When a person comes speaking of being a Christian and then begins to tell you he is Baptist or Catholic or Church of Christ, that person causes immediate division in the body of Christ.
I avoid such persons.
Paul said: I Corinthians 3 ...
And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?
There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism ... Eph. 4
We should simply identify ourselves as Christians if we do anything. For to identify ourselves as a denomination brings division in the body of Christ.
Titus 3:9
But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.
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Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
I was meditating upon the above scripture a few days ago.
I always avoid those people who come identifying their church.
I know to stay away from them.
There are times however, that we do have to present a message to another person who comes across our path doing evil things while calling himself a Christian.
Most of the times I just avoid him.
***
When I lived in Lubbock, Texas, I played bridge for a time and most of the people at the Bridge Center identified themselves with some church group. I never mentioned religion. They had no idea I am an apostle and prophet of Jesus Christ.
During that time, my cousin from out of town visited. We went to the Bridge Center before the bridge session and I introduced her to some of the bridge people. Donna Faye was not affiliated with any church group. Her husband was with us and I must have been talking with him when the following happened. When we left, my cousin told me this one woman immediately told her she was a member of Church of Christ. Alice Alene was very big on telling people where she went to church. After she died, they discovered she had been stealing some of the money which she was in charge of taking up at the center. (We paid $3.00 per session to play there.) Alice Alene's children reimbursed the Bridge Center after she was dead.
II Corinthians 5
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
***
One day, I was playing as partner with a man from the center. We reached the table of a woman who was all dressed up. It was a Sunday. She went to Methodist church. She immediately very proudly said, "I took communion this morning." (I grimaced for I know communion is not crackers and grape juice. I know the Lord's supper is eating and drinking the Word of God.)
Then she went on to say, "I'm wearing red underwear today." (I was so embarrassed, for my partner was a man.) I didn't say anything to this woman.
Later I visited this woman at a Rehabilitation Hospital shortly before she died. She was about 91 at that time. She said, "I didn't know this was going to happen to me." (growing old)
I replied, "What did you think would happen?"
She said, "I don't know but not this."
A very silly young therapist was standing there and she said, "Sarah had a baby when she was ninety." (She obviously attended some church and was trying to make this bridge person feel better with nonsense, misusing Bible.)
I said something like, "That was a special appointment ordained by God."
The current situation had nothing at all to do with the example this therapist cited from the Bible.
***
One of my other bridge partners was Catholic church woman. She was furious because another woman who was Church of Christ invited her to attend church with her.
(I didn't say anything but later I heard this Church of Christ woman say she had been raised Baptist.)
***
They loved to tell where they went to church. But never did I hear anyone say anything about God or about that which God had done in their lives. It was just about where they went to church.
***
One woman really shocked me. Her hair was cut exactly like a man's. She identified herself as the wife of a former Church of Christ preacher. (The Bible says it is a shame for a woman to be shorn like this.)
I Corinthians 11
5 But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.
6 For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.
13 Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered?
14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?
15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.
But I didn't tell her this. As Church of Christ she should have known this from Bible. But I always avoided her, when possible, at the Bridge Center.
***
Once I went to dinner after bridge with the Catholic woman and another woman who attended some kind of church. She proudly spoke of her son who went with some church group on a "crusade" to Hawaii. So I knew she was in some church.
The Catholic woman and this woman clicked their drink glasses together. I just had water but I made no effort to join them in their superstition. (I know this is some sort of superstition.)
***
The director of the Bridge Center identified herself as Baptist. She said her grandfather was a Baptist preacher. One day I entered the bridge center just in time to hear another member say, "Joel Osteen is God." Betty, the director, and I both said to Francis, "Joel Osteen is not God." (Joel Osteen is a preacher at a church in Houston.)
Francis giggled and said, "They are both after me!" It excited her!
(We called Francis "Crazy Francis" to distinguish her from another woman at the center named Francis.)
***
We often had covered dish luncheons the hour before we played Bridge. A man who was Church of Christ member always prayed aloud before the luncheon. The first time I saw this, I watched him as he "prayed". He started praying with his eyes closed. Then when the people in the room had bowed their head and closed their eyes, John would slip a note card out of his pocket and continue his "prayer" by reading that which was written on his note card.
After that one experience with John's "prayers", when I realized John was about to pray, I left the room and hid out in the ladies room where I prayed to God.
***
Another man identified himself as an elder at Sunset Church of Christ. Bob and his wife were two of the most hostile people I've ever met. I once said to the director (a Baptist) that I couldn't believe that man was an elder at a church. The director agreed with me.
Titus 1 ... concerning an elder/bishop (same office)
5 For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:
6 If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.
7 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;
8 But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;
9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
(This man, Bob, was hateful and very unfriendly.)
***
One woman at Bridge Center was Presbyterian. One day at the Bridge Center she proudly said, "Minister preached such a wonderful sermon Sunday. I didn't understand a word he said." (I said nothing.)
I Corinthians 14
8 For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?
9 So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air.
***
This was the most ungodly group of people I have ever been around and they constantly spoke of their church groups.
I Corinthians 3
And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?
(One says: "I'm Baptist" ... another "I'm Methodist" ... another "I'm Church of Christ".)
***
Ephesians 4
I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
***
Finally, I could take it no more. I quit Bridge and left the Bridge Center. I just couldn't imagine Jesus or Paul sitting at a bridge table trying to beat all the other people. I began praying for God to get me out of that place. And God did get me out.
***
But after I left, the director would always call me when one of the bridge players went to hospital, for director wanted me to go visit that person. Director knew I was a Christian but she didn't know I was called by God as a minister of Jesus, at least I don't think she knew.
I never spoke of going to any church, but I tried to live as a Christian though it can be difficult when the object of the group is to beat one another and to show themselves grand and glorious in the sight of the other people.
After I got out of the Bridge Center and quit bridge, God showed me to start a blog which took up all that time I had been spending at bridge.
Church goers can be the most ungodly people as a group.
I believe when they proudly tell of their church group and their pastor, they think themselves to be witnessing to God.
But usually they are simply causing division and hatred in the body of Christ.
***
A Methodist woman once told me how the Baptist church had put out a call for people to come sing at Christmas and help them out. She said to me, "I think it's all right for me to do that."
I didn't answer her or say anything at all in this foolishness at church.
Titus 3:9
But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.
***
I Chronicles 16
8 Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon HIS name, make known HIS deeds among the people.
9 Sing unto HIM, sing psalms unto HIM, talk ye of all HIS wondrous works.
10 Glory ye in HIS holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord.
11 Seek the Lord and HIS strength, seek HIS face continually.
12 Remember HIS marvellous works that HE hath done, HIS wonders, and the judgments of HIS mouth;
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