I've been a bit hesitant to change the name of our blog. Feels very much like what I think a baby bird must feel like jumping out of the nest for the first time. Much has happened over the last few weeks. BJ and I have been made elders and our oikos was split into two. This is very bittersweet. I know it is exactly what God is calling us to but it is hard to leave a comfortable and safe place.
Genesis 2:24 says, "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh."
This scripture is quoted and taken a step further in the following passage.
Ephesians 5:30-32 says, "For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church."
Verses 22-33 speak of how husbands and wives should treat each other but then Paul throws this disclaimer in, "but I speak concerning Christ and the church." You see marriage is a beautiful display of how we should function as the body of Christ. We are in covenant with Him and with each other. This covenant is a mystery and a treasure.
Now is the time for our small part of the body to grow. To leave our parents and to form a bond with each other through Christ. This is the way God created it to be. Leaving and cleaving.
It is a new day and His mercies are new in it. Thank You Father for changing us and trusting us. Your body is a treasure and should be treated as such. What a wonderful thing to be part of a body being fitly framed together. There is no joy and no struggle as great as this...the two shall become one flesh, His flesh. Let Your word become flesh in us. Let us lay ourselves down to be Yours.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Long time coming...
Wow! It has been far too long since I updated this blog. Where to begin? God has done so much in our midst. I think I'll just summarize by saying that He has been upholding us by the power of His word.
This is the word ringing in my soul these days, Colossians 2:8:
"As you therefore have received Christ, Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.
Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power."
This is where I am and I believe those in our fellowship are for the most part. We have received Christ, Jesus the Lord and are walking in Him. Rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith as we have been taught. Certainly abounding in it with thanksgiving. What a wonder to see maturity bubble up in your life. To see steadiness finally take the place of swaying with every wind of doctrine. Understanding that hype does not equal depth of relationship with Christ, and the feeling does not equal holiness.
Still there are many opportunities in our daily walk for empty deceit to creep it's way in and cheat us from the perfect simplicity of walking with Him and seeking His face. Traditions of men, principles of the world, philosophies of men...all designed to take your eyes off of Him and lead you away from walking according to Christ.
How comforting to know that in Him dwells the fullness of the Godhead and that I, yes I, am COMPLETE in Him, the head of all principality and power. I am complete in Him...IN HIM. In Him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28). Turning my eyes to Him and surrendering myself to Him that He might sanctify and cleanse me by the washing of the water of His word (Ephesians 5:26).
His word, oh His word, this will be one of many future topics...
With love in Christ,
Sam
This is the word ringing in my soul these days, Colossians 2:8:
"As you therefore have received Christ, Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.
Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power."
This is where I am and I believe those in our fellowship are for the most part. We have received Christ, Jesus the Lord and are walking in Him. Rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith as we have been taught. Certainly abounding in it with thanksgiving. What a wonder to see maturity bubble up in your life. To see steadiness finally take the place of swaying with every wind of doctrine. Understanding that hype does not equal depth of relationship with Christ, and the feeling does not equal holiness.
Still there are many opportunities in our daily walk for empty deceit to creep it's way in and cheat us from the perfect simplicity of walking with Him and seeking His face. Traditions of men, principles of the world, philosophies of men...all designed to take your eyes off of Him and lead you away from walking according to Christ.
How comforting to know that in Him dwells the fullness of the Godhead and that I, yes I, am COMPLETE in Him, the head of all principality and power. I am complete in Him...IN HIM. In Him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28). Turning my eyes to Him and surrendering myself to Him that He might sanctify and cleanse me by the washing of the water of His word (Ephesians 5:26).
His word, oh His word, this will be one of many future topics...
With love in Christ,
Sam
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Biblical Christianity - Testimony by Melissa Carter
About four years ago God began to lay a desire for home church and a desire for true friendship and family in Christ on my heart. This was something I had never found in the "church" and I would soon begin to search for in the world.
I grew up with a knowledge of God, studied the Word, knew about Holy Spirit but in November 1996 I began my relationship with Christ. Once I began I knew this would never end. I grew up in the pentecostal church, but because of personal differences my father had taken us out of the church and we started to do our own studies at home (this was not something I looked forward to daily). In middle school I had a friend who had invited me to her church, my brother had also been invited by their friends so I went. They were performing a play that evening and I was moved by the depravity of man and said a guided prayer to accept Jesus (honestly I was very disappointed in this prayer, it had done nothing, and effected nothing) and that night Jesus started a work in my heart, not because of the prayer, but because of my true desire for Him. It began a work in my Spirit that soon I was writing poems to my Father that no matter how far I might stray from Him in the future (I hoped and prayed I would not) I would always come back to Him, that I loved Him more than anything and I never wanted to be separate from Him. The next year at school I went back to my old ways and I fell trapped in the desires of the world. In a dream one night God gave me a vision of Hell, a place that I was headed towards. I knew I needed salvation for myself, I had seen God's power in others, and I knew what I desperately needed was the Holy Spirit. I prayed for around six months, cried out to God earnestly for that power, constantly begging for this Spirit. In July 1997 at a youth camp in Tennessee, outside in the open air after a service I cried before God- sobbed- told Him there was no way I could do this without Him, He answered me. I began to speak in tongues and a newness of life came to me, although the night in general was awful (on the way back to my cabin I had scrapped my knee, plus no one really talked to me) I had something new to live for and my present condition did not take my new joy away.
When I got back to school the next year I was eager to tell people what I had learned, the new joy I had and what God was doing in me. I even began leadership at my church and was set to start teaching a bible club at my school. When I got back in the world though my desire for God still remained, and I was going through all the motions of leadership, no one had really worked me through my sin and spoke to me of not entangling myself once again in it. Though I loved God I lacked a firm foundation
Throughout the year I began to seek true discipleship within the church, going to classes, learning, but getting no real substance. I lead a ministry all bible club throughout high school. Although I was speaking the Word and witnessing of Christ substance still lacked in my own life. I found no real friendships in the church, although I fit in just fine, I was not interesting enough to warrant hanging out with. This really bothered me....If I was in the body of Christ did I really need to have a personality that everyone loved in order for them to treat me like their family...much less their friends? I noticed the cliques, not just from the children, but the cliques that were established by the adults. I knew in my heart there was no way a family should exclude like this. I saw people come through the church who did not even have the slightest desire for God (although some did pretend to, God had given me discernment and I could see through their lies) and they were treated as more of a family member than myself! (In present day none of these people serve God any longer.God is just)I knew something was very wrong with this and I began to seek family in other churches. I went to one church I liked, but just didn't feel complete at, then I began going to a Mega church. It's kind of humorous, because the bigger the church I went to the more death I found. "Pastors" would walk around the office and curse, when they saw I was there they would be in shock and quickly silence themselves. I thought to myself "If these people don't know God and they have so much influence within the "church", then who knows Him?!" After three years of playing the "volunteer" (really it's work so we don't have to pay you, and they just give you false hope for a future within the church) and the "leadership" games I turned away from the "church" completely. I was going to seek God on my own, mine as well, there was just as little growth in that as going to these churches.
It did not prove to be successful. I fell into even worse depression than I was going through in the "church". At one point, due to my circumstances in life I tried to kill myself. Shortly after I received a new filling of the Spirit, I began to seek God anew, but again without a family in Christ. This is when Jesus began to impress on me a strong desire for family and a home church, yet once again I fell into the world being concerned only of my own life. I began to pour the desire I had for family out on the people of the world, yielding to the desires of the flesh not for happiness within myself but to enjoy the friendship and family of the world. I began to go out and drink heavily each time I did, (it took many drinks from me to really feel the effects) on one occasion I smoked pot, something I swore I would never do. I found friendship with the world, something I had never found in the "church" (thank goodness I had a husband who was secure enough and loved me enough to allow me to go through this). It took these experiences within the world for me to truly realize what the church was missing..love, friendship, family, communion. I began to desperately desire a home Church, which I had no problem starting on my own. I would draw up building plans and have dreams about a family who truly loved one another in Christ. I caught glimpses of what it could be at different home groups i had been to ...if we just allowed God.
Then my best friend and her husband invited Curtis to the home Church they had been going to. (I was cautious because I hadn't heard good things about it) From the moment I came to this day I have never had so much growth in my walk with Christ! I have been going to this Church for three months (feels like years) and I have never felt the power of God so constant in my life. The light within this fellowship exposes the darkness and it results in maturity. My marriage with Christ and my husband has grown like never before. I've grown more in my relationship with God in three months than I did in the 13 years I spent in the "church". I now understand what the Word means when it says "forsake not the assembling of yourselves together". I now have no desire to! My heart has bonded with my family in Christ. We work together as the body, as we should! God has birthed true passion in me, for His sake, not my own! Praise God for the family, the body of Christ!
I am currently learning about the foundations (the elementary teaching Paul talks about) of our doctrines, things that no one has ever taught me. How was I ever supposed to leave the milk and move to the meat if no one was ever feeding even the milk to me! In this Church there are true apostles who devote themselves to loving (purely), discipling, and caring for God's sheep. Not like the "evangelists" today who speak about the love of Christ with no commitment to loving any but His own household (sometimes not even that). Praise be to God for drawing me to His people!
I have found the true Church, those who are willing to lay their lives down for friends, those who take your hardship as their own...the church that God has given me visions of. This is the true joy of Christ, our love for one another!
I grew up with a knowledge of God, studied the Word, knew about Holy Spirit but in November 1996 I began my relationship with Christ. Once I began I knew this would never end. I grew up in the pentecostal church, but because of personal differences my father had taken us out of the church and we started to do our own studies at home (this was not something I looked forward to daily). In middle school I had a friend who had invited me to her church, my brother had also been invited by their friends so I went. They were performing a play that evening and I was moved by the depravity of man and said a guided prayer to accept Jesus (honestly I was very disappointed in this prayer, it had done nothing, and effected nothing) and that night Jesus started a work in my heart, not because of the prayer, but because of my true desire for Him. It began a work in my Spirit that soon I was writing poems to my Father that no matter how far I might stray from Him in the future (I hoped and prayed I would not) I would always come back to Him, that I loved Him more than anything and I never wanted to be separate from Him. The next year at school I went back to my old ways and I fell trapped in the desires of the world. In a dream one night God gave me a vision of Hell, a place that I was headed towards. I knew I needed salvation for myself, I had seen God's power in others, and I knew what I desperately needed was the Holy Spirit. I prayed for around six months, cried out to God earnestly for that power, constantly begging for this Spirit. In July 1997 at a youth camp in Tennessee, outside in the open air after a service I cried before God- sobbed- told Him there was no way I could do this without Him, He answered me. I began to speak in tongues and a newness of life came to me, although the night in general was awful (on the way back to my cabin I had scrapped my knee, plus no one really talked to me) I had something new to live for and my present condition did not take my new joy away.
When I got back to school the next year I was eager to tell people what I had learned, the new joy I had and what God was doing in me. I even began leadership at my church and was set to start teaching a bible club at my school. When I got back in the world though my desire for God still remained, and I was going through all the motions of leadership, no one had really worked me through my sin and spoke to me of not entangling myself once again in it. Though I loved God I lacked a firm foundation
Throughout the year I began to seek true discipleship within the church, going to classes, learning, but getting no real substance. I lead a ministry all bible club throughout high school. Although I was speaking the Word and witnessing of Christ substance still lacked in my own life. I found no real friendships in the church, although I fit in just fine, I was not interesting enough to warrant hanging out with. This really bothered me....If I was in the body of Christ did I really need to have a personality that everyone loved in order for them to treat me like their family...much less their friends? I noticed the cliques, not just from the children, but the cliques that were established by the adults. I knew in my heart there was no way a family should exclude like this. I saw people come through the church who did not even have the slightest desire for God (although some did pretend to, God had given me discernment and I could see through their lies) and they were treated as more of a family member than myself! (In present day none of these people serve God any longer.God is just)I knew something was very wrong with this and I began to seek family in other churches. I went to one church I liked, but just didn't feel complete at, then I began going to a Mega church. It's kind of humorous, because the bigger the church I went to the more death I found. "Pastors" would walk around the office and curse, when they saw I was there they would be in shock and quickly silence themselves. I thought to myself "If these people don't know God and they have so much influence within the "church", then who knows Him?!" After three years of playing the "volunteer" (really it's work so we don't have to pay you, and they just give you false hope for a future within the church) and the "leadership" games I turned away from the "church" completely. I was going to seek God on my own, mine as well, there was just as little growth in that as going to these churches.
It did not prove to be successful. I fell into even worse depression than I was going through in the "church". At one point, due to my circumstances in life I tried to kill myself. Shortly after I received a new filling of the Spirit, I began to seek God anew, but again without a family in Christ. This is when Jesus began to impress on me a strong desire for family and a home church, yet once again I fell into the world being concerned only of my own life. I began to pour the desire I had for family out on the people of the world, yielding to the desires of the flesh not for happiness within myself but to enjoy the friendship and family of the world. I began to go out and drink heavily each time I did, (it took many drinks from me to really feel the effects) on one occasion I smoked pot, something I swore I would never do. I found friendship with the world, something I had never found in the "church" (thank goodness I had a husband who was secure enough and loved me enough to allow me to go through this). It took these experiences within the world for me to truly realize what the church was missing..love, friendship, family, communion. I began to desperately desire a home Church, which I had no problem starting on my own. I would draw up building plans and have dreams about a family who truly loved one another in Christ. I caught glimpses of what it could be at different home groups i had been to ...if we just allowed God.
Then my best friend and her husband invited Curtis to the home Church they had been going to. (I was cautious because I hadn't heard good things about it) From the moment I came to this day I have never had so much growth in my walk with Christ! I have been going to this Church for three months (feels like years) and I have never felt the power of God so constant in my life. The light within this fellowship exposes the darkness and it results in maturity. My marriage with Christ and my husband has grown like never before. I've grown more in my relationship with God in three months than I did in the 13 years I spent in the "church". I now understand what the Word means when it says "forsake not the assembling of yourselves together". I now have no desire to! My heart has bonded with my family in Christ. We work together as the body, as we should! God has birthed true passion in me, for His sake, not my own! Praise God for the family, the body of Christ!
I am currently learning about the foundations (the elementary teaching Paul talks about) of our doctrines, things that no one has ever taught me. How was I ever supposed to leave the milk and move to the meat if no one was ever feeding even the milk to me! In this Church there are true apostles who devote themselves to loving (purely), discipling, and caring for God's sheep. Not like the "evangelists" today who speak about the love of Christ with no commitment to loving any but His own household (sometimes not even that). Praise be to God for drawing me to His people!
I have found the true Church, those who are willing to lay their lives down for friends, those who take your hardship as their own...the church that God has given me visions of. This is the true joy of Christ, our love for one another!
Thursday, November 5, 2009
What our mission should be as Christians.
Thanks Russell for putting all we have discussed into a well composed writing. Here it is:
Houston! We have a problem! Or better yet. Church of Jesus Christ, we have a problem! The current teachings and structures of the Church in America today have nearly strangled the true mission of the Church.
We see teachings like the purpose-driven life, the prayer of Jabez, the shack, your best life now, a gospel that says that Jesus died only for a pre-selected few, and a gospel that promises a “better” life if you join a certain congregation or give to a certain ministry. We see church structures that resemble worldly business organizations that have layers of “top-down” management or structures that resist any type of leadership having many opinions and no direction.
To the spiritual, it is layers and layers of confusion designed by the spirit of religion to keep the body of Christ from its real mission, Going!
(Mat 28:19-20 NKJV) “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, {20} “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
We must stay focused. Let’s review the fundamental issues that keep us from getting to mission. We must see the obstacles, see them as obstacles, repent from the obstacles, and then remove the obstacles. Finally, we start and continue in the biblical direction for which we were intended so that we can accomplish His work.
Doctrine made Simple
Doctrine is our system of belief regarding Christianity. Where do our beliefs originate? Are they born out of our church affiliation, our parents, our favorite author, or are they simple ideas that we have created over time to justify our way of living?
Let’s keep it simple. A Christian’s doctrine should be born out of the Bible and the Spirit’s witness i.e. (John 4:24 NKJV) “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Where then can we locate the basic Christian doctrine in the Bible? In short, the sixth chapter of the Book of Hebrews provides the building blocks of the Christian faith.
(Heb 6:1-2 NKJV) Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, {2} of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
The Lord was adamant that those who were sent out did so two by two. In the same way, we see the three “pairs” of Christian doctrine. Repentance and Faith work together to produce a believer forgiven of sin, crucified with Christ, and Risen with Him. Then, we see baptisms and the laying on of hands where the progressive work of baptism works in the believer but also he is expected to produce fruit becoming the baptizer. Lastly, faith, hope, and love are undergirded as the Spirit would emphasize the reality of the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgement.
Continually working through these doctrines keeps the believer on solid ground not straying with strange teachings.
(Heb 13:8-9 NKJV) Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. {9} Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them.
Once believers are feeding on the right spiritual food, they grow up into mature believers ready to do the will of God.
(Eph 4:14-15 NKJV) that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, {15} but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head; Christ; Why Structure Matters
Did you ever wonder where our current church practices originate? Are they biblical constructions or men’s inventions? Some to think on: Meeting at a building, sitting and listening to a speaker, elevating the five-fold ministry to “higher” callings, praying the sinner’s prayer, having a democratic form of church government; having a “pyramid” or hierarchal form of church government, and providing an event-based form of Christian living. These are just some forms of church structure that keep the body of Christ from Going!
The first three centuries of Christianity happened in believer’s homes. From that point forward, the church was forever changed through the hands of Constantine and the papal reign. Protestants may have broken from the “Catholic” faith, but they kept the church structure which continues to impede the mission of the church even today. Some have ventured from the norm but often were unable to sustain the biblical model. John Wesley charged out the doors of the Church of England and was disdained for his acts. Wesley’s class meetings stirred believers to not only live holy or set apart for the Lord but made them witnesses to all the earth. Yet, though a great effort, Methodism has dwindled to another denomination with weak doctrine and weaker believers. Neither denominationalism or non-denominationalism is the answer, Christianity is the only solution.
Suppose then we have corrected our doctrine and our structure according to Biblical standards. What then should we expect when it comes to our great commission of making disciples, baptizing them, and teaching them.
The New Testament Mission: from Baptized to the Baptizer
There’s no other mission. There is only one. Go and make disciples.
This commission is to all disciples. He equips us by giving us His Holy Spirit. The Book of Acts tells us why we were given the Holy Spirit:
(Acts 1:8 NKJV) “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
The Holy Spirit came and is present to witness through us. Not to perform as some exotic dancer on a stage providing sensual satisfaction for a few bucks. God Forbid! The Holy Spirit has come for outside the four walls of the Christian hideout called the church building or the house church for that fact. Any meeting without the mission of witness will morph from encouragement to entertainment to extinction. We must go!
Where is the urgency to tell others what the Lord has done? Where is the manifestation of the Spirit? In the book of First Corinthians, the twelfth chapter, the Apostle Paul instructs us regarding the gifts of the Spirit. The expectation should be that all are given a manifestation of the Spirit. Whether on the street or in the store, He may desire to manifest Himself through you to others.
(1 Cor 12:7 NKJV) But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:
We must expect and prepare to manifest the Spirit as He wills. Are we prepared? Are we willing? What may happen? You may see either a plucking up or a planting. The Book of Jeremiah gives us insight into what may transpire:
(Jer 1:6-10 NKJV) Then said I: “Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth.” {7} But the LORD said to me: “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ For you shall go to all to whom I send you, And whatever I command you, you shall speak. {8} Do not be afraid of their faces, For I am with you to deliver you,” says the LORD. {9} Then the LORD put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me: “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. {10} See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, To root out and to pull down, To destroy and to throw down, To build and to plant.”
When the Lord sends us out, we may be found rooting out, pulling down, destroying, throwing down, building, or planting. It is a diverse work. Isn’t a peculiar thing to see four out of the six actions in Jeremiah’s call seem to be destructive rather than constructive? Many people today have wrong belief systems and exist in non-biblical structures. The Spirit of God seeks to gently extract the person from the problem. We are the ones that He desires to perform the extraction.
Are we not all commissioned to be the watchmen of the souls of men? Do our hearts hurt for those not experiencing the grace of God in doctrine or body life? Ezekiel was addressed in a stern way. This warning is our warning. We are all watchmen!
(Ezek 33:2-6 NKJV) “Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from their territory and make him their watchman, {3} ‘when he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people, {4} ‘then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head. {5} ‘He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning will save his life. {6} ‘But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.’
We may say, “ well that call is only for the fivefold ministry.” The full time ministers of the Gospel. Another lie! We are all “full time” ministers i.e. witnesses for Christ. There’s no delineation. Believers may have different functions in the body but no one is exempted from the commission to go. Case in point, what is the difference between Jesus’ disciples in Matthew Chapter ten first one and His apostles in verse two. Is not that they were called? We are all disciples and are all apostles because we are all called? No exclusions, no exemptions.
(Mat 10:1-2 NKJV) And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and allkinds of disease. {2} Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: …
Okay! So we are convinced that we must go. But what should be happening? Well, the Spirit of God will manifest Himself to those around us. The intent is that He will guide everyone into the Truth. He bears witness of Christ. He has a convicting work. The apostle John pens this in his Gospel:
(John 14:17 NKJV) “the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. (John 16:13 NKJV) “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come (John 15:26-27 NKJV) “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. {27} “And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning. (John 16:8-11 NKJV) “And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: {9} “of sin, because they do not believe in Me; {10} “of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; {11} “of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
As you can tell, this is a sobering and daunting task. Yet, the Holy Spirit promises the joy of doing the Father’s will through it all. It is the commission of the Gospel to all believers.
Remember, right the doctrine, right the structure, and ready the witness. The Holy Spirit will manifest Christ’s glory through you and I.
All believers have a calling and a grace given according the measure of Christ’s gift.
(Eph 4:4-7 NKJV) There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; {5} one Lord, one faith, one baptism; {6} one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. {7} But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
In Christ, the mission is Go!
Russell White
October 29, 2009
Houston! We have a problem! Or better yet. Church of Jesus Christ, we have a problem! The current teachings and structures of the Church in America today have nearly strangled the true mission of the Church.
We see teachings like the purpose-driven life, the prayer of Jabez, the shack, your best life now, a gospel that says that Jesus died only for a pre-selected few, and a gospel that promises a “better” life if you join a certain congregation or give to a certain ministry. We see church structures that resemble worldly business organizations that have layers of “top-down” management or structures that resist any type of leadership having many opinions and no direction.
To the spiritual, it is layers and layers of confusion designed by the spirit of religion to keep the body of Christ from its real mission, Going!
(Mat 28:19-20 NKJV) “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, {20} “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
We must stay focused. Let’s review the fundamental issues that keep us from getting to mission. We must see the obstacles, see them as obstacles, repent from the obstacles, and then remove the obstacles. Finally, we start and continue in the biblical direction for which we were intended so that we can accomplish His work.
Doctrine made Simple
Doctrine is our system of belief regarding Christianity. Where do our beliefs originate? Are they born out of our church affiliation, our parents, our favorite author, or are they simple ideas that we have created over time to justify our way of living?
Let’s keep it simple. A Christian’s doctrine should be born out of the Bible and the Spirit’s witness i.e. (John 4:24 NKJV) “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Where then can we locate the basic Christian doctrine in the Bible? In short, the sixth chapter of the Book of Hebrews provides the building blocks of the Christian faith.
(Heb 6:1-2 NKJV) Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, {2} of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
The Lord was adamant that those who were sent out did so two by two. In the same way, we see the three “pairs” of Christian doctrine. Repentance and Faith work together to produce a believer forgiven of sin, crucified with Christ, and Risen with Him. Then, we see baptisms and the laying on of hands where the progressive work of baptism works in the believer but also he is expected to produce fruit becoming the baptizer. Lastly, faith, hope, and love are undergirded as the Spirit would emphasize the reality of the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgement.
Continually working through these doctrines keeps the believer on solid ground not straying with strange teachings.
(Heb 13:8-9 NKJV) Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. {9} Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them.
Once believers are feeding on the right spiritual food, they grow up into mature believers ready to do the will of God.
(Eph 4:14-15 NKJV) that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, {15} but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head; Christ; Why Structure Matters
Did you ever wonder where our current church practices originate? Are they biblical constructions or men’s inventions? Some to think on: Meeting at a building, sitting and listening to a speaker, elevating the five-fold ministry to “higher” callings, praying the sinner’s prayer, having a democratic form of church government; having a “pyramid” or hierarchal form of church government, and providing an event-based form of Christian living. These are just some forms of church structure that keep the body of Christ from Going!
The first three centuries of Christianity happened in believer’s homes. From that point forward, the church was forever changed through the hands of Constantine and the papal reign. Protestants may have broken from the “Catholic” faith, but they kept the church structure which continues to impede the mission of the church even today. Some have ventured from the norm but often were unable to sustain the biblical model. John Wesley charged out the doors of the Church of England and was disdained for his acts. Wesley’s class meetings stirred believers to not only live holy or set apart for the Lord but made them witnesses to all the earth. Yet, though a great effort, Methodism has dwindled to another denomination with weak doctrine and weaker believers. Neither denominationalism or non-denominationalism is the answer, Christianity is the only solution.
Suppose then we have corrected our doctrine and our structure according to Biblical standards. What then should we expect when it comes to our great commission of making disciples, baptizing them, and teaching them.
The New Testament Mission: from Baptized to the Baptizer
There’s no other mission. There is only one. Go and make disciples.
This commission is to all disciples. He equips us by giving us His Holy Spirit. The Book of Acts tells us why we were given the Holy Spirit:
(Acts 1:8 NKJV) “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
The Holy Spirit came and is present to witness through us. Not to perform as some exotic dancer on a stage providing sensual satisfaction for a few bucks. God Forbid! The Holy Spirit has come for outside the four walls of the Christian hideout called the church building or the house church for that fact. Any meeting without the mission of witness will morph from encouragement to entertainment to extinction. We must go!
Where is the urgency to tell others what the Lord has done? Where is the manifestation of the Spirit? In the book of First Corinthians, the twelfth chapter, the Apostle Paul instructs us regarding the gifts of the Spirit. The expectation should be that all are given a manifestation of the Spirit. Whether on the street or in the store, He may desire to manifest Himself through you to others.
(1 Cor 12:7 NKJV) But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:
We must expect and prepare to manifest the Spirit as He wills. Are we prepared? Are we willing? What may happen? You may see either a plucking up or a planting. The Book of Jeremiah gives us insight into what may transpire:
(Jer 1:6-10 NKJV) Then said I: “Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth.” {7} But the LORD said to me: “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ For you shall go to all to whom I send you, And whatever I command you, you shall speak. {8} Do not be afraid of their faces, For I am with you to deliver you,” says the LORD. {9} Then the LORD put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me: “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. {10} See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, To root out and to pull down, To destroy and to throw down, To build and to plant.”
When the Lord sends us out, we may be found rooting out, pulling down, destroying, throwing down, building, or planting. It is a diverse work. Isn’t a peculiar thing to see four out of the six actions in Jeremiah’s call seem to be destructive rather than constructive? Many people today have wrong belief systems and exist in non-biblical structures. The Spirit of God seeks to gently extract the person from the problem. We are the ones that He desires to perform the extraction.
Are we not all commissioned to be the watchmen of the souls of men? Do our hearts hurt for those not experiencing the grace of God in doctrine or body life? Ezekiel was addressed in a stern way. This warning is our warning. We are all watchmen!
(Ezek 33:2-6 NKJV) “Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from their territory and make him their watchman, {3} ‘when he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people, {4} ‘then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head. {5} ‘He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning will save his life. {6} ‘But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.’
We may say, “ well that call is only for the fivefold ministry.” The full time ministers of the Gospel. Another lie! We are all “full time” ministers i.e. witnesses for Christ. There’s no delineation. Believers may have different functions in the body but no one is exempted from the commission to go. Case in point, what is the difference between Jesus’ disciples in Matthew Chapter ten first one and His apostles in verse two. Is not that they were called? We are all disciples and are all apostles because we are all called? No exclusions, no exemptions.
(Mat 10:1-2 NKJV) And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and allkinds of disease. {2} Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: …
Okay! So we are convinced that we must go. But what should be happening? Well, the Spirit of God will manifest Himself to those around us. The intent is that He will guide everyone into the Truth. He bears witness of Christ. He has a convicting work. The apostle John pens this in his Gospel:
(John 14:17 NKJV) “the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. (John 16:13 NKJV) “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come (John 15:26-27 NKJV) “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. {27} “And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning. (John 16:8-11 NKJV) “And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: {9} “of sin, because they do not believe in Me; {10} “of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; {11} “of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
As you can tell, this is a sobering and daunting task. Yet, the Holy Spirit promises the joy of doing the Father’s will through it all. It is the commission of the Gospel to all believers.
Remember, right the doctrine, right the structure, and ready the witness. The Holy Spirit will manifest Christ’s glory through you and I.
All believers have a calling and a grace given according the measure of Christ’s gift.
(Eph 4:4-7 NKJV) There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; {5} one Lord, one faith, one baptism; {6} one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. {7} But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
In Christ, the mission is Go!
Russell White
October 29, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
What Is The Church?
Let me start by what the church is NOT…
The church is not a large building where massive groups of people meet to hear a sermon over coffee, nor is it a small chapel where a smaller group of people meet to hear a sermon in a pew.
I Corinthians 12:12 “For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also [is] Christ.”
Samantha Williams
The church is a living breathing organism otherwise known as the body of Christ. That body is made up of many individuals who lay down their status as an individual at the cross. This cannot be laid down at the door of a building and picked back up at the end of a rousing emotional sermon. This is a continual work of the cross. We lay our lives down for our friends.
John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”
We pray together, we weep together, we laugh together, we bear each others burdens, we admonish each other, we bear with each other, and we grow in the knowledge of Christ TOGETHER.
Galatians 6:2 “Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
John 13:35 “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
I Peter 3:8-9 “Finally, all [of you be] of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, tenderhearted, courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.”
This kind of love cannot be expressed in a twice per week succession of programs. This kind of love must be an encompassing love where we are compassionate toward each other, setting aside ourselves and searching for ways to serve every day.
If you and/or your “church” do not look like the living body of Christ, I urge you, brothers and sisters, to either get out or start a revolution of reformation. Make your dead gathering a living organism. It can start with you. Repent of your self-seeking ways and learn to love one another.
Samantha Williams
The church is not a large building where massive groups of people meet to hear a sermon over coffee, nor is it a small chapel where a smaller group of people meet to hear a sermon in a pew.
I Corinthians 12:12 “For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also [is] Christ.”
Samantha Williams
The church is a living breathing organism otherwise known as the body of Christ. That body is made up of many individuals who lay down their status as an individual at the cross. This cannot be laid down at the door of a building and picked back up at the end of a rousing emotional sermon. This is a continual work of the cross. We lay our lives down for our friends.
John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”
We pray together, we weep together, we laugh together, we bear each others burdens, we admonish each other, we bear with each other, and we grow in the knowledge of Christ TOGETHER.
Galatians 6:2 “Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
John 13:35 “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
I Peter 3:8-9 “Finally, all [of you be] of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, tenderhearted, courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.”
This kind of love cannot be expressed in a twice per week succession of programs. This kind of love must be an encompassing love where we are compassionate toward each other, setting aside ourselves and searching for ways to serve every day.
If you and/or your “church” do not look like the living body of Christ, I urge you, brothers and sisters, to either get out or start a revolution of reformation. Make your dead gathering a living organism. It can start with you. Repent of your self-seeking ways and learn to love one another.
Samantha Williams
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Good day of fellowship following the Word.
We assembled with the "Wilbert" church Sunday. It was so good to see everyone. After we discussed the Word we had our weekly love feast/communion. Following that we went outside and played games, visited, and enjoyed the beautiful day. The men all played croquet and it was full of energy. Here is Elvis a sweet brother from Cameroon, Africa that is part of our fellowship. We love the Body of Christ and the loving relationships that we have.
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What we are about.
- Williams Oikos
- We are a part of the body of Christ that meets at the Williams' house. Our motto is "Don't go to church, BE the church". The truth is it's all about RELATIONSHIPS! Our relationship with God worked out through our relationships with each other. "'And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." Mark 12:30-31