Notice that the scripture does not say that the old wineskins are of no use. The Lord does say however that the new wine must be poured into new wineskins. We firmly believe that the new wineskin is a completely new style of Christian church fellowship, which conforms more closely to the Biblical model as opposed to the popular cultural models so prevalent today!
The true community or 'church'(Greek. ECCLESIA ) of Jesus Christ according to the Bible is really a group of committed Christians who honestly love one another and are willing to really give all to one another and to the Lord. A true Christian community is a place of complete surrender to God, a place where we sacrifice all of our personal aspirations, plans and dreams, and allow God to show us the way. The true church is a place where we really "die to self" and open up together allowing God Himself to have full reign in our lives. Only then will we see the real power and glory of God manifested like it was in the early New Testament church, such as we read in the book of Acts. We believe that we have not yet even seen what the potential of the active living church of Jesus Christ is, because we havn't followed the models and examples given in Scripture, but have instead pretty much done our own religious things. (Which is exactly why we have so many diverse denominations and groups today!) So honestly speaking we feel that Christian community is definitely more than the sum of the parts, it is more about loving God and others then it is about where we live and what we do for a living. And the remnant Christian community that we seek to be a part of is certainly not limited to or contained in a single persons or "pastors' vision. Active vital Christian commununity is a place of love and unity that we share in Christ and is a wholly spiritual truth which is not dependant on the outward manifestations of our various Christian life styles. (The only outward manifestations of our lives that really matter are the evidence of the fruits of the Holy Spirit! Galatians 5:22) We as believers are "all one in Christ" whether we have this revealtion and fully act it out or not!
IT IS IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT THE NUMEROUS SCRIPTURES WHICH POINT TO AND EVEN MANDATE A CLOSE COMMUNITY EXPERIENCE FOR CHRISTIAN BELIEVERS. CHRISTIANS REALLY NEED TO WAKE UP AND JUST BE HONEST AND LOVE EACH OTHER? NOT MERELY HAVE THE FACADE OR PRETENSE OF LOVE AND CONCERN! EVEN IF THE BEST "COMMUNITY" EXPERIENCE THAT WE ARE WILLING TO ACCEPT IS SIMPLY CHRISTIAN FAMILIES AND FRIENDS REALLY LOOKING OUT FOR ONE ANOTHER AND BEARING EACH OTHERS BURDENS... BEING ACCOUNTABLE TO ONE ANOTHER ENOUGH TO GET REAL AND COMMUNICATE HONESTLY AND OPENLY WITHOUT PUTTING ON RELIGIOUS MASKS TO HIDE BEHIND? THEN SO BE IT! PERHAPS MOST CHRISTIANS ARE NOT REALLY READY FOR THE FULL MESSAGE OF THE GOSPEL WHICH CLEARLY TEACHES DEEP INTIMATE FELLOWSHIP AND CLOSE COMMUNITY LIVING, SHARING ALL THINGS IN COMMON. HOWEVER, THE LEAST WE COULD DO IS SHOW A LITTLE REAL LOVE AND CONCERN FOR OUR NEIGHBORS AND ESPECIALLY FOR OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN THE LORD. IF YOU TEND TO JUDGE YOUR FELLOW BELIEVERS BASED ON SIMPLE TEMPORAL THINGS SUCH AS WHAT SOMEONE EATS OR WHETHER THEY KEEP THEIR YARDS MANICURED OR THEIR HOUSES PERFECTLY CLEAN, THEN THIS KIND OF SERIOUS CHRISTIAN COMMITTMANT TO LOVING & "ONE ANOTHERING" IS DEFINITELY NOT FOR YOU! HAVING A CRITICAL SPIRIT, NIT-PICKING, BACK-BITING AND INDIFFERENCE ARE DEFINITELY NOT FORMS OF LOVE MY FRIENDS, AND THAT UNFORTUNATELY, IS WHAT MANY CHRISTIANS TEND TO SHOW EACHOTHER! NEITHER IS IT LOVING OR COMPASSIONATE TO TALK ABOUT BROTHERS AND SISTERS BEHIND THEIR BACKS! IF THIS IS YOUR TENDENCY, THEN YOU WILL BE UNCOMFORTABLE IN A CLOSE KOINANIA FELLOWSHIP LIKE THIS.
Presently our vision for Ecclesia Agape Christian Embassy in Sedona Arizona is to gather the remnant Body of Christ together and pray earnestly and fervently for this city and the the Verde Valley. We desire to create a local church body based upon the clear Biblical model of a multiple elder led community. We are not interested in "playing church" nor in people jockying for positions and titles, but rather in humbling ourselves before God Almighty and eachother- and preferring one-another over ourselves. We desire to become a body of believers who share the healing Love of Yeshua for the many wounded of the Body of Christ, as well as those burned by the world. And to preach and teach the simple message of the gospel of Jesus Christ to believers and un-believers alike. To offer deliverance and inner healing to all who are oppressed of the devil. To become a body of Christian believers who take the message of the gospel seriously enough to live and act on the mandates of the Holy Scriptures without compromising to the doctrines and traditions of men, and without giving in to the standards and principals of this world. And most importantly to LOVE ONE ANOTHER, & TO BEAR EACHOTHERS BURDENS! We hope to hear from you soon! (Prayer meetings and discussions will be hosted in Sedona Arizona in July of 2004. Please contact me through email or give me a call if you have interest or further questions! Thanks! 928-300-7685)
