Will the true Church Please Stand Up

[Rollo Tamasi]

That is one of my choices but how many choices are there during our grown lives?How many people let God make those choices and how many people do their own thing as a Christian?

We can only look at ourselves.

 

[Kathi]

We can only look at ourselves.

A lot of people have a problem with that.

 

[Willie T]

Willie that is an example of Gods grace as he uses His power and authority over some of the stupid decisions we make as when I tried to commit suicide many years ago by driving over a cliff I know it was God grabbing that wheel every time I tried.

Precisely. And in neither of our cases were we reaching out to Jesus, (or, "doing our part" to make "Grace" work effectively by us being in cooperation with God) We certainly both wanted to go through with what we intended, but God's grace (his deliberate, unmerited favorable emotion toward and about us) went over and around our desires and wishes.

 

[Jesse]

Keep talking.
I will help build you up in Christ.
It helps me at the same time.

Ok...I will.

I find myself not caring about what other people talk about in conversations, in real life. If I'm with a bunch of Christians it seems they are not talking about God (although I do have 1 or 2 really good friends that do talk about God with me), but the others talk about the new car they bought, or their new carpet, or the difficult decision of what theme to have for their 1 year old's birthday party....

I find shallow conversations bore me to tears (and I know I'm being judgmental here) but sometimes I wish I could join in these and actually enjoy them, but so far nothing has really worked...

This is another reason I have a difficult time with churches...

...and sorry to bore most of your here. haha

 

[for_his_glory]

Ok...I will.

I find myself not caring about what other people talk about in conversations, in real life. If I'm with a bunch of Christians it seems they are not talking about God (although I do have 1 or 2 really good friends that do talk about God with me), but the others talk about the new car they bought, or their new carpet, or the difficult decision of what theme to have for their 1 year old's birthday party....

I find shallow conversations bore me to tears (and I know I'm being judgmental here) but sometimes I wish I could join in these and actually enjoy them, but so far nothing has really worked...

This is another reason I have a difficult time with churches...

...and sorry to bore most of your here. haha

You are one who has a pure heart for the Lord and never stop asking questions as that is how we learn at times from the lifting up and edification of each other. Friends will come and friends will go, but God will never leave us nor forsake us and I have a better friend in Jesus than I do with those who say they are my friend, but rarely do we ever gather together.

 

[Jesse]

You are one who has a pure heart for the Lord and never stop asking questions as that is how we learn at times from the lifting up and edification of each other. Friends will come and friends will go, but God will never leave us nor forsake us and I have a better friend in Jesus than I do with those who say they are my friend, but rarely do we ever gather together.

Do you have people that you do gather together with?

If not, how do you deal with the loneliness?

 

[Rollo Tamasi]

Ok...I will.

I find myself not caring about what other people talk about in conversations, in real life. If I'm with a bunch of Christians it seems they are not talking about God (although I do have 1 or 2 really good friends that do talk about God with me), but the others talk about the new car they bought, or their new carpet, or the difficult decision of what theme to have for their 1 year old's birthday party....

I find shallow conversations bore me to tears (and I know I'm being judgmental here) but sometimes I wish I could join in these and actually enjoy them, but so far nothing has really worked...

This is another reason I have a difficult time with churches...

...and sorry to bore most of your here. haha

If you have one or two good friends you are doing well.
When family gets together, I don't have anything to say.
I just want to talk about Jesus and they don't.
My neighbors are polite and I reach out to them, but they keep their distance from me.
The neighbors who are Christians don't have much to say about Jesus.
My conversations are mostly one-sided.

Having one or two friends is good.
I participate in the men's prayer group at church and this time with them is my real church.
I would be a stand alone Christian (along with my wife though) without this group.
I would never have found them unless I went church hunting.

When I worked, I prayed hard for God to provide other Christians for me to do a ministry at work and he did.
When I left, I passed on the leadership to another.

I went through many churches and denominations through the years, but I never quit on it.
I wanted that fellowship with other people.
They helped me and I helped them.
I believe God wants it that way.
He gave us each other for a reason.

Don't just look at the church of people, but look at yourself and what you are going to give them.
Give and you shall receive.
You can never outgive God.
He will provide for you what you need, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Find a church right now and go there tomorrow.
I bet God gets there first.

 

[for_his_glory]

Do you have people that you do gather together with?

If not, how do you deal with the loneliness?

It's funny you would ask this as my husband and I were talking about this last night that the friends we do have, which is only a handful, never come and visit and if we go visit them they are tired and end up falling asleep on us so we really do not see each other very often except during the summer on the weekends as we all camp at the same place. I am pretty much a home body and very seldom go anywhere, especially in the winter months, since I do not work anymore. I never get lonely as my time is mostly spent on the computer everyday in this forum and multitasking in between with housework and studying scripture. It would be nice if we had a life outside the home with lively friends, but it is what it is and were happy.

 

[Jesse]

There are others, of course, but I will only suggest a GOOGLE for <Vineyard Fellowships in [ your state ]> because I happen to be very familiar with the way most Vineyards operate.

I did and it looks like the closest one is a bit far for travel.

Is that the only one you had in mind? It looks like a huge church, too. How is that set up?

 

[Jesse]

If you have one or two good friends you are doing well.
When family gets together, I don't have anything to say.
I just want to talk about Jesus and they don't.
My neighbors are polite and I reach out to them, but they keep their distance from me.
The neighbors who are Christians don't have much to say about Jesus.
My conversations are mostly one-sided.

Having one or two friends is good.
I participate in the men's prayer group at church and this time with them is my real church.
I would be a stand alone Christian (along with my wife though) without this group.
I would never have found them unless I went church hunting.

When I worked, I prayed hard for God to provide other Christians for me to do a ministry at work and he did.
When I left, I passed on the leadership to another.

I went through many churches and denominations through the years, but I never quit on it.
I wanted that fellowship with other people.
They helped me and I helped them.
I believe God wants it that way.
He gave us each other for a reason.

Don't just look at the church of people, but look at yourself and what you are going to give them.
Give and you shall receive.
You can never outgive God.
He will provide for you what you need, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Find a church right now and go there tomorrow.
I bet God gets there first.

It seems that God has blessed you with wisdom (among other things).

I will see if there are any open tomorrow. haha Seriously though, I will look into it.

Thanks!

 

[Jesse]

It's funny you would ask this as my husband and I were talking about this last night that the friends we do have, which is only a handful, never come and visit and if we go visit them they are tired and end up falling asleep on us so we really do not see each other very often except during the summer on the weekends as we all camp at the same place. I am pretty much a home body and very seldom go anywhere, especially in the winter months, since I do not work anymore. I never get lonely as my time is mostly spent on the computer everyday in this forum and multitasking in between with housework and studying scripture. It would be nice if we had a life outside the home with lively friends, but it is what it is and were happy.

It's good that you are content. Personally, I am an extrovert and need to be around people. I have gotten by with serving in the community at various places and events, but I know I need a much more deeper experience, one with accountability. Where I do not have a spouse (yet), it seems I need something a bit more - and again, this is only for my situation, perhaps everyone's is different.

 

[for_his_glory]

It's good that you are content. Personally, I am an extrovert and need to be around people. I have gotten by with serving in the community at various places and events, but I know I need a much more deeper experience, one with accountability. Where I do not have a spouse (yet), it seems I need something a bit more - and again, this is only for my situation, perhaps everyone's is different.

I use to be very involved with the last two Churches I use to attend and I do miss that interaction, but unfortunately those two Churches had to close their doors to unforeseen circumstances. We tried out a few other ones, but was never lead of the Holy Spirit to get involved with them so for now I will call CF.net my home Church, because everyone in here are awesome people

 

[Karl]

Do you have people that you do gather together with?

If not, how do you deal with the loneliness?

Dear brother, I have been alone 23 years, isolated on an island with no one like minded as myself, I came here from a very loving, Christ centered, Word teaching Church, ...as I was being prepared to come here I kept having the premonition the Lord was telling me I was going to prison and that scared me, imprisoned in a third world country, ...but Lord, your will be done in my life.

I once heard Terry Clark say he wanted to experience the presence of God in his life during the time the Lord was actually working, rather than realizing afterward the Lord had done a work in his life, that stuck with me all of these years, I can tell you, my prison has not been concrete and steel, but all alone, no one to talk to, at first when I tried to tell the church goers what the Lord was doing in my life the politely listened, but it quickly turned to outright hatred and contempt, so I have learned to keep silent, ...but actually, I've never really been alone, He has always been with me, providing for me and taking care of me moment by moment, 24/7.

The secret is really simple, just read your Bible, read it through in one year, year after year after year, keep a journal to write down what he is saying to you, that way in those times we think we're all alone all we have to do is open our journal and read what He has already said to us, we are like computers, we need software to operate, the Word is our software, the more we have inside of us the more the Holy Spirit can explain to us and we are walking in the Light as He is in the Light and we have Communion with Him.

However, my wife and I go to a seaside park every Sunday and listen to teachings from a good, correct, Word teaching Church in France (sponsored by a Church close to Seattle), praying continually for the Lord to raise up a Church here, ...the Lord has a Church (remember the one lost sheep that He leaves the 99 behind to go search for) for you, so may I humbly suggest that you pray for the Lord to give/send you to one of His Churches where your gift is needed, where you will grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessings

 

[Willie T]

This is really sad to read. I am fortunate to be living in the epicenter of Christian activity for most of the U.S.A., and I don't think I could stand living in some of the places so many on here talk about.

 

[Karl]

Oh Willie T, I could tell you story after story after story of the Lord's presence in my life, ...looking back over all of what I have left behind (and I was wealthy and have done just about everything my heart desired, but sold all of my possessions and gave it to the church before I left) I wouldn't trade my life with anyone or desire it to be any different than it has been through the good and bad times, also, the woman that prayed for an American husband that started the Father's process of drawing me to Jesus is here and the Lord introduced me to her, my Eve, in Oct of '94, ...so don't be sad, we serve a big and wonderful God, ...I just hope you know and have experienced Him like I have.

Be blessed brother

 

[Jesse]

Oh Willie T, I could tell you story after story after story of the Lord's presence in my life, ...looking back over all of what I have left behind (and I was wealthy and have done just about everything my heart desired, but sold all of my possessions and gave it to the church before I left) I wouldn't trade my life with anyone or desire it to be any different than it has been through the good and bad times, also, the woman that prayed for an American husband that started the Father's process of drawing me to Jesus is here and the Lord introduced me to her, my Eve, in Oct of '94, ...so don't be sad, we serve a big and wonderful God, ...I just hope you know and have experienced Him like I have.

Be blessed brother

So you really live on an island? When I started reading the paragraph of your first post, I thought you were going to be talking about John on Potmos. lol

What church near Seattle helped set up your church in France?

 

[Willie T]

Oh Willie T, I could tell you story after story after story of the Lord's presence in my life, ...looking back over all of what I have left behind (and I was wealthy and have done just about everything my heart desired, but sold all of my possessions and gave it to the church before I left) I wouldn't trade my life with anyone or desire it to be any different than it has been through the good and bad times, also, the woman that prayed for an American husband that started the Father's process of drawing me to Jesus is here and the Lord introduced me to her, my Eve, in Oct of '94, ...so don't be sad, we serve a big and wonderful God, ...I just hope you know and have experienced Him like I have.

Be blessed brother

I dunno. I can't imagine living without my church family.