where is the real church of God? (Jesus, Earth, tradition)

[Distracto]

I am having a hard time finding anyone else who has a problem with finding a church. I have been to lots of various kinds during my lifetime. There are so many religions, so many denominations. Is it fair for me to say that some of them have drifted far away from what God wanted them to be? How about most of them have drifted far away? I am allways and forever studying the bible. Ive read the koran, the apocrypha, and I have looked into Jewish ideas. Well there is some truth in all of these! And, full truth in none of them. Somehow i am apparently a freak who is in the occult, so i hear. Anyone care to tell me why it is so strange and jim jonesish for me to know a lot, and have no single preacher? It baffles me to be riddiculed for having my own unrecogized ideas, when there are people in the world from name brand religions......doing truly evil things!!! I know so many people that wont go to church, they dont want the social event and they have never been interested in what was being taught. These people are all around us in this country....our neighbors, family, soldiers, etc! The world gets closer and closer to the end, and the fact that someone really searching for the truth is shunned....seems to make a lot of sense, really. Oh, and is there a person who can tell me where to find a single solitary bit of info in the bible that suggests celebrating Christmas? I seem to have a problem finding it, but i see clearly that Passover should be recognized. I love God very much and im not going to just put my soul in the hands of someone who has no higher connection to God then i do. All you have to do is watch the news and you will see that the holiest guys are sometimes not the slightest bit holy after all. I truly wish you all the best of luck.

[Unedited]

Originally Posted by Distracto

Is it fair for me to say that some of them have drifted far away from what God wanted them to be? How about most of them have drifted far away?

Maybe it's more appropriate to say they aren't want you want them to be. Even if you fully believe that god thinks they should be a certain way and they aren't, there are obviously people who believe they are what they should be. This is just my humble opinion, but I know that saying things like that can get you into to trouble. You have every right to speak your opinion, but sometimes it can take away from the point you are really trying to make.

Originally Posted by Distracto

I know so many people that wont go to church, they dont want the social event and they have never been interested in what was being taught. These people are all around us in this country....our neighbors, family, soldiers, etc! The world gets closer and closer to the end, and the fact that someone really searching for the truth is shunned....seems to make a lot of sense, really.

I guess I'm not sure what your really saying here. Do you believe it's wrong to stay at home and worship? It's nice to be able to go to a church, but if you can' t find one, I think worshiping at home would be a wonderful idea. You are free to worship in the way that you see fit, not by the rules of others.

Originally Posted by Distracto

Oh, and is there a person who can tell me where to find a single solitary bit of info in the bible that suggests celebrating Christmas?

I cannot. I can tell you that many believe Christmas came into practice in order to ease those of a Pagan faith into Christianity. Many Christmas traditions (yule logs, trees,...) were Pagan traditions before this. This time was also seen to many Pagans as the time when the sun was reborn, or when it won out over the darkness because after this time the days began to grow lighter. Some believe this is why Christmas is celebrated when it is. Maybe not true, but certainly something to think about.

Mostly, your posts confuse me. You seem like a very nice person with many ideas so I tried my best to give you some sort of feedback. If I was wrong about any of my assumtions as to what you were saying, please feel free to correct me.

[may]

Originally Posted by Distracto

I am having a hard time finding anyone else who has a problem with finding a church. I have been to lots of various kinds during my lifetime. There are so many religions, so many denominations. Is it fair for me to say that some of them have drifted far away from what God wanted them to be? How about most of them have drifted far away? I am allways and forever studying the bible. Ive read the koran, the apocrypha, and I have looked into Jewish ideas. Well there is some truth in all of these! And, full truth in none of them. Somehow i am apparently a freak who is in the occult, so i hear. Anyone care to tell me why it is so strange and jim jonesish for me to know a lot, and have no single preacher? It baffles me to be riddiculed for having my own unrecogized ideas, when there are people in the world from name brand religions......doing truly evil things!!! I know so many people that wont go to church, they dont want the social event and they have never been interested in what was being taught. These people are all around us in this country....our neighbors, family, soldiers, etc! The world gets closer and closer to the end, and the fact that someone really searching for the truth is shunned....seems to make a lot of sense, really. Oh, and is there a person who can tell me where to find a single solitary bit of info in the bible that suggests celebrating Christmas? I seem to have a problem finding it, but i see clearly that Passover should be recognized. I love God very much and im not going to just put my soul in the hands of someone who has no higher connection to God then i do. All you have to do is watch the news and you will see that the holiest guys are sometimes not the slightest bit holy after all. I truly wish you all the best of luck.

You are right ,there is no information in the bible about celebrating christmas
Christmas and Easter: Jesus was not born on December 25. He was born about October 1, a time of year when shepherds kept their flocks out-of-doors at night. (Luke 2:8-12) Jesus never commanded Christians to celebrate his birth. Rather, he told his disciples to memorialize, or remember, his death. (Luke 22:19, 20) Christmas and its customs come from ancient false religions. The same is true of Easter customs, such as the use of eggs and rabbits. The early Christians did not celebrate Christmas or Easter,

[fromthe heart]

Originally Posted by Distracto

I am having a hard time finding anyone else who has a problem with finding a church. I have been to lots of various kinds during my lifetime. There are so many religions, so many denominations. Is it fair for me to say that some of them have drifted far away from what God wanted them to be? How about most of them have drifted far away? I am allways and forever studying the bible. Ive read the koran, the apocrypha, and I have looked into Jewish ideas. Well there is some truth in all of these! And, full truth in none of them. Somehow i am apparently a freak who is in the occult, so i hear. Anyone care to tell me why it is so strange and jim jonesish for me to know a lot, and have no single preacher? It baffles me to be riddiculed for having my own unrecogized ideas, when there are people in the world from name brand religions......doing truly evil things!!! I know so many people that wont go to church, they dont want the social event and they have never been interested in what was being taught. These people are all around us in this country....our neighbors, family, soldiers, etc! The world gets closer and closer to the end, and the fact that someone really searching for the truth is shunned....seems to make a lot of sense, really. Oh, and is there a person who can tell me where to find a single solitary bit of info in the bible that suggests celebrating Christmas? I seem to have a problem finding it, but i see clearly that Passover should be recognized. I love God very much and im not going to just put my soul in the hands of someone who has no higher connection to God then i do. All you have to do is watch the news and you will see that the holiest guys are sometimes not the slightest bit holy after all. I truly wish you all the best of luck.

I can't say I have the answers you are looking for but I feel the heart of the real church is inside people. If you are searching for a church to attend I guess you should do one thing. Act as if it were you interviewing someone to be employed for you. Call up the pastors and ministers and question them on what they believe and what they teach. There have been people in EVERY faith who have made their faith look bad...don't judge a faith by a few people. Look to the minister since he would be the one handling how the church is run and in what they beliefs are. You are right that some churches are really far out there...they have done this in the guise of trying to reach the younger set. The church who is standing tall on biblical reasons would be your best bet if you really want to learn about God.
You are right, there is no mention of Christmas in the Bible...it's not biblical at all....but to some the belief in celebrating Christmas is to celebrate the Savoiurs birth. which in it'self isn't wrong it's just not biblically instructed for us to do. I do feel though anytime we celebrate the Lord it's ok no matter what the circumstances...the Bible says to make a joyful noise unto the Lord...not sure what is correct as that joyful noise but I don't think in that it's to be of the world but of the heart. Good luck in your search. God Bless!

[No*s]

Originally Posted by Distracto

I am having a hard time finding anyone else who has a problem with finding a church. I have been to lots of various kinds during my lifetime. There are so many religions, so many denominations. Is it fair for me to say that some of them have drifted far away from what God wanted them to be? How about most of them have drifted far away? I am allways and forever studying the bible. Ive read the koran, the apocrypha, and I have looked into Jewish ideas. Well there is some truth in all of these! And, full truth in none of them. Somehow i am apparently a freak who is in the occult, so i hear. Anyone care to tell me why it is so strange and jim jonesish for me to know a lot, and have no single preacher? It baffles me to be riddiculed for having my own unrecogized ideas, when there are people in the world from name brand religions......doing truly evil things!!! I know so many people that wont go to church, they dont want the social event and they have never been interested in what was being taught. These people are all around us in this country....our neighbors, family, soldiers, etc! The world gets closer and closer to the end, and the fact that someone really searching for the truth is shunned....seems to make a lot of sense, really. Oh, and is there a person who can tell me where to find a single solitary bit of info in the bible that suggests celebrating Christmas? I seem to have a problem finding it, but i see clearly that Passover should be recognized. I love God very much and im not going to just put my soul in the hands of someone who has no higher connection to God then i do. All you have to do is watch the news and you will see that the holiest guys are sometimes not the slightest bit holy after all. I truly wish you all the best of luck.

Distracto, I think you have this in the wrong forum .

For my part, I think I found the Church when I found the Orthodox Church. It made sense to me both doctrinally and from a study of history. It also made sense to me scripturally (that, however, can be a tricky business).

[robtex]

Distractro great to meet you. I got an idea and I hope it works for you. You went to all these churches and such but I noticed in your post you didn't describe what God is to you. Do that. Write down your current beliefs, your reason for those beliefs and than using the internet find religions that are similar and start there. When I say what is God to you I mean, its nature place, mentality, your belief in afterlife (reincarnation heaven ect), reason on earth ect ect. Make it as non-abstract as possible. Than see what places are similar. Good luck.

[prosecutor]

To Dictracto:

Being new to this forum, I hope you will look into this humble suggestion about finding a church. Read the Book of Acts. There you will find the true church and be able to become what they became, nothing more or nothing less. All these cults, denominations, and other man-made groups do nothing but confuse people. Let the Word of God be you guide, not the "wisdom" of humanity.

[Scuba Pete]

Distracto,

You are indeed an Honest Seeker. Keep looking.

I have found like minded people at the West Orange church of Christ, here in Orlando Fla. Non-denominational and being guided merely by the scriptures that we find in the Bible.

[desi]

The church of God is composed of his followers in the kingdom of God which is everywhere. You are in the church of God now, it isn't a building.

[Joannicius]

The Church is built on the cornerstone Christ and I along with No*s found the Eastern Orthodox to be the most viable after studying various religions in many places and over a time span of 30 plus years.
I was raised in a Christian home but that didn't prevent me from leaving home at 18 and searching the many religions of the world, just to always come back to the testimony of Christ, the prophesies, the Apostles and eventually the church my family knew nothing of - - the
One Holy Catholic Apostolic Church
as is the complete title of ALL Eastern Orthodox Churches who are in communion with each other and include around 225 plus million. And we understand the Roman Catholic to be part of this union but out of communion with us as the result of the Pope of Rome separating his see from the other four sees at the time of the mutual excommunication. (side note: this is why we see NO Ecumenical council since that time because Ecumenical by definition means the whole church)

The Church was concilary at the time of the bull in 1054 and the unified portion of the Church has been concilary every since. But there have been so many additions and changes in dogma by the Roman See I doubt we will see the true union re-established in our lifetime.