Post by Hope on Jan 9, 2008 8:08:05 GMT -5
Bro. Ben,
I am responding to your post called "A Pure Child" dated Dec. 2005 (resposted June 2006).
Thank you for that post! Thank you! Thank you! I literally sob great wells of tears when I read articles like that (and many others). In that whole wide world out there, surely there are times when you and your family feel very alone in this thing we might call "The pursuit of holiness" or just simply striving to be in the world but not of the world. Hopefully, you know what I mean by saying very alone. Well, I am very alone. Your posts which are bold but entirely right on, give me comfort - almost like a sort of fellowship or companionship. That fellowship or companionship provides support and a kind of "good feeling", but how I long for it to be real through connection with Godly people. It would be great if I could move and be around folks like you, but I cannot. God would have to physically pick us up and plop us down there or somewhere and provide all the resources for such a move - well, that has not happened.
Meanwhile, I am here with my family, and we are attending the best church that I can find in my community for miles around. It has its good points, but still there is nothing much there that truly supports a parent that really, really, really, really, really has that "pure child" in mind.
IT IS LONELY AT CHURCH! I have had to follow my girls to the bathroom and stand in there because the girls with the attire of a harlot go in there and ask my girls for email addresses and phone numbers. Consequently, after doing this a few times to protect my daughters, I am viewed as harsh, unfriendly, that I do not love the brethren, that I need to lighten up because those are Christian children, I need to loosen up and let my children have unsupervised interaction with children their own age so they can learn to get along in the real world, I am judgmental, etc., etc., etc. I am treated with cold shoulders even though I love people. Now, these things are not really true about me - it is just that I have that "pure child" in mind to glorify God and give my children a blessed life that God can and will favor and bless.
More and more, I am treated with cold shoulders while the ones with the spirit of a harlot are very favored and thought of as sweet girls. Personality-wise they are "sweet", but at home they listen to the world's music, they prowl outside in the night while Dad's at work and Mom is off on errands, and they sneak around and deceive their parents and other adults. Being popular or thought of as sweet is really not the goal, but hopefully you get what I am saying. Making myself decrease and my Savior increase is a command in the Word. Being simple, quiet and in the background is just fine with me.
I believe I could not post words like all of the above in many places (certainly not at church) without meeting with sharp, squashing rebukes.
Brother Ben, in your original article you mentioned that you do "family worship" now. Wonderful! You also talked about how the church kids were bad "influencers" of your children. I understand that! You mentioned about the worldly direction of some church. I see that in almost, ALMOST every church out there. It is a sign of the times! You commented on the Sunday Schools, Children's Church, etc. I see that and totally agree! You talked about the harlot being right there in church. She sure is! You have radically and blessedly rid your home of filth. Great! You and I both know, though, that in MOST churches, people ("Christians") just are not doing that. Where is that church out there in my corner of the world that I can be in fellowship with - where I can breathe a sigh of relief every time I enter the church doors with my children?
With all of that in mind and more, I sort of get this despair when you say to draw from the brethren. Can we talk about this Bro. Ben and Darlene? I have been forced to be a single Mom, and it seems like all of the forces of Hell are bound and determined to make me fail; to not let me raise a Godly seed for Christ's sake and for the children's sake; to not let me get the support I so desperately, desperately need. For the most part, the "brethren" seem to be of their father the devil when it comes to practically living out this daily, earthly life for God Almighty.
I am in my house crying so often - not so much emotional, female tears - but with a heart full of grief, yearning, and desires for righteousness and taking my children onto the narrow way where it seems we cannot find a whole lot of today's "church people" dwelling.
Everybody knows there is no perfect church, but why does it seem like an impossible task to find a church that basically supports what I teach my children at home from God's Holy Word?
I do not think my standards are too high - Christians are supposed to step up to higher ground. Glorious!!!
Love in Christ, Who saved me from my lost state,
Hope
I am responding to your post called "A Pure Child" dated Dec. 2005 (resposted June 2006).
Thank you for that post! Thank you! Thank you! I literally sob great wells of tears when I read articles like that (and many others). In that whole wide world out there, surely there are times when you and your family feel very alone in this thing we might call "The pursuit of holiness" or just simply striving to be in the world but not of the world. Hopefully, you know what I mean by saying very alone. Well, I am very alone. Your posts which are bold but entirely right on, give me comfort - almost like a sort of fellowship or companionship. That fellowship or companionship provides support and a kind of "good feeling", but how I long for it to be real through connection with Godly people. It would be great if I could move and be around folks like you, but I cannot. God would have to physically pick us up and plop us down there or somewhere and provide all the resources for such a move - well, that has not happened.
Meanwhile, I am here with my family, and we are attending the best church that I can find in my community for miles around. It has its good points, but still there is nothing much there that truly supports a parent that really, really, really, really, really has that "pure child" in mind.
IT IS LONELY AT CHURCH! I have had to follow my girls to the bathroom and stand in there because the girls with the attire of a harlot go in there and ask my girls for email addresses and phone numbers. Consequently, after doing this a few times to protect my daughters, I am viewed as harsh, unfriendly, that I do not love the brethren, that I need to lighten up because those are Christian children, I need to loosen up and let my children have unsupervised interaction with children their own age so they can learn to get along in the real world, I am judgmental, etc., etc., etc. I am treated with cold shoulders even though I love people. Now, these things are not really true about me - it is just that I have that "pure child" in mind to glorify God and give my children a blessed life that God can and will favor and bless.
More and more, I am treated with cold shoulders while the ones with the spirit of a harlot are very favored and thought of as sweet girls. Personality-wise they are "sweet", but at home they listen to the world's music, they prowl outside in the night while Dad's at work and Mom is off on errands, and they sneak around and deceive their parents and other adults. Being popular or thought of as sweet is really not the goal, but hopefully you get what I am saying. Making myself decrease and my Savior increase is a command in the Word. Being simple, quiet and in the background is just fine with me.
I believe I could not post words like all of the above in many places (certainly not at church) without meeting with sharp, squashing rebukes.
Brother Ben, in your original article you mentioned that you do "family worship" now. Wonderful! You also talked about how the church kids were bad "influencers" of your children. I understand that! You mentioned about the worldly direction of some church. I see that in almost, ALMOST every church out there. It is a sign of the times! You commented on the Sunday Schools, Children's Church, etc. I see that and totally agree! You talked about the harlot being right there in church. She sure is! You have radically and blessedly rid your home of filth. Great! You and I both know, though, that in MOST churches, people ("Christians") just are not doing that. Where is that church out there in my corner of the world that I can be in fellowship with - where I can breathe a sigh of relief every time I enter the church doors with my children?
With all of that in mind and more, I sort of get this despair when you say to draw from the brethren. Can we talk about this Bro. Ben and Darlene? I have been forced to be a single Mom, and it seems like all of the forces of Hell are bound and determined to make me fail; to not let me raise a Godly seed for Christ's sake and for the children's sake; to not let me get the support I so desperately, desperately need. For the most part, the "brethren" seem to be of their father the devil when it comes to practically living out this daily, earthly life for God Almighty.
I am in my house crying so often - not so much emotional, female tears - but with a heart full of grief, yearning, and desires for righteousness and taking my children onto the narrow way where it seems we cannot find a whole lot of today's "church people" dwelling.
Everybody knows there is no perfect church, but why does it seem like an impossible task to find a church that basically supports what I teach my children at home from God's Holy Word?
I do not think my standards are too high - Christians are supposed to step up to higher ground. Glorious!!!
Love in Christ, Who saved me from my lost state,
Hope
I just read this post
of course that is never going to be enough of an answer for the world, so I just reply with it works for us!