Why do we keep adding things in our lives that keep us from spending more time with God.

[Greg Wilkins]

I keep getting request to join different groups on how to make money or how to change your life for the better.God is my only teacher and he should be yours too. If you can read why would you want to listen to words of a mere human telling you how to live your life.Unless your exceptionally lazy. Haven't we had enough of this temporary world we live in or do we want to stay in a corrupted world? God says if your a friend of the world then your an enemy of God.
Where do we put a stop to putting God on hold? Does everyone think its the pastors place to do all the work, sorry wrong. We are all workers unto God. Its our place to show our communities a life of living as close to being like Jesus as we can. Being a witness and showing it in the way we live. I see people in the church dressing just like people in the world. I see people that has no change in their lives after they have claimed to have salvation. I see people,walking,talking, everything they do cries world. Why would anyone want to go to church if they could have the same thing at home.
Wake up people we don't serve a part time God.
God don't serve you or change to your lifestyle.
He is the same yesterday today and forever Amen?

[Ron Payne]

Hi Greg (Wilkins),
I understand where you are coming from, I also understand the deep need that we all have, to be like Jesus. It's a desire to be perfect. WE can never attain this, especially if we look at others and criticise them.

Perfection is something we can never attain in this life. If any man thinks he can, then let him try walking on water.

In Mat 19:16-30, Jesus puts his finger right on the problem.
After telling this young man about all the problems he faces to become perfect, the man still insists that he has passed all the requirements. Finally Jesus identifies the stumbling block that holds this man back from being perfect.

"Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me." Mat 19:21.

Also in our desire to become perfect, Who knows what difficulties, stumbling blocks, circumstances etc. others may have to face?
Possibly their past habits may well be holding them down, unless we know this, we have we no right to criticise them. Yet while we criticise them, and say: "I see no change." The Lord who knows the circumstances everyone of us face; and may well be saying to some of us: "Well done my good and faithful servant." That faithful servant may well have raised himself up and out of a world of drugs and alcohol, where he has soaked his brain for half of his life. Would you, knowing this, still say to him: "Wake up and don't serve a part time God? God will never come down to your level?"

The Rapture is a totally different subject. We can look at this at another time.
For now, I merely want to point to the words of Jesus: " And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?" Mat 7:3

A Short and quick word on the Rapture.
Because a name has been given by us, to an event that the Lord has chosen to describe without putting a name to it. Does not mean that it will never happen.
Are you saying that we will never be caught up to meet the Lord in the air? But if you agree that it is going to happen, then what name would you give it? Could it be "Resurrection"? I don't think so, because that word describes coming up out of the grave and in no way describes the event in 1Th 4:16. "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:"
This is an event far, far different to a resurrection in that only the dead in Christ and we which are alive are chosen to experience this.
Never the less still a subject all on it's own.

Finally, the other statement you made: "Why would anyone want to go to church if they could have the same thing at home?"
You do not say whether you practice staying at home yourself. But frankly whoever does, is a "cop-out" and rejection of scriptural instruction: "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching" Heb 10:25
Also what we do here on AAG is partly what Heb 10:25 instructs us to do:
"Exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching".

Your Friend - Ron

[Greg Wilkins]

Well Ron since you have nit picked what i wrote to death. The only thing i want to tell you is. Its not what i tell you its what God tells you. I you have the assumption that i wrote what i have on this page out of my fleshly mind you better think twice. I wrote what God had me write so i guess its what we all need to hear even me. And as far as the part of knowing I'm not perfect i be the first to tell you I'm not. Oh about going to church I'm one of the licensed ministers in my church Ron but i don't Brag because i am a minister. Maybe i had no need of saying where i went to church or not. But it do sound like you may be a Baptist or at least denominational.

[Greg Wilkins]

Oh yeah Ron I was one of those old boys that done drugs for over thirty years and when i finally broke down and humbly went before my God He changed me in the twinkling of and eye. The way i talked The way i walked The friends i had. The way i dressed. Even the way i felt about me. So don't tell me that you can't see a change if you have had a true salvation experience. Makes me wonder why you don't know this ;)
Greg

[LT]

I will not enter in to the midst of your discussion with Ron, but will ask a question regarding your last sentence. Why would you say "it do sound like you may be Baptist or at least denominational"? Do you believe that those of us who serve Jesus and are associated with denominations are some how less valuable to the kingdom? I trust that is not your view or intent, but your words could come across offensive to many on this site who are associated with a denomination. How would you take it is someone said "You sound like one of those non-denominational people"? Why must that enter into the conversation at all?

Food for thought,
LT

[Alan]

When I was young, I met a man who was pastor of a good-sized church, there was not a lot going on in Jesus at this place and I asked the pastor if it concerned him. The pastors told that he was happy with the way things were going and that this was just how he wanted it to be comfortable and safe. That man had made a decision as to how he was going to live his life as a Christian. The choice he made was to be comfortable and not listen to closely to what Jesus wanted him to do, this was a balancing act of doing enough of what Jesus said to ease the guilt yet not being put out The fact is we choose every day how much of our lives will be affected by the life of Jesus. The reflected choice dictates what we do with our time and energy

[candy:)]

oh my i think its good to pray every morning .......every day ...i talk to him like everytime but i make it a point to pray every mor and nite ...sunday wen i go to church i meet my bro and sisters in church ...we all sing and praise him together..............its awesome....

[Deborah Sue Schenfeld]

I agree! It is frustrating when the Lord is showing you the state of the world, the state of the church, (in general) & how much more of a glorious light it could be! I get little tastes of what could be & should be. The frustration makes it hard to guard your own heart & not lash out, judge or lable our brothers & sisters. I'm NOT saying that God isn't raising up men & woman with the message, "Wake-up Church, while it's still day!!!" He most certainly is!
I think, unless I've missed something, that the point of this discusstion is that if we each would spend more time seeking God, instead of being wrapped up in the things of the world, personally, then the Church would stop blending in with the world & become the 'counter-culture' it was meant to be! Every runner knows, that where your head turns, that's the direction the body will follow! Let us run the race with our eyes on JESUS!

[candy:)]

hmmmm ....i kinda agree .....i know we dont serve a part time god ...its like this .....we cant always be praying ,...and stuff .but..haveing time for god ....and going to church kinda makes it a point to ....SPEND THAT TIME ....if ya at home there may be distractions ...and stuff ...sometimes you may not exactly understand wat you read .....and you need help ..then GOD likes it when we pray in groups ..isint it great ...to praise him with every one in church ,,,, ...honour ya parents and elders......its coz they know more than us ...they have ben through life ...while were just in the starting stage ..god choose certain people ti preach the word cause not all of us can do it ......GOD is your teacher .....SORRY OUR TEACHER ...right BUT he cant come down and teach you every vs ...he uses people ...he teaches you through others.........get me ....and getting back to the 1st point ....we cant ..always be praying ...say ..its not enough to just sit and pray to get the 1st place in the 100mt dash ....unless you put in effort ..and prac ..you can and only then god will help you ...so keep praying ......spend that time with god...the main thing is to always put him first ......WHEN WERE ALONE WITH GOD' THERE ARE NO MORE DISTRACTIONS TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF INTIMACY .IT IS JUST US AND HIM . .."THE REST OF THE WORLD MUST WAIT".....and about witnessing .."theres no beta witness to the watching world that believers who stand firm under sufferingg"...by michael ...w smith...........amen

[melanny manuputty]

Hi how are you
Iam agree with your opinion...........
I saw also in our church before start the service they came late , they talk arround like in the market .
When time to pray no one open theirs mouth.
Everybody has theirs choose to be submission under God or under theirs flesh..
That's why in our church now everything changes by modern system ,the lack of knowlege ,un recpecfull of God , undicipline , they walk by theirs minds , theology , rigid liturgia , the flesh coming out in our church today.
But i can't changes them I pray & bless them and i don't want like them. I choose to be different event we all have same GOD ( Father , Son , Holy spirit )
God saw our heart pure , Integrity infront Him then performance outside .
I can't jugde my brother or sister with theirs dress , etc . because everybody are different with us .Iam Indonesian different with italiant ,theirs culture ,food ,character , I was observed i learned from them & I choose the positif ways of theirs life .
May this respond to be blessing to all the viewers
Melanny from Italy
God Bless you Greg

[candy:)]

I saw also in our church before start the service they came late , they talk arround like in the market .
When time to pray no one open theirs mouth...hey this is so rite ...sometimes i get so frustrated ..but what can do ....but pray /...

[Kamau]

Hi Greg

I will quote my email to another member of the net which i think contains the answer to your querry.......

Consider the following verse
>
>Ezekiel 16
>An Allegory of Unfaithful Jerusalem
> 1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 "Son of man,
>confront Jerusalem with her detestable practices 3
>and say, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says to
>Jerusalem: Your ancestry and birth were in the
>land of the Canaanites; your father was an Amorite
>and your mother a Hittite. 4 On the day you were
>born your cord was not cut, nor were you washed
>with water to make you clean, nor were you rubbed
>with salt or wrapped in cloths. 5 No one looked on
>you with pity or had compassion enough to do any
>of these things for you. Rather, you were thrown
>out into the open field, for on the day you were
>born you were despised. (NIV)
>
>Think about the ambilical cord that ties the
>mother and child. To get full salvation we must
>have those ambilical cords that tie us to the
>world completely cut. And also be washed with salt
>so that they dissappear completely otherwise is
>some is left, it will grow and we backslide as a
>result.
>
>Prayer
>
>" Dear Lord Jesus, please remove all the cords
>that tied us to the world and wash them with salt
>so that they dissappear completely. Amen"

Kamau from Kenya