LONE RANGER CHRISTIANS NEED NOT APPLY

[Chad]

A few years ago, we moved to a new town and a new church. My son had just finished high school but hadn’t started college. One night he decided to check out our college service. I decided to drop by and see if my son was there. I stood back by the soundboard scanning the room—and then I spotted him. He was sitting all by himself. My heart sank. I wanted to stand up and shout, “Will somebody please reach out to my kid?”

Living the Christian life in isolation is not an option. In fact, it’s not an overstatement to say that you can’t live the Christian life by yourself. There is no such thing as Lone Ranger Christianity. The Bible urges us to be meaningfully connected to other believers.

In fact, our lives are defined by relationships. Generally speaking, life’s most exhilarating, heart-pounding highs and life’s most gut-wrenching, painful lows come from relationships.

To do relationships well takes a lot of devotion and skill. In Romans 12:9–13, the apostle Paul provides some very practical instructions on what it looks like to live in authentic community:

"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality."

Chip Ingram says about this passage: “Authentic community occurs when the real you (v.9) meets real needs (v. 10) for the right reason (v. 11) in the right way (vv. 12-13).”

The word translated “sincere” in verse 9 literally means ‘without a mask’. True community involves being open, honest, and appropriately vulnerable. Being “real” is a nonnegotiable for authentic community.

What an incredible testimony to authentic community. The Bible characters we’ll look at this week are also extraordinary testimonies to real community. The love and friendship between David and Jonathan present a real-life picture of the community Paul talks about in Romans 12.

WHAT ABOUT YOU?
Are you personally experiencing the kind of community Paul describes in Romans 12? Don’t wait for it to come to you . . . take the initiative.

Romans 12:9-13

Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;
Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.

Devotional by YouVersion

 

[Bendito]

A few years ago, we moved to a new town and a new church. My son had just finished high school but hadn’t started college. One night he decided to check out our college service. I decided to drop by and see if my son was there. I stood back by the soundboard scanning the room—and then I spotted him. He was sitting all by himself. My heart sank. I wanted to stand up and shout, “Will somebody please reach out to my kid?”

Living the Christian life in isolation is not an option. In fact, it’s not an overstatement to say that you can’t live the Christian life by yourself. There is no such thing as Lone Ranger Christianity. The Bible urges us to be meaningfully connected to other believers.

In fact, our lives are defined by relationships. Generally speaking, life’s most exhilarating, heart-pounding highs and life’s most gut-wrenching, painful lows come from relationships.

To do relationships well takes a lot of devotion and skill. In Romans 12:9–13, the apostle Paul provides some very practical instructions on what it looks like to live in authentic community:

"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality."

Chip Ingram says about this passage: “Authentic community occurs when the real you (v.9) meets real needs (v. 10) for the right reason (v. 11) in the right way (vv. 12-13).”

The word translated “sincere” in verse 9 literally means ‘without a mask’. True community involves being open, honest, and appropriately vulnerable. Being “real” is a nonnegotiable for authentic community.

What an incredible testimony to authentic community. The Bible characters we’ll look at this week are also extraordinary testimonies to real community. The love and friendship between David and Jonathan present a real-life picture of the community Paul talks about in Romans 12.

WHAT ABOUT YOU?
Are you personally experiencing the kind of community Paul describes in Romans 12? Don’t wait for it to come to you . . . take the initiative.

Romans 12:9-13

Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;
Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.

Devotional by YouVersion

Very good post Chad. When I was first a Christian my Lady and I, with our three daughters moved to a different city in Washington State. We went to the 'best' church in town, thinking it would be a good way to get established, and get me grounded in the Word. Good teaching there you know. We attended this church for six months and in all that time, only one man would talk to us. Every Sunday he would approach us and say. Welcome to Blah Blah Church! Is this your first time? Until at one point I told him. "No Sir. This is our last time." Nobody missed us.
Then we went to a different church. After a while they said we should join their church. So, being a relatively new Christian I decided we would do that. At the 'ceremony' the pastor said 'Remember'..We don't need you. You need us... What?! Every body needs all its parts. Even I knew that. Bye Pastor We're outta here. Then we went to another church... I did learn a bunch at that church. I didn't know much but I did learn something there. We went to all the services and at one Wednesday night prayer meeting, one crumples up old lady came over to me. "Sir. She said. "Please lay hands on me and get me healed. You have the gift of healing. My response was "Huh? Whats the gift of healing?" She responded. "Never mind that now. Just lay hands on me and get me healed." I have to laugh now when I remember that night. I put my hand on her forehead, I said "God you can heal this lady. Please do so. Thank you." And then I promptly forgot all about it. Later that week I remembered that I had prayed for her, and I felt horrible that I had forgotten about it. My lovely Lady told me that it was god that I had forgotten about it. I gave it to God and forgot about it, leaving it to Him. Wow! I accidentally did it right! Then the Lady stood up in church and testified to how God healed her. Mini healing ministry there. Pastor got healed, several others got healed....And I got caught in the splash back. I got healed of Asthma. Unfortunately though.. The pastor did not encourage a family spirit in his church and it eventually died. It seems that all of the churches we ever attended died for lack of family spirit, until eventually God removed us from churches altogether. He had promised me, right at the very beginning of my walk with Him, that HE would be my teacher..Every time we try to go back to a church He removes us again. But we have grown to see the gift in this for us. Still I do not recommend anybody to stop going to church unles God directs them to do so. Most people desperately need that kind of fellowship and teaching. We still have fellowship. We still have teaching of good teachers, and we still get to minister and be ministered to.

 

[amadeus2]

@Bendito Following where the Lord lead us is always the best way!

 

[Bendito]

Its seriously impossible for a Christian to be a Lone Ranger..A lone wolf or any other kind of lone. Every Christian has the Father living inside of him/her. God is an integral part of every Christian, to the point that our very DNA shows the difference between a Christian and a regular human. God cannot be taken out of a Christian without killing said Christian. Then said Christian goes to be with the Lord, still entwined with Him. Check it.

 

[B-A-C]

One Another.... the body of Christ

Mark 9:50; Salt is good; but if the salt becomes unsalty, with what will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”

1 Thess 5:11; Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.

Rom 14:19; So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.

1 Pet 5:14; Greet one another with a kiss of love.

John 13:34; A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
John 13:35; By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

John 15:12; “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.

John 15:17; This I command you, that you love one another.

Gal 5:13; For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

Eph 4:2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love,

1 Thes 4:9; Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another;

1 Thes 5:13; and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another.
1 Thes 5:14; We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with one another.
1 Thes 5:15; See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people.

1 Pet 1:22; Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart,

1 Pet 4:8; Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.
1 Pet 4:9; Be hospitable to one another without complaint.
1 Pet 4:10; As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

1 Jn 3:11; For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another;

1 Jn 4:11; Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
1 Jn 4:12; No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.

James 5:16; Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.

Gal 6:2; Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.

Col 3:13; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you forgive one another

Col 3:16; Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

There are quite a few more verses like these, but do you see a trend here?
It's hard to do "one another" if you're "a lone ranger".

Heb 10:24; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds,
Heb 10:25; not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

We were never meant to walk this walk alone.

Eccl 4:9; Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor.
Eccl 4:10; For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.
Eccl 4:11; Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone?
Eccl 4:12; And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.

Gen 2:18; Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone;...

=====================================================================

1 Cor 12:12; For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ.
1 Cor 12:13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
1 Cor 12:14 For the body is not one member, but many.
1 Cor 12:15 If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body.
1 Cor 12:16 And if the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body.
1 Cor 12:17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?
1 Cor 12:18 But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired.
1 Cor 12:19 If they were all one member, where would the body be?

It's true the church isn't a building, but it's just as true you can't be part of the body
out isolated from everyone else.

We are to love/pray for/forgive/bear with/encourage/lift up/teach/admonish/be at peace with/serve/be hospital.... to one another.

 

[Bendito]

One Another.... the body of Christ

Mark 9:50; Salt is good; but if the salt becomes unsalty, with what will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”

1 Thess 5:11; Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.

Rom 14:19; So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.

1 Pet 5:14; Greet one another with a kiss of love.

John 13:34; A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
John 13:35; By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

John 15:12; “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.

John 15:17; This I command you, that you love one another.

Gal 5:13; For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

Eph 4:2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love,

1 Thes 4:9; Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another;

1 Thes 5:13; and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another.
1 Thes 5:14; We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with one another.
1 Thes 5:15; See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people.

1 Pet 1:22; Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart,

1 Pet 4:8; Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.
1 Pet 4:9; Be hospitable to one another without complaint.
1 Pet 4:10; As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

1 Jn 3:11; For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another;

1 Jn 4:11; Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
1 Jn 4:12; No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.

James 5:16; Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.

Gal 6:2; Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.

Col 3:13; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you forgive one another

Col 3:16; Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

There are quite a few more verses like these, but do you see a trend here?
It's hard to do "one another" if you're "a lone ranger".

Heb 10:24; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds,
Heb 10:25; not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

We were never meant to walk this walk alone.

Eccl 4:9; Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor.
Eccl 4:10; For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.
Eccl 4:11; Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone?
Eccl 4:12; And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.

Gen 2:18; Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone;...

=====================================================================

1 Cor 12:12; For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ.
1 Cor 12:13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
1 Cor 12:14 For the body is not one member, but many.
1 Cor 12:15 If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body.
1 Cor 12:16 And if the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body.
1 Cor 12:17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?
1 Cor 12:18 But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired.
1 Cor 12:19 If they were all one member, where would the body be?

It's true the church isn't a building, but it's just as true you can't be part of the body
out isolated from everyone else.

We are to love/pray for/forgive/bear with/encourage/lift up/teach/admonish/be at peace with/serve/be hospital.... to one another.

B-A-C Here is one area where people don't understand the situations. While it is true that the vast majority of Christians would wither and die without being in an assembly there are those whom God draws aside for His reasons. As I said above, Its hard to be a lone ranger when the God of all creation lives inside of you. Then too, He does not keep anyone in isolation. He puts His people into the fray often. He will use anybody who is willing to serve. Even the so called lone rangers.
This is similar to the Team Spirit kind of hype. If you're not a team player you're rogue. You're not worth knowing. Blah blah But guess what..Lone players are vital too. Only the team players can't see it. The church goers can't see the advantage of having 'lone ranger' Christians out there too. As an example; The stranger that comes into your church.....How many times do the people of that church avoid talking to said stranger? Why do they do that? Fear. "What would I say? I don't want to make a fool of myself." Junk! But the lone ranger Christian will talk to anybody. The lone ranger christian is not afraid of making a fool of himself because he is already thought a fool by all his church going family. Why? Because He follows his God instead of following the rules of man.
There are things a so called Lone ranger Christian can learn from being alone with God and not in an assembly. Things like
Power of the Spirit

Total Obedience

Peace with God

Patience

Integrity and honesty

Humility

Compassion

Tenacity and commitment

Boldness and courage
Most people do not learn these things in that assembly. You have to be alone to learn it.

 

[B-A-C]

Matt 14:23; After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone.

Even Jesus went off to be alone sometimes.
But still, I wonder how much scripture there is to support doing the whole walk alone?
Not much (if any) I suspect.

 

[KingJ]

Fellowship and being there for each other is a must. We all coals in a fire. Take one out and it will lose its heat. The issue that I see more and more among Christians is socializing with the unsaved. I believe many of us are failing here. We all need to apply ourselves to socializing more with them.

I was always a loner until I grasped 1 Cor 5:9-10 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people 10 not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world.

Paul is telling us that we can / should go and have dinner with an unsaved person who is in extreme sins. But a brother or sister in extreme sin, not at all (1 Cor 5:11).

 

[Bendito]

Matt 14:23; After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone.

Even Jesus went off to be alone sometimes.
But still, I wonder how much scripture there is to support doing the whole walk alone?
Not much (if any) I suspect.

Which is why I say 'Stay in church unless God takes you aside.'

 

[Bendito]

Fellowship and being there for each other is a must. We all coals in a fire. Take one out and it will lose its heat. The issue that I see more and more among Christians is socializing with the unsaved. I believe many of us are failing here. We all need to apply ourselves to socializing more with them.

I was always a loner until I grasped 1 Cor 5:9-10 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people 10 not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world.

Paul is telling us that we can / should go and have dinner with an unsaved person who is in extreme sins. But a brother or sister in extreme sin, not at all (1 Cor 5:11).

What believers did Jesus socialize with? His disciples were believers....barely. How many times did He get on them for their lack of faith? Paul said "I become all things to all men, in order that I might win some."
1 Corinthians 9:19-23King James Version (KJV)
19 For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.

20 And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;

21 To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.

22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.

23 And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.

OH BTW...Look at verse 21 Paul was under the law! But which law? Cool!...The law of Christ is Matthew 22:36-40

 

[Bendito]

Fellowship and being there for each other is a must. We all coals in a fire. Take one out and it will lose its heat. The issue that I see more and more among Christians is socializing with the unsaved. I believe many of us are failing here. We all need to apply ourselves to socializing more with them.

I was always a loner until I grasped 1 Cor 5:9-10 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people 10 not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world.

Paul is telling us that we can / should go and have dinner with an unsaved person who is in extreme sins. But a brother or sister in extreme sin, not at all (1 Cor 5:11).

I have, several times said, 'One should never take one verse, or a partial sentence and build a doctrine out of it. KingJ here is a good example of a person doing that. Did you read the rest of what Paul said about that? Let me give you the entire thing....

9 In my earlier letter I wrote you not to associate with people who engage in sexual immorality. 10 I didn’t mean the sexually immoral people outside your community, or the greedy, or the thieves or the idol-worshippers — for then you would have to leave the world altogether! 11 No, what I wrote you was not to associate with anyone who is supposedly a brother but who also engages in sexual immorality, is greedy, worships idols, is abusive, gets drunk or steals. With such a person you shouldn’t even eat! 12 For what business is it of mine to judge outsiders? Isn’t it those who are part of the community that you should be judging? 13 God will judge those who are outside. Just expel the evildoer from among yourselves.

You have to read the entire word on the subject...You cannot randomly cherry pick scriptures and get the whole of it.

Just because someone says he/she is a Christian, it does not mean they are safe to be around. A so called Christian can be the most devious and dangerous person to be around.

HBUY

 

[KingJ]

I have, several times said, 'One should never take one verse, or a partial sentence and build a doctrine out of it. KingJ here is a good example of a person doing that. Did you read the rest of what Paul said about that? Let me give you the entire thing....

9 In my earlier letter I wrote you not to associate with people who engage in sexual immorality. 10 I didn’t mean the sexually immoral people outside your community, or the greedy, or the thieves or the idol-worshippers — for then you would have to leave the world altogether! 11 No, what I wrote you was not to associate with anyone who is supposedly a brother but who also engages in sexual immorality, is greedy, worships idols, is abusive, gets drunk or steals. With such a person you shouldn’t even eat! 12 For what business is it of mine to judge outsiders? Isn’t it those who are part of the community that you should be judging? 13 God will judge those who are outside. Just expel the evildoer from among yourselves.

You have to read the entire word on the subject...You cannot randomly cherry pick scriptures and get the whole of it.

Just because someone says he/she is a Christian, it does not mean they are safe to be around. A so called Christian can be the most devious and dangerous person to be around.

HBUY

I agree with you Bendito. My thoughts were only on pressing us to socialize with the immoral unsaved and not be loners in that sense. For that 1 Cor 5:9-10 is crystal clear ''you need to leave the earth'' :smile:.

 

[KingJ]

What believers did Jesus socialize with? His disciples were believers....barely. How many times did He get on them for their lack of faith? Paul said "I become all things to all men, in order that I might win some."
1 Corinthians 9:19-23King James Version (KJV)
19 For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.

20 And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;

21 To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.

22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.

23 And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.

OH BTW...Look at verse 21 Paul was under the law! But which law? Cool!...The law of Christ is Matthew 22:36-40

I assume you are proposing we can be on fire outside of fellowship? If so I have to disagree. I believe we can keep a flame, but not be on fire. Jesus was not alone. He prayed / had fellowship with God and angels.

 

[Bendito]

I assume you are proposing we can be on fire outside of fellowship? If so I have to disagree. I believe we can keep a flame, but not be on fire. Jesus was not alone. He prayed / had fellowship with God and angels.

KingJ Can I assume that you're saying we can only have fellowship with other human family? The Father Son and Holy Spirit do not qualify as being good fellowship? LOL I know that you're not. I'm just jerking your chain. No, We are allowed to attend a church online. We get to chat with other like minded believers, and have fellowship with like minded believers. We are not under the domination of a man though, other than the man Christ Jesus. Most of the people we associate with face to face are people of the world, and believe me. People of the Book can associate with people of the world. That's how they see Jesus in you.

 

[Wired 4 Fishen]

I assume you are proposing we can be on fire outside of fellowship? If so I have to disagree. I believe we can keep a flame, but not be on fire. Jesus was not alone. He prayed / had fellowship with God and angels.

If we choose to be and apply our selves unto Christ and God's Word we should be on fire 24/7/365

If you don't see this, then your wood is wet!
Blessings
W4F

 

[Strypes]

"Lone Christians need not apply"

~So I stuck my hair up under my hat and went in to ask him "why?"...

I am pretty much an introvert and very much dislike "Baptist hugs".. You know the kind where your private space is invaded with a two finger pat on the back from some stranger acting like they are afraid a true embrace would be awkward. Ikr?

Actually, I quite like REAL hugs from people I actually know.

I am a member of a very excellent fellowship of believers; Eagle's Landing FBC. I attended in person from 2006 to a couple of years ago when my elderly mother needed my assistance and Sundays and Wednesdays were the days she wanted me to make the two hour drive to her house to tend to her TMI needs. I would go to "church" a few times a year and several folks including my pastor are my friends on Facebook.

My mother moved in with me last year and she is very needy. When I dash to the store or run errands, she will call several times to see if I am headed back yet. The last time I went to Sunday morning service, I learned how loud vibrate mode can be and had to leave early because she was having a panic attack because she couldn't reach me.

I am very thankful Pastor Tim live streams the services.

Occasionally the link gets messed up or the sound doesn't work and those times I will live stream Cutler Ridge FL FBC. The pastor there is a dear friend of mine that I actually met here at Talk Jesus back in 2004.

I am a Lone Christian but I am not alone. Jesus is my best friend and together we face the challenges that is my life. I am confident that in this season of my life my place is to serve my family and when I need christian fellowship, I have friends that are just a phone call away.

I have read the parable type story of the pastor that went to visit the inactive member of his congregation and moved an ember from the center of the man's fire to the edge of his hearth and the ember began to ash over and it's glow faded. When the ember reconnected to the main fire, it once again began to glow brightly and then the man told the pastor that he would see him Sunday. I get it. I understand the concept and I am in agreement that we do need each other yet there are times and situations when all we have is Jesus and He is enough.


Jesus You are my best friend .... Nothing will ever change that!

 

[B-A-C]

my family and when I need christian fellowship, I have friends

It would seem that if you have friends and family who are Christians, you aren't really alone.

 

[Bendito]

It would seem that if you have friends and family who are Christians, you aren't really alone.

As long as its not a closed group. It would then be like a too small gene pool...Spiritual inbreeding as it were.