> General Discussions
Worship/song services
mari_et_pere:
Gena, you reminded me of times that I felt His presence even when I was in church. I thought I had grown so much. Now I make the old me look weak and puny, and I still AM weak and puny in respect to what some others are!
I know you guys are right. Thanks for some much needed edification. :)
Matt
inezray:
I really miss the worship music. I would like to go to church and praise and worship and then go home. I wouldn't do that though. I have alot of worship music on CD's. Some of my favorites are Phil Driscoll "I Exalt Thee" , many of the Integrity music like, Glorify thy Name, Holy Ground, Sing Allehia to the Lord, and many more. Many of them do not speak about doctrine, simply just praise.
Inez
I am not new here but very seldom post. I do read here everyday and have been reading Ray's site since 2002.
josh:
Hey Matt & Gena,
I stopped attending church a year ago this month... at the time it wasn't hard at all to walk away from all of the mess and confusion of what was going on at my home church at the time, but it became difficult over the following six months because the people I loved and cared about wanted me to come to hear them preach or sing, to be there for a special occasion or celebration of some sort.
I attended sporadically from June until around Christmas time... because I didn't want to dissapoint or hurt my loved ones.
Probably the most difficult situation that has presented itself is that my girlfriend still attends church and in the past asked me often to go with her for special occasions and such.
And for awhile, I did... but at the beginning of this year I realized, that for me, to go back to please someone else was placing their carnal desires above what God has called me to do and that was to come out.
It's been difficult... but overtime my friends, family and even my girlfriend have come to understand that it is something I am not going to budge on. I've had alot of very honest conversations with them and told them very frankly that my decision to not attend church was based on the scriptures and for the sole purpose of pleasing God.
Oddly enough, it use to be really important to them that I go... but now they don't even ask. In a very strange way I believe I have earned their respect.
Sorry for interrupting the conversation, just thought I would add my two cents.
God's Peace.
Josh
mari_et_pere:
Josh, you didn't interupt. You added to it! Sounds like you and me have the same thing going on. I respect you for standing your ground and not budging! Kudos!
And Inez, why not post more? It might sound funny but you get a lot out of joining, and dialoguing back and forth.
Matt
p.s. is "dialoguing" a word? ;D
Kat:
Hi Matt,
I am trying to get this figure out in my mind. I can see no harm in going to church with your wife to support her on a special occasion. But for me, going would be a rare occasion.
Darren you said,
--- Quote ---As for the song service, only God can read the hearts and intent of those present. If their hearts were genuinely seeking and praising God, then perhaps God used this moment to illustrate the difference between heart felt praise and man spelled doctrine.
--- End quote ---
The Christian church does not have the Holy Spirit and so is carnal minded, how could their carnal hearts be "genuinely seeking and praising God" ???
Rom 8:7 "because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the Law of God, neither indeed can it be."
I do not believe Christ works in the church, and when He gives us His Holy Spirit, we soon want to leave the church, because it is so contrary to God's Spirit.
But that is not saying that they do not feel inspired by the song service. There is a lot of gifted singers in the world. But I don't believe those that are carnal minded can praise God.
Mat 15:8 "This people draws near to Me with their mouth, and honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.
v. 9 But in vain they worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."
The church is where Satan has his throne, maybe it's not a good idea to hang around there. This is an excerpt form the Lake of Fire no. 10.
http://bible-truths.com/lake10.html -----------------------------------------------------------
THE THRONE OF SATAN THE DEVIL ALSO LOCATED
Now then, as the false apostles, and lying Jews, and synagogue of Satan are all located in the Church, where do you suppose we would find Satan’s throne, and Satan’s dwelling place to be located? Yes, that’s right: In the Church. Here is the Scriptural proof found in the messages to the church at Smyrna and Pergamos:
"Fear none of those things which you shall suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison…" (Rev. 2:10).
"I know your works and where you dwell, even where [the same place where] Satan’s seat [Greek: throne] is… were Satan [also] dwells" (Rev. 2:13).
Satan cannot imprison members of the Church unless Satan is in the Church. His throne is in the Church. His dwelling place is in the Church.. His synagogue is in the Church.
And think not that Satan merely makes an occasional visit to the Church. No, Satan is permanently in the Church until God removes him. The Greek word from which the translators give us "dwelleth" in the KJV is kataoideo, and it’s meaning is: "To house permanently" (Strong’s Greek Dictionary, page 136). Satan not only has his false apostles in the Church, and his congregation of unconverted lying Jews in the Church, and his synagogue in the Church, and his very throne in the Church, but Satan himself dwells permanently in the Church.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
mercy, peace and love
Kat
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version