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[John81]

Like Paul said, forgetting what is behind and pressing on to that high calling!

[JerryNumbers]

Like Paul said, forgetting what is behind and pressing on to that high calling!

Of course, what I was meaning is, we have heaven in front of us, & when we get there, there will be no more sorrow, death, pain, & that's what keeps me going.

I honestly believe if not for that I may have given up, back in the late 90's, early 00's, I went though much pain, at times wishing I was dead, just so the pain would stop. Its been a bit better since them, but still not that great, if I had not the promise of Jesus, I don't know if I could keep on, keeping on.

Re 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

So for the child of God, the one that's been born again, the best is yet to come, & the 'Great Home Going.'

[Crushmaster]

Thank you, Brother John - and amen to all of the above.
God bless,
Joel ><>.

Edited May 6, 2012 by Crushmaster

[John81]

Of course, what I was meaning is, we have heaven in front of us, & when we get there, there will be no more sorrow, death, pain, & that's what keeps me going.

I honestly believe if not for that I may have given up, back in the late 90's, early 00's, I went though much pain, at times wishing I was dead, just so the pain would stop. Its been a bit better since them, but still not that great, if I had not the promise of Jesus, I don't know if I could keep on, keeping on.

Re 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

So for the child of God, the one that's been born again, the best is yet to come, & the 'Great Home Going.'

Amen! Our high calling leads to the wonders of heaven and everlasting life with Jesus!

How sorry I feel for those who fear death because they don't know what to expect. For many, deep down they fear that the "stories" they've heard of hell may be real. If only they would open their eyes and seek the truth.

[JerryNumbers]

Me to.be nice if there was a way to make them understand the joy they could have walking with the Lord, instead of the world.

[John81]

I love our church home!!!

[JerryNumbers]

Me too, but them people thinks its very dull place to be.

[John81]

I know what you mean. Our church may not be the most exciting church in town but it's the most biblically sound, whole Word preaching, loving Jesus church!

[JerryNumbers]

Amen.

We getting hail right now, hard rain too!

Ours is not an entertainment center, so many would not care for it.

[John81]

Those looking for "fun" go to the church down the street. Those looking for nothing but entertainment go to a church about 25 miles away.

[JerryNumbers]

Those looking for fun, entertainment, seem to be many, & many seem to be catering to them.

[John81]

That's why so many churches have "fun and entertaining" youth groups, Sunday schools and even services. That's why the local Baptist church that was being planted here didn't take. Many people expressed interest but most of them said that since they didn't have an active youth program they wouldn't attend. the pastor told them if they would join then they would have youth to start forming an active youth program but until there were actually youth in the church they couldn't form a youth program.

This went on for a long while and the pastor finally pulled up to plant a church elsewhere.

Sad to say that most of those who checked into the Baptist church were willing to turn down the sound preaching and accept watered down preaching in another church which not only had a very active youth program, but a youth program that was "fun and entertaining".

One good thing, that church has gone through several pastors and over the course of the years a few folks have left that church in favor of the sound Bible preaching at our church.

[JerryNumbers]

Yes, I suppose its boring to have regular church services, preaching, Bible study classes, never having outings on Sunday in place of preaching & Bible study classes.

There's some around her that quite regularly do other things than true church services on Sundays, I feel sure those that attend such a church would have nothing whatsoever to do with one of Jesus' Churches that really had true church services all the time.

I don't know this, but it would not surprise me that many members of that type of church never shows up for regular services, only when special event are taking the place of Bible study & preaching services.

Like the man told me once trying to find a Baptist church in Mississippi,, I've attended one church 5 times, the pastor was not present until the 5th time, the 1st 4 times they had programs no preaching, them on the 5th time even with the pastor present they still had a program, no preaching. I asked him, are you going to try it again? He replied, "No, yet this is the 6th Baptist church we have attended looking for a home church, & all of them seem to do about the same thing. It must be a Mississippi thing."

I told him, "I'm surely not telling you to move from there, but there are places that the child of God should stay away from, a good solid home church is of the most importance to the child of God."

[John81]

Our pastor sometimes points out how we could double our attendance almost instantly by putting on "shows" but the purpose of the church is to build up born again Christians and serve to draw the lost to Christ. If folks come for a show, instead of Jesus, then the church isn't obeying God.

He also points out that if you draw a crowd using entertainment then the only way to keep the crowd is to continue entertaining them. If an extra 200 people rush to your church to catch some great entertainment that's what they will return for. If they return and find an actual church service being conducted, those 200 will leave just as quickly as they came.

Better to preach Christ and His whole Word and leave the results in God's hand than to try man-made entertainment efforts to increase church attendance.

[JerryNumbers]

Probably could, that what Mr. Graham did, & as well as other famous TV preachers too.