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What do you prefer??? God is Love or You're Going to Hell if You Don't Repent???

How would you like to bring sheep into the fold???

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MzPrettyPucci

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In light of the fact that I am so frustrated from certain comments and attacks made about certain churches...

Which would you prefer... A church that "preaches" the Gospel in a very harsh and fearful way and loses members left and right or a church that preaches about God's love and his blessings yet brings in new members every week?

Basically how would you want people to understand God's love and come into learning the Scriptures???
 

cocoa-slim

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You have to give them both.

How would you raise your child?

Would you sugar coat life so that they never grasp the severities of the consequences from the decisions they make? GOD IS LOVE, but just like with a child, that love comes with restrictions and guidelines. Not b/c HE's mean, but b/c its for OUR OWN GOOD that we not participate in certain things or act in certain manners. God's guidelines add quality to our character, not hinder us from having fun or enjoying life. I don't want a pastor who only preaches "God is Love". I already know that. I want to know how I can be the best person I can be in life, so that my actions please Him and will keep me out of Hell. Telling me "God is Love" while I'm out here being hateful, fornicating, drugging, robbing, lying, stealing, etc...is not doing me any good. You have to go further and say God has a better life for me that requires a change in my attitude and the decisions I make. Unless I get a reality check, God may love me, but He'll still send me to Hell.
 

pretty_eyes

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My thing is this we must learn to catch the fish before we clean it. In other words, we must allow the Holy Spirit to do His work in the lives of people and continue to be a vessel of God's love here in the earth. As quiet as it's kept, most people already know that they are headed to hell. They want someone to tell them how to avoid it without beating them down with the Bible.

I think that people who place more emphasis on brow beating people with the Word don't really understand the importance sharing God's love with others.

All we have to do is examine our own lives and look at how many times God forgave us and put people in our lives to remind us of His never ending, unconditional love. We need to do same for others who don't know or have never experienced the love of God.

Ok.......>stepping off of soap box<
 

dalemotown

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I agree that the loving, forbearing approach is best - but I can say that in many Pentecostal circles, we would be in the minority.

I grew up in the "Holiness, or Hell" environment; as you can guess, those churches never experienced significant growth.

It finally hit me that Jesus - during His earthly ministry - was mostly drawn to those who were broken; He generally avoided the Pharisees (religious right).

None of us have "made it" - were all still getting there...from the highest "Bishop", on down.
 

pretty_eyes

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I agree that the loving, forbearing approach is best - but I can say that in many Pentecostal circles, we would be in the minority.

I grew up in the "Holiness, or Hell" environment; as you can guess, those churches never experienced significant growth.

It finally hit me that Jesus - during His earthly ministry - was mostly drawn to those who were broken; He generally avoided the Pharisees (religious right).

None of us have "made it" - were all still getting there...from the highest "Bishop", on down.

God loves us. That is a simple and true fact. That love is not based on any conditions. Yet, most church people tend to put "conditions" on their love for their fellow man. I thank God that HE doesn't do that with us.
 

MzPrettyPucci

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I was raised in what I feel was a perfect median between the two, however when I moved to another city, the new church involved in the the same denominatio had too many personal issues that clouded the church's objectives and basically started pitting people against one another. It got so bad that I HATED Church and all things religion... Now I attend a more "God is love"-based church and I made the biggest mistake apparently by defending the pastor when he made a flubber on national TV. And because he doesn't preach straight from the Bible and he doesn't condemn and judge those who are of non-Christian faith, he's a denior of Christ and a man of false doctrines... Coming from my stand point where I do have a VERY intense Bible background, while I wish that the said pastor would preach more about Jesus coming and coming soon, at the time that I first went to that church, I cried because I had never felt so spiritually uplifted after feeling like I had taken a beatdown for so many years...

But apparently I came from a cult-like church to a false church so I guess I'm a lost sheep...
 

Jomama

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I say a Happy Medium is best. "God is Love" and "eternal damnation if you don't accept Jesus as your Lord and savior" are both a part of the Gospel. To preach one without the other is doing the flock an injustice. You don't have to browbeat nor do you need to sugarcoat, it is what is is and and as with everything, it's not what you say but how you say it!
 

Vaughn

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That's just like saying "who was here 1st, the chicken or the egg?". Somethings are f/ our own good and that's that, if you would only examine why the command was put down in the first place you would know!

Sugar-coated and watered-down is today's society's embrace when it comes unto learning anything of or about The Word of God! What is that saying f/ those that would have it that way? You already know! It's saying that they know or have an idea of what the Word is saying, but subconsciencely thinking that ignorance will be their crutch on Judgment Day, totally wrong!!!, b/c when they open up the books about you on Judgment Day 2 books will be opened, The Bible and the 2nd will be the "deeds done in your life" f/ they are recorded everyday of our lives.

So go ahead and vote I choose not to, I choose to be instructed and enlightened of the things of God, pertaining unto life and (g)odliness. Such as what comes after "Thus saith The Lord....., Thou shall not...., in effort to keep me out of harms way!

Distraction from the obvious is Satan's no. 1 tool next to deception!

Are they crying loud and sparing not(your feelings that is)? while preaching the Word?
 

GaryV

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The Word answers ALL things.........

But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.22 And on some have compassion,http://www.blueletterbible.org/cgi-...d&chapter=1&translation=nkjvp&x=9&y=12#_fnt_4 making a distinction; 23 but others save with fear, pulling them out of the [fn5] fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.

To leave ONE out because it's not "positive" is an affront to God and a disservice to people.
 

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In light of the fact that I am so frustrated from certain comments and attacks made about certain churches...

Which would you prefer... A church that "preaches" the Gospel in a very harsh and fearful way and loses members left and right or a church that preaches about God's love and his blessings yet brings in new members every week?

Basically how would you want people to understand God's love and come into learning the Scriptures???

I'll say both because God is love, but He also corrects and disciplines those He loves (it's for our own good). It's just like being a parent; you love your child but there are times when you must correct them to keep them from going down the wrong and destructive path.
 

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That's just like saying "who was here 1st, the chicken or the egg?". Somethings are f/ our own good and that's that, if you would only examine why the command was put down in the first place you would know!

Sugar-coated and watered-down is today's society's embrace when it comes unto learning anything of or about The Word of God! What is that saying f/ those that would have it that way? You already know! It's saying that they know or have an idea of what the Word is saying, but subconsciencely thinking that ignorance will be their crutch on Judgment Day, totally wrong!!!, b/c when they open up the books about you on Judgment Day 2 books will be opened, The Bible and the 2nd will be the "deeds done in your life" f/ they are recorded everyday of our lives.

So go ahead and vote I choose not to, I choose to be instructed and enlightened of the things of God, pertaining unto life and (g)odliness. Such as what comes after "Thus saith The Lord....., Thou shall not...., in effort to keep me out of harms way!

Distraction from the obvious is Satan's no. 1 tool next to deception!

Are they crying loud and sparing not(your feelings that is)? while preaching the Word?

You mean the Book of Life. Other than that, I got the gist of the rest.
 

classya06

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Amen. I say both as well. For non-believers...when they hear something like "God is love", they tend to assume that God will turn the blind and love you, bless you and walk daily with you if you are sinning and living a selfish life. Granted, we all sin... but the difference between a believer and non-believer is that you sin and could care less about repenting... about changing, about asking God to help you be a better person...the person He intended you to be. Since He is "the father"... the best example truly is a parent of a child. I love my children DEARLY but I will not sit idly and allow them to be disrespectful or flat out WRONG about something without punishment. They learn by lessons, and discipline and love. They learn that while my love is inconditional and that I bless them with all that I can if they are good, they cannot have the same "blessings" or extras if they choose to disobey. Regardless, I love them no matter what and nothing they do will ever change that... but with selfishness and disobedience comes punishment and we can't choose those consequences if we choose to walk alone in this life without God...

It's a DAY-TO-DAY relationship...don't just call on him when you NEED something. To fully understand this and more, you have to learn about God daily...
 

MzPrettyPucci

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That's just like saying "who was here 1st, the chicken or the egg?". Somethings are f/ our own good and that's that, if you would only examine why the command was put down in the first place you would know!

Sugar-coated and watered-down is today's society's embrace when it comes unto learning anything of or about The Word of God! What is that saying f/ those that would have it that way? You already know! It's saying that they know or have an idea of what the Word is saying, but subconsciencely thinking that ignorance will be their crutch on Judgment Day, totally wrong!!!, b/c when they open up the books about you on Judgment Day 2 books will be opened, The Bible and the 2nd will be the "deeds done in your life" f/ they are recorded everyday of our lives.

So go ahead and vote I choose not to, I choose to be instructed and enlightened of the things of God, pertaining unto life and (g)odliness. Such as what comes after "Thus saith The Lord....., Thou shall not...., in effort to keep me out of harms way!

Distraction from the obvious is Satan's no. 1 tool next to deception!

Are they crying loud and sparing not(your feelings that is)? while preaching the Word?


Salvation and righteousness are brought about by faith not by good deeds...
 

Big Red

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I had posed a similar question to my mom over the weekend
because me and my wife have personal friends that are jehovahs witness and others that follow the so called soft feel good approach. When we get together we try to keep our religious beilefs from intermixing because of the debates, anyway.

The whole topic Hell is so deep and I am a softy at heart. So I asked her for clarity on the subject because you hear people say. I can do this and I am going to heaven because I believe in jesus. When others say I am telling you there are problems there.

This is what she said. take it for what its worth.

We by nature try to get away with is much as possible. We tend to think we know what is best for us. We have a tend to gravitate to the one that sounds the most appeasing and offers less work. Just like giving a kid sweets over time destroys the body by diabetes,overweight. etc.

Getting constant feel good suger with out the salt detriorates the spirit over time.

I asked her do alot people use john 3:16 as a sorta crutch to do what they want then believeing that they will get into heaven because of john 3:16.

How do you tell that someone loves you? by there actions.
If someone truly loves you would he beat you to a pulp? No.

If someone is using someone it is clear that they don't really love the person they only love the things that person provides.

She said the majority of americans are infants spiritually. You can see by the climate of america.

To alot of americans the definition of believe is

I believe and agree that that statement in the bible is true. I believe that jesus died on the cross for my sins and if I accept jesus as your lord and savior and you will be saved.

That is not believing.

(she got me on that one because If I had issues at the judgement that was going to be one of my cards)

Then she pulled out her amplified bible and had me read acts 16 verse 31.
which states. Verse 30 and 32 are there as well.

30And he brought them out [of the dungeon] and said, Men, what is it necessary for me to do that I may be saved?

31And they answered, Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ give yourself up to Him, take yourself out of your own keeping and entrust yourself into His keeping and you will be saved, and this applies both to you and your household as well.

32And they declared the Word of the Lord [the doctrine concerning the [f]attainment through Christ of eternal salvation in the kingdom of God] to him and to all who were in his house.

mom:
If you truly believe then give youself up and entrust youself into his keeping. Then all your focus movements,spending of money thinking ,preparing should be on the spiritual direct direction from god. prepaing for his return or our journey to heaven. Doing things as if jesus if he were here would be doing them.

If you are not preparing the spiritual way or overly focusing on anything this world has to offer. then you need you check who you are really serving.


Now you say you accepted jesus.
You say you might be annointed.
you say you believe and are saved.

But what do your actions say?
WHo are you truly serving?

We can act dumb if we want to. We can search for the pastor that says what we want to hear and read from the books that say what we want to read want to but the truth is the truth and it is there and God will be tossing people into hell for eternity.
 

dalemotown

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We by nature try to get away with is much as possible. We tend to think we know what is best for us. We have a tend to gravitate to the one that sounds the most appeasing and offers less work. Just like giving a kid sweets over time destroys the body by diabetes,overweight. etc.

Getting constant feel good sugar with out the salt detriorates the spirit over time.

We can act dumb if we want to. We can search for the pastor that says what we want to hear and read from the books that say what we want to read want to but the truth is the truth and it is there and God will be tossing people into hell for eternity.


Again - I post this biblical reference:

2 Timothy 4:3-4
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
 
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