So…last week…my dear friend, hairdresser, fellow believer, and I were talking about Jesus…

As we do, non-stop, during each of my hair appointments!

And it occurred to me that as far as church goes…

My life seems to have worked out in twenty-year spans of time…

For the first twenty years, I grew up in church…

Loved God…But rode the fence…

During the second twenty years, I went to no church…

I slipped away…Burned-out on religion…My life became all about ME…

And, in life, we always live with the consequences of our own decisions…

Even after God has forgiven  us…And we’ve forgiven ourselves…

In the last twenty years, I came back to church…

It seemed cruel to raise my son in this world without faith…And it brought a deep desire to be closer to God each day…

Relationship, Relationship, Relationship!!

How about your life?”

My dear hairdresser said:  “My life has been very different.  I have not known the Lord my whole life.  I grew up in Catholic School, and  in a ‘non-practicing’ home.  I knew who God was, but I did not ‘know’ Him, I had no relationship with Him.  At 40 yrs old, and spiritually sunk, my younger sister lovingly said, ‘Maybe you oughta go to church.’  I didn’t know it then, but God was already working on my heart, and a few short weeks later, on Easter Sunday, I received Christ as my Lord and Savior!  WooHoo!  Since then (5 yrs), I have been on quite a journey growing in the Lord!  GOD ROCKS!!”

So, we decided to list our reasons to try church again!

My reasons to try a Bible-believing, Spirit-filled Church:

1.  It’s a place where the same language is spoken…God’s Love!

Acceptance and encouragement…Not rejection or judgement…

2.  It’s a place where fellowship with believers is an anchor…

Like a family during good times…And a support system during a crisis…

3.  It’s a place where we can hear from God…

It’s a sanctuary…And His still, small voice can get through to us…

4.  It’s a place where we can be discipled…

A new Christian needs guidance…And church is where we learn about classes, courses, conferences, and camps…

About dynamic spiritual leaders, and about being where spiritual experiences are welcomed, and most powerful…

About anointed worship music, drama, books, etc. to lead a victorious life…

5.  It’s a place to see miracles…

Where changed lives can, and do happen…Where physical, spiritual, and emotional healing occurs…

“But how can people call on Him if they have not believed in Him?  How can they believe in Him if they have not heard His message? How can they hear if no one tells them the Good News?”  Romans 10:14  (God’s Word Translation)

Her reasons to try a Bible-believing, Spirit-filled Church:

1.)  You can be introduced to Jesus there and grow closer in a RELATIONSHIP with Him.

2.)  Worship!!  Worship!!  Worship!!  Sing Praises to the King!  (Can you tell I’m a Worshiper?!)  We are all made to Worship the Lord!

3.)  To hear and grow in the Word of the Lord ~ The KNOWLEDGE of the Truth will set you FREE!!  FREE!!  FREE!

4.)  Fellowship with other Believer’s, and building relationships with others, where you can encourage, and you can be encouraged

5.)  Recharging your “spiritual” batteries….day to day life can get hard, so for me, it is a day to be RECHARGED!  “Stoking the Fire”

6.)  Your Gifts can be developed, and you can grow in your Destiny

7.)  Miracles!  I agree with you, I have definitely seen miracles, since I have been in Church……Go God!!  This is a definite Faith Builder!

Not all churches are “filled with hypocrites!”  Find a church with sincere believers of Christ, and become one of them!

Right,  I think if you asked everyone who loves “meeting” Jesus on Sunday Mornings (and/or nights) in their church there would be many more reasons 🙂

We need to grow up!  Let’s not be babies!  We can’t base our life on other people…

It’s about being followers of Jesus…

Do what God asks YOU to do…

I feel more free now than ever before….

The Spiritual realm is so liberating!

All my decisions are made with God…

That means I receive God’s favor…

I’ve found that:

No church=no foundation or plan…

No purpose in my life…

Because I wasn’t focused on God…

I was doing fine:  Married, teaching, had a house, cars, vacations, etc.

But, something was missing…

I lived a random life, like the little silver ball in a pinball game, constantly bouncing off things, and never really going anywhere…

There’s a special place inside of each of us that ONLY Jesus can fill…

I knew it, but fought it for a long time…

Maybe you know it, too!!

I read this article by Alex Bryant, who serves as college and young adults pastor at First Assembly of God in Fort Myers, Fla., titled: “Pirate or Marine?”  In the Pentecostal Evangel dated October 1, 2012…here’s an excerpt…

Are you a Christian pirate or a Christian marine?

“When Christ sets us free, we should make it our life goal to see as many other people as we can (as a matter of fact, everyone we know) attain the same freedom!

What if you were out hiking with a few friends and all of you fell into a hole in the ground. You’re all screaming and calling out for help, then along comes a stranger and pulls just you out of the hole. Once you were freed from the hole and back on the path, would you run off celebrating, leaving your friends trapped back in the hole? Of course not! You would be happy that you were freed, but you would stick around and help your friends out, not resting until each of them was back on the path, free from the pit of despair.

The same is true with God. You have to understand that God wants you involved with His goal of reconciling others to Him!

“So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, ‘Come back to God!'” (2 Corinthians 5:20, NLT).

All followers of Christ who have been set free are called to represent Him.  We are free to act like Him and carry His message of reconciliation to the lost. Christ is making His appeal to others through us…Christian marines who know, His mandate is to ‘Leave No Man Behind!”

Are you living by that standard? Or are you too preoccupied with enjoying your freedom to think of others? Are you a Christian pirate who realizes others are still in bondage, but you’re too busy with your own life, and you’re living by the decree, ‘He Who Falls Behind Gets Left Behind?’ God help us!”

I’m urgently praying no one falls behind…I’m praying you’ll try again…

Jesus waits with open arms…

It’s all about you and Him, not anyone else…

 Ask, “What’s your plan for me, Lord?”

Then sit back and wait…

Watching His plan unfold…

Instead of constantly striving for  ourselves…

By ourselves…

Decisions made with God are better than those made without Him…

The Creator of the Universe is making my decisions…

His best decisions are for me and my family!

How cool is that?

And how easy for me!

You don’t NEED a church to find God…

You can find God anywhere…

All the time…

He knows who you are…

And exactly where you are at all times…

But…

His Church is the Bride of Christ…

There’s a wedding to prepare for…

Get ready…

The wedding is the beginning of forever with Christ…

Go back to church to get your wedding garments on…

And the oil of the Holy Spirit in your lamps…

The Bridegroom is coming back for a blemish-free, prepared Church…

Will you be ready when He comes?

Is there a reason not to be a part of His Church???

I’d be interested to know what’s keeping you away…

“Let us rejoice and exult and give Him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure, for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, ‘Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’  And he said to me, ‘These are the true words of God.’”  Revelation 19:7-9  NIV

I’m going to be at this wedding!!

I’m praying you’re there, too!