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.

[HOPE - Psalm 43:5]

EW have you seen this here on BPN??

House Church Ministries

[Child of the Kingdom]

No Min. Tracy, I didn't notice the group for Home Churches Here on BPN but I do thank you for the link. I just joined it and can hopefully get and share experiences.

[Child of the Kingdom]

Our assembly isn't just 2 or 3, read the scripture, that is what THE LORD'S WORD SAYS. Our only fellowship is not just in our home, that is something that is assumed by someone who knows nothing about you. It's amazing how one could state that you must go to church but there are believers all around the world who do not gather in churches. Just like yourself, I have ministered, in nursing homes, women's shelters, youth shelters, on the streets and IN MY HOME. I don't believe that the Lord cares if someone in saved in a church building or in the middle of the desert. That only comes from those who have what they call CHURCH AND OR PASTOR SALVATION.

My husband is an ordained Minister and has been for many years. He preaches at other churches just like the next person. He preached at a local assembly this past Sunday and the same Holy Ghost he has at our home assembly he has when he preaches elsewhere. Everyone in our community knows that we have church in our home and they don't have a problem with that. Only those who don't understand the power of God outside of the church building would question people gathering in a home. Again, God's assembly is where his people are gathered. You can have 1,000 people gathered in a church building and not one of them is a CHILD OF GOD. EXPLAIN THAT.

[Evangelist Altha Fugett]

That's foolishness, 1000 people and not one of them a child of God? I claim to see no ones heart, only God sees the heart.

That statement right there and I'm not speaking personally of you EW, for I'm sure there are other scoffers who state no one is saved if they go to a church, lets me know that it is a spirit of self-righteousness that drives this attitude.

God can save anywhere and when he does there should be a righteous desire to be amongst the family and a drive to bring others in

Be Blessed

[Child of the Kingdom]

My statement about the 1,000 is a fact in many religions. You can simply look at the Catholic church which has over 1 billion members and knock that out of the box. The mere fact that they worship idols (the statue of Mary) is proof that they are not children of God.

It is foolishness to think that everyone going to church is a child of God when the Lord clearly states that the Narrow path leads to salvation and only a few will find it. Not to mention, as a young child I attended the Lutheran church who do not believe in the Holy Spirit just like the Catholics don't. In my stating that you can have 1,000 people in a church and not have 1 child of God, is not only likely but highly likely in today's age of Apostasy.

[HOPE - Psalm 43:5]

Honestly, we get so caught up in our discussions and pride is the root cause for us wanting to have "the last word". Jesus had such a wonderful gift of good-bye. We will stick with a topic for weeks, months, years because we just can't walk away. I don't mean discussing various things in and of itself is wrong, I mean the attitudes that proceed forth from them. And the first person I point a finger at is me. How does the song go - I need to sweep around my own front door before I try to sweep around yours. (that is a paraphrase on Matt 7:1-5)

"This person said this or wrote this and it made me angry so I have to say something back or write a retort". c'mon seriously???? Do we really have to have the last word each and every time?

Our quest to find the perfect church will be an endless quest. Why? Because if we really did find the perfect church, we would mess it up by joining it because WE are imperfect to the core. To hope that there is some place on this planet where perfect people worship perfectly... is a hope that will be disappointed. We even judge people on how they worship... some dance some don't. Some are very vocal others are introspective. What the heck is wrong with us? (Matt 7:1-5)

We are being conformed to the image of Christ

Rom 8:28-30 (NIV)

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,[a] who[b] have been called according to his purpose.
29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

Man, I found myself getting caught up in some of these discussions here on BPN. I had to step away for a bit and just let you guys go at each other. Who wants to be caught up in that mess? Everyone feeling that they are right and have a encyclopedic list of scriptures to support their stance while their "opponents" do the same thing. C'mon folks get real!!!

And then we try to see who is on "our side". ARE YOU KIDDING ME???

Tracy had to do a reality check on Tracy. LOL

Give folks the gift of good-bye! Who is holding you to the conversation? Is the Holy Spirit compelling you to be quarrelsome? If so, you may want to check just how "holy" that spirit is that is leading you at that moment.

I'm not some Sally Super Saint. My feathers get ruffled also. I can get angry about a thing as well. I may even find myself in a heated disagreement. But once certain feelings try to rise up, I have to shut up and take every thought captive and force it to obey Christ. I go back to some of the posts and ther is seemingly such HATRED amongst the "brethren".

I would prefer to not speak than to speak fouly. Is the conversation even worth the breath that will come out of my mouth or the energy it takes to type a response?


2 Cor 10:5, 7-8 (NIV)
5 W demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

7 ou are looking only on the surface of things. If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as he.
8 For even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than pulling you down, I will not be ashamed of it.

Some people take this scripture and believe that it is their lot in life to take captive everyone elses thoughts but their own.

Question, while we are demolishing arguments here on BPN are we checking our attitudes? Or do we forget about

Matt 22:36-40
36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.


I don''t mean we should be mushy sweet to one another, I mean our hearts. Do we check our hearts when we are responding to people? Is your response motivated by love or do you just want to jab back at someone who just jabbed at you??? Is it really a boxing match? Do we get excited when we rope a dope? And then when it seems as if we won we float like a butterfly because we just stung like a be?

Man, how in the world does God put up with us LOL

*sigh*

ok I'm done talking (smile) -- sorry for the long post. I hate long posts LOL

[Child of the Kingdom]

All I can say to your reply Min. Tracy is, ya got me.... LOL

When I read one of the replies today, I felt the need to respond. (MY FLESH, NOT THE HOLY SPIRIT) I wasn't really feeling well at all. I am feeling the summer pregnancy blues. My blood pressure was low and I was very dizzy. But I drug myself out of the bed just to make a point to someone who seems to be a strong opposition against having church in your home.

I have already been down this road before and should not revisit it. My first thoughts were to lay back down and let it go. But here I go again, trying to defend something that God has commanded us to do. (My husband and I) I really don't care if anyone is on my side with this or if I have the last word because I know that many don't agree with house assemblies. My thoughts are, that it is fruitless to try and convince anyone of anything that they already have their minds settled on.

That being said, I do enjoy joining these discussions sometimes just like everyone else. But there comes a time when you do have to pull back. That I can agree on.

[HOPE - Psalm 43:5]

HEYYYY You're gonna be a mommy!! Congrats Sis!

Man I understand the summer pregnancy blues. Been there.. done that! My daughter will be 12 on Sept 29 and that girl there... ooo weeee.. I was losing weight while she was growing inside me. So on the scale it looked as if I wasn't gaining weight, and yet i was HUGE! By the end of the pregnancy I could barely walk.. I was on bedrest. Big as a house yet about the same weight I was when I got pregnant. It was MISERABLE. Can you imagine a workaholic not being able to do anything but lay in bed GRRRRR!!! Oh but my princess was well worth it. I wouldn't trade that time of preganancy for anything else in the word because it would alter her being in my life. She is truly a blessing to me.

But girlfriend, I have two and I'm THRU! I don't want any more kids. My son is 18 and daughter almost 12. I've got one of each and that's a wrap! LOL Thank you Lord for your bountiful blessings and the benediction of no more chirrenz!

[Child of the Kingdom]

Thanks for the Congrats Min. Tracy,
I too am getting big as a house. My belly is sticking out so far that I feel Like I'm going to topple over. I always look as if I've swallowed a watermelon. Anyways, it's almost time to call in the Calvary, (My mom & my oldest sister)

I too am a workaholic and sometimes feel extremely overwhelmed at times. My husband and children are a big help, thank God. I am usually not this weary but for the past few days I've been in this little slump. (sigh) I was at church yesterday and felt so tired and drained but the Pastor of the church called me up to pray for one of the young people standing proxy for their mom. Surprisingly, I felt much better afterward. Anyways, looking forward to seeing my little girl and being able to fit my clothes again. But for now, I am going back to bed until dinner time.

But hey Tracy, God has a way of surprising us when we say we're through. A friend of mine said her sister's tubes were tied and she ended up getting pregnant ANYHOW!!!!!! Hah, Praise the Lord. Glory to God. NEVER SAY NEVER. (smile)

GOD BLESS.

[Evangelist Altha Fugett]

Congratulations EW may your daughter be truly a blessed vessel, she already has a great mom

[Child of the Kingdom]

Thank you Fugett. Those are very sweet words. Bless you.

[Evangelist Altha Fugett]

I hear you Minister Tracy, but being a direct descendent of Deborah it's hard LOL, I will fight a good fight of faith, and NOBODY is going to talk about my family in Christ (- -)