I willprobably catch heat for this but O well!!!

[Rev. Eric Culberson Jr.]

Look I understand you have been hurt, felt used, wanted to almost give up, and now you think your doing the honorable thing but lets be real your not. Men and Women of God learn to forgive and move on. Lately, I have been reading post after post about how all pastors are pimps, treat men like women, arent educated, only think about themselves, steal the money, sleep with women besides there wives. Okay I am the first to admitt the church has taken a few blows because of scandals but the church is built to last, and the order by which God has set it up wont fail. You NEED spiritual leadership, that is the reason why God gave to the church pastors. Now I believe that God in his infinite wisdom has called a pastor into a leadership role some where in this great world that leads the way that will be most effective for your spiritual growth. I pray you find them, but you need to be careful because a lot of ya'll are beginning to sound so bitter that its tough for me to see you effectivness in leading the lost to Christ. Because if approached it appears that the first thing out of your mouth would be how pastors are corrupt and to stay away from the church, it is my prayer that forgiveness will flow from your hearts and that whoever it was that did it you would forgive them and move on because the Word wont change leadership will be in place until His return. Dont be a goat, learn to be a sheep!

May the Lord richly bless you!

P.S.- if you are offended before you place one finger on that keyboard to give me a piece of your mind, check your motives because I did before I began to type.

[James Pierce]

"Church" in a Christian sense is not built on Torah-- The teaching of HaShem. When it is built on that, then Christianity wouldn't be in half the mess its in.

[Evangelist Altha Fugett]

You know I applaud you, because this Spirit of rebellion against assembling together is just as wrong as whatever a pastor has done.

Thank you Jesus! I have heard too many times so called Holy Ghost filled saints say "I don't go to church because of this and that" it's a rebellion against God's word and a Spirit of unforgiveness ruling you. Bottom line SIN

Ones cannot tell me they can't find ONE church following after God's word. They too lazy to find one and slothfulness is a sin.

[Rev. Eric Culberson Jr.]

Luckett we get Abednego watch out cause you know who about to be walking with us!! Great post.

[Evangelist Altha Fugett]

Minister Leigh, the only balanced way is that the church prepare those to go into the streets, hospitals, jails and those that are homebound not because of choice.

[Pastor Rodrick Sweet,ThM]

You are right in every way. My wife and I just mention this on Sunday. My heart goes out to all the people that have some type of issues with the church. We must remember that all her flaws (the church) are due to man and not God. Blessings borther.

[Child of the Kingdom]

Is God only in church buildings? If all churches were burned down and the Pastor only had a HOUSE to preach to people in, would God stop moving. Does God not move in your house? Do you only feel his presence in your church building and not at home? Have you ever been to a house meeting where the spirit of God had you slain in the spirit. Well, I have and it's the same Holy Ghost that had me slain in the church building. There is no sin in having church in your home. But it is a sin to call it a sin of rebellion for not assembling in a CHURCH BUILDING UNDER FLAKY LEADERSHIP. The scripture when it says forsake not the assembly of youselves, said nothing about a CHURCH BUILDING. You can assemble in the middle of the River in a boat and God will meet you there.

Remember that the scripture also says, where 2 or 3 are gathered in my name, there will I be in the midst. We had a service in the middle of Belle Isle one year in Detroit and thousands gathered and fellowshiped with us. GOD'S CHURCH IS NOT ATTACHED TO ANY BUILDING because the people are the church.

To say that someone doesn't have THE HOLYGHOST because they have church services in route or in homes is WRONG.

[Evangelist Altha Fugett]

The focus is not on the building, of course God is everywhere, but the Spirit that states that they are satisfied with just 2 or 3 is in question. I want more than 2 or 3 to be gather together in his Name. Many churches started in homes, they did not stay there, why because this gospel that we preach and believe in is not to be contained in a personal home.

Ephesians 2:19 states that we are members of God's very own family, citizens of God's country, and we belong in God's household with EVERY OTHER CHRISTIAN.

1 Timothy 3:15 states God's family is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.

This past weekend I wasn't with my church family, I was at a prison with my brothers in Christ that were praising God to be able to go to church on the inside, 340 men that do not take for granted the right to assemble, in bondage, yet we have these free among us binded with chains of ought against the assembly of God's people. Thank God the church is praying.

how is God going to use you if can't be amongst the family of God. Rev. Culbertson again I applaud you

[Child of the Kingdom]

Hey Brother Luckett,
I am glad you understand the surge in Home Churches but I think you misunderstood my post. I would never discourage someone from going to church. I do not discuss church business with someone I am ministering too. These conversations about the condition of the church are amongst the brethren not with unbelievers. We are all aware of, at least I hope we are, the condition of the church today. However, I don't deal with these subjects with sinners.

I spoke to my brother the other day and even though he is a casualty of the church, we don't talk about that. I only talked to him about giving his life back to Christ before it is too late. He knows what is going on in the church, just like a lot of sinners but we don't talk about it with him. My sister and I only deal with his soul and not what our previous Pastor did. My sister and I may discuss it, but not with our brother.

If you read through some of my post I don't tell others not to go to church, but I also don't understand why and how others think that it isn't church unless you gather in CHURCH BUILDINGS. I do deal with issues that should not be in God's church. The word did tell us to reprove the works of darkness which is too show strong disapproval and this will sometimes convict others to repentance.

A good example of reprove would be this: My mother has high blood pressure and I am always showing my disapproval to her eating high fat, high salt foods. This resulted in her eating more greens, cabbage, corn and other healthy foods. Now, I am not there to watch her but I always check and ask, have you been leaving those vienna sausage alone? Me being in her business has caused her to look at the big picture. The possibility of a heart attack.

This is why the Lord wants us to admonish one another so that the darkness will disappear. I had a young lady approach me and ask me what should she do concerning something going on in her church with her pastor. She asked if she should approach him and my husband immediately corrected her and said, rebuke not an elder. It wasn't our place to tell her to leave but she sought us for counseling. (no hanky panky or anything like that) Just something she didn't understand.

So everyone, can relax. (smile) We don't go around bashing the church to people and telling them to come out. This was the direction the Lord has taken us since moving here. We are helping from a different position than those seated in the pews. But we all must understand that we must not tolerate the surge of sin in our churches if we are to be ready for the return of Christ. We too should understand that we all have different positions on the battlefield. I know everyone on here is serious about their walk so the bottom line is what are we effectuating in the kingdom. When Paul wrote his letters to the church they were always letters dealing with the particular issues of the church. This is how we must be in order to kick the ENEMY OUT. IF WE DON'T KICK HIM OUT THEN HE WILL CONTINUE TO DISMANTLE FROM WITHIN.

GOD BLESS

[HOPE - Psalm 43:5]

Rev. Luckett, this is exactly why I started the Houston Group here on BPN. I wanted to visit various churches in the Houston area (where I live) and get to know their doctinal beliefs. Not so I could join them but there have been many people who have come to me and wanted to find a church home. Some people would only recommend their church to folks. Even if their church is clear aross town from the person asking. Surely there are churches all over town and I should be able to recommend a church with sound doctrine in the area where you live. I've never been one who believes that a person HAS to attend the church that I attend as if where I go is the only church with sound doctrine LOL.

What I dislike and discourage is the monopolizing of ministry. Sure visit where I attend and if you like it.. go for it. But more importantly look around where you live first before trying to rush across town to the big church on tv or the little church that somebody referred you to that is way off in the country somewhere.

If a person is looking for a church home, I want to know their zip code or area of town. More than likely, there is a good ministry (even home based ministry) in their area.

Honestly, because I work at a church, I'm at church 6 days a week. I work in the Worship and Music ministry and we have prayer walks, prayer meetings, staff worship, and lots of other "congregational" things during the week. The staff life is like a church within the church if you know what I mean? Sunday morning is just an extension to what happens every day for the staff. LOL

It's kind of like telling a scribe to go to church so he can hear the word LOL... a SCRIBE!!! LOL.

For that kind of person, going to church is not to hear the word... they are in the word 24-7. Going to church would be for fellowship with those they don't get to see on a regular basis.

I know that is an extreme and slightly exaggerated description but I hope you understand what I'm saying.

I don't check a person's church attendance to determine their salvation nor relationship with the Lord. Instead, look at what they do when they are away from the church.

As far as home churches, and other ministries.... I agree with you again Rev. Luckett... those too are places that others can go. It's not so much going into the building as we try to force people to adhere to as it is fellowship and ministry activity and a place for corporate worship.

You can't just worship with any ole person. You must be careful who you pray with, who you worship with. I guard my prayer and worship time. There's not many people that I want to pray and worship with.

My private time of prayer and worship is soooooo much more fulfilling! But that is me and I don't impose that on others.

[Child of the Kingdom]

It amazes me how one could say the "ONLY BALANCED WAY" to do anything is through a church. That literally excludes the Lord because he didn't minister in or through a church building. Neither did he command us to do so. The last time I checked, the word said, GO YE THEREFORE INTO ALL THE WORLD AND PREACH THE GOSPEL. It didn't say, go ye therefore into all the CHURCHES and preach the gospel. The church buildings were never meant to be the only connection to God that a believer has. Even in the natural, children grow up and go out into the world on their own. At some point, believers are suppose to have been discipled enough to go and win the lost.

Some people sit in churches for 30 and 40 years and never go into the world. Is that what the Lord intended for us to do? That's another major fallacy of the church today. PEOPLE GET LAZY IN THE PEWS.

[Evangelist Altha Fugett]

No one is saying that they are mean't to be the only connection to God, how are ones going to go ye therefore into all the world and preach the gospel if they first can't hear the preacher?

God did send the preacher? scripture does state that?, now some do get upset and go in vineyards without adequate teaching, and sow seeds that do not produce fruit, or produce strange fruit, this was the balance I was referring to.

Yes Children go into the world on their own and establish their homes to teach their children. You can't fight the church, you would be fighting God

[Child of the Kingdom]

You keep confusing the buildings with CHURCH. God's church has nothing to do with church buildings. I am very much apart of God's church, not MAN'S CHURCH. I see that is hard for you to understand. My question is how can a preacher preach accept he be sent? Not everyone preaching was sent by God and it takes the Holy Spirit for us to discern that. Just like you said, God did send the preacher, I can agree with that, because he has sent both me and my husband. We both have attended bible college, he had a lot more college than I did and when you couple that with the Holy Spirit then you have adequate teaching to produce fruit that will remain.

One thing you don't understand about us when you are passing your judgment is that, we are not new to any of this either. Just because we relocated to another State and were lead to establish a church in our home has nothing to do with getting upset with anyone. None of these pastors in our community were ever our pastors. Our Pastor is back home in Michigan, William L. Bonner. So to assume that we left these churches out of anger is wrong.

When we settled down here, we sought churches to fellowship with, but I will not fellow under Pastors with wives and girlfriends or pastors that are not teaching according to the scripture. The word says to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness. If someone has a freemasonry PLAQUE ON THE WALL , I AM OUT.