Chameleon’s are one of the few creatures capable of changing color. Whenever they want to communicate with other chameleons or affect their body temperature, they change color. But, contrary to what scientists previously claimed, chameleons do not actually change color. Instead, their skin reflects light in different colors whenever necessary. Perhaps the reflections we see in water are a better way to imagine the chameleon’s unique ability. But we are not here to study chameleons; instead, we are here to expose the obvious problems of chameleon congregations. These are groups of Christians who reflect the world around them rather than the Son of God. In the worst scenarios, we see congregations that reflect themselves rather than Christ. Neither situation is scriptural. Yet, several places continue to …show more content…
It happens when the members of a congregation act no differently than the world around them. In Corinth, paganism flourished. Several of the Christians there thought they could walk the line between Christ and the world; they were wrong (2 Cor. 6:14-18). Today, Christians lie, gossip, and speak hatefully about others. They engage in worldly pursuits and avoid spiritual ones. They think that because society accepts it, they can too. Worse yet, they rarely study the Bible, and when they do, they merely read it without understanding it. With this state of affairs, how could a congregation of God’s people fulfill His expectations?
Other problems contribute to the existence of chameleon congregations. To lure in the lost, entertainment and social events replace the gospel. There is nothing wrong with fun, nor is there anything sinful about being social; but when the gospel is overshadowed by them, so is God’s power to save (Rom. 1:16). Another typical issue is a failure to spread the gospel. Most congregations are concealed from sight because they never tell others about Jesus. This is certainly a violation of the Lord’s will (Matt.
with this, the chameleon’s color camouflages well with the surrounding habitat, such as a tree or a leaf and the
However, I will do some events for the lost. Because those events can help young Christians become comfortable with evangelism. By leading events for non-Christians I can have proper doctrine taught before they come to Christ. I also expect the congregation to be trained in one-on-one evangelism. Focus on teaching the simple doctrine of salvation.
Early in second and third century Christian history, violence against Christians by the Roman Empire, struggles against pagan ideology, practices that were corrupting the Church, and certain lax spiritual discipline had crept into many areas of the Christian faith. As some leaders attempted to control the faith by growing their personal power and influence on the political front, others sought escape from the spiritual darkness they perceived among the world to retain their own spiritual purity.
I will be discussing the life, biology, evolution, and domestication of a sugar glider. Sugar gliders are an invasive species of marsupials native to Australia. Some of the most interesting about sugar gliders are their reproductive system and ability to glide. I will also discuss their diet and natural environment and how it differentiates with the environment in the United States, where they are becoming rapidly domesticated, and unlike several exotic animals, they are highly bred in captivity.
Over and over I heard people say, “If you’re not meeting in a church you’re ‘forsaking the assembling of yourselves together’ (Hebrews 10:25), and therefore are living in sin.” It killed me (even while I was in my church) when a person became angry at someone for not attending an established church building but a home church or a Bible study. I never understood why they did that. But since I was on the outside looking into the situation, I could see the attitudes of both people during those conversations and tried to determine their heart condi...
Chapter four addresses the divisions within the Corinthian church, such as jealousy, quarrelling and their defective view of the church. The apostle Paul links their view of the church to church leadership stating “If they had a true view of the church, they would have a true view of the leaders of the church” (p79). The situation was that their view was lower for the church and higher for the leaders thus they were boasting about the leaders. Paul’s view was that the Corinthian church was spoon feed Christians not maturing as they should. Paul’s reference to addressing the church as worldly did not mean they were unregenerate because they did possess the Spirit but they were not being spiritual, not being controlled by the Holy Spirit. He goes on to say “They have experienced new birth by the Spirit but have remained babies in Christ; they have not yet become mature in Christ” (p80) The Apostle most likely would express the same opinion about many Church congregations today. Many churches are elated with their church growth, but it is often superficial. If the church does not offer a real growth opportunity the journey is short lived. The church fills up with Christians not participating in the sanctification process. As with many churches today the Corinthians had a self-serving attitude about themselves and their church. The Corinthians would have never behaved the way they did if they had a higher view of the church and what it stood for and a lesser view of the leaders. Paul outlines three visions of the church “each of which has important implications” (p82). The first metaphor is agricultural: God’s field (v9) 9 For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God...
Instead of adopting the ways of popular culture, the Church should show the world a more excellent way. Instead of retooling Sunday to render it in synch with Monday through Saturday, the Church, in its proclamation and in its making of disciples, should offer a counter-cultural model of living obedience, seeking to transform what believers and unbelievers experience during the week by what happens to them and around them on Sunday.
Have you ever wondered how a lobster reacts to pain? The most accepted belief is that they don’t, but they have ways to feel, and they are not human, so their senses are different. Lobsters have complex nervous systems and exquisite tactile sense, and they lack forms of pain mitigation that other animals possess; therefore; humans need to reconsider how they treat these ancient sea creatures.
In an age when culture continues to lower standards of intellect, Marva Dawn makes compelling observations and suggestions for the Church to rethink its strategy on impacting society. How do we evangelize without weakening the message of what we are communicating? The majority of her text focuses on the worship environment generally, but later she focuses on music, preaching, and liturgy specifically. According to Dawn, a gathering of believers should emphasize God as the subject and object of worship, challenge each individual to grow in godly character, and accentuate the community of believers (not only in the room, but throughout history as well). Through this grid, she encourages leaders and participants to evaluate each worship element.
Colb, Sherry. "A Response to the Claim That Eating Animals Is Natural." Free From Harm. N.p., 25 July 2013. Web. 16 Sept. 2015.
To quote Jeremy Bentham in his book An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation, in regard to the consciousness of animals, "The question is not, 'Can they reason? ' nor, 'Can they talk? ' but rather, 'Can they suffer? '. It is far too common for us as humans – the top of the food chain - to forget that we are not the only beings on the planet capable of thought. It is very simple to lump together all the creatures deemed as unintelligent or insentient together and basically de-animalize them – stripping them of their own evolutionary accomplishments and cognitive or mental development. With no empathy or deeper understanding of these beasts, we are free of any moral weights on our consciousness that may come from forcing them to live in humiliating and revolting conditions and are fed a chemical concoction of hormones and chemicals. This unfair and unjust treatment of animals has touched the hearts of many individuals across the globe, influencing them to take up a new diet that with it brings about a new lifestyle. Vegetarianism (or veganism, for those who are serious about
If you were told to believe a side of an argument that did not have majority of evidence points on its side, would you? The theories of evolution, creation and intelligent design have been a debated controversy for years and years. These three theories have three different ideas. The theory that creationists have is to believe that concept and design require a Creator. Creationists usually tend to believe that each organism is created as a single and distinct organism. Evolutionists tend to believe that all life started from single celled organisms. They believe that these single celled organisms are part of a continuing evolution over a very long period of time and that this evolution results in the development of new varieties and different species. People who believe in intelligent design believe in the theory that the universe cannot have arisen by chance and was designed and created by some intelligent entity. Evolution is the theory that is most probable because of the fossil record, similarities in all organisms and genetic changes in a population over time.
Imagine wanting not a puppy, but a tiger for your birthday, imagine the expenses of that tiger and the dangers and hazards of owning that tiger. Do you really think it’s a good idea to get that tiger? No, it’s not. It’s a lot of work, and it’s also very dangerous. Exotic animals are not good to buy and have. If you buy that cute tiger, it will eventually grow up and not be so cute, it will be dangerous and strong, it’s also a wild animal and it’s very unpredictable, also there are many diseases you can catch from that tiger, and there are many dangers of having that tiger as well. (Long sentence)
1) but was mislead to believe he would be. He enticed the audience's attention to provoke an inquiry into the nature of his preservation. It is vital to comprehend that at the certain age of twelve and thirteen the adolescents are finding their place in their congregation; it becomes difficult for some to surrender to the pressure of the congregation. The “lambs” ( Hughes para. 3 ) were to be strengthen into the inclusion of the elder’s society, thus they would be accepting of their church and faith. Despite the fact Hughes needed physical credibility to believe in Jesus, he wanted to believe his aunt regarding his newcome salvation. He realized that in reality he was not saved, rather he was corrupted by the pressure from the congregation leading to the loss of
Quick results are the name of the game for many today. However, Scripture makes it clear followers of Jesus never fully arrive. It is Paul who writes in Philippians 1:6, “…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (New International Version, The Holy Bible).” There is a juxtaposition of progress with promised perfection Christians must wrestle with. Even though this seems quite foggy, Scripture makes it clear the process of spiritual formation is defined by “being conformed” (Mulholland, 1993). Paul spends a majority of an extensive letter laying before the Roman Christians a deep and convicting theology. As he draws to the end of this letter he enters into the practicality of the Christian life, and what it looks like to be formed into image of their Savior. Paul sets the stage for this entire discourse with this verse, “Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind (The Holy Bible).” Spiritual formation is a transformation of an individual by being conformed to God’s image and his