It’s Time For The Real Thing And It’s Us!
... dealing with your thoughts, feelings, rationale, and the how-to-do-it nuts and bolts approach to beginning and maintaining a home church
... discussion of the apprehension, opposition by organized clergy and brainwashed others, problems and struggles encountered upon leaving the institutional church organization to be a part of a biblical home church organism with Jesus Christ as your Head
Know that our worst problems with our circumstances, situations and environment come from within ourselves.
Jesus has told us that “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, ...” He named those evil thoughts in Matthew 15:19 and Mark 7:22: murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, pride and foolishness.
In Luke 11:3 Jesus said: “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” In the phrase “being evil,” the word “being” is huparcho, defined by Vines Expository Dictionary as “to exist, which always involves a pre-existent state, prior to the fact referred to, and a continuance of the state after the fact.”
We were “evil” before Jesus stated the fact, when He spoke and we will continue to be “evil” in the future so long as we are in this human body.
With this understanding of our corruption and imperfection by sin, we must realize that we are our own worst problem.
Paul the apostle discusses our problem and the solution:
Galatians 5:16-26:
16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.
With the teachings of Jesus and of Paul, the works of our flesh are graphically detailed. It’s to be understood that only by the power of God within us can we win the war against the flesh that rages within us.
Our solution to the problem of sin working in our flesh is to be Christ’s and to crucify our flesh with its affections and lusts and to walk in the Spirit.
This holds true whether we are involved with the institutional church or a biblical home church. You will not walk away from the problem of your sinful flesh by changing your circumstances, situation, or environment, including whatever it is that you consider to be “church” for yourself. Regardless of where we are, isn’t the real choice we have to make between our flesh or God’s Holy Spirit? The foundational structure, however, of the institutional church system and its ugly twin, i.e., its mindset, is much more conducive to activities of the flesh than those of the Spirit.
Wondering what the Bible really says about “going to church?”
The booklet, “Custom and Command,” by Stan Firth is subtitled: “Encouragement from the scriptures for an unusual new breed of Christians — with some answers for those who might feel critical of them.”
It discusses the biblical validity for the Christian disciples of Jesus Christ who are seeking an “unstructured church-lifestyle.”
It’s written for those who are looking for ways to implement biblical teachings, instructions and guidelines to allow for a fuller response to Jesus Christ and what He has laid on their heart.
This booklet is written for the true disciple of Jesus Christ, those who work hard to learn of Jesus, to follow and support Him and to imitate Him in their 24 hour a day, seven day a week lifestyle.
The booklet does not justify the escapist or rebellious or unteachable nominal Christian.
In honestly examining the concepts written in this booklet, it will help you to shake off the institutional church mindset which has kept so many in bondage and band-aids even after having left the institutional church. When pain and discomfort become unbearable, we all come to a point where we run away from the source. However, many have then found that they have no goal, purpose or direction as to where to run to.
A very common occurrence is that many saints of God, who truly love Jesus, attempt to establish a house church by moving all the concepts and practices of the institutional church into their living room. They will not have solved the problem of an ineffective system. Many get out of the “church” but fail to get the “church” out of them.
This booklet will give you insight and understanding of what the Bible really says about our being God’s ekklesia, His called out ones.
It will also help you to realize where you want to run to, and what to consider if you start or find a biblical home church.
At the very least, it will make you much more comfortable with where you are, and will also help you to explain to those that are still in the institutional church and who judge, condemn and criticize you for having left there.
“Faith in God, Bible, is your hope, not fear of church rule”
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If you feel there is error in scriptural support of anything written here, research your Bible and pray about it. Another course of suggested action: Please read this Fallacy Tutorial Fallacies, by Dr. Michael C. Labossiere and check where your logic, or lack of it, is really coming from. The most overused technique known to mankind is to continue to attack the messenger instead of the message. Jesus came to the religious establishment of His day and proclaimed the truth of God. Since His truthfulness and biblical logic were flawless, they couldn’t attack His message. Instead, they attacked and killed Him. While our biblical arguments today are not flawless, so it continues today for anyone who proclaims the truth of God’s word. |
