In Spirit and In Truth

Being a member of the former World Wide Church of God, we would frequently refer to our church as "the true church".  And truly I believed I found the "true church" of God. This was an organization was extremely legalistic by standards. They imposed all sorts of rules and regulations, you'd be hard pressed to find the Good Book. Nevertheless, I felt then, it was worth it, as it was the "true church" after all. Back then, all other churches were "false", and the haughtiness we carried amongst ourselves, and neatly folded doctrinal materials, justified our judgmental behavior as we were true members.  I'd laugh looking back from where I stand now, except it's unfunny. Looking back, I see a sad, desperate, situation. A group of folks with severe self-esteem issues grasping at any resemblance of self-importance. Severe self-esteem issues, I say because it showed a true lack of understanding of God's grace and Christ'...

The following was added to an older post as an update. I thought it would be relevant as a stand alone post. Enjoy :) - Hannah There is only ONE church to which every Believer must be a member of, that is the Spiritual Body of Christ. Without the Holy Spirit, there can be no church. "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Christ had made this declaration to Peter that He would build His church upon "this rock". This scripture, out of it's context, quoted oft by various denominations is generally thought to mean that Peter was the rock of which the Church will be built. Within it's context, within the communication between Christ and Peter (and the disciples), it is clear that it's not Peter of which Christ speaks, but the Holy Spirit... When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the...

This may seem like an odd subject to post about since I am not a member of an indoctrinated church. However, I recently had a blessed discussion with a relative about this subject that I feel compelled to share here. Not only that, Christian bloggers have debated and discussed their personal doctrines and beliefs regardging observances on either one of these days and Truth does not emerge in those formats of discussion. In this light, I am further compelled to share the truth, as a whole, that has been set forth by the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. While I understand church-goers are usually indoctrinated into a certain belief, or behavior instituted by an organization feel very strongly that "rest" on either a Saturday or Sunday is important, and may believe it is mandatory to be seen "right" in the eyes of God, however, the truth can only be realized in a way that reflects a wholesome and complete picture. It must start from the beginning...differentiating th...

I discovered a pretty nifty social networking site called the LordsMessage.com . You can sign up for free. It gives you your personal url and allows you to invite friends to participate in live chat. It also has a message board, journal, blog and more. You can subscribe to iPrayer feed as well. The great thing about it is you promote your own personalized testimony. When the site was referred to me, I didn't think I would find it appealing, however, its pretty wholesome. To network click on this link, Lords Message Network I liked enough to join it :) check out my personalized profile at: Confessions_ucb feel free to join as a friend of mine! My personalized space on this site is still a work in progress. Take a moment and read my first "inspiring story" at this link: My Inspiring Story . Overall, all I give this social networking site two thumbs up! Additional links: Inspiring Story List Lords Message Bloglist Technorati Tags: Christian Chat , Social Networking Site , ...

Yes. Exactly. I do have to bring this up since so many church-goers, insist on my being in a modern church environment, for the sake of my spiritual growth. In other words, I simply cannot "walk" without interaction from "like-minded" believers, whether single or married. As I mentioned it's been a long journey prior to the arrival of my "peace with God, by the justification of my Faith" Romans 5:1 , what I have discovered during this journey was that my faith was tentatively placed with God, and wholly placed in "gatherings of ourselves". I simply had to have "church". As someone who grew up in a unloving family environment, I desired the physical/spiritual support of a "real" family. I was extremely disappointed and let down by many attitudes I encountered in various churches. I wasn't being fed as I needed to be. So, I took my questions, that ministers found such discomfort with, upon the Lord. Boy, did I discover...

In the very wee days of my blogging, I wrote a post regarding my personal testimony and decision to remove myself from the vast arena of church selections we have at our own choosing. Purposefully Unchurched I've decided to expound on what I wrote in that post and delve into further details as to why I've decided to remove myself from the churching frenzy. My decision was a personal one. A decision that was led of the Spirit, for my own edification and not necessarily anyone else's. I do not promote "church leaving" as some new found doctrine for righteousness or faith. I am not a "religious fanatic". As a matter of fact, I abhor the term "religious", and the connotation that comes with it. I'm not trying to convey my own righteousness, or prove myself "better than" by withdrawing in this fashion. Quite simply, I am a nonconformist as the Spirit of the Lord calls me to be one. Designated for nonconformity As you might imagine, ...

In my post, Confessions of a Former Worldwide Church of God Member , I made a statement that I wish to expound further on: "Quite honestly, I say this knowing full well some of you, if not most will be offended by this statement, I find church attendance can be a hindrance to a believer's walk in faith" Before moving on let's clarify what exactly a "Stumbling Block" is. "an obstacle or hindrance to progress, belief, or understanding" "An obstacle or impediment" "a difficulty that prevents progress" Source: American Psychological Association (APA): Stumbling Block. (n.d.). Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary. Retrieved January 16, 2008, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Stumbling Block Chicago Manual Style (CMS): Stumbling Block. Dictionary.com. Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary. K Dictionaries Ltd. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Stumbling Block (accessed: January 16, 2008...

I've been selected by my sister in Christ, Beverly, of Perpetual Grace , to be interviewed! Here are the rules: 1. Leave me a comment saying "Interview me." 2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions. 3. You will update your blog with a post containing your answers to the questions. 4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post. 5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions. 1. I know that you worship God outside of a traditional church setting, but I also know that you DO worship God. Can you share with us what the phrase "worshiping God" looks like in your life? Great question Beverly. I can best describe the way I worship with 1 Thess.5:15-22" "Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesying...

Yesterday, I opened a box of books that I had long forgotten. I happened upon a book I had purchased a few years ago, called “The Trouble with Christians, The Trouble with Jews” written by Zola Levitt, who was a Messianic Jew (Jewish Christian). Zola Levitt passed away last year, but his ministry is headed by Dr. Jeffery Seif. http://www.levitt.com/ I found Zola Levitt to be a source of amazing insight as a Jewish believer. His life’s story was a compelling one. Through his ministry, I was able to “pull” the Old Testament and the New Testament together. He also had amazing insight into the condition of modern Christianity. I will quote segments from his book mentioned above. “The trouble with Christians is that they do not really study the Bible, and thus they do not know the genuine principles of Christianity. Those called Christians have widely divergent views of Scripture, and they seldom arrive at those views by their own study. They are much more likely to take some pastor’s or te...

These are tumultuous times. There is no doubt we have a varied selection of beliefs, philosophies and doctrines. The world seems to be crazed with these issues. Consumed by every sort of practice. My decision to remove myself from the tradition of church (modern organized association) attendance stems from a need to separate, from what seems to be, an ineffectual force against these times. (Please read my post "The Integrity of Fellowship and Accountability) If you have read Acts 1 and 2. The power of the Holy Spirit during the beginning of the early church was undeniable. The Spirit was a converter of hearts of minds during that time, allowing the apostles to overcome language barriers, healing etc. Today, speaking in tongues seems to be something completely different. Or at least 1 Corinthians 14 tells me something different than what I see today. There are many who condemn the history of "church" (I use the "" because any church that does not promote the lov...

This post was originally written in response to another post that singled out my blog, then titled "Confessions of an Unchurched Believer" by stating that church was integral to one's walk providing fellowship and accountability.  I have updated this post, which is still read by many readers. An asterisk precedes updates and changes. As always respectful comments are welcome :) - Hannah, April 24, 2010 Fellowship I want to clearly state that I am not against church attending and any kind of fellowship that automatically comes with it. When one is a Believer of the most high, one automatically has a desire to dwell amongst and offer praise, with lifting of hands and voices to their Savior with LIKE-MINDED brothers and sisters as a part of the body of Christ. What has been continually neglected, whitewashed or glossed over is that church today and church yesterday is NOT the church Christ established so long ago (as demonstrated in the beginning of the book of Act...

Salvation is so simple, but nowadays many churches and individuals tack on conditions to salvation and place "burdens" on one's confidence and/or Faith regarding their own personal salvation. Church attendance, tithing, eating or not eating certain foods the list is long and overwhelming and in the end, hopeless. Let us remember how simple and liberating the blood-shed salvation of our Lord is: Romans 10:8-10 "But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" vs. 13 "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" Forget not the simplicity of salvation of the prisoner nailed alongside with Christ. "An...

YES! I am saved by the power of the precious blood of the lamb! No. I am not a affiliate of an organized church association. I have been scolded and reprimanded by those who believe church attendance is vital, if not conditional to my salvation. Yes. I've heard it repeatedly. "Forsake not the gathering of yourselves..." "Accountability towards one another...", "You're on a path to shipwreck...." The more I read my Word, the more confidently I stand in FAITH that church lies not within the confines of a physical structure, but church lies within the confines of the spirit. The Holy spirit. The spirit of TRUTH. Matt. 16:17-19 Jesus declares to Peter "Upon this rock I will build my church" after Peter declared Jesus' majesty as God's Son through faith as it was revealed to Peter from the Father. John 4:23 Jesus says to the woman at the well ...."the hour cometh and is now when the true worshippers shall worsh...

Take a look in the phone book! Look it up on the web! Look in the newspaper! There are so many segments of Christianity! I'm speaking of Christianity in particular and not religion in general. For those who love Christ and desire fellowship with like-minded believers, how would one begin to figure out in the midst of a buffet of churches which demonination or non demonination that teaches and fellowships truthfully upon the principles taught by Christ? I've watched some of my relatives go from Mormon to Baptist to Jehovah's Witness within the past ten years. Such confusion! We know that God is not the author of confusion. 1 Corinthians 14:33. It becomes more and more clear to me that church today and church yesterday (original church as demonstrated in the book of Acts) are vastly different. For one, there was unity and oneness of mind. Acts 2:44 "All that believed were together, and had all things in common" Today, there are varying demoninations of Christianity ...