Comments on: Amazing Grace/Churches of Christ in Decline?: Rescuing the Churches of Christ, Part 1 http://oneinjesus.info/2008/05/amazing-grace-rescuing-the-churches-of-christ-part-1/ Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:41:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Messianic Rabbi Stev http://oneinjesus.info/2008/05/amazing-grace-rescuing-the-churches-of-christ-part-1/#comment-2552 Messianic Rabbi Stev Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:52:09 +0000 http://jayguin.wordpress.com/?p=1121#comment-2552 The Church of Christ is in decline due to the past 50 yrs of not teaching the Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith. Members have learned little of the Jewish Rabbi Yeshua from Israel (English translation- Jesus) The first Church of Messiah(Christ) was in Jerusalem and the Elders and members were ALL JEWISH it was Acts 10 when the first Goyim (Gentil) was saved The 3000 at Acts 2 were all Jews. You as Gentils are grafted into Israel Romans chapters 9,10,11,12 also read Eph 2 Read John 1:49 RABBI,SON of GOD and KING OF ISRAEL also the first C of C which was ALL JEWISH played musicial instruments and sang remember the Hebrew Scriptures were all that was written down for many years,Please return to the pure Gospel and NOT B.Stone and A.Campbell's teaching .Then and only then will the Spirit return and your services will be on fire and not dead as the services have been for years.NO WONDER the YOUNG PEOPLE ARE LEAVING.They are learing about the real Rabbi Yeshua the Messiah-John 1:49 English was not invented for many hundreds of years they never knew the English name Jesus !He was Named by the Father from Heaven YESHUA the MESSIAH Baruch Haba B'Shem Adoni Baruch B,Shem Yeshua The Church of Christ is in decline due to the past 50 yrs of not teaching the Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith.
Members have learned little of the Jewish Rabbi Yeshua from Israel (English translation- Jesus)
The first Church of Messiah(Christ) was in Jerusalem and the Elders and members were ALL JEWISH it was Acts 10 when the first Goyim (Gentil) was saved The 3000 at Acts 2 were all Jews. You as Gentils are grafted into Israel Romans chapters 9,10,11,12 also read Eph 2
Read John 1:49
RABBI,SON of GOD and KING OF ISRAEL
also the first C of C which was ALL JEWISH played musicial instruments and sang remember the Hebrew Scriptures were all that was written down for many years,Please return to the pure Gospel and NOT B.Stone and A.Campbell's teaching .Then and only then will the Spirit return and your services will be on fire and not dead as the services have been for years.NO WONDER the YOUNG PEOPLE ARE LEAVING.They are learing about the real Rabbi Yeshua the Messiah-John 1:49
English was not invented for many hundreds of years they never knew the English name Jesus !He was Named by the Father from Heaven YESHUA the MESSIAH

Baruch Haba B'Shem Adoni Baruch B,Shem Yeshua

]]> By: Gary Absher http://oneinjesus.info/2008/05/amazing-grace-rescuing-the-churches-of-christ-part-1/#comment-2551 Gary Absher Sat, 26 Jul 2008 10:59:36 +0000 http://jayguin.wordpress.com/?p=1121#comment-2551 As I have seen many Churches of Christ split and close doors in my 61 years, I come back to the same answer. Nothing divides the congregation but sin. This statement makes no sense: (Man normally resists change but changes continually). So, how do we deal with a changing world in the Church? Do we change or just dig it. Both of these are causing the Church to split. Gary Absher As I have seen many Churches of Christ split and close doors in my 61 years, I come back to the same answer. Nothing divides the congregation but sin. This statement makes no sense: (Man normally resists change but changes continually). So, how do we deal with a changing world in the Church? Do we change or just dig it. Both of these are causing the Church to split.
Gary Absher

]]> By: Stone-Campbell Web Updates–May 11, 2008 « John Mark Hicks Ministries http://oneinjesus.info/2008/05/amazing-grace-rescuing-the-churches-of-christ-part-1/#comment-2550 Stone-Campbell Web Updates–May 11, 2008 « John Mark Hicks Ministries Sun, 11 May 2008 05:21:20 +0000 http://jayguin.wordpress.com/?p=1121#comment-2550 [...] Guin has begun a series entitled Amazing Grace/Churches of Christ in Decline?: Rescuing the Churches of Christ. Some of the background for this series is available in one of his previous [...] [...] Guin has begun a series entitled Amazing Grace/Churches of Christ in Decline?: Rescuing the Churches of Christ. Some of the background for this series is available in one of his previous [...]

]]> By: Gordon McElvany http://oneinjesus.info/2008/05/amazing-grace-rescuing-the-churches-of-christ-part-1/#comment-2549 Gordon McElvany Tue, 06 May 2008 23:36:06 +0000 http://jayguin.wordpress.com/?p=1121#comment-2549 In reference to the elder mentioned above let me use an example of my experience with an elder years ago. He was an elder at congregation that was positioned on the border of the haves and haves not. No need to mention race here. As we had planned to execute a program to invite everyone by phone to our assemblies using a city directory, he sated that we might a well eliminate calling all those north of our physical location because, "If we converted them all, their contribution would not pay the light bill." That church has now closed their doors in spite of the fact that at one time it was the largest in the city (600) members. Draw your own conclusions In reference to the elder mentioned above let me use an example of my experience with an elder years ago. He was an elder at congregation that was positioned on the border of the haves and haves not. No need to mention race here. As we had planned to execute a program to invite everyone by phone to our assemblies using a city directory, he sated that we might a well eliminate calling all those north of our physical location because, "If we converted them all, their contribution would not pay the light bill."
That church has now closed their doors in spite of the fact that at one time it was the largest in the city (600) members. Draw your own conclusions

]]> By: Joe Baggett http://oneinjesus.info/2008/05/amazing-grace-rescuing-the-churches-of-christ-part-1/#comment-2548 Joe Baggett Mon, 05 May 2008 12:09:36 +0000 http://jayguin.wordpress.com/?p=1121#comment-2548 Also Jay before we make the determination that a person or group of people have rejected Jesus we need to ask ourselves with brutal honesty is it really Jesus and God they are rejecting or is it religious dogma, serectarianism, arrogance, and failed methods of formal organized religion? There are many reasons that honest people who are lost and unchurched and seeking spiritual truth can’t see very much of God in average local church. You wrote: Some say growth is not important. “Only God gives the increase. If we aren’t growing, we can’t do anything about it.” “You can’t measure spiritual growth with mere numbers.” “Attendance is over-emphasized.” Another example The other day I was talking to an elder who came to our church because his had just closed down. He said yeah we would have been alright it hadn’t been for bad demographics. I asked him if he was prepared to give that account to God. He said what? I asked again are you ready to explain to God that you led a church to extinction because there were bad demographics, remember God died for those people too? He said you know what I mean all the members moved. I am sorry but these statements people make like these and the other one are not going to hold up on the Day of Judgment. An un-churched friend of mine I went to ACU with once asked if white middle class educated people understood the gospel better than everyone else in the USA and I said no. Then he asked why most of our congregations were predominantly white middle class educated and few others? Well that is a pretty good question. Also Jay before we make the determination that a person or group of people have rejected Jesus we need to ask ourselves with brutal honesty is it really Jesus and God they are rejecting or is it religious dogma, serectarianism, arrogance, and failed methods of formal organized religion?

There are many reasons that honest people who are lost and unchurched and seeking spiritual truth can’t see very much of God in average local church.

You wrote:

Some say growth is not important. “Only God gives the increase. If we aren’t growing, we can’t do anything about it.” “You can’t measure spiritual growth with mere numbers.” “Attendance is over-emphasized.”

Another example

The other day I was talking to an elder who came to our church because his had just closed down. He said yeah we would have been alright it hadn’t been for bad demographics. I asked him if he was prepared to give that account to God. He said what? I asked again are you ready to explain to God that you led a church to extinction because there were bad demographics, remember God died for those people too? He said you know what I mean all the members moved.

I am sorry but these statements people make like these and the other one are not going to hold up on the Day of Judgment. An un-churched friend of mine I went to ACU with once asked if white middle class educated people understood the gospel better than everyone else in the USA and I said no. Then he asked why most of our congregations were predominantly white middle class educated and few others? Well that is a pretty good question.

]]> By: Joe Baggett http://oneinjesus.info/2008/05/amazing-grace-rescuing-the-churches-of-christ-part-1/#comment-2547 Joe Baggett Mon, 05 May 2008 08:17:23 +0000 http://jayguin.wordpress.com/?p=1121#comment-2547 I hate to use these terms but I will for this illustration. The so called liberal or progressive churches are only a phenomenon of the last 10-15 years or so max., so very few people have “grown up” in these churches. Contrary to popular belief they are not made up of only younger people they are predominantly proliferated by the Baby Boomers. They are made up almost exclusively of members who left mainstream legalistic traditional congregations. Their children generation X actually grew up in these congregations not the so called liberal progressive because they did not exist. Many of the baby boomers who now make up these liberal progressive congregations lost their children to the world or other denominations while raising them in the mainstream or traditional churches. It skews the data because a Baby Boomer who raised their children in a traditional legalistic church and moved to the progressive church after their child grew up or the last couple years report it on Flavil’s survey as a loss and the loss occurred while the most formidable years were spent in the' more traditional congregations but is counted against the progressive churches since that is where their parents are now. If you look at some of the generation Y those born after 1984 that have spent most of their formidable years in a progressive congregation but are just now reaching the age of high school graduation, Flavil Yeakley just admitted himself in an interview with the Christian Chronicle (specifically referring those who have left the churches of Christ for other churches) that they are some of the most spiritual, evangelistic and mission minded people that the churches of Christ has ever produced. I hate to use these terms but I will for this illustration. The so called liberal or progressive churches are only a phenomenon of the last 10-15 years or so max., so very few people have “grown up” in these churches. Contrary to popular belief they are not made up of only younger people they are predominantly proliferated by the Baby Boomers. They are made up almost exclusively of members who left mainstream legalistic traditional congregations. Their children generation X actually grew up in these congregations not the so called liberal progressive because they did not exist. Many of the baby boomers who now make up these liberal progressive congregations lost their children to the world or other denominations while raising them in the mainstream or traditional churches. It skews the data because a Baby Boomer who raised their children in a traditional legalistic church and moved to the progressive church after their child grew up or the last couple years report it on Flavil’s survey as a loss and the loss occurred while the most formidable years were spent in the' more traditional congregations but is counted against the progressive churches since that is where their parents are now. If you look at some of the generation Y those born after 1984 that have spent most of their formidable years in a progressive congregation but are just now reaching the age of high school graduation, Flavil Yeakley just admitted himself in an interview with the Christian Chronicle (specifically referring those who have left the churches of Christ for other churches) that they are some of the most spiritual, evangelistic and mission minded people that the churches of Christ has ever produced.

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