For the Pentecostals?

Question

I attended an Assembly of God church for a while. I know, don't ask, it is a long story.

I heard the pastor say, from the pulpit, that some people who wear a cross should not be doing so because they are not "real" Christians.

Do Catholics know that they are not "real" Christians?

How does this work exactly? Where does it say in the bible what a "real" Christian is and is not?

BTW, this is me only with a 2.

Answer 1

I was married into a "United Pentecostal" family for 18 years and during that time I came to believe that they are the "Pharisees and Sadducees" of modern times. I can't judge everyone in that religion, but my experiences with my in-laws and the members of their community and Church were horrible. It took my older children and I 14 years to overcome the damage that they did to us and to realize that God isn't a mean bully just waiting for you to screw up so that he can torture you. The meaness and cruelty that they treat others with absolutely amazes me. They have one set of rules for themselves and the individuals that they care about and another for the rest of the world. In my experiences with this group they are more of a cult than a religion. Most of them teach that your husband is the ruler of the house, no matter what. I had the misfortune of marrying a lazy, mean, abusive, jerk. Of course he didn't show that side of his personality until I was pregnant. He wouldn't work or go to Church, but yet I had to do both because "he" said so. I was told that it was my "responsibility" to raise the children right since he wasn't strong enough to. Also, by my attending Church faithfully he would be saved. Everytime I went to leave the jerk he was backed up by the Church and they were going to help him take my kids away (even though I was the one going to Church) because I was disobeying and dishonoring my husband and the word of God. I finally got smart and got the hell out of Texas. Once I was in Wisconsin for a couple of years I was able to divorce his sorry a** and he couldn't touch my children. My older two are now adults and remember the abuse and cruelty that the cult and sperm donor put us through. My younger two were fortunately young enough when I finally got out (1 and 5) to not remember any of it. My youngest two never will be exposed to this cult or their father's evil family as long as they are under 18 and I am alive. As for the question why did I have 4 children with him; the church condones marital rape as well as abuse. My opinion to ANY FEMALE who finds herself dating one of these guys is to RUN as fast as you can!!! Remember, as far as this religion is concerned the dog in the back yard has more rights than ANY FEMALE in this religion does.
A real "Christian" is a person who is Christ like.
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Answer 2

I am an A/G member and a real christian is a person who takes their faith seriously. Don't be judgmental of others only yourself. Not all Catholics are fakes just like not all Pentecostals are real. Don't be the one to throw stones at people (quit judging others), instead pray for them, love them, and be a good example.

A/G believe:
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself." All the Law and the prophets hang on these two commandments. Matthew 22:37-40 Follow the 10 commandments and fulfill the great commission.

Answer 3

Assembly of God is a piece of work. At one of their meetings I heard them say that people should only be admitted to Bible study if they have "led enough people to the Lord". Yes, where in the bible does it say exactly what a "real" christian is? There are many different interpretations of that too. In the country I live , some of my friends wear a cross necklace and when asked if they believe, they say no, they just really like the cross. I don't think God would be too mad about that.

Answer 4

I think I know what your pastor's mean. Most people wearing cross just for fashion's statement, and don't care what it means.
For me personally and Christian people in my country, I came from a Muslim' country, wearing cross is a statement of faith. It distinct us from other believes. And when we wear it, we're not just wearing it, but litteraly carry the cross. You'll never know what's going to happened next.. Since the Muslim people watch us with their spectacle.

the verses that you're looking for are bellow (the verses are pointed to the people that are not a real Christian)
e 13:3-5, Mark 1:15, Matt, 4:17, Luke 9:23-26, 1 John 2:3-6

2 Tim. 3:5 “They will act as if they are religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly.”

Answer 5

I doubt that the pastor was referring to Catholics in general. It is more likely that he was pointing out that wearing a cross does not in and of itself make anyone a Christian. This is also true of church attendance, good works or other notions that some people rely on to be counted worthy of being called a Christian. The church in this regard is invisible. Only those that believe in their heart and confess with their mouth that Jesus is Lord can b e called Christians. You will find them in many churches, sometimes alongside unbelievers. The only difference is the relationship they have with Jesus.

Answer 6

I hold the same view.

The 10 commandments says not to worship idols fale images of God, things made of wood, metal, stone. Icons in general.

No "graven" images.

Of course you see, you can do almost anything in the Catholic Church and get abosolved in confession. In Los Angeles I saw Gang members do this. They wear a cross, have pictures of Jesus at home, put on a suit and go to Church Every Sunday. They deal drugs, kill rival gang members and make babies out of wedlock, often with mutliple girls.

But they go to confession and do the pennace and they are once again saved!

Answer 7

God knows the heart of every individual. The Bible says if a person believes in his heart that Jesus is Lord and confesses with his mouth, he will be saved. No one knows the heart except God. Being one with him through baptism and faith makes a person a Christian. Wearing a cross is of this material world, but faith is spiritual of the spiritual realm and a belief in what is unseen (not of this world). It is much better to agree with God than to agree with man that wearing a cross can separate you from Christ.

Man is subject to making mistakes, so sometimes a person must put a boundary between what someone else believes and what he believes (and just allow for mistakes because people often change their beliefs later when they trust in their own baptism.) That is what personal pronouns are for. If you say to yourself, "I believe this... and you believe that...," it is a boundary. Since all people in the world make mistakes, boundaries are necessary. People who believe that their actions in the material realm bring unity with God but the actions of others separate them from God are walking in darkness because God accepts faith instead of righteousness..

Answer 8

The pastor may be talking about Exodus 20:4+5, "thou shalt not make unto thee any graven images...

I never heard it used in the sense you mentioned, though.

On the other hand he may have been talking about pretend Christians who may talk the talk but don't walk the walk.

There are lots of those - in any religion.

Answer 9

I've never heard of this, wearing a cross is a personal choice. I choose to wear my cross because I am Christian and belief in Jesus as my savior.

Answer 10

The Bible says that anyone who has been born again by the Holy Spirit is a "real" Christian.

Romans 8:9 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. 10But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.

It sounds like this Pastor was making a mistake that many in the body of Christ seem to make. They take personal convictions about disputable matters and try to apply them to the whole body of Christ. But what sayeth the Scriptures?

Romans 14

4Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

22So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves.