Am I a prostitute?

Since I have become a Christian, I have been to several churches around the world. I go to churches of different denominations and races.

My present, morning church, 'puritian' pastor says that we must stay at 'our own' church and not go to other churches. He and his 'puritian' senior insist that those who go to other churches are prostitutes.

As for me, my home church is an all black baptist church in Canada, but since I have been to Korea, I have been to about seven other ones. My fiancee and I find great joy in learning from different pastors, since we are both relatively new in our walk with the Lord.

Most likely, we will be heading back to Canada in June and then I will be entering a three year master of divinity program. My college is rather far from my baptist church, so I will not be attending there on a regular basis.

After completion of the masters program, I will going wherever God needs me. My fiancee and I feel that we are more a part of the church of Jesus, rather than any specific one here on earth.

Our pastor seems to be trying to lay down a guilt trip and to some extent it is working, but I do not feel the I am grieving the Holy Spirit. I believe that God understands our heart and that our heart is set upon Him.

Does this make me a prostitute? :roll:

God Bless those who Glorify Him,
BrianMira

P.S. Question 2: Does it then matter where our 10% goes? We always give, but not always the same church... :-(

My present, morning church, 'puritian' pastor says that we must stay at 'our own' church and not go to other churches. He and his 'puritian' senior insist that those who go to other churches are prostitutes.

Romans 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

Be led by the Spirit, and let the holy Spirit be your guide.

It's these thoughts that keep us divided as a body. We should visit our brethern in other churches. Your church won't like you, in fact they won't want you be to be apart of their inner circle. Big Whoop,

God Bless and have fun fellowshipping with believers in other churches.

One 'puritian' pastor said that by going to another church is like sleeping with your spouse 364 days of the year and then allowing them to sleep with someone else the other day. :-(

intrcssr83 wrote:
Consider:

By "hopping around", do you get a proper opportunity to both give and receive exhortation as well as build ties with other Christians for the sake of having a legitimate fellowship where you can grow in loving others up-front?

This isn't meant to be a criticism; I know a few "church-hoppers", but I have to say that when it comes to displaying love for the brethren, they were somewhat lacking.

intrcssr83...

I understand your point about 'hopping around'...

As for me, I was dedicated to my baptist church in Canada for two years, but then I came to Korea.

Last year was my first year here and I was led to a certain church where I attended for a full year (until the completion of my teaching contract). During that time, I went to Seoul, for a weekend, to visit Yoido Full Gospel Church, which is/was the largest membered church in the world.

In May of 2006, my contract finished and I found a new job in a different area. I was led to the church across the street from my apartment, which is where I met my now fiancee.

By September of 2006, my fiancee's father suggested that we attend 'morning church', which is popular in Korea. The one they attend is near her families house about a 15 minute drive from my apartment. So, we agreed and since September, I have been waking up at 4:20am (Monday - Saturday) and driving (I bought a car) to her house, where we walk a 'hop-skip-and-a-jump' to the 'puritians' Amen Church.

Although, we 'religiously' attend her 'families' church, across from my apartment, every Sunday (5am and 11am), her family (minus her mother) and I go to this other church the other six days of the week.

However, my fiancee and I have explored around during other times on Sunday at various other churches (some English speaking and others because we were invited).

We also visit her grandmother about once a month and she is a member of the Salvation Army church, so we usually stay there over night on the weekends, therefore, we go to church there.

We have also gone to Seoul and attended YFG again, because I wanted her to experience it before we left. We intend to go again, and God willing, to many other churches before we leave.

I do not feel that our love is lacking for any brethren (not that you were insinuating that), but actually, I think it has been growing tremendously with each and every experience we had, especially for God and one another.

We are committed to where we are, so much so that we volunteer our time for events and take part in youth bible study and help out whenever asked, but the thing that gets me is what the morning church pastor AND HIS WIFE say about attending different churches.

Anyway...I just wanted to clarify so that no one thinks that I am 'hopping' or 'sleeping' :-( around on my church.

That being said...I would love to attend churches all over the world...including any suggestions that SI members might have... :-D

God Bless those the seek the Lord in all they do,
BrianMira

I go to a Calvary Chapel service Sunday mornings, then a homeless shelter service Sunday afternoons, then an interdenominational prayer group Monday evenings, then to the shelter again on Wednesdays for a Bible study group, and then I attend a pentacostal prayer group on Thursday mornings... and just last night my mother and I had dinner with an Anglican priest (gasp!)...

Maybe I need to confess all my religious naughtiness (or harlotry) to a Catholic Priest now, too...?

Brother Dan,

Thank you, for your advice and concern. As I mentioned, I do not feel that I am grieving the Holy Spirit. I feel great joy going to other churches and as I mentioned, I commit to a church as time permits. It just seems that this 'puritian' pastor has some views that I am not quite sure about, in this case, being a prostitute, because I go to more than one church.

To balance my point a little better, I should mention that he has a running theme of prosperity teaching that seems to be getting old quick. Thus, this has led me to think that he does not want 'his' money going somewhere else.

I do not feel I am a prostitute, it is just something he teaches and since there are never more than 12 people there each morning (7 are from his family! and 3 or 4 from my fiancee's family) it is hard not to 'feel some of the guilt trip' that he seems to be laying down (not so much as feeling guilty).

Anyway...thank you again...everyone..

Brianmira said:

we attend 'morning church'

Corey, that sounds so beautiful, thanks for sharing that. Most Churches in the West open on Sundays, Wedenesday, you would think that those who believed in an imminent return of the LORD that they would have church daily, eh?

Hebrews 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: [b]and so much the more[/b], as ye see the day approaching.

I go to the Christian section of the Paltalk chat rooms and I enjoy the fellowship that we sometimes have.

One particular room I visited was fine, the fellowship was good but when I didn't show up there for a week, the Admin and his wife hounded me to find out why I wasn't in their room all week.

There are alot of Churches that want to control it's members. The Church didn't save me, the Church didn't fill me with the holy Ghost, the Church didn't give me eternal life, the Church doesn't feed me, Jesus did and does all these things.

The Holy Ghost is the feeder. When the holy Ghost is operating in the office of the Pastor in a man's life, He will feed you thru that vessel. We are to respect that office in that man. If we respect the man more than the office, than we get into trouble. That man will control you, but if you can recognize that that man is just a vessel like yourself that can be used by God than you won't be controlled by him. If he tells you that you should live this way or that way to be saved, then you have the power within to say 'no' to that. You won't be liked, however, you'll find favour with God because your going by faith for your salvation and not by man standards.

Compliments wrote:
Brianmira said:

we attend 'morning church'

That sounds like a good thing. Early in the morning before going to work, that would set the day right. I love that concept. It sounds refreshing. :-)

Compliments,

Morning Church is a good thing. It has been a blessing. Just getting up at 4:20am, teaches me a lot about God and myself.

At first, it was so hard to stay awake, but now I am used to it. I usually get home by 6:30am or later if I go to my fiancee's for breakfast.

There are morning churches everywhere in Korea. My fiancee decided that we will stay in our morning church until we leave for Canada. Then we hope to either start one, or have a 'home morning church' for the two of us.

Remember, God does not sleep. Morning church does set the day off right and when you get past getting up so early, it is refreshing.

Thank you for your posts everyone... I am feeling less dirty ;-) , not to mention...I thought a prostitute received money from their 'John's' and they do not want to know anything about them?

In my case, I am giving my money away and I want to learn as much about John as humanly possible... :-( life can be confusing :-P (and I graduated with a business degree...oh dear).

God Bless You and those whom have no place to lay their head but still seek Him,
BrianMira

I think the only way you could be called a prostitute is if you were actually paid by these other churches to attend there. Sounds like this preacher needs a dictionary.

I would say you are dealing with a very insecure pastor who feels he needs to manipulate people into staying there. Unfortunately manipulation happens a lot in churches, only its a little more subtle than this guy.

So many churches put an emphasis on church membership... yet I cant find anything in scripture about it. When you are saved you become a part of the Body of Christ. This means you are united with everyone else who is truly born again.

Do I think being committed to a fellowship is important? Yes, because you need those relationships in order to grow... but I dont believe signing a card, or standing in front of the church and declaring your committment is necessary... and there is no precident in scripture for such a thing. If your building healthy spiritual relationships among a particular group of Christians, your commitment to them will come naturally.

But at the same time, God calls people in and out of fellowships all the time. Some people come for a season because God wants to accomplish something in them. Once accomplished, sometimes He leads them elsewhere.

Being a member of Such-and-Such Baptist Church for 87 years can be a good thing... but more often than not it tells me that they never grew beyond the walls of that church. (Not judging anyone... just saying what it [i]could[/i] mean)

Krispy

Krispy Crunch said:

When you are saved you become a part of the Body of Christ. This means you are united with everyone else who is truly born again.

Well put my brother, well said!! :-)