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Comments Regarding Article
19/09/2007 11:07
I am shocked Oprah made these remarks. I would be very insulted if I was Nigerian. It's just the same as some people say all blacks are criminals and all whites are racists! There is no place in a society for people who harbour these views! - Mr Reddy

Good on Oprah
19/09/2007 11:15
Well said Oprah. Corruption in Nigeria is crippling the country and Nigeria's leaders are not doing enough to stop it. Some extra presure won't hurt. - Attie

Most of them are criminals
19/09/2007 11:27
I have seen a few good Nigerians and most of those I've met are a total chaos. Met them in church and social gathering and they all speak the same language, drugs, and fraud, if you follow. - Andile

aww, c'mon!
19/09/2007 11:34
So when Oprah does a show on the Holocaust, do Germans all demand an apology? If she does a focus on blood diamonds, do all the Congolese jump up and down? People who watch Oprah must be superhuman, as that stuff is idiotic, lame, painful and frightening! - Tom

generalisation sucks but if the shoe fits,
19/09/2007 11:55
I guess we have a better understanding about the risks and wrongs of generalising and stereotyping because of our political history (South Africa), but the constant scamming attempts by SOME Nigerian citizens is a reality and we should not hide it. There is no wrong in calling a shark a shark, if it is a shark! Forget about Oprah and worry about why the west thinks you are a shark. - leon

Oprah Appologise?
19/09/2007 12:00
This african American can do anything I please, doesn't understand how much we do not actaully like her!! - Kevin

OH PLEASE!
19/09/2007 12:00
Oh PLEASE!!!Cry me a friggin river.It's high time that all Nigerians woke up+realised that in this case it's not OPRAH supposedly 'dragging the country's reputation thru the mud', but in fact it's all the fraudsters in their own country! THEY, NOT Oprah, are the ones guilty of that. And that's not even taking into account their drug dealing shenanigans. So please, everyone was thinking it, Oprah just had the courage to say it. It's simple:Stop the fraud and restore your national reputation. - Ca55

Oprah and the Nigerians
19/09/2007 12:02
If the Nigerians feel they need an apology for being called fraudsters, the whole world needs an apology from them as 99% of all fraud, drugs and prostiution committed in other countries, are done by the Nigerians. So please, get real and hang your head in shame for being part of this nation of thiefs. - Frank

What?
19/09/2007 12:02
Apologise for what? It's a well known fact that a large portion of criminal activities in SA and abroad is indeed run by Nigerians - Theana

THE TRUST HURTS
19/09/2007 12:03
The truth hurts. Just look at the Nigerians in South Africa. They are up to no good. Get rid of them - Anti Nigerian

419 Scam
19/09/2007 12:12
There is a very interesting history about this scam and although not all Nigerians are involved and not only Nigerians the majority originates from them today. Oprah does NOT have to apologize. It has to be exposed as many people have been left destitute and some even dead. See 419eater.com - QuintS

Let's face facts
19/09/2007 12:14
I don't understand why all the noise, the truth is these internet scams are rife and alarming and are mostly done by Nigerians. There aren't many Nigerians with day jobs, how do you think they leave? Some even say they can never work, they do a "business" as it gices them quick money. the "business" is obviously illegal and involves taking people's money. Oprah merely pointed out an issue that is of concern, rightfully so. Nigerians are generally corrupt and they know this - Zinhle

Nigeria
19/09/2007 12:26
So, if Nigeria is such a fun place to be, why are Shell and BP pulling out of the delta? Why are there so many Nigerian "entrepreneurs" in SA? It' s because they know a weak target if they see it. - ChrisS

Oprah's researcher used an unrepresenataive sample
19/09/2007 12:27
I an African and have met good and intelligent Nigerians. Most Nigerians like most Africans are intelligent and me, Oprah and Brian Ross cannot take that away from us. How on earth does holier than us people of America get duped by the Nigerians. I think Oprah's researcher (Brian Ross) fed her with wrong and unimpirical information and she belived him/her. Brian Ross' sample was not representative of the Nigerians and I think it should be discarded. What reserach method did you use MrRos? - JR

I dont see the difference
19/09/2007 12:44
Nigeria sounds just like South Africa or any other African country!!! Lets blame the white people. Its so much easier than accepting responsibility for our own actions. - deev

Andile you are a VERY DANGEROUS PERSON!
19/09/2007 12:52
How would you respond to "Most South Africans are violent". DON'T generalise have the basic intelligence to back up a statement with the modicum of fact. Eish!!!!!!!!!! - Alice Selman

The truth will set you free
19/09/2007 13:04
It's kinda true though, isn't it? - CSB

Nigerians
19/09/2007 13:06
are bad news. If you've stayed in central Jozi you can attest to this. They are the most corrupt and have a don't care attitude when it comes to ripping people off. They are the biggest pimps out there and unfortunately South african women love them. O yah, Oprah should not apologise for telling the truth. Aluta continua, - Fresh

Nigerians
19/09/2007 13:29
Oprah dragged before a queen That in itself is one of the most bizarre statements I have heard. The next must be for her to apologize to the Nigerians for calling them crooks?? have I missed something in the last decade? They are a bunch of crooks and the queen was probably the head of the Nigerian mafia. Get a life!!!! - morecats

Africa, wake up and get honest!!
19/09/2007 13:33
Nassir Abbas - Your last paragraph is true! Africa has a reputation for corruption, Nigeria in particular. It is unwritten policy in many companies not do any deals with Nigerians, and every contact I've had with Nigerians in business as an international agent for Africa has been proved to be a scam. The business ethics in Africa are generally poor! - Barry

I have received one of their
19/09/2007 13:39
I dont think Oprah would have generalised like that, anyway some Nigerians are crooks, get out of South Africa, and take your drugs and fraud with you. - Kubeshni

JR, you idiot
19/09/2007 13:48
If you think most africans are intelligent, you are the stupidest of all africans!Most africans use the little intelligence they have to think up scams, that is the only creativity most africans show. - Ice

Well said!
19/09/2007 13:50
Why must Oprah apologise? The truth hurts, doesn't it? MOST Nigerians are crooks in my eyes. If they're not committing fraud with their scams, then they are pushing their drugs all over the country. - Tracey

The truth hurts
19/09/2007 13:51
If the cap fits then wear it !! Ask the SAP what they think of people from Nigeria. I may start to watch Oprah after all !! - SPOT

Shocked!
19/09/2007 14:00
Am shocked that someone of Oprah's calibre could be so silly.I'm a 26yr-old African (born and bred in SA) and even I am not that ignorant to think that all Nigerians are crooks.I've met a lot of SA crooks -lazy tsotsis. Nigeria's population is large and if SA population was as big, then I know SA people would be criticised like Nigerians are. For every 1 bad Nigerian, there's million good ones. SA, wake up! - Presh

I HAVE BEEN TARGETED THREE TIMES
19/09/2007 14:02
Just like the Americans, SAs have also been receiving these communications from Nigeria. As SA banks won't deal with Nigeria ie won't accept funds unless it is from a big corporate with links to SA, then the argument is purely factual -Nigerians are crooks. Its as simple as that! My brother emigrated to the Uk and the only time he was targeted by fraudsters - you guessed it, was by Nigerians, but being from Africa he was too sharp for them and they were arrested!! Go home Nigerians! - jenny

Utterly noncense
19/09/2007 14:18
We all know nigerians are crooks,Fraudsters and drug pushers. a couple of my friends have been corned by nigerians i do not think Oprah should appologise. - Zinhle

Nigerians
19/09/2007 14:40
Well said Kubeshni! I have NEVER heard of a Nigerian doing something worth while or good in South Africa, it is always drugs , illegal guns , prostitution etc. We are trying to make our country a better place and you are just of our problem! Get out of our country, or is your country too rotten and banged up by yourselves that you need a new place to spread your crime and worthlessness? - MO

Lol
19/09/2007 14:52
"the queen was probably the head of the Nigerian mafia" That was funny. Most nigerians are crooks but not all of them. Just like most black people are criminals and most indians and whites are racists and coloured peopele low lifes. Should Oprah apologize? I don't think so. It's just facts. - KitttyKat

CROOKS
19/09/2007 14:54
IT CANT BE ALL OF THEM PLS OR 99% OF ALL DRUGS,PROSTITUTION,FRUAD IS DONE BY THEM. - alchemist

Culled from news24.co.za

IMMMORTALITY

“Who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light” I Timothy 6:16.

The word immortality in the Greek is “Athanasia” meaning deathlessness or undeath in a literal sense. But in the New Testament “athanasia” expresses more than deathlessness, it suggests the quality of life enjoyed.

In our opening text we see that God is described as one who possesses this kind of life, immortal life, and eternal life. I was in a beauty salon once with a friend when I overheard two women whining about how they were ageing, this really hit me with the reality of man’s frailty. This experience made me realize the corruptible nature of man, man is not immortal he is very mortal and he is subject to decay, corruption, degradation and death.

However, there is good news God has done something about Man’s condition. He sent his Son Jesus Christ into the world to give the whole of Mankind life as God has it, through his death and resurrection. “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:17

At the tomb of Lazarus Jesus made an authoritative remark “"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" John 11:25-26. Profound words indeed, Jesus has made immortality available to all who would receive the deliverance he purchased through his blood.
In times past, immortality was the exclusive preserve of God but He has chosen to bestow this quality of life to humanity through Christ “Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” 2 Timothy 1:10.
Praise God that believers in Jesus Christ have immortality, even if they die physically they will live again at the resurrection but this time they will live the way God lives, free from death, pain, sickness, hunger and fatigue. They will be immortal as God.
Little wonder Paul the apostle stated in 2 Corinthians 4:16 “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day”. Friends, we have immortality in our spirits as believers here in this world, but we eagerly await the resurrection, when this immortal life we carry in our spirits would be transferred to our physical bodies. This is the hope of our calling, the grand expectation of our hearts, the day when mortality would be swallowed up by the immortal life within.

Thank God for this everlasting consolation, immortality which was the exclusive preserve of the Father is now ours through the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Hallelujah immortality is here, rejoice!!!

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LET’S ALL GET DRUNK

“Don’t get drunk with wine…instead let the Holy Spirit fill and control you” Eph 5:18.

Have u ever seen a man under the influence of alcohol? He didn’t get drunk by just talking about it or watching liquor advertisements. He got drunk by drinking! And the more he drinks the more the alcohol controls him. We say he is “under the influence”. Another power has taken over him, transforms him into someone he was not before. One minute he is quiet the next he is loud and boisterous.
He may even think he is another Elvis Presley and start to sing. When asked to walk a straight line he can’t even if he wanted to. You know why? Something else is running the show. And what alcohol does to the body negatively, the Holy Spirit does to us as new creations in Christ positively. When you are under his control, he makes you walk in ways you thought hitherto was impossible, makes you talk in a manner you never expected. That’s why, rather than spending our time and energy trying to change, we need to concentrate on being and staying influenced by God’s Spirit.

A sober man doesn’t have to try and stagger; all he has to do is get drunk; the alcohol will take care of the staggering. Little wonder Paul drew the analogy between someone who’s drunk and someone under the sway of the Holy Spirit. But a word of caution: those under the influence of the Spirit are not rude or offensive, garrulous or selfish; neither are they proud ‘showboating’ in an attempt to impress others. The reason why a lot of believers don’t experience the fullness of the Holy Spirit is because they are not drinking enough of him. His power is available to us today, so what are you waiting for? Let’s all get DRUNK!!!

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Spiritual Growth


“As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby” 1 Pet 2:2

Over the years I have heard various preachers speak extensively along the lines of spiritual growth as well as ingredients that bring about spiritual growth. It is true that gathering with other believers for the sake of fellowship is imperative, but the truth is that organized religion does not provide the right forum for true godly relationships to be developed. Many of our teachings are legalistic; our sermons are nothing but musings of men to say the list. There is this great expectation placed on the flock to perform, which makes them believe that God would be impressed by their strict adherence of commandments of men; which indeed have a form of wisdom but in essence lack any power to restrain fleshly indulgence (see Col 2:18-20).

All these legalistic teachings now push the flock into a performance mode and a life marred with hypocrisy thereby robbing them of the joy and peace that Christianity offers. Brother Bill wants to impress Brother Jack; Sister Kate wants Sister Lisa to think of her as a “super Christian”. This setting does not provide an environment conducive for true expressions of faith, instead of us speaking the truth in love; we are forced to mollycoddle our “dry bones in the closet”.

However, Saints of God there is good news God desires that his children walk in the liberty that Christ has made available (see Galatians 5:1-2), and to enjoy Him and the fellowship of other believers in an atmosphere of peace, love and truth. Speaking the truth in love that we may grow into Him who is the Head (see Eph 4:15-25).

The reality of the matter is that true spiritual growth cannot be attained in the present structure of the church; the reason is because the necessary ingredients for true spiritual growth are missing. As our opening text suggests growth can be attained by the believer through the infallible word of God in an environment of love and truth. Take nature for example, plants don’t just grow by rays from the sun, there must be a proportionate amount of water, certain elements must be present in the soil for the plant to grow and develop well enough to provide food for its consumers.
In the same vein spiritual growth can only be attained through a combination of factors; the truth of God’s word and also an environment void of hypocrisy, legalism, and pretence.
Friends, true spiritual growth can only be attained in an environment where the truth of God’s word is preached with sincerity, genuine love and grace.

So if you desire to grow the godly way crave for the preaching and teaching of God’s word in a loving and gracious environment where the truth is spoken in love, that we may grow into him who is the Head.

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Why I Don't Go to Church Anymore: One Man's story

Dear Fellow-believer,
I do appreciate your concern for me and your willingness to raise issues that have caused you concern. I know the way I relate to the church is a bit unconventional and some even call it dangerous. Believe me, I understand that concern because I used to think that way myself and even taught others to as well.
If you are happy with the status quo of organized religion today, you may not like what you read here. My purpose is not to convince you to see this incredible church the same way I do, but to answer your questions as openly and honestly as I can. Even if we don't end up agreeing, hopefully you will understand that our differences need not estrange us as members of Christ's body.
Where do you go to church?
I have never liked this question, even when I was able to answer it with a specific organization. I know what it means culturally, but it is based on a false premise -- that church is something you can go to as in a specific event, location or organized group. I think Jesus looks at the church quite differently. He didn't talk about it as a place to go to, but a way of living in relationship to him and to other followers of his.
Asking me where I go to church is like asking me where I go to Jacobsen. How do I answer that? I am a Jacobsen and where I go a Jacobsen is. 'Church' is that kind of word. It doesn't identify a location or an institution. It describes a people and how they relate to each other. If we lose sight of that, our understanding of the church will be distorted and we'll miss out on much of its joy.
Are you just trying to avoid the question?
I know it may only sound like quibbling over words, but words are important. When we only ascribe the term 'church' to weekend gatherings or institutions that have organized themselves as 'churches' we miss out on what it means to live as Christ's body. It will give us a false sense of security to think that by attending a meeting once a week we are participating in God's church. Conversely I hear people talk about 'leaving the church' when they stop attending a specific congregation.
But if the church is something we are, not someplace we go, how can we leave it unless we abandon Christ himself? And if I think only of a specific congregation as my part of the church, haven't I separated myself from a host of other brothers and sisters that do not attend the same one I do?
The idea that those who gather on Sunday mornings to watch a praise concert and listen to a teaching are part of the church and those who do not, are not, would be foreign to Jesus. The issue is not where we are at a given time during the weekend, but how we are living in him and with other believers all week long.
But don't we need regular fellowship?
I wouldn't say we need it. If we were in a place where we couldn't find other believers, Jesus certainly would be able to take care of us. Thus, I'd phrase that a bit differently: Will people who are growing to know the Living God also desire real and meaningful connections with other believers? Absolutely! The call to the kingdom is not a call to isolation. Every person I've ever met who is thriving in the life of Jesus has a desire to share authentic fellowship with other believers. They realize that whatever they know of God's life is just in part, and only the fullest revelation of him is in the church.
But sometimes that kind of fellowship is not easy to find. Periodically on this journey we may go through times when we can't seem to find any other believers who share our hunger. That's especially true for those who find that conforming to the expectations of the religious institutions around them diminishes their relationship with Jesus. They may find themselves excluded by believers with whom they've shared close friendship. But no one going through that looks on that time as a treat. It is incredibly painful and they will look for other hungry believers to share the journey with.
My favorite expression of body life is where a local group of people chooses to walk together for a bit of the journey by cultivating close friendships and learning how to listen to God together.
Shouldn't we be committed to a local fellowship?
That has been said so often today, that most of us assume it is in the Bible somewhere. I haven't found it yet. Many of us have been led to believe that we can't possibly survive without the 'covering of the body' and will either fall into error or backslide into sin. But doesn't that happen inside our local congregations as well?
I know many people who live outside those structures and find not only an ever-deepening relationship with God, but also connections with other believers that run far deeper than they found in the institution. I haven't lost any of my passion for Jesus or my affection for his church. If anything those have grown by leaps and bounds in recent years.
Scripture does encourage us to be devoted to one another not committed to an institution. Jesus indicated that whenever two or three people get together focused on him, they would experience the vitality of church life.
Is it helpful to regularly participate in a local expression of that reality? Of course. But we make a huge mistake when we assume that fellowship takes place just because we attend the same event together, even regularly, or because we belong to the same organization. Fellowship happens where people share the journey of knowing Jesus together. It consists of open, honest sharing, genuine concern about each other's spiritual well being and encouragement for people to follow Jesus however he leads them.
But don't our institutions keep us from error?
I'm sorry to burst your bubble here, but every major heresy that has inflicted God's people for the last 2,000 years has come from organized groups with 'leaders' who thought they knew God's mind better than anyone around them. Conversely, virtually every move of God among people hungering for him was rejected by the 'church' of that day and were excluded, excommunicated or executed for following God.
If that is where you hope to find security, I'm afraid it is sorely misplaced. Jesus didn't tell us that 'going to church' would keep us safe, but that trusting him would. He gave us an anointing of the Spirit so that we would know the difference between truth and error. That anointing is cultivated as we learn his ways in his Word and grow closer to his heart. It will help you recognize when expressions of church you share life with becomes destructive to his work in you.
So are traditional congregations wrong?
Absolutely not! I have found many of them with people who love God and are seeking to grow in his ways. I visit a couple of dozen different congregations a year that I find are far more centered on relationship than religion. Jesus is at the center of their life together, that those who act as leaders are true servants and not playing politics of leadership, and that all are encouraged to minister to one another.
I pray that even more of them are renewed in a passion for Jesus, a genuine concern for each other and a willingness to serve the world with God's love. But I think we'd have to admit that these are rare in our communities and many only last for a short span before they unwittingly look to institutional answers for the needs of the body instead of remaining dependent on Jesus. When that happens do not feel condemned if God leads you not to go along with them.
So should I stop going to church, too?
I'm afraid that question also misses the point. You see I don't believe you're going to church any more than I am. We're just part of it. Be your part, however Jesus calls you to and wherever he places you. Not all of us grow in the same environment.
If you gather with a group of believers at a specific time and place and that participation helps you grow closer to Jesus and allows you to follow his work in you, by all means don't think you have to leave. Keep in mind, however, that of itself is not the church. It is just one of many expressions of it in the place where you live.
Don't be tricked into thinking that just because you attend its meetings you are experiencing real body life. That only comes as God connects you with a handful of brothers and sisters with whom you can build close friendships and share the real ups and downs of this journey.
That can happen among traditional congregations, as it can also happen beyond them. In the last seven years I've meet hundreds if not thousands of people who have grown disillusioned with traditional congregations and are thriving spiritually as they share God's life with others, mostly in their homes.
Then meeting in homes is the answer?
Of course not. But let's be clear: as fun as it is to enjoy large group worship and even be instructed by gifted teachers, the real joy of body life can't be shared in huge groups. The church for its first 300 years found the home the perfect place to gather. They are much more suited to the dynamics of family which is how Jesus described his body.
But meeting in homes is no cure-all. I've been to some very sick home meetings and met in facilities with groups who shared an authentic body life together. But the time I spend in regular body life I want to spend face to face with a group of people. I know it isn't popular today where people find it is far easier to sit through a finely-tuned (or not so finely-tuned) service and go home without ever having to open up our life or care about another person's journey.
But ultimately what matters most to me is not where or how they meet, but whether or not people are focused on Jesus and really helping each other on the journey to becoming like him. Meetings are less the issue here than the quality of relationships. I am always looking for people like that wherever I am and always rejoice when I find it. In our new home in Oxnard, we've found a few folks and are hopeful to find even more.
Aren't you just reacting out of hurt?
I suppose that is possible and time will tell, I guess, but I honestly don't believe so. Anyone who is engaged in real body life will get hurt at times. But there are two kinds of hurt. There's the kind of pain that points to a problem that can be fixed with the right caresuch as a badly sprained ankle. Then there's the kind of pain that can only -- be fixed by pulling away&emdash;as when you put your hand on a hot stove.
Perhaps all of us have experienced some measure of pain as we have tried to fit God's life into institutions. For a long time most of us hung in there hoping if we tweaked a few things it would get better. Though we could be successful in limited ways during moments of renewal, we also discovered that eventually the conformity an institution demands and the freedom people need to grow in Christ are at odds with one another. It has happened with virtually every group formed throughout the history of Christianity.
Are you looking for the perfect church?
No, and I don't anticipate finding one this side of eternity. Perfection is not my goal, but finding people with God's priorities. It's one thing for people to struggle toward an ideal they share together. It's another to realize that our ideals have little in common.
I make no secret of the fact that I am deeply troubled by the state of organized Christianity. Most of what we call 'church' today are nothing more than well-planned performances with little actual connection between believers. Believers are encouraged toward a growing dependency on the system or its leadership rather than on Jesus himself. We spend more energy conforming behavior to what the institution needs rather than helping people be transformed at the foot of the cross!
I'm tired of trying to fellowship with people who only view church as a two-hour a week dumping ground for guilt while they live the rest of the week with the same priorities as the world. I'm tired of those who depend on their own works of righteousness but who have no compassion for the people of the world. I'm tired of insecure people using the Body of Christ as an extension of their own ego and will manipulate it to satisfy their own needs. I'm tired of sermons more filled with the bondage of religion than the freedom of God's love and where relationships take a back seat to the demands of an efficient institution.
But don't our children need church activities?
I'd suggest that what they need most is to be integrated into God's life through relational fellowship with other believers. 92% of children who grow up in Sunday schools with all the puppets and high-powered entertainment, leave 'church' when they leave their parents' home? Instead of filling our children with ethics and rules we need to demonstrate how to live in God's life together.
Even sociologists tell us that the #1 factor in determining whether a child will thrive in society is if they have deep, personal friendships with nonrelative adults. No Sunday school can fill that role. I know of one community in Australia who after 20 years of sharing God's life together as families could say that they had not lost one child to the faith as they grew into adulthood. I know I cut across the grain here, but it is far more important that our children experience real fellowship among believers rather than the bells and whistles of a slick children's program.
What dynamics of body life to you look for?
I'm always looking for a people who are seeking to follow the Living Christ. He is at the center of their lives, their affections and their conversation. They look to be authentic and free others to hurt when they hurt, to question what they question and to follow his voice without others accusing them of being divisive or rebellious. I look for people who are not wasting their money on extravagant buildings or flashy programs; where people sitting next to each other are not strangers; and where they all participate as a priesthood to God instead of watch passively from a safe distance.
Aren't you giving people an excuse to sit home and do nothing?
I hope not, though I know it is a danger. I realize some people who leave traditional congregations end up abusing that freedom to satisfy their own desires and thus miss out on church life altogether. Neither am I a fan of 'church hoppers', who whip around to one place after another looking for the latest fad or the best opportunity to fulfill their own selfish desires.
But most of the people I meet and talk with are not outside the system because they have lost their passion for Jesus or his people, but only because the traditional congregations near them couldn't satisfy their hunger for relationship. They are seeking authentic expressions of body life and pay an incredible cost to seek it out. Believe me, we would all find it easier just to go with the flow, but once you've tasted of living fellowship between passionate believers, it is impossible to settle for anything less.
Isn't this view of church divisive?
Not of itself. People make it divisive when they demand that people conform to their revelation of truth. Most of us on journey are accused of being divisive because freedom can be threatening to those who find their security in a religious system. But must of us aren't trying to recruit others to leave their congregations. We see the body of Christ big enough to encompass God's people however he calls them to gather.
One of the things often said about traditional church is that Sunday morning is the most segregated hour in American culture. We only meet with people who look like we do and like things the way we do. I've found now that I have far more opportunity to get with people from a broader cross-section of his body. I don't demand others do it my way and I hope in time that those who see it differently will stop demanding we conform to theirs.
Where can I find that kind of fellowship?
There's no easy answer here. It might be right in front of you among the fellowship you're already in. It might be down the street in your neighborhood or across a cubicle at work. You can also get involved in compassionate outreaches to the needy and broken in your locality as a way to live out his life in you and meet others with a similar hunger.
Don't expect this kind of fellowship to fall easily into an organization. It is organic, and Jesus can lead you to it right where you are. Look for him to put a dozen or so folks around your life with whom you can share the journey. They may not even all go to the same congregation you do. They might be neighbors or coworkers who are following after God. Wouldn't that kind of interconnection among God's people yield some incredible fruit?
Don't expect it to be easy or run smoothly. It will take some specific choices on our part to be obedient to Jesus. It may take some training to shake off old habits and be free to let him build his community around you, but it is all worth it. I know it bothers some people that I don't take my regular place in a pew on Sunday morning, but I can tell you absolutely that my worst days outside organized religion are still better than my best days inside it. To me the difference is like listening to someone talk about golf or actually taking a set of clubs out to a course and playing golf. Being his church is like that. In our day we don't need more talk about the church, but people who are simply ready to live in its reality.
People all over the world are freshly discovering how to do that again. You can be one of them as you let him place you in his body as he desires.

Are you tired of organized religion?
Do you desire a relational church in which you can freely share your struggles with other believers without fear of being condemned or judged?
Do you seek a deeper intimacy and commitment to Christ and not “Church”?
If your answers to all of the above questions are in the affirmative, then you are the one we seek.
Send an E-mail to isibor518@yahoo.com for true fellowship.

Hello house couldsomeone pls advise me on where to get civil service forms? Responses would be highly appreciated.

Kind regards

Hello house, could someone advise on where one could pick up forms for civil service in Lagos? Responses would be highly appreciated. Kind regards