Biggest need in the church?

[Mike Scott]

Definitely Holy Spirit Led

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]

Many are saying the same thing as you Rethabile as well as myself.
Yet, what does it take to hear from the Holy Spirit???
Do we spend those quiet times apart from the world and its distractions?
Do I enter my prayer closet times and not only seek but take time to listen?
Do I need to be in that space of being desperate before I listen?

I am including myself in all those statements above!!
I am probably the worst to these disciplines needed in my life.

I need and want to hear His voice!!!

Please Abba Father hear our plea, forgive our sins, and heal our land.
Cause we your people (I) have become luke warm, stubborn, not hearing the guidance of your Spirit.

May your Grace and Mercy which is new every day fall upon us!

Thanks your servant
Mike
aka grizzly for Christ

 

[mc_simmons]

Actually, what first came to my mind was the "Greater sense of the Holy Spirit's leading and direction". But my answer depends on the real experience I have with my own local church... I'm sad but honest to say that my present local church needs " closer and caring relationships within the church..."

I am a pentecostal.

 

[lettheredeemed]

Clearly with regards to the Holy Spirit the Bible tells us clearly that He doesn't speak of Himself but of Jesus Christ. John 16:13

John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

 

[SpiritLedEd]

The Biggest Need in the Church.

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 believe that what the universal church needs most is BROKENNESS. If we had brokenness, we would be begging God daily for more of His Spirit so that the other needs mentioned could be met. When Christ returns, brokenness will be thrust on those who have not confessed their brokenness and they will be condemned to Hell.

"His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather the wheat into His barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." (Lk 3:17)

" 'As surely as I live,' says the lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.' " (Rom 14:11 quoting Is 45:23).

SLE

 

[Hislovendures]

Basic question, yet overlooked. Jesus asked His disciples to wait for " The counselor " to show us the truth, John 15:26. In this world, the deciever is able to decieve all without the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, showing us, what really is truthful, even in the Body of Christ. Very good question.

 

[JWayne]

Too me it is really quite simple...UNITY..standing together for Jesus!

 

[LostLamb]

Love....for it is becoming harder and harder to find a church in which does not scream Judgemental all over it. No doubt, we as Christians are called to minister in truth. The truth too can be hard to bear at times, just feel that a number have become so indulgant on this that an ego has formed and in short....a holier than thou attitude surfaces and is often what is shown to those that should be called to God, rather than away.

Just my thoughts....

 

[EazyMack]

Bring in non-believers by connecting science to the Bible. Stop being religious & get real!

 

[SpiritLedEd]

Biggest Need In The Church

I agree with you, Easy Mack. The church's credibility in the world is ebbing away. While outsiders flounder about looking for spiritual truth presented in ways they can relate to, the church sees them as salvation projects - they say a siinner's prayer and we whittle another notch on our evangelism gun.

The church has got to learn how to be "seeker-friendly" and yet stay true to the full gospel message.

SLE

 

[Uncle Steve]

Mat 12:40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in thewhale's belly; (Jon 1:17) so shall the Son of man be three days andthree nights in the heart of the earth.Mar 8:31 And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffermany things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests,and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.Luk 24:19 And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him,Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed andword before God and all the people:Luk 24:20 And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him tobe condemned to death, and have crucified him.Luk 24:21 But we trusted that it had been he which should haveredeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day sincethese things were done.Luk 24:22 Yea, and certain women also of our company made usastonished, which were early at the sepulchre;Luk 24:23 And when they found not his body, they came, saying, thatthey had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive.Mat 28:6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see theplace where the Lord lay.Mat 28:7 And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen fromthe dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shallye see him: lo, I have told you.Act 10:40 Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly;Mar 16:9 Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, heappeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast sevendevils.Mar 16:12 After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, asthey walked, and went into the country.Mar 16:14 Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat,and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, becausethey believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.Joh 20:24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not withthem when Jesus came.Joh 20:25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seenthe Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands theprint of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, andthrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.Joh 20:26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, andThomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood inthe midst, and said, Peace be unto you.Joh 20:27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, andbehold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into myside: and be not faithless, but believing.Joh 20:28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.Joh 20:29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me,thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet havebelieved.

The SPIRIT of GOD lives within us, do as HE leads, or it won't be just the unsaved that won't make it!
It's no longer about the Church as a instution, but it's about the Church that is installed in you.

 

[Lion_of_Judah]

How about, and where's the choice of ..none of the above. :shock:


More now than ever before, I believe the body parts must listen to the Spirit's call... to spend time with Him. It's not the to do's & do not do's that keep me coming back to Him. It's the consecrated love of the Father for me, that draws me back to fellowship with Him.


Ask yourself this question of the person you most like to spend time with:


Why do I like to spend time with you??


I'll bet it's not because you have to. Or of your spouse.. you don't stay faithful to her/him because you not suppose
to be with someone else on the side.

Genuine love, is motivated by love.. not duty.

 

[SpiritLedEd]

Biggest Need in the Church

Very few people become true disciples of Jesus in the biblical sense - the discipleship of The Twelve. With the possible exception of Judas Iscariot, Jesus was the focus of these men's lives 24/7.

That's the challenge for his followers today - to make him the focus of our lives 24/7.We can't do it perfectly, but we certainly can strive for that goal.

SLE

 

[Lion_of_Judah]

Very few people become true disciples of Jesus in the biblical sense
SLE

Please help me understand this. What, or where do we find this to be defined for us?

Marco

 

[SpiritLedEd]

The Biggest Need In The Church.

A true disciple, in the Biblical sense, wants to be like his teacher. (see Mt 10:24-25a). This is exemplified in the lives of the Apostles (Judas excluded, Paul included).They had everyday life issues to attend to, but those things were secondary. Of primary importance was their relationship with the Lord and the ministry of the gospel. They wanted to be like Jesus.

We also have life issues to tend to - family matters, careers, etc. But, becoming like Jesus must be our primary goal if we are to be disciples in the Biblical sense. Christian apologist Josh McDowell tells of an executive who was being interviewed by a corporate recruiter looking to fill a top position at one of his client firms. The recruiter asked him what his purpose in life was. Without batting an eye, the man said "My purpose is to go to heaven and to take as many people with me as I can!" That, in a nutshell, is a description of true Biblical discipleship.

SLE

 

[JayT]

I believe the greatest and biggest need in the church today is the Holy Spirit of God. Christians are so fortunate that Christ sent us a Helper but we never ask Him for help. We act as if the Holy Spirit is not present, we ignore Him, we grieve Him all the time. As it is written...Those who worship the Lord must worship Him in Spirit and in truth...i believe our Lord Jesus said this because when we indeed pray in the Spirit, He leads us to pray for specific things, sometimes things that we do not know of. The fruits of the Spirit are love,patience,joy etc.... All other things/acts come about as a result of a greater sense of the Spirit of God.

More prayer without the Spirit of God is likened to an empty shell...e.g. pharisees...there are so many in these last days and without a greater sense of the Sprit of God results in faithless/powerless people and Churches devoid of miracles and evidence of God's power (they still happen today). When someone talks to you about Christ, the Holy Spirit of God is the one who convicts the person, causing them to see their sin and thus are led to Christ. It is not by our own power as most of our churches think (by having many programs that are not led by the Spirit of God). You may have knowledge of the Bible but without the Spirit you are still an empty shell (even the devil knows the Bible). We are told to walk in the Spirit and we will not gratify the desires of the flesh...(lusts of the eye, lusts of flesh and pride of life). These should sum it all.

 

[Bra_biza]

Two of the given options I found that they are much needed in the church and those are prayer and Greater sense of the Holy Spirit's leading and direction. And I think that there two in a way are unseparable.

 

[Lion_of_Judah]

A true disciple..

Of primary importance was their relationship with the Lord and the ministry of the gospel.

" Go ye therefore into all the world and preach the gospel, and when necessary use words."
St. Francis of Assisi

 

[Hekuran]

The greatest need in the church is to know Jesus Christ.

 

[cman77]

The church needs to concentrate on being relevant in contemporary society rather than systematically holding on to old practices and ideas that turn non-believers off.

SLE

we need to teach sound doctrine no matter what. if it doesn't appeal to the non-believer it doesn't mean that we change to accommodate there felt needs. that would only hurt the body of true believers. that is what needs to change in the church today. it doesn't matter how many people walk through the door. if you are teaching sound doctrine and only one person or maybe no one is listening you should still continue teaching it.

In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage-with great patience and careful instruction

2 Timothy 4:1-2

 

[SpiritLedEd]

if you are teaching sound doctrine and only one person or maybe no one is listening you should still continue teaching it. [/I]

I'm not talking about changing the message. I'm talking about being relevant to the society around us. I'm talking about doing the work of the kingdom as outlined in Matthew 25:31-40. People are drawn to Christ by Christians. who feed the hungry, clothe the poor, heal the sick, comfort the brokenhearted in the community.Meeting felt needs was always one of the reasons for Jesus' many miracles on earth.

Even people who don't have such felt needs are drawn to Christ when they see true Christ followers doing these things because deep in their hearts most people long to be part of something bigger than themselves; they are looking for the true purpose for their life.

SLE