Local Church Discussions - View Single Post - My Journey to the Local Church, and beyond...

NeitherFirstnorLast · 02-17-2014, 08:49 AM

I had a really good day yesterday, and just wanted to share it here.

We had some very dear friends from our old "church in Winnipeg" and Home meeting group in-province here for a family reunion, and my family and I (though not related by marriage or blood) were invited. To be honest, I have been leery of going to meet with them, although my wife has always kept in touch. It's not that I am afraid that they will try to convince me to return to the group, it's that I have worried that they might start asking why we left; and asked, I will have to honestly answer. I tried that, once before, and it lead to offense and abject fear. The sister I was addressing that time literally ran from the room and closed the door. I don't want to hurt these people. I love them, and yesterday brought that home again.

I enjoyed seeing them, I enjoyed their welcome. We talked, caught up on where we're at in life, played games, ate some food and watched our kids play together. There was no agenda on either side, and that was encouraging.

I know I have said it before, but I will say it again - there are some very dear saints in the local churches. The fact that there are some genuine Christians there doesn't mean the teachings in the local churches are all good - I think there are genuine Christians in the Roman Catholic church too, after all, and the faults I see in the teachings of that church.... well, you know what I mean. Anyway, knowing that there are real brothers and sisters in an LSM fellowship should keep our tone and our handling of those ones on the level of loving family (and I'm reminding myself of that as much as any of you).

As Paul wrote, we should "be prepared in season and out of season; (to) correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction..." 2 Timothy 4:2. But in writing that, Paul was speaking specifically of Preaching the Word - not of preaching the unrighteous sins of a sinister false-apostle. I think, if our heart is really for the brothers and sisters left behind in the "fog" (to borrow a term of Mike's), we will see that the best thing we can do for them is to live out our faith in a real way for them to see; and do that with all honesty and sincerity, confessing our own failings and trials as well as the victories and encouragements. In short, love them: for Christ said "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:35.

02-17-2014, 08:49 AM	#76
NeitherFirstnorLast Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 348	Re: My Journey to the Local Church, and beyond... I had a really good day yesterday, and just wanted to share it here. We had some very dear friends from our old "church in Winnipeg" and Home meeting group in-province here for a family reunion, and my family and I (though not related by marriage or blood) were invited. To be honest, I have been leery of going to meet with them, although my wife has always kept in touch. It's not that I am afraid that they will try to convince me to return to the group, it's that I have worried that they might start asking why we left; and asked, I will have to honestly answer. I tried that, once before, and it lead to offense and abject fear. The sister I was addressing that time literally ran from the room and closed the door. I don't want to hurt these people. I love them, and yesterday brought that home again. I enjoyed seeing them, I enjoyed their welcome. We talked, caught up on where we're at in life, played games, ate some food and watched our kids play together. There was no agenda on either side, and that was encouraging. I know I have said it before, but I will say it again - there are some very dear saints in the local churches. The fact that there are some genuine Christians there doesn't mean the teachings in the local churches are all good - I think there are genuine Christians in the Roman Catholic church too, after all, and the faults I see in the teachings of that church.... well, you know what I mean. Anyway, knowing that there are real brothers and sisters in an LSM fellowship should keep our tone and our handling of those ones on the level of loving family (and I'm reminding myself of that as much as any of you). As Paul wrote, we should "be prepared in season and out of season; (to) correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction..." 2 Timothy 4:2. But in writing that, Paul was speaking specifically of Preaching the Word - not of preaching the unrighteous sins of a sinister false-apostle. I think, if our heart is really for the brothers and sisters left behind in the "fog" (to borrow a term of Mike's), we will see that the best thing we can do for them is to live out our faith in a real way for them to see; and do that with all honesty and sincerity, confessing our own failings and trials as well as the victories and encouragements. In short, love them: for Christ said "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:35.