House Church Talk - fatal house church attraction

[Dan Beaty]

Jim,

I really relate to  your story about finding true inner peace and joy in
Jesus. As a matter of fact, that true inner peace kept me through many times
of turmoil in our former church experience.

There did come a time, however, that I believe the Lord wanted me to feel
His grief at situations and injustices that were taking place in a place
where justice, peace and joy were to be characteristic.

When I began to express my concerns, some people thought the problem was in
me. I am not saying that I have no problems, but I have noticed that when
people are happy and satisfied in their own lives, they tend to overlook the
needs of others. The Lord had begun a wake up call in me in that area.

This can be difficult for some of us in HC or non-traditional forms of
church. We have had our eyes open to things that we once were blind to. Now
we tend to look for problems and faults and errors instead of "looking unto
Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith."

In Him we can have not only inner peace, but peace with others in His
Kingdom. May that peace be manifested soon among us!

Dan Beaty
Columbus, Ohio
www.livingtruth.com

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "jim sutton" <goodword at bresnan.net>
To: <House Church Talk  at housechurch.org>
Sent: Saturday, July 31, 2004 10:13 AM
Subject: Re: House Church Talk -  fatal house church attraction
>
> I first met the Lord and began to follow Him when I was 17.  Coming right
out
> of a life of crime and drugs, etc.,  I was accustomed to fighting,
quarreling,
> hating, revenge -- all that sort of thing.  And one of the first things I
> noticed about the Christian life, from within, is the amazing new peace
that I
> had.
>
> I had never experienced such peace in my heart and mind.  And so when I
first
> began telling my old buddies, my family, and others about the Lord Jesus,
I
> talked a lot about having this wonderful peace, and a joy that did not
require
> alcohol, drugs, or crude jokes.
>
> And I realized for the first time that it's impossible to have peace with
> other people, other nations, other races, etc. when there is no peace
within
> our own hearts.  Any real and lasting peace with others starts inside our
own
> hearts.
>
> We humans often blame our rage and wars on the differences that we have,
such
> as skin color, blood lines, religious convictions, previous acts of
violence,
> political views, cultural peculiarities, and so on.  But the real reason
for
> our desire to fight others is the turmoil inside of us.
>
> Jesus is the answer for us now, just as He was when we first fled to Him
in a
> desperate hope for salvation.  Living and remaining in His good Presence
each
> day is the key to any peace we may have with others -- even if they're
> Democrats.