Lockdown the church of God NEVER

[Sower]

1 hour ago, Jostler said:

I suppose time will tell.  Churchianity is dead and most of those big beautiful buildings are the product of kingdoms of men, and the church was NEVER intended to take on a form where a few stars did all the ministry while the rest sit and stare at the back of each other's heads.

We've built beautiful air castles with flashy neon signs and then run into them and slammed the doors in the faces of those He longs to save....and it's coming to an end.  He is about to sweep His foundation clean and build HIS church.

Those who cling to tradition and their old wine and old wine skins will not be used to move with Him in His plans to close out this age. 

(and good riddance....i won't be shedding a single tear for a religious system that has caused His Name to be blasphemed among those He longs to reach and save)

It is hard for me to respond as a Christian to what you wrote, Jostler, with these heavy emotions within me.
Instead, I will lift up my church family, my real family you know NOTHING ABOUT, and all the other bodies of Christ,
church families,  in prayer to the Lord.

Ephesians 4:15-16

but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

1 Corinthians 12:25-26

so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

Ephesians 4:25

Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE of you WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another.

Ephesians 5:29-30

for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, because we are members of His body.

Colossians 3:15

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.

[Jostler]

2 minutes ago, Sower said:

It is hard for me to respond as a Christian to what you wrote, Jostler, with these heavy emotions within me.
Instead, I will lift up my church family, my real family you know NOTHING ABOUT, and all the other bodies of Christ,
church families,  in prayer to the Lord.

Ephesians 4:15-16

but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

1 Corinthians 12:25-26

so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

Ephesians 4:25

Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE of you WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another.

Ephesians 5:29-30

for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, because we are members of His body.

Colossians 3:15

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.

the Body, the Church by His definition is not a building, denomination or a ministry.  If your conscience was pricked it was not by me because that post was composed without you, the organization you prize or any other specific group in mind.  The current structures and institutions that really are serving His Kingdom will be fine.  If you're in one of those, i am glad for you.  You bring up Scripture "that there may be no division" IN THE BODY.....and that is just about ALL churchianity has to its miserable legacy.  The passages you quote are in themselves a condemnation of what He is in the process of destroying.

If that post angered you, you might want to dig into the real reason for it. 

[Neighbor]

4 hours ago, vic66 said:

Should christian close down fellowship for months

Because of social isolation of unsaved secular leaders?.

More than ever the preaching of the  gospel  needs to be heard as ten thousands are being slain and many more to come.

 

Hi Vic,

Yes Christians should obey the leaders of government. God commands us to do so. But the buildings are not us, we are the church, we are not closed down.

Even as many hunker down in isolation, like prisoners of war let's tap our water cups on the walls so to speak.  We hold mirrors out our cell bars to see each other, as well as those that do not yet know Jesus as their Lord. Many are sharing of our Lord with a bold fierceness few of us have under more normal circumstances.

This is a time of great privilege! Time to work out how to share one with another, to encourage, to pray with and for each other, and to meet like never before, on Facebook, on youtube, on Zoom.

What a wonderful array of gospel tracts the archived and livestream sermons and prayer meetings make! !!!

Send notices to everyone on  one's own e-mail address book, share of sermon times, worship music times, home study times, prayer meeting times. Call family and friends, tell them of the links you have sent, ask them if they saw the music or sermon, ask what they thought of it, etc. 

The body has something going on that is encouragement every day, every day, like never before in my lifetime.

This horror  this plaque is also quite grand. I am so involved in studies and in sharing and prayer that I am encouraged, my very soul  sings out, even at home. I stand and I sing worship with an enthuism and new found awareness. It is wondrous.

Praise God! 

[Wayne222]

12 minutes ago, Jostler said:

the Body, the Church by His definition is not a building, denomination or a ministry.  If your conscience was pricked it was not by me because that post was composed without you, the organization you prize or any other specific group in mind.  The current structures and institutions that really are serving His Kingdom will be fine.  If you're in one of those, i am glad for you.  You bring up Scripture "that there may be no division" IN THE BODY.....and that is just about ALL churchianity has to its miserable legacy.  The passages you quote are in themselves a condemnation of what He is in the process of destroying.

If that post angered you, you might want to dig into the real reason for it. 

Anyone knows the building is not the church. We call the building a church because that's the meeting place of the church. You are bitter against the people of God. Maybe because the body of christ is not perfect and Christian's still sin. We are to help a Christian who falls to sin like paul wrote and said we should be careful we dont fall ourselves. 

[LadyKay]

Hold on. Is this the same poster I got into an argument with because they refuse to follow social distancing in their other post? 

[Sower]

1 hour ago, Jostler said:

the Body, the Church by His definition is not a building, denomination or a ministry.  If your conscience was pricked it was not by me because that post was composed without you, the organization you prize or any other specific group in mind.  The current structures and institutions that really are serving His Kingdom will be fine.  If you're in one of those, i am glad for you.  You bring up Scripture "that there may be no division" IN THE BODY.....and that is just about ALL churchianity has to its miserable legacy.  The passages you quote are in themselves a condemnation of what He is in the process of destroying.

If that post angered you, you might want to dig into the real reason for it. 

"If that post angered you, you might want to dig into the real reason for it."
You already knew I would be angered, as others would also be, when you posted it, and I believe you relish in it, and congratulate yourself.
I prefer to try to build up, to edify, to be my part in the body, the body I fellowship with.
I have only had one church family for forty years, but every other church I have known from friends or visiting
for revivals or events etc,has been a God fearing Jesus Christ and Him crucified church, preaching the true gospel.
I don't know where you have received such vehemence toward the bodies of the called out ones.
You won't find perfection out there, so why not serve as your part in the body God has called you to.
Your absence will hurt that body. You could build them up with your scriptural knowledge.
It might just be the little bit that tips the scales toward a body that would be pleasing to the Lord.


              "and good riddance....i won't be shedding a single tear"

PS. Chances are Jostler, you, and most all those here, were saved in or due to one of those old traditional organized
brick encased churches filled with God's called out ones that fellowship there.  Your brothers and sisters!

 

[BeauJangles]

3 hours ago, other one said:

I agree these threads are getting distressing....

Thank you, brother. Yes, they are. Looking forward to something more edifying for all. 

[warrior12]

4 hours ago, Jostler said:

I suppose time will tell.  Churchianity is dead and most of those big beautiful buildings are the product of kingdoms of men, and the church was NEVER intended to take on a form where a few stars did all the ministry while the rest sit and stare at the back of each other's heads.

We've built beautiful air castles with flashy neon signs and then run into them and slammed the doors in the faces of those He longs to save....and it's coming to an end.  He is about to sweep His foundation clean and build HIS church.

Those who cling to tradition and their old wine and old wine skins will not be used to move with Him in His plans to close out this age. 

(and good riddance....i won't be shedding a single tear for a religious system that has caused His Name to be blasphemed among those He longs to reach and save)

My brother, that is the plot of the devil.  He hates the word and wants the saints to not congregate .  There is absolutely nothing wrong with the church that is built of brick and mortar as a meeting place for men to gather and worship.  It is what each man brings with him when he comes there is what counts and that is his heart. His heart has to be right and he has to be humble in knowing why he is there.  If he pastors and ministers are corrupt as the haters of the church seems to be bashing, then they will have their judgement on that day.  Just  make sure your heart is in right standing with Christ.

Edit ... My reply here is not to support assembling at church at this time, it is just the opposite.

            This reply is for those that see the church as irrelevant and corrupt.

 Isaiah 66 King James Version (KJV)

² For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

Edited March 30, 2020 by warrior12

[R. Hartono]

In ancient Hebrew story when they lived in the desert, God commanded people with health or cleanliness issues to quarantine or separate themselves from people, its weird some christians think they are better than those Hebrew. We hv the same God.

[Willa]

Mat 4:6  and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, "'He will command his angels concerning you,' and "'On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.'"

Mat 4:7  Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'"

We are also supposed to obey civil authorities.  I am a vulnerable part of the population--75 with COPD and diabetes.  A person in their 30s with a very mild infection who goes to church could easily kill me if they sat behind me and especially if they coughed or shook my hand.  So I shelter in place, wear a mask and gloves when I pick up groceries.  I have only seen 2 other people do this.