Very good  Cecily.

Brad


At 02:27 PM 2/5/2005, you wrote:
>Also, if we have a bad church experience, we need to forgive those who have
>hurt us.  After all, church people are human and make mistakes just like
>other people.  We're never going to find a perfect church, just the church
>God has for us to join.  It's important that we find the church God wants us
>to join.  Always ask him to help us find the right church.  Right?
>
>Cecily
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Echurch-USA The Electronic Church
>[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Phil Scovell
>Sent: Monday, January 24, 2005 7:31 AM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Right Church
>
>As they say, Kathy, Been there; done that.
>
>Phil.
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Kathy Du Bois" <[log in to unmask]>
>To: <[log in to unmask]>
>Sent: Sunday, January 23, 2005 1:02 PM
>Subject: Re: Right Church
>
>
> > Boy Phil,
> > I hear what you are saying here and, I do agree with it, but you have to
> > admit that there are those who leave the church who accuse you of
> > harassment when you try to connect with them and discuss why they are no
> > longer attending.  Often, the fear of rejection makes it a little touchy
>as
> > to when you should call and when you should let things be.  So far, Greg
> > always tries to connect, but there have been those times when the
>reception
> > has been very nasty and the people weren't even interested in clearing up
> > misunderstandings.  That is painful.
> > Kathy
> >
> >
> > At 12:18 AM 1/23/2005, you wrote:
> > >Finding a church is always a problem.  It seems to have become even more
> > >difficult than ever before.  I know how hard and difficult this is from
> > >personal experience.  So I was meditating about this situation the church
> > >finds itself in these days.  How do you know if you are in the right
>church
> > >or not?  How can you find the church the Lord wants you to be in?  Jesus
> > >answers this question pretty well.  In Luke's Gospel, Chapter 15, verses
>3
> > >through 6, Jesus uses an owner of sheep as an example.  He explains that
> > >there is one man, who owns a hundred sheep.  Upon discovering one was
> > >missing, he left the 99 sheep and went out looking for the one lost
>sheep.
> > >Upon finding the lost sheep, Jesus says, the man rejoiced.  Have you ever
> > >had a pastor, that was so dedicated, that if you left his church, he
>would
> > >come and find you and encourage you to return?  I have known a couple of
> > >pastors, shepherds, who would do exactly that if someone left their
>church.
> > >I personally had one pastor that was of this nature.  Otherwise, of my
> > >nearly 48 years of walking with the Lord, having many pastors over nearly
>5
> > >decades, I personally only have one Christian friend, with whom I have
>made
> > >an agreement, that if either of us ever walk away from the Lord, either
>due
> > >to sin or lack of desire or confusion or whatever the reason, we have
>agree
> > >to come after the one who has walked away and do everything in our power
>to
> > >bring that one back.  We are just Christian brothers and we have
>literally
> > >been there for each other more than once when the wheels have come off
>our
> > >relationship with the Lord or when we have face spiritual heartache.
> > >
> > >I left a large church once that averaged, one summer, 1800 people every
> > >Sunday during all three months of that summer.  I ended up becoming the
> > >youngest deacon, at age twenty-one, that church ever allowed to serve as
>a
> > >board member.  I preached several times on Wednesdays and during chapel
> > >services in their 1000 student Christian school and spoke in Bible
> > >conferences there.  I was supported by that church financially as a guest
> > >speaker when I traveled for several years and spoke in churches.  My
>oldest
> > >sister taught in their kindergarten for 26 years.  All three of my
>children
> > >attended the Christian school operated by the church.  When I left, with
>my
> > >family, in January of 1986 to join a Charismatic church for the first
>time,
> > >I wrote the pastor a 9 page letter.  I gave him my testimony of how the
>Lord
> > >had been leading me in the past 4 years and how that had led up to my
> > >decision to leave the church to join a Charismatic church.  He answered
>my
> > >letter and basically said I was theologically and doctrinally wrong but
>he
> > >wished me the best.  He never called me.  He never came to see me, even
> > >though we literally live across the street from the church.  In his
>letter,
> > >he never tried to get me to think again.  He never asked if I would go
>out
> > >to lunch with him and talk about what had occurred in my life and why I
>was
> > >leaving.  Six months after we had left, two men, both deacons from the
> > >church, knocked on my door one evening.  I was home alone, for some
>reason,
> > >so I invited them in.  I wondered if they were there because we had left.
> > >They talked with me for over a half an hour but nothing was ever said
>except
> > >that they hadn't seen me much lately.  They never asked if I was going
> > >elsewhere or if I had any problems or needs of any kind.  It appeared
>they
> > >did not even know I had left the church and become a Charismatic.  This
>same
> > >church, by the way, allowed my three children to remain in their
>Christian
> > >school.  When the school board voted on scholarships?  My children were
> > >passed over because, we were told, we were Charismatics now.  This same
> > >church stopped doing business with me, I ran their entire tape ministry
>for
> > >many years, because, they said, I was a Charismatic now.
> > >
> > >So this is my personal opinion.  It isn't Gospel.  It isn't even really
> > >doctrine, although I have already told you what Jesus said about the
> > >shepherd and his concern for just one lost sheep.  By the way, these were
> > >100 sheep and not 100 goats.  Sheep are depicted in Scripture as
>Christians,
> > >and goats as those without Christ.  So, again, this is my personal
>opinion
> > >so take it for what it is worth.  If you are in a church with a pastor
>who
> > >would not care if you left, wouldn't come to at least discuss it with you
>in
> > >person, forget this telephone call garbage, and didn't care enough to try
> > >and get you to return, you may have a pastor but you don't have a
>shepherd
> > >for a pastor.  He may be called but not to pastor/shepherd sheep, and you
> > >won't be ministered to when you need it the most.  In short, you don't
> > >count.  Cynicism or truth?
> > >
> > >I was recently accused of being a cynical Christian and that if I didn't
> > >change my ways, he warned, some people might take me wrong.  After days
>and
> > >weeks, and now months, of reflection, meditation, and prayer concerning
>this
> > >man's comments to me, I came to the conclusion, but what if I am right an
>d
> > >they are wrong?
> > >
> > >Phil.