I can say Christianity got three types.

1) The good ones.  The ones who really follow and obedient to Christianity. They are kind, friendly, caring, compassion and always merciful towards others.

2) The ego p.o.s ones. Do you heard of non-Christian cainis motivation is money. Well, for these people their motivation is a different sort, they only aim for the richness rewards of heaven for serving. They pretend to care, but they play politics and pass judgment on other people. They don't care about other people, all they care is serving the church but at the same time, they try to dominate and tell other Christians to avoid those they don't like.

I once met this boss who is in the car spare parts industry, he is very rich guy, his house is even bigger than his church. He contributes a lot to the church so the leaders are scared to ruffle him. So he surrounds himself with the most good looking guys an girls in his ministry, try to make it look like they care, but behind people's backs, he tells his cohorts to boycott and avoid contact with people he deem he don't like.

3) The pretenders. These ones just go to church and warm the pews. Well nobody is perfect, but at least they are honest about themselves.

Actually the negative conditions of the seven churches is more than just lukewarm

Ephesus -  leaving of the first love (best love) => start of degradation
Smyrna- the Lord referred to the “synagogue of Satan” (Rev. 2:9). The synagogue is a strong sign of Judaism. Also to overcome persecution, comprising tribulation, poverty, trial, imprisonment;
Pergamos - marriage to the world. Originally, the world opposed the church; now the world and the church are married. The method of Balaam is to destroy the separation between the church and the world, and the result is idol worship.
Thyatira -  no need to say lar ... religious hierarchy, leaven etc.
Sardis - spiritually dead or dying.
Philadephia - being absolute to keep the Lord’s word (the only positive one)
Laodicia = lukewarm

Just a overview of overviews ...

Christianity is not a religion? Do you know what religion means?
You mean Christian don't believe in God? 

I never said it was a religion.

nope, there's the third type - those in denial, they think they doing a great service to god, play a lot of politics at church, all they care is their treasures in heaven but they don't give a crap about those "poor in spirit". In other words, they just use people for their own benefit.

I heard of stories of mistreatment and abuse of power.

I heard of stories of politics in church, where some of the leaders surround themselves with those people who are second generation members of the church, whereas those outsiders, they whack them with double standard requirements.

Yeah, I even heard of stories of one pastor who use a lot of money to build an unnecessary building for his church, drained the funds of the church and cause half the congregation to leave. I won't say whichchurch that is, but for sure, they didn't need that huge building.....which they only use like several times a year and it was very far away from the other satellite churches anyway.

The decision to build the building wasn't democratic. Most of those nominated into the committee was his gang members. As "yes men", of course they all approved it.

Then there's another story of a church in PJ, a church leader influence a sister to dump her boyfriend, because he misused his leadership influences to brainwash her into thinking the boyfriend wasn't godly enough. After they broke up, he made his move on her and it was successful.

I have a Christian friend, she got pregnant when she was 22 because she had pre-marital sex with a church worker who was in charge of the Audio equipment. The church sacked the church worker and they impose their decision that the marriage between my friend and the church worker wasn't feasible. Next, they forced her to give away her baby for adoption.

5 years later, she remarried, but changed to another church, she cried every day wondering how is the child she never known is doing now.

There are some church people who are very dogmatic...very selfish, very critical, only think about themselves.

Hey guys, don't mind if I share this.

Why Christianity is not a religion?

Because the root word religion in classic Latin ("religio") means to bind.

In typology meaning one's ultimate aim or salvation is bound to the laws or doctrine of being save.

Here's a couple of excerpt

http://philippians1v21.wordpress.com/why-b...not-a-religion/

The way to be right with God in every religion is by earning your way.  It is based on works, not grace.  Christianity is different from every religion in this aspect: all other religions (including Mormonism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism) state that you must earn the right to be reconciled with God.  It is by what you do in this life (good deeds or bad deeds) that determines your eternal destiny.  Christianity is completely different from this.  It is not religion.

http://www.christinyou.net/pages/Xnotrel.html

The Latin word from which the English word "religion" is derived means "to bind up." Jesus did not come to bind us up in rules and regulations or rituals of devotion, but to set us free to be man as God inended.
http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Christiani...lationship.aspx

With all the religions in the world, what makes Christianity different?
Christianity is not a set of rules that one must follow to gain acceptance or inclusion. The Apostle Paul himself said that we are saved by faith, not by works.
But so many Christians walk around with the mindset today that they must do something or continue to do something to maintain their identity as a Christian.
Think of Christianity more as a relationship, or marriage, if you well. As the Church, we are in fact called the bride of Christ throughout Scripture.

Oh oh ... I didn't meant it that way ... but just to spur you on to consider more "gold mines" in seven local churches in Revelation.

But I am not sure what you want me to enlighten on? Lukewarm? 

Maybe I will start with Ephesus ....

Although the church in Ephesus had many virtues [Paul himself laboured there 3 years day and night; It also had Apollos, Aquila, Priscilla, Timothy, Tychicus, and others working in it ^^], it was degraded because it had left its first love. In Revelation 2:4 the Lord said, "I have this against you, that you have left your first love." The Greek word for "first" here is the same as the word translated "best" in Luke 15:22. Our first love toward the Lord must be the best love for Him. The church in Ephesus had left this best love toward the Lord. It became a formal church life.

This is the clear revelation of the source of the degradation of the church during the first century. We may work and labor for the Lord and we may be pure doctrinally and correct scripturally, yet not have the first love for the Lord.

A church can be zealous and active outwardly, having the pure faith and the proper judgment, yet gradually losing the love which is the source of life. From the world's view and even from one's own view, the church may be excellent and display no traces of decline.

But from the view of the Lord who searches the inward parts and the hearts, the source [unseen] is detected. Can a bridegroom be satisfied if a bride is faithful in all duties but cold in love? Can a person hungry for love be satisfied by good works and diligence? Can a love as great as Christ's be satisfied by cold activities and dry works that are empty of a burning love? The Lord is jealous of our love! Love demands love, and short of it, no outward diligence can compensate for its loss.

Also, the reason one continue labouring at the cost of losing the first love might be the work had become a habit or that the work might have retained a good name for them. But, we cannot deceive the Lord with vain outward appearances. 

It is by this love that we are the lampstand. If we lose this love, the Lord Jesus will remove the lampstand. This means that if we lose our love, we will lose the lampstand. So the more we love the Lord Jesus, the more we will be shining, and the more we will enjoy Him as the tree of life. To be the lampstand and to enjoy the Lord as the tree of life requires the best love toward the Lord, a love which surpasses all other things. We must have the first love, the best love, the most pure love toward the Lord Jesus. Then we will be the living lampstand, and we will be qualified to enjoy Him as the tree of life. Love, light, and life all go together. If we have the first love and the best love toward the Lord Jesus, we will be a shining lampstand, and we will enjoy the Lord Jesus as the tree of life.

Lukewarm?

If you heard about City Harvest, those leaders aren't exactly lukewarm...they really believe what they are doing is for god's goodness.

A lot of areas are very grey...but i know when i can see whether a christian is a nice person or an ego maniac....is when i don't see any kindness in their hearts and they tend to be controlling, dominant, super dogmatic, political and try to judge other people without even giving benefit of the doubt.

that is why you guys should be ever more careful about these third type of christians...

i am not here to judge if they are genuinely christian or not..but one thing for sure, the decisions of something of these christians will hurt the rest.

they are everywhere, even in your own church. Some of them control ministries, and they really think what they are doing is so darn right, that they'll do anything to achieve it.

i got a close friend who works at a big local church, he tells me that his ministry is getting under resourced because one other ministry is witholding all the help...due to competition for resources.

Lot of Christian are still on a spiritual journey, different Christian different spiritual maturity.

Many times we meet those who are still stuck at the foundation basic, haven't move on to the next level living a life that's Christ Like.

Because like everyone else they carry some sort of emotional baggage unwilling to let go due to past hurts in life. It takes time for some people to be healed of their wounds.

One thing that I do when I go to Church is to seek the Lord.

I don't go to Church looking at people, or even Pastors because I already know nobody is perfect.

In fact doing that may bring disappointments. When we have the right motive in going to Church, we will not be easily shaken by what we see.

its very easy to say not to find fault in others....but if you got non christian uncle and aunties, and one day they stumble upon you maybe smoking (hypothetically speaking lah), then you say to them, "oh should not blame me, look at the goodness of god through the bible, but not the actions of its followers".

Above i just give an example ah.

I am not saying i expect christians to be perfect all the time, i have christian friends who smoke, swear and even talk about pretty girls. But at least they are honest about their mistakes lah, they are genuine and they got what cantonese call, "Yee Hei"...meaning, when i call them up to chat or yum cha, they hang out, this i really respect them because they think it is worth to spend time with other non christians.

It is those super ego, christians that think they are above society, that I do not have respect. These jokers are dogmatic to the end but also hypocritical to the end. They never admit their mistake, always think everything they do is for god but actually they doing it for themself.

on the contrary i know very mature christians who act like jerks.

i used to have this crazy dictator christian boss who is very active at church.

nobody in our dept likes him. there was one time during teambuilding, he wanted to forced a pregnant colleague to go for the outward bound school training.

he is put on so much controls that nobody in the co liked him but when it came to his own indiscretions of cheating figures, he didn't mind closing one eye.

In the end, one of the managers in the company collected enough evidence to force out this christian boss. He was adamant to the end...he never admit he was cheating the figures.

on the contrary i know very mature christians who act like jerks.

i used to have this crazy dictator christian boss who is very active at church.

nobody in our dept likes him. there was one time during teambuilding, he wanted to forced a pregnant colleague to go for the outward bound school training.

he is put on so much controls that nobody in the co liked him but when it came to his own indiscretions of cheating figures, he didn't mind closing one eye.

In the end, one of the managers in the company collected enough evidence to force out this christian boss. He was adamant to the end...he never admit he was cheating the figures.

everyone have flaws lah but its the ones who bulldoze other people are the ones who i believe are the third type of christians.

they not necessary have to kill somebody to be a super ego. i have personally witnessed a pastor force my friend to give away her baby for adoption because the pastorial leadership didn't think she was capable of being a mother. She was 22 for goodness sakes ! Her boyfriend who impregnated her was a church worker there, he got sacked for that action of course. But the church forbade them both to get married and to try to give the baby a real family life.

if we dun have the right to say anything, then when ISMA and perkosa make comments, we just keep quiet, is that what you are saying?

I was quite down recently, please holy spirit fulfill my life to worship you Jesus

I need to calm myself bro.I think I am more like Ayub where I am so down now. How to make holy spirit come to me every day?

christians are those people who obey what their god tell them to do and to do it out their love for their god.

also christians are those who exhibit kindness, considerateness and friendliness towards other people like what their god jesus did.

simply as that.

they are very spiritually matured...they can even sing worship songs, do sunday teachings...like the devil...

as i said i will never know if they are from the god or the devil because only god know that...

their fruits are very grey...these ego christians serve in the church and are well respected, but they play a lot of politics...

When ar?

Apa ini. Don't bring forum rivalries here.

Oh this thread got moved to Serious kopitiam

oh yeah, call me a hurt person, thats the best argument the christians can come out in their super over defensiveness...so much for christian love.

so when ISMA or perkasa say something about you christians, you go on the defensive means you are hurt ah?

haha,  when you try to defend you try to hit under the belt.

so when you say you are sinner, i suddenly accuse you of being low self esteem you like or not? which obviously not true.

you try to label me as something i am not. so much for thou shall not judge for you guys.

yeah you are god right..

you say i am a monkey means i am a monkey.

i didn't prove your point...you try to force every excuse to prove your own point.

which is not true.

i am not going to answer sub impact...real idiot....

waste of my time..doesn't seem to show any wisdom

don't even bother to read the rest of the post...and ask me whether i am christian or not...now want to join in the debate...

do your homework !