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Clutch
Member
Joined: 2003/11/10
Posts: 202
Oak Ridge, Tennessee
| | Re: | | Chanin,
I drove a truck for 6 years, most of that time I spent in the Heartland ( Ohio, Michigan, Indiana,Illinois, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Upstate New York, Iowa, Missouri, Texas. I could THRILL you with what I know about the geography of I-75, I-80, I-70, etc., and their subsidiaries. Incidentally, trucking is how I got my nickname ; from the guy that taught me to drive. :-o
Clutch :-D
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Howard McNeill
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 2004/2/4 8:14 | Profile |
sermonindex
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Joined: 2002/12/11
Posts: 39795
Canada
Online! | | Re: | | Quote:
The hard thing is that in a small town like this-everyone is supposedly a "christian". So they think you're nuts for wanting to have a home church. They think your going to be a cult or something. They are very stuck in tradition and don't see any need to change anything.
I don't see anything wrong with having a small home group fellowship, but it becomes somewhat unhealthy when you don't want to mix with any other churches or fellowships. The early church met wherever they could and as they grew they had lots of meeting places and fellowship but overall they still had accountablity to the apostles.
Personally at this point, I would like it to go to a home group fellowship but the Lord is not leading that way for me :-(
[b]Acts 2:42[/b] - They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
One thing that you can grasp from this passage is that they followed one teaching (apostles), they all meet together corportaly or at least tryed, but at the same time they met seperatly in their homes breaking bread. I think there is a healthy middle ground here, where you can have your own home group, but still be open to participating and helping other churches (body of believers).
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See Greg, another great reason for this site. We are very grateful for it because of the fellowship and the learning and maturing.
yes there is a great facet of fellowship through this site! its not a subsitute but an healthy addition to your fellowshiping in Christian life.
I also feel that Institutional Churches are not just tradition, there were churches in the new testament. By Church I am meaning an specified place to meet and worship, give monies (having everything in common), servanthood, etc. There is much good in modern day churches, they are places where people who confess Christ as Lord meet! A home church group after many years will become JUST as [b]traditional[/b] as any other modern day church denomination, sad but true. :-D
to emphasize: Tradition is NOT bad :-P unfortunatly many teachers these days have catch phrases against structure, religion, church, or anything that even resembles order and control. Tradition without Christ is empty. Religion without Christ is empty. But both with Christ are full of life.
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SI Moderator - Greg Gordon
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| 2004/2/4 8:26 | Profile |
moreofHim
Member
Joined: 2003/10/15
Posts: 1632
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Chanin
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| 2004/2/4 9:08 | Profile |
sermonindex
Moderator
Joined: 2002/12/11
Posts: 39795
Canada
Online! | | Re: | | Quote:
If what you are saying is true, then what I have been doing for the past 2 1/2 years is wrong.
:-( no sorry Chanin, it wasn't directed towards you and I am not perfect, I was just throwing out some ideas. I really feel from what I have heard from you that you are a solid believer in Christ, there is no doubting that. And your choice and leading to stay away from churches seems to be God's will yes! It seems He is really being your teacher.. and what fruit.. your daughter especially, precious in the Lord's eyes.
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He has given me dreams that the church is falling apart. And that we are not to go back to "where we came from"- the same source of learning about religion as before.
I always look at these situations in physical but also spiritual ways. I think its primarly an issue of the heart.
Sorry I am pretty much fumbling over my words here.. :-(
I am in full support of you Chanin and your family, I have been so encouraged by meeting you and your godly example. I think you are special and have very unique and powerful plans that the Lord is going to do through you. This requires maybe for you to be seperate and alone. As ravenhill said: 'great men (women) walk alone' God is our teacher and sufficency.
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Each will have to let the Lord direct them. I cannot tell anyone they should leave or stay. God must have His purposes for each right now.
Yes everyone has different purposes in plans in God's kingdom. In my other post I was stating in broad terms how I feel the church should be in a healthy state, but there is also many different facets of the church in expression in every day life.
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SI Moderator - Greg Gordon
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| 2004/2/4 9:42 | Profile |
philologos
Member
Joined: 2003/7/18
Posts: 6566
Reading, UK
| | Re: | | yes there is a great facet of fellowship through this site! its not a subsitute but an healthy addition to your fellowshiping in Christian life.
...that's a wise old head on young shoulders. You've not been rubbing up against that Clutch guy have you?
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Ron Bailey
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| 2004/2/4 10:07 | Profile |
moreofHim
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Joined: 2003/10/15
Posts: 1632
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Chanin
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| 2004/2/4 12:12 | Profile |
philologos
Member
Joined: 2003/7/18
Posts: 6566
Reading, UK
| | Re: | | Chanin, you wrote
It is nice to be loved unconditionally in Christ- don't ya'll agree?!
I wonder whether you have heard this Sara Groves song? It's a mother singing to her baby, or is it?
You will lose your baby teeth
At times you'll lose your faith in me
You will lose a lot of things
But you cannot lose my love
You may lose your appetite
Your guiding sense of wrong and right
You may lose your will to fight
But you cannot lose my love
You will lose your confidence
In times of trial your common sense
You may lose your innocence
But you cannot lose my love
Many things can be misplaced
Your very memories be erased
No matter what the time or space
You cannot lose my love
You cannot lose
You cannot lose
You cannot lose my love
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Ron Bailey
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| 2004/2/4 13:55 | Profile |
moreofHim
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Joined: 2003/10/15
Posts: 1632
| | Re: | | Ron, yep, we have that c.d. She had a new baby then. It was really hard to grasp this "unconditional love" thing- recieving it from God and giving it to others. If you did not really grow up with much of that- it is hard to get a grasp on. I'm 98% better than before.
It is my desire to show others unconditional love- no matter what they've done because -other than Christ changing your heart- there is no other answer for why you are able to freely give it. (now, this does not keep me from pointing out sin sometimes. if we love, then we will lovingly rebuke :-) )
In Him, Chanin
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Chanin
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| 2004/2/4 15:44 | Profile |
sermonindex
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Canada
Online! | | Re: | | Quote:
It is very rare these days for people not to hold onto the "right to be right". This is the Lord's work in us and nothing else.
Chanin, I agree, let stuborness and pridefulness go! I don't want to be right all the time, I want to learn and grow in Christ! I thank you for your open spirit also to recieve the words of the Lord through others. What a wonderful community of believers God has sent to this website.
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SI Moderator - Greg Gordon
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| 2004/2/4 16:11 | Profile |
jouko
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Joined: 2003/10/9
Posts: 172
Ex-England colony of Australia
| | Re: | | Hello moreofHim. I had a longer answer thought out but this is all I'm going to write. May the Lord bless you and your family. We have had the same experience and are being challenged in our belief more than ever, but He is faithful. Our daughters are growing tremendously in the Lord it seems every day. I don't know the purpose of this but I trust the Lord.
jouko
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Jouko Hakola
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| 2004/2/4 19:20 | Profile |
