The Loneliness of the Christian

[Kay]

I really think so John. It seems to have become more of what "we" have created out of church and the buildings and programs, than about the Word of God. The focus goes into who sings well/performs well, vs. the teaching on the Word of God. You may get the community in the door with your theatrics, but then you've got to keep em to keep that BIG building, and if you begin to preach too hard and make somebody mad, then what? You're obligated to conform to what the big buck people want, because now they call the shots, cause you gotta keep that building paid for.

Hey Kay, I didn't know you were a southern girl too. I'm a Texan.

In His Love,

Suzanne

I am a Floridian!!!!

AND you are so right on Suzanne!!!! I just left a church of 5,000!

Where does it say that Paul had people sign memberships in their churches. We are the body; and no building is going to make us better christians than just reading HIS word and telling it to the world

[tsth]

A Christian sister and friend of mine, have really been in prayer and the Word concerning the current movement of the church of today. We wondered how far off the mark is it in contrast to this passage:

Ecclesiastes 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

In His Love,

Suzanne

[WISDOM]

And that is what you've helped to bond together here TRAVELLER.....family.  It is attitudes like YOURS that have blessed so many lonely (and wayward) Christians who've come to this Board.  I remember oh so well when you first came, and what you've become since joining not too long after I did.  I know of many our FATHER has used YOU to be a blessing to after their arrival here, and interactions with you.  YOU are a precious gem sis!

KAY.....sometimes the BIGGEST and BRIGHTEST blessings come to us in the kind of experience you're currently having.  Our FATHER is showing a great interest in you.  Many times in order to prepare us for promotion HE has to take us through demotion first.  Oftentimes it becomes a very lonely and painful period, YET....what YOU and I don't see is what HE is doing behind the scene.  Everything is not always what it may appear to be, negatively speaking (Romans 8:28).  Our FATHER has something good planned for you (Jeremiah 29:11-13).  In the meantime just rest in HIM              (Psalm 37:7-8.....55:12-14........Psalm 23).  Wait on the LORD, Kay.  HE's working it out for you!

Thank you so much for that encouraging word of knowledge!!!

BLESS YOU

You're welcome sis....

And in the meantime, trust those two "watchdogs" HE has following YOU everyday, everywhere...."GOODNESS & MERCY" (Psalm 23:6a).

[jesussaves]

I have discovered over the years that when the Lord allows us to be in a place where we are shunned, rejected, alone, etc., it is the place He wants use to draw us closer to Him. Face it, when we are centered on the Lord and the knowledge that He is with us, it is hard to feel lonely. As long as I have Jesus, I have everything I need. He is a Friend that sticks closer than a brother. Even a mother might forsake a child, but never the Lord. When He is near, there's joy. There's a song in the night. There's peace when the enemy rages. There's a strong arm to hold and comfort. God is good. His banner over me is love.

[Guest LCPGUY]

I have discovered over the years that when the Lord allows us to be in a place where we are shunned, rejected, alone, etc., it is the place He wants use to draw us closer to Him. Face it, when we are centered on the Lord and the knowledge that He is with us, it is hard to feel lonely. As long as I have Jesus, I have everything I need. He is a Friend that sticks closer than a brother. Even a mother might forsake a child, but never the Lord. When He is near, there's joy. There's a song in the night. There's peace when the enemy rages. There's a strong arm to hold and comfort. God is good. His banner over me is love.

Jesussaves,

How right on you are! The Lord will often allow us to sink to unfathomable depths, but only to make us more reliant on Him, and closer to Him. Right where He wants us. And yes, He will never abandon us or forsake us. He is always there, wether we see it or not, He is our Creator, our God, Our Savior, and our Shepherd.

May all creation praise His Holy name!!!

In His Love,

Bro John

[ginakay]

I have still had this on my mind. All your thoughts on this are very interesting and revealing. As to the two thoughts, one mininster saying we should be part of a community of believers and the other saying we will almost surely feel alone--I see something of the truth in both of them. We are told not to forsake assembling together. We are told that where two or three are gathered he will be in our midst. We do know that the scripture speaks of the community of believers at the various churches. I think the churches we attended helped us raise our sons BIG TIME.

On the other hand, I also have seen, and felt it myself , that the church can sometimes seem like the lonliest place. Especially if you are really hungering for the Lord and others seem to find that odd.

You know how Yeshua had crowds that he taught, then there were the 12 who he revealed more of himself to. Then there were two or three that he called aside for even closer communion and to be with him. Perhaps its like that now. The larger church body IS his children but of that group how many are willing and eager to be called apart, or even to be called intimately apart. Just some thoughts on why some feel the "lonliness" of this intimate calling apart.

But it does not nullify Yeshua's love of the church 'mulitude'.

Just a thought.

[dwinkjr]

The only thing that has kept me going at times is the realization when i think i am down the most and walking alone it is really then that God is carrying me.

God Bless,

Dave

And Trav and everyone else God carried me to Worthy and dropped me off so we could keep each other company

[tsth]

Dear Cats,

The link I was talking about, is at the beginning of this topic. It sort of describes the "vibes" in our church. I have to say that although our church did not go great guns into the PDL movement, this weird spirit of change came into it nevertheless. It was this seeker friendly change that made it surfacely evident that our church had sold out. We were a fundamentally sound, doctrinely sound, family, country church.....then out of the blue, our pastor got the building bug, and everything changed in order to "Bring em in!" Bible Lotto, Longnecks?(ref. to cokes), everything that began to hint of the world, to bring em in. Loud rock type music, colored lights, darkened sanctuary, (started to look more like a bar than a church) It was the strangest thing we'd ever witnessed. You could actually observe a "spirit" of something else move into our church. It FELT terrible. It was as if I could understand the OT references to her becoming a harlot. We became something that didn't make sense? A couple of weeks ago, I had my 10 year old son asking about the reference in our church bulletin to "Bible Lotto"? How do you explain these things to your child, when they've been taught that we do not condone gambling or lotteries, yet our church felt comfortable enough to partner it with the Bible? There was no "actual" gambling or anything of that sort, it was just even the implication of it that bothered us.

We noticed that the focus shifted...............it became about what pleased the congregation or the community to get them in, rather than what pleased God, or the "worship" of God.

It became about how creative can we be? How talented can we be? How versatile can we be? etc......How many different programs can we offer?

I shake my head, and wonder.................What happened to the Word of God and the teachings of it?

Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

We forget that part of the great commission, now days.

It doesn't say, go and make disciples and "entertain" them, it says "teach" them!

(Anyway, here's that link again cats)

http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/04/4-purpose-resisters.htm

In His Love,

Suzanne

[tsth]

When did the Word of God cease being sufficient for us?

(Bob, I hope you see this, because I think it's in essence what you are trying to get at in the other thread?)

In His Love,

Suzanne

[tsth]

Speaking of lonely.

In His Love,

Suzanne