Christian Support Group Community Group
This is a place for everyone who loves Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior (or those who are seeking Him), to come and discuss important issues in their lives and find support from fellow believers in regards to their faith and life. We uphold the Bible and living a Christ-like life, not as a way to heaven, but as a reflection of our love for God.
Hello there,
I have a rather important question about the church that trains me. First something about my faith: I was raised in a Christian way by a family that took care of me whilst my mother was working and at that time I was very faithful to Christ but was still very young. During my teens, I started moving away from Christ and 6 months ago I adressed myself as an ''agnostic theist''. Strangely enough, I still felt something for God. Within those 6 months, I met someone who was from a pretty big church in London (I am from another country btw). He went through Scripture with me but I somewhat rejected it. Later on, we met again and he brought a friend of his from the church also and from that moment, I was moved and felt drawn to Christ again. I could in all of a sudden accept all his teachings again. I was too deep in sin to even come close to him but I finally found peace with him after months of struggling and it feels amazing! I love Christ and I want to stay with him forever and never turn away! I felt so stupid afterwards. Anyways, here is where the problem comes in. I am from another country, as I said before. Now I was in all of a sudden asked to move to their church. I am a 17 year old student and I am very devoted to Christ. I read the Bible every morning and often also before I go to bed, I pray multiple times per day and I am desperately looking for Him every single day. Really... But you might have guessed it: Moving abroad in all of a sudden is just... Too much for me... Can you imagine...? I have a mother that is working so hard for me to keep my study going, for my future. I am trying to support her and love her as much as possible. I have quite some friends, of which some of them really need me. I am soon going to move into an apartment nearby college, which is already a huge step for me (it is in an entirely different city). Pretty much... They make me feel like I am not doing enough for Christ and nearly as if I won't be saved if I don't listen to what they're saying. They're basing their stuff on Scripture although.. They based entire methods of teaching obedience on just one verse which I found sort of strange. The Bible doesn't literally teach about those methods yet they kept saying: ''It clearly does say it... Look at it!'' And I was just like I still don't see it. I want to be educated by them and visit their church abroad (although that's pretty expensive for me...) and temporarily move in for a while (6 months if I could find an internship in London) I mean that would be amazing! I just want to take it easy with this and well... The worry and anxiety that comes from this really doesn't help my faith. I am planning on taking Theology as my minor if that's possible. It would require me to travel for 2 hours every time since it's at a different university but that's worth it (students can travel here for free). I also hope to sort of find my own Christian community in my own country nearby through this... Would be amazing. I don't get it... Am I really required to move even though those are my plans... Am I not doing enough...? It really messes with me every minute of the day. I hope you are able and willing to give me some advice! God bless all of you! Many thanks in advance!
I have a rather important question about the church that trains me. First something about my faith: I was raised in a Christian way by a family that took care of me whilst my mother was working and at that time I was very faithful to Christ but was still very young. During my teens, I started moving away from Christ and 6 months ago I adressed myself as an ''agnostic theist''. Strangely enough, I still felt something for God. Within those 6 months, I met someone who was from a pretty big church in London (I am from another country btw). He went through Scripture with me but I somewhat rejected it. Later on, we met again and he brought a friend of his from the church also and from that moment, I was moved and felt drawn to Christ again. I could in all of a sudden accept all his teachings again. I was too deep in sin to even come close to him but I finally found peace with him after months of struggling and it feels amazing! I love Christ and I want to stay with him forever and never turn away! I felt so stupid afterwards. Anyways, here is where the problem comes in. I am from another country, as I said before. Now I was in all of a sudden asked to move to their church. I am a 17 year old student and I am very devoted to Christ. I read the Bible every morning and often also before I go to bed, I pray multiple times per day and I am desperately looking for Him every single day. Really... But you might have guessed it: Moving abroad in all of a sudden is just... Too much for me... Can you imagine...? I have a mother that is working so hard for me to keep my study going, for my future. I am trying to support her and love her as much as possible. I have quite some friends, of which some of them really need me. I am soon going to move into an apartment nearby college, which is already a huge step for me (it is in an entirely different city). Pretty much... They make me feel like I am not doing enough for Christ and nearly as if I won't be saved if I don't listen to what they're saying. They're basing their stuff on Scripture although.. They based entire methods of teaching obedience on just one verse which I found sort of strange. The Bible doesn't literally teach about those methods yet they kept saying: ''It clearly does say it... Look at it!'' And I was just like I still don't see it. I want to be educated by them and visit their church abroad (although that's pretty expensive for me...) and temporarily move in for a while (6 months if I could find an internship in London) I mean that would be amazing! I just want to take it easy with this and well... The worry and anxiety that comes from this really doesn't help my faith. I am planning on taking Theology as my minor if that's possible. It would require me to travel for 2 hours every time since it's at a different university but that's worth it (students can travel here for free). I also hope to sort of find my own Christian community in my own country nearby through this... Would be amazing. I don't get it... Am I really required to move even though those are my plans... Am I not doing enough...? It really messes with me every minute of the day. I hope you are able and willing to give me some advice! God bless all of you! Many thanks in advance!
When you finished that....we'll SUGGEST what should be next.
11 This Jesus is
the stone rejected by you builders,
which has become the cornerstone.[a][b]
12 There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people, and we must be saved by it.
Yes, John is a good place to start. John is considered the disciple of Love. I would like to suggest The book of James, also. He was Jesus's stepbrother. He was very resentful of Jesus when Jesus was alive. But, he became a very devoted follower of Christ after his resurrection.
I would also like to suggest Lee Strobel. He was a law student, and a law reporter. And, an atheist. He started out try to prove the historical Jesus. He became a Christian!
Good stuff!
I am happy now hahaha thanks for your help so much q.q I actually wanna like start my own Bible study community with friends in it I guess. I am already spreading it among them because: ''Hearers will follow.'' Which is happening right now. My friends are willing to read the Bible. I am glad I got out of this cult before spreading the Word even more. It would also be cool to spread the Word around the planet later on in life. That when I go on vacation, I visit a church there to preach. I don't know I just feel like living for Christ XD And fighting cults would be a good thing also. Spreading this stuff on the internet would already help big time. Communities like this save people like really. Thank you so much again!
Righteousness by Faith Alone
10 Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God concerning them[a] is for their salvation! 2 I can testify about them that they have zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 Because they disregarded the righteousness from God and attempted to establish their own righteousness, they have not submitted themselves to God’s righteousness. 4 For Christ is the end[b] of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. 5 For Moses writes about the righteousness that is from the law: The one who does these things will live by them.[c] 6 But the righteousness that comes from faith speaks like this: Do not say in your heart, “Who will go up to heaven?”[d] that is, to bring Christ down 7 or, “Who will go down into the abyss?”[e] that is, to bring Christ up from the dead. 8 On the contrary, what does it say? The message is near you, in your mouth and in your heart.[f] This is the message of faith that we proclaim: 9 If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation. 11 Now the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on Him will not be put to shame,[g] 12 for there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, since the same Lord of all is rich to all who call on Him. 13 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.[h]
Israel’s Rejection of the Message
14 But how can they call on Him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about Him? And how can they hear without a preacher? 15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful[i] are the feet of those[j] who announce the gospel of good things![k] 16 But all did not obey the gospel. For Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our message?[l] 17 So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ.[m]
A scripture I think applies. Please, read and pray.
I like the NIV myself. What would be great is obtaining a few different translations. I like the NIV, the HCSUb.BUT, you need to study for yourself. Find a translation that works best for you. biblegateway.com is a great place to compare translations. Look it up. And, good luck. I'll be praying God works with you to answer your heart desire.
Thank you so much for the prayer and I prayed to the Father multiple times for the fact that I'm so grateful to Him for the fact that I was led to this support-group. Thank you so much and may you forever be blessed! And may all the cults and false prophets lose their power and influence, for they are the ones that ruin the true faith in Christ.
It is not going to be a systematic study of the Bible. You need a Bible school or seminary for that. You might be lucky and get a professor teaching theology who is a Christian, but most are very liberal, meaning they don't trust or believe the Bible.
I have my Master's from seminary, and I don't believe I would trust most universities to teach the Bible. There are some notable exceptions in Canada where there is a divinity school attached to the university, like at McMaster's in Ontario and Regent College at UBC in British Columbia.
As far as Britian, you might be able to find a divinity school attached to a university, and I don't know about the US.
But if you stick to schools that have a long history, and were not founded a few years or decades ago, you are going to have a good background in Biblical Orthodoxy.
And you also need to check the signs. Do they think they are the only ones that are saved and other Christians are all apostate? That would be a cult.
Do they demand far above what should be normal, like complete dedication and subservient submission, or is their goal to see you mature as a Christian? And that means a lot more than just dedicated attendance at their Bible study? That might be a cult.
Check their doctrinal statement. Do they go beyond orthodox Christianity, or do they believe what people have believed since the time of Christ?
Talk to the other students. Do they seem like zombies, blindly following a leader or program? Or are they following Jesus and learning to discern false doctrines from true doctrines.
I went to a Southern Baptist Seminary. It was pretty orthodox! We had professors who were home from decades on the mission field. But the other students really told a story! We had people from every denomination. We had Anglicans, Mennonites, Reformed, Lutherans, Charismatics and a few independents. We all learned from each other. The school allowed the students from other denominations to do some independent studies with people from within their denomination, especially in the area of theological distinctives.
We all got along, and served the same God.
I know you are really hurting right now from this terrible experience. That means losing trust with organized religion. But I assure you, if you get some liberal theology professor, they will also lead you astray, if you are not following close to Christ. The problem is, if they challenge the authenticity of the Bible, the resurrection, what kind of defence do you have to offer right now?
Maybe we can research some good schools in your area, and find out which ones will give you the freedom to grow in Christ, without oppressing you and destroying the very person Christ created you to be.
Of course, we are always to be ready to give a reason for our faith.
"but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect," 1 Peter 3:15
In re-reading your entire thread, I see that God did bring you here to get you out of that cult. That is true discipleship - praying for answers in Christian walk, and God directing us to the answers.
I really do believe in learning and growing, including a good pastor in a Bible believing church. Fellowship is just that - getting to know each other and to support and encourage each other. It is never about figuring out ways to get money from people. So our sanctification - which is our journey with Christ, has to come out of a deep relationship with God
That means prayer, and reading the Bible, And not being afraid to question, or ask questions. We may have some slow days, but God is working on us, in spite of us! We need trust God as we walk with him.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding,
In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." Prov. 3:5-6