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Originally Posted by james73
Great post! This is it in a nutshell, and what I am learning fast. Christianity, building the body, is sharing in small groups, loving neighbors and each other. A "home church" I feel may not even be necessary, it's just an institution invented to develop security and consistent income.
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Bingo! Personally, I like hanging out with friends and talking about the Lord and His Kingdom. I picture Jesus hanging out with Mary, Martha and Lazurus..His buds. He relaxed at their house...after preaching and teaching long hours. Imagine how blessed they were to have JESUS hang out with them at their house!! That's the kind of friendships I want and do have to some extent. We are still a work in progress. Still need some transformation, some more sanctification...still being refined!!
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I felt sad reading some of the posts here, because I have no friends at the LC, after 18 months. I have tried; the reason mostly is control and fear from the elders. They want to "build up the body" but they are also afraid of damaging the body. Hence, brother James is forbidden to hang out with those sisters any more (Two of those sisters, aghast at being accused of wrongdoing in hanging out with a brother, no longer attend the church.)
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James...my tattooed amigo...why are you still in the LC??? Are there really more pros than cons hanging with this church? Take a piece of paper. Divide it in 2 columns: Pros - What I LOVE and Cons: 'What I hate.
Which column is longer?
If the women who were your friends were/ARE
real friends, that bond is stronger than the LC bond. I know. I have experienced it! When I was in the LC, I did not (was not allowed) to hang out with my unsaved friends unless I was going to bring them into the LC. I never brought them into the LC but you know what? After leaving the LC I led a couple of them to the LORD!! Of course, this has only been in the last 5-6 yrs.
My point is...if they are really good true-blue friends, don't let them go. But do be careful. Walk in S/spirit while having fun. Keep the Full Armour of God on at all times...even when kidding around and having fun.
Since you like jokes...here's one for you:
A very wealthy old man was on his deathbed. As he was getting ready to depart, he tells his endearing wife to bury him with all HIS money.
PROMISE me you will bury me with all my money, he tells her while holding her hand.
Of course I will honey! she replies.
I promise. So he dies and so she keeps her promise. She writes him a check and places it in his pocket.
And one more to put in your pocket:
So there was this couple who had been married a very long time...and the time came when the wife died. She stands at the pearly gates being greeted by St Peter who welcomes her but tells her she must spell the word "Love" before she can enter in. So she spells it and all is well. As she enters, St Pete asks her to mind the gate and if anyone comes, they need to spell the word. He leaves and she is standing at the gate welcoming people when her husband shows up. To her surprise, he tells her he could not live w/o her! So she tells him he has to spell a word before he can enter the pearly gates.
What is the word he asks?
Czechoslovakia she replies.
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By the way, Carol, I have a tattoo, just warning you  Funny cos nobody at LC said anything, I forget about it myself usually, but one day over lunch with an elder/older I mentioned some difficulty I was having getting over my ex, and I pointed to the tattoo (a beautiful V for Vanessa) to emphasize how important she'd been to me, and the lady POUNCED on the comment and said "oh yes, you should have it removed", she practically had a list of removal clinics ready.
I feel a more loving way would be to at least try to understand the origins and the meaning of the tattoo, try to understand what it's like to have the name of a girl who's no longer around emblazoned on your arm... there's a lot of lessons about acceptance in that little bit of ink! Will the group who simply "prayed" that I have it removed (their desire, not God's) ever get to understand that? Nope - God may want them to understand it, but they know better.
Anyway, there you go Carol, you can add another tattooed guy to your list of friends!
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I may not like tattoos..and a lot of people go overboard. They gross me out. But I have friends with tats. One even prays in tongues. While I don't encourage anyone to get them, I would never tell anyone to get them removed unless there is something demonic on that tat and the person was growing in Christ. That is why we have the Holy Spirit.
One of my friend's James has a small tattoo on her shoulder blade of a heart with a lightening bolt piercing through it. She told me it symbolized all her heartaches. Don't feel sorry for her though.....she's a piece of work. I love her but she's a BIG THORN not only on my side but on everyone's side !!!
Blessings James and all!
Carol