Will the true Church Please Stand Up

[Jesse]

It's just that Catholics tend to see "grace" as something we possess to accomplish things, whereas Protestants understand it to be more an attribute of God through which He grants what we strive to do in His name.

I understand the difference now, I can assure you I wasn't taught that by a Catholic. In fact, I was given an illustration one time about grace, it was about falling into a pit, you can't get out, God offers you his hand (grace), you have to take hold of it in order to get out.

So in this, God offers it to you, but you must grab hold of it.

Would you agree with this analogy or no?

 

[Willie T]

I haven't been able to find the "right" church either. I can not put my finger on just one issue either, it's the combination of many. On the other hand, I do believe there has to be a group of believers out there who are "doing church" much like in Acts as Willie T mentioned. Through serving in the community I have met many believers who are truly seeking God, but when I visit their church, it's very different than what that person is like, not everyone has their attitude towards God.

So do we go to one of these, or hold out?

Well, let's face it, if you are hoping to find a church where everyone is firing on all eight cylinders for God, every minute........ or are at the same high intensity when they ARE at the top of their game... it just ain't gonna happen.

THAT is Christianity... working with and around people hotter than you, and colder, too. After all, Jesus walked out His entire life with thousands of people (a whole world full) who were total disappointments to Him all the time. BUT.......... He loved them, and hung in there ONLY for them.

 

[Jesse]

Maybe that church needs more people like you to attend it so it will be as it should be.

Haha I don't think I would make a difference actually.

With the younger generation, maybe, but people who serve in the community (at least who I serve alongside with) or older.

 

[Deborah13]

I haven't been able to find the "right" church either. I can not put my finger on just one issue either, it's the combination of many. On the other hand, I do believe there has to be a group of believers out there who are "doing church" much like in Acts as Willie T mentioned. Through serving in the community I have met many believers who are truly seeking God, but when I visit their church, it's very different than what that person is like, not everyone has their attitude towards God.

So do we go to one of these, or hold out?

Sometimes I think it is our attitude. We want a church that serves us but maybe the Lord is leading us/you to be the servant?
If you meet someone and you like their attitude about God and serving Him maybe they need people like you to join with them to support them in their church. Just a thought.

 

[Malachi]

The second chapter of Acts of loaded with the primary social function of Christianity.

Indeed. The second chapter of Acts provides Christians with the true pattern for church life, as well as the true pattern for the preaching of the Gospel. The apostolic churches functioned after this pattern, but were shortly corrupted, and we see the Lord warning the seven churches in Asia to repent.

 

[Willie T]

Why do you think we need other Bible study tools, other than maybe the Strong's Exhausted Concordance, to learn from. If we have the Holy Spirit teaching us why would we need any other sources.

Almost daily, I see something on TV, or read something that makes me slap my head that it took another human being's perception to get me to see a passage a certain way. Then I stop and think, "Oh yeah, that's right, God DID put us all here together, helping one another, for a reason."

 

[Jesse]

Sometimes I think it is our attitude. We want a church that serves us but maybe the Lord is leading us/you to be the servant?
If you meet someone and you like their attitude about God and serving Him maybe they need people like you to join with them to support them in their church. Just a thought.

Maybe. I just find that if you don't dress,don't act, like they do then you're sort of ignored or at least they don't want to approach you. I don't have any tattoos or piercings, pretty normal. I think I'm young and sometimes the older generation doesn't mesh well with the younger ones, maybe.

 

[Kathi]

Maybe that church needs more people like you to attend it so it will be as it should be.

And one person is going to make a difference?I don't think so.

 

[Deborah13]

Almost daily, I see something on TV, or read something that makes me slap my head that it took another human being's perception to get me to see a passage a certain way. Then I stop and think, "Oh yeah, that's right, God DID put us all here together, helping one another, for a reason."

Yes, a face palm is a recurring act in my Christian experience.

 

[for_his_glory]

I haven't been able to find the "right" church either. I can not put my finger on just one issue either, it's the combination of many. On the other hand, I do believe there has to be a group of believers out there who are "doing church" much like in Acts as Willie T mentioned. Through serving in the community I have met many believers who are truly seeking God, but when I visit their church, it's very different than what that person is like, not everyone has their attitude towards God.

So do we go to one of these, or hold out?

Jesse, some people tell me I need to be in Church no matter what is being taught just for the sake of being in Church because we are not to forsake the assembling. In the past 40 years since I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior I have been in many different types of Churches and with some I had the Holy Spirit actually tell me to get up and leave right in the middle of the service for what was being taught was heresy. Just as we have been taught to try the spirits in 1 John 4:4-6 the Holy Spirit will guide you to where you need to be. We have many many churches in my area, but none that I have yet to be led to go to. Why go if you are not being fed truth just for the sake of having to go to church. I find my studying with the Holy Spirit teaching me is far greater than what I have heard in some churches. For now I consider this forum to be my church as many have taught through truth as the Holy Spirit has revealed to them and we are assembled together within our replies to each other. Maybe someday the Holy Spirit will lead me to an assembly in my area as He has before, but for now I can have church in my own living room and do not have to limit it to and hour or whatever on a Sunday or midweek service.

 

[Rollo Tamasi]

Haha I don't think I would make a difference actually.

With the younger generation, maybe, but people who serve in the community (at least who I serve alongside with) or older.

You shouldn't put limitations on what God can do.

 

[Rollo Tamasi]

And one person is going to make a difference?I don't think so.

You sound like a person I once knew.
God was calling her but she was too busy complaining to hear him.
The last I recall, she was still complaining.

 

[Rollo Tamasi]

Jesse, some people tell me I need to be in Church no matter what is being taught just for the sake of being in Church because we are not to forsake the assembling. In the past 40 years since I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior I have been in many different types of Churches and with some I had the Holy Spirit actually tell me to get up and leave right in the middle of the service for what was being taught was heresy. Just as we have been taught to try the spirits in 1 John 4:4-6 the Holy Spirit will guide you to where you need to be. We have many many churches in my area, but none that I have yet to be led to go to. Why go if you are not being fed truth just for the sake of having to go to church. I find my studying with the Holy Spirit teaching me is far greater than what I have heard in some churches. For now I consider this forum to be my church as many have taught through truth as the Holy Spirit has revealed to them and we are assembled together within our replies to each other. Maybe someday the Holy Spirit will lead me to an assembly in my area as He has before, but for now I can have church in my own living room and do not have to limit it to and hour or whatever on a Sunday or midweek service.

Where are the prophets of God today?

 

[Kathi]

You sound like a person I once knew.
God was calling her but she was too busy complaining to hear him.
The last I recall, she was still complaining.

You sound like a person who needs to know what the Bible has to say about being "judgmental".

 

[Willie T]

I understand the difference now, I can assure you I wasn't taught that by a Catholic. In fact, I was given an illustration one time about grace, it was about falling into a pit, you can't get out, God offers you his hand (grace), you have to take hold of it in order to get out.

So in this, God offers it to you, but you must grab hold of it.

Would you agree with this analogy or no?

To an extent. I do, however, tend to see grace as totally,100% God, and sometimes even if we don't have enough of whatever we need to "reach out", He still gets us out of the pit despite our maybe even resisting His help.

 

[Willie T]

And one person is going to make a difference?I don't think so.

I do. Why do you cast your "one vote?" We are like charcoal briquettes. Each one is needed, even if by ourselves, we really don't amount to all that much heat.

 

[Deborah13]

Maybe. I just find that if you don't dress,don't act, like they do then you're sort of ignored or at least they don't want to approach you. I don't have any tattoos or piercings, pretty normal. I think I'm young and sometimes the older generation doesn't mesh well with the younger ones, maybe.

Sometimes people, especially the older generations, are just reserved, and others may just be shy. I'm not really outgoing with strangers they have to approach me but church is awesome because it really doesn't matter who approaches who. We are all there for the same reason. The church is not their private home domain so the rules of etiquette are different. Don't wait for them to welcome you, you can politely introduce yourself.
Believe it or not most of us in the older generation love young people, you enrich our lives and our spirits. You give us hope and joy. We need you in our lives and our churches. Don't let what appears to be staunch old people get you down, you lift them up. :wink

 

[Jesse]

You shouldn't put limitations on what God can do.

You know what, you're right, I shouldn't be doing that.

I can tell you that this attitude has come from being "shot down" because of my age, it's very frustrating sometimes.

 

[Jesse]

To an extent. I do, however, tend to see grace as totally,100% God, and sometimes even if we don't have enough of whatever we need to "reach out", He still gets us out of the pit despite our maybe even resisting His help.

If we don't want the help though, I don't see God forcing himself onto us. It is the same with salvation, he isn't going to make us accept him.

I am open to broadening my view on my definitions of terms and understandings and God has shown me much much grace. I guess I always thought that I needed to respond to that grace.

 

[Jesse]

Jesse, some people tell me I need to be in Church no matter what is being taught just for the sake of being in Church because we are not to forsake the assembling. In the past 40 years since I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior I have been in many different types of Churches and with some I had the Holy Spirit actually tell me to get up and leave right in the middle of the service for what was being taught was heresy. Just as we have been taught to try the spirits in 1 John 4:4-6 the Holy Spirit will guide you to where you need to be. We have many many churches in my area, but none that I have yet to be led to go to. Why go if you are not being fed truth just for the sake of having to go to church. I find my studying with the Holy Spirit teaching me is far greater than what I have heard in some churches. For now I consider this forum to be my church as many have taught through truth as the Holy Spirit has revealed to them and we are assembled together within our replies to each other. Maybe someday the Holy Spirit will lead me to an assembly in my area as He has before, but for now I can have church in my own living room and do not have to limit it to and hour or whatever on a Sunday or midweek service.

Because we are the Church, it'd be pretty difficult to limit "us" to a service once a week.