For the Church

   So, before I go into topic. I do have a great relationship with Christ, but being able to fellowship with people whom I do not know is HARD! Growing up, I never liked church and when I turned 18, I wanted to be done with church and Christ all together because the people who were suppose to be representing Christ were doing a poor job, from my perspective, but Christ has shown Himself to me personally, resulting in me gravitating toward Him, but not the church. After being saved and baptized, many times I went to church was because it was the "Christian thing to do" and it has been wired in me that church is a mandatory thing, but I had to come into terms with myself that I am not going to treat my relationship with Christ like a religion, even if that means unlearning, "unbrainwashing," and relearning everything about Christ; therefore, I stop attending church because I did not see the purpose in it, especially when I was already in fellowship with the closest people to me and was catapulting in Christ while doing so, and in the midst of that fellowship, I was re-educated about Christ and the value church, and with that being said, I would just LOVE to say that I am so happy on how far the Christian body has came , but now we have focus on what needs to be left behind.

*Being that I am close to Christ, I am able to hear and receive teachings on topics like these. I advise everyone who reads these blogs to read with Holy Spirit, lean not onto your own understanding, and to come with a discerning spirit.

T​he Purpose of Church

   T​he purpose of church is to fellowship with one another. Now what is fellowship in the perspective of church? It is the gathering of the saints; the gathering of the sons and daughter of God giving thanks and praise, sharing love to one another, building each other up, getting to know one another, feeding into each other, and feeding one another, and more. What I have learned about fellowship is that, like everything else, it is an option. Though you are not suppose to be forsake the assembly of the saints, sometimes, it is okay to be in the Spirit of God alone for soaking purposes or even just for comfort, people go through things, it's life; the pastor of the church gives messages from God, but they are not for everyone whether you grab it with faith or not, and for a while I started noticing when a message is not for me, so what I would do is listen for learning purposes to take back to God and see if what I learned needs to be bookmarked for another season of my life, for this season of my life, if I need to give it someone else, or if it just a food for thought. The church is actually suppose to be a house of resource of the things of the Spirit and natural, the atmosphere is suppose to be filled with the Spirit of God ( a very thick atmosphere ), sharing gifts onto one another, sharing wisdom in love without being overbearing and unnecessary, healing and saving the souls, giving and receiving revelation to one another and some to be kept to ourselves; it is also suppose to be a family setting, a place of refuge, rehabilitation, therapy, and more. The church is ultimately is not only the bride of Christ, but a literal be a safe place ( a place of nurture for the spirit that needs it) in full submission to God, a representation of who the God is in the form of a building.

C​onducting Fellowship in different sizes

   Similar to what the Apostle Paul stated about speaking in tongues (vertical tongues) in church, there are certain things you just do not in a public church setting. The type of worship you conduct in your pray closet and in fellowship with your closest friends are not suppose to be done in a corporate church because of the amount souls and spirits that are in that one building. While you're in worship, you are in a vulnerable, yet powerful state of being; therefore, you would have to govern yourself because it is not just believers in Christ coming into the church. There are many deliverances that happen along the many words that are being released all at once, not to mention that spirits can be contagious and if your spirit is open for reception, you can catch something you never asked for. In your prayer closet or with your closest friends, and I mean the God-ordained friends who are all in your business from Spiritual to physical, you can be anyway and anyhow you want because it is you're in a safe space, it's extra private, and extra intimate; what you do in a prayer closet is not recommended do in a corporate church.

 P​racticing Faith Together

 ​ So we know as one thinks, one is, which influences whether death or life is about to fly from the tongue. We also know we should present God with requests with unwavering faith and have expectancy in our hearts; these are some of the fundamentals. We also know that conducting the fundamentals in tough seasons is really difficult, but not impossible. So I have been reading the book of St. John and I have observed how the Lord demonstrated faith within the book; it's not even the fact that he conducted these miracles, but it was the faith behind it that really mattered. The way He carried Himself, the way He grounded Himself in His identity, the way He picked out His friends by just looking and pointing at them and knowing who they were because He knows who He is ( now of course, He knew them before they were even born on Earth, but just pick up what I'm putting down), not to mention that the miracles He conducted were pretty basic for Him, recorded and not recorded ( I said what I said ). There are churches that do what Christ did and there are churches that do what Christ did and more by the wisdom and counsel of the Holy Spirit, and that is good, but there are some setbacks going on in the church. For example, the spirit of religion has drastically drench the church and that is a major problem. What I have seen is, as a person decides to jump start their relationship with Christ, they are full of zeal with no self-control, full of ignorance and arrogance, speaks with a condescending tone unknowingly and knowingly with the mindset of getting the truth out with no wisdom and discernment on whether this does more harm or good, always on defense about Christ and His existence, and more behaviors like these that do not represent God at all and shows the immaturity in Christ; they are joyous proclaiming their relationship with Christ, but in a relationship improperly fearing the Lord and incorrectly receiving the love of God ( this will be in a separate blog), which puts not a bad reputation on God and the church (read Hebrews 5:12-14 and Chapter 6 ). To make this correction, there needs to be deliverance, repentance, a soaking of humility, and insights from the Spirit of Counsel on how to live in and with the love of God and wisdom on how to execute faith through belief. Once you get to that part in your relationship with God, this will make fellowship a better experience, but also understanding that the Lord leads the relationship while you are just relaxing, being transformed, and enjoying your time in the Spirit of God.

T​he Problems Within the Church

 ​ In the course of years, some have accused Christians of hypocrisy, alleging that they project a flawless image while still mistreating others in various ways. As an observer myself, I've witnessed how some Christians interact with believers and non-believers both online and offline. This behavior often stems from an unbridled zeal for salvation mixed with passion, religious fervor, and an urge to speak the truth without love, lacking the guidance of the Spirit of God, wisdom, and counsel. Consequently, many people oppose Christianity and the church for these reasons and others. A major issue among Christians is self-conduct, indicating a maturity gap. While it's commendable to be passionate about Christ, true devotion should bear the fruits of the Holy Spirit alongside tongues and prophecies. Our faith should be more than just words; it should manifest in our actions. Another problem arises when some treat Christianity as a religion, seemingly relying on the pastor to be the voice of God . Although pastors play a role in conveying God's message, we no longer solely rely on prophets like in the Old Testament. Instead, we should approach church with an open mind, comparing the pastor's teachings with what God has already spoken to us personally. This emphasizes the importance of intimacy with God, which flourishes in our prayer closets, during worship, in the Spirit, and in truth. In our intimate relationship with God, we gain the ability to hear His voice without second-guessing. Through ongoing conversations with God, we discern what applies to us and what doesn't. This insight helps us govern ourselves wisely within the corporate church setting. We learn to receive, rebuke, and guard ourselves against unnecessary words and spirits. This way, we avoid catching unwanted influences and remain open to receiving wisdom and understanding even when the preached Word might not directly apply to us. Furthermore, churches should strike a balance between structure and free-flowing movements. An excessively structured environment can hinder God's moving Spirit during worship and service. While some aspects need organization, allowing space for the Holy Spirit's spontaneous guidance can lead to transformative experiences. Ultimately, approaching church with an open heart, actively seeking intimacy with God, and embracing both structure and Spirit-led moments can enrich our spiritual journey. By living out our faith with love and authenticity, we break down barriers and become true representatives of Christ's teachings.

    Last, but not least, at all, we need to let grace abide! Let people, people ! People have their own journey and though YOU may want they to be saved now because YOU don't know if there is a tomorrow for them nor do YOU know the time or the hour when He may return, doesn't mean something bad is going to happen if you do not do something, just relax and follow the unction of Holy Spirit, and if there is nothing for you to do, then take heed for yourself because not everything is for you to touch; the same you can help is the same way you can harm if you do it without God, and trust me, there are no "what if" 's in God. Everyone has their own journey to go and all you can do is hope for the best, speak life, pray when need be, and move when need be, if not, mind yourself.

 The goal here when it comes to church is conduct and operating in love and in the position of rest. If you want to be impactful as a body, start in prayer and be transformed, pick your battles wisely, and enjoy your life with God. If the church wants to advance, be open to where Holy Spirit can take you, OPERATE IN LOVE, receive deliverance from the spirit of religion ( because many of you all claim to have a relationship with Him, but still have a religious spirit), and walk in your identity and authority, but this is all done by seeking FIRST the kingdom of God and its righteousness and doing this consistently without ceasing through belief.

I encourage you all to spend more time in your prayer closet because it is truly life changing !

 Well, folks, that’s all I have for you today. Thanks for checking out I Said What I Said Ministries. If you did not know, this is a ministry, just not your typical churchy type of ministry. See you soon on the next month’s blog!

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