Yes, I believe God will answer sincere prayer and direct one to other believers in His way and timing. In China believers cannot advertize to talk about their church meetings, but I have read many accounts of believers finding each other by the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Yes, it was Paul's admonition
Let us hold fast the public declaration of our hope without wavering, for he is faithful that promised. And let us consider one another to incite to love and fine works, not forsaking the gathering of ourselves together, as some have the custom, but encouraging one another, and all the more so as you behold the day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:23-25) It is obvious from Paul's words that we need the encouragement of other Christians in these critical last days. (2 Tim 3:1-5)
There are many countries in which our brothers must operate clandestinely, just as the early Christians did when persecuted by the Romans.
Many people are in churches or religious groups not necessarily because they were led by God, but because of family upbringing, for friends or social reasons or because they trusted their own judgment to join the group,
This is true. Everyone should carefully check out the beliefs of any church or group to see if their teachings line up with the Bible. The trouble is, of course, that the beliefs of Christendom were formulated very early in the the church's history. An apostasy was foretold whereby the church would be overtaken by corrupt individuals who would offer to "itching ears" things that they wanted to hear.
"For there will be a period of time when they will not put up with the healthful teaching, but, in accord with their own desires, they will accumulate teachers for themselves to have their ears tickled; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, whereas they will be turned aside to false stories. You, though, keep your senses in all things, suffer evil, do [the] work of an evangelizer, fully accomplish your ministry" (2 Tim 4:3-5)
That basically means that false teachings replaced the truth. We have to be careful then, that the "truth" we believe is not merely what the false teachers offered to those who did not "put up with the healthful teachings".
One of the first things to disappear in the Christian church was evangelism. Forced conversions replaced the apostolic method of preaching. Even today, evangelism is not something that is promoted in the churches. Jesus said the good news would be preached "in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations". (Matt 24:14) How is that to take place if the church has fallen down on its commission? (Rom 10:13-15)
If THEIR beliefs are out of line with the Bible then it would be better to be alone with the Lord and His Word than continue on in false beliefs.
Those who believe the truth of the Bible will never be alone. They will not forsake the gathering of themselves together, even at great personal risk.
Those who find themselves "alone with the Lord and his word" are those who have been separated from their brothers by circumstance, like isolation in remote regions or solitary confinement in prison. I know of one Christian sister who endured 20 years of detention in a Chinese prison for her faith. She was treated badly and often put in solitary confinement. She came out with her faith not only in tact, but strengthened beyond her expectations.
In this age of technology, even those in the remotest areas have access to the internet and all the information they could ever need to be encouraged by their brothers.
Paul did not say that all true disciples would always speak in agreement. Most of Paul's letters were addressing false teachings which had crept in and disunity that existed in the body of Christ. Paul's desire was to see them walk in unity which is different than conformity.
Yes, it was Paul's desire that his brothers in Christ all speak in agreement, but the apostasy was "already at work" in those times. (2 Thess 2:6, 7)
The devil does not sleep and his main aim is to cause division. The only way to stop it was to listen to those who held to the true teachings of the Christ and be obedient to them....not accepting new teachings and ideas. (Heb 13:17)
"Wheat and weeds" were to grow together up until the "harvest", so Christ's true followers have always been in existence; they were just overshadowed by the weeds up until it was time for Christ to separate them, which he is doing right now.
I agree that we can not alter God's truth to suit ourselves and that accepting His truth requires humility. Seeking and knowing the truth also requires discernment and wisdom, trusting the leading and faithfulness of the Lord through the Holy Spirit and not just meekly or blinding accepting everything leaders of an organization say.
I couldn't agree more. Knowing the history of the church and the origins of its main teachings also requires that we take off the blinkers. The core of beliefs that identify Christendom, as opposed to Christianity, all come from paganism....all were introduced after the Christ and his apostles (who acted as a restraint against apostasy,) were long gone. This is all people today know of Christian teachings.....but they are not Christian at all. Research is needed.
There is no triune godhead.....no immortal soul.....and no hellfire in Christ's teachings. These were all introduced from paganism. None are taught in scripture.
The scriptures indicate that it is truth and love that brings unity in Christ. Believers can disagree on non essential matters and still walk in love because each person is at a different place in their maturity in the Lord.
There are not 'levels' of truth any more than there are 'branches' of Christianity.
There is one truth and we all have to believe it in order to be saved. It is not lying around on the surface.....it is buried by falsehood. That is why we need to dig for it like it was buried treasure. Work is involved. Accept nothing at face value...test it.
If your church teaches that Jesus is equal to his Father and that they, along with the holy spirit are are all somehow one "God", they are not teaching what the Bible does.
If you believe that humans have an immortal soul that leaves the body at death and goes to another place, either to heavenly bliss or to a fiery torture in hell, then you are accepting what the Bible does not teach.
If you accept the cross as a Christian symbol, then you are demonstrating a great ignorance as to its origins as a religious symbol. It pre-dates Christianity by centuries and its origins are not very savory.
Wisdom and discernment are very necessary, but so is knowledge. In today's world, there is no excuse not to know. We live in the time when "knowledge " was to become "abundant". (Dan 12:4) God's worshippers were to be cleansed and refined of all religious impurities that had crept in over the last two thousand years. Those who do not accept the cleansing will, by their own choice, remain in a spiritually soiled condition, which God will classify as "wickedness". The wicked will not be granted understanding at all because they don't want it. (Dan 12:9, 10) :ignore:
