I have a ministry question for you guys.

[dude-on-drums]

*takes a deep breath*

I left Christianity at age 19 for the very same reasons that Sheen has highlighted.

I attended a Pentecostal church all my life, and heard about the power of God three times a week, and I accepted it as fact. However, around age 18, it started to bother me that, for all I had heard of God's power, I had never seen it on the level that my Pastor and other Christians claimed it could manifest. I had heard people claim miracles that, in my opinion, could be explained in other ways, but....

...I put it out of my mind. Outside of the miracles, I never 'felt' the same thing that caused other Christians to faint, dance,  and run-around the church. I believed in my heart that I was giving my all, but I always felt like like what was true for everyone else, was not necessarily true for me.

So, at age 19, I decided I couldn't remain a Christian if it didn't feel real to me. Of course, this wasn't an easy transition, because after so many 'fire and brimstone' messages - you want to be CERTAIN that you're not making the wrong decision, because the consequences are .... extreme.

So, in so many words, I can feel where dude on drums is coming from. I felt like I should have had a first-hand experience of the power of God that was written about in the Bible after so many years of going to church. Church amounted to nothing more than emotionalism, sensationalism, and tithing and offering, in my experience.

It's not that I'm saying, 'I'LL NEVER BE A CHRISTIAN AGAIN!!1!" - it's just that I need more than a feel-good sermon, and questionable interventions of the divine in order to do that.

*exhales*

4HisGlory, don't ban me for being a heathen.

Church

[Metronome]

WOW.....this is a good one....

A lot of people on here (including myself) have the faith based testimonies of how God Blessed them and placed favor over their lives....im sure Sheen proably has a few of those too...

But I see what Sheen is sayin though....like a lot of times in the church people tend to overblow things to give the feel good story of the week.

EXAMPLE: Im in college, my tuition is $41,000 a year.  My bill for a semester after my financial aid package was like $2500.  A few weeks later we get a letter saying bill is paid...COOL...could have easily had the church buckin and runnin wit the "the Lord performed a miracle on my finances" speech.  But i didnt.....My college is a predominantly white school so it looks out for the minorities and spreads around grant money when others leave/drop out...

Was it a Blessing? Yup

Was it Favor? You bet

Was it a MIRACLE? No

[dude-on-drums]

WOW.....this is a good one....

A lot of people on here (including myself) have the faith based testimonies of how God Blessed them and placed favor over their lives....im sure Sheen proably has a few of those too...

But I see what Sheen is sayin though....like a lot of times in the church people tend to overblow things to give the feel good story of the week.

EXAMPLE: Im in college, my tuition is $41,000 a year.  My bill for a semester after my financial aid package was like $2500.  A few weeks later we get a letter saying bill is paid...COOL...could have easily had the church buckin and runnin wit the "the Lord performed a miracle on my finances" speech.  But i didnt.....My college is a predominantly white school so it looks out for the minorities and spreads around grant money when others leave/drop out...

Was it a Blessing? Yup

Was it Favor? You bet

Was it a MIRACLE? No

Church

[theLearner]

WOW.....this is a good one....

A lot of people on here (including myself) have the faith based testimonies of how God Blessed them and placed favor over their lives....im sure Sheen proably has a few of those too...

But I see what Sheen is sayin though....like a lot of times in the church people tend to overblow things to give the feel good story of the week.

EXAMPLE: Im in college, my tuition is $41,000 a year.  My bill for a semester after my financial aid package was like $2500.  A few weeks later we get a letter saying bill is paid...COOL...could have easily had the church buckin and runnin wit the "the Lord performed a miracle on my finances" speech.  But i didnt.....My college is a predominantly white school so it looks out for the minorities and spreads around grant money when others leave/drop out...

Was it a Blessing? Yup

Was it Favor? You bet

Was it a MIRACLE? No

cool testimony. (I just finished school myself so i've experienced the stress that comes with school financially)

I don't see why we have to make such a distinction between the name we choose to call these mysterious happenings of our lives.

I believe God is the same God and still does miraculous things today. There isn't anything wrong with calling your experience miraculous. Although your experience didn't deal with the interruption of the laws of nature, it was a statistically unlikely (and beneficial) event

I believe God still does miracles today.

Regarding what He will and will not do, We have to remember that not everything we ask of Him gets a "Yes". I believe He does things according to His Will.

[theLearner]

My college is a predominantly white school so it looks out for the minorities and spreads around grant money when others leave/drop out...

Was it a Blessing? Yup

Was it Favor? You bet

Was it a MIRACLE? No

I can tell you right now that 99% of schools Absolutely do NOT do this. That is a huge blessing.
Usually if a student drops out, that doesn't have any effect on what others owe the institution.

For those who aren't in school, this occurrence at any school is absolutely unheard of. Praise God for that
 

[drumzalicious]

WOW.....this is a good one....

A lot of people on here (including myself) have the faith based testimonies of how God Blessed them and placed favor over their lives....im sure Sheen proably has a few of those too...

But I see what Sheen is sayin though....like a lot of times in the church people tend to overblow things to give the feel good story of the week.

EXAMPLE: Im in college, my tuition is $41,000 a year.  My bill for a semester after my financial aid package was like $2500.  A few weeks later we get a letter saying bill is paid...COOL...could have easily had the church buckin and runnin wit the "the Lord performed a miracle on my finances" speech.  But i didnt.....My college is a predominantly white school so it looks out for the minorities and spreads around grant money when others leave/drop out...

Was it a Blessing? Yup

Was it Favor? You bet

Was it a MIRACLE? No

Different strokes for different folks. I know some people who would go crazy over that but to each his own man.