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AMEN!
Stephen also said before he was stoned to death, that God Almighty dwelleth not in temples made with hands. I find it still has an explosive reaction today in some circles where they have much invested in the physical manifestation of church and its trappings and rituals etc. The worrying thing is that you wonder what would actually be left if you took all that away, particularly with denominations that preach against the gifts/manifestations of the Spirit.
I have often thought that the religious machinery that manifests church ritual would go along like a steamroller, whether or not God was there at all!
This is a huge subject. I feel that the Lord is pleased to be in any fellowship of true believers, even if only one or two are present, as He promises. If He is with us, then we have all we need and can expect the miraculous. The lack of the miraculous in many larger gatherings has to get us wondering what is going wrong in there.
Stephen also said before he was stoned to death, that God Almighty dwelleth not in temples made with hands. I find it still has an explosive reaction today in some circles where they have much invested in the physical manifestation of church and its trappings and rituals etc. The worrying thing is that you wonder what would actually be left if you took all that away, particularly with denominations that preach against the gifts/manifestations of the Spirit.
I have often thought that the religious machinery that manifests church ritual would go along like a steamroller, whether or not God was there at all!
This is a huge subject. I feel that the Lord is pleased to be in any fellowship of true believers, even if only one or two are present, as He promises. If He is with us, then we have all we need and can expect the miraculous. The lack of the miraculous in many larger gatherings has to get us wondering what is going wrong in there.
First coffee and donuts, talking about the game.
Listen to professional praise team.
Drop your tithes and offerings in a plate shoved under your nose.
Stare at the back of someone's head while listening to 45 minute 7 point sermon with your mouth duct taped.
Do a sing along song with professional team again.
Be dismissed and told to shake some hands.
So you shake some hands with your favorite clique and talk more football.
You've fulfilled your duty before almighty God. He must be pleased!
Go home to the next game? That's it? That's church? That's what Christ died for? That's His glorious, anointed, Holy Spirit powered gathering described in the NT?
Give me a break. No wonder the world laughs at us and rightly so!
No wonder the sold out saint is excluded by this sham lest he affect them!
No wonder the word of God speaks in no uncertain terms about a great apostasy before He returns!
No wonder the Laodecian and Sardis churches were given as warnings!
,
No wonder the poor are forced out and the rich are pampered and elevated!
If this is the best it gets then who, in their right mind, would want it? God sure doesn't!
'Be hot or cold, not luke warm lest I spit you out of My mouth!'
' These worship Me with their lips but their hearts are far from Me'.
'come out from among them and be ye separate sayeth the Lord!'
They that go outside the religious city unto his death have an altar of which others have no access! And no clue!
Listen to professional praise team.
Drop your tithes and offerings in a plate shoved under your nose.
Stare at the back of someone's head while listening to 45 minute 7 point sermon with your mouth duct taped.
Do a sing along song with professional team again.
Be dismissed and told to shake some hands.
So you shake some hands with your favorite clique and talk more football.
You've fulfilled your duty before almighty God. He must be pleased!
Go home to the next game? That's it? That's church? That's what Christ died for? That's His glorious, anointed, Holy Spirit powered gathering described in the NT?
Give me a break. No wonder the world laughs at us and rightly so!
No wonder the sold out saint is excluded by this sham lest he affect them!
No wonder the word of God speaks in no uncertain terms about a great apostasy before He returns!
No wonder the Laodecian and Sardis churches were given as warnings!
,
No wonder the poor are forced out and the rich are pampered and elevated!
If this is the best it gets then who, in their right mind, would want it? God sure doesn't!
'Be hot or cold, not luke warm lest I spit you out of My mouth!'
' These worship Me with their lips but their hearts are far from Me'.
'come out from among them and be ye separate sayeth the Lord!'
They that go outside the religious city unto his death have an altar of which others have no access! And no clue!
AWESOME Praise the LORD!
It dawned on me at some point, I can't remember when exactly...that all the significant experiences I have had such as the baptism with the Holy Spirit, receiving tongues, finding out which tongue gift it is, using it, moving in ministry...they all happened outside of traditional church, nowhere near a denominational gathering or building. That has to tell you something important!
For a few years I would go back to make sure I hadn't got it all wrong, yearning for fellowship. But always I would come away not having had any fellowship at all, not the spiritual kind anyway...and being disappointed and sad all over again I would vow not to return.
One place clinched it forever by saying "we like to keep the Holy Spirit in a LOW PROFILE here!!! I thought "WHAAAAAAAAAAAT???? I'll BET you do"...
Don't they know God hears?
It dawned on me at some point, I can't remember when exactly...that all the significant experiences I have had such as the baptism with the Holy Spirit, receiving tongues, finding out which tongue gift it is, using it, moving in ministry...they all happened outside of traditional church, nowhere near a denominational gathering or building. That has to tell you something important!
For a few years I would go back to make sure I hadn't got it all wrong, yearning for fellowship. But always I would come away not having had any fellowship at all, not the spiritual kind anyway...and being disappointed and sad all over again I would vow not to return.
One place clinched it forever by saying "we like to keep the Holy Spirit in a LOW PROFILE here!!! I thought "WHAAAAAAAAAAAT???? I'll BET you do"...
Don't they know God hears?
E
agree to you sister
Church to me is a place where all Christ Believers gather to Praise and Worship the Living God and to have fellowship with everyone. and church means US itself the Christ Believers..
1 Corinthians 12:12-22 ESV
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. ...
Exodus 20:8 ESV
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
God Bless
Church to me is a place where all Christ Believers gather to Praise and Worship the Living God and to have fellowship with everyone. and church means US itself the Christ Believers..
1 Corinthians 12:12-22 ESV
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. ...
Exodus 20:8 ESV
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
God Bless
I've been a believer for many many years and i've lived in a few countries both third and first worlds. I've also been to different churches in terms of denomination, race, economic status or size. But I never saw a church where an untidy person , a drug addict or a prostitute is sent out. I do not know where you saw what you mentioned but I find it to be some kind of Hollywood scenes. How would you even recognize a prostitute in a crowd?
But with regards to your question, Church to me is where I hear the Word of God and find peace with my fellow believers.
But with regards to your question, Church to me is where I hear the Word of God and find peace with my fellow believers.
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I think there are too many people who get baptized because their friends are doing it, so it is meaningless. If you get into a discussion online you can explain why baptism is important and expound the scriptures personally when someone has a thirst.
I see no hindrance to communion as you call it: before the Lord you can share something together online and it can be meaningful in Him; beautiful even.
These are real people communicating via the screen, with real needs and real questions: many of which don't get answered or even listened to in the traditional church setting.
I see no hindrance to communion as you call it: before the Lord you can share something together online and it can be meaningful in Him; beautiful even.
These are real people communicating via the screen, with real needs and real questions: many of which don't get answered or even listened to in the traditional church setting.
M
For me church is a place where I can worship The Lord surrounded by like-minded brothers & sisters. Fellowship with other Christians is so important when most of the week I am among the secular minded. We can talk to and learn from each other but worshiping The Lord is the single most important thing I do in church.
K
That is what I pretty much said, but I felt I had to point it out because some do not like using the term "universal" just because how the Catholic church misuses it.
Catholic with a lower case "c" was what was used in the 2nd and 3rd centuries used to explain the universal aspect that all nationalities can become believers in Christ. It had nothing to do with one denominational church building/s.
Catholic with a lower case "c" was what was used in the 2nd and 3rd centuries used to explain the universal aspect that all nationalities can become believers in Christ. It had nothing to do with one denominational church building/s.
The problem is that you confuse "Catholic" which means "universal" Church with the Roman Catholic institution. The universal Church is the body of Christ (Colossians 1:18,24) that is made up of all born again believers and is not simply a building with a name stamped on it or a particular group of people who attend a particular denomination.
N
Church is me and you.. Gathering places can be anywhere, homes, the mall, coffee shop, the woods or a building with a stage & a cool band..(which I prefer not). We are not bound by geography anymore as in the NT. Going to "church" has become something that is caught up in the religious spirit warned about but many will not admit. Some people need that and some don't.
I would love to gather more with people, in a setting that is more about real than the cookie cutter it is made to be. The early church gathered daily because they had relationships and they gathered in homes.
I would love to gather more with people, in a setting that is more about real than the cookie cutter it is made to be. The early church gathered daily because they had relationships and they gathered in homes.
I believe I understand exactly what you are saying. When I first came to know Jesus Christ is my Salvation, I would share the Word of God anywhere and everywhere, but my favorite place was up in the Rocky Mountains where it was most miraculous, but then, miracles are normal events to those who believe. Praise Jesus Christ, amen.