Is Your church Locked?
 

Re: Is Your church Locked?
 

You are making the case that people should be praying in the assembly hall 24/7 then?

Re: Is Your church Locked?
 

this is the most stupid logic i ever heard,unless you think obama has done a good job then it would be second ,so lets all drive 110 mph after all God will protect us ,Nominated !! stupidest post of the century !!

Re: Is Your church Locked?
 

Good grief.

Re: Is Your church Locked?
 

After being broken into twice while locked our church now is not only locked but has an alarm system!

(I agree that the premise of this thread is somewhat misguided)

Re: Is Your church Locked?
 

Our church building is in a poor section of downtown Hamilton. Some times during the day the pastor, the secretary, the treasurer, or maintenance people may be there. The building is also used by a social agency in the city (maybe the county) at certain times during the week. But, other than that the building is kept locked. We have been broken into before. There are instruments, food, and a sound system with equipment there.

Re: Is Your church Locked?
 

:toofunny Don't worry; it's good for you.

Re: Is Your church Locked?
 

You manifest whatever happens in your domain, yes.

Re: Is Your church Locked?
 

How can you lock the church?

Re: Is Your church Locked?
 

obviously we are talking about the building in which the church meets, what some of us would call "the church house"

Re: Is Your church Locked?
 

Oh. :largehalo

Re: Is Your church Locked?
 

Most churches give keys to the saints.

Re: Is Your church Locked?
 

Well, I thought I meant the building, anyway...
and BAM, keep the church locked, but at least consider
what this reflects.

Re: Is Your church Locked?
 

It reflects that the church buildings are in enemy territory and part of the ministry would be being a good steward and protecting what the good tithes payers and God has provided. The house of prayer is hated, by most. And hated by all demonic forces. Just common sense.. though I do understand where your coming from. I think.

Re: Is Your church Locked?
 

Is what inanimate objects a church building contains important to God?

Re: Is Your church Locked?
 

I'm sorry, ask that question again please.

Re: Is Your church Locked?
 

Alright, in other words, do you think that your inanimate objects in a church building is important to God?

Re: Is Your church Locked?
 

Yes, especially if the inanimate objects were bought with offerings and tithes monies. Nobody should be stealing.

Re: Is Your church Locked?
 

Most churches around this region do not give all the saints a key. They only give a few a key. The rest are left without.

I guess my point is...wouldn't the monies put into sound systems and other things be better to use as an outreach to others? What an awesome service it would be for people to bring their own musical instruments and let God magnify the sound?

Re: Is Your church Locked?
 

Maybe you can pray and make it happen. Or start a Church.

Re: Is Your church Locked?
 

You are being facetious.

I cannot start a church.

The church has been started over 2000 years ago... by Christ.

The best we can do is to evangelize the world and bring them His love and Word. "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature".

Re: Is Your church Locked?
 

Get at it.
:-)

Re: Is Your church Locked?
 

My husband has been at it for 33 years and does it without all the fancy instruments, the sound systems, the flat screen monitors and other high technological things that thieves can break in and steal. He's been talking one on one on a personal level with people. He has been discipling men who are ministers and preach in churches.

Jesus said that we must:
But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

(Matthew 6:20)

When a building and not people becomes Christ's church and the overseer's of that building look out more for their material possessions than they care for people's souls, we are looking at gross disregard of the souls of people.

It takes mammon to purchase those things. If one regards those things higher than souls, then one is serving mammon and not God.
Jesus plainly said that we cannot serve both God and mammon.

Your being facetious to me gives me great information about where you are coming from.

Re: Is Your church Locked?
 

Sorry you took me as being facetious.. I was not.

Re: Is Your church Locked?
 

AYR, I see nothing wrong with having a nice building to gather together with like saints to worship God. I see nothing wrong with having instruments or sound systems either.
There is also nothing wrong with locking up the building so that thieves can't steal.
Just because we have/do these things does not make us any less concerned with people's souls. I know many churches, including the one I attend, do quite alot in outreach and are winning souls.

Re: Is Your church Locked?
 

Lacey, I see nothing wrong in having a church building, sound systems or all the high tech machinery either. But Michael the Disciple asked in another thread why cannot churches leave their doors open so that saints can come in during the day to pray? I am assuming that is what prompted this thread.

The answer was in short..so that thieves cannot come in and steal what took money to buy.

So I am merely wondering here, what is more important? The equipment in a building or the sanctity of a church auditorium where people feel they can come in to pray and touch God? I cannot help but think about what Jesus said about not storing up material things for thieves to come in to steal....

Personally, I feel I can touch God in my own home closet. And I do not need a church building to have worship to my Savior. So...I really do not have a dog in this argument. I am however, wondering these things. I hope that I am allowed to post my wondering?

That is not saying that all churches that have high technological equipment do not do outreach and soul winning, many do. However, I know some high tech churches that do not reach out to others in my region. All I am saying is that much can also be accomplished for Christ without all the equipment. If you lock up a church so that nobody steals the equipment contained in it, then what are you protecting more? Material goods or the ability for a building to be a shelter to allow prayer to reach souls?

When I was seeking God more than 30 years ago, I went to the local UPC church and wanted to talk to somebody. Nobody answered the phone. Nobody answered my knock on the door. Nobody was available. I felt shut out.

I did not understand this because my Catholic church growing up was always open. I could walk in there to have prayer anytime. When I worked at the hospital, the chapel was always open for personal prayer. The pastor lived on the premises and was always available for ministering, even if they did not teach the truth.

That being said, God sent a witness to me that espoused Oneness beliefs. I just am of the mind that it doesn't take the fancy stuff to worship God and it isn't worth the worry over it being stolen if one does not have it to begin with. For those who will only attend a church that has these things, then what are they really worshipping? Does God have more respect for the the Crystal Cathedrals of the world over the saints who would meet in plain buildings and sing together praises without musical equipment?

But for those who would rather keep their church doors locked, ok. I will bow out. I do not really want to debate "to lock or not to lock". I just wanted to show another perspective. :)

Re: Is Your church Locked?
 

"What are you spending money on, if not food?"
The Catholic church here is always open...
maybe their angels are better :heeheehee

Re: Is Your church Locked?
 

And thats the way it should be. Apostolics are behind the curve in some areas.

Re: Is Your church Locked?
 

In every example I can think of, the building is served to some extent by the attendees who hear that the building is something Godly and is due their financial and personal support in order to be pleasing to God. It's likened unto the "house of God", the "temple of God", a "holy place", which it of course is none of these. I'm not sure if the preachers who preach such things are ignorant or just using psychology on folks, but in any case the building has absolutely nothing to do with being a so-called church.

Christianity is in a big big mess with building based 501C3 organizations promoting man made religious systems instead of laying aside those carnal systems where bigger buildings are held as trophies of the blessings of God.

Re: Is Your church Locked?
 

since the word church isnt really in the bible to begin with..... this may even cause more issues.

Re: Is Your church Locked?
 

the word "church" appears several times in the King James Version of the Bible, even a couple places in red in the words of Jesus.

Re: Is Your church Locked?
 

the king james bible purposly mistranslated the word ekklesia under the direction of the king james

it means

an assembly, a (religious) congregation the word church is derived from kyriakos

1 Corinthians 11:20


Therefore when you gather in the assembly, it is not to eat a supper in honor of the Lord (kyriakon | κυριακόν | acc sg neut).


ἐκκλησία, ἐκκλεσιας, ἡ (from ἔκκλητος called out or forth, and this from ἐκκαλέω); properly, a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place; an assembly; so used

here is a good look at it from http://bible-truth.org/Ekklesia.html

Re: Is Your church Locked?
 

Ok, well, good point, so to define,
I use "church" for the buildings,
and "Church" for ecclesia, and you
can't lock one w/o locking the other.

I'm aware of all the good-sounding reasons why a church might buy
...whatever, thinking it will attract more...just more. Moremoremore.
I think it's perfectly fine to buy a Lamborghini, too; wouldn't a lost person
be more inclined to listen to me then? Of course, then I'll need to lock it,
and alarm it, right? Because, even in Aspen, other people are bad.

I've learned that that is attracting
the wrong person for the wrong reason,
and ignoring the guy I'm flying by, who just
needs understanding. My dog taught me this.

Obviously, this does not perfectly reflect the
position of a church; or does it?
I find it a quite functional analogy.
The priest might not be teaching
perfect Truth, granted, but he prolly is
more perfectly living it.

Re: Is Your church Locked?
 

Amen. And while I don't completely disagree with Lacey,
BAM, as usual it is not the words but their probable
application that may need to be examined. I suggest
that leaving the church unlocked is a perfect guide.

There's nothing wrong with buying something extra,
unless maybe your neighbor is starving.

Re: Is Your church Locked?
 

Do you lock your house?

Lol

Re: Is Your church Locked?
 

epitome of a straw man argument

Re: Is Your church Locked?
 

No.

Re: Is Your church Locked?
 

Ok, Timmy. So in other words, you aren't buying all that "being protected by angels" stuff.

Re: Is Your church Locked?
 

Not nice. Insulting Bro. Robbins like that. :lol