@ ow11
It will be grossly ideologically and theologically imcompatible 2 debate d Bible with u cos am sure ur not a true christian from ur write up.
Ur attacking emy200 for telling u truth, i would hv given u Bible references 2 substantiate emy200 write ups, cos d guy is perfetly right here. The Jerusalem temple Solomon built was unarguably d most expensive edifice then in d world (from Bible description of d building) it was choked with pure gold through out, infact both exterior and interior of the temple was of the finest pure gold.

About women and trousers, i know u'll ask where trousers is specifically mentioned in d bible and all dat, well emy200 said it all. Bible Quote "for those that are in the flesh cannot understand the things of the spirit, "

Nairaland!!!!!!

@topic, if u're not chasing something;then something must be chasing u.
What exactly is ur aim

Study Haggai1:2-11. . .if some people decide to build a befitting place of worship 4 God, pls free them and let them do it joyfully.Afterall, there are the ones fellowshipping there.Most of these people live in comfortable homes, y shouldn't they reflect it even in their places of worship

Well i know some people just like raising unnecessary issues _{(display of ignorance)} How is dis suppose to affect some1 now wateva u believe. If u want to sweat to worship God, its acceptable and do leave us who also want to worship God in nice conditions. . .trustme, God undastands us and still loves us alike .

Free me

I love Jerry and Solatunde's comments about people being hypocritical. that was good. Thank you very much for that comment @Fuzek


KoboJunkie

gentlegg:

@ ow11
It will be grossly ideologically and theologically_{not necessary}imcompatible 2 debate d Bible with u because am sure your not a true christian from your write up.
your attacking emy200 for telling u truth, i would hv given u Bible references 2 substantiate emy200 write ups, because d guy is perfetly right here. The Jerusalem temple Solomon built was unarguably d most expensive edifice then in d world (from Bible description of d building) it was choked with pure gold through out, infact both exterior and interior of the temple was of the finest pure gold.

About women and trousers, i know u'll ask where trousers is specifically mentioned in d bible and all that, well emy200 said it all. Bible Quote "for those that are in the flesh cannot understand the things of the spirit, "

It took solomon 7 years to build the temple and 13 to build his own house. He was a King, the operating word here is King not pastor. if you understand how a monarchy works then you will know solomon was extremely rich and could afford the luxury of building a house made of gold for God.

Now back to our ego filled pastors ( i think you're either one or a crony of one), they don't have the money to emulate solomon neither do their members but they milk their members to build edifices and even call it after themselves ( ******* ******* ministries Int'l ) this act is rather unnecessary.
why would you put big split units in church? does God need split units to visit a place? didnt Jesus go to the wilderness for 40 days in the searing heat? Do you need to wear a Rolex watch to preach? Do you need a marble lectern to place your bible? The questions are unending. while members are hungry, prisoners that Jesus commanded us to visit are left at the mercy of our wicked govenment and wardens. Let me ask you a question? have you visited the prisons before? have you seen someone die of hunger before? If you have i don't think you will support Escalades as personal cars for anyone. Are the poor church members not children of God too.
How can a man build a school from people's offerings and ask the same people to pay fees that they can't afford.weren't they promised that their 'labour of love' will not go unrewarded?

About the trousers, trousers werent mentioned in the bible becuase they weren't invented yet much like cigarettes so i wouldnt be silly enof to ask u that. the question i would ask is if trousers are not for women why do u have female trousers and if i give u 'hip star' to wear will you wear? this topic should be another thread but all the same the reason behind banning trousers for women is cultural and not scriptural

Another Sign of The Ichabod Church.

What is wrong with building an expensive church building? You walk into a bank, and you don't ask that question is an expensive church building necessary? why don't you ask people who build multi million dollar houses if its necessary?

@Zebudaya

The fact of the matter is not the church building that matters. The fact is that some the people that build these Churches magnificent churches do it for show off.

They say things like this "In just 3 years the lord has done this"

"We are now 10 thousand in just 2 years".
"Look at how God has blessed us"

"If it is not God it cannot stand"


They have forgotten that the multitude don't mean Holiness. In fact it was out of the multitude Satan came forth. Ask the one third of the Angel in Heaven that fell with Satan.

They build this Churches without the spiritual Needs of the people.

A Good building is wonderful. It is good to sit in a Church with comfort and hear the word of the Lord. But the Churches is now becoming like a Club where this Club say they have this on the menu and other are trying to out compete each other.

emmm

zebudaya:

What is wrong with building an expensive church building? You walk into a bank, and you don't ask that question is an expensive church building necessary? why don't you ask people who build multi million dollar houses if its necessary?

I wouldn't ask a bank or rich people because they are businesses and can AFFORD it. the churches can't really afford it. the members that are milked weekly are hungry and in debt. so it isn't necessary to go over the board with the building and finishing touches. Just build what is necessary and let the people serve God in it.

The churches are supposed to be charities anyway thats why they don't pay taxes. the day they declare themselves businesses then their accounts should be audited. Since they are charities they don't need to go over the top with their buildings

Backslider:

The fact of the matter is not the church building that matters. The fact is that some the people that build these Churches magnificent churches do it for show off.

They say things like this "In just 3 years the lord has done this"

"We are now 10 thousand in just 2 years".
"Look at how God has blessed us"

"If it is not God it cannot stand"
They have forgotten that the multitude don't mean Holiness. In fact it was out of the multitude Satan came forth. Ask the one third of the Angel in Heaven that fell with Satan.

They build this Churches without the spiritual Needs of the people.
A Good building is wonderful. It is good to sit in a Church with comfort and hear the word of the Lord. But the Churches is now becoming like a Club where this Club say they have this on the menu and other are trying to out compete each other.

Here BackSlider,


I would like you to show me SOLID PROOF that God did not request those people who attend those churches to build big. I would also like for you to show me where in the Bible it is written that all people who want to buy 1 million dollar Xmas Trees for their churches are not SPIRITUALLY sound BECAUSE and I say again BECAUSE of how much they CHOOSE to spend on these??

And for @ow11,  who said Solomon was KING AND NOT PASTOR, I have this Question , if SOLOMON the king wanted a BIG CHURCH and then went ahead to build it, WHY CAN'T THE PEOPLE WHO WANT A BIG CHURCH and come together to contribute the MONEY to build THEIR big church have their Big CHURCH? Did GOD SAY ANYWHERE that SOLOMON the King can have his BIG MAGNIFICENT temple but the PEOPLE CAN NOT ??


You REALLY need to be careful to REMOVE the very Log in your eyes here. Most of you all do not do half as much as those who put the money together intend when they put the money together to build these magnificent buildings. Infact, these buildings are to some an accomplishment for GOD, I mean it may not make sense to you but to those who give the money for such and CONTINUE to do so, I am sure they know WHY they Continue and They are OK with it. So if you do not give, WHY COMPLAIN when others CHOOSE FREELY to do so?? Do you propose to be SMARTER and more GODLY than those who give in these case??


God is Not Blind. I mean for you to claim that God's people are being duped and make it your place to go after these people CLaiming you KNOW GOD BETTER THAN THEY DO, you are invariably saying God is not POWERFUL ENOUGH to fight his own Battles and putting your own self in God's Seat.


KoboJunkie

ow11:

I wouldn't ask a bank or rich people because they are businesses and can AFFORD it. the churches can't really afford it. the members that are milked weekly are hungry and in debt. so it isn't necessary to go over the board with the building and finishing touches. Just build what is necessary and let the people serve God in it.

The churches are supposed to be charities anyway thats why they don't pay taxes. the day they declare themselves businesses then their accounts should be audited. Since they are charities they don't need to go over the top with their buildings

Does building a nice facility mean we have a BUSINESS then ?? By the way Churches are not necessarily Charities but Non-Profit businesses. and there is no law or place where it is written that Churches are not able to afford it. You forget that the church is made of a BUNCH OF PEOPLE who have Finance on an individual level to afford such plans?


KoboJunkie

It is the Usual "LET GOD FIGHT HIS OWN BATTLE" "who are you to Judge"

Go and read Jeremiah

Jeremiah 1

1The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin:

2To whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.

3It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.

4Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

5Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

6Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.

7But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.

8Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD.

9Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.

10See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.

11Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree.

12Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.

13And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see a seething pot; and the face thereof is toward the north.

14Then the LORD said unto me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.

15For, lo, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, saith the LORD; and they shall come, and they shall set every one his throne at the entering of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls thereof round about, and against all the cities of Judah.

16And I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands.

17Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, [b]lest I confound thee [/b]before them.


The above passage makes us to see that we are our brothers keeper we should not correct with hatred in our hearts and should never do it with any Jot of Familiarity.

Kobojunkie:



who said Solomon was KING AND NOT PASTOR, I have this Question , if SOLOMON the king wanted a BIG CHURCH and then went ahead to build it, WHY CAN'T THE PEOPLE WHO WANT A BIG CHURCH and come together to contribute the MONEY to build THEIR big church have their Big CHURCH? Did GOD SAY ANYWHERE that SOLOMON the King can have his BIG MAGNIFICENT temple but the PEOPLE CAN NOT ??

you don't get it. solomon was indeed a King and the third king of united Israel. He wasn't a pastor.there were priests of the Levi tribe who perform the same role as pastors of today.

A king rules by decrees and commands. a kings word is law. Thats why the monarchy isn't so popular today and the British just won't let go. so they turn their royals into celebrities.

If a king says we must build a house for God. it is law but a pastor isn't a King. his roles were clearly defined in the bible and so shouldnt use his position to coax people to give their monthly wages,yearly rent and other silly commands they give.
i guess u havent been to these fund raisings lately to hear the commands. sometimes its by force.

Finally, no one in this thread has said expensive buildings is a sin. it is just said to be unnecessary .

Kobojunkie:


Does building a nice facility mean we have a BUSINESS then ?? By the way Churches are not necessarily Charities but Non-Profit businesses. and there is no law or place where it is written that Churches are not able to afford it. You forget that the church is made of a BUNCH OF PEOPLE who have Finance on an individual level to afford such plans?


KoboJunkie

what does non-profit business mean? it doesnt make sense? churches are charities.thats how they get registered in the first place. in the UK and US they even ask u to fill forms so they can take back the tax u pay on ur donation since its a charity.

how many church members are wealthy? a church will take the shape of the soceity. how many nigerians are wealthy?

God doesnt need to judge anyone here bc it is not a sin it is just unnecessary when there are hungry people and people who need homes and water. if the government will not provide then people should find solace in the house of God!if all the money is spent on decorations then what will be left to provide for the downtrodden in the society.

Well, if this enormous and gigantic worship places will make more people submit themselves to God why then won't it be?fterall Nigerians will then fear God the more and obey him. But you only need to take a case study of Europe, most especially UK,most church buildings are now turning to pubs and some renovated for dwellings.( where are the old worshipers?)
The heart is the believe but the building is not the CHURCH.

ow11:

you don't get it. solomon was indeed a King and the third king of united Israel. He wasn't a pastor.there were priests of the Levi tribe who perform the same role as pastors of today.

A king rules by decrees and commands. a kings word is law. Thats why the monarchy isn't so popular today and the British just won't let go. so they turn their royals into celebrities.

If a king says we must build a house for God. it is law but a pastor isn't a King. his roles were clearly defined in the bible and so shouldnt use his position to coax people to give their monthly wages,yearly rent and other silly commands they give.
i guess u havent been to these fund raisings lately to hear the commands. sometimes its by force.

Finally, no one in this thread has said expensive buildings is a sin. it is just said to be unnecessary .

ow11:

what does non-profit business mean? it doesnt make sense? churches are charities.thats how they get registered in the first place. in the UK and US they even ask u to fill forms so they can take back the tax u pay on your donation since its a charity.

how many church members are wealthy? a church will take the shape of the soceity. how many nigerians are wealthy?

God doesnt need to judge anyone here bc it is not a sin it is just unnecessary when there are hungry people and people who need homes and water. if the government will not provide then people should find solace in the house of God!if all the money is spent on decorations then what will be left to provide for the downtrodden in the society.

Ow11 , you answered None of my questions though. I believe My Questions are straight forward. and My Note on Solomon and People being able to make choices as they choose, you somehow skipped. So If you will, could you please READ my post and then Answer my Questions?? @Ow11



KoboJunkie

Backslider:

It is the Usual "LET GOD FIGHT HIS OWN BATTLE" "who are you to Judge"

Go and read Jeremiah

Jeremiah 1

1The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin:

2To whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.

3It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.

4Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

5Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

6Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.

7But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.

8Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD.

9Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.

10See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.

11Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree.

12Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.

13And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see a seething pot; and the face thereof is toward the north.

14Then the LORD said unto me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.

15For, lo, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, saith the LORD; and they shall come, and they shall set every one his throne at the entering of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls thereof round about, and against all the cities of Judah.

16And I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands.

17Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, [b]lest I confound thee [/b]before them.


The above passage makes us to see that we are our brothers keeper we should not correct with hatred in our hearts and should never do it with any Jot of Familiarity.

BackSlider,

do you realize that those who you are against can use the very SAME Verses there AGAINST you and your stand over against them?? No One here said you should not judge or state your opinion. But When your opinion is based on BIAS and not on God himself actually saying that building a BIG CHURCH is evil, you are not Judging them based on what God actually said is a sin but by your not being able to handle the fact that these people are FREE to CHOOSE a BIG CHURCH, a BIG CHRISTMAS tree with the Money they have, regardless of what you and You can not play the GOD IS ON MY SIDE GAME since God never said they were WRONG TO DO THAT,



KoboJunkie

You guys should take a step back and ask some pivotal questions

If you had the money and you wanted to build your house, would you build something really nice? Most will answer yes.
So its right to have beautiful, extravagant personal homes, offices, cinemas, malls, .except churches

Something creeps out the holiness/moralist in you when churches want to be extravagant BUT you can afford to be.
Abeg lets not be hypocritical here.
The temple of Solomon built for God in the bible was more extravagant than any church building today, and God liked it.

I have followed this discussion with keen interest. We seem to be missing something here. The church is not a charity home and no matter what religion you profess, serving God is a sacrificial thing. It is true that some of the scenerios presented are outrageous but we still have genuine Men of God with sincere passion to see lives changed and transformed. Rather than sit and criticise them, why not start your own NGO such as a prison visitation outfit, motherless babies home support or whatever you feel is lacking. The instruction to care for others is not expressly handed down to churches but to us as individuals. Let us not hide behind 'The church is suppossed to do this and that' but live up to our individual responsibilities based on our capabilities. I am not a church or even a pastor but I just registered an NGO fully funded by my wife and I. Our mission is to reach out to the less priviledged. Besides it is not completely true that churches are not socially responsible. I am into prison visitation as an individual and I see a lot of churches supporting the Prisons. You wont believe the level of support some of these churches give from food, clothing, medical to even paying for their exam fees in prison. Please let us not generalise and paint churches in bad light. Even in our secular world, for every good product there is an imitation. If you feel offended in worshipping in a magnificent edifice you have a choice. My advise is rather than complain, take action.

Seun has pretty much said it all. it is the sign of the end times folks. Remember what Matthew says about false prophets. They shall "arise". Unfortunately, many churches are nothing but financial empires. By building expensive edifices, they are making a sales pitch. Why would you worship in a primary school with wooden benches, crumbling walls and poor ventilation when the mega-"church" down the street has cushioned seats complete with A/C? They are simply playing on the minds of the feeble.

Also, don't forget that even before the new testament, God, in giving direction to the Israelites, also instructed them on how to build their altars (Ex. 20:24). Of course, Solomon built a temple but let's not forget that God told the Israelites what he would do to it if they turned their backs on him. The last time I checked, that temple was destroyed.

In the end, all God wants is our hearts. I bet you, you could worship under pouring rain and have that worship be more acceptable in God's sight than a worship at the "Lion of Judah" "Church"

my2cents:

Seun has pretty much said it all. it is the sign of the end times folks. Remember what Matthew says about false prophets. They shall "arise". Unfortunately, many churches are nothing but financial empires. By building expensive edifices, they are making a sales pitch. Why would you worship in a primary school with wooden benches, crumbling walls and poor ventilation when the mega-"church" down the street has cushioned seats complete with A/C? They are simply playing on the minds of the feeble.

Also, don't forget that even before the new testament, God, in giving direction to the Israelites, also instructed them on how to build their altars (Ex. 20:24). Of course, Solomon built a temple but let's not forget that God told the Israelites what he would do to it if they turned their backs on him. The last time I checked, that temple was destroyed.

In the end, all God wants is our hearts. I bet you, you could worship under pouring rain and have that worship be more acceptable in God's sight than a worship at the "Lion of Judah" "Church"

My2Cents,

Are you saying that IF you worship God under a magnificent building and God will accept your worship LESS than he would when you worship God in a bamboo shack church?? Why do you EQUATE the Spiritual state of those who worship God in magnificent buildings with weakness and those who worship God in bamboo shacks with strength?? Are you saying that all the times Jesus himself worshipped God in the great temples of Jerusalem, which were then a wonder in most of the world, He was weak spiritually? and Jesus was not helping people??

I believe that happens to be the problem here. People continually claiming a good looking church building is evil. It does not say that ANYWHERE in the Bible. We have so many examples of magnificent buildings put up for God in the OT and even the temple in the NT that was later destroyed during the siege of jerusalem was a magnificent building, so , why, OH! why do people keep judging the SALVATION /SANCTIFICATION of the people on the SIZE or Style of the building they worship in when God himself NEVER did that?? How can you in this case claim to be doing this for God, in the name of God when He never ever said SO? That is my big question??

About Ngos@maiyake , sure they are good and all but I have come to believe that not all persons can and are called to do such. Infact if you look at the stats in many cities around america, most of the mega churches provide more help to people in their communities and around, than the smaller churches can. I personally attend a mega church now after so many years of being on my own. I was jobless for so many years and during that time, I discovered that the big building does not really tell the WHOLE STORY. During the many years I was unemployed, I got FREE HEALTH CARE from the church's free clinic program ( NOTE: I discovered the church through discovering the many programs they offer the public). I got free dental, free eye and free health care. I was not even a member of the church and no one asked me. When I got a job, I decided to check out the church and lo and behold, it turns out the church,. even with the WONDERFUL building which has a school and all belongs to people who believe in God with all their heart. I mean this is a solid bible believing christian church. All the flashy lights and big building is for the people who CONTINUALLY want to see the church grow and grow. and many of them were born there and continue there to this day.

To Judge a church by the building is same as judging a book by it's cover and we know what the bible says about people who do such. We are told in the book of John, to JUDGE RIGHTEOUS JUDGEMENT. IF you then proclaiming to be of God yourself continue to Judge these Judges by the outward appearance when God himself who is the Judge says to Judge by what is within. Are you sure your stand is of God? or of self


KoboJunkie

nice topic,the competition is on for the psators to know who becomes the richest pastor ever,Nigerians are very religious people and the pastors are taking advantage of this to exploit them.check them out,almost all the churches in Nigeria now runs a private school.the members donate the cash for building the school but can;t afford to pay the school fees.

peteroby:

nice topic,the competition is on for the psators to know who becomes the richest pastor ever,Nigerians are very religious people and the pastors are taking advantage of this to exploit them.check them out,almost all the churches in Nigeria now runs a private school.the members donate the cash for building the school but can;t afford to pay the school fees.

Peter,

Could you please name one of those churches and I will PERSONALLY contact the pastor to lay my complaints if such be the case. I mean instead of Stab him in chat, I will move and confront him and get the real gist from him. Just give me one to work on. Please, give me the name and contact information, I will actually research the church myself. call up and get as much detail I can on the churches accounting practise and even publish it for all to see if the law allows. I am Dead serious here.


KoboJunkie

kobojunkie,

read my post again at least 10 times then come to me again. I didn't in any way say God accepts the worship of those who do so in "magnificent" churches any less than those who worship atop a canoe. What I am saying is, God doesn't care what you worship in. What he wants is your heart. That is why, when God instructed the Israelites on how to build an altar, and even quoting the new testament scripture someone posted up top, you will notice that God wanted a simple structure. Why? Of course, I am not God to know, but I can guess that he knows man and that if one man put up a "magnificent" church, the others will copy. In time, the emphasis no longer is on the people in the building (the actual "church" by the way) and more on the structure which will fade away.

Having said that, there is no denial that there is an abundance of false prophets running around. Have you noticed that a majority of preachers only preach of good times (how to make money, you will prosper, etc). Nothing wrong with that, but that is not what church is all about. You are not to go for just to feel good. You are to go and get your heart pricked as to the wrong you have done, pray for forgiveness and hope not to commit the same sin again.

There are people who will not worship under a mango tree because to them, it is beneath them. That is where certain "churches" come in. The better it looks, the better the crowd it will attract. In the end, again, it becomes an emphasis on the building and not the people in the building.

Am I clear? If not, let me know and I will try my best to expound. I am going to give you a pass and assume that you posted your response while in the midst of coding (having followed your many posts on the 'webmaster' forum ) and were probably thinking variables and arrays at the time.

my2cents:

kobojunkie,

read my post again at least 10 times then come to me again. I didn't in any way say God accepts the worship of those who do so in "magnificent" churches any less than those who worship atop a canoe. What I am saying is, God doesn't care what you worship in. What he wants is your heart. That is why, when God instructed the Israelites on how to build an altar, and even quoting the new testament scripture someone posted up top, you will notice that God wanted a simple structure. Why? Of course, I am not God to know, but I can guess that he knows man and that if one man put up a "magnificent" church, the others will copy. In time, the emphasis no longer is on the people in the building (the actual "church" by the way) and more on the structure which will fade away.

Having said that, there is no denial that there is an abundance of false prophets running around. Have you noticed that a majority of preachers only preach of good times (how to make money, you will prosper, etc). Nothing wrong with that, but that is not what church is all about. You are not to go for just to feel good. You are to go and get your heart pricked as to the wrong you have done, pray for forgiveness and hope not to commit the same sin again.

There are people who will not worship under a mango tree because to them, it is beneath them. That is where certain "churches" come in. The better it looks, the better the crowd it will attract. In the end, again, it becomes an emphasis on the building and not the people in the building.

Am I clear? If not, let me know and I will try my best to expound.

I read your post well. and I do not even know if I should repeat what I have already typed so many times over now. You CLAIM a MAJORITY OF PREACHERS ONLY PREACH OF GOOD TIMES(how to make money, you will prosper, etc). and then , There are people who will not worship under a mango tree because to them, it is beneath them. That is where certain "churches" come in. The better it looks, the better the crowd it will attract. In the end, again, it becomes an emphasis on the building and not the people in the building.

I am glad that even you know there is nothing wrong with that, but I do not know where you get your stats to support the claim that the majority of preachers do that though . Another thing is this , who are you or I to say what is in the mind of those who worship in these churches or any?? Even the Demons go to churches held under mango trees just as they do Churches built of gold. Here is the MAIN QUESTION, I think. IS THERE REALLY A HUGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CHOOSING TO GIVE MONEY TO A SMALL CHURCH AND GIVING MONEY TO A BIG CHURCH?? Are you MORE saved if you walk into a small Church? IF there is a DIFFERENCE, please do tell, If There is NONE, why Focus on CRUCIFYING Those who choose the Big Churches?? Or iS it the case that God is able to LOOSE you when you Worship him in a BIG CHURCH??


See, My Take on this is really on what it means to be CHRISTIANS and why BIG CHURCH OR SMALL CHURCH has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING To do with the MAIN when it comes to CHRISTIAN LIFE,


Kobojunkie

what question were u asking. the thread itself is a question and my answer is NO. it isnot necessary to build an expensive building for a church. A church with a decent amount of members should build a place where they can meet and worship God. It should be comfortable but there is a fine line between comfortable and exhorbitant.

I personally think it is unwise for a pastor to coax members who don't have money to pay tithe, building offering,pastor apppreciation,church maintenance offering and other impromptu altar calls( most church folks give as much as 50% of their earnings to the church- now if u work in an oil company or pilfer government funds you wouldn't understand the burden many church folks carry bc of the ego of their pastors) Just because he wants to add A/C,cushoined chairs,marble floors, chaffuer driven Escalade to the pastors office and many other expensive finishing touches. It is just unnecessary and i dare say, cruel!

:-x

kobo,

this will be my last post on this: You again, are missing my point. Size of church? doesn't matter. how much money you give? doesn't matter. What matters is "where 2 or 3 are gathered in my name, there I am also". So again, it doesn't matter whether you are under a mango tree or in a $1billion cathedral. Just like God won't accept someone's $1million yet will accept the widow's mite of say, $100, likewise, he will accept the worship of some over others, regardless of place of worship. Am I crucifying those who go to a big church? nope. I am however, crucifying those false prophets in the big churches. Why? because, unfortunately, they are taking souls with them and these souls, for the most part, don't even know it.

having said that, I will stand my ground that false prophets abound. I don't know what is in the mind of the preachers, however, I am able to choose which church to go to based on what comes out of a preacher's mouth. If they preach by adding or subtracting from the word, I am out. If they (as many do in the states) ask me for my W2 in order to determine how much I am to tithe, when clearly the new testament says that God loveth a cheerful giver, etc etc, I am out. and the list goes on.

my2cents:

kobo,

this will be my last post on this: You again, are missing my point. Size of church? doesn't matter. how much money you give? doesn't matter. What matters is "where 2 or 3 are gathered in my name, there I am also". So again, it doesn't matter whether you are under a mango tree or in a $1billion cathedral. Just like God won't accept someone's $1million yet will accept the widow's mite of say, $100, likewise, he will accept the worship of some over others, regardless of place of worship. Am I crucifying those who go to a big church? nope. I am however, crucifying those false prophets in the big churches. Why? because, unfortunately, they are taking souls with them and these souls, for the most part, don't even know it.

having said that, I will stand my ground that false prophets abound. I don't know what is in the mind of the preachers, however, I am able to choose which church to go to based on what comes out of a preacher's mouth. If they preach by adding or subtracting from the word, I am out. If they (as many do in the states) ask me for my W2 in order to determine how much I am to tithe, when clearly the new testament says that God loveth a cheerful giver, etc etc, I am out. and the list goes on.

Honey,I'm with you on those points.
I will not "dig deep" and have Bank of America reposess my home and my vehicles.

This is the real question u should be answering dear poster,


U pray to God for a mansion,gold etc but u are complaining about the beautification of the house of God?

MP007:

This is the real question u should be answering dear poster,


You pray to God for a mansion,gold etc but u are complaining about the beautification of the house of God?

God is not human and so doesnt need the same things we need. He needs our hearts not our pockets!

ow11:

God is not human and so doesnt need the same things we need. He needs our hearts not our pockets!

expensive church? instead of spending the money on people suffering in villages and introducing them to God.