1st Century had one church in every city Paul wrote to with many elders who oversaw many allotments of the church of that city. No walls, no competition between churches, no big building with huge overhead just folks filling their cities with the knowledge of God’s glory.Even in The Revelation there were seven cities; seven churches, seven letters today if a letter were sent to the church in let’s say OKC every denomination and every non-denomination would claim it was to them. We don’t have to establish the Kingdom we’re simply to proclaim it and live out godly lives for people to see The Christ IN us.
the problem i have realised with stopping all the cluttering of ‘service” and becoming a follower of Christ, means you might have to look at yourself in the mirror and ask yourself? how much do i look like Jesus at this very moment?{not a condemning question, just an honest facing internal reality type question}… and suggest to one self, perhaps i need to spend more time with Jesus than outside with the rest of the [holy] click. in short. you might need to start taking accountability with the Gospel of Christ in your own life.
Very astute Renier. When I am busy “ministering” to others I suddenly become an “expert.” Never mind that I’m kind of ignoring the Holy Spirit and don’t have time for my OWN looking in the mirror. I have been there and am happy to have had an awakening that what lies in me is a person who is capable of any wretched thing – yet God knows that about me and loves me and it is WHY I need Him and can rejoice in seeing/agreeing with God that I’m fallen and that He will use EVERYTHING for the good!
This also ties straight in with the lie that we need to be “accountable” to the leadership of a local church somewhere. This is not mentioned even once in the Bible. God never wanted us to raise local churches, He wanted us to raise spirit filled believers.
I agree with you there Andre. You’re last sentence speaks loudly.
I think the challenge is that the local church, in its correct way of understanding, is actually the community of spirit filled believers. The problem arises when people start thinking the place they meet on Sunday and all the programs that surround it is the local church, and then lift up the programs while neglecting/avoiding the inner transformation that the gospel of grace imparts to us.
1st Century had one church in every city Paul wrote to with many elders who oversaw many allotments of the church of that city. No walls, no competition between churches, no big building with huge overhead just folks filling their cities with the knowledge of God’s glory.Even in The Revelation there were seven cities; seven churches, seven letters today if a letter were sent to the church in let’s say OKC every denomination and every non-denomination would claim it was to them. We don’t have to establish the Kingdom we’re simply to proclaim it and live out godly lives for people to see The Christ IN us.
the problem i have realised with stopping all the cluttering of ‘service” and becoming a follower of Christ, means you might have to look at yourself in the mirror and ask yourself? how much do i look like Jesus at this very moment?{not a condemning question, just an honest facing internal reality type question}… and suggest to one self, perhaps i need to spend more time with Jesus than outside with the rest of the [holy] click. in short. you might need to start taking accountability with the Gospel of Christ in your own life.
Very astute Renier. When I am busy “ministering” to others I suddenly become an “expert.” Never mind that I’m kind of ignoring the Holy Spirit and don’t have time for my OWN looking in the mirror. I have been there and am happy to have had an awakening that what lies in me is a person who is capable of any wretched thing – yet God knows that about me and loves me and it is WHY I need Him and can rejoice in seeing/agreeing with God that I’m fallen and that He will use EVERYTHING for the good!
Mick, thank you. I can’t stop reading tonight!
Amen to that Andre & mick.
big up.
This also ties straight in with the lie that we need to be “accountable” to the leadership of a local church somewhere. This is not mentioned even once in the Bible. God never wanted us to raise local churches, He wanted us to raise spirit filled believers.
I agree with you there Andre. You’re last sentence speaks loudly.
I think the challenge is that the local church, in its correct way of understanding, is actually the community of spirit filled believers. The problem arises when people start thinking the place they meet on Sunday and all the programs that surround it is the local church, and then lift up the programs while neglecting/avoiding the inner transformation that the gospel of grace imparts to us.