What do you say about TRADITION in the church?

[MIN,A.J.COLBERT]

Do's Don't's, we don't do that like that, because of our tradition.

[MIN,A.J.COLBERT]

All of you men have well said thus far, great comments

[Eric Hancock]

Bishop Lahry Sibley
what you have said is so true,,and I know that flesh and blood did not reviel this to you

[Eric Hancock]

Tradition Leads To Spiritual Death:

Two words that are really synonymous with each other are tradition and religion. It was said by someone much wiser than I, that "religion is man's attempt to reach God, but true Christianity is God's attempt to reach man." These two words, and their practice, only lead to spiritual death. Let's look at some things.

First, the Bible clearly says that God is no respecter of men.

Then Peter opened [his] mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons. Acts 10:34

You can try to do everything right and if you do it in your own strength it is garbage:

But we are all as an unclean [thing], and all our righteousnesses [are] as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. Isaiah 64:6

The word for filthy in that verse in the Hebrew is menstrual, meaning that any deeds done outside of God's will and on our own accord are like menstrual rags, stained and good for no other thing.

[Eric Hancock]

One sad example of how tradition replaces God is in how many Christians and churches celebrate Christmas and Easter. Over the years I've watched the change and cried out only to be ridiculed about what I've been saying. This year I tried to find a radio station that would have godly Christmas music on it, and found not one. All the songs were about Santa Claus, reindeer and snowmen, or sitting near a fire on a cold winter's night. I tried to find a Jesus movie on the television. I have satellite television with hundreds of channels, and couldn't find anything Christian to watch. I see pagan Christmas trees set up on the altars of churches and all the glitter that adorns the church building. I see little children in droves waiting to see Santa and his reindeer. Houses are adorned with lights, sleighs, snowmen and other pagan themes, but hardly any nativity scenes can be found. I see Easter egg hunts on church lawns, even though rabbits and eggs have absolutely nothing to do with the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The reason why the Church is so ineffective in this world anymore is because it has become the world. And that's what Tradition get you; separation from a relationship with God.

[Eric Hancock]

Tradition replaces relationship with God:

Living a life in and for Jesus Christ is really an easy thing. It's always man who makes it look so hard. The basics are simply this. You need to be born again, then God makes you a new creature. He gives you the guide book (The Bible) and He gives you the Holy Spirit to decode the guide book for you and He hangs around to teach you through a variety of different manners. Sure, we are to gather with other believers to keep each other strong, and we have to love our God and our neighbors, but that becomes second nature after the first few things are accomplished.

But then tradition steps in and tries to infiltrate. Pretty soon you are approached by a church leader and told that it would be a good idea to join some sort of church ministry. That would make you a good Christian. Or, you might be told that giving ten percent of your earnings to the church is a commandment, and that will make you a good Christian. Or, perhaps you have a special skill or trade, and donating time to the church would make you a good Christian. I explained in the other letter that the true Church, as Jesus intends it to be, is not an organization, but an organism. It's a living, breathing and growing body and all parts of the body are essential in order for the other parts to survive. It's not some building, or organized religion that needs to be wet nursed by it's participants. If you see someone hungry, you feed them, and you don't send them to the church food closet. If someone is naked, you clothe them and you don't send them to the church clothes closet. Be a father to the fatherless and help the widow, don't send them away to the organization, but be a nurturing organism.

[Eric Hancock]

Tradition is Man Made:

First I think that we must differentiate between tradition and Law, because there are those who will read this and say that God laid down a tradition for the Jewish people in the Old Covenant. No, God laid down a law that they had to follow. Later on in history, around the time of Jesus, the law had evolved into a tradition. Man always tends to water down and change the things of God, done mostly for his convenience or for lording rules and regulations over other men.

By the time that God had become incarnate in Jesus Christ, the Pharisee's had taken the law and ruined it, much like the lawyers have ruined the American legal system. Jesus constantly condemned the "doctors of the law," for the rules that they had made up for the Jewish nation. Just look at what Jesus said about Tradition, it's founders and what he thinks about it, then compare it to your own Church:

[Eric Hancock]

Lord help me make my point without developing enemies

Ok...

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the word Tradition as:

Main Entry: tra·di·tion
Pronunciation: tr&-'di-sh&n
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English tradicioun, from Middle French & Latin; Middle French tradition, from Latin tradition-, traditio action of handing over, tradition -- more at TREASON
Date: 14th century
1 : an inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought, action, or behavior (as a religious practice or a social custom)
2 : the handing down of information, beliefs, and customs by word of mouth or by example from one generation to another without written instruction
3 : cultural continuity in social attitudes, customs, and institutions
4 : characteristic manner, method, or style

[PASTOR CHARLES E BELL JR]

SOME TRADITION ARE GOOD BUT IF IT HINDER THE MOVE OF GOD THEN IT NEED TO BE REMOVE .AS LONG AS T LINE UP WITH THE TRUE WORD OF GOD.