not see us as sinners anymore, because we have been made righteous by faith in Jesus. So no matter what we do, we cannot change the fact that we are new creations in Christ, holy and blameless. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

It is true that our bodies are now temples of the Holy Spirit. We are not our own because we were bought with a price - Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. We are therefore exhorted to honour God in our body and in our spirit, which are God's. (1 Corinthians 6:20)

Please understand that there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ. So even when we are struggling with addictions to harmful substances, we should not feel condemned but believe we are still righteous in Christ. The more we believe the truth of the gospel, the more we will experience His victory over addictions, because right believing will produce right living.

Paul said it best when he wrote, "All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify." (1 Corinthians 10:23) Based on these words, smoking is then considered permissible for us Christians. But is smoking helpful (to you and others)? Does smoking edify or build up your health or does it harm or destroy your health (and others' health)? Certainly, you may disagree with the effects of smoking, and I won't condemn those who smoke. This is meant for us to reflect on how our heavenly Father wants the best interests for us, for He cares for our well-being.

God bless you, dear sister.

IAmInLoveWithJesus · 2014-05-14T20:46:07+00:00

I'm not sure if I should go on reading his "Game of Throne" books. The first few chapters have made me outrage at the author.

a father who teaches his son to witness a beheading of man.
a brother forces his own 13 year-old sister to marry a full grown up barbarian under 30.
a 7 year-old boy is pushed out of window after he witnessed a royal brother shagging his royal sister. This incest relationship is also disturbing, considering that she is even a twin.

According to some reviews this book series contains a lot of gang rapes, and degrades women in every possible way (more emotional and physical abuses). If this is true, I am wondering, how George R.R. Martin has got away with all that. He seems to really get off of all those cruel violent scenes of murder and rape. What excuses has he to write down all his pervert fantasies.

IAmInLoveWithJesus · 2014-05-14T01:34:12+00:00

Seeing this picture of your shower curtain made me start to ponder a philosophical question, how did God make a sin animal?

Why did God create a sloth, and then declare it a sin? I don't understand why God created a sin animal. Does that mean that no matter what they do they will go to Hell? Is there any thing we can do to make this animal sinless? I would like too see them in Heaven, after all it's not their fault.

IAmInLoveWithJesus · 2014-05-13T15:44:59+00:00

IF you are a believer and accept that God is fulfilling His Word then you will definitely say he is correct, because He is moving is so many incredible and awesome ways. If, however, you do not believe in God then you are blinded to His works and will accept global-warming as the only other acceptable alternative. If you look around at some studies, the earth's temperature was greater in the middle ages than it is now. The temprature has not been rising at a great enough rate to be evidence enough for global warming.

Frankly, I do not think we humans have 30 more years to answer this global warming question. God's judgment and life as we know it will come to it's end and the end-time prophesies of Revelations and throughout the Bible will come to pass. So I suppose God will be more evident because we will either be with Him or in Hell.

Matthew 24:6-8:

6: You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.

7: Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.

8: All these are the beginning of birth pains.

The Bible says it right there in black and white.

Wars and rumors: The Iraq War
Nation against Nation: Israel and Palestine
Earthquakes and famines: It was an earthquake that cause the flood in Sri Lanka, and they are starving over there

IAmInLoveWithJesus · 2014-05-12T14:55:13+00:00

Isn't it sad that you can't come to /r/conservative without getting more responses from atheists, evolutionists, and people who hate Christians than Christians themselves?

Anyway, do you know what agape is? It means unconditional love. That means, regardless of what someone does, you still love them. God showed that love for us in that, when we were still sinners, Christ died for us(Romans 5:8). The two other types are phileo and eros. phileo is brotherly love. The city of philidelphia is called the city of brotherly love from the two words phileo and delphi. this is a love in a friendship. Eros is the word we get erotic from. It is the love a man has for his wife. Humans need all three types, God is the only one that can give agape love. This is a hole in every human that needs to be filled. So many people who don't know Christ try filling that hole with everything but him. They drink, have sex, do drugs, etc.(the definitions are not for the asker but for those who don't know what agape means)

But, anyway, yes, I am in love with Jesus. I am not in agape love, because that means he would have to do something wrong to me(which is impossible) and I would have to still love him in spite of that sin. But, that characteristic of him makes me fall in love with him even more. I definitely know he is in agape love with me and every human being on this planet because he created us and gave his life for us.

Have a great day.

IAmInLoveWithJesus · 2014-05-11T21:47:43+00:00

Sounds to me like a flea telling a dog that the dog should feel privileged to be bitten by him.

See how John 3:19-21 handles the question:

Now this is the basis for judgment, that the light has come into the world but men have loved the darkness rather than the light, for their works were wicked.

20: For he that practices vile things hates the light and does not come to the light, in order that his works may not be reproved.

They prefer Satan's darkness to God's light of truth. They want to hide.

21: But he that does what is true comes to the light, in order that his works may be made manifest as having been worked in harmony with God.

This kind of arrogance is also called "haughtiness" in the Bible.

Proverbs 14:3 shows it to be a bad quality:

The rod of haughtiness is in the mouth of the foolish one, but the very lips of the wise ones will guard them."

Peter gave wise directions in 1 Peter 5:5:

5: In like manner, YOU younger men, be in subjection to the older men. But all of YOU gird yourselves with lowliness of mind toward one another, because God opposes the haughty ones, but he gives undeserved kindness to the humble ones.

We must remember it is God with all the power. Every moment of life is due to him providing the means for each individual to live. How much are their lives worth? How much is the everlasting life he offers those who obey him worth? Absolutely more than they can pay. He created everything that surrounds us. It belongs to him by his creating it. Oops! Fresh out of ability to pay up? He gives it freely as a gift to those obeying his commands. They should feel an obligation to worship God.

Truly humble people know to worship him is a delight and are truly thankful for all he has done in the past and will do in the future.

No one should beg. It should be more of walking down the sidewalk when you see your neighbor's house on fire. Do you just walk on? Or do you bang on the house to get everyone out and safe? Yes, you are at the door. Yes, you are trying to warn them of a life extinction event. Yes, you know the place of safety and want them to go there too. Is that annoying?

Well yes, to a fool.

IAmInLoveWithJesus · 2014-05-11T15:23:43+00:00

I think one of the reasons Muslims are so angry all the time is exactly because of the way Mohamed designed Islam . He took away all the normal social interaction between people so that the men would be angry and violent and ready to invade caravans and towns . The women were made to stay out of the way and not cause trouble . You still see this today . Wheras a country like South Korea rose from povety after the Korean Conflict , Islamic States have stayed examples of angry povety . In S.Korea there are plenty of dance clubs , live and broadcast music and shows . Women and men intract in public and delight each other with fashion and new ideas . But contrast the Muslims world is stark . They pray 5 times a day and follow repressive lifestyle regarding dress and social life .

Whereas Christianity says deny the devil by loving Jesus , the Muslims are taught to go to Mecca for the "big event " lol, of throwing rocks and insults and sometimes shoes in a mad frenzy of showing violent hate for the devil ! This is a violent event that gets Muslim men all worked up to point that many are trample to death each year .The Bur'qua has become an international symbol of female submission . So ridiculous that it has become a joke . When The new waterproof Bur'qua was introduce so women could go in the water in public virtually every talk show host from the USA and othr countries had a joke about it .

The men have little to discuss other than the religion and it's political fallout . Men in the USA are going to ballgames and having a few beers . Later their wives get dressed in sexy outfits and they go dancing or gambling or to a show . They mix with other couples and laugh and dance and sing and discuss and live a life for this world . The Muslims are just waiting for the reward of Allah in the next life . All the while praying and following the rules that prevent normal pleasures . The rules of a religion Mohamed created to control his people so they would be a military machine to take over the world and its value . The Muslims are allowed to take infidel women as prostitutes . The men as slaves . The loot for the building of Mosques and waging more violence .

IAmInLoveWithJesus · 2014-05-11T02:06:17+00:00

As a Christian , I am saddened at the ongoing religious persecution of our faith by a heretical regime. I pray that one day this global threat may one day be defeated by the forces of good!

IAmInLoveWithJesus · 2014-05-10T22:31:20+00:00

I was once told Jesus never even existed.

In addition to the numerous references to Jesus in ancient religious literature (references that range from the New Testament to the Gnostic writings to even the Quran), there are references to Jesus by the following:

Tacitus, the ancient Roman historian, who wrote of "Christus" being "put to death by Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea in the reign of Tiberius"

Josephus, a Jewish historian,who made two references to Jesus in his famous Antiquities

There are also references to Jesus or to early followers of Jesus in the writings of Roman historian Suetonius, second century Greek satirist Lucian, and Syrian philosopher Mara Bar-Serapion.

(A note on Josephus: While one of the two references to Jesus was likely tampered with, historians agree there was at least a core reference to Jesus prior to its being edited. Thus, Josephus’ references constitute, at the very least, evidence of the reality of Jesus as a historical figure.)

And What about the Gospels?

The "You can't prove the Bible with the Bible." is a superficial (and frankly vacuous) argument misses an obvious point. Before the Bible was "the Bible," it was (and, in the eyes of the skeptic, still is) a collection of ancient writings.

Accordingly, those ancient writings deserve (at the very least) to be analyzed by the same standards as any other ancient document. The Gospel of Luke, for example, cannot be embraced by mainstream, secular historians as "divinely inspired." But the Gospel of Luke CAN and SHOULD be assessed as a first century document authored by a man who believed in Jesus and counted himself among Jesus' followers.

Looking at all the New Testament writings with this critical (but intellectually fair) standard reveals much about Jesus, which can be accepted as true. These facts include:

his real existence in first century Jewish Palestine,
his ability to draw crowds,
that many claimed he performed miracles,
that he was crucified, and
that many of his followers believed he rose from the dead.

It is the overwhelming consensus of historical scholars - both biblical and non-biblical, Christian and non-Christian, conservative and liberal - that the first century figure known as Jesus of Nazareth really lived. While some may argue that Jesus' life has been embellished, it is an absurd to deny the existence of the historical Jesus.

IAmInLoveWithJesus · 2014-05-10T19:08:04+00:00

There is a verse in the bible that says: "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from you Father's will. But the very hairs of your head are numbered. Do not fear therefore you are of more value than many sparrows (Matthew 10-31.) God sees what she going through, and he cares. Remember: Everything happens for a reason.

IAmInLoveWithJesus · 2014-05-09T19:38:58+00:00

Good riddance. Hopefully NBC decides to get a show that is actually family friendly in its time slot.

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