Ok so I am an older teenager, I try to go to the youth church group but I feel like something is wrong. I noticed at a church in my hometown that people were on their phones during service, they weren't even on Bible apps either (lol). They were like on Snapchat and all that crap. It actually got to the point I was getting distracted from service due to their foolishness. The youth pastor even mentioned something about the phones (this was over a month ago so I don't quite remember) and they pretty much ignored him. It actually was so bad I wanted to leave church early.
And I notice that a lot of the people there are lukewarm Christians. They believe in that "Jesus was a hippie!", being gay is OK, etc kinda PC crap. It genuinely disgusts me.
And then I notice that people are just there to socialize during service.
Stuff like this is why I just go to normal service instead of trying to make friends.
Youth services are often a waste because the youth that actually care attend the normal religious services instead, so most of the time what you get is the crowd that doesn't go to normal services which ends up like you described. Even worse if there's boomers involved who make a bunch of ridiculous changes to appeal to the youth, forgetting that there's a difference between getting them in the door is the same as properly converting them.
Zachary Stewart
Something new should be came up with, as said, they don't really care. They should do some presentation of some apologetic yt channels, or something to fire up an interest. *however the (((people in charge))) would do the exact opposite purposefully, they probably already know this*.
Seriously OP, if you want to see a devout group of Christians, go to a Roman Catholic Church and join a rosary prayer group. I haven't seen a finer group dedicated to God and His word than in a rosary prayer group.
I've been to Catholic churches with my grandparents several time. I just don't like the Pope and all the additional stuff they add to the Bible.
Chase Walker
Catholic dont add anything to the scripture. People in this thread will try to make claims by taking quotes from scripture out of context. You should look into the history of both the church you are currently in as well as reading the early Christian fathers who compiled the holy scripture :).
Julian Cooper
They do add things to scripture though, Mary veneration being one of them. Nowhere in the Bible does it say to venerate Mary (I'll use your terminology), and there's even Luke 11:27-28 where Jesus rebukes someone for trying to do so.
David Morgan
?
Colton Martinez
Yeah, someone said to Jesus "Blessed is [Mary]" and he said "yea, rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it". The word "rather" here shows he is saying "no, …" instead of "yeah, and, …" What part of it don't you get?
Carson Reed
Luke 1:28 "And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
Luke 1:42 "And she cried out with a loud voice, and said: Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb."
Luke 1:48 "Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid; for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed."
Luke Campbell
you are wrong about that verse as well, From what I know, Jesus is commending his mother. But saying that not for her carrying of his body and being his mother, but for she kept to the word of God most of all.
polite sage for splitting my response into two posts.
Andrew Turner
So if she's blessed for doing what every other Christian is blessed for doing, not for the one thing that sets her apart from all other Christians, how is she so much more special?
Jaxson Campbell
1) she got Jesus to perform His first miracle by turning the water into wine (John 2:1-12) 2) she literally gave birth to the Son of God (Luke 2:6-12) 3) She is considered blessed and full of grace by God Himself (Luke 1:26-38) 4)She was assumed into heaven crowned as the Queen of Heaven (Revelation 12) 5) Jesus wants us to be close to His mother (John 19:25-27)
How the hell does Revelation 12 prove that Mary is the Queen of Heaven? Can you explain your reasoning?
Julian Walker
The title Queen of Heaven only appears twice in the Bible, both times in Jeremiah, and both times talking about a heathen goddess who happens to be the wife of Baal, aka Molech. Revelation 12 does talk about Mary, I'll give you that, but it never gives her the title Queen of Heaven, and to call her that is to give her the same title as a heathen goddess. It's also not mentioned anywhere in the Bible that we should pray to her, blessed or not, it does say however that we should only pray to God.
Tyler Flores
the line between biblical truth and roman paganism just keeps getting blurrier
Aiden James
user may be referring to that. But no one has yet acknowledged his other 4 points/verses. and also
no one has acknowledged those points specifically.
Jaxson Stewart
Revelation 12 is both the literal Mary and Jesus as well as possibly the constellation Virgo.. which would have made "queen a heaven" a natural title, since that's literally what Virgo is in the "Zodiac" (as she's the only female of the bunch). And I'm not talking astrology.. I'm talking ancient astronomical use of the Zodiac. These constellations were used by everyone, so please, don't be a retard. Just don't. Even Jews had the Zodiac symbols on their synagogues - see here: myjewishlearning.com/article/astrology-in-the-ancient-synagogue/).
If you dispute the Virgo meaning, I can try to offer you another Prot to maybe convince you.. but he adds an even more interesting theory that Revelation 12 has the date of Jesus' birth in it as well. See vid.
Jason Butler
How would you know that unless you were looking at their phones too? Mote, meet beam.
Gavin Turner
No, the woman of Revelation 12 is the church.
Austin Walker
Queen of Heaven is never even said in revelation 12 though. Grace is any undeserved gift from God, such as the forgiveness of sins. Her being full of grace does not mean she's without sin, just that her sins have been forgiven. She even refers to Jesus as her savior, and why would she need a savior if she was without sin? She's blessed, but that doesn't mean we should pray to her.
Benjamin Moore
How can she be without sin before Christs death. unless she was free from sin She is alive in heaven and is the mother of God. Like the way the spoke to her as blessed, we pray (the word prayer is now used pretty much exclusively in terms of religion, but means to ask earnestly) to Mary so that she may ask for our intercession, like at the wedding feast in Canaan .
John Hernandez
she wasn't without sin, that's the point.
Luis Green
how can her sins be forgiven, i miss wrote.
Ryan Diaz
The same way Abraham was forgiven generations before Christ, and the same way I was forgiven generations after Christ: by faith in God.
Cameron Torres
But how do you know she can hear our prayers? It never says anywhere in the Bible that the saints in heaven can hear our prayers. Revelation only tells us that the saints in heaven offer up their prayers to the Lord, but never says that they are offering up the prayers that they hear from the people still on earth.
Sebastian Adams
The person sitting next to me was on it. Not too hard to notice.
Dylan Robinson
Do you go to every thread to pick this exact same fight?
Carson Jenkins
So, it's ok for you to be distracted by a phone, but not them? I see.
Cameron Jackson
You can be sinless all you want but that doesn't mean you can get into heaven all by yourself. The only way into heaven is through Jesus Christ, regardless of status as sinless.
By having grace that means that one has a supernatural gift from God. She could not have this before Baptism, which gives us sanctifying grace, the first of which occurred when Jesus was a man. We are not forgiven by faith in God, we are forgiven through Jesus's death on the cross. Which occurred after the annunciation.
OP don't listen to this guy he just wants to be pissy.
Blake Jenkins
Simply bad soteriology Yes, we are saved on account of Christ's atoning sacrifice. The way that is applied to us is by our faith.
Romans 4 1 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? 2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. 3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. 4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
Nathaniel Phillips
No actually I'm not the one that picks this fight in every thread, but if it's in a thread I'm in I'll speak my mind on the subject.
John Morgan
You did not start it that's true. Actually the other catholic kimd of did when he told OP to go to a catholic church for they are so devout and bible orientated. Im sorry it's a blatant lie and you're caught up in a huge and most dangerous deception. Tje catholoc church is a power system that uses the bible or better, the twisting of it as it's main tool to empower herself and rule the people. It's ALL totaly against scripture and more a beast system than anything else. It's so sad to see that people really think her to be in line with the scriptures as if they were literally blind. They obvi are, spiritually. Just take the fact that the Lord Jesus FORBIDS to call any man 'father'! And yet you do it, from your local paster to king in rome of whom you think he wields earthly powers in Jesus' stead. It's a corrupted power system abusimg God's holy word. You know the church seems kind of toothless in this time, but given the opportunity, she will again (!) destroy and kill everyone who will not bow under her will and spiritual rule. Just as she once did for more than a thousand years. There are thick books full with cases of people who wanted to follow God according to his word but naturally, outside of the roman church. The mere fact that you didn't go to their service made you a paria! Not to think of telling anybody about the catholic teachings not being in line with God's word! Oh woe betide you, heretic! They would torture you, put you on a wheel, quarter, burn or kill you in every other imaginable way, while singing praises to their 'god'! It sickens me how you don't know about that, choose to not , downright deny it! It's not just about teachings and picking fights over it. It's about the character of this mess, what this whole 'church' stands for! The counterfeit/counterproject of Satan after God spread his word over the earth and made salvation possible for fallen mankind. It IS this bad unfortunately!
Nicholas Green
I don't know if you got mixed up on who's who in this conversation but I'm not the catholic here. I do agree with what you said though, it just doesn't apply to me anymore (I used to be catholic but recently accepted Jesus).
Henry Gutierrez
Oh Im very sorry I confused you. But honestly and if I might say so: I always get goosebumps when I hear the phrase 'accepting Jesus'. Its commonly used in very superficial circles/congregations. I know its widespread, that's the problem. Its hard in this time to encounter serious people in the churches. The very propagated concept of 'asking' Jesus into one's heart unfortunately makes more false christians who fatally consider themselves safe, than any other heresy. Dont get me wrong, I dont know you. But I knew a few things about false prophets and their teachings. And really, among protestants/evangelicals etc, there is no thing so misunderstood than what conversion really is. Just think about how it sounds 'accepting Jesus'. There's such arrogance to it. As if HE would need OUR acceptance! One should fall on his face and beg for mercy. This is what would befit someone who's absolutely lost and desperate in his forsakenness. All people thst truy encounter God in the bible react in such a way. But please, dont get me wrong here also. It's not an outwardly thing, it's not about doing the 'right' thing and putting on a show. It comes from the inside and shows/reflects accordingly. Thing is, it's very rare that someone really feels that way and is that desperate inside, when he 'decides' to 'accept' the Lord Jesus. I say that from experience and not just my own. Again, don't want to step on your toes, what you said triggered me a bit :) and I felt like giving you a few thoughts on it. I gotta sleep now. I wish you the best and really hope you are genuine user. Make sure on that, nothing is more important! We can examamine this, you know? Maybe you want to read 2.Cor 13,5 if you feel like it. So long!
Easton Scott
I keep hearing this phrase bandied about recklessly (by you?) way too often. We are saved by faith, and then works through that faith. Faith alone is a 500 year old innovation, only known by the Pelagians, refuted centuries upon centuries ago.
which Church, friend? it must be the one built upon Cephas, granted with the authority to loosen and bind on Heaven and Earth, right?
You know neither either way.
Jaxon Rogers
You accepted Christ every Sunday in the Eucharist, you cannot be further away from Christ than you are now.
How would you know? All have sinned, shouldn't this imply Christ sinned? We know He didn't, but we also that Zechariah and Elizabeth were also called sinless, the idea that biblical exclusionary clauses is an acceptable method of discovering who sinned or who did not cannot stand.
Ryder Jenkins
Just to clarify grammatically, are you saying salvation comes by works? Or only that works are present after salvation?
