Biggest need in the church?

[Pentecostal]

I voted more miracles and evidence of Gods power. But the greatest need was not offered in the list. Christ like compassion. there's very little of that left in a great majority of the churches today.

 

[Uncle Steve]

Today, the standard of Compassion

In the Church as an organization, is tough love. It's one thing that I strongly disagree with. I wanna share! I have been involved in a church organization of one kind or another most of my life. AND... my relationship, my personal relationship is almost always seriously interupted by "tough love" actions. Now I'm not saying that that's not a good thing, nor am I saying that it is bad either. But I am saying, that you'll find more tough love actions in the church organizations today than you will find compassion. I'll tell ya what saved me, is when I found out that the real Church was inside us, & that JESUS CHRIST, my Savior forgave my sin even before I sinned. The church organizations of today, very few teach that. They desire to see your humility, & broadcast it as an example for all the congregation to follow suite. If you don't let the elders do this to you, then they say that your " pride" is hindering you from GOD's blessings.
I blessed everyday, especially when things seem the darkest. There has never been a day that I can remember, that I have not been blessed. I really don't think that those church organizations knew what real compassion is...but they sure knew "tough love".

 

[Pentecostal]

In the Church as an organization, is tough love. It's one thing that I strongly disagree with. I wanna share! I have been involved in a church organization of one kind or another most of my life. AND... my relationship, my personal relationship is almost always seriously interupted by "tough love" actions. Now I'm not saying that that's not a good thing, nor am I saying that it is bad either. But I am saying, that you'll find more tough love actions in the church organizations today than you will find compassion. I'll tell ya what saved me, is when I found out that the real Church was inside us, & that JESUS CHRIST, my Savior forgave my sin even before I sinned. The church organizations of today, very few teach that. They desire to see your humility, & broadcast it as an example for all the congregation to follow suite. If you don't let the elders do this to you, then they say that your " pride" is hindering you from GOD's blessings.
I blessed everyday, especially when things seem the darkest. There has never been a day that I can remember, that I have not been blessed. I really don't think that those church organizations knew what real compassion is...but they sure knew "tough love".

I believe all of GODS everlasting truth is the most important thing churches need to teach their members today, if that is considered as tough love, then so be it.

Too many folks in too many churches are being told lies from their Pulpits, and I believe God is highly displeased with these lying hypocrites who are pretending to be something they were never called to be, and never meant to be.

Too many churches don't wantto teach the whole truth of all of Gods truth anymore, can't offend that member who's putting all that money i the offering plate every Sunday morning!

We can't talk about how Jesus suffered and bled to death to pay form their salvation, it might be too gruesome for them.

Wouldn't want to tell that member sitting over there that they really can lose their salvation and become a reprobate and go to hell if they keep on sinning like they do, better to lie to them and tell them those future sins are already forgiven, even if the Bible never says that!

There's a lot of satan serving Pastors filling pulpits right now who will be part of the billions who will fill up hell someday.

 

[Uncle Steve]

My GOD is as real as life itself

So I leave it up to GOD to entertain the thought of exposing sin. YES, satan is everywhere, but as our nature is against GOD we cannot be GOD. Therefore we must rely on GOD to judge & punish.
Let's look at Manasseh in II Chronicles 33:7, The Targumist say's "He set up an image, the likeness of himself, in the house of the sanctuary." In the parallel passage it is a graven image of the grave, or rather, asherah or astarte. Mamasseh, as B.P.Patrick observes, seems to have studied to find out what GOD had forbidden in HIS law, that he might practice it. A most pordigious change from the height of piety in his fathers time. Into the sink of impiety in this! Now, as we look at Manasseh's wickness, here we have his repentance & a memorable instance it is of the riches of GOD's pardoning mercy, & the power of HIS renewing grace. Deprived of his liberty, separated from his evil counsellors & companions, without any prospect but of ending his days in a wretched prison Manasseh thought upon what had passed, he began to cry for mercy & deliverance. He confessed his sins, condemned himself, was humbled before GOD, loathing himself as a monster of impiety & wickness. Yet he hoped to be pardoned through the abundant mercy of the LORD. Then Manasseh knew that JEHOVAH was GOD. able to deliver. He knew HIM as a GOD of salvation. He learned to fear, trust in, love & obey HIM. From this time he bore a new character, & walked in newness of life. Who can tell what tortures of conscience, what pangs of grief, what fears of wrath, what agonizing remorse he endured. When he looked back on his many years of apostacy & rebellion against GOD, on his having led thousands into sin & perdition. And on his blood-guiltiness in the persecution of a number of GOD's children. There is no judge & punisher that can perfect the will of GOD than GOD himself. HE is the same today as HE was then. It's the hearts of men that thrive power by being judge & executer, even in the church organizations. Back in the days of O.T. the punishment for disobeying GOD's laws was death, then GOD could deal with them personally in the next life. But today standards have changed, now if we execute the will of GOD in our own standards, it will or can come back to be a thorn in our side. So it's more prophetic to let GOD do the work of GOD.

 

[Nicky368]

I would have to go with moor Bible readings

 

[pebosworth]

Do you think church (as in the contemporary church) is even necessary? How exactly does it benefit us? What Bible references can you give to back up that the contemporary church is necessary?

 

[Richie]

What do you think that the largest need is in the church (the church in general) today? Or stated another way, what does the church need in order to function as God has intended it to function?

Feel free to mention your denominational after you vote!

The biggest need today, is revival. It is the Holy Spirit that convicts our consciences and causes revival all over the earth.

We need to spread the Gospel even more intensely like never before and another huge warning is that Jesus is coming very very soon. His coming, is approaching rapidly and we need to be ready and work more for the Lord.

God bless you.

 

[ServantOfYHWH]

I'm afraid we need many things to happen in todays Church, one of those things being Revival as stated earlier. And I still get a sense of judgment, and timidity in most people at Church. A lot of them either don't want to be there, or feel weird. Many other people wear Church and Christianity like jewelry...I just don't understand...The Bible warned us of this though, and it's scary to see it happening. I wish there was some more powerful way to reach everyone in Church today, maybe as we come closer to the Lord's return we'll see a much bigger Revival...Or a large falling away. I pray that the Lord works quickly in those sleepy Christians.

 

[Uncle Steve]

Revival is good...

but the Church needs evangelizism, to expand. This is the heart of GOD to take the good news to the lost world.

 

[Uncle Steve]

According to scripture, there will gradually be a loss of the presence of the HOLY SPIRIT to the day of CHRIST return. Untill that time we as believers must do all we can to provide the lost with the anwsers they will need up to & even after that time.

 

[Janette]

Hrm.

I'd have to say they need more follow-through in their outreach.

Around here people are very "churched" but not very useful.
They go to church 2, 3, or even 5 nights a week.
In those churches they hang out with other churched people.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm all for giving God glory in frequent worship and if you're Spirit led to be in church every night of the week then by all means go -- but He gave us a job to do, and we don't get that job done sitting on our blessed assurance preaching to each other about how wonderful it is to already be Saved.

It's been fishing season for the past 2000 years, and it seems the majority of us haven't gotten in the boat, let alone caught anything....

 

[rjones]

My choice is the 1st one, greater interconnection with other churches.

"...I pray...that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me" (Jn. 17:20-21).

"Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit - just as you were called to one hope when you were called - one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all" (Eph.4:3-6).

We must have a common identity and a common purpose. We must have a genuine desire for the success of other leaders and other churches. It is in this unity that "the whole measure of the fullness of Christ" is expressed through our lives to the world.

 

[jiggyfly]

I'd have to say they need more follow-through in their outreach.

Around here people are very "churched" but not very useful.
They go to church 2, 3, or even 5 nights a week.
In those churches they hang out with other churched people.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm all for giving God glory in frequent worship and if you're Spirit led to be in church every night of the week then by all means go -- but He gave us a job to do, and we don't get that job done sitting on our blessed assurance preaching to each other about how wonderful it is to already be Saved.

It's been fishing season for the past 2000 years, and it seems the majority of us haven't gotten in the boat, let alone caught anything....

Very keen observation Janette.

 

[Mike Scott]

Ya definitely prayer and close behind is the church allowing itself to be more Holy Spirit led.
Interestingly enough one category that I find very lacking in the churches today and is a very vital one is the lack of involvement of men. I have been an elder for many years and chair for a bit and it is easier to pull wisdom teeth than to find men who are willing to serve. I know there are many valid excusses yet we need them.
Thanks Richard for this thread and yes we need all those categories.
Mike
aka grizzly for Christ

 

[squidget]

to me the biggest need is to have the body of CHRIST stop boxing each other .
ephesians 4 ,verces 4 to 6 , explain i feel the best way what we all have in common ..
please dont missunderstand me denominations are great a denomination to me is like a suit of clothing we wear . it " fits us " and we are at home there .
where i live in australia on our national day the churches of the northern gold coast area combine to give a breakfast celebration of the nation and outreach , not as any particular denomination but to reach to people that need JESUS that is a wonderfull thing as it " opens up the doors " to people that might not want to look in at christian life , and we all as the representatives of JESUS can show our LORD outside of " churchiology " boundries that people may have we christians boxed into .

honestly i feel if we cannot work together to reach out then we may have trouble leading people to the LORD as we have bias in out hearts .

thats my thoughts

blessings squidge

 

[abigya]

I will have to say all are needed, if we need to see a holistic growth in the church. Prayer, Bible reading, the power of the holy spirit, fellowship......

May be the church is failing to balance it all, which the problems we see in our churches today is the out come .


Luke 2:52
And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

(no denomination)
Blessings

abigya

 

[Mike Scott]

Hi Squidget
Yes we definitely need to do better here in Canada in combined efforts. It also fits in with he wants us to be relational. He created us to be relational with Him. We just do a very poor effort of being that way with our Father as well as with each other.
In leadership I am always amazed as to how we tend to focus outwards when the inside of our fellowship is very weak and ill prepared to do Spiritual Warfare, sharing the gospel, studies of knowing our enemys so we can be assertive instead of always being on the defensive.

We have brought wise counsel and teachers in to provide ways of growing and you get the consistent core only showing up?? Why??

Like they say continue to fight the good fight put everything in prayer and pretition(sp)
So I fall back on Him and press on.
Hey I forgot to mention I'm a full blown Bapticostal PTL!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for caring
Mike
aka grizzly for Christ

 

[jiggyfly]

At this moment the biggest need is for people to deny self and take up their cross and follow Jesus.

 

[lettheredeemed]

2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

I know that this is a frequently quoted verse but I believe that it applies here.

 

[rethabile]

Biggest need in the Church

I think The Holy Spirit is highly needed in the Church because He is the one who guide us in every thing we do. Even in the prayer we can't pray without the Holy Spirit.
Feel free to mention your denominational after you vote![/QUOTE]