Not joyful

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NeedJesus

Junior Member
Jul 16, 2017
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#1
Way too many difficult times at once, and total absence of real Christian Fellowship in spite of attending about six churches over the last 20 years.
Why is it that so few people walk the talk.
God does not live in a building, and ritual attendance does not result in Salvation.
"As I have loved you, you must love one another"..... And where do I find that???
 
S

SeekingGodSA

Guest
#2
Hi I need Jesus. I am at the exact same road that you are. I'm lost at the moment amd can't find my way. I need God's love. I want it but can't find it. Do you feel the same?
 
J

joefizz

Guest
#3
Way too many difficult times at once, and total absence of real Christian Fellowship in spite of attending about six churches over the last 20 years.
Why is it that so few people walk the talk.
God does not live in a building, and ritual attendance does not result in Salvation.
"As I have loved you, you must love one another"..... And where do I find that???
Hi I need Jesus. I am at the exact same road that you are. I'm lost at the moment amd can't find my way. I need God's love. I want it but can't find it. Do you feel the same?
well both of you try not to worry so,let God guide you,for it is written"seek and ye shall find" just have finding such a church on your heart and ye shall find it with God's help,also,
Welcome,Need Jesus,here you can discuss with bible smart people and possibly make new friends, hope you like it here!
 
Dec 19, 2009
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#4
Way too many difficult times at once, and total absence of real Christian Fellowship in spite of attending about six churches over the last 20 years.
Why is it that so few people walk the talk.
God does not live in a building, and ritual attendance does not result in Salvation.
"As I have loved you, you must love one another"..... And where do I find that???
Welcome to Christian Chat, NeedJesus. I suspect we all become disillusioned with our churches at some point and need to go through a transformation. The transformation is that instead of looking for what the church can do for us, we become example setters in our churches. Sometimes we even have to stand up and fight for what we believe in.
 

NeedJesus

Junior Member
Jul 16, 2017
9
0
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#5
Hi seeking God... I wanted to share something that has been a tremendous blessing to me...and that is withdrawing to quiet places to pray as Jesus did.
I often take the long walks and natural places in communion with God, just quietly listening for his touch on my heart and sharing my burdens with him....there is nothing like this, and it is a gigantic blessing in my life...
The thing I long with is one-on-one fellowship with caring people who share their burdens with one another and pray for one another that they may be healed, as it says in the Book of John.
 

NeedJesus

Junior Member
Jul 16, 2017
9
0
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#6
Hi resurrection... I think you do not understand my situation.... I have been involved in teaching Sunday school, in worship teams, in leading men's Ministries and helping and vacation bible school for over 20 years, seeking God and sharing his message to make a difference in the body of Christ.
The thing I long for his one-on-one fellowship with caring people who share their burdens together and pray for one another that they may be healed, as it says in the Book of John.
 

88

Senior Member
Nov 14, 2016
3,517
77
48
#7
Way too many difficult times at once, and total absence of real Christian Fellowship in spite of attending about six churches over the last 20 years.
Why is it that so few people walk the talk.
God does not live in a building, and ritual attendance does not result in Salvation.
"As I have loved you, you must love one another"..... And where do I find that???[/]+++greetings from Texas...
 
Dec 19, 2009
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#8
Hi resurrection... I think you do not understand my situation.... I have been involved in teaching Sunday school, in worship teams, in leading men's Ministries and helping and vacation bible school for over 20 years, seeking God and sharing his message to make a difference in the body of Christ.
The thing I long for his one-on-one fellowship with caring people who share their burdens together and pray for one another that they may be healed, as it says in the Book of John.
Maybe one needs to find their place in church. I have always been comfortable in the church choir, because I have a good musical background. Since retirement, I find I am useful helping out with maintenance chores at my church for a half day each week, and this requires I work closely with a maintenance expert. The church offers a number of opportunities to make ourselves useful while having fellowship.

You might argue that you have already done that, but I would argue there is a difference between being a leader and finding your place. It sounds like you've done lots of leading, but perhaps you haven't found your place.
 

NeedJesus

Junior Member
Jul 16, 2017
9
0
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#10
Hi again resurrection. .. I appreciate your efforts here, but your replies are not helpful to me. ... I am in a place to emotional pain and seeking Fellowship, and replies in the vein of pull yourself up by your bootstraps and get in the trenches and dig are not what I'm looking for.
I also am not of the belief that the church building is God's residence, and all of God's work occurs within the walls of the church building.
They are givers and there are receivers, and every person at certain times in their life is entitled to be in each of those two positions.
I am sure that in his timing God will bring this to me.
 
Dec 19, 2009
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#11
Hi again resurrection. .. I appreciate your efforts here, but your replies are not helpful to me. ... I am in a place to emotional pain and seeking Fellowship, and replies in the vein of pull yourself up by your bootstraps and get in the trenches and dig are not what I'm looking for.
I also am not of the belief that the church building is God's residence, and all of God's work occurs within the walls of the church building.
They are givers and there are receivers, and every person at certain times in their life is entitled to be in each of those two positions.
I am sure that in his timing God will bring this to me.
There is a difference between telling a person to pull themselves up by their bootstraps and trying to show them a path that will make them feel better.
 

NeedJesus

Junior Member
Jul 16, 2017
9
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#13
I do appreciate your help and I'm glad that that works for you..... I've been there and done that, and all I encountered was superficial news weather and sports conversation. But I do thank you for your concern and attempts to help me.
 
Dec 19, 2009
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#14
I do appreciate your help and I'm glad that that works for you..... I've been there and done that, and all I encountered was superficial news weather and sports conversation. But I do thank you for your concern and attempts to help me.
I'm not very social. I sing in the choir and enjoy the company. I'm retired, so I go up to the church half a day Mondays to help out with maintenance chores and enjoy the fellow I work with.
 
T

ToniB

Guest
#16
Hi Not Joyful,
So many don't understand church is not a building, the people are the church. We have a saying where I come form, "Everyone that is in the house,is not of the house." You can tell a Christian by
their fruit. Let God give you joy, joy that no one can take away. Don't give people that power over you, be encouraged.
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
55,248
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#17
Hello NeedJesus, welcome to CC! I hope you find your time with us fruitful :)
 

NeedJesus

Junior Member
Jul 16, 2017
9
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#18
Thank you ToniB, that is very helpful.
God bless you.
 

stillness

Senior Member
Jan 28, 2013
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Walk trough the valley
#19
Being thankful for the difficult times: a long time to learn, helps to admit with others that when things go well, we forget God; and when we need His help in trouble, we turn to Him. There is even this in the beginning of marriage, effortless learning to Love in the first year, the relationship developing of its own accord. Why does the trouble prophesied come? Paul foretold that those who get married will have trouble in the flesh (self life) and he tells why. We lose sight of the Lord in the comfort of marriage and the relationship begins to fall apart. Thankfully God set eternity in our heart so that controlled by desire does not satisfy and whether married or single we are vulnerable to temptation. What is left out? "That you love one another as I have Loved you; that you also Love one another," is an inner journey to the resurrection, not to a treasure in this life. Neither can we expect others to make the journey with us, no more than we could expect someone we love to Love us in return: others are not on that journey, neither can others make this journey. The Journey is the relationship of Jesus in constant fellowship with the Father: giving His life for us the inheritance of His will. The journey is for the disciple, having "forsaken everyone and everything and his own life," forsaking our own life, because we would not make the journey unless carried by the Holy Spirit: John 21:18. If we could make the journey we would not need His help to rise from the dead and would be able to fulfil the old testament law.
For further reading: Journey to enter into rest in God, in poems and poetry here.