Can You Be A Believer of GOD Without Going To Church?

TIMOTHY 3:14,15 “As I write this letter to you, I hope to come and see you soon. But if I delay, this letter will let you know how we should conduct ourselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.”

During a short conversation, a friend expressed a belief in God, but didn’t see it necessary to go to church. My friend, who had volunteered at a local medical establishment, to help those in need, felt it was a calling from God.

This friend asked how I felt, that, as long as a person believed in God and tried to live life helping others and by being a good person, going to church was not that important. Since we didn’t have adequate time to talk, I asked if it would be ok to try and answer this question in my INNERQUEST letter. It was agreed on.

My first questions to my friend and to those who feel the same is, “How did you come to believe in God and how have you grown in that relationship? Can you fully understand the Bible and how it relates to your life? Can you grasp the full meaning of why God sent his Son, Jesus to us and then sacrificed his life so that we may live? Do you know what Jesus is asking of you? If you love your family and enjoy those times together, eating, playing, teaching and helping your children grow, sharing life stories, helping each other, being there in times of turmoil, comforting each other in times of loss, why then, would you deny yourself that same type of relationship and growth with your Christian brothers and sisters in God’s family?

Everything we have learned to do in our lives comes from some type of education, through the teachings of one or more people. Everything. Most of our religious education and evangelical training comes from the church and its people. It is also where we come together in fellowship to praise and worship the Lord, as one body, to bond with each other in the Spirit of Christ Jesus, and to strengthen our lives in all that we say and do, for the glory of the Lord. Being active in a church and its mission should be part of your devotion to God. MATTHEW 19:20 For where two or three come together in my name, I am there with them

EPHESIANS 4:11-13 It was he who “gave the gifts to mankind”; he appointed some to be apostles, others to be prophets, others to be evangelists, others to be pastors and teachers. He did this to prepare all God’s people for the work of Christian service, in order to build up the body of Christ. And so we shall all come together to that oneness in our faith and in our knowledge of the Son of God;

We have been given these gifts from God in proportion to what Christ has given. If we chose to live our lives apart from one another, then we weaken the body and starve the mind of what is needed to become a whole person of God, and a unified body of Christ, with one Spirit and one hope to which God has called you. ( based on EPHESIANS 4: 4,7)

You can believe and prove a building exists, but it would not be of use to the world if it were left to just a belief.

Oy vey!

Previously on 24/7... BIG G: “David, my son. That’s why I am here. I’m worried about you” DAVID: “What have I done?” BIG G: “It’s not what you’ve done, it’s what you’re not doing!”...
MOTHER: “Try calling it snow. It will make for better songs.” BIG G: “OK. But, this snow keeps on melting.” MOTHER: “That’s because of all the hot air you have left over from the tropics. I’ll take care of that. It’s in my nature.” BIG G: “Thanks Mother.”

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock...

BIG G: “Hey Mother! Do you think I made enough snow this year?” MOTHER: “Well, let’s just say, when it comes to making blizzards, Dairy Queen falls quite short of your expertise.”
BIG G: “Oh goody! There goes little Al again.” MOTHER: “What’s he doing now? Oh my, he isn’t so little any more.” BIG G: “I wondered where you put that tropical breeze... Now, he’s traveling all over the place, trying to expel a lot of it and calling it global warming.” MOTHER: “He sure gets all riled up about it too. That must take a lot of energy.” BIG G: “Not to worry. He seems to have quite a bit, back at his humble abode... But, for some reason he thinks people have caused the world to get hotter. Oh, look a snowman!.. All I did was crank up the sun a notch. You’d think they would have noticed with all those fancy, smancy gadgets, they have now.”

MOTHER: “So, what else is going on?” BIG G: “Well, It seems there are people saying they will blow themselves up to please me. And, they are blowing others up that didn’t ask to be, just because they’re in Fidel.” MOTHER: “Where’s Fidel?” BIG G: “ I believe out west...I’ve looked all through my records and can’t find anywhere where I said to do anything like that, at all. Plus, they think by doing that, they will be given many gifts when they come to my house. MOTHER: “Sounds like they need to read your book again.” BIG G: “And to understand about Heaven, and the road to it.”

MOTHER: “What are the leaders doing?” BIG G: “Good question. Remember when Matthew wrote about Junior’s charitable message; ‘But when you give to someone in need, don’t let the left hand know what your right hand is doing.’.. Well, it seems the right hand has its fingers crossed and the left hand keeps hopping in and out of many pockets.”
And, the people seem to be staging a mass exodus and taking the bull by the horns and reliving the golden days in the desert.” MOTHER: “Holy Moses!” BIG G: “I hear ya. And I had a long talk with him on that mountain. You should have seen the fire in his eyes.” MOTHER: I did, but he looked so bushed when you were done with your commands.” BIG G: I know. That’s why I told him to take those two tablets and call me in the morning.” MOTHER: “Looks like a few more tablets are needed.” BIG G: “The first two were plenty, if taken whole, with food.” MOTHER: “And Junior fed them plenty.” BIG G: “Yeah, but you know how kids are, when the parents aren’t looking they hide what they don’t want under their plates.” MOTHER: “And now they look so hungry. Should we send Junior back and feed them some more? BIG G: “The food is there and it will never go stale, but he can’t force them to eat. Maybe, Junior should go clean up and bring his children home. What’s left on the timer?” MOTHER: “It’s still ticking. Maybe you should send them another sign, first.” BIG G: “Yeah, like the one that said, ‘Don’t make me come down there!’... Oy vey!” Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock...

LUKE 4:12 Jesus answered, “It says: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”