Looking ahead

Is Melchizedek a proto type for Jesus? These are the sort of questions I'd like to discuss in a small group, ideally four, in a conversationally church sponsored setting. Also, the problem of cliques in churches should be constantly attended to, especially in Protestant ones. 

There are also more than one hard parables and other difficult topics ignored. Unfortunately in many churches  most are usually, as I think Paul says,  forever learning and never coming closer to the truth.

some Christians are also atheists

The definition of faith calls things that are not as though they were. The world, and some Christian-atheists would call these same things lies. If we want future results we would think the Christian way. If just stating the static way then the present tense is fine and a favorable result is side tracked.

Before we speak of anything like this today we first must define our terms. Sadly, many Christians are found calling faith all lies just because they do not know the definition of faith. The observation that God is nonsense is almost always concluded based on their reaction observing hypocrite Christians. In addition, as Jesus said, Christians are stupid compared to the children of the world.

anatomy of a lie

In the public arena they often call each other liars. One difference lies in those that believe everything that has happened is devoid of a future and those who project the future going forward. One view, often group oriented, see what is happening now.
         Other individuals, on their own initiative, see what is going to happen. However below is an incident that does not seem to fall into this outlook. So, on the other hand, in the incident described below we might have something completely different. What is the situation in this case? 
         
In John, I think chapter 7, Jesus told His disciples He was not going up to Jerusalem for the feast. But then He went in order to deceive the synagogue because they sought to kill Him. So apparently He did not trust the twelve. 
         This is the kind of thing those hostile to believers like to pounce on to hold Jesus up to ridicule. As to believers they usually ignore or deny the entire scenario ever happened like that, then they do not have to think about it. My point is churches send their Sunday Scholars to college ill equipped to explain technicalities or stand up for Jesus. Then they usually lose whatever meager belief they did have.  
         Church teaching often lacks zing, the attributes of life and action. It is obvious the conclusions one can draw from that.

pulpit talk

Most churches teach the easy Sunday School story stuff and are completely silent on the questions that might lead to controversy. In not dealing with the difficult questions they leave their young people unequipped to enter college where the prevailing belief is, if you are educated then you are an atheist. 

Young atheists are escaping churches around the age of fourteen in numbers that would surprise and embarrass us. Bald fact is the young people soon learn they are being told from the pulpit ideas that the adults only believe for the sake of the children.

Are Christians stupid?

Does anyone recall where in the gospels Jesus says that the children of light are not as smart as the children of the world? It is in the parable of the unjust steward. Seems like He is saying that church going Christians are stupid, or at least not as smart.

sons and daughters of God

What does Jesus mean when he speaks in John 10:34? Many churchmen of today as well as most of the Rabbi's of yesterday did not like Him saying He was the Son of God. They cannot even conceive of His meaning in speaking of the Spirit which is, being born again. We are all, He clearly seems to be speaking, brought into existence, born as children of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit which is to say of existence. (I am that I am.) So then we are all, those who accept and believe, sons and daughters of God. Some speak of Jesus as our elder brother.

denying the power thereof

If the devil cannot move Christians to an unbelief in Jesus, he will then attack Jesus' power as no longer for today. Jesus says somewhere? your lips are close but your hearts are far from me? Meanwhile what about all those 'first shall be last' and 'last shall be first' references?