@ gl, mlkbaby, and gem thanks girls u've really said alot to educate the starter of this post. well sha as i must always add, lets stop for a minute and think for those who dont know why they should go to church, why did God create the church and call it his body? think about this and also look back at gl, mlkbaby and gem's post.

baby4u2:

why did God create the church and call it his body?

That takes the cake.

Well i like what milk baby has said so far,
I really see you as someone mature in the things of God.
To share my view, I believe very strongly that as a christain you should go to church because the bible commands it. NEVER FORGET OUR GATHERING TOGETHER.
Yes as a believer we are the Church cos the bible calls us the temple of the living God but then it also tells us that when we come together, we are able to sharpen ourselves and learn from each other and the spirit of God in unity.

I would also like to say that the Church was never designed for perfect people but for those who are willing to learn at the feet of Jesus so that they can improve themselves and become the perfect person. So please when you meet all sorts of people in church, try to accomodate them and let the love of God flow from you to them. We are all people with different reasons for seeking God but the most important thing is for us to find him, build a relationship with him and let others feel this same Agape love. So the world can be a better place to live in while we wait for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

fellowshipin with God n pple is very important even if its once a week i mim with pple in church homefellowship or a decent gatherin it brings out the beauty and difference of humanity so,go to church it'll help alot.

Lol, even a non good christian attend church, talkless of a good one

tell me abt it

TV01: Assembling/Fellowship/Church is never mandated to a particular place or building. Infact, God hates physical temples (but that's another thread )

Then I wonder why God asked Solomon to build a temple for him then, if he truely hates 'physical temples'.

TV01:

The religion of temples, mediatory priests, sacrifice and the like was given to men because they demanded it. Does anyone think religion is God's idea? God hates religion.

TV01:

Assembling/Fellowship/Church is never mandated to a particular place or building. Infact, God hates physical temples

In fact, how many things does this "God" hate? He "hates" religion in another thread and yet He still accepts it in James 1:27; now He "hates" physical temples in this thread when in fact He still allowed the early Christians to continue daily with one accord in the physical temple and in Solomon's porch. What else does He hate? It's a miracle that He even asked His faithful servants to make Him one of the things He "hates" in Exo. 25:8, where He asked Moses to tell the children of Israel to make Him a sanctuary - a physical one at that!

Like you goodguy, I'm wondering about this "hate" . . .

I went thru that same phase sometime ago, feeling that there are too many false brethren in the church, Jesus warned that it would be so, but we are also warned against forsaking the fellowship of the brethren. Fellowship is the key word here. Most of us go to church but do not have fellowship with God's ppl. Many churches are about showing off new clothes and money, no fellowship. Many times we mistake church going with fellowshipping. Fellowshipping involves caring, everyone must know and care about everyone. They must visit one another, pray for one another and share things with one another. they become a family. This isn't possible in the big church system we have today. Most of our pastors dont even know us. It's very important to have an avenue through which we can have fellowship with other christians, like the early christians did. It is my personal belief that this can only be accomplished in small groups. Rev. Yonggi Cho in S/Korea has one of the biggest churches (about half a million ppl), yet they have small cell groups for fellowship. We can go to hear God's word and pray in the big church, but fellowship works better in small groups. Most protestant Christians in China meet in small house-fellowship groups.

Also, that we are the Church doesn't mean we should neglect going to church. What is meant by we being the Church, or body of Christ is that God dwells in us, not in the buildings where we worship. The same passage that calls us that says that we need each other; the eye can't function without the brain,

Hi mlks_baby, syrup, goodguy,

Thanks for taking the time to post responses and apologies for not replying earlier, I've been away and offline.

I'll try and answer as many rejoinders as I can. Maybe It'll help if I state a few positions. Please don't take offence at my failure to append chapter and verse, I'm writing ad hoc.

CHURCH
~ I don't subscribe to the notion that church is something one goes to. I am more of the mind that church is something one is a part of. Presumably some people at least understand (if not agree) what I mean, when they themselves state that church is the "body of Christ". I don't see it as location or destination. "When you come together as a church" 1 Corinthians 11. To me wherever Christians gather is church. Choosing not to attend a place/institution called church, does not mean one is forsaking fellowship or assembling.

~ As yet, nobody has been able to give numbers. As I said where two or three are gathered and glorifying Him. It is church. I also maintain that real intimacy/relationship between believers is simply impossible if the relationships/numbers are too numerous. It is simply not practical/possible.

~ And I am not saying that a Christian is a church. John Smith is a Smith individually and a member of the Smith family collectively. And if John meets with one or more other Smiths then it's the Smith family assembling. Smith is what John is, not somewhere John goes. I feel my simple analogy is more consistent than saying John is only a Smith when he goes to a certain place or in a certain location which is what I am hearing? Maybe it's our fundamental perspectives that differ?

TEMPLES
~ In Acts 7 and again in 17, the Bible clearly states that God is not interested in physical temples (It's why Stephen was martyred). In John 4, The Lord disabuses the "lady by the well" of the notion that worship of God is mandated to a place or location.

~ As for the point about Solomons temple, surely no one is arguing that as a basis for the obsession with physical buildings (by some) in this dispensation?

~ The Temple that the early Christians gathered in was a relic of Judaism. I don't believe it was the place, so much as the gathering. The physical temple was simply convenient. Please check the layout of the temple and the location of Solomons porch. From "House to House" appears to me to have been the norm for the early church. From the Tabernacle in the Wilderness all the way to the Temple rebuilt by Ezra, the intent was a physical dwelling place for the Lords Glory. Now we are that Temple, Christ in us is that Glory. There are two words translated Temple in the NT one refers back to the physical temple of the OT and the other to the Body of Christ of the NT.

~ So yes, maybe my use of the phrase "God hates" may not rest well with some, I apologise to anyone who is offended by my use of it or my appearing to legislate for God (pray have mercy Lord!). But again, is anyone arguing that physical temples in this day and age are somehow core/essential to Christianity and a delight to God?

RELIGION
~ Oft times we use this term differently. And yes, I tend to use the term pejoratively. But even where it is used in James, it is qualified with "pure & undefiled". So even the Bible recognises that there is religion that is not pure (works/appeasement based). When I say religion in the pejorative sense, I mean temples, mediatory priesthoods, rituals, sacrifices and the like. To my mind, when it comes to Christianity such things are simply needless. I read the posts in Religion vs Relationship and the difference was really in use of words. I saw that, essentially agreed and so so didn't bother posting.

If I've failed to state anything clearly or if anything remains unanswered, please let me know.

Good to be back.

God bless

We have a lot of things in common TV01

The Church is a community/group of believers - you "go to" that community when it is gathered for worship and whatever else for which they come together. No one supposes that a location/cement building is the Church. The Bible says not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together - that speaks of going to "Church" in the sense of going to your own company/community of believers.

John Smith is not a "family" all by himself. Until he gathers with the other Smiths, he's all by himself simply 'John Smith', and not "the Smith family." Until a christian gathers with other christians, there's no "Church". For the Church to be evident according to the Bible, a Christian should gather together with other Christians; and that's what we mean by "go to Church!"

Going to church is very NECESSARY if you are a true xtian but not compulsory.

God instructs "do not forsake the gathering of youself together, "

Going to church does not save you, but it helps build your faith and growth as a christian.

However, you must be an active branch of the vine. according to JESUS.

God bless you GL

Amen, thanks otokx.

I don't think God hates physical temples. However, the real Temple are the individual members of the Church. God dwells in us, not in the buildings.

Going to a church building is of course not a salvation issue.

One can be saved even if they never enter a church.

That's true - Paul was dramatically converted on the road to Damascus.

But a truly saved and born again Christian must go to church - not a building commonly referred to as "church"; but to the gathering of other saved and born again Christians.

I think church is a way of boosting and keeping the faith of a christian

j-girl:

I think church is a way of boosting and keeping the faith of a christian

Church is merely what you do in obedience to God. It is possible to live positive and all that besides God but if Jesus himself saw fit to go to the temple to worship, do you feel you are too much for church ? that ought to be the first question. Church is not where you go to seek God. Church is not were to go to make your troubles go away. Church is simply where you go to gather with other believers in OBEDIENCE to the word of God. When we start to claim to be humanists and theists but are not even able to do what the God we claim to believe in said to do, do we not think there is a problem there? Trust me, I lived for years as a christian without church but at the end of the day, I had to bite my pride and walk into church cause I realized that it would be my pride in the way if I can not even spend one hour or two in the Church as God commanded to do.

So for a "GOOD" CHRISTIAN = FOLLOWER OF CHRIST , LOOK UP THE MEANING IF YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT IT MEANS, YES, if Christ Himself took out time to go to the TEMPLE, YOU ARE NOT TOO BIG TO ATTEND CHURCH yourself!!

Coming up with your own CLAIM TO HOW YOU KNOW BETTER IS NOT Going to work since the idea is that if you are a GOOD [b]CHRIST[/b]IAN, you will do as CHRIST did, not come up with reasons why you should not and think it makes you ok.



KoboJunkie

Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpe.neth the countenance of his friend.

You need the fellowship of true brethren_{You are simply a self-righteous person.}

Can you get good education without going to school ??