The Rise of the Nons: Protestants Keep Ditching Denominations
Ask an American Christian what type of church they belong to, and you’re more likely than ever to hear the label non-denominational.
The proportion of Protestants in the United States who don’t identify with a specific denomination doubled between 2000 and 2016, according to a Gallup poll released this week. Now, about 1 in 6 Americans are non-denominational Christians.
The growing popularity of nondenominational identity is the result of two trends: the decline in the number of Protestants overall, as more Americans eschew any religious affiliation (becoming “the nones”), and shrinking denominations themselves....
I am going to get to share my testimony on the free car from God at church soon. I have had the opportunity to share it with others in prayer meetings, at the encouragement of a prayer leader from a completely different, unreleated church out of state. Also, I am now using the car to drive an older couple to and from church as well as other places if need be.
The older lady said she had something to say to be me, but was afraid to do so! I encouraged her to say it. She said that she felt I had a missionary and evangelist calling. Please pray for me to be effective in God's ministry, and that I present this testimony correctly. It is for His pleasure. I keep His commandments and I do what is pleasing in His sight, and He has heard, confirmed and given me what I asked.
1 John 3 19 This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 20 If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.
Kenneth, I will check out these videos over the weekend, as well as the recommendation from Rodney.
I was reading this story and found it very relevant, btw, I do not endorse the site, just putting the story out there for those who care to read it - http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2017/august-web-only/bethel-church-international-house-prayer-prophets-apostles.html?start=1
Matthew 24:24 comes to mind, "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.
ladybug wrote: Kenneth, thanks for giving more details. Yes, I will be praying for your friend, and for you. By the way, I do encourage you to read about the life of George Mueller, I provided the link earlier. I think it will bless you greatly! You might want to also google and read about street preacher Robert Flockhart, it is a blessing as well.
Wow! I just started listening to George Mueller's stuff on YouTube, and it brought tears to my eyes. You were right. It was and did bless me! I have a similar prayer to the one he did. I will see what the Lord does, praise God and share the testimony!
I am currently listening to these: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkK_nlKUWoo&list=PL0uQwjs8gtL92GLqzjzHXy5VySTIJMYxr
ladybug wrote: Good morning brother Rodney, I have not read Reisinger's 'today's evangelism'....thank you for the suggestion. May the Lord bless you this day, and all of His elect
It's been quite a while since I read it myself, but this conversation brought it to mind. As I recall, it was quite helpful. I just may blow the dust off of it and read it again.
Ladybug, I know that we do need to be born again of the Spirit of God as Jesus taught. . We have a new life which we live for Christ, and we must truly follow HIm. Talk is cheap, even in the bible. Our actions, the fruit of our life, must testify that we truly are God's children, and that Jesus really is our Master, our Lord. We need to turn from our own ways so we don't perish, and turn to God so we have eternal life as He desires. Confess sin, be forgiven and cleaned up by Him (1 John 1).
Also the man called me today. His name is Kenneth too. Please pray for him as he is struggling with sin and confusion in his life, and hurts from the past all the way back to childhood. He called and asked for certain if I would pick him up for church Sunday. Please pray he will fight the good fight of faith, and finish the race strong. Please pray that he dedicates himself wholly to God and is serious about serving the Lord. He needs someone on his side.
Before my car was totaled last Summer, I regularly drove people to and from church, to the store and helped and blessed people. I kept God's command using His vehicle: love God, love people (for brevity). People prayed to Jesus to be their Lord and savior in that car, confessed, and repented of sins. Lives were changed.
I asked God for a free car, or one with low payments, on June 10, 2017. I let God know that He would receive praise, glory, worship in Spirit and Truth, and that I would tell the story. Within 15 minutes, a man was telling me to my face he would give me a free car and he also said "This is a move of God." During lunch, I told a sister in Christ working at the grocery store about it, showing her the picture of the vehicle. She said "Praise the Lord!"
Not only did I need a car, but now I can also continue to serve God using it just as I did before. There is an older couple I want to drive to church instead of having them call the Metro services, and now the new guy "Jeff" wants me to drive him to church too. I enjoy being used in God's ministry. I asked for it in prayer, and I've gotten it!
We do praise the Lord for the work He is doing, even though we may not see it. I will pray for this man, that what he thinks he has is true and genuine. I asked you if you mentioned sin and repentance, for this is essential in proclaiming the whole counsel. Christ spoke often of repentance throughout the gospels. Salvation is not based on emotions or feelings, it is a work of the triune God in the dead heart of the sinner. The Father draws {John 6:44} the Spirit quickens {John 3} the Son has been sacrificed and was resurrected. Take note how the tax collector stood afar off, beating his breast, not even raising his eyes up to heaven. Why? He knew of his own unworthiness, his vileness.
Another question, what is your understanding of the new birth Christ spoke of to Nicodemus in John 3?
I may have missed it, but what was the reason behind God giving you a free car? Is it for your ministerial use? I recall George Mueller stating God provides, but it must be for the work of the Lord. Mueller was given large sums of money over the years to provide for all the orphans he took care of, never once did he ask anyone for money - he prayed and he waited on the Lord. -http://www.georgemuller.org/uploads/4/8/6/5/48652749/an_hour_with_george_muller.pdf
I assure you I am serving the Lord and making sure I present Him in the way I should. I share testimony with people not so that they can think Jesus is a "genie in a bottle", and I tie the testimony to scripture to show them very clearly that God is real. I have told many God is real and here is proof.
Now that I actually will be able to hang out with the man on Sunday, and have lunch with him, I guarantee he is going to grow in the knowledge and obedience of God. Believe it! Pray for him that he will be a mighty man of God and not shallow! I will disciple him!
Anyway, it would be nice to start seeing people praise God for what is happening with the testimonies on this site. They are doing it in groceries stores, cyber cafes, diners and wherever I run into people in the public, that is for sure.
Did you mention sin, or repentance? It seems you presented a Jesus that's a 'genie in a bottle'. It sounds similar to the 'name it claim it' prosperity gospel that permeates the word of faith false teachings.
You said 'Jeff' accepted Jesus, the truth is this - God draws His elect unto himself, God the Spirit rebirths that elect sinner, they are broken over sin, and cry out as the tax collector, 'be merciful to me, the sinner'. There is a brokenness over sin, a sense of hopelessness and conviction. "Before a man can come to Christ, he must first come to himself. A man must first recognize and consider what his sin is and know the plague of his heart before he can be duly humbled for it."Thomas Watson, from http://www.chapellibrary.org/files/1613/7658/4053/dor2.pdf
Keep this in mind...
Joh 2:23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. Joh 2:24 But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, Joh 2:25 And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.
This summer, I shared the Lord Jesus and witnessed to a man I will call "Jeff". I also shared my testimony of how I prayed for the car back on June 10. Within 15 minutes after praying to God, someone was telling me to my face they were going to give me a free car. "This is a move of God," that person said. Jeff heard me, believed, and accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord, and Savior without 5 minutes. As weeks passed, he did not see the car materialize and he teased me viciously about it.
"I don't see that car you told me about," Jeff said. I assured him he would.
Today, I drove to his apartment in the free car. When I got there, and stepped out of the vehicle, a man I did not know was standing in front of the apartment, saw me and quickly went inside. Soon Jeff had come down on his own accord and met me. "You got it," he said.
I took him to the car and praised and blessed God, and tied the testimony to scripture. Jeff stood in awe, stroking his chin. I told him this car blessed me, God and people. I would give rides to the store or wherever if needed..
"No," Jeff said. He looked at the car, then to me. "But you know what you can do? You can take me to church."
Looks like I won't need to wait a year to see fruit from him accepting, eh? That was SO fun!
When Isaiah saw Jesus on His throne, he said, "Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts." (Is. 6:5)
When John the apostle saw the glorified Christ, he "fell at his feet as dead." (Rev. 1:17)
There was not a greater prophet than John the Baptist, who said, "There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose." (Mark 1:7)
You say God is "cool". Do you not see the discrepancy?
Col 1:22 (...free from accusation) is not an excuse to be unteachable.
Rodney K. wrote: Will you bless me and mock God?! And have you no regard for scripture? As for my days, that is in His hands, not yours: Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass; (Job 14:5) And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; (Acts 17:26)
I am not mocking God. Your accusations are merely your own opinion. God himself sees me as holy, blameless and free from accusation according to His word. I stand firm and unfazed.
Colossians 1 21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of[g] your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— 23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel.
Kenneth wrote: Rodney, bless you! You will have a great day and many great days to come!
Will you bless me and mock God?! And have you no regard for scripture?
As for my days, that is in His hands, not yours:
Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass; (Job 14:5)
And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; (Acts 17:26)
Rodney K. wrote: Kenneth, You really should quit using mundane language to refer to Almighty God. He is not your equal. He is your Creator. Show some respect. These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes. (Psalms 50:21) For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment. (Job 9:32)
Rodney, bless you! You will have a great day and many great days to come!
You really should quit using mundane language to refer to Almighty God. He is not your equal. He is your Creator. Show some respect.
These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes. (Psalms 50:21)
For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment. (Job 9:32)
I just wanted to give praise, thanks and show appreciation for my Heavenly Father God this morning. God you are holy, good, amazing and cool! I am glad that You are a part of my life! Bless You and thank You for all that you do. Thank You for raising me up in the way that I should go, that when I am old I will not depart, and I have not! Thank You for never abandoning me!
I prayed to speak in tongues with confirmation, and You answered yes! The man I prayed let me know that I was speaking fluent Hebrew without any prior knowledge of the language! Also, as of last night I now have the free car I asked You for! Just as I promised You in the prayer, I am sharing the story.
People are listening. People are being saved by Your power and might, for Your glory and pleasure! Thank you for creating me and allowing me to be a part of Your ministry! Bless You and Thank You in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ! Amen!
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And have you no regard for scripture?
