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ez2u:
wow a lot of response here and a lot of feelings that come from that response. I have never really attended a church for any worthy amount of time. so i have not had your experiences. My life is not yours either and I need christian fellowship, online doesn't work as what has been stated here in your opinions. as i tried to reach out and talk about this and got all negative response. I love bible forum right now i need a friend a close friend. you must understand who did Ray met with every week for a while a friend.
Nathan:
--- Quote ---wow a lot of response here and a lot of feelings that come from that response. I have never really attended a church for any worthy amount of time. so i have not had your experiences. My life is not yours either and I need christian fellowship, online doesn't work as what has been stated here in your opinions. as i tried to reach out and talk about this and got all negative response. I love bible forum right now i need a friend a close friend. you must understand who did Ray met with every week for a while a friend.
--- End quote ---
ez2u,
I understand your need for face-to-face Christian fellowship or friendship and I'm sure many here at the forum understand what you are going through. I've been fellowshipping online with like-minded believers for the past 5 years and there have been many times I wished I could have talked face-to-face with brothers and sisters instead of over a computer. You said you tried to reach out and talk about this [via your original post] and got all negative responses [from the forum members who responded]. This is your original post:
--- Quote ---well we just came from our 3rd church service, last Sunday, I had to walk out and would not take communion with them. I guess you all are wondering why we are looking? Well we are very lonely for fellowship. So far there is none. I don't want to begin to tell you the lie's and distortions that both my husband and i hear from the pulpit. It seems to be getting worst.
--- End quote ---
You stated you had to walk out and you would not take communion with them; you are looking for fellowship, but there is none; you mention all of the lies and distortions that both you and your husband hear from the pulpit; you say it seems to be getting worse.
Am I missing something here? It is clear that you will never find what you are looking for in the "church". All of the responses you got from other forum members have simply confirmed what you already KNOW based on your own experience.
The strait and narrow path can be very lonely at times.
ez2u:
yes John they do thank you
loretta:
ez2u,
Don't for a moment think that we are condemning you for seeking Christian fellowship in the churches you've visited. What we are trying to say is that it's ok if you do not find fellowship at all; we've all been there, done that... God knows how we all long for true Christian fellowship and how we would trade in the forum for such. Yes, online fellowship is limited in its way, but for the moment it meets a need.
Jesus spoke about counting the cost of following him. Loneliness is one of them. Like you, I've not had fellowship for an extended amount of time. I too felt real lonely till I encountered the persecuted church. Believe me, I wouldn't trade places with them. Just this morning I was reading about Farshid Fathi, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4ixi9OlXMI a young Iranian father of two, serving time for his faith at the notorious Evin prison, who describes in a letter, the condition of his heart during a very lonely time. He says,
“Often I have been sorrowful because of certain things, but I have never been a slave of sadness. Often I have been insulted, humiliated and accused, but I have never doubted my identity in Christ. Some have deserted me, some have fled from me; in no way do I pass judgment on them. My Lord has never left me. “…What really matters is I am my Beloved’s and my Beloved is mine. This possibly is the sweetest truth of my life that I am His and He is mine.”
And there are scores of others like him.
Many others will attest to the fact that like prison, marriage and singleness can be a very lonely place too. As Christians, we deal with this loneliness by giving of ourselves to others. Likewise in our Christian walk, pouring ourselves in sacrificial service and true love will bring people into our lives that will radically alter the way we view ourselves and our situations. You may not be able to talk about the truths of God, but you can flesh it out in your daily interactions with people.
And that too is very fulfilling.
According to Elam Ministries, Farshid is a shining beacon for Christ in Evin, so much so that the son of an Iranian ayatollah commented on Farshid's sweet nature in a YouTube video. The two shared a cell. The man remarked on how beloved Farshid is among the inmates. Elam described Farshid as "a man after God's own heart."
thewatchman:
If I can make a suggestion...perhaps you could look at a home church. Start one up yourself. There are a number of organisations that have start up materials online. Just google house church or home church. Some run a small course, but the rest is up to you. A different dynamic than a normal church.
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