posted
My name is Diane Friesen, and I live in Coquitlam, BC.
I've been attending a Lutheran church for the last 8 years, but even though I love many people there, I am frustrated and feel that they are not using me to their best advantage. Gifts of the spirit, healing, prophesying, etc, are frowned apon at the church - even listening to the Holy Spirit is treated with suspicion. I find I am quite limited in the amount and type of work I can do there - dealing mostly with Christians that are not regular church-goers, and are a bit turned off by church.
So, I've asked to leave, but the Spirit won't let me. He simply says that His time is coming, and that I will be taking the church over in due time. And so I wait, and try to concentrate on my own improvement, and my family, while the Lord does his work on their hearts.
I come from a real mixed bag of religious beliefs, spending my young years in the Mennonite church, switching later to spend time in the Alliance church, Baptist, United, and many years following different ministries on TV. I can learn from all of them it seems, and have done so, with no particular preference.
I've started two websites - one that deals with the practicle application of being healed from the curse of childbirth pain, called Childbirth without pain - and another one dealing with interpretation of the Bible from a woman's perspective. This second one I still expanding.
posted
Glad to meet you, Lauryn. So tell us something about yourself.
Diane
Steve
posted
Diane, Just a word of advice you can take it or leave it. I have been involved in a couple churches with different views. I discovered the best thing to do is leave the church, because the disunity is not good for you or the church body and you can easily be tempted into causing bad feelings within the body if your not in agreement with their beliefs. As a young believer, it's especially important to get involved in a nurturing atmosphere where you feel confortable and you don't seem to be with this group. For what its worth
I appreciate the input. But I have asked to leave for just these same reasons. Yet the Holy Spirit insists that I stay. He's been working on their hearts, and I have noticed some improvement. So I'm holding in there. He keeps telling me that it will all work out, and in many ways I do feel comfortable there. Thanks again
Diane
PS - I have left other churches for this reason, and that didn't seem to work either
Rhonda
posted
Hi Dianne,
Welcome to the Homechurch network. Our family has been in and out of various denominations and even Mennonite too. The Mennonites were the last we tried after twenty years or so for me in organized religion. I agree with you that you can learn something from each denomination. We learned organization, discipline, and hard work from the Mennonites, but we learned they were wrong about some major areas of doctrine and we had to seperate ourselves from them.
I agree with Steve, we believe (and have had to ) that seperation from a particular demomination must take place when it comes to differences in belief. God always calls His true believers to come out from amoung them and be seperate. If you have a different beliefs from them about the Faith then I must ask you , How can you be comfortable there? It is very unlikely that they will change (the majority of them) and if your in disagreement with them, it will be hard Spiritualy for you .
Like I said, I have asked to leave this church quite often in past, always with the same answer. No, because you are to 'take over' the church rather than let people with false beliefs run it. The Spirit tells me that it is in fact his church, and not theirs to basque in immaturity forever, and he can do with it whatever he likes - or give it to whomever he wants to run it.
It's something like when the Israelites were told to take over the land of Canaan - the land didn't belong to the people that lived there, it really belonged to God. And he gave it to the Isrealites. This church and all churches belong to Christ/God and the church member state it so in their own confirmations and sacrements. So, they have no leg to stand on, if they protest.
How can I be comfortable there? I don't sometimes. Other times, I just love the people, and tend to look at them as children. Either way, I cannot leave and I am just starting to make my move now. Judging by how the Spirit has been vindicating me in other areas, including on the internet, he is letting me know that he is behind me all the way.
Really, when you think about it - it's actually easier to finally speak my mind where I've been holding it back for a long time. I'm currently writing a Bible study for the ladies group there, and already getting protests from the women's leader. Though it's not due to come out till fall, I have the summer, it appears, to move through this barrier first.
Email this page to someone.
