Reality Church?

Here is a great post over on Dan Kimball's blog:

http://www.dankimball.com/vintage_faith/2005/08/reality_church.html

I guess if I have to pick one, then I am in Stage 6. My beliefs, theology and convictions have been challenged and shaken up in the last year since I stepped down as the youth pastor of the small church I had been attending for five years. God has been teaching me about the NT principle of "Simple Church" during this past year. Thank you Dan for this great thought provoking post!

Are We Going to Church Today?

As most of us are aware, the church is also not a building. The word translated "church" in the NT (ekklesia) refers to a group of people: an official body, an informal gathering, or a community. "Community" best captures the biblical idea of the NT people of God. Yet we still say, "I am going to church." The church is God’s people. The church gathers and worships.

In Acts the church feared (5:11), was persecuted (8:1, 3; 12:1), enjoyed peace, went in the fear of the Lord, was comforted by the Spirit, increased (9:31; 16:5), heard news (11:22; 14:27), met with teachers (11:26; 14:28), prayed (12:5), included prophets, teachers, and elders (13:1; 14:23; 20:17), gathered (14:27), sent and received men (15:3, 4), made evaluations (15:22), was strengthened (15:41; 16:5), was greeted (18:22), and was to be shepherded by the elders (20:28).

Buildings and events cannot do these things....

Welcome Back Dave Black!

Dave Black and his wife are back from their trip to Ethiopia, and his writer's juices are flowing! Be sure to visit his Web site and blog and catch up on all of the news he has from his trip.

http://www.daveblackonline.com/blog.htm

Have you found a church yet?

I get asked this question by family and friends on a weekly basis. Many don't understand how someone like me who was "raised in the church" and was a youth pastor for over four years can be happy and still growing in my relationship with Christ, not being on the membership roll of a local congregation.

It's been almost a year since I have been to a "regular church service". I have not given up on Christianity, I have not given up on the Church, the Lord has simply lead me to a new way (really and old way) of looking at His Church. I still fellowship with other believers, I still study my Bible and worship daily, I even still observe the Lord's Supper with my family, I just do all of this outside of the walls of the institutional church.

I can understand the shock and concern of those around me, I would have been shocked and concerned with someone like me, years ago, before the Lord started working in my heart on this issue. I thought I would post this entry to my blog to share some links that may help you better understand how I can still be a Christian outside of the walls of organized religion.

Watchman.Net
House2House
Lifestream
The God Journey
The Sheep Comics
Unleashing the Church

Get Your Free Credit Reports!!

AnnualCreditReport.com is a centralized service for consumers to request annual credit reports. It was created by the three nationwide consumer credit reporting companies, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.

AnnualCreditReport.com processes requests for free credit file disclosures (commonly called credit reports). Under the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACT Act) consumers can request and obtain a free credit report once every 12 months from each of the three nationwide consumer credit reporting companies. AnnualCreditReport.com provides consumers with the secure means to do so.

An interesting note about the title "Christian"

It was the unbelievers that first called the disciples "Christians." What the world saw in those early disciples was a Christ-like character and power. Would the world today call the Christians in America "Christians" had the word not already been established? Would they see us like Jesus in character and power? It saddens me to hear the world now calling us .. hypocrites! I am afraid we have a name that we are alive, but dead. Let us examine the reasons for this falling away.

Source: TheRealChurch.com

Biblical Eldership

The New Testament only refers to the office of pastor one time (Ephesians 4:11). It is a functional description of the role of elder stressing the care and feeding of the church as God's flock, just as "bishop/overseer" is a functional description of the role of elder stressing the governing or oversight of the church. We may conclude therefore that "pastor" and "elder" and "bishop/overseer" refer in the New Testament to the same office. This office stands alongside "deacon" in Philippians 1:1 and 1 Timothy 3:1-13 in such a way as to show that the two abiding officers instituted by the New Testament are elder and deacon.

The function of elders may be summed up under two heads: teaching and governing. They are the doctrinal guardians of the flock and the overseers of the life of the church responsible to God for the feeding and care and ministry of the people.

Source: John Piper

Why I Don't Like Study Bibles

I have often said that I don't like Study Bibles, because people tend to study the study notes instead of the Bible itself. I can't tell you how many times I have found those who preach or teach Darby, Calvin or Scofield instead of Word of God.

Here is a line from Dave Black's most recent post to his Web site that deals with this topic as well:

In a certain church a large picture of the head of Christ stood behind the pulpit. One Sunday morning the preacher was late entering the pulpit. A little girl in the congregation asked her mother, "Where is the man who stands so that we can't see Jesus?"

You can click here to read the rest of his article titled, Call Me a Biblicist If You Like.

Where Does Jesus Christ Dwell?

Tim Stafford, a CT senior writer, recently wrote in Christianity Today, "A living, breathing congregation is the only place to live in a healthy relationship to God. That is because it is the only place on earth where Jesus has chosen to dwell. How can you enjoy the benefits of Christ if you detach yourself from the living Christ?"

I have yet to find the Scripture that Mr. Stafford is using to support his statement that Christ only dwells witin the congregation of an institutional church. My Bible tells me that Jesus has chosen to dwell in the heart of every Christian who repents of their sin and puts their faith in Him for their salvation. The Body of Christ is made up of believers from every denomination, including those who the Lord has lead to worship, study and fellowship outside of the institutional church in their homes as the early New Testement Christians did.