How do I come closer to God?

Aliciaforjesus · Aug 6, 2009

God is more than going to church or going to the next Bible study!
We must Love!
If we abide in Love we abide in Him, for God is love!
We must learn what love is! (1Cor.13)
We are commanded to Love God with all our hearts and then we are commanded to love our neighbor as ourselves!
If you do these two things, you are obeying the word of God and God shows up!
It is a sure thing!
Love others, put love first in all things!
Love is patient, not impatient!
Love is kind, not unkind or rude!
Don't chose who is worthy of love,
Choose to Love everyone, even your enemies!
Pray for those who spitefully use you!
If someone steals from you your shirt, give them your coat also!
If someone asks you to walk one mile, be willing to walk two!

All these things have to do with love, and if you choose to do them you will find God all the time!
God is Love and those who love are of God!
Many people say they know God, but few obey Him!
Many will come to the Lord and say Lord, Lord, did we not Heal the sick and cast out demons in your name, why will you not let us into heaven?

He'll say go away I never knew you, because you did not Love!
You did not obey my command to Love Me, nor did you love others!

You must choose to step out in faith and love, even when a person is hard to love!
Choose to put aside your own judgments and chose to line up with the word!
Take your own feelings and ask yourself what would love do?
Love is patient, love is kind, 1Cor13, without love we become a clanging symbol, and irritating noise that has no meaning!
In other words, you have religion!

Make a choice to love, and you will find God every time you choose to love!
Your relationship with God will grow leaps and bounds, because He is Love!

The word says if you've done it unto the least of these, you've done it unto me!
Make the devil mad, love the least of these, choose to obey the word of God and Love.

Love never Fails!

BLU · Aug 6, 2009

If you are a true son of god, then et the spirit guide, If you are having doubts, then get on your knees and beg God for mercy and to show you the right thing to do. Sounds like you are not saved yet. (Heb 10:25) Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves , as the manner of some [is]; but exhorting [one another]: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
he word together is not in the original greek language, so the passage is saying forsake not the assembling of ourselves, meaning you and the holy ghost. And only if you are truly saved do you have the holy ghost.

BLC · Aug 6, 2009

There are no spirits to tests, all he has to do is consider the scriptures, God's written word. If this man is saved and has the Holy Spirit, the written word is the counsel of God that he needs to follow. We don't follow our heart or our emotions, we follow Christ through the written word. If he mixes faith with the written word then the Holy Spirit can guide him into the truth and the will of God for his life. Right now he is so subjective about everything that he does not know what to do. What you do is follow Christ through the written word and do it by faith.

Aliciaforjesus is a precious saint but she is wrong about the church, the body of Christ, and is not giving good counsel. This should not offend her because she loves the Lord and always wants to do the right thing in Christ. You can not seperate Jesus Christ from His body because He is the head of the body and every local expression of it. He wants every redeemed sinner to be in a local church of born again believers because that is where He is, right in the midst of them as their head. He rejoices over them and He calls them to the highest form of worship, which is to hear the word of God in Spirit and truth (Jn 6:63). This is where the precious ointment falls as the brethren dwell together in unity (Ps 133:1). This is where God binds up the broken hearted, sets the captive free, comforts those that mourn and gives the oil of joy and gladness for the spirit of heaviness (Is 61:1-3). It is in the midst of His body that God reveals the breadth, the length the depth and the heigth of His love to the saints that they might be filled with the fullness of God (Eph 3:18,19). How can any believer experience the fullness of God outside the body? They can't!

Aliciaforjesus · Aug 6, 2009

BLU said:

Doesn't the word say where ever two or more are gathered in the name of Jesus, He is in the mist of them?
We can have church anywhere, at home, on the street, at the store, in the Dr. office, at work! You are the temple of God that Jesus is building, in you holds the Spirit of the living God,
I love getting together with others who love the Lord and love others, the problem is with most churches there is no LOVE!
Only Lip Service!
And stone throwing!
You may find a couple of people who really love and obey the command of God to love others as yourself, but mostly you find, people who judge people like a cover on a book!

If you could name a church with the fruit of Love as a unified body, please do!

I could name individuals,
but as far as a church!
No I can not!

BLU · Aug 6, 2009

Aliciaforjesus said:

True where ever 2-3 are gathered together in the name of Christ he will be there, but you are not always going to find the second person that you wish to fellowship with, so at least and for sure, all the time there will always be you and the holy ghost which are two. I no longer attend a church again, no spirit of Christ I find in one. SO I for one, fellowship with the ghost and should i find another believer, I definitely will fellowship with them also.

William · Aug 6, 2009

There are no spirits to tests

Click to expand...

A little Cherry Picking of my own

aprodigal1 · Aug 6, 2009

I highly recommend a study on the attributes of God. AW Tozer and Arthur Pink both have very good studies on the attributes of God.

Nurturing a higher view of God helps to really get to know Him and His many infinite qualities.

BLC · Aug 6, 2009

There are some believers that all they do is test everything. They test so much that they test themselves right out of humility and obeying God. Jesus said that my sheep hear my voice and a stranger's voice they know not (John 10:3-5). You listen to the word of God that is being preached and the Holy Spirit in you will bear witness of the love of God, the grace of God and the truth. If the Holy Spirit is grieved in your life then you will be convicted by the light of truth and God will provide grace for you to be restored so you can walk in the Spirit and not fulfill the lust of the flesh. If pride has taken over your heart, your response will be critical of the message and you will not see the grace and goodness of God. Pride closes the ear from hearing the voice of God and the flesh takes over and the Christian never sees the good when it comes. This causes the heart to withdraw from God instead of drawing near (Heb 10:22).

William · Aug 6, 2009

BLC,

Is anyone here actually arguing that fellowship with the body isn't essential? I haven't seen anyone trying to make the case for that. What I do see is you trying to make a case that time alone with God isn't. These are not mutually exclusive themes. Why would you want to create division over this? What's most ironic to me is that your very stance on this issue mitigates against your larger theme. You aren't fellowshipping with the body here, your Pontificating. Your overstating one side of the issue to the exclusion of of another perfectly and biblically sound element of the Christian life. I'm beginnig to ask myself if this is really a heart felt conviction or yours or whether you just enjoy being divisive for the sake of being divisive.

I've only been here a few days, read a lot of posts, learned some things, and learned that their are a lot of other things that I would like to learn more about. I've also noticed some people here who seem to have developed some close and God honoring relationships. I find myself hoping that with time I could do that here as well. Some the posts here in the forums are great, some just plain clean fun, some just harmless.

But I've seen a lot of disturbing things as well. Last night I spent a little time listening to the chat room, enough to know that I'll probably never be quick enough to keep up, at least as an active participant. But in the short time I was there I also heard a man make some suggestive comments to a woman and two people virtually begging for help all but ignored. In fairness, someone did speak up and turn the conversation in a different direction in the first case and its entirely possible that the mods or regulars made contact or at least attempted contact the latter through the pm system. So without a lot of effort, I can give the benefit of the doubt in these cases.

I was more taken back by the un-checked level of un-Godly hostility, arrogance, and just plain belligerence I've found in some of the posts in these forums. There is a fair amount of stuff here that none of the secular forums I belong to would have tolerated. These types of things really give me pause as to whether or not this is somewhere God wants me to be.
But When I see anti-semetism and the ten commnadments blashphemed in the forums, unchecked by the moderators, it sends a chill down my spine. I have to ask BLC, as a senior member of this community, and as someone who obviously like to argue, where were you? Or is it that you limit your critical and uncharitable spirit to wrong headed and dogmatic arguments about the nuances between pairs of perfectly legitimate and complimentery disciplines?
For those of you here who have carved out little communities of Christian Fellowship within the larger assembley here, I get it and I understand why you stay. But for someone just starting out here new, theres just too muchto get past. For me I think I'll keep looking

And yes I realized I've Jacked this thread, for that I apologize. But in any case, I don't think you'll have to concern yourselves with me doing it again.

William

BLC · Aug 7, 2009

Aliciaforjesus said:

Every believer is called to be under a pastor-teacher. God calls, equips and gives pastor-teachers to the church for the perfecting (maturing) of the saints, to equip them for the work of the ministry and to the edifying of the body of Christ (Eph 4:11-14) for the purpose of (v/13,14). These are good things that God does for believers who are under a pastor-teacher He has given to the church. We are member of His body, flesh and bones and of one another. God makes sure that we learn humility by submitting to God through those that make up His body, flesh and bones and to one another, including those that He has put over us in the Lord (1Pt 5:5, Eph 5:21, Heb 13:7,17,24, 1Tim 5:17).

Aliciaforjesus if you are not under the teaching and covering of a pastor-teacher in a local assembly, you need to find one and and hide yourself in it. Jesus Christ is the head of His body and that is where He is and there is a government in that body that rests upon His shoulders (Is 9:6,7) that He has ordained in every local church body. You need to be hid with Christ in a local body (Col 3:3), to hear the word of God, to fellowship with others and to participate in the work of that ministry that God has called. Read (1Cor 10:1-17) & (Acts 7:37-39). Keep looking!

Aliciaforjesus · Aug 7, 2009

BLC said:

What church do you think Jesus is building?
Do you think Jesus came to build a church that has four walls?
As far as I can see the word says "You are the temple Jesus is building"
The word says that God should not be thought of like as in silver and gold or things made by human hands!

Can you tell me where there is a church that bears the fruit of knowing Jesus?
I would gladly serve and attend!
I myself would not take any new Christians to any of the churches I have been to in the city where I live.
It is very sad, but true!

Most of the churches reject the people I bring to them,
so why would I want to bring people to church?

I would much rather fill heaven with people and trust the Lord to continue the work He started, than subject them to being chewed up by wolves!

How can the church as we see it today be an example of Love?
I can not see the fruit of knowing Jesus!
It is more like a clanging symbol, just banging, making an irritating noise, no body wants to hear anymore!

I see individuals in churches bearing the right fruit, but not as a body!

As a body, I see a church devouring themselves with their words, a church sowing seeds of strife and division, confusion, favoritism, and judgment!

It has become a way of making money!
It has become more like a country club,
A place to be entertained,
A place to make you feel better, and tickle your ears!
A place where God is marketed and sold!

How can I summit to that?
I can use it as an example of what God is not!
Jesus used the Pharisees as a good example of what God was not, and things are not any different now.
Abraham had two children,
One from mans attempt to bring about God will,
The other from God's promise!

Have you read about the wheat and the tears?
I say the church is full of tears!

Jesus is the chief cornerstone, and you are the temple Jesus is building,
He lives in you, not man made temples!
Together we make up the body of Christ!
Jesus said, there will not be a stone left unturned of the temple or the of the church as we see it. (Mathew 24)
And I can see why!

If there is no love, God is not there!
Read 1 Cor. 13 and the whole book of 1John

Read John, Galatians, and Romans

Without Love it means nothing!

So Where is The Fruit that is worth eating?

You tell me!

Just_Juice · Aug 7, 2009

MahogonySnail said:

The bible says that GOD gives His people pastors according to HIS OWN HEART, that feed us with knowledge and understanding... Those pastors are fed with that same BREAD from HEAVEN, which is givene to every man according to their faith and GOD gives the increase.

BLC · Aug 7, 2009

William said:

BLC,

Is anyone here actually arguing that fellowship with the body isn't essential? I haven't seen anyone trying to make the case for that. What I do see is you trying to make a case that time alone with God isn't. These are not mutually exclusive themes. Why would you want to create division over this? What's most ironic to me is that your very stance on this issue mitigates against your larger theme. You aren't fellowshipping with the body here, your Pontificating. Your overstating one side of the issue to the exclusion of of another perfectly and biblically sound element of the Christian life. I'm beginnig to ask myself if this is really a heart felt conviction or yours or whether you just enjoy being divisive for the sake of being divisive.

I've only been here a few days, read a lot of posts, learned some things, and learned that their are a lot of other things that I would like to learn more about. I've also noticed some people here who seem to have developed some close and God honoring relationships. I find myself hoping that with time I could do that here as well. Some the posts here in the forums are great, some just plain clean fun, some just harmless.

But I've seen a lot of disturbing things as well. Last night I spent a little time listening to the chat room, enough to know that I'll probably never be quick enough to keep up, at least as an active participant. But in the short time I was there I also heard a man make some suggestive comments to a woman and two people virtually begging for help all but ignored. In fairness, someone did speak up and turn the conversation in a different direction in the first case and its entirely possible that the mods or regulars made contact or at least attempted contact the latter through the pm system. So without a lot of effort, I can give the benefit of the doubt in these cases.

I was more taken back by the un-checked level of un-Godly hostility, arrogance, and just plain belligerence I've found in some of the posts in these forums. There is a fair amount of stuff here that none of the secular forums I belong to would have tolerated. These types of things really give me pause as to whether or not this is somewhere God wants me to be.
But When I see anti-semetism and the ten commnadments blashphemed in the forums, unchecked by the moderators, it sends a chill down my spine. I have to ask BLC, as a senior member of this community, and as someone who obviously like to argue, where were you? Or is it that you limit your critical and uncharitable spirit to wrong headed and dogmatic arguments about the nuances between pairs of perfectly legitimate and complimentery disciplines?
For those of you here who have carved out little communities of Christian Fellowship within the larger assembley here, I get it and I understand why you stay. But for someone just starting out here new, theres just too muchto get past. For me I think I'll keep looking

And yes I realized I've Jacked this thread, for that I apologize. But in any case, I don't think you'll have to concern yourselves with me doing it again.

William

I count it all joy to be the subject of your ridicule and the recipient of your last post.

Aliciaforjesus · Aug 7, 2009

BLC said:

I do summit to a Pastor and I live my life winning people to the Lord!
My life is my ministry,
and my only concern is pleasing God!
I am not moved by people, I am moved by the Spirit of Love!
I have learned that God is more than capable of speaking for Himself, and He is more than able to make me listen and hear Him when He Speaks!
I have spent many years serving in churches as a Leader in the body of Christ, and at this time in my life my house has become my church!
My church is growing!
God is making it grow, I can do nothing on my own!
I see signs and wonders everyday!
But yet, churches reject the people the Lord sends to me!
What would you do?
I have people coming to the Lord all the time, and the only place I have to take them is my own house!
I have homeless people, drug addicts, gang members coming in and out of my house all the time, and they are getting saved.
I have youth hanging out and staying out of trouble!
I have three year old children coming over.
Right now, there is an average of 10 people a day who come to hear about Jesus!
I wake up each day expecting and knowing God is going to move!

I live to do the will of God,
My life is not my own!
I go where He sends me,
I say what He wants me to say!
I love everyone,
It doesn't matter how dirty they are,
How much money they have,
or where they live!
To me Jesus died for all of us!
I am required to Love God with all My heart, all my soul and with all my strength, and to Love my neighbor as myself, and by doing this, I fulfill the whole letter of the Law and fulfill the commandments of God!
How can any one say they know God and not obey Him!

BLC · Aug 7, 2009

Aliciaforjesus said:

You agree that Christ is presently building His church (Mt 16:18), Right? Did God promise you that He would supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Jesus Christ (Phil 4:19)? He did! Every good gift and every perfect gift comes down from the Father... (James 1:17). God has given pastor-teachers as a gift to the church (Eph 4:8-11). So those pastor-teaches that have been given to the church, to build the church, are from God. Did God give and provide for you what was necessary for you to be saved, forgiven of all sin and become a child of God? Yes He did! Is God going to give and provide what is necessary to build His church? Yes He will!

Are pastor-teachers part of God's plan to build the church? Yes they are! God if faithful and He can not lie (Titus 1:2). It is your duty in God's faith to be led and called by God's grace, to that local church where He is actively building up believers of His body together as a holy temple unto the Lord (Eph 2:20-22). If you seek Him will all your heart you will find Him (Jer 29:13) and He is the head of the church, the body of Christ (Col 1:18, Eph 1:22), NOT FOUR WALLS! The four walls is just the place to bring yourself together to stay out of the rain.

Believers do not have to make an excuse for not having a local body where they can worship and fellowship with believers and gather with as much as possible. This local body should have a pastor-teacher according to God's heart (Jer 3:15), that labors in the word and doctrine and feeds them with the bread of life, Christ. If you are not in a local body where God is doing that, then you are in the wrong place. When you find the right place, sell everything you have and go there as a disciple with no delay, because where the brethren are dwelling together in unity, that is where God commands the blessing, even life forevermore (Ps 133:1-3).

Aliciaforjesus · Aug 7, 2009

BLC said:

You agree that Christ is presently building His church (Mt 16:18), Right? Did God promise you that He would supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Jesus Christ (Phil 4:19)? He did! Every good gift and every perfect gift comes down from the Father... (James 1:17). God has given pastor-teachers as a gift to the church (Eph 4:8-11). So those pastor-teaches that have been given to the church, to build the church, are from God. Did God give and provide for you what was necessary for you to be saved, forgiven of all sin and become a child of God? Yes He did! Is God going to give and provide what is necessary to build His church? Yes He will!

Are pastor-teachers part of God's plan to build the church? Yes they are! God if faithful and He can not lie (Titus 1:2). It is your duty in God's faith to be led and called by God's grace, to that local church where He is actively building up believers of His body together as a holy temple unto the Lord (Eph 2:20-22). If you seek Him will all your heart you will find Him (Jer 29:13) and He is the head of the church, the body of Christ (Col 1:18, Eph 1:22), NOT FOUR WALLS! The four walls is just the place to bring yourself together to stay out of the rain.

Believers do not have to make an excuse for not having a local body where they can worship and fellowship with believers and gather with as much as possible. This local body should have a pastor-teacher according to God's heart (Jer 3:15), that labors in the word and doctrine and feeds them with the bread of life, Christ. If you are not in a local body where God is doing that, then you are in the wrong place. When you find the right place, sell everything you have and go there as a disciple with no delay, because where the brethren are dwelling together in unity, that is where God commands the blessing, even life forevermore (Ps 133:1-3).

There is unity in my house just like the book of Acts and it has become my church and the church to many others in my neighborhood. God supplies all we need and nobody lacks. We are filled with love and not division, we bear each others burdens and share in fellowship everyday.
We all have been nit together in Love and I would not trade it for a church made up of people who lack the foundation of love!

BLC · Aug 7, 2009

Aliciaforjesus said:

Bottom line for you is that you do not want to have any pastor-teacher over you in the Lord. You want to be your own believer and no one is going to tell you what the word of God says, because you are going to learn it on your own. If you do not have a pastor-teacher, you are not like the book of Acts. Every single body of believers, whether in a home or otherwise, had either an apostle or pastor over them, to teach them the word of God, and Paul made sure of it. And you do lack something and that lack is a being taught by a tangible man of God raised up to be a pastor-teacher. You substitute love for being taught the word of God when you can't even know the love of God without the word teaching you and being demonstrated. You know the love of God because (1Cor 13) tells you what it is. You know that believers should stop thinking evil because love thinks no evil (v/5), but how many believers really practice that. If they do not practice it, they don't know it because they have not been taught it.

You probably think that the love of Christ that passeth knowledge in (Eph 3:19) is talking about a love that has nothing to do with knowledge. What it means is that no matter how much love we have experienced in knowing God, there is more to God's love that we need to know and experience. We love him because He first loved us (1Jn 4:19) and we know how much He loves us through His word. God would not require us to love in word, in deed and in truth unless He demonstrated that love toward us through His Son and through those that lay their life down for the sheep. A pastor-teacher is a shepherd of God's flock that feeds the flock and lays his life down for the sheep. Every believer needs to experience that kind of love from a pastor-teacher so that we can lay our life down for one another. Jesus washed the disciple's feet to demonstrate a kind of love that they should have for one another in washing each other's feet.

BLU · Aug 7, 2009

William and others, I do not advocate not fellowshipping. But what I am saying is that when the tribulation period starts, and God puts the church under judgment and gives it to Satan as stated in 2 Thess 2: (2Thes 2:4) Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. And further stated in Mt 24: 15, then there will be the need to fellowship on ones own because the church will have lost its power and those in it will be not worthy to fellowship with.

Aliciaforjesus · Aug 7, 2009

BLC said:

Bottom line for you is that you do not want to have any pastor-teacher over you in the Lord. You want to be your own believer and no one is going to tell you what the word of God says, because you are going to learn it on your own. If you do not have a pastor-teacher, you are not like the book of Acts. Every single body of believers, whether in a home or otherwise, had either an apostle or pastor over them, to teach them the word of God, and Paul made sure of it. And you do lack something and that lack is a being taught by a tangible man of God raised up to be a pastor-teacher. You substitute love for being taught the word of God when you can't even know the love of God without the word teaching you and being demonstrated. You know the love of God because (1Cor 13) tells you what it is. You know that believers should stop thinking evil because love thinks no evil (v/5), but how many believers really practice that. If they do not practice it, they don't know it because they have not been taught it.

You probably think that the love of Christ that passeth knowledge in (Eph 3:19) is talking about a love that has nothing to do with knowledge. What it means is that no matter how much love we have experienced in knowing God, there is more to God's love that we need to know and experience. We love him because He first loved us (1Jn 4:19) and we know how much He loves us through His word. God would not require us to love in word, in deed and in truth unless He demonstrated that love toward us through His Son and through those that lay their life down for the sheep. A pastor-teacher is a shepherd of God's flock that feeds the flock and lays his life down for the sheep. Every believer needs to experience that kind of love from a pastor-teacher so that we can lay our life down for one another. Jesus washed the disciple's feet to demonstrate a kind of love that they should have for one another in washing each other's feet.

I do summit to a Pastor, are you only reading what you want to or what!
I have been in leadership in more than one church and always have a Pastor I summit to.
How can you judge without even knowing what you are talking about!
I say you can get closer to God by loving others and you attack me about having a Pastor.
I say Love your neighbor as yourself and God will show up!

If you know a church that has the fruit of Love, share with us Please!

MahogonySnail · Aug 8, 2009

Exactly. I think when Christians grow into adult Christians they need to feed themselves not rely solely upon a pastor/teacher.

How do I come closer to God?

Aliciaforjesus

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