Great.

But really what is a fellowship?

not to worry at all
it does happen
but u've got to fight it
may it's the church wiith the problem

what a good topic, you see, we are living in a society, that has been influence by greed , wealth, new age movement, that tell us, we don,t need God, this society, has build itself on being rich, being successful, being your own person, do what you do, to make u feel good, it has been told, america is a land of opportunity, which it is, many people have been blinded by that, not knowing it has a darker side to it, not knowing that a price to price to be successful, that price has cause many, to lose their faith in God, has caused the zeal, the fire they have in God, to go cold, i tell many that come into america, don,t let the limelight get you, don,t this country corrupt you in every way, to the point, you forget God, the one who brought over, this society has open it doors to every demonic doctrines, even the church has open it doors to it,causing spiritual burnout, decaying in our walk with christ, causing to comprise our standard of living with God, the church as become cold in it faith in God, to those who have not bow to the system, we must lift up a standard of revival and holiness back to the church, we have a mandate to represent in this nation and round, forget not the sound teaching of Christ and his Apostles in the early Church, remember jezebel was killing off all the prophets, Elijah the prophets, feel he was the only one left, but God spoke to you in a audible voice, saying, there are seven thousands of people who have not bow their to the system, we are living in that time, where the spirit of jezebel is killing the church, with greed, lust, spiritual adultery, by serving other gods in the form of money, success, uncontrollable lust, sex, it even creep in the churches,but not all churches, we need to sound the holy alarm, alert the people of coming destruction on earth, Pastors, Bishops, Apostles, Prophets, Evangelist, Teachers, we are responsible for equipped and preparing the church, to love, to have a zeal for the things of God, to love all mankind, to fellowship with one another, we need each other in this time and age, we are living in, the sad truth is, there are many who was brought in church, born in the church, but never had an encounter with God, or have a personal relationship with God in Christ Jesus, the question is? are there example being set in the church today by our leaders, church members or thoise who called themselves christians, it time for God, to raise true Christianity, True Leaders in this time, to that person who church is wrong, allow God, to show your loving hands in your life, he loves, don,t be bitter

to gamine, what is fellowship? Fellowship is a gathering of people, who come together, to share, and have things in common, also to share their faith in God, to be a blessing to others, to encourage, to movite, others to go forthwith in life

To share.

i dont see much sharing goin on in the churches.

true, cause, some people have me, i , myself attitude, cause some don,t love in the church, like they suppose to, bible says the love of many are waxed col, it should not be , especially in the house of God, but there are some of us, who still believe in loving our neighbors and shasring what we have, that blessed us with, now for the record we don,t share our spouses, like some do, but be encourage, great will happen for u, in Jesus name

Go and fellowship first and foremost - to set yourself as a judge over the entire congregation you fellowship with is the wrong starting point.

fellowship is praising God together, singing psalms and spiritual songs as paul admonished, listening to instruction and scripture from the elders. . . sharing the way Jesus and his apostles did. Now if that is not immediately happening, it does not mean you should pull back. The church is a growing and living body and a work in progress.

@Queenisha:

Quote from: Gamine on Yesterday at 11:33:51 AM
i never talked about boredom.

Its just about giving value thats why i would want to join a church group.

i don't feel guilty about not going to church, thats part of the problem i had



I guess your "Christian education" at Covenant secondary University did you no good.
Looks like your mind is already reprobate.
A Christian should long to fellowship with fellow Christians
It is called The assembly of Brethren and the Bible tells you not to neglect that fellowship
Once that desire is no longer there,you are already in a backslidden state.
A word is enough for the wise.

I beg woman. Go sidon. ko re sowun, fun mi. lol.

Who is the instructor/warner in the Bible who made that highlighted paraphrase? Jesus or some other dude? Ol girl, I am going to note davidylan remark about the okey doke of Paul word, line, hook and sinker. I guess the fish aint bitten.

My sister no be only you. I havent smelt church since december 2007.

Spoilt!

Omo your case get higher level!!!

Anyways tomoro is sunday and there is no way im sitting at home!!!

Hi Gamine,

Thank God you've decided to go to church this sunday. I hope the issue has been addressed anyway.

I made the decision to go this week, last sunday.

But yeah the issue has been dealt with.

Thanks for your help.

Something actually came out of this whole thing

i will leave it for another thread, later.

gamine, God bless you, be strong, and stand firm in the gospel of Christ, fellowship is very important, god bless

God bless you too!

Dearest Gamine,
I dont want you to in anyway get confused by all these presumed suggestions and comments.Our opinions differ because we are products of different doctrines.No more no less. The christian religion has so much become controversial that one cannot but continue to get more confused.
I was born into a catholic family lived the life of a good catholic,until i changed for one of these pentecostals,I was just looking for a deeper way of understanding God and serving him better.But a few months back i sopped going to any chucr at all.
see it is you who knows the best way to serve your God You see most of these churches are what i call BOND BREAKERS.They will bombard you with so many confusions and instead of truly bringing u to God they distract you.
As for me i have gone back to the catholic church and i have known God better so my peace and fulfilment is restored.
May Christ the grat teacher lead u aright.

Thanks

I have been through many phases and i kinda get you.

But all in all

The Holy Spirit is my guide.

Truth is if you follow what goes on in churches particularly in Nigeria, you might not want to go to anyone, I don't care who the pastor is. But we are children of God. We don't walk by our feelings. I like how Sholeyb has analysed it and what Debosky said. And you are not demon possessed or backsliden. It's a phase almost everyone of us has gone through at some point or another. For someone whose christian leaning is well known on this forum, I commend your honesty for coming out with the truth with all the wolves who were ready to bite off your head!

How was church today?

Church starts in 30 mins and I am on my bed, obviously have no intention of going. Is there something wrong with me? NO.

I think it would be hypocritical of me to go to church just to show my face, so people can say " She was in church today"  The measure of my relationship with MY GOD is not based on the number of times I go to church.

Do not forsake the fellowship of believers, iron sharpeneth iron. . . that's all good and dandy but what happens when after service, you feel as empty as you came in? Yep, this is where some people will turn the other way because they think it's impossible. Oh but it is be possible. . . it be sooo possible.

Allow me to paint you a picture. . .

After the grace, you pick your bag, ready to leave with the anointing but just as you get up from your chair, you are waylaid by the calling card woman who wants to sell her card, while telling you how she hasn't sold any since wedinaiseday. You aww and ohh, while thinking to yourself "oh come on, how will me buy $5 card, going to help you".

Then the woman who is celebrating her 50th birthday for the 5th time, shoves her aso egbe under your nose. . . you have to think fast on your toes, which sometimes means lying or you'd be stuck paying $450 for a material you won't put on your worst enemy.

A few feet away, the elders are settling fight for two former best friends and you can't help but watch jaw dropped as the women cuss, hiss, rolling their eyes, tap their feet. . . their bodies wired for combat while completely ignoring what the poor peace-maker Baba who stammers when in a tense situation is saying.

Okay, you tell yourself. . . eyes forward, slow & steady movement, don't call attention to yourself and just as you get to the door. . .  a man who on a good day can pass for your grandfather catches your eyes and passes a suggestive message to you, while juggling his 2 month old baby and ignoring the 4yrs old with mucus and tears running down his face, tugging at his shirt. Your first thought is "Is this one out of his freaking mind?" but then you quickly think "Shoot! I'm in church oh" so you send a half-hearted prayer for forgiveness. . . half hearted because you think he deserves.

Finally you get in your car and you drive away from CHURCH like the devil is on your tail.

The day I found myself saying "Thank God, I'm finally out of there" . . . prayed  frevently too, so it wasn't one of those off the cuff thanks, was the day I knew something was terribly wrong somewhere.

Church isn't a place you should be running from, it's supposed to be a refuge, a sanctuary. . . a place YOU ESCAPE TO and when you leave, you feel spiritually energized.  At least staying at home, listening to a live streamed sermon and worshipping along, I'll be assured of taking something with me.

So Gamine the way I see, something is right because I don't feel like going to church.

I also sometimes see the church as a social convergence centre.

I have noticed with sadness that a lot of us have had one negative experience or another in churches, I therefore thought that, if we would all pray for the Body of Christ and church leadership daily for the next 1 year, I believe this will change.

The bible says that there is the power of life and death in the tongue, let us pray for the life of God to come into our different churches.

Acts 2: 42- 47 "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43Everyone was filled with awe, and the apostles did many wonders and miraculous signs. 44All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved".

Let us pray that our churches will return to this type recorded in the bible passage above.

Indicate your interest

God bless us all.

I so didnt feel like going to church today
It rained and i felt so cozy under the duvet.
But i knew it wasnt about how i felt.

I got to church and realised that this was a place to be.
there wasnt anything "exciting" because it was freezing! but i knew
there was no way i could miss out of that collective worship to God.

It still dosnt mean i may not miss sunday service sometimes
it just makes me understand that fellowship is necessary!

The pastor actually talked a little bit on people missing services
not just sunday but week events before he went on to the main message.

I was really blessed and i prayed for grace so my eyes will constantly be on the Lord.

I am genuinely happy today

there is heaven afterall.

thank God for you dear sister. you always gave me hope for nigerian young people. so i still keep you in my prayers that God would uphold you that your faith fail not.

God bless you

when your church doesn't fulfill your internal needs then you have to shun whatever people say and go to another good church, church is compulsory for christians .when you start abandoning service you would be opening doors unconsciously to a lot of odd things. while i was serving i went to a church that i was always excited to attend on sundays and during the week, because they had practical answers to questions that life was asking me at that time. please find another church and serve god ,no room for slacking

@poster,
If your current church did not make any positive impact in your life, you may consider changing church to where you can hear the undiluted living word of God. The word of God is Life to those who find it, and whatever that has life does not remain stagnant. It's obvious you re experiencing stagnation, it is either you re not connected to the source of life (GOD) or you re in a merchandise church.

There is no way you can be in Christ and life still remain boring for you, each day takes you into deeper experience and higher life in Jesus Christ.  John 15: 1-2, 5 " I AM the true vine and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit (YOU BEAR FRUIT) he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit (YOU BEAR MORE FRUIT). I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit (YOU BEAR MUCH FRUIT): for without me  ye can do nothing"

I think you need to worry if you re no longer derives joy in going to  church, Psalm 92:13-14 "Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the court of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age, they shall be fat and flourishing" Psalm 69:9 " For the zeal of thine house has eaten me up, " I was glad when they said unto me let us go to the house of the Lord,

Please beware of those that said you don't need to go to church, funny enough they agreed that the bible says "we should not forsake the assembly of the brethren" if that's the case then what is church? Is church not assembly of the brethren?

Remember that church is a serious business of the kingdom of God, God invested His only son to win the world. just like any earthly investment or business. You ve been saved to serve, rather than been boring why can't you do something godly to address the problem that others like you are  experiencing in the church, isn't that an opportunity to be useful and make church what its suppose to be.

Church like every human organization employs and deploys physical and spiritual resourses to make profit for the kingdom of God (not for Rev/Pastors). God is not interested in an unprofitable servant/son. The early you re fully occupy for God the better it would be for you.

Above all, you will be judged for what you ve done with your life and you can not be excused on acount of any pastor or even your parent or church. Remember, you ve been saved to serve, and you can also be an agent of change that the church need today.

Gamine, Come for DELIVERANCE !!!!! yeehaa!!

I think the basic thing is that you ensure that your personal relationship with God is sound.
Also, examine if you r really being fed in that Church
Thirdly, and importantly, be very sensitive to this phase or season of your life. It was at a similar season in my life that God helped me to define the place of Church in my life as a Christian and that has really helped me. Every Christian has to define the place of Church in their life.
Tk Wish you the best of God in Life.

Gamine: is not good for you not to go to church on sunday
cos, that is the best place u can recieve blessing from God and u can also recieve favour from the lord and prayer from the ministers of God
why you must go to church on sunday is , it make you more closer to God
and is not good to forsake the fellowsih of the children of God
it

Gemini

I feel you, i was in that position about 25 years ago, when going to church became a torture and i did not understand what the whole thing was about ( religion in general and Christianity in particular). Well since then i had gone on a journey of discovery and i am happy to tell you i have found meaning to my life and life in general, and i am very happy and satisfied. Therefore i have done away with religion.

Now i am not advising you to do the same, we must each embark on our voyage of discovery alone. we will all land in different destinations, the most important think to be happy with ourselves and our belief systems. i can only suspect that you are on the road to that journey.

Now having said that i can tell you that Religiosity (as practised by Nigerians) and morality/ prosperity does not go hand in hand, in fact the opposite is the case. In fact i prefer to deal with non religious people than those than say "trust me because i am a child of God"

Let me give you some examples of the damage religion has done to the Nigerian society.
1. Nigeria is one of the most religious countries in the world, we are also one of the most corrupt people on the planet.
2. Leaders will rig themselves into office by killing and cheating and then go on to loot the treasury and justify it by
saying it was God that made it possible for them to attain power.
3. Nigeria is also one of the poorest countries in the world even compared to atheist countries despite all the preaching
of prosperity sunday after sunday.
4. Nigeria in fact have the highest infant and maternal mortality rates in the world, inspite all our night vigils and
prayers, much so that the WHO is worried. Higher than even war torn countries

Also i can safely equate the level of religiosity of a people to the level of injustice, poverty, illiteracy within the country. In countries where there is justice and high level of literacy people would not care much about religion because they know that they do not need to appease the gods to get their daily meals, or need to pray before they embark on a journey in their express way or do thanks giving for delivering a baby safely.

Finally i have found out that Religion is a prison, a prison for your mind, a prison that once you enter you can almost not get out, never. Only very very few can ever enter and escape the prison.

Gamine,

Oh Men don't love God anymore!

What offence has has the ALMIGHTY COMMITTED?

Do you not know that the totality of our being is made for HIS GLORY.

Gamine, whoever is giving you any false advice as regards being comfortable at
home on sundays when you are supposed to be in the Presence of the ALMIGHTY
praising and glorifying HIS Name, should kindly desist from it.

Infact, run away from that person.

God loves you so much. Take a look at that those in the hospital. They desire to be
in HIS Presence but they are bedfasted.

Here you are hale and hearty. God is merciful.

Please, gamine, i'll advice you seek godly counsel from a Bible Believing minister
so that the Holy Spirit of God can breathe on you .

God bless you.


Chidera
www.springwellhomebusiness.com

Chei, this people wan condemn me finish

Anyways i know what is right, thanks

CBT online

I hate religious arguments, it will get one no where, just like political argument. I had lots of religious arguments at university and i can compare it to two people arguing but with different languages.

But just for the sake of it let me take you on some points.

Do you not know that the totality of our being is made for HIS GLORY

Now what do you mean the totality of our being is made for HIS GLORY? Are you saying you are made as a toy for God to play with? or God enjoy watching your actions like a movie.

God loves you so much. Take a look at that those in the hospital. They desire to be
in HIS Presence but they are bedfasted.

Are you saying that the reason people are bed fasted is because they are not worshiping God properly or because of our poor medical services coupled with the unsafe environment in which we live.