Loyal
Church... it's gotten to be a sore subject.
Some don't want to be affiliated with any "denomination". Other's say they don't want to follow
a specific "religion". It's almost as if these have become dirty words. So many just have solitary
fellowship, other's do the television church thing. I've even met a few that consider TalkJesus their
church of choice.
As many on here have said... a church isn't a building. This is true, but a church isn't a single
believer standing alone either. Other's have said going into a church doesn't make you a Christian
anymore than going into a garage makes you a car. This is also true. Yet I notice virtually all cars
don't make it through their life without going into a few garages every now and then.
Heb 10:24-25; says... "not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some..."
We should be encouraing one another. We should be assembling together.
2 Pet 1:20; 20 But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation,
The problem with being a lone ranger is that you tend to interpret everything based on your own situations
and experiences. Almost any verse can be twisted to say what we think it should say. When we are in a group
of people, this become more difficult. (in fact this has been common here on TJ, where someone interprets
a verse a certain way, and then many others will step in and say "whoa...")
We were never meant to walk this walk alone.
Gen 2:18; is talking about a husband and wife... but even in this context... we aren't supposed to do it "alone".
Eccl 4:9-12; says two are better than one. If one falls the other can lift him up. It's much harder to pick
ourselves up when we are down. It goes on to say if two lie down together they can keep warm, but who can be
warm alone? One who is alone can be overpowered, but two can resist the enemy. A cord of three strands is
not easily broken.
The point of that passage is to say, there is strength in numbers.
The Bible warns about wolves that come in to prey on the flock (Acts 20:29; Matt 7:15; etc... )
The thing about wolves is that they like to isolate the weaker members of the flock and separate them
from the main herd. Then once they are separated, it's easier to go in for the kill.
So whether you meet in a "building" or not isn't that important. But whether you are a member of
a church you can interact with is important.
We can not love one another, pray for one another, encourage one another, bear each other's burdens,
lift up one another, confess to one another, be accountable to one another, forgive one another...
if we are the only member in our church.
If you're watching television church, maybe that's better than nothing. But who is praying for you?
Who are you praying for? Who's burdens are you bearing besides your own? Who are you being accountable to?
The Mormon church was started by Joseph Smith who supposedly went off into the woods alone, to meet with the angel Moroni. It's amazing the doctrines people come up with when they have been off on their own for some time.
1 Cor 12 talks about the "body" of Christ. The church. The body of believers, and how each part of the body
has a specific purpose. The eye, the ear, the hand, and the foot all have a specific purpose ( 1 Cor 12:14-18; )
The body is not person, but many people ( 1 Cor 12:14; )
Some people vehemently oppose going to church. They say I don't need church to be a Christian.
Perhaps not, but if the fruit we are supposed to bear is love, joy, kindness, goodness, etc... to one another,
is very difficult to bear fruit if there is no one around to do these things with. I would go so far as to say,
if you're not a member of a church, you're not part of the body of Christ.
Some don't want to be affiliated with any "denomination". Other's say they don't want to follow
a specific "religion". It's almost as if these have become dirty words. So many just have solitary
fellowship, other's do the television church thing. I've even met a few that consider TalkJesus their
church of choice.
As many on here have said... a church isn't a building. This is true, but a church isn't a single
believer standing alone either. Other's have said going into a church doesn't make you a Christian
anymore than going into a garage makes you a car. This is also true. Yet I notice virtually all cars
don't make it through their life without going into a few garages every now and then.
Heb 10:24-25; says... "not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some..."
We should be encouraing one another. We should be assembling together.
2 Pet 1:20; 20 But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation,
The problem with being a lone ranger is that you tend to interpret everything based on your own situations
and experiences. Almost any verse can be twisted to say what we think it should say. When we are in a group
of people, this become more difficult. (in fact this has been common here on TJ, where someone interprets
a verse a certain way, and then many others will step in and say "whoa...")
We were never meant to walk this walk alone.
Gen 2:18; is talking about a husband and wife... but even in this context... we aren't supposed to do it "alone".
Eccl 4:9-12; says two are better than one. If one falls the other can lift him up. It's much harder to pick
ourselves up when we are down. It goes on to say if two lie down together they can keep warm, but who can be
warm alone? One who is alone can be overpowered, but two can resist the enemy. A cord of three strands is
not easily broken.
The point of that passage is to say, there is strength in numbers.
The Bible warns about wolves that come in to prey on the flock (Acts 20:29; Matt 7:15; etc... )
The thing about wolves is that they like to isolate the weaker members of the flock and separate them
from the main herd. Then once they are separated, it's easier to go in for the kill.
So whether you meet in a "building" or not isn't that important. But whether you are a member of
a church you can interact with is important.
We can not love one another, pray for one another, encourage one another, bear each other's burdens,
lift up one another, confess to one another, be accountable to one another, forgive one another...
if we are the only member in our church.
If you're watching television church, maybe that's better than nothing. But who is praying for you?
Who are you praying for? Who's burdens are you bearing besides your own? Who are you being accountable to?
The Mormon church was started by Joseph Smith who supposedly went off into the woods alone, to meet with the angel Moroni. It's amazing the doctrines people come up with when they have been off on their own for some time.
1 Cor 12 talks about the "body" of Christ. The church. The body of believers, and how each part of the body
has a specific purpose. The eye, the ear, the hand, and the foot all have a specific purpose ( 1 Cor 12:14-18; )
The body is not person, but many people ( 1 Cor 12:14; )
Some people vehemently oppose going to church. They say I don't need church to be a Christian.
Perhaps not, but if the fruit we are supposed to bear is love, joy, kindness, goodness, etc... to one another,
is very difficult to bear fruit if there is no one around to do these things with. I would go so far as to say,
if you're not a member of a church, you're not part of the body of Christ.
