and walking in the close walk with the Lord, and learning to be taught by His Spirit thru His Word; AND taking on the mind of Christ, recognizing the Holiness of God and the desperate need of our's to be convicted by our sin and turn from it....
How do we NOT be restless in our churches today?

I love Sundays, I love taking that day to spend it in the House of the Lord. I love corporate worship, it is a wonderful blending of the worship I have done in solitude thru out the week.
And I love the Word of God. I hunger for the deep and life changing Truths...I want to be confronted when I am even remotely getting off course...I want to be challenged and chastised... I welcome walking out of church saying, "thank you God for opening my eyes to that area in my life where I need to Trust you More..." or whatever.
I want the Preacher to be bold and confront me with the Holiness of God and the direct approach to not be conformed to the world in ANY way...
But I don't hear that anymore...

I am hearing that we need to reach people. I hear that we are to affect our neighborhoods for Christ. I hear that unless we bring them to church they won't get the gospel....
And that doesn't sit right with me.

Not that we aren't to do all of that, but "WE" must get it right and seek God and have Him purify us by Fire and flood our spirits with His Word so we CAN be effective when we encounter those who do not know Him.

In alllll sincerity I say this:
I RUN to Church on Sundays, because "I" need that time desperately. I work in the world. I am face to face encountering hundreds upon hundreds of people daily. They pour out their hearts to me, they cry on my shoulders, they are sad, mad or disillusioned because of broken relationships and facing cancer and just the unexpected surprises that life throws at us.

I get up 4 to 5 hours before I go to work, so that I could spend that time in the Word and in Prayer and in an attitude of worship. I don't take phone calls or turn on the television NOTHING, because I need to walk into work filled with the Spirit...with a heart full of hope and the Joy of the Lord all over me.
So, when Sunday comes, I get soooo excited to be in church...it is not my work environment, it is the House of God....
Yet,
and especially since being a part of SI, I am not satisfied with what is being said.

I LOVE my Pastor...he is a dear and precious and humble Man of God...his heart is sooo for people and lost souls...but THAT even sits wrong with me....especially after listening to Ten Shekels and A Shirt (Paris Reidhead).

My questions are these:
Does anyone understand what I am saying here?
If so..
What do you do about it?
How do you decide on a Church to commit to?
WHERE IS THE BALANCE?

I think it is extremely dangerous to (1) avoid going to church (2) being critical and judgemental against a pastor or minister of the gospel (3) sit in church and decipher what is right and what is wrong...that is arrogant. Yet my spirit picks up on these things without me even trying...because I live in the Spirit of God, I live sensitive to His Voice and live to walk in obedience at every turn...therefore I am awake and alert to the Spirit of God as well as the lack of the Spirit of God.

I can't be the only one experiencing this and if this has already been addressed please point me to it, so no one has to go over it again....

I don't want to come across as so righteous nothing is good enough for me FAR FROM IT... I want Truth because I KNOW I must daily work out my Salvation and lean on God for every move and thot and breath!!!

Please understand the heart of this inquiry. I sincerely want to hear from those who know my position.

Thank you....

Hi

That really blows my socks off (as a friend form a different area of the UK would say)

Hearing you loud and clear!

Makes me "wriggle" a bit though, not a comfortable read.

Not sure what else to answer at the moment, but wanted to give some response.

A Word from the Spirit to the heart.

Thank You

In Him

Jeannette

Thank you Jeannette for your response...I just walked in from church and it was wonderful. The reinactment of Passion Week.
Altho I have seen it year after year, I am surprised that it still causes me to utterly weep from the depths of my heart. As I watch what He must have endured for ME...I feel smaller than lint!

Yet I am so overwhelmed at His Goodness to go thru Death on a Cross so that I can have the priviledge of bringing Glory to His Name. Wow...

As long as the focus was on Him today, the Spirit in that building was so lit up on fire....It was beautiful.

Resurrection Sunday is my favorite of all the days of the Year...without that day, we would have never seen even one day.

I walked away still loaded with questions, but so very filled in my spirit to have been in the House of the Lord today. His Presence...oh His Presence....there is nothing like "knowing" the Presence of God...

Praise His Name !!!!

_________________
Mike Balog

I too understand what you are going through. I sometimes feel like the third man out myself. I seem to sit groaning in my spirit more than anything.

I know that there is only one thing needful:

[color=6600CC]Psa 27:4 One [thing] have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple. [/color]

I hear all the desire for winning the lost and discipling those already won, the desire for revival, but a total lack of understanding that it only comes by being in His presence. Instead it's let's up our efforts, more programs, etc.

I too do not desire to criticize, however even though it has been discussed, and acknowledged, it is soon lost sight of for activity.

I know the hearts of the leadership in my fellowship is a desire for God's will, but we just keep getting the cart before the horse. All I can do is pray because it will take a direct revelation from God to make them see.

I have a strong feeling that it will take a removing of all the busyness from our lives to really accomplish this.

I am remined of Duncan Campbell and the Isle of Lewis revival. The very air was charged with His presence. They didn't have to go get them, the Spirit of God drew them from miles around. It all happened as the result of a few called to prayer, fasting and repentence. It will take that again.

I long for the days. I am hungry for the days. This is the scripture that melted the hearts of the seekers during that revival:

[color=6600CC]Isa 44:3 For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring: [/color]

I would say now is the time.

_________________
KLC

Thank you....these responses are reassuring.
Yes, I have thot very strongly about giving him the name of this site and suggest Ten Shekels and a Shirt be listened to.

I am looking forward to doing just that...
When I recommend that sermon I tell people to wait til they have time to listen and hear it all...and half way into the message you are so captivated by Truth you find yourself cheering and examining yourself, all at the same time.

Thanks so much again.

Absolutely!!!
I agree with you Goldminer when you say that the removing of all busyness from our lives is what it will take.
As long as we are busy doing "good works" we are missing out on the wealth of wisdom He is longing to teach us, which must be taught while we are in solitude.....in one on one personal fellowship with Him.