Do You Go to Church?

[for_his_glory]

I think there are two reasons why I'm being so stubborn about this issue:


1. I was forced to go to school for twelve years or so even though I was basically a bully target both physically and emotionally.


2. At my old church they pretty much had the same attitude that if you weren't there every Sunday they thought that there was something wrong with you, and those dudes were scary and made me think that God was scary. If it wasn't for you, I would still be afraid of Baptists.

These are not very good reasons for stubbornness, but cop-outs as I went to school for twelve miserable years being bullied and put down all the time because we were on welfare. Many literal fights between me and some class mates would break out as I was ridiculed. I've been to social club type churches that made you feel like you didn't belong so I searched out others that welcomed me with opened arms not even knowing who I was.

There is always an excuse for not going, but when we stand alone before the Lord on that day there will be no excuses for the things we did or did not do while here on earth. One is not going to grow if they are not fed and will eventually die.

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

Look,.. I just want to point one thing out here,.. maybe StoveBolts and WIP were right when they said that I shouldn't be having to try and prove a point,.. I am just going to make one thing very clear. Since first signing up to this forum I made myself a promise that I wasn't going to let anybody change the person that I wanted to be against my will. Against being the key word here and that's the only point I was trying to make. I like myself for who I am and I still want all of you to be my friends on here,.. but if you have a problem with that and can't accept me for who I am then I really don't know what to tell you. :neutral

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

Oh and I used the phrase against my will because the things that I wanted to change in my life from hearing some advice and encouragement I did.

 

[for_his_glory]

Ik that I'm probably going to wind up dodging tomatoes here when I say this but I already was discussing this with Book Keeper earlier today. The fact of the matter is that we are ALL God's children therefore we are all one big family. Whether you are Christian, Jewish, Mormon, or He loves us all and Jesus died for every single one of us so we should all love each other and respect each other regardless of our individual beliefs.

We were all created in the image of God, but not all are His own as many have fallen away from God. Those who have no truth found in them have been deceived by the false teachings of other religions like the Mormon, JW, Universal Church of God (Scientology), Buddhist, Hinduism, Muslims and the list goes on as they teach another doctrine other then the doctrines of Christ.

Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. 7 As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame.

 

[for_his_glory]

What do you mean the activities of the church? We have fundraisers and going out and doing stuff for people to help them. Isn't loving and helping each other out what Jesus taught and was all about?

The activities of the church needs to be that of what Christ left us to continue in per Matthew 25. I already said loving and helping others is what Jesus said to do in Matthew 25:34-45, but you said in post #25 you were not interested in any of that stuff and was waiting for something else that would interest you. What more is there that could actually interest you as there is no more.

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

The activities of the church needs to be that of what Christ left us to continue in per Matthew 25. I already said loving and helping others is what Jesus said to do in Matthew 25:34-45, but you said in post #25 you were not interested in any of that stuff and was waiting for something else that would interest you. What more is there that could actually interest you as there is no more.

I just meant the certain activities that they have been doing to do those things didn't interest me, but yet I still love and help others every day.

 

[for_his_glory]

Look,.. I just want to point one thing out here,.. maybe StoveBolts and WIP were right when they said that I shouldn't be having to try and prove a point,.. I am just going to make one thing very clear. Since first signing up to this forum I made myself a promise that I wasn't going to let anybody change the person that I wanted to be against my will. Against being the key word here and that's the only point I was trying to make. I like myself for who I am and I still want all of you to be my friends on here,.. but if you have a problem with that and can't accept me for who I am then I really don't know what to tell you. :neutral

Only Christ can change whatever needs changing in us as no one here is trying to change you, but to give you the benefit of the knowledge we have gained through the Holy Spirit to help edify you and lift you up to where you need to be in Christ. If you want to stay at home, then stay at home, but at least have a good reason other than being to lazy to get up early and go to church, especially one that you like to attend.

BTW, no one here hates you and we are your friend, but friends that are concerned about you and that's the greatest friends to have.

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

Only Christ can change whatever needs changing in us as no one here is trying to change you, but to give you the benefit of the knowledge we have gained through the Holy Spirit to help edify you and lift you up to where you need to be in Christ. If you want to stay at home, then stay at home, but at least have a good reason other than being to lazy to get up early and go to church, especially one that you like to attend.

BTW, no one here hates you and we are your friend, but friends that are concerned about you and that's the greatest friends to have.

It's a simple question, are you willing to accept me for who I am or not?

 

[for_his_glory]

I just meant the certain activities that they have been doing to do those things didn't interest me, but yet I still love and help others every day.

It might help if we knew what activities these were that help others that you are not interested in helping with, especially if they are helping others that need help.

I would love to physically help out like I use to in the last church we were involved with before it was forced to close its doors due to the lack of funding and before I became disabled. We continued in all those works of the Lord as I even use to go into the prisons and teach the Gospel message, but those days are behind me as I cherish the good memories.

Sense we have not found another home church yet I have directed my attention with a couple of charitable places in town like the community food bank and another place that helps those who need clothes and household goods, but since I can not stand for any length of time anymore or lift anything over ten pounds I can't help out physically, which I miss being a part of, but I do help support them monetarily throughout the year.

I pray everyday for a church to open here that we can be a part of again and will keep hoping and praying as we do miss the face to face assembling that is so important to our Spiritual growth.

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

It might help if we knew what activities these were that help others that you are not interested in helping with, especially if they are helping others that need help.

I would love to physically help out like I use to in the last church we were involved with before it was forced to close its doors due to the lack of funding and before I became disabled. We continued in all those works of the Lord as I even use to go into the prisons and teach the Gospel message, but those days are behind me as I cherish the good memories.

Sense we have not found another home church yet I have directed my attention with a couple of charitable places in town like the community food bank and another place that helps those who need clothes and household goods, but since I can not stand for any length of time anymore or lift anything over ten pounds I can't help out physically, which I miss being a part of, but I do help support them monetarily throughout the year.

I pray everyday for a church to open here that we can be a part of again and will keep hoping and praying as we do miss the face to face assembling that is so important to our Spiritual growth.

The thing is I forgot what the activities were only that they have talked about them before in service.

 

[for_his_glory]

It's a simple question, are you willing to accept me for who I am or not?

If Christ can accept us when we come to Him as we are then who am I to turn away anyone that wants to know Him and have that personal relationship with Christ.

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Religion of any kind does not make you a Christian, but only by coming to Christ we also come to the Father and have fellowship with Him and it's all done through the Spiritual rebirth of the inner man and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit Jesus taught to Nicodemus.

 

[for_his_glory]

The thing is I forgot what the activities were only that they have talked about them before in service.

Come on, how can one not know the charitable deeds their church is involved in that reaches out to help others in the community unless there are none.

 

[Corn Pop]

I don't go but I should because I think I would enjoy it. Who doesn't like singing songs and having a good time praise the Lord.

On side note im sitting outside on the deck and a fly just landed in my coffee as I'm typing this, I am now thinking if I should take Mohammads advice and dunk the whole fly as one wing apparently has a cure, but I might just tip it out and make another one so I don't get a disease, I will go with scientific fact.

 

[Tessa]

I don't go but I should because I think I would enjoy it. Who doesn't like singing songs and having a good time praise the Lord.

On side note im sitting outside on the deck and a fly just landed in my coffee as I'm typing this, I am now thinking if I should take Mohammads advice and dunk the whole fly as one wing apparently has a cure, but I might just tip it out and make another one so I don't get a disease, I will go with scientific fact.

Thanks for cheering my morning up! Hope your next coffee steers clear. Don't forget to wash the cup out first

On a serious note a man once said he chose Christianity because after extensive searching it was the only one that accepted you as you are and then changed you instead of the other way round. That is how great our God and Lord is. Who else could love that greatly

 

[sunflower]

Well, I am certainly pleased to see this thread. I have most often been a small church goer for most of my life until recent years when my husband had Alzheimer's (died 18 mos ago) and I had to switch to a church closer to home...a large congregation with several pastors. Did keep going even hiring caregivers for him or family helping (before his death) until recently when I was diagnosed with a serious heart condition and became confined more to home. So I am so grateful for the technology which makes watching my church services on line. (not just the sermons but the entire service)

I know that many well meaning Christians leave churches for various reasons. Years ago my husband and I did the same more than once but we always found another, better one but moreover it was because of his job we moved to another location in a city or even to a different state. Sometimes people leave because of the atmosphere and doctrine of the church itself, poor leadership, misunderstandings, or just because it is too inconvenient to go. This I understand and make no judgment regarding their decisions. In fact in some situations I would actually counsel someone to leave, but also I suggested they not give up on church and look for another.

In the last 70 plus years of church going I have learned that the church really is made up of people and people, even church leaders, are human and can make mistakes. No church is perfect, only God is perfect. I also know we need to worship God together, to support each other, to learn His Word and His Ways, and to reach out beyond the churches. Mainly it is the kingdom we seek and kingdom living and I believe this is best done in and with a church congregation.


Believe me I am praying for the day when, God willing, I am recovered and I can return and worship with my fellow Christians in the house of the Lord and once again be involved in some way more than I can now. Meanwhile I am staying in touch.

In my church we call it "the house." because it is to us virtually a "home" church. I miss being there in person.

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

Well, I am certainly pleased to see this thread. I have most often been a small church goer for most of my life until recent years when my husband had Alzheimer's (died 18 mos ago) and I had to switch to a church closer to home...a large congregation with several pastors. Did keep going even hiring caregivers for him or family helping (before his death) until recently when I was diagnosed with a serious heart condition and became confined more to home. So I am so grateful for the technology which makes watching my church services on line. (not just the sermons but the entire service)

I know that many well meaning Christians leave churches for various reasons. Years ago my husband and I did the same more than once but we always found another, better one but moreover it was because of his job we moved to another location in a city or even to a different state. Sometimes people leave because of the atmosphere and doctrine of the church itself, poor leadership, misunderstandings, or just because it is too inconvenient to go. This I understand and make no judgment regarding their decisions. In fact in some situations I would actually counsel someone to leave, but also I suggested they not give up on church and look for another.

In the last 70 plus years of church going I have learned that the church really is made up of people and people, even church leaders, are human and can make mistakes. No church is perfect, only God is perfect. I also know we need to worship God together, to support each other, to learn His Word and His Ways, and to reach out beyond the churches. Mainly it is the kingdom we seek and kingdom living and I believe this is best done in and with a church congregation.


Believe me I am praying for the day when, God willing, I am recovered and I can return and worship with my fellow Christians in the house of the Lord and once again be involved in some way more than I can now. Meanwhile I am staying in touch.

In my church we call it "the house." because it is to us virtually a "home" church. I miss being there in person.

That's really good sunflower I hope you get to go back. Just because I'm not a serious hardcore church goer, doesn't mean that you or anybody else shouldn't be.

 

[WIP]

It may seem as though I may have been contradicting myself. In another thread on this topic I basically made a statement that a church can be anywhere from an official church building to a fish house and then I expressed the importance of gathering together regularly with a Christian congregation.

I think the point I have been trying to make is that we need to wrap our head around what it means to be part of the Christian body of believers or Body of Christ. It is too easy to allow ourselves to become complacent and find ourselves just attending a service once a week. And then not for the purpose of heart-felt fellowship, worship, and prayer with other Christian believers, but instead, fulfilling a perceived obligation to satisfy our own feelings of guilt or perhaps for getting our ego or self-esteem stroked.

It is extremely important to be part of a community of Christian believers, to gather regularly, and take it seriously. Jesus often used the analogy of sheep and at one point in Matthew it says Jesus saw the multitudes and was moved with compassion for them because they were weary and scattered like sheep having no shepherd (Matthew 9).

That’s what can happen when we try to go it alone. We can easily go astray and become lost much like the story of a man with a hundred sheep (Matthew 18). We come up with all kinds of excuses like "I can’t find a church that teaches Biblical teaching" or "it’s too far away" or "it’s too early in the morning" or "it's too inconvenient"….

Find a congregation of believers and be an active part of the Christian family and get involved. A church body can be as vibrant or as dead as the people make it. If we think that just attending a 1-hour service once a week and then doing our own thing for the rest of the week is enough, we are sadly mistaken. Good congregations are active with regular Bible study, prayer, community outreach, and so on. Jesus said, We will be known by our fruits.

 

[sunflower]

Find a congregation of believers and be an active part of the Christian family and get involved. A church body can be as vibrant or as dead as the people make it. If we think that just attending a 1-hour service once a week and then doing our own thing for the rest of the week is enough, we are sadly mistaken. Good congregations are active with regular Bible study, prayer, community outreach, and so on. Jesus said, We will be known by our fruits.

Well said.

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

It may seem as though I may have been contradicting myself. In another thread on this topic I basically made a statement that a church can be anywhere from an official church building to a fish house and then I expressed the importance of gathering together regularly with a Christian congregation.

I think the point I have been trying to make is that we need to wrap our head around what it means to be part of the Christian body of believers or Body of Christ. It is too easy to allow ourselves to become complacent and find ourselves just attending a service once a week. And then not for the purpose of heart-felt fellowship, worship, and prayer with other Christian believers, but instead, fulfilling a perceived obligation to satisfy our own feelings of guilt or perhaps for getting our ego or self-esteem stroked.

It is extremely important to be part of a community of Christian believers, to gather regularly, and take it seriously. Jesus often used the analogy of sheep and at one point in Matthew it says Jesus saw the multitudes and was moved with compassion for them because they were weary and scattered like sheep having no shepherd (Matthew 9).

That’s what can happen when we try to go it alone. We can easily go astray and become lost much like the story of a man with a hundred sheep (Matthew 18). We come up with all kinds of excuses like "I can’t find a church that teaches Biblical teaching" or "it’s too far away" or "it’s too early in the morning" or "it's too inconvenient"….

Find a congregation of believers and be an active part of the Christian family and get involved. A church body can be as vibrant or as dead as the people make it. If we think that just attending a 1-hour service once a week and then doing our own thing for the rest of the week is enough, we are sadly mistaken. Good congregations are active with regular Bible study, prayer, community outreach, and so on. Jesus said, We will be known by our fruits.

You know, I have said on several different occasions maybe more, that I read and study the scriptures daily.

 

[evenifigoalone]

I go weekly, and am involved in several facets of my church. I'm the janitor, I help with a children's class, and I volunteer in the nursery. I have been neglecting to attend Sunday night services lately though.