Diconnected and unplugged?
"... I wondered if I was truly saved, so much so that I had this question running through my head: am I going to go to hell because I don't want to go to church?..."
Allow me to say these things, and I'm not good at quoting the Bible without having it at hand: Are you saved immediately or by a life process?
I believe this is a process, but there is some tradition and teaching saying what you said (time will tell).
I believe YOUR church is the temple of your body, same way as Jesus told others, challanging them to destroy it. How is your body temple?
My temple is crawling in some things I desired, those things I think I miss, and I can admit His Presence is not in me. In fact, I have real problems to have Him to come down or inside, since I don't know how to call His attention to my thoughts, longs or words.
The church you have mentioned and tried to avoid is the same MANY still try to avoid for decades and centuries, but this happens when we acknowledged the personal emptiness we all have, deep inside, without God and His Spirit. How many denominations are there? How many churches claim to be right while millions follow -and seek- other "living" cult? (Cult to the EGOs, by the way).
The real church is that ONE He will raise up, any day and TODAY, each day. He has made and still making His church (Just see some peoplehear HIs personal voice, His dreams and warnings, while others lack His directions, because some are following rules and not His Spirit). I CAN BE COMPLETELY WRONG BY WRITING THIS, but I think I'm right. Are you as wrong as I am?
You or any could be as radical -or legalistc- as any may wish, but the church has gone to be pentecostalistic in the country where I live. You've mantion your "1st church", but todays the 1st church of many is that where you are pushed to give more money rather than helping the needy and their preaching is money, instead of love (you are right on that) and those things are easily BALANCE when you assume your own selfcontrol. Of course, if you don like people, like those I avoid in Venezuela, I will not say you are wrong, becuase I MISS not partaking in the "Lord's supper", which has turned to be a simple sunday's breakfast or that taken monthly or weekly. Didn't He say it was more important TO LIVE?
Well! I 'd better stopping it here.
Hi there, I have just read your reply post and I think you made some very valuable points. I've underlined for reference those I wanted to address, note though that his is only MY understanding, I am sure though I am posting it for a reason, maybe someone will read this and understand though many won't
1)
I believe YOUR church is the temple of your body
I believe your church is in your heart or what would be the soul of your love and this is where the spirit of Christ comes. He comes into your heart to guide you all you need is to be filled with good intention. You need to ask him there, to come into your heart. When he does come he will show you a greater love for him and his creations.
PROVERBS 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
2) His Presence is not in me
PROVERBS 3:6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths
Acknowledge him in ALL ways, if you have a daydream/vision/feeling anything that he is there you must Acknowledge him. A lot of people follow after the flesh or the Bible and do not acknowledge him in spirit, mostly maybe because they think it's crazy but he tells us to do this and the more you do the more vivid he will become. Don't be deterred by people speaking of demons etc. If you give yourself to Jesus Christ and your faith and heart are his, demons cannot exist here and you will know it. You will begin to feel his presence as he guides you
4)
I don't know how to call His attention
Pray to him and ask him into your heart, you will not need to call his attention, he will call yours at the times He needs to
5)
How many churches claim to be right while millions follow
MATTHEW 15:14 Let the alone; they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch
ROMANS 8:4 That the righteous of the law might be filfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit
When we follow after the Spirit of the Lord and Jesus Christ, we come to understand his love and the Lord and what is right we will know in our hearts
PSALM 118:8 It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man
6)
some peoplehear HIs personal voice, His dreams and warnings
He tells us we all can if we ask for him, the difference is how tuned you are to listening and it is not something certain people are born with because we are all able to follow the Lord, but again, we need to acknowledge the Spirit in ALL ways, and yours may differ from others. If you have asked Jesus to come, to be your saviour and you've seen, visioned, day dreamed, heard or felt in your heart the Lord Jesus Spirit, know and acknowledge that it is the Lord Jesus, tell him you hear/see/feel him and you wish him to guide you, your relationship will go from strength to strength. It is supernatural.
CORINTHIANS 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God
2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holly Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual
2;14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned
I don't go to Church and I have a wonderful relationship with God and Jesus in Spirit and it began with heart. I am not familiar with all of the literature but I follow Jesus himself in Spirit, he guides me through scripture to interpret in the way he wants me to understand. I'm not saying Don't go to Church, if it makes you feel good, by all means go, but do not feel disheartened because you don't, all you need to do is Love and believe in the Lord and Jesus Christ in Spirit and they will fill you. Follow the Lord FIRST the Lord you know in your heart and let your faith grow.
