ChristiansUnite Forums

A few snippits...

The last time the World Council of Churches staged such a conference was in Brazil nine years ago, when the agenda was heavy with issues about preserving cultural identity and Christian missionary expansion in the former East Bloc.

Now — in one of the ancient sites of Christianity — the planned discussions highlight some new concerns, including growing rifts among Christians over issues such as same-sex unions, the role of gay pastors and women's contributions to worship.

SNIP

Last month, the World Evangelical Alliance presented the     U.N. Commission on Human Rights with an appeal claiming more than 200 million Christians worldwide are being denied religious liberty. The document listed more than a dozen countries, including China and several nations in Africa and central Asia.

SNIP

Its chief goal, according to organizers, is to advance discussions on ways to reach greater common ground.

Read the entire article here (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/world_churches)
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EDITED OUT.    :-\

Grace and Peace!

I can't decide what I think about this.   How bout you guys?

Giving more leeway to the devil.

PR, this was my first thought too, but I guess that depends on whether or not the word of God is compromised in order to reach that common ground.   I suppose it bears watching very carefully.  Just wondered if anyone sees something there I am missing.

Grace and Peace!

Something in the artical, bothers me. Whats to discuss here, the Bible says "NO". What part of "NO" don't they understand?

Resting in the Lords arms.
Bob

Joshua 8:35 There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua read not before all the congregation of Israel, with the women, and the little ones, and the strangers that were conversant among them.

The Bible is very clear on these issues.  Why must they be argued again and again by those who wish to "liberalize the Word"?

Forgive my bluntness - but I can't be kind toward this event. I think the whole thing stinks of 'one-world-religion' - ness.  (If you get my point.)  That 'religion' will point to a 'god' compiled from the 'wishes' of the 'popular collective thought'. (Gag me!)

My faith is in the Lord, Who is the Word.  My faith is not dependent on a 'committee of men'.  I am steadfast in my position.  Jesus cannot be rewritten as judges are now rewriting the US Constitution.  >:(

God Bless!!!  :)
JN

"Now — in one of the ancient sites of Christianity — the planned discussions highlight some new concerns, including growing rifts among Christians over issues such as same-sex unions, the role of gay pastors and women's contributions to worship."

"rifts among Christians"? Who is labeling who a Christian?

Christians can fight over the KJV NIV, or if wine is wine or grape juice. A christian will accept what the Word says  

The stupidty of the many is great. Salvation, is from only one, Jesus Christ.

AMEN!

Thats a  BIG AMEN, Reba!

To, me it really depends on which "Churches" are in it. Catholics, Baptists, and Methodists, thats a good start. Lutherians and Pentcostals... depends on which ones. Mormons and JWs... depends on what this Council is trying to do (even cults can have their place when it comes to things such as humnitian aid). I'm going to need a LOT more info on this "Council" before I will have any thoughts on this.

At least they didn't name themselves "Christians Unite!" ;D

Brothers and Sisters,

I will be blunt and say that the title of the organization says it all to me. Our organization is THE BODY OF CHRIST and it is set apart from the world. I'm not interested in a one-world anything, especially a church.

I could care less what a committee says about sin, values, and morality. My source for information of this type will be the Holy Bible, not some world organization. Further, I could care less about being politically correct, changing times, or catering to those who wish to call evil good.

Maybe I'm too bashful on this subject.   :D

Love In Christ,
Tom

Colossians 3:17  And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Of course I agree with you guys about the obvious parts, but I had to re-read it several times as I could not decide exactly what they are saying about their agenda.  



Amen BEP...that pretty much sums it up I think.

Grace and Peace!

LOL 2ndT - you're right - it's as obvious as the nose on my face (and THAT'S obvious!):
The WORLD Council of Churches.
YIKES! (http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/sprachlos/speechless-smiley-040.gif)
Give me HEAVEN's Council any day!

LOL...you kill me man.    :D   I'm glad I you decided to join us here again Bro.   ;)

FWIW....the WCOC has been around for about 30 years, now....and it's agenda is the complete secularization of religion...the establishment of one unified religion that everyone is comfortable with. HAH!

It is difficult to find out what they're saying, because what they are saying is obfuscated and generalized into a mish-mash of politically correct ecumenism.

It is predominately from the efforts of the WCOC behind-the-scenes that there is so much furor today among the Anglicans, Episcopalians and Methodists over feminists and homos.  According to the WCOC, the only thing that matters is that "god" is worshipped, not how, or by whom, or even who He is....everyone can call Him what they want, when they want, and how they want.

Truly they are the refuse collection center (trash dump) of religion building their own tower of confusion.

Oh, more "seaker-friendly" shi... flith, great! >:( ;D No wonder it is only Evangelicals involved  :P Kidding, only kidding ;D

AMEN! JN!

Watch it  Tibby

 I am old enough to be your Grandma and therefore restrict your computer use!

WHOA, Tibs!  It's a VERY good thing you didn't say "No wonder it is only Evangelist involved"   ;D

I actually considered it, just for you! ;D

Watch is Reda, my Generation gets to deside which nursing home your generation spends your retirement :P ;D I might "forget" you in your wheel chair at the top of a hill. ;)

Christians Urged to Adapt to Fluid World

By BRIAN MURPHY, AP Religion Writer Tue May 10, 1:37 PM ET

AGIOS ANDREAS, Greece - Mainstream Christian churches must adapt to the powerful forces of the new century — including the rise in African and Asian congregations and tensions with the Muslim world — or risk losing their relevance and ability to help shape world affairs, religious leaders said Tuesday.

The messages to a global conference on spiritual trends underscored the sense among many Christian pastors and scholars that churches need to sharpen their mission in an age of fast-paced economic restructuring and growing instability, such as the widening gulf between the West and Islam.

"The consequences of globalization, terrorism and the war on terror require that Christian churches rediscover their prophetic voice ... to raise their voice and be on the side of peace," the head of the Greek Orthodox Church, Archbishop Christodoulos, told the gathering of more than 700 Christian leaders, theologians and activists.

The general secretary of the World Council of Churches — the organizers of the weeklong conference — also noted the "demographic center" of Christianity is shifting into the southern hemisphere, led by explosive growth in African and Asian congregations and rising populations in Latin America.

The Rev. Samuel Kobia encouraged churches to seek new ideas to make Christianity meaningful to cultures unfamiliar with European traditions and to avoid "insensitive" methods that undermine local languages and customs.

"Christianity's center of gravity ... continues to migrate southward," said Kobia, a Kenyan. "Our vision must undergo a corresponding conversion."

Failure of the established Christian denominations to respond could further open the door to charismatic preachers and evangelical enterprises such as the Rev. Billy Graham's movement or the German pastor Reinhard Bonnke, who promotes himself as one of the fastest-growing Christian missionaries in Africa. The World Council of Churches conference did not include representatives of the evangelical powerhouses.

Kobia warned that charismatic movements could "likely cause conflict in the 21st century" because of their often dismissive views on other faiths.

He added: "As we seek to overcome tensions between North and South, we must also be converted to a new sense of unity joining East and West." He urged a "major step forward" in Christian-Islamic contacts during a World Council of Churches interfaith gathering in Geneva next month.

Contacts with other faiths may also be raised during a planned meeting in June between Kobia and Pope Benedict XVI.

Christodoulos also warned that old models of Christian attitudes and missionary work are becoming obsolete as cultures and faiths increasingly intermingle.

"The growing effect of globalization — as a cultural and not as a financial phenomenon any more — the opening of national frontiers and the increasing move of populations from one place to another puts our Christian witness in a totally different situation than that of the past," Christodoulos told the conference at a seaside venue 18 miles northeast of Athens.

"This is even more urgent now, in the post-Sept. 11 world, than in earlier times," he added, urging a "more humble ethos" among Christian churches and rejection of the "overoptimistic tones" of some missionary groups.

Christodoulos' comments struck some of the major hurdles facing the conference — which draws together Christians from nearly every tradition.

Small evangelical churches, which have sharply raised their profile in Central Asia and Africa in the past decade, may resist appeals for less aggressive outreach. The gathering also will grapple with the galloping pace of globalization and its effects on traditional economies and religious life. Also on the meeting's agenda are ways to enhance dialogue with moderate Muslim leaders and control
AIDS.

The Vatican has a delegation at the conference, although it is not a full member of the World Council of Churches. The organization includes more than 350 member Christian churches and is one of the major forums for interfaith talks and efforts to improve Christian cooperation.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050510/ap_on_re_eu/world_churches/nc:732

Wow!

Lets not offend anyone by telling them they must repent and seek Christ as their Saviour....lets make things peaceful by accepting all faiths into the brotherhood of faith.

Folks if this aint one world religion I don't know what is.  

Mat 10:34  Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.  



How ironic is....


Here's my prophetic voice.

REPENT OF YOUR SINS AND ASK CHRIST TO FORGIVE YOU.  HE IS COMING SOON!!!!!

Grace and Peace!

The ONLY message that is relevant then, now, and forever.......

Preach THE WORD!  Be instant, in season and out...

And He (the Holy Spirit) will convict of SIN, RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND JUDGMENT TO COME.

My sheep KNOW my voice, and follow me.

He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

Any other "relevance" is irrelevant.

Amen Brothers and Sisters,

In these last days, the last thing we need to do is listen to the world and yield to the wishes of the world. May God help us carry and share the Gospel of God's Grace, unspoiled from the pollution of the world and what the devil wants. God will help us yield only to Him and His Will if we simply pray and ask Him.

I am reflecting right now on what all Christians face every day. We are assaulted on every front by the world and tempted by the devil to do and act as the world does. The devil doesn't want us to have a living testimony for God. The devil wants to defeat us and make any testimony we might have one of hypocrisy. This is a fight, one that God will help us with if we pray for strength and guidance. God wants us to be a bright light in a dark world, a beacon for the lost. The devil wants to dim or extinguish that light. If we have a desire to be a bright light for Him, God will help us and God will use us. There is no irony that our joy in Jesus becomes greater when we stand and fight a good fight, empowered by our Almighty Creator.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Psalms 124:8  Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

I Peter 3:18  For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

I Corinthians 2:5  That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

Sister Reba,

I wanted to comment on the wine vs. grape juice argument. That was not the core of the discussion. The core of the discussion was drinking is OK because the Bible says so versus drinking is a tool of the devil and a poor testimony before men. There are and were similar arguments about gambling.

I take the position that drinking and gambling are tools of the devil and feel it is silly for a Christian to argue there is nothing wrong with these things of the world. The massive evidence of the devil's destruction using these tools is overwhelming. If this stance causes a rift, so be it. These and other topics fit well with the so-called World Council of Churches. Again, the title says it all - the things of the "World".

I don't consider the debate over the KJV to be anywhere close to arguments over drinking and gambling. Drinking and gambling by a Christian as being a proper testimony before men is not debatable. The KJV only debate is taken way too far by many, and I'll leave it at that. The World Council of Churches may consider the Koran to be a worthy text. AND, same sex marriage will probably be embraced by the World Council of Churches, much like many other things of the world.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Romans 11:33  O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

I'm gonna sum up the WCC. The World Cult of Conformists. I'll just put it right there. They want us to conform to an idealistic view of Christianity. Well I'm not standing for it. I refuse to conform myself to a watered down view of Christianity. if someone has a problem with the Word and the Gospel with which i preach, then they have a problem with God, and I've done my duty as a minister of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. I'll sum up how I feel in one statement: Conformity is overrated. All these people want Christians to relax and compromise. WRONG!! Paul did not compromise, Peter did not compromise, and most importantly Jesus Christ our own Lord did not compromise. They could have all given into the pressures of the religion and of satan in that day and time, but they didn't!! Why? Because they stood fast in the Faith and were seen as rebels. If we should be seen as a rebel, so be it, but i'll be a rebel for the cause of the Lord Jesus Christ for He is the one who saved me, not a council of churches. I've said my piece. God Bless

Joshua

AMEN!   Joshua

Brother Joshua,

Please let me add a second AMEN!!!

It makes me very happy to think about strong young men and women IN THE LORD! YES Brother, it makes me smile every time I think about you. I will be praying for you and your ministry for the rest of my life. I know that you will have some struggles along the way, but I also know that God will give you joy in those struggles. You will be more than a conqueror in JESUS.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Psalms 37:23  The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.

Psalms 27:1  The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Psalms 31:3  For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name's sake lead me, and guide me.

And a third AMEN, brother Joshua. If we conform to the world then we are of the world.


2Pe 2:6  And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;

Again, I state: Confomity is overrated. I thank you brothers for the Amens. It cheers my soul to know that many are praying for me as i trod this path that the Lord has lain for me. I struggle, yes, but i just shake it off and keep right on. I don't see why people let it get to them so badly. The Lord is just right there to pick you back up when you fall flat on your face. As an update, i'm currently working on finishing High School and we got 6 more school days left. I'm also preaching this sunday so i'm getting under way with that. The Lord has once again changed my direction on my sermon so i'm having to revise the sermon i wrote out a while ago...lol. It's amazing how He does that. Anywho...i think the World Council of Churches should be done away with because it's nothing but a nuisance to the Christian Faith. I say nuisance because it has fallen to compromises and promises that it, in and of itself, cannot keep. That my friends is not a God driven organization. When we attempt to come under a one denomination government or council such as what has happened with the WCC, we end up with corruption and satan gets his little twerp self into the fray and everything gets mixed up. So I won't support it. That's just my views...if you share them then God Bless you, if you don't, then God still bless you.

Joshua