Do you speak Christianese?

[PJ]

How about "cardinal" (nature) in place of carnal, and "counterdiction" in place of contradiction.

"It's glad to have you this morning" instead of "It's good to see you this morning."

Also, morning is referred to as evening, and evening is referred to as morning ... fairly often.

 

[Magnetic Poles]

Originally posted by PJ:
"It's glad to have you this morning" instead of "It's good to see you this morning."

Why does this seem like something Austin Powers would say?

 

[PJ]

Something like that!

 

[Baptist Believer]

Originally posted by Marcia:
Gina, I'm not even a Calvinist but I don't believe that prayer changes God's will or mind. I do believe that because of the way Jesus taught us to pray ("thy will be done") we should pray this way, though maybe we don't have to say it more than once in the prayer. I think prayer is to align ourselves with God's will and to glorify Him when we see Him work through prayer.

That makes a lot of sense, but it doesn't line up with Jesus's teaching on prayer or the entire witness of scripture. Moses prayed that God would not destroy the children of Israel. SFIC correctly pointed out that Hezekiah's prayer was answered.

If you say these examples (as well as many others) are merely the appearance of God being influenced by our prayers, you rationalize away the personal (that is, His Person) nature of God and His love and care for his people and turn him into an impersonal force of history and action. You create a god that has all the circumstances of present and future reality worked out with human beings simply dragged along by fate... where our sin or obedience make no eternal difference in the plan of God.

That's not the gospel of the Kingdom of God that Jesus preached... that's Greek philosophy.

 

[Gib]

"Can I get an Amen!" Sounds like like your ordering a combo at Wendy's.

"If you love the Lord, you will..." Will what?
Loosen up those wallets
Keep the nursery
Sing in the choir
Be there for the men's breakfast at 6:30 AM-what's wrong with a men's cookout on Saturday at 4 PM?

"Turn in your hymnals" - turn how?
"Find your Bibles" - are they lost
"Find your seat" - Oh no, where's my seat

 

[PJ]

Originally posted by Gib:
"Can I get an Amen!" Sounds like like your ordering a combo at Wendy's.

It's "Can I get a witness?" in these parts.

 

[J.D.]

Originally posted by Baptist Believer:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Marcia:
Gina, I'm not even a Calvinist but I don't believe that prayer changes God's will or mind. I do believe that because of the way Jesus taught us to pray ("thy will be done") we should pray this way, though maybe we don't have to say it more than once in the prayer. I think prayer is to align ourselves with God's will and to glorify Him when we see Him work through prayer.

That makes a lot of sense, but it doesn't line up with Jesus's teaching on prayer or the entire witness of scripture. Moses prayed that God would not destroy the children of Israel. SFIC correctly pointed out that Hezekiah's prayer was answered.

If you say these examples (as well as many others) are merely the appearance of God being influenced by our prayers, you rationalize away the personal (that is, His Person) nature of God and His love and care for his people and turn him into an impersonal force of history and action. You create a god that has all the circumstances of present and future reality worked out with human beings simply dragged along by fate... where our sin or obedience make no eternal difference in the plan of God.

That's not the gospel of the Kingdom of God that Jesus preached... that's Greek philosophy. </font>[/QUOTE]Then go ahead and pray honestly "...Lord, not thy will be done, but mine".

 

[Brian30755]

People who overuse the word "Lord" or "Father" when they are praying: "Lord, we just love you, Lord, and we praise you Lord for who you are Father . . ." Sorry, but "Lord" is not synonymous with "Uhhhhhh." The annoying thing is that when you notice someone doing this, you stop paying attention to what he's praying and you start listening for the repetitions.

What are you getting out of listening to someone else pray, anyway? Instead of nit-picking how they pray, why don't you just pray yourself while they are praying?

Or, if you never stammer, stutter, or repeat anything while you are praying in front of a bunch of people, why don't you volunteer to lead all the prayers in your church?

And where in the Bible does it say "and they called on Brother Jones to stand and pray while they all listened"?

Maybe I'm wrong on this, but when someone is called on to "lead us" in prayer, does that mean that this person is the only one who is supposed to pray, and the rest of us are just supposed to listen (and count how many times he says the same word)?

Sorry if this sounds mean-spirited, I don't mean it to. It's just that I remember the first time I was called on to dismiss a Wednesday-Night meeting in prayer. I had never prayed out loud in front of people before. I know I sounded like Porky-Pig as I prayed, I was so nervous I couldn't get anything to come out. If I had heard somebody say "Boy, did ya hear that? He said the same thing over and over.", I probably never would have went back to that church. Fortunately, in that church, most people were too busy praying themselves to pay much attention to how good or bad I could pray.

 

[Ransom]

What are you getting out of listening to someone else pray, anyway? Instead of nit-picking how they pray, why don't you just pray yourself while they are praying?

Uh-oh, fun's over, the hall monitors have arrived.

Lighten up!

 

[4His_glory]

I don't like "just ask Jesus to come into you heart".

 

[Gib]

Have you ever noticed when the pastor says, "With no one looking around," several look around?

 

[Ransom]

Yeah, I'm usually one of them. I can't stand the every-head-bowed-every-eye-closed, yes-I-see-that-hand version of the altar call.

I find it as embarrassing as it says Jesus is.

 

[Magnetic Poles]

Originally posted by Ransom:
Yeah, I'm usually one of them. I can't stand the every-head-bowed-every-eye-closed, yes-I-see-that-hand version of the altar call.

I find it as embarrassing as it says Jesus is.

I agree. Manipulative mind games don't result in any real conversion.

 

[Gina B]

Oh man, I ALWAYS had to look!

I actually find that offensive now. God's people shouldn't be taught to be ashamed, they should be taught to come with boldness and with joy that they will be accepted.
We're also to share our burdens with each other.
It's no secret that human individuals occasionally have problems.
ESPECIALLY when someone is coming up front for the purpose of expressing their love for Christ, that should be an all open, praise God, let's all stomp and cheer type of deal, not someone trying to slither between people and sneak up and get it over with, without anyone noticing. What happened to rejoicing when a sinner once lost is found?

The same thing for baptisms. Everyone just stands there! Joy in the camp? Sure, just keep it quiet. LOL

 

[gekko]

i dont like the cliche of "we dont always know what's going on - we dont always know what God has for us"

well duh. we aren't God - so of course we dont know squat.

 

[Gib]

"We like to keep things simple" - We don't want to have to do anything

"Oh, we don't want to rock the boat" - We're going to allow things to go on as they are so we don't have to confront the issue.

"We're waiting on God to do something" - And they'll wait and wait and never do anything, but wait.

 

[Revmitchell]

I agree. Manipulative mind games don't result in any real conversion.

It is not necessary to assume the intention is "manipulative mind games". That is just silly.

You are certainly entitled to your opinion. But you cannot back that inflamatory accusations up with any facts. There is no reason to attack the character of those giving people an opportunity to begin a relationship with Christ.

As far as real conversions coming about as a result of an appropriate invitation, you have decided that every claim of conversion for all these many years as a result of an invitation has been fake, unreal, pseudo-conversion, without merit.

How arrogant.

 

[JackRUS]

I just hate "Can I get a witness?" What's wrong with just saying, "Do you agree", or "Agreed"?

And I don't like when "repent" always means repent of your sins among Christians. This leads to a misunderstanding of Scripture, such as Hebrews 12:17.

And "I was convicted" being used by Christians among non -Christians.

 

[standingfirminChrist]

Originally posted by Revmitchell:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr /> I agree. Manipulative mind games don't result in any real conversion.

It is not necessary to assume the intention is "manipulative mind games". That is just silly.

You are certainly entitled to your opinion. But you cannot back that inflamatory accusations up with any facts. There is no reason to attack the character of those giving people an opportunity to begin a relationship with Christ.

As far as real conversions coming about as a result of an appropriate invitation, you have decided that every claim of conversion for all these many years as a result of an invitation has been fake, unreal, pseudo-conversion, without merit.

How arrogant. </font>[/QUOTE]Amen, RevMitchell...

If many had their way, we would have to do away with altar calls altogether. Some already feel they do not need to witness Christ to the lost. Many will not wear anything that might brand them as Christians for fear of offense to a neighbor or a friend.

Matthew 10:33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

 

[Alcott]

Originally posted by Revmitchell:
As far as real conversions coming about as a result of an appropriate invitation, you have decided that every claim of conversion for all these many years as a result of an invitation has been fake, unreal, pseudo-conversion, without merit. How arrogant.

Not all of them. But if people have not already made up their own minds for Christ, then how many "decisions" are valid which come from such influences as the number that have already come-- or even just lift a hand, with some preacher saying "I see a hand there-- and another, and 'nother and 'nother...." Or at least as bad, and a case I was involved in once, where the 'counselors' come forward themselves unknown by the crowds to be part of go-with-the-crowd manipulation? "How arrogant" you say. Yeah, those tactics are arrogant.