church

I must respond to my own blog regarding some ladies at church.....actually this has nothing to do with the ladies but church itself. I love the church, I love going to church, I love watching people greet and hug each other. I believe that church has a vital part in our christian growth not to mention our worship. We, as Christians need each other. We need to support and be supported, pray for and with others, encourage and be encouraged, worship collectively, pray for each other, HEAR the Word of God, commune with God and so much more. A major part of that comes from the church.
I know there are people that fall short of what they should be, are selfish, gossips, back biters, snobby, and sometimes down right mean. But aren't we all? We are sinners and we cannot get a way from being around sinners. There are the same kind of people at work, at the supermarket,at the gym...any where we go. But we don't not go to those places, do we? I have been hurt or offended at work and all those other places but I still go. And they don't have the presence of God and His love and grace like church does.
The bible talks about the organized church all over the place...including the kind of people I just talked about but God still gave all the directions for the church and the instruction to not forsake the assembling of our selfs together. (kjv) He loves the church because He made the church for "the church" (universal)
When we are offended by the church, we are to forgive them, learn from them and not be like them. That way we are a testimony to the grace and love of God. The church isn''t just for us but we are to be for the church. We are one body but many parts and we are to function together whether the finger pokes us in the eye or we step on the toes.
I could go on because I love the church...sometimes I don't like some of the body but I still love the church. I fell in love with the church the minute I got saved and my feelings have not changed. I have been through a lot of crap with people in the church but that doesn't matter in the long run. What matters is that we love God's church and forgive the offenders because He loves the church and died for it. We are the bride and we shouldn't be "bridezilla" to His bridal party, now should we ? So...go to church, get involved and be a part of it. Meet people, pray for them, encourage them, build them up because this is what Jesus does for us. It's a good thing Jesus didn't beat it out of here when he ran into offensive mean people, isn't it? :-) Thank you, Jesus for being our example and helping us to live like you. Because we can't do it by ourselves.