Things I wish someone had told me as a young Christian...

***Firefighter*** · Jan 26th 2010, 03:54 PM

This is a chance for us "old timers" to share with the newbies wisdom we have gained the hard way about the Christian walk.

What are some of the things you wish someone had told you that would have made it easier for you when you first started out???

**newinchrist4now** · Jan 26th 2010, 03:58 PM

That dispensationalism was invented in the 19th century and don't worry about the future and be careful of ism's , all that time wasted

**Slug1** · Jan 26th 2010, 04:04 PM

YES... seek God, through His Son, ONLY as led by the Holy Spirit. All the "isms" that a person places between the Son and Holy Spirit in this equation... messes EVERYTHING UP!

Also, never read the Bible with a "God Said" mentality... because God is always "SAYING".

***Clavicula_Nox*** · Jan 26th 2010, 04:34 PM

I'm still new.

I wish someone would have told me that so many Christians would have absolutely no idea what is in their bible. For example. The concensus in my Old Testament class is that: "Abraham sacrificed Isaac because he read his Bible a lot and was closer to Christianity than most of us today. And that the people were used to Lordy walking amongst them and making requests and performing miracles like healing the blind." Besides my own, wildly different response, there has been one dissention opinion that: "Abraham was wrong to sacrifice Isaac because Jesus was crucified for our sins."

I wish someone would have let me know this, because it is very frustrating to go from here to there.

I wish someone would have told me that there are some people with some crazy ideas and that I should just learn to ignore them. Actually, people have told me, I'm just not listening very well.

***Firefighter*** · Jan 26th 2010, 04:53 PM

I wish someone would have told me that there was NOTHING I can do to make God love me any less or more than he does right now.

**Vhayes** · Jan 26th 2010, 04:57 PM

I wish someone had told me that while God had already judged me me acceptable through the gift of the Lord Jesus, Christians would continue to condemn me for the remainder of my sojourn here on this earth.

**byfaith1** · Jan 26th 2010, 04:58 PM

So many things..............that there really is a devil out there seeking to devour..............to steal, kill and destroy. But to know that Jesus came to give life more abundantly. JESUS......not a cause, not a fellowship, not a person or things............but JESUS.............came to set us free ...........that His Word IS alive...........really, really, ALIVE.........not just words............and to find this Jesus and to know this Jesus.........not a cause, not a fellowship, not a person or things.............will completely transform you if you submit your heart to Him.............not to a cause, not to a fellowship, not to things............but to Jesus. Hebrews 12:1-2, John 1:1-5,
John 10:10, Proverb 3: 5-6

**Slug1** · Jan 26th 2010, 05:21 PM

That demons are real and can be bound and cast out by the authority we have in Christ.

That the Holy Spirit will manifest if you allow Him freedom.

***Athanasius*** · Jan 26th 2010, 05:32 PM

I wish some body would have told me that the church was going to treat me the same way as 'the world'. I could have saved a lot of tears expecting otherwise.

***-SEEKING-*** · Jan 26th 2010, 05:38 PM

I wish someone would have taken the time to tell me about grace. And who it is that gives it to me. And just how much Jesus really loves me, even when I make mistakes.

***IMINXTC*** · Jan 26th 2010, 05:38 PM

That Peter was not a Pope, and a thorough understanding and obedience to the word of God is the foundation to a successful, fruitful Christian life.

***-SEEKING-*** · Jan 26th 2010, 05:39 PM

Oh and that my former church was NOT the only church who had a "Kingdom Calling" and that if I left I'd be a traitor.

**Slug1** · Jan 26th 2010, 05:48 PM

Originally Posted by -SEEKING-

Oh and that my former church was NOT the only church who had a "Kingdom Calling" and that if I left I'd be a traitor.

Yeah, let me expand what I wish I was told. Thanks Seeking...

That it is one Body Of Christ, churches, religion, denominations have absolutley nothing to do with what God is doing through the Body of Christ. So when He does say, you've learned all you can in this one church, now move to this other church to learn more (even if that church doesn't speak your language as it's primary language)... we are STILL in the ONE Body of Christ.

That shephards of a church (the Pastor(s)) isn't supposed to HOLD ONTO the sheep they are given... they're to equip them and then release them back into the Body of Christ where God want's any specific sheep to be.

**HisLeast** · Jan 26th 2010, 05:59 PM

Originally Posted by Urban Missionary

What are some of the things you wish someone had told you that would have made it easier for you when you first started out???

Actually I wish it hadn't been easier. I wish there had been a compulsion to engage the information I was absorbing and challenge it, test it, apply it, and understand it. Nobody would tell me I'd wake up 15 years later and realizing nothing, not even the basics (whatever those are) made sense anymore.

***-SEEKING-*** · Jan 26th 2010, 06:01 PM

Originally Posted by Slug1

Yeah, let me expand what I wish I was told. Thanks Seeking...

That it is one Body Of Christ, churches, religion, denominations have absolutley nothing to do with what God is doing through the Body of Christ. So when He does say, you've learned all you can in this one church, now move to this other church to learn more (even if that church doesn't speak your language as it's primary language)... we are STILL in the ONE Body of Christ.

That shephards of a church (the Pastor(s)) isn't supposed to HOLD ONTO the sheep they are given... they're to equip them and then release them back into the Body of Christ where God want's any specific sheep to be.

Excellent follow up. Thank you.