Saying you do not go to church because people there are sinners and hypocrites, is like saying, I do not go to the gym as there are people that are out of shape.
The reality is there are sinners and hypocrites at church. It is the best place for us to be, myself included!
We should be in a place where we can pray, hear the Bible read, listen to homilies, receive forgiveness and partake in the sacraments. These are what sinners need to be made holy.
The reality is that like people who are out of shape at the gym trying to improve, there are also many people who are in shape to inspire us. The same goes for church.
When we go to church there are people there who are further along the journey, who are more holy, more learned in the Bible, who pray with a closeness to God that we can aim for.
When I go to church I focus less on people’s sin and more on the areas where they shine. I try to come alongside them and learn from them. That keeps me growing.
Remember there is no perfect church full of perfect people, just sinners and hypocrites who need the love and grace of God to keep growing closer to Christ.
I just watched a really good overview of the church councils over the past 2000 years. These councils were called to make decisions on doctrine, heresy, church life and leadership and responding to an ever changing world. The 15 minute video below gives a really good explanation of them all and why they were called.
When I first became a Christian the Refiner’s Fire song was just released. It quickly became a favourite and a prayer of my heart.
I have not heard it for years, but I started singing it during my devotions this morning. Many years later it still speaks to my heart. It is still a prayer for me.
Looking back I can see how it shaped my life. In church I could hardly get through it without crying. Even now it is hard to fully sing it through.
If you are interested you can find it here on YouTube.
I just watched a really good video from Matt Fradd from the Pints with Aquinas YouTube channel. In it he talks about the beliefs of early Christians and how they saw the Eucharist or Communion.
In the video he quotes the early church fathers and other leaders down through the ages who all agreed that the elements truly become the body and blood of Christ once prayed over.
For most of my 36 years as a Christian I held the memorial only view of Communion. In the last few years after reading the early church fathers and church history I have changed my view. I now believe that Christ is truly present in Communion or the Eucharist.
If you are interested in what the church has believed down through the ages I would encourage you to watch the 14 minute video. It is well researched and presented. You can find it here on his YouTube channel.
Below are a number of Bible verses that talk about healing. I used to read them out loud everyday when I was really sick with Rheumatoid Arthritis. They helped to fill me with hope and faith.
Exodus 23:25 – Worship the LORD your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you.
Psalm 103:1-3 – Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits– who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases
Psalm 107:20 – He sent forth his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave.
Psalm 118:17 – I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the LORD has done.
Proverbs 4:20-22 – My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man’s whole body.
Joel 3:10 – …Let the weakling say, “I am strong!”
Matthew 8:2 – When he came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cured
Mark 11:22-24 – “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, `Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Philippians 2:13 – For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
Philippians 4:6-7 – Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Hebrews 10:23 – Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
2 Timothy 1:7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
Hebrews 13:8 – Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
James 5:14-16 – Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.
1 Peter 2:24 – He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.
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