Just want to say good bye and wish you all well

Greetings

I just wanted to take a moment and say good bye to some of you that I have had the joy of sharing with since coming to SI. I have learned many things from all of you over the years and I am grateful for the caring and input you shared so graciously.

Thank you brothers and sisters for letting me share here and for allowing me to be a part of your lives for a time. Truth is I have not had that opportunity very much with fellow believers over the last ten or so years, something that I pray will soon change. It has meant something to me to be a part of SI.

I pray God bless you all and keep you in His care
Maryjane

Edit:I just also wanted to say a huge thank you for all your prayers. I know that I have asked for a lot of prayer of late and many of you have been very kind with your time to pray for me and my family. Thank you for that :-)

God bless you too!

Matthew 5:6  Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

I don't get to keep up with the threads as often as I'd like to. Are you moving out of internet range?

Dear MaryJane,

Whatever had happened? Just last night you were offering to pray for any of us who needed it and now you are saying 'good-by,' something must be amiss. Please talk to us about it, don't just go away.

We are losing people lately and I don't like that. :-( :-?

Maryjane,
Sure hope you reconsider.
God Bless you.
Nellie

Greetings

Thank you everyone for your thoughts. I wanted to try and come back and try to answer Krispy and White Stones question if I can before leaving. For awhile now we(my husband and myself) have not been attending any kind of regular church based group because in all truth there is not really one that we have found where we live that is teaching Biblical truth. Lots of seeker sensitive, feel good, purpose driven life, churches in my area. Several of them are actually what you call sister churches to one another and they are all affiliated with Rick Warren and Saddleback Church. So for awhile now we have been having a time of fellowship daily with each other here and a few others as Father leads us but nothing long term or permanent. I have really loved and enjoyed my time of fellowshipping with many of you here, but it was shared with me recently from an older sister in Christ that this kind of fellowship via the Internet is not enough. It is not what Father commends us to and I need to go to a church where I am and be fellowshipping with others face to face.I was told that I have been substituting real fellowship with my time here on sermon index. I have been praying about it for awhile now and I know that I need to be about giving more of myself and laying down my life for others. Its really hard for me because some of the most challenging and encouraging teachings and truths that have helped me to grow have come from the brothers and sisters here on Sermon index, as well as the wonderful teachings here. Right now I don't know where we will end up, both my husband and myself are not big on the idea of going back to any of the churches around us and yet I don't want to be in sin for forsaking fellowship with the brethren. I guess I am feeling really confused by what to do and have just had this extremely heavy weight upon me. I want Jesus to be my life every moment of every day. I want to learn what it means to live daily in Him, in a personal relationship with Him, not just talking about it. Does this make sense? Any way thank you all so much for your kindness and your care, as I said it has meant so much to me. In many ways I have been very hungry for fellowship with others that truly desire to put Jesus first in their lives and for awhile now you all have really made me feel apart of that. I am not sure what the Lord has for me ahead but I really want to be faithful to Him.

God Bless
MJ

MaryJane,

I am so sorry to hear you are leaving SI. I hope you will reconsider...

It is true one can easily substitute the internet for real fellowship in the flesh..however, I would also suggest that if all the churches around you are apostate, going there would be much worse.

Will pray for you...remember: God is not the author of confusion.

Blessings,
ginnyrose

Mary Jane,
Did you ever consider going to the Nursing Homes and ministering to them?
I know I didn't have Church fellowship for awhile, but I go with a Friend to 4 Nursing Homes a month, and we sing and teach the Word.
There are a lot of people who aren't saved, and they are so lonely.
There are also Christians there.

Not everyone is called to the Nursing Homes, but it would be better than sitting in a Church that believes and teaches false doctrine.
Pretty soon, if you go to Churches that believe the way Rick Warren does, there is a possibility
you might get caught up in it.
If you don't have peace about it, don't go.
People mean well, but you have to do what you feel like God is leading you to do.
May God Bless you, and give you His Peace.
Nellie

MaryJane wrote:

I want Jesus to be my life every moment of every day. I want to learn what it means to live daily in Him, in a personal relationship with Him, not just talking about it.

Not long ago I was with someone that knows the Lord - was raised in the Lord - one of the few people I have met that understands half of what I am talking about. Sadly, even though this person has all of this understanding and knowledge (this being both head and heart knowledge as far as I can tell) this person admits that she is apathetic and has no interest in following all of the precepts that she understands. While this has me totally baffled (for to me, to know Him is to love Him) something happen while I was with her that scared me - I found myself thinking that maybe I could just slide by like her and the Lord would still love me. The fact that I even thought this for a moment has brought great horror to my heart and as a result I have set about to put an even greater watch upon my heart.

While this person that talked with you might have had good intentions, beware of taking counsel of any man. Seek only the Lord and set a watch upon your heart lest you be lured away from that which you already possess.

Dear sister ...

Perhaps just a break, a sabbatical of sorts?

I certainly understand one way or the other, have been going through a number of changes this year and have backed off a lot of participation.

I guess I just want to say that you are loved and always welcomed.

MaryJane,

Please do not delete your account; just leave it on hold for a bit ok. Please consider about throwing the baby out with the bathwater, so to speak!! LOL Don't throw us out while you seek a church!

MaryJane wrote:
I was told that I have been substituting real fellowship with my time here on sermon index.

MaryJane wrote:
ight now I don't know where we will end up, both my husband and myself are not big on the idea of going back to any of the churches around us and yet I don't want to be in sin for forsaking fellowship with the brethren.

How far would you drive for what the Lord has for you?

And for the rest of us who do not go to church.... look what has been written ...

however, I would also suggest that if all the churches around you are apostate, going there would be much worse.

but it would be better than sitting in a Church that believes and teaches false doctrine. Pretty soon, if you go to Churches that believe the way Rick Warren does, there is a possibility you might get caught up in it.

The Lord has been working on me here and there, that "I" (we) need to not forget that each of us need encouragement, fellowship and [b]correction[/b], as well as mentors.

Or better yet; we can offer encouragement, fellowship, correction and be a mentor! I know it's a new mindset but I believe it is one we need to consider.

Let us seek God about all these so we may grow AS HE WANTS US to!!

1 Corinth 9:27 and 1 Timothy 4:16.

MaryJane, do you have a local womens jail or prison? I was thinking along the lines of what Nellie posted as well!

God bless you in whatever you choose to do as you follow the Lord!!

MaryJane,

I will pray right now that God would start a church in your area where you can worship with like-minded believers who do not compromise the truth or diminish the glory of Christ and His cross.

Be diligent to test every spirit. Be certain that it is God calling you away from this forum. Be certain of His calling to the body where you will corporately worship. I praise God for His encouragements through many on this forum. SI is a form of assembly, yet not a substitute for our physical gathering together with the body of Christ.

Let us not forget the importance even in the days of the early church of written correspondence. God breathed and He spoke through Paul as he wrote epistles from dank prison cells.

May God bless and keep you and your family.

(Edited for clarification.)

Greetings
Thank you all again for your support and what you have shared here. I do have much to think about. I have been seeking over the past few days to learn what fellowship with one another is. I know that for me at least coming here and sharing, praying and learning from many of you has really been a blessing to me. I have been challenged many times by the truth filled teaching shared here and I pray Father will continue to bless this site mightily.

I am seeking Him and praying about everything that you all have shared with me over the last few days. I know what Ginnyrose shared is so true, Father does not bring confusion. I know that some have said that meeting together on this forum can never be true fellowship but all I can say to that is I have really for the very first time felt like a part of the church family by sharing and hearing from you. I know if I follow the Lord in this, He will guide me to where and what He has for me.

God Bless you all and please know that I will be praying for you to:-)
MJ

MaryJane,

I commend your decision to seek real life church fellowship. I think there are probably others on SI who need to do the same. We need to realize that there is not a single example of the Bible of a Christian who was not a member of a visible, local church. So, if we want to be thoroughly Biblical in our lifestyle, we must do the same.

Have you checked the church directory on http://www.ncfic.org/church-network ? Usually the churches on this directory are serious about the things of God.

You may also be interested in looking through this church directory: http://www.founders.org/misc/chlist/

May the Lord bless you as you seek to obey Him in seeking local fellowship. The real accountability and transparency it can bring cannot be substituted for on the Internet.

With care in Christ,
Taylor

There is no need to say good-bye. This is not a church, just an excellent resource with some dear saints far apart that may rarely ever be in fellowship. Some folk may mistake our forum for a church. We have no elders, cannot break bread, and cannot live interdependently as a church can. I understand your need to seek for a real fellowhip and too much time on the internet (yes even SI) can even be a hinderance.
Inasmuch you need real fellowhip, have you considered that for many folk you may be one of the few real saints that can point them towards the true salvation for their souls? Imagine you can snatch a handful of out of their false religios experience show the light of Jesus to them - Would not all heaven rejoice and a multitude of sins covered?
Real fellowship in the Spirit with real Christian is a rare luxury nowadays. I am under the same tension, wanting to leave my current fellowship and for the sake of forming a house fellowship or sticking it out for good in our local church.

This turned out to be much too long for a pm (personal message) to you MaryJane.

The fellowship where I worship is a "mixed multitude". At times it is like being a missionary. For example: I will be using your post on this thread on the "seeker friendly" delusion as a testimony to some very groogy (if not asleep) members. People do leave churches that head that way.

Several years ago I was very discouraged. My brother and I offered "The Truth Project". The response was staggering (60+ with 30 completing the tours and 15 studying the material 2 and 3 times since then with a focus on the scripture). More recently there has been the response to weekly “Encouragements to prayer” [a few are posted here on SI].

Have you considered a bible study in your home? Among all that attend these sleeper cells near you, are there NO like-minded, starving ones?

Do you have a Bible Study Fellowship near you (google them for locations) Men study separate from women and there are classes for all aged children (age 2 through high school). All classes study the same material (!) which is a great opportunity for the family alter. We just finished the Life of Moses (Exodus through Deut.). John begins in September.

[u]Remember Eph 2: 10! That is certain[/u]. And one tiny thing I saw (in His Word and in life) this year was that no one (nothing) can steal from His what God has called us to. [See Miriam (Numb.12) and Cora (Numb. 16).] What a blessing Ephesians is as you seek His direction!

Made for His pleasure
Joan