What To Expect From Church
Anonymous said: Just found you on Michael Hur’s site. Really great Samuel. Any advice for someone like me who’s new to Christianity (just this past year) but is reluctant to join churches in general? - Michael
I said:
I don’t think I know a Michael Hur.. lol, but that’s okay!
I have quite a bit of advice actually! Hopefully some of it will be beneficial.
First of all, I am so happy to hear that you have made the decision to follow Jesus Christ. I hope you will find true hope and joy in Christ, and that your identity would be found in Him, and not in what you do, where you go, or who you talk to.
Now for the church stuff! Let me start with this question: Why do people go to church? I’ll list a few reasons:
IMPROPER REASONS
- It is morally upright
- It lets them look down on people who don’t go to church
- It makes them feel less guilty about their lives
- They feel bad if they don’t go
- They feel like they have to go
- They enjoy the ominous piano
- If they don’t go, God will send them to Hell
- If they do go, God will send them to Heaven
- They want to impress all the other Christians with how “spiritual” they are.
- They go to visit Jesus, because that’s the only place where you can spend time with him.
Having given some of the reasons for why people go to church, I want you to know that all of those reasons are wrong. Here are some of the real reasons for why you should go to church:
REASONABLE EXPECTATIONS
- Having a community of believers to support you, care for you, encourage you, and hold you accountable is necessary for your spiritual life.
- God created you to have connections with other people
- Your relationship with God will suffer if you do not have the community of other Christians.
- You will grow and learn from the teaching, as well as from what other Christians are going through.
- You are wanted, valued, and are a necessary part of God’s family.
These 5 reasons are expectations you should have for any church you go to. If you see people caring and loving each other, if you are seeing people being challenged, people are appreciated and valued, and the pastors are teaching Biblically and they are leading the church toward maturity, then that is a good church. Now here are some things not to expect:
UNREASONABLE EXPECTATIONS
- You will like everyone you meet
- The church will be perfect
- You will never be hurt
- You won’t have to try to make friends with people
- Going there will fulfil all of your spiritual needs
Finally, watch this:
Why Your Church Doesn’t Feel Like Family
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ne9DzfH3Ej0
Why Your Church Doesn’t Feel Like Family
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ne9DzfH3Ej0
When it comes to church, you also need to fulfill those Reasonable Expectations that we talked about earlier. Find a church, get plugged in, treat it like family, don’t give up. Of course, browse around and check out lots of different churches, because you want to find a good church.
IMPORTANT: Treat everything with a critical mind. If someone tells you something about the Bible, make sure you look it up for yourself and make sure that what they are saying is the truth. Do not assume that everyone is Biblical, think for yourself. This is extremely important!
I think that’s all the advice I had to give! I would really love it if you kept in touch with me, perhaps off of anonymous! I would love to answer any questions you have about Christianity (or anything else), help you in any struggles you are having, and also just to see how you are doing! Please get back to me soon!
God bless and much love,
Samuel Assaf
IMPORTANT: Treat everything with a critical mind. If someone tells you something about the Bible, make sure you look it up for yourself and make sure that what they are saying is the truth. Do not assume that everyone is Biblical, think for yourself. This is extremely important!
I think that’s all the advice I had to give! I would really love it if you kept in touch with me, perhaps off of anonymous! I would love to answer any questions you have about Christianity (or anything else), help you in any struggles you are having, and also just to see how you are doing! Please get back to me soon!
God bless and much love,
Samuel Assaf
Dear American Church,
faithhopelovemercyforeverjesus:
“Stop trying to appease all the peoples. It’s not going to happen.
Sincerely,
Our gospel is naturally offensive; deal with it.”
15For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, 16to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? 17For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ. - 2 Corinthians 2:15-17
It is not that the Gospel is naturally offensive, it is a Gospel of love and reconciliation. but not everyone wants that. For they have to confess of their sin and submit to Christ.
19And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” - John 3:19-21
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers,what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. - Matthew 5:43-48
Love the unloved, and the unloving. Not just those who love you.
(Source: justanotherworldd, via curioushearts-wonderfulminds)
You spit in God’s face, beat Him to the ground, and crucify Him.
He lets you live.
one day this how I want my family to be
I would say it goes wayyy beyond this. Way beyond physical connection…It should be shown in everything they do. When they disagree, when they’re angry, when they’re sick, poor, irritated. You show the most love when that person doesn’t even deserve it. Kinda what Jesus displayed when he was hanging on that cross for a bunch of people that didn’t deserve to be saved. But he did it because he first loved us.
That is how you show your kids how to love someone
^ That’s right. I was gonna say the exact same thing. Clearly, this generation will teach the next that love is physical. The text does not show love, it simply shows physical affection, which should never be equated to love. Love is so much deeper. It is sacrifice, selflessness, generosity, patience, forgiveness, kindness, thoughtfulness, and so much more. Physical affection should only be the expression of those things. That is what we need to teach the next generation.
(Source: iamurprincess)
14For He Himself knows our frame;
He is mindful that we are but dust.
15As for man, his days are like grass;
As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
16When the wind has passed over it, it is no more,
And its place acknowledges it no longer. - Psalm 103
What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. - James 4:14
6A voice says, “Cry out.”
And I said, “What shall I cry?”
“All men are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field.
7The grass withers and the flowers fall,
because the breath of the LORD blows on them.
Surely the people are grass.
8The grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of our God stands forever.” - Isaiah 40
9What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. 10As it is written:
“There is no one righteous, not even one;
11there is no one who understands,
no one who seeks God.
12All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
13“Their throats are open graves;
their tongues practice deceit.”
“The poison of vipers is on their lips.”
14“Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”
15“Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16ruin and misery mark their ways,
17and the way of peace they do not know.”
18“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
19Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. 20Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. - Romans 3
”By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” - Genesis 3:19
Indeed, now the Bible is speaking louder than our minds, hearts, and people surrounding us. Very clearly, we are not worth Christ’s love. In fact, He is known best for loving those who are not worthy: all of us. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We are wicked and evil, and Christ loved us despite our worthlessness.
Do we stop at this worthlessness? Of course not!
4For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,10to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. - Ephesians 1
The truth is, God loves us, and when we turn to Jesus, we receive true value. Not artificial value that only lasts this life time, but eternal value. We are made white as snow. We may not be worthy of Christ’s love, but He redeems us. One day, we will stand before the Father, and it is then that we will see how Christ’s blood has covered a multitude of sins. His love is unconditional: It loves despite all conditions.
Llamas.
Samuel Assaf
I know this post happens a lot but..
I think it’s my turn to rant about it.
What is it with all these people thinking that God is going to send them a significant other?! Like what if He doesn’t? What if He’s like “go find one yourself” and everyone is too lazy to even look cause they’re sure God is just going to drop them some spouse right in their lap?
I blame really awful dating books. I mean like really, let’s go through this:
Step 1: Be a really good Christian
Step 2: Expect a girlfriend/boyfriend
Step 3: God UPS ships you one
I MEAN REALLY DOES ANYONE EVEN HAVE THIS STORY. IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN. YOU NEED TO TALK AND MEET PEOPLE AND BE LIKE OH DANG I LIKE THAT ONE AND THEN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
And maybe you’re not ready for a relationship. Maybe you still need to grow, but growing and maturing in Christ does not equal spouse. Thinking that way would equal idolatry.
/end rant
Luke 7:36-47
36 One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to have dinner with him, so Jesus went to his home and sat down to eat. 37 When a certain immoral woman from that city heard he was eating there, she brought a beautiful alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume. 38 Then she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing his feet and putting perfume on them.
39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She’s a sinner!”
40 Then Jesus answered his thoughts. “Simon,” he said to the Pharisee, “I have something to say to you.”
“Go ahead, Teacher,” Simon replied.
41 Then Jesus told him this story: “A man loaned money to two people—500 pieces of silver to one and 50 pieces to the other. 42 But neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both, cancelling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?”
43 Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he canceled the larger debt.”
“That’s right,” Jesus said. 44 Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn’t offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but from the time I first came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume.
47 “I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.”
If I am at the height of success, or in the depths of misery,
In my prime of health, or suffering with sickness,
Having many dear friends, or losing them all,
Abounding in riches, or barely eating in poverty,
And in all of the places between these extremes,
I will serve the Lord my God, and turn no other way.
“But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve… But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” - Joshua 24:15
We all have a monster deep down inside. The darker we become, the more that monster begins to come out. And then before we ever saw it coming, we are what we never wanted to be.
"Christianity didn’t cause any wars; the lack of Christianity did."
— Martel
Unity and Discernment - Samuel Assaf
As Christians, we need to put our disputable matters behind us and strive onward to become united as a family. In an effort to do this, we must also always be aware of those who would try to deceive us into accepting them as Christians. In love, we need to unify and discern.
A little long-distance relationship advice
Anonymous asked you:
what advice would you give someone struggling in a relationship thats now long distance because of college?
what advice would you give someone struggling in a relationship thats now long distance because of college?
I answered:
Well, I would say that there are ups and downs to long distance relationships, but before I get into that, I should first lay out what dating is actually for. For the sake of smooth grammar, I am going to assume that you are a man, so if you are a woman, please still apply what I say to you.
Dating only ends in either marriage or breaking up. So you should probably aim for marriage instead of breaking your heart or someone else’s.
Having said that, you shouldn’t be looking for a girlfriend, you should be looking for a wife. You should find someone with the qualities of a Biblical, Godly woman and then date them to find out if they would make a good wife or not. If you don’t know what a Biblical, Godly husband/wife looks like, message me again and I will provide you with material that will help you understand which qualities you need to develop, and which qualities you will need to find in your spouse.
Now that we have gotten the general statement of a dating relationship out of the way, we can now discuss long distance relationships.
Here are some pros and cons when it comes to long distance relationships:
Pros:
- Getting to know the person at an increased rate because of communication without much fun dates.
- Learning to sort through fights and problems without the ability to “Hug it out.”
- Discovering how much you are willing to be with the person over time.
- Being able to observe character traits that the person develops while you are away.
Cons:
- Stress of distance.
- Trust issues may develop
- Person may find someone else
- Jealousy may be quickly aroused
- Lack of “fun” events
- Communication barriers, as personal conversations must be done on skype or on the phone
So these are just a few that I can name from the top of my head. It really depends on who you are, who the other person is, and if the relationship is worth it or not. Don’t trick yourself into thinking that you’re stuck in the relationship and you have no choice but to marry the person. Get to know the person, understand why you are struggling so much, and for goodness’ sakes, talk about it with your long-distance partner.
Communication is the most important key in marriage, or in any sort of relationship for that matter. So this is a great time and experience to learn how to communicate with your girlfriend, and also to learn how to communicate with your friends, family, and God-willing, your wife.
Perhaps you’re not even in the season for looking for a spouse. You should take time to reflect and pray, and look into what is required of you as a spouse, before you look for one. I can provide you with material, if you find yourself lacking knowledge in this area.
I hope I was of help! Always remember that there is more to life than finding a spouse, and you have your whole life to figure that out. Focus on Christ, and grow with Him as you continue to sort these things out, or strive to fight the struggles of your long-distance relationship. Remember that you don’t need to decide who you will marry today or tomorrow. Just take your time, get to know the person, see what you need, and maybe one day you will find out that this person would be beneficial as a wife, or just simply not for you. Always pray, and be teachable and open minded.
God bless and much love!
Samuel Assaf
