My Last Ditch Effort

[Underd0g]

We know that Satan sets snares for Christians and that these are often triggered by those who have not improved much from walking in the flesh to walking by the spirit. Additionally most church traditions have come down to us as mechanical processing systems rather than the relational mentorship church was supposed to be.

Many today find most churches impoverished as to how to help Christians mature in their faith. Many are even confused about what faith is. This leaves individual Christians seeking the internet and churches to find a nugget or two of truth here or there.

Forums are one way to get additional information, but one has to be prepared to suffer the slings and arrows of outraged posters.

God knew that the Christian world would eventually succumb to the wiles of Satan. For now those who can still see clearly can offer to help those attempting to come out of the fog.

Thanks for that. I'll be coming back and back to it and thinking about it.

 

[Underd0g]

I'm attending a Calvary Chapel, and it is a good church. No, I'm not sending my pastor's email, you'll have to take my word for it.

I don't see internet forums as a way to have the Christian fellowship and mentoring that helps us to grow. Personal fellowship with other believers is what we need.

1 Peter 5:1-3 KJV
1) The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:
2) Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
3) Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.

JP Green translates this passage this way:

1 Peter 5:1-3 LITV
1) I, a fellow elder, exhort the elders among you, I being also witness of the sufferings of Christ, and being sharer of the glory about to be revealed:
2) Shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight, not by compulsion, but willingly; nor eagerly for base gain, but readily;
3) nor as exercising lordship over the ones allotted to you, but becoming examples of the flock.

I think this is telling us that God puts us where He wants us, and that He put me in my present church, and I'm to do my best there. Maybe you are in the church you are in so that you can help others to grow. I think it works both ways, we both give and receive from each other.

Much love!

I understand and sympathize with this sentiment.
It's largely how we lived our lives.
However, I will never know where you draw your lines.

 

[Underd0g]

Mat 18:19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Mat 18:17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.

Mat 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Mat 24:50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
Mat 24:51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

2Ti 3:4 lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
2Ti 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
2Ti 3:7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

People need to stop blaming the Church.

For the gates of hell cannot prevail against the Church.

And the hypocrites do not belong to the Church.

So their hypocrisy cannot corrupt the Church for they do not belong to the Church.

The only people that belong to the Church is the people that are led of the Spirit acting Christlike.

There is many hypocrites but that does not affect the Church.

Say many people claiming Christianity are hypocritical and corrupt.

Do not say Church.

I will just use this post as an example of what I am talking about.

 

[ResidentAlien]

The reason for this thread is that I am on a quest.
I have been looking for Christians who have had similar experiences to mine and have come to the same conclusions. Hopefully, to find people who walk in the same spirit as me, and to be able to support and encourage each other.

I will give you these two scriptures and let you research, pray, and meditate for more on your own. I know the whole thing about "there is no such thing as a perfect church" and "the church is a hospital for sinners", and "if you find the perfect church, don't join it because then it won't be perfect". Please avoid all the cliches and stereotypes.
Matthew 5:48 and Ephesians 5:27 are just a few reasons I pursue perfection. I won't copy and paste scriptures for you. Those tactics are fruitless. I doubt many people go through those lists.
I know what people think about perfection, but that shouldn't preclude them from acting beyond reproach as God's Spirit prompts them.

It occurred to me that maybe, since the church is basically corrupt and too ill to walk with God, in my view, there is a faction of people who are still committed to waiting out this spirit of evil that has taken over the organized body of religion, hoping for revival. They obey the scriptures of meeting with "believers" until the true believers can figure out how to identify each other and become serious about the calling that Christ has placed on their lives.

I recently interacted with a "bishop" of the new Global Methodist Church. He left what he calls the evil of the United Methodist Church to begin this brand new denomination. The people starting this new "moral" church are the same people who allowed the old denomination to become corrupt financially and sexually.
He insisted that I should be a part of an organized church, preferably the GMC (Because it is of the John Wesley tradition. He loves the word "tribe".), and obey the chain of command and bureaucracy.

He never explained how denominations relate to 1 Corinthians 1:12.

In other words, they used to belong to the true church when the UMC used to be healthy, and let it become evil, and now they belong to the new, healthy church. I guess if that church is recognized as bad, they will start a new healthy church, and on and on.

It reminds me of when I was accused of being a church butterfly by people who, years later, left their churches.

So, does anybody here belong to a healthy church? I have never met anyone who doesn't think poorly of and make excuses for their own churches.
The church where I got saved, the pastor patted me on the back, and that was the extent of my discipleship.

The counsel I have received here on this site is that I am just looking for someone to blame for my personal problems, so I've already heard that. We will call that "Stereotype #1" to save time. Just post Stereotype #1 and don't make me read anything more. I've heard it all.

Here were my church choices over the past 50-some years:

1) A married junior pastor who seduced the married women he was supposed to be counseling.
2) A senior pastor who covered up a junior pastor seducing women he was supposed to be counseling and let him start a new church instead of calling the police.
3) That same junior pastor, starting a new congregation with my friends.
4) Me and my wife attending this church, recognizing something was amiss because the pastor was running the church on his personality and not the Spirit of God, and leaving this church.
5) My friends deriding us for leaving because we had no "evidence" of wrongdoing.
6) My "friends" discovering the truth about the pastor and ignoring what they said to and about us.
7) Us finding a church with another pastor being adulterous.
8) Us finding and leaving another church running on the personality of the pastor, which fell apart years later.
9) Us finding a church with a private school for our children. The school admittedly hired teachers out of a sense of ministry. One teacher had severe mental issues, but the school overall was incompetent and allowed cheating and misbehavior. We left that church. The school fell apart, and the principal of the school acknowledged we were right, only years later, and the pastor had fired her in the meantime for trying to clean it up.
10) Churches that wouldn't address grievances or follow Matthew 18. They didn't allow or deal with dissent.
11) Churches that allowed cliques, gossip, backbiting, destroying of relationships, etc...
12) Churches that allowed shacking up.
13) Embezzlement.
14) Extreme materialism with the pastor.
15) Definite racism.
16) A promise that their church wasn't a Word of Faith church, and then the next Sunday, being told by the pastor about a man who didn't want to tithe because of financial hardship, tithed anyway, and that next year, bought a recreational vehicle. The pastor then told the congregation that if they started tithing, he would return their money if things didn't go well for them.
17) Churches where members don't even try to understand the Bible.
18) Parents with children who had severe mental and physical retardation, being encouraged to put as much money as they could into large Kentucky Fried Chicken buckets to prove their faith and get their children healed.
19) "Christians" in my family telling us about gold dust falling from the ceiling and miracles occurring in groups like "Women Aglow". Prophets, prophetesses, prophecies, words of knowledge, tongues, and interpretations, phony gold tooth miracles, other false miracles, false teachings, declarations of demonic possession and deliverances, declarations of healings without evidence,
20) Witnessing ministries like Jehovah's Witnesses, Joel Osteen, Mormonism, The PTL Club, Charisma Magazine, The Christian Broadcast Network, Paul Crouch and the Trinity Broadcasting Network, more Charismatic preachers than you can shake a stick at, and on and on... The point being, they thrive while barely being challenged.
21) Most recently, a church that rejected my appeal for a very MINOR bit of help with my wife, who has dementia. No "Christian" in our ten years of dealing with dementia has ever asked what my wife is experiencing or made a serious attempt at finding out if they can help. They do, however, ask how she is. They are satisfied when I say, "She's in good spirits." I never say anything different, and no one has noticed.
The closest they come to telling me they would like to help is that they aren't good at texting. (In a text.)

At this site, Christian Chat, I only see vain arguments, quarrels, and members talking past each other in petty pursuits. I don't see resolution or communication, much less a body working together. If there is anyone here looking for solutions, I haven't found them. Just page after page of blather.
I guess this is my last-ditch effort, hoping that word can get around and maybe I can find one or two people who can relate. You would have to repent of being a member here.
Maybe I'll get banned. If I do, I'll have my answer.


The first person who says, "I'm sorry for the things you've gone through", will be called out for not reading this post seriously. I'm not looking for sympathy; I'm looking for Christians who agree. I won't fight. If you tell me you belong to a healthy church, I will require you to give me the email of your pastor, or I will call you out for being a liar and a hypocrite. We can figure out a way to privately exchange emails.

"I'm sorry for what you've gone through" can be "Sterotype #2."

"I'm praying for you" is "Stereotype #3".
I don't need to know you are praying for me. Pray in private. God knows when you ask something of Him and what you pray for daily. If you use this stereotype, just know that I am picturing you with your thumbs under your armpits, flapping your elbows as everyone online reads that you "care".

I'm looking for people who have the creativity that comes from God.
Spoiler alert: You will most probably have years of journaling things that never get discussed in church or even in public. You will have plenty of anecdotes of your own. You will have solutions in mind as you read this.

I UNDERSTAND WHY YOU GO ALONG TO GET ALONG IN THE "CHURCH" AND HAVEN'T KNOWN WHAT TO DO!!

You need to start your own congregation.

 

[Eli1]

I'm so fatigued. I had to enlist a hospice group a couple of weeks ago.
Donna was the one who understood everything I said, and that hasn't been for ten years.
I was delighted this morning because I could lead her into the kitchen and share a blueberry muffin while standing.
I had no one to share that with.

Are you in a hospice my friend? Or are you going there to help other people?

 

[Just_A__Follower]

The reason for this thread is that I am on a quest.
I have been looking for Christians who have had similar experiences to mine and have come to the same conclusions. Hopefully, to find people who walk in the same spirit as me, and to be able to support and encourage each other.

I will give you these two scriptures and let you research, pray, and meditate for more on your own. I know the whole thing about "there is no such thing as a perfect church" and "the church is a hospital for sinners", and "if you find the perfect church, don't join it because then it won't be perfect". Please avoid all the cliches and stereotypes.
Matthew 5:48 and Ephesians 5:27 are just a few reasons I pursue perfection. I won't copy and paste scriptures for you. Those tactics are fruitless. I doubt many people go through those lists.
I know what people think about perfection, but that shouldn't preclude them from acting beyond reproach as God's Spirit prompts them.

It occurred to me that maybe, since the church is basically corrupt and too ill to walk with God, in my view, there is a faction of people who are still committed to waiting out this spirit of evil that has taken over the organized body of religion, hoping for revival. They obey the scriptures of meeting with "believers" until the true believers can figure out how to identify each other and become serious about the calling that Christ has placed on their lives.

I recently interacted with a "bishop" of the new Global Methodist Church. He left what he calls the evil of the United Methodist Church to begin this brand new denomination. The people starting this new "moral" church are the same people who allowed the old denomination to become corrupt financially and sexually.
He insisted that I should be a part of an organized church, preferably the GMC (Because it is of the John Wesley tradition. He loves the word "tribe".), and obey the chain of command and bureaucracy.

He never explained how denominations relate to 1 Corinthians 1:12.

In other words, they used to belong to the true church when the UMC used to be healthy, and let it become evil, and now they belong to the new, healthy church. I guess if that church is recognized as bad, they will start a new healthy church, and on and on.

It reminds me of when I was accused of being a church butterfly by people who, years later, left their churches.

So, does anybody here belong to a healthy church? I have never met anyone who doesn't think poorly of and make excuses for their own churches.
The church where I got saved, the pastor patted me on the back, and that was the extent of my discipleship.

The counsel I have received here on this site is that I am just looking for someone to blame for my personal problems, so I've already heard that. We will call that "Stereotype #1" to save time. Just post Stereotype #1 and don't make me read anything more. I've heard it all.

Here were my church choices over the past 50-some years:

1) A married junior pastor who seduced the married women he was supposed to be counseling.
2) A senior pastor who covered up a junior pastor seducing women he was supposed to be counseling and let him start a new church instead of calling the police.
3) That same junior pastor, starting a new congregation with my friends.
4) Me and my wife attending this church, recognizing something was amiss because the pastor was running the church on his personality and not the Spirit of God, and leaving this church.
5) My friends deriding us for leaving because we had no "evidence" of wrongdoing.
6) My "friends" discovering the truth about the pastor and ignoring what they said to and about us.
7) Us finding a church with another pastor being adulterous.
8) Us finding and leaving another church running on the personality of the pastor, which fell apart years later.
9) Us finding a church with a private school for our children. The school admittedly hired teachers out of a sense of ministry. One teacher had severe mental issues, but the school overall was incompetent and allowed cheating and misbehavior. We left that church. The school fell apart, and the principal of the school acknowledged we were right, only years later, and the pastor had fired her in the meantime for trying to clean it up.
10) Churches that wouldn't address grievances or follow Matthew 18. They didn't allow or deal with dissent.
11) Churches that allowed cliques, gossip, backbiting, destroying of relationships, etc...
12) Churches that allowed shacking up.
13) Embezzlement.
14) Extreme materialism with the pastor.
15) Definite racism.
16) A promise that their church wasn't a Word of Faith church, and then the next Sunday, being told by the pastor about a man who didn't want to tithe because of financial hardship, tithed anyway, and that next year, bought a recreational vehicle. The pastor then told the congregation that if they started tithing, he would return their money if things didn't go well for them.
17) Churches where members don't even try to understand the Bible.
18) Parents with children who had severe mental and physical retardation, being encouraged to put as much money as they could into large Kentucky Fried Chicken buckets to prove their faith and get their children healed.
19) "Christians" in my family telling us about gold dust falling from the ceiling and miracles occurring in groups like "Women Aglow". Prophets, prophetesses, prophecies, words of knowledge, tongues, and interpretations, phony gold tooth miracles, other false miracles, false teachings, declarations of demonic possession and deliverances, declarations of healings without evidence,
20) Witnessing ministries like Jehovah's Witnesses, Joel Osteen, Mormonism, The PTL Club, Charisma Magazine, The Christian Broadcast Network, Paul Crouch and the Trinity Broadcasting Network, more Charismatic preachers than you can shake a stick at, and on and on... The point being, they thrive while barely being challenged.
21) Most recently, a church that rejected my appeal for a very MINOR bit of help with my wife, who has dementia. No "Christian" in our ten years of dealing with dementia has ever asked what my wife is experiencing or made a serious attempt at finding out if they can help. They do, however, ask how she is. They are satisfied when I say, "She's in good spirits." I never say anything different, and no one has noticed.
The closest they come to telling me they would like to help is that they aren't good at texting. (In a text.)

At this site, Christian Chat, I only see vain arguments, quarrels, and members talking past each other in petty pursuits. I don't see resolution or communication, much less a body working together. If there is anyone here looking for solutions, I haven't found them. Just page after page of blather.
I guess this is my last-ditch effort, hoping that word can get around and maybe I can find one or two people who can relate. You would have to repent of being a member here.
Maybe I'll get banned. If I do, I'll have my answer.


The first person who says, "I'm sorry for the things you've gone through", will be called out for not reading this post seriously. I'm not looking for sympathy; I'm looking for Christians who agree. I won't fight. If you tell me you belong to a healthy church, I will require you to give me the email of your pastor, or I will call you out for being a liar and a hypocrite. We can figure out a way to privately exchange emails.

"I'm sorry for what you've gone through" can be "Sterotype #2."

"I'm praying for you" is "Stereotype #3".
I don't need to know you are praying for me. Pray in private. God knows when you ask something of Him and what you pray for daily. If you use this stereotype, just know that I am picturing you with your thumbs under your armpits, flapping your elbows as everyone online reads that you "care".

I'm looking for people who have the creativity that comes from God.
Spoiler alert: You will most probably have years of journaling things that never get discussed in church or even in public. You will have plenty of anecdotes of your own. You will have solutions in mind as you read this.

I UNDERSTAND WHY YOU GO ALONG TO GET ALONG IN THE "CHURCH" AND HAVEN'T KNOWN WHAT TO DO!!

You seem upset. Your issue may be that you’re not looking for His church. His church is full of imperfect people. It seems you’re looking for people that agree with you. Not two people on this earth will agree with each other on everything. There is only one church. I guess you could always start your own denomination.

You mentioned John Wesley and being perfect. The problem with being perfect is that we are all different so if you believe you are perfect, then you must also believe that all others are imperfect since they are different. So you will go through life looking for your clone. Your clone doesn’t exist.

 

[2ndTimeIsTheCharm]

You and @Eli1 have been a comfort to me lately. I saw that he had read our interactions just before I posted this.
It heartened me a bit.

I'm so fatigued. I had to enlist a hospice group a couple of weeks ago.
Donna was the one who understood everything I said, and that hasn't been for ten years.
I was delighted this morning because I could lead her into the kitchen and share a blueberry muffin while standing.
I had no one to share that with.

I have a solution I'm working on. If someone is in conflict, maybe they can explain their issues to someone who has a relationship with the other in the conflict and explain it to them.
People act differently when they are in the presence of someone they care what they think of them.
It's a work in progress.

I have appreciated you. Thanks for noticing me. ....Eeyore.

My parents are in their late 80s. I really adore them abd pray God lets me enjoy them for another 10 or so years. So far God has granted my request, and I so appreciate God's kindness and generosity in this, so I completely understand your joy over your wife!

For me, the way I see the church situation is that we have entered the last days and the great falling away has already started and is fully underway.

I notice that a lot of God's people are leaving their churches and are unable to find any good ones. It could be that God is calling us out for a reason.

As you know, in the last days, there will be a one-world religion that God doesn't want us to be a part of. Those churches who've lost their way are going to be a part of that one-world religion.

I think God will find a way for His people to still gather in His name, but it won't be something the one-world religion can take away from us. We just have to wait and see how He does it.


🕊

 

[homwardbound]

So, does anybody here belong to a healthy church? I have never met anyone who doesn't think poorly of and make excuses for their own churches.

The only true Church, is not a Church is "the Ecclesia" as was first used in the Greek letters written by the disciples. that got changed to the word Church in English, which in Greek means building, they changed the word Ecclesia to Church.
The word Ecclesia means "Called out one's"

The true Ecclesia are in Heaven from Heaven and serve Heaven with Father living in us presently, daily for us to learn and not be abused, accused or excused. I serve a loving and merciful God that loves us all, whether or not anyone still does wrong, since there is no perfect person or church here on earth as I hear your post tells me you see this too
Hebrews 8:1-4 is the true Ecclesia. God loves us all and continues to, even in everyone's reprobate mindsets. The trust of God is for each to see in response to God's love and mercy to all as he did first by Son for all first. John 13:34 to see that and willingly respond to do that as a response, not as a law anymore , thanks. now Upholding Law as good and best for us to standing trust to God over it all.
Ecclesia Church is not here on earth, even though is presented as is by flesh and blood, that act like actors on Tv and movies. The new in truth has come. First the death was for reconciliation to us all first. 2 Cor 5:16-20 Noting we once knew Christ in the flesh, today no more. Which to me means now only in spirit and Truth John 4:23-24
Since Son Jesus said that not one stone will be left on top of the other. That happened in AD 70. Now we get to see we are called by God personally each to love all, even those that do us or even others wrong. How? Only by trust to God to teach us how. we then take no credit to the self anymore.
What how can I not stop others from doing. wrong by Loving them. That does not mean I am to not stop anyone harming anyone else in front of me. I have and will and do as led righteously by God through me, you will too, once decided to trust God alone as in 1 John 2:27.

that is where discernment steps in. to God's children Matthew 10:16-20 putting on the armor of God Eph 6, and seeing Ecclesiastes
There is a time for everything. God knows, so trust Father of in risen Son and be for, willing for God to lead through us each personally in love God's type. not this world church type
World's type as you have experienced 1 Cor 13:1-3
God's true love to work through us each is 1 Cor 13:4-7 which in truth can by God only be imputed to each person individually, by God only, no one else.
Yes it is great, well to gather together and learn from one another. best though is to take all to Father, Daddy, PaPa in prayer and trust to learn truth over error, even if that takes years. continued trust to Father over everything else frees people personally, has me and I am not boastful over it, Elated to God for it and all others Father reveals this truth to too
God is not a vending machine, you put in and get out. God put in Son for s to be new in the truth in love to all, regardless of all the garbage going on.
To me I see to get out of this world we each live here in and be not of this world anymore. and just love in the same love and mercy of Son first for all, not a few, all.
Again true Church, Ecclesia is in Heaven with Son as risen for us to see new in truth and love all as called as God does as shown in Son going willingly to flesh death. where new life from Father gets installed and we are given new life, taking no credit from one to the other or giving credit from self to others. Only to God in risen Son for us all.
As Hebrews 8:1 begins this his the sum of what we have spoken of.

To see I have righteousness given me. To know it is not mine, it is God's love and mercy of Son for us all tom earn Luke 21:14-17
T be out of the way for Father's perfect work of love for us all. To respond to, not create anything new or act like one is better than others ever. It is the forgiveness gvien that saves as in Luke 18:9-14 who got justified in those verses, not the supposed righteous ones!

Thank you for your post in asking. and wanting to know God personally, seeing to not purposely harm anyone even self ever again
You will earn, god sticks with us all like glue, ready to reach anyone new in his way of true love for all, no one better than anyone else ever in Father's sight renewing my mind daily to see this amazing grace, glorying in adversities too.

 

[Underd0g]

You need to start your own congregation.

Stereotype #4

 

[Underd0g]

Are you in a hospice my friend? Or are you going there to help other people?

My wife has had early-onset FTD since 2016.
I have never had in-home nursing or used respite services.
Long story as to why.

 

[Underd0g]

You seem upset. Your issue may be that you’re not looking for His church. His church is full of imperfect people. It seems you’re looking for people that agree with you. Not two people on this earth will agree with each other on everything. There is only one church. I guess you could always start your own denomination.

You mentioned John Wesley and being perfect. The problem with being perfect is that we are all different so if you believe you are perfect, then you must also believe that all others are imperfect since they are different. So you will go through life looking for your clone. Your clone doesn’t exist.

I want you to know that I read your reply, but you are missing the point.
I can't really explain without feeling obligated to go into it with others as well.

 

[Eli1]

My wife has had early-onset FTD since 2016.
I have never had in-home nursing or used respite services.
Long story as to why.

May God give you strength and may He send her and you all His love in a way so you both know and understand.
There are no words in these situations. Big hugs and know that Christ promised us He will return!
I lost someone dear to me too and i'm also worried that i may not be able to forgive my cousin but one day at a time.
Christ in front of me and i follow day by day.

 

[Underd0g]

My parents are in their late 80s. I really adore them abd pray God lets me enjoy them for another 10 or so years. So far God has granted my request, and I so appreciate God's kindness and generosity in this, so I completely understand your joy over your wife!

For me, the way I see the church situation is that we have entered the last days and the great falling away has already started and is fully underway.

I notice that a lot of God's people are leaving their churches and are unable to find any good ones. It could be that God is calling us out for a reason.

As you know, in the last days, there will be a one-world religion that God doesn't want us to be a part of. Those churches who've lost their way are going to be a part of that one-world religion.

I think God will find a way for His people to still gather in His name, but it won't be something the one-world religion can take away from us. We just have to wait and see how He does it.


🕊

See? That's why I like you. Too bad there isn't a way to personal message, but I figured it would be inappropriate anyway.
I wanted to thank you for showing me a truth that I have been resistant to.
Maybe someday.

Just be satisfied knowing I am less judgmental because of your posts.

 

[Underd0g]

The only true Church, is not a Church is "the Ecclesia" as was first used in the Greek letters written by the disciples. that got changed to the word Church in English, which in Greek means building, they changed the word Ecclesia to Church.
The word Ecclesia means "Called out one's"

The true Ecclesia are in Heaven from Heaven and serve Heaven with Father living in us presently, daily for us to learn and not be abused, accused or excused. I serve a loving and merciful God that loves us all, whether or not anyone still does wrong, since there is no perfect person or church here on earth as I hear your post tells me you see this too
Hebrews 8:1-4 is the true Ecclesia. God loves us all and continues to, even in everyone's reprobate mindsets. The trust of God is for each to see in response to God's love and mercy to all as he did first by Son for all first. John 13:34 to see that and willingly respond to do that as a response, not as a law anymore , thanks. now Upholding Law as good and best for us to standing trust to God over it all.
Ecclesia Church is not here on earth, even though is presented as is by flesh and blood, that act like actors on Tv and movies. The new in truth has come. First the death was for reconciliation to us all first. 2 Cor 5:16-20 Noting we once knew Christ in the flesh, today no more. Which to me means now only in spirit and Truth John 4:23-24
Since Son Jesus said that not one stone will be left on top of the other. That happened in AD 70. Now we get to see we are called by God personally each to love all, even those that do us or even others wrong. How? Only by trust to God to teach us how. we then take no credit to the self anymore.
What how can I not stop others from doing. wrong by Loving them. That does not mean I am to not stop anyone harming anyone else in front of me. I have and will and do as led righteously by God through me, you will too, once decided to trust God alone as in 1 John 2:27.

that is where discernment steps in. to God's children Matthew 10:16-20 putting on the armor of God Eph 6, and seeing Ecclesiastes
There is a time for everything. God knows, so trust Father of in risen Son and be for, willing for God to lead through us each personally in love God's type. not this world church type
World's type as you have experienced 1 Cor 13:1-3
God's true love to work through us each is 1 Cor 13:4-7 which in truth can by God only be imputed to each person individually, by God only, no one else.
Yes it is great, well to gather together and learn from one another. best though is to take all to Father, Daddy, PaPa in prayer and trust to learn truth over error, even if that takes years. continued trust to Father over everything else frees people personally, has me and I am not boastful over it, Elated to God for it and all others Father reveals this truth to too
God is not a vending machine, you put in and get out. God put in Son for s to be new in the truth in love to all, regardless of all the garbage going on.
To me I see to get out of this world we each live here in and be not of this world anymore. and just love in the same love and mercy of Son first for all, not a few, all.
Again true Church, Ecclesia is in Heaven with Son as risen for us to see new in truth and love all as called as God does as shown in Son going willingly to flesh death. where new life from Father gets installed and we are given new life, taking no credit from one to the other or giving credit from self to others. Only to God in risen Son for us all.
As Hebrews 8:1 begins this his the sum of what we have spoken of.

To see I have righteousness given me. To know it is not mine, it is God's love and mercy of Son for us all tom earn Luke 21:14-17
T be out of the way for Father's perfect work of love for us all. To respond to, not create anything new or act like one is better than others ever. It is the forgiveness gvien that saves as in Luke 18:9-14 who got justified in those verses, not the supposed righteous ones!

Thank you for your post in asking. and wanting to know God personally, seeing to not purposely harm anyone even self ever again
You will earn, god sticks with us all like glue, ready to reach anyone new in his way of true love for all, no one better than anyone else ever in Father's sight renewing my mind daily to see this amazing grace, glorying in adversities too.

That is so many words.
I appreciate the effort, but I don't have the mental capacity to follow it all.
If you could compress the heart of what you're saying, then I'll give that a try.

 

[homwardbound]

That is so many words.
I appreciate the effort, but I don't have the mental capacity to follow it all.
If you could compress the heart of what you're saying, then I'll give that a try.

"God simply just loves you" your turn to respond, thank you to God not me

 

[Underd0g]

May God give you strength and may He send her and you all His love in a way so you both know and understand.
There are no words in these situations. Big hugs and know that Christ promised us He will return!
I lost someone dear to me too and i'm also worried that i may not be able to forgive my cousin but one day at a time.
Christ in front of me and i follow day by day.

You are definitely growing on me.
"There are no words in these situations"... indeed.

 

[Underd0g]

"God simply just loves you" your turn to respond, thank you to God not me

Definitely a shorter message, but I couldn't understand it.
The grammar and punctuation mistakes make me think you copied and pasted your previous message to me.

 

[Just_A__Follower]

Definitely a shorter message, but I couldn't understand it.
The grammar and punctuation mistakes make me think you copied and pasted your previous message to me.

I believe what he said is this “God loves you, it is your turn to love Him back. Don’t thank me, thanks be to God”

Did I get that right @homwardbound?

 

[Aaron56]

This @Underd0g guy. I like him.

I've been a pilgrim in a strange land for over 20 years now. Our family left the Sunday-boxes when our daughters were young. Heck, I no longer use the label "Christian" to describe my faith because it was originally used as a Roman pejorative for believers in Christ. So, I'm weird like that.

I took the admonition to be the Spiritual Leader of our home seriously - displaying the heart of Our Father in Heaven to my wife and daughters in all matters. By this, God became alive to our kiddos through me and their mother. They could even tell us they thought we were wrong by appeal and you know what, sometimes I had to repent of my decisions or choices. Certainly God is NEVER wrong but I am often (and hopefully less so as I mature in Christ). Today, my wife and daughters go boldly into the throne room of God in their prayers and petitions. I know I had something to do with that.

I also gave up divisive politics the year Ross Perot ran for president. I saw, by my own political affiliation, that I could easily disregard about half of the population. Well, that was nonsense if God was sending me to people. So I had a Jonah-experience where God arrested my political proclivities.

Now, I am an elder in our area with spiritual children in 4 different states. I talk to all whom I watch over frequently. I travel to spend time with them and they do the same. Recently my wife and I purchased a larger house to accommodate more visitors. Our time with the spiritual children is organic- like a relationship. And isn't that what we're taught is Sunday School: that it's about a relationship with Christ? And yet, what is practiced from the pulpit is that a man is hired to hear Christ for you, on a particular day, at a particular time, with a message generalized to the greatest common denominator among the crowd, and no one can ask questions.

Nah, not the Family of God. He knows us personally and addresses us by name. Like how I know my children in the Lord and know them by name.

Any way, brother, your angst is real and there is a real reason for it. I know many people in the Lord who have similar concerns.

I appreciate your candor. I hope this encourages you.

Aaron56

P.S. I see you appreciate the input of @Eli1 and @2ndTimeIsTheCharm . I appreciate them too. And also the others who have chimed in. There are many things we agree on.

 

[Underd0g]

This @Underd0g guy. I like him.

I've been a pilgrim in a strange land for over 20 years now. Our family left the Sunday-boxes when our daughters were young. Heck, I no longer use the label "Christian" to describe my faith because it was originally used as a Roman pejorative for believers in Christ. So, I'm weird like that.

I took the admonition to be the Spiritual Leader of our home seriously - displaying the heart of Our Father in Heaven to my wife and daughters in all matters. By this, God became alive to our kiddos through me and their mother. They could even tell us they thought we were wrong by appeal and you know what, sometimes I had to repent of my decisions or choices. Certainly God is NEVER wrong but I am often (and hopefully less so as I mature in Christ). Today, my wife and daughters go boldly into the throne room of God in their prayers and petitions. I know I had something to do with that.

I also gave up divisive politics the year Ross Perot ran for president. I saw, by my own political affiliation, that I could easily disregard about half of the population. Well, that was nonsense if God was sending me to people. So I had a Jonah-experience where God arrested my political proclivities.

Now, I am an elder in our area with spiritual children in 4 different states. I talk to all whom I watch over frequently. I travel to spend time with them and they do the same. Recently my wife and I purchased a larger house to accommodate more visitors. Our time with the spiritual children is organic- like a relationship. And isn't that what we're taught is Sunday School: that it's about a relationship with Christ? And yet, what is practiced from the pulpit is that a man is hired to hear Christ for you, on a particular day, at a particular time, with a message generalized to the greatest common denominator among the crowd, and no one can ask questions.

Nah, not the Family of God. He knows us personally and addresses us by name. Like how I know my children in the Lord and know them by name.

Any way, brother, your angst is real and there is a real reason for it. I know many people in the Lord who have similar concerns.

I appreciate your candor. I hope this encourages you.

Aaron56

P.S. I see you appreciate the input of @Eli1 and @2ndTimeIsTheCharm . I appreciate them too. And also the others who have chimed in. There are many things we agree on.

Now THAT was fun to read!!
Took my breath away.
I can't respond any more than that right now.