(This new book, Attending Church!, is now available on Amazon in e-book for 99 cents. Later to be published in paperback also.)
Comments by Joan Boney:
After my mother died in 2002, I moved to Lubbock, Texas, where I began trying to find a church to attend.
***
* Flame of God:
I attended the main service on a Sunday morning.
As I entered the building a man met me and asked me to fill out a card where I gave my name, address, phone number. (I had no objection at all to doing this and filled out the card immediately.)
The church meeting had started as I entered the auditorium. I sat down to listen. There was enormous disruption going on. I sat there for about 5 minutes and got up and left.
That day, their leader called me. I'm sure I told him that I am a minister of Jesus in the offices of apostle and prophet.
He vociferously began trying to persuade me that there was no way I could be an apostle or prophet.
I hung up the phone.
He called me again and started trying to argue. I hung up the phone again.
He called a third time with more arguments. I hung up the phone the third time.
I think he sent me written materials also, which I threw away immediately.
***
* Word Church:
On the sign outside the church building, the following words were presented: "Still teaching the Word."
So I went there on a Wednesday night.
They
divided us into small groups of about 20 people. This was fine with
me. We met in our assigned group in a classroom setting.
One person read one scripture after another without comment for approximately 45 minutes.
The meeting ended.
I went to the main service on a Sunday morning.
A man who was in charge read one scripture after another without any comment for the next hour or so.
There were so many scriptures read that I couldn't keep up.
There were no comments nor teachings nor interpretation of scriptures given.
I never returned to this church group.
***
* Baptist church in neighboring city:
I went to a Sunday morning service starting with the adult Sunday School class.
As
I recall, it was very highly structured and there was no room at all
for the sharing of that which individuals had been shown by God by HIS
Spirit.
It was just one person talking.
I left and didn't stay for the main service.
***
* Church recommended by neighbor:
A
neighbor told me he knew I would love his church and he gave me the
name and phone number. After he talked about his church, I decided to
give it a try.
I called the number listed for that church, and I heard a recorded message telling about the services:
9 am The Lord's Supper
10 am Main service
11 am The Lord's Supper
I knew immediately there was no use trying to attend this church.
The
Lord's Supper is not the eating of crackers and the drinking of grape
juice as churches do all over this world today, copying one another and
copying their ancestors.
The Lord's supper is the eating and drinking of the Word of God, which is the body and blood of Jesus Christ.
I will share with you what God has taught me about communion, The Lord's Supper.
I Corinthians 11
18 For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.
19 For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.
20 When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper.
21 For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.
22 What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.
23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which HE was betrayed took bread:
24 And when HE had given thanks, HE brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is MY body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of ME.
25 After the same manner also HE took the cup, when HE had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in MY blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of ME.
(The eating and drinking of the Word of God is the partaking of the body and blood of Jesus.)
26 For as often as ye eat this bread (the Word), and drink this cup (the Word), ye do shew the Lord's death till HE come.
27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread (the Word), and drink this cup (the Word) of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
28 But let a man examine himself (by the Word), and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup (examining himself by the Word) .
26 For as often as ye eat this bread (the Word), and drink this cup (the Word), ye do shew the Lord's death till HE come.
27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread (the Word), and drink this cup (the Word) of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
28 But let a man examine himself (by the Word), and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup (examining himself by the Word) .
(We
eat and drink the scriptures, which are Jesus, The Word, and as we deal
with the scriptures, applying the scriptures to our own lives in a
correct way, we eat and drink in a worthy manner.)
29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily (failing to do that Word in his life), eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
31 For if we would judge ourselves (by the Word), we should not be judged.
29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily (failing to do that Word in his life), eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
31 For if we would judge ourselves (by the Word), we should not be judged.
Also in John 6, Jesus taught:
John 6
28 Then said they unto HIM, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on HIM whom HE hath sent.
30 They said therefore unto HIM, What sign shewest THOU then, that we may see, and believe THEE? what dost THOU work?
31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but MY Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
33 For the bread of God is HE (The Word) which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
34 Then said they unto HIM, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
35 And Jesus said unto them, I (The Word) am the bread of life: he that cometh to ME shall never hunger; and he that believeth on ME shall never thirst.
(The Word of God is the bread from heaven. When we hear a word from God by the Spirit of God we have the bread from heaven.)
36 But I said unto you, That ye also have seen ME, and believe not.
37 All that the Father giveth ME shall come to ME; and him that cometh to ME I will in no wise cast out.
38 For I came down from heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of HIM that sent ME.
39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent ME, that of all which HE hath given ME I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
40 And this is the will of HIM that sent ME, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on HIM, may have everlasting life: and I will raise HIM up at the last day.
41 The Jews then murmured at HIM, because HE said, I am the bread which came down from heaven.
42 And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven?
43 Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves.
44 No man can come to ME, except the Father which hath sent ME draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of (by) God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of (from) the Father, cometh unto ME.
46 Not that any man hath seen the Father, save HE which is of God, HE hath seen the Father.
47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on ME hath everlasting life.
36 But I said unto you, That ye also have seen ME, and believe not.
37 All that the Father giveth ME shall come to ME; and him that cometh to ME I will in no wise cast out.
38 For I came down from heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of HIM that sent ME.
39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent ME, that of all which HE hath given ME I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
40 And this is the will of HIM that sent ME, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on HIM, may have everlasting life: and I will raise HIM up at the last day.
41 The Jews then murmured at HIM, because HE said, I am the bread which came down from heaven.
42 And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven?
43 Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves.
44 No man can come to ME, except the Father which hath sent ME draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of (by) God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of (from) the Father, cometh unto ME.
46 Not that any man hath seen the Father, save HE which is of God, HE hath seen the Father.
47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on ME hath everlasting life.
(Believing on The Word)
48 I (The Word) am that bread of life.
49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
50 This (The Word) is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.
51 I (The Word) am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is MY flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
52 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink HIS blood, ye have no life in you.
48 I (The Word) am that bread of life.
49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
50 This (The Word) is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.
51 I (The Word) am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is MY flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
52 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink HIS blood, ye have no life in you.
(Life is in the Word of God that comes to us from God by HIS Spirit.)
54 Whoso eateth MY flesh (the Word), and drinketh MY blood (the Word), hath eternal life; and I (the Word) will raise him up at the last day.
55 For MY flesh is meat indeed, and MY blood is drink indeed.
56 He that eateth MY flesh, and drinketh MY blood, dwelleth in ME, and I in him.
57 As the living Father hath sent ME, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth ME, even he shall live by ME (the Word).
58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread (the Word) shall live for ever.
59 These things said HE in the synagogue, as HE taught in Capernaum.
60 Many therefore of HIS disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?
61 When Jesus knew in HIMSELF that HIS disciples murmured at it, HE said unto them, Doth this offend you?
62 What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where HE was before?
63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray HIM.
65 And HE said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto ME, except it were given unto him of MY Father.
66 From that time many of HIS disciples went back, and walked no more with HIM.
67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
68 Then Simon Peter answered HIM, Lord, to whom shall we go? THOU hast the words of eternal life.
69 And we believe and are sure that THOU art that Christ, the Son of the living God.
70 Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?
71 He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray HIM, being one of the twelve.
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