HERE IT IS --> "Into The Light" which can be viewed under the Fair Use Provision of Title 17 USC
ANON THEATRE
I created the two Links below. The entire film is only 1 hr and 7 minutes - so ignore the weird times shown - I think Rumble is still working that out.
USC Title 17's Fair Use provision allows this sharing as teaching, and I have given generously in this effort, these are links to my personal Rumble Channel.
I am NOT monetizing whatsoever and these links are not searchable - you are specifically invited.
I appreciate the efforts of Mike Smith, et al. Rumble only allows me to upload 15 gb, that is why I separated the film into 2 parts.
Just my personal thoughts -- as a preacher's kid in the 70's I was wise beyond my years -- not bragging, just saying it was not pleasant. I knew a lot was wrong, but I was stifled and we were not allowed to talk about any of it -- women's lib, abortion, women in the pulpit, etc.
When Nixon resigned our youth group was at the beach in Caswell, NC. We were watching the TV and it was turned off and we were told that it was not a conversation we could have at a church event. I knew that meant I had to find out more. That's just how my mind worked. I did the best I could in the library and then I asked elderly people that I trusted. That's when I found out why my Dad was not allowed to talk about politics from the pulpit... now 50+ years later -- look where we are.
I know that Jesus said, "render unto Caesar what is Caesar's." But I don't think it meant that suppression of truth was part of the deal.
When the church shares the Bible's Truth - of course, toes are stepped on, but there's something that speaks to the conscious at the same time that forces us to admit - hey - he/she is right.
I have often wondered how many people in my church would stay and continue to give their tithes if the church relinquished it's non-profit status. How bad would the church lose funds?
Have you ever given money and then received a miracle? If I am wise, the truth being taught in the church would have no bearing on me either donating my tithe and not worrying about a tax write off, or just not donating at all - either way, I would be able to think critically about the fact that there must be something the government doesn't want me to learn if they are restricting speech via the tax code.
Tax write offs seem to spoil the whole giving thing to me. I liked it better when i was putting loose bills in the plate than when i started putting it in the dumb envelope. An elder told me it was the right thing to do. Nothing was the same after that. We don’t go anymore. We are the church. Once you’re in Jesus The Christ’s church you can’t leave. Not permanently anyway. He’ll break our ass and draw us back to Him.
right on - nail on the head, right there!
I do not attend church. I do talk to God numerous times throughout the day every day. I see Him in the beauty around me, the smiles on my grandchildren faces and the hugs and kisses from my kids. I have plenty to be thankful for and I make a concerted effort daily to acknowledge the blessings He has bestowed upon me. I do not need anyone else to "pat me on the back" for my faith in God. I also couldn't take the hypocrisy I witnessed from other "good, church going" Christians.
I've always interpreted the Church as the living members of the body of Christ, we who believe in HIS word and HIS love, we who strive to follow his word, and we who worship the only one true God. I was very much a religious church attender when I returned to church after many years of self destructive acting out, which I now understand was due to trauma and abuse in my childhood. I taught Sunday School for awhile, I was on the vestry, I led prayer sessions. The "politics" alone, just within some of the church leaders repelled me. I now worship, not alone, but not inside a building, either. When I pray, I know I pray with millions around the world, and I do believe in the collected consciousness of mankind, which is why the world and worldly things are in such conflict , because there is also an un-Godly collective consciousness, I see the struggle in a parallel dimension. And this thought occured to me while reading this thread. According to the Gospel, Jesus's largest crowds were never inside a building or a temple, he preached the Word outdoors, he moved and travelled with all the people, and healed many, touched more hearts, sat on hillsides and pointed to Creation as metaphors for life. God, to me, is more evident in my garden, or on a quiet boat on a lake, or standing on the shore of a large ocean, or standing on a hill looking at the contour of the mountains and valleys, or hearing the birdsong at first light. This is not pagan worship, I do not worship the trees or nature, but I worship the Creator of all of these things, and fall to my knees in thanks for the life HE gave me, and the world he has blessed me with. When I give alms, I do not give it to the physical operation of a church, Lord knows, most of them have more money and wealth than we know about. I used to bring bags of groceries for the food pantry every Sunday instead. God never commanded us to go to Church, he commanded us to keep a Sabbath, to make one day a Holy day, to worship and pray and rejoice in thanks and to depart from our worldly labor. I do that.
Amen. Kinda sad that it’s that way. satan has deluded so many believers. And so many believers have deluded themselves.
Very true.
Question everything, fren.
John 3:16 puts the lie to what you have been told in your church:
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
It is truly as simple as ^this^.
Not once in the Bible does it say that you will go to hell if you don't go to church. Church, as we know it today, didn't even exist in Biblical times.
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That's not a handshake, that's two hands rubbing together isn't it.
I was raised Southern Baptist and Nazarene. During my teenage years in the 70s, I saw a marked change in churches. I tried quite a few of them thinking that the new pastor that took over the church after our pastor retired was just the problem. Every church I attended was twisting the words to unrecognizable meaning and pushing the collection plates multiple times during the sermons. The situation was uncomfortable to me and I slowly stopped going.
During those years, I found my new Church. I call it the Church of the Four Winds and the Seven Seas. I celebrate Gods creation and sit in awe and quiet my mind to listen to truths in the natural beauty of this world.
I am grateful for my religious upbringing and was able to find a church in a very small town when my son was young that was a good introduction for him. Thankfully, our grounding in morality is strong from this. Unfortunately, we had to eventually move back to the city.
I will still occasionally try a new church as I travel. Its a mixed bag out there, but still a lot of corruption of the words and still a lot of hard sell of the collection plate. So, I still rely on the forests, mountains, oceans, deserts, and other quiet places of this world as my church.
Wow really solid response right here. I wonder if there is a way to by pass that worry. I really love that last paragraph. Gonna be praying on this some more
all prayers are welcome!!
I do think there is a lot of truth in your words. Pastors almost have to be willing to step up and part of that invoices trusting God will provide even with out tax breaks
Acts 5:29..."We ought to obey God rather than men."
You’re right. Real pastors need a second job…Mine works in our cath lab as a hemo tech. He gets a stipend, so no big house or car or $2000.00 suits.
I listen to a lot of Clay Clark's Pastor out there in Broken Arrow, OK -- he is not afraid to say anything that he needs to say -- (i have forgotten his name at the moment)
Wait, why wasn't your Dad allowed to talk about politics in Church?
I've been to lots of churches and seen videos of many other preacher's WHO DO talk about politics with their congregations. Suppression of truth, either political or spiritual, are NOT conditions a church has to meet in order to receive tax writes offs from the Fed Govt. The American Revolution and Civil War were, quite literally, fought from the pulpit. In fact, the oppression being preached by preachers from the Church of England was one reason why we went to war with the Crown.
Sounds to me like that church was just corrupt to it's core to begin with and was why truth was suppressed.
Hey, I went to a Catholic school and we were taught that the devil and his minions weren't real. That it was something totally in the past.
It's possible to form discussion groups or ecclesia from among church members or social groups. Meet at someone's house and show how events in society compare to what is in scripture. Most churches have social halls where people can spread the news about the discussion groups.