Christian By Choice

I certainly understand where you are coming from. I have been married for almost 34 years (in August), and when my husband and I met, we were both searching for something or someone who could explain and answer many of our questions. We prayed diligently about it, and a friend one day gave us a cassette tape of a typical hour-long message that became the beginning of a life-time of answer to our prayers.

He taught a special message concerning that just as there is a "right-man, right-woman", there is also a "right pastor" for each believer. Those believers who are truly positive toward Bible doctrine need only pray about God leading you to their right pastor. Ours happened to be in Houston, and we lived in Fort Worth, so we began ordering tapes of his sermons (free of charge) and were hooked on the most intense, doctrinal, disciplined messages imaginable! After 19 years of listening to him, he retired due to illness.

We prayed again that God would bring someone new into our lives, and especially then as we had a young daughter to think of, also. Within a few weeks, my husband found another online pastor who was down-to-earth, yet taught almost exactly the same way as our previous one. We found out this pastor had been mentored and ordained by our original pastor!!

We listen to and study at least one hour each day, and can download these free messages and publications onto CDs, and listen to or read them anywhere we go on our MP3 player, laptop, or written material. So, we've been studying with Bob McLaughlin (non-denominational), via the internet, for the last 14 years. www.gbible.org

My daughter, who is now in the military, listens to tapes every day and has some of her Air Force buddies listening with her in her dorm, also. Unlike her father and I, she was reared with Bible doctrine, and encouraged to learn about other belief systems and make her own decisions. As a result, she is very well-adjusted, has honor and integrity, has learned Hebrew, and plans on going to a seminary and obtaining her Master's degree in Hebrew/Biblical Studies, along with her law degree, and she is only 20 y/o.

The teaching is available, but one has to want it. God will provide for those who are positive to His Word.

i'm really glad that Jesus didn't get fed up with his little group and go off by himself.

with all the instruction that paul gives about how the body is to co-exist and operate together, i think we should realize that the Lord expects us to be in community. while i think cyber space church, like we have here is wonderful - it's not really real, is it? well, it's better than nothing, but doesn't offer the same challanges and mess that trying to get along with a group of believers, working and worshipping side by side.

ask me. i just got back from a mission trip with a group of folks. the leader of the trip was a controlling, obnoxious person. but she is my sister in Christ and i was called by our Lord to not only put up with her, but to somehow love her too. which i tried hard to do - with the exception of one almost explosion...

i don't want to get anybody's back up, but i think we are taught to not 'forsake the assembling of yourselves together as the manner of some is..."

and this is something to think about...if everywhere you go there is some problem that you just can't live with - what is the common denominator??

I'm sorry, I forgot to say that we listen to my online pastor-teacher in real time, then download the messages to our computer for later study. We are part of that church even though they are miles away. We even share communion when they do, help with prayer lists and internet functioning, etc. It is a real church with real people.

God wants, expects us to assemble together with a right pastor-teacher either in one's home or in a church building. If we could find a church close to us that taught more than 30 minutes a week, and taught "meat", we would be there in a nanosecond. Also, the online ministries are wonderful for our soldiers who are out in the field and cannot attend church.

I do agree with Cinder that, if at all possible, we should all be a member of and support the local church. I'm sorry if I did not make that clear.

So many good expressions of faith here unless a method is introduce.

Clearing the air for myself, and perhaps another or two, I would return to a church building if I could find one that was not a community church where socialization is the focal point, where doctrine and denominational instruction is not the main thrust, where soundness of the Gospel is preached, and where I might serve.

Gathering together is essential and we must not forsake the assembling of ourselves together. Albeit, I accept where two or three are gathered together in His name as the Church as to the local church.

I did not leave the church for any of the reasons on the list presented and that is how I chose to introduce a major topic of concern for today's society.

I became the full-time caretaker to a MIL with ALZ for two years. She could not attend in your wildest imagination and she could not be left alone for even a few moments. She is now in a nursing home which freed me to return to church(es).

DH and I have visited or became regular attendees in almost every congregation in our entire county, minus three denominations, in good conscious could not, previously to her living with us.

I had been blessed, my entire Christian life, to be able to serve the Body of Christ, with my priority of being with Jesus always my responsibility and not the local church.

DH has found his preference. I have tried to attend with him, as per his wishes at his church, which has had a turn over of three pastors in a few years time. This is the way of rotation in the rural berg that we live in.

When his newest pastor announced he had prayed to God to send 50 visitors before a set date to help keep their doors open, I went this last time to please my DH and to make him understand I was not apostate for not attending church.

The pastor never acknowledged my presence, neither stood or went went forth during the peace of the Lord exchange nor when those who were leaving the assembly of what he calls a "Holy Spirit worship experience."

That was no sweat off my back until it was time for Communion. The service was delayed as the communion helper had forgotten to prepare the elements. The pastor did not consecrate the distribution on the altar or pray or pause before it was given. It was assembly line necessity tradition and nothing more than that. Many other things were occurringthat was not appropriate throughout the service, not enough to ruffle me, as I have been, as I said, to many such services. But when he simply announced, "You make drink this liquid now", it was the straw that broke the camel's back for me, that such disrespect to the Lord is shown and such lack of instruction as to the holiness of the moment that I cannot and will not return. The church is down to about 1-2 dozen active members. This pastor is leaving and the members are hoping for yet another pastor that will keep there doors open, yet they are hoping some good soul can run the entire church expenses on the current offerings offerings of less than $150.00 weekly.

Again, I will try to submit to my husband as requested, but I know that it will continue to decline until He gets the vision. I believe I have it, yet the Lord will continue to work in both our hearts.

I believe that I have zeal for the House of the Lord, indeed, and I feel that I have gone forth and presented ways to gather together for the many that cannot find that one pastor-teacher that is out there for all as Judi's experience.

I pray for EOG who must find a church, especially for the sake of her young children who need to be brought up in the traditions of the church, and who needs to be fed herself.

I have searched out, on my own, some of the new to me churches in this area, and it does not cut it.

Yet, God has provided a way for me, and it is uniquely mine.

This is, most likely, the longest reply you will ever read from me. The purpose of this thread is for us all that are in conflict to come. If one single one of us claims not to be then we must examine ourselves as to why the devil does not appear before God to ask that we be tried (and refined by God). We shall have tribulation: but we are of good cheer for Christ has overcome the world.

Thank you all so much for continuing to discuss what is on your hearts and how we can best gather the least, the lost and the last to the glory of His Kingdom.