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Expectation is the enemy of Love

Expectation is the enemy of love.

Serving without any expectation is the proof of love.

Two people that each insist on being the master of the other will never cease being at war with each other.

But two people that insist on serving each other will never cease being in love with each other.

This is true of marriages, families, friendships, and even our relationship with the Lord.

“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” – I Corinthians 13:4‭-‬7 NKJV

“No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.” – John 15:15 NKJV

One Sacrifice for those being sanctified

But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before, “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord : I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” then  He  adds,  “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” Now where there is remission of these, there  is no longer an offering for sin. Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one  another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
Hebrews 10:12‭-‬25 NKJV

Do you believe?

Are you being sanctified?

These are important questions of faith that we don’t answer with our words,  we answer them with or hearts.

Whether or not the law is written on our hearts can shed some light on whether or not we believe.

Is our heart true in full assurance of faith?

If doubt has crept in, isn’t that a great opportunity to seek the Lord diligently, because it may be evidence that we are practicing religion instead of maintaining a living relationship where we are drawing closer to the Lord.

Are we holding fast during the trials and tribulations?

If we have allowed ourselves to slip into a perspective of treating God like a genie, expecting Him to bend to our will instead of the other way around,  isn’t that a great opportunity to humble ourselves at the feet of our master and Lord?

Are we interacting with other believers, encouraging one another and holding each other accountable?

If we have allowed ourselves to slip into isolation, leaving love and spirit to remain stagnant and lukewarm within our pitcher instead of pouring out and maintaining the flow of living waters, isn’t that a wonderful opportunity to sound our trumpet cry and to see Him break through the walls and deliver us from the chains of a self centered focus.

We ARE those being sanctified.

Yes, as we see that day approaching,  let’s grow in our determination and focus. Let’s not grow weary. Let’s stay the course.

Come Home

Have you been wandering?

Come home.

Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord , meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.
But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind. They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly.
For the Lord watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.
Psalms 1:1‭-‬6 NLT

Are you tired of being blown around by the wind,  chasing all kinds of things that just slip through your fingers and leave you unsatisfied and restless?

Come home.

For example, there was God’s promise to Abraham. Since there was no one greater to swear by, God took an oath in his own name, saying: “I will certainly bless you, and I will multiply your descendants beyond number.” Then Abraham waited patiently, and he received what God had promised. Now when people take an oath, they call on someone greater than themselves to hold them to it. And without any question that oath is binding. God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind. So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.
Hebrews 6:13‭-‬19 NLT

Do you know the good news of Jesus Christ? That through faith your sin is forgiven and that you can come home to the promise He has for your life?

Come home.

He is a heartfelt prayer away because He had never left you. He is waiting with arms open wide. Just look to the cross.

Come home.

Joy in Justice

When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers. – Proverbs 21:15 ESV

Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him. – Isaiah 30:18 ESV

I had several friends that were facing court today. One in particular was having a rough time because he was facing the possibility of his first trip to prison.

I stayed up into the wee hours of the morning with him because he was absolutely distraught over what he was facing. And we went on a journey that took him from the valley of pointing fingers at others and wallowing in self pity to the mountaintop of offering forgiveness to the person he had been “blaming” for putting him there. He finally accepted that he was the one that shouldered the full responsibility,  and he finally realized that if he was going to expect mercy from a judge, that he needed to show mercy to others first.

We didn’t have this counseling session in some closed room at a desk,  or inside my house, or inside a church,  we had this counseling session over a “quarter a game” pool table at the old pool hall that I grew up playing in. While we spoke about justice and forgiveness and personal responsibility and mercy and love  and Jesus for hour after hour, different groups of people came and went from the tables around us. And we didn’t care or pay attention to them, we were focused on an all important discussion. This young man was facing the very real possibility of tonight being his last taste of freedom for a long time,  so we didn’t care about what so many overheard that night in the pool hall. And we didn’t care that at times, the reality of the situation would bring this huge,  Goliath of a man to heartfelt tears.

But I expect that this odd site may have seemed quite interesting to many – of little me, beside this lumbering hulk of a man, with both of us talking about Jesus and life and prison and “real freedom” and “real discipleship”, while I drank a canned Pepsi and he drank a bottled water in the midst of a regular “bar crowd” that was playing pool at all hours of the night and morning. I expect that some might have gotten a different impression from us about “what a Christian looks like”.

Now I’m going to tell you – never once did I promise this man that if he would believe Jesus that the court would show him mercy. In fact, when he explained how he had been trying to barter with God in his prayers, I encouraged him to stop wanting it his way and to hand it over to God. I asked him point blank if he loved Jesus and if he thought that Jesus deserved the cross and to lay down His life while offering forgiveness to His accusers. I asked him if he was more interested in a God who could get him out of the consequences he rightly deserved by breaking the law than a God who would offer justice and trial to teach us and change our hearts. No, I don’t bring “buddy Jesus” who just wants to cover your sin and hide it. I know Jesus Christ, the powerful and victorious redeemer, who delivers people from their old lives, who is more interested in your eternal salvation than your temporary circumstances, and who turns all things to good for those who delight in the Lord. He is the one who brings justice that is a joy to the righteous and a terror to the evil doers. We choose how that justice is received by our choosing who truly is Lord of our life.

This big man who was at first distraught with the idea of the consequences and who preferred the idea of “death by cop” to having to go to prison finally laid down his insistence on “receiving mercy right now” and instead wrapped his big ole heart around Jesus to accept “whatever may come” as long as he could have Christ. He changed his prayer from being about his wants and “getting it his way” to simply be,  “Lord, draw me closer to you, however you see fit.” And chains fell away. Big chains. Heavy chains. Legion was no longer in control.

Today, he stood before the judge,  and as I watched, the very mercy that this man had given up chasing after and insisting on the night before  – was handed to him and he was not celebrating a victory over the system, he was thanking the Lord for such undeserved mercy. I couldn’t say “Thank you,  Jesus” enough times today. And even though at the end of my work day, there was no way that I could make it to the jail tonight because of my lack of sleep from the night before – the Lord offered me that same mercy,  encouraging me that the 99 were fine tonight,  and so was this one precious little lamb of his now that the day’s work had been accomplished.

What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray?  And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray.  So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
Matthew 18:12‭-‬14 ESV

My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
James 5:19‭-‬20 ESV

if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:14 ESV

NOTE: To give you some background on this story, I go into the jail Thursday nights to share the gospel, to encourage a life of discipline,  and to counsel prisoners. And on Sunday nights, I preach at a drug rehabilitation center where recovering addicts are living and going through a 24×7 intense Christian discipleship program. This is just a piece of our family’s weekly ministry focus, but knowing these things about me will let you understand that I have friends that many people understandably might not feel comfortable inviting into their homes and lives. Friends that have been or still are drug addicts, drug dealers, rape victims, rapists, battered spouses, spouse batterers, abused as children, abusers, thiefs, liars, drunks, atheists, religious, gossips, etc. I’m not saying this to boast about myself or to shame anyone – I’m saying this because I know this is uncommon and may be difficult to understand when considering the risks of “bad company and influences”. I understand and agree with that advise. But you see, I’m not here to join them in those “old ways”, I’m here to offer them healing and redemption and freedom from those things so they no longer have to be defined by those “old ways”, but so they can walk as a new creation.

Near? Or at a distance?

Then he said to Moses, “Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from afar. Moses alone shall come near to the Lord , but the others shall not come near, and the people shall not come up with him.”
Exodus 24:1‭-‬2 ESV

Drawing near to the Lord.

Even those in darkness who will not acknowledge God in their minds know in their hearts the danger of approaching God. Even those who will not acknowledge any fear of God with their words prove it by their lives when they shrink back from the idea of godly, sacrificial, merciful living – they are clearly most comfortable in their selfishness and pride and worldliness.

Those living in darkness run from the light because they are afraid of what it might reveal about their hearts. But I have a secret to tell those lost in darkness, every Christian knows that fear of the light shining on and revealing sin and darkness in our lives. We call it conviction. It is when God not only shows us or imperfections,  but offers us the power to see them overcome and replaced with His Holy Spirit. That is when chains are broken and captives are set free. You see, it isn’t about you being good enough to come to God, it’s about who He has called to come close so that He can change them from the inside out.

Many He has not yet drawn close because they are not yet ready in their hearts, they are not yet spiritually mature or fully surrendered, they are not yet that good soil where His love can grow and thrive, but He is patient and has a plan in mind for their lives. All things are being reconciled to God – different vessels for different purposes.

I ask you, where does God want you? Far away or close?

If you are not meant to draw close, I love you friend, but you might find that I have left you behind for a time or season – not because of a lack of love for you, but because of a greater love for the Lord. If you are meddling in a life of sin and swimming in the slop, you might think that I don’t like you because I avoid getting trapped up in your mess – but I love you and I’m asking the Lord to lead you along the path that He has for you.

I’m not going to drag anyone kicking and screaming up the mountaintop because they are left at the bottom so they won’t be destroyed. If you aren’t ready to climb the mountaintop and be close to the Lord, I hope that one day you will be – because it is amazing and wonderful. But if you’re not today, I understand. I remember how it used to be. It hasn’t been that long. The only one that called me up onto the mountaintop was the Lord, and that is the way that it should be. So I’m not being you to come on your own, friend. I’m being the Lord to draw you near.

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.
John 6:44 ESV

I don’t ask you,  friend, if you have “accepted Jesus”. No, I ask you,  “Is the Father drawing you near to His presence? Do you know His voice? Do you love Him?  Do you feel that need,  that urge, to draw closer to Him?” 

I don’t condemn you if you are satisfied right now at the bottom of the mountain, far from God. I’m not trying to manipulate you into accepting a religious mindset that will destroy you by you forcing things under your own power. I’m not offering you a heaven ticket in trade for a prayer and some tithes. I’m asking if you are a fellow disciple of Christ,  called and chosen to step forth and serve the Lord faithfully who laid His life down for you on the cross. If the burden is too great, I’d you have counted the cost and it is too great, if you are not drawn close to the Lord today, you have made your choice,  you know who you serve. May your belly be full and your time on earth be happy if you have chosen this world and the things in it as your portion. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord, we will bring Him honor and glory forever and ever – not because we are better or worse people, but because we believe and because He draws us, He has chosen us,  and for His name’s sake we will not turn back. Amen.

Your Baby

Once upon a time, an elephant and a dog fell pregnant at same time. Three months down the line the dog gave birth to six puppies. Six months later the dog was pregnant again, and nine months on it gave birth to another dozen puppies. The pattern continued.
On the eighteenth month the dog approached the elephant questioning, _”Are you sure that you are pregnant? We fell pregnant on the same date, I have given birth three times to a dozen puppies and they are now grown to become big dogs, yet you are still pregnant. What’s going on?”…

The elephant replied, _”There is something I want you to understand. What I am carrying is not a puppy but an elephant. I only give birth to one in two years. When my baby hits the ground, the earth feels it. When my baby crosses the road, human beings stop and watch in admiration, what I carry draws attention. So what I’m carrying is mighty and great.”. _

Don’t lose faith when you see others receive answers to their prayers.
Don’t be envious of others testimony. If you haven’t received your own blessings, don’t despair. Say to yourself “My time is coming, and when it hits the surface of the earth, people shall yield in admiration.”

_Penned by, Eric Kinoti, Enterprenuer, Kenya.

Unity isn’t the same as Conformity

Deuteronomy 33 lays out how the Lord will bless the different tribes of Israel. For one tribe, they are given strength to battle (Judah),  while another is held close and safe from battle (Benjamin). One tribe is called to great sacrifice, self denial and service (Levi), while another is freely blessed with the best gifts of the earth (Joseph).

Just like then,  the Lord has different callings and purposes for His children now. When we see someone fulfilling their ministry in a different way than we are called and led, our natural reaction is to be confused or uncomfortable if we expect “conformity” instead of seeking “unity”.

Unity is “the state of being united or joined a a whole”. Unity is a body of individual and unique pieces working together because they have been joined. Conformity is an attempt for one unique thing to imitate or copy a different unique thing in order to “fit in”.

Christianity calls for unity between men (love, mercy, forgiveness, service),  while religion calls for conformity of men to one another (law, authority, power, judgement). Christianity calls for all its participants to be unified as a body fitly working together – not being conformed to the ways of this world but renewed and reconciled to Christ.

How easy is it for us to conform to the traditions of man made doctrines and traditions, measuring each other with our religious tape measures, dividing each other into sorted categories and denominations where we are satisfied being a round peg laying still and quiet in a pile of other round pegs – instead of working together with those other pays to accomplish God’s work.

You who are warriors like Judah need a Benjamin to bring you back to peace before you strike down your stumbling brother or sister with your strict discernment and hatred for sin, forgetting that the enemy is not flesh and blood.

You who are coddled like Benjamin and are afraid to leave the house or step out in faith need a Judah to warn you of the dangers of becoming lukewarm, complacent, and fruitless – so that you do not find out that your faith without works is dead.

You see, the message that we like to hear least is mammy times the message that we need to hear most – because it isn’t about what you like. It is about what will glorify and bring honor to the Lord. That’s why it is dangerous to seek out teachers who only share what you want to hear. If there is no conviction, if there is no sharpening, if the Word of God does not cut something out of your flesh nature to make room for healing and restoration with the Holy Spirit nature of Christ who lives in us – then is there any growth,  any change, any life?

The people most comfortable hearing and talking about grace are many times the ones who need to be convicted by a message of repentance, discipleship,  and holiness.

The people most comfortable hearing about repentance, discipleship, and holiness ate many times the ones who need to be reminded of the free gift of grace and their own unworthiness, there need to be broken and not haughty.

Don’t remain satisfied ignoring the parts of the message that make you uncomfortable and force you to dig deep into the heart. A life still in slavery to sin is not free and neither is a religious person going to build a tower to heaven out of their own works. Seek that narrow path where Christ is your only hope for grace and He is Lord of your life because of your grattitude over this undeserved, free gift of grace.

That person whose message gets under your skin, or steps on your toes, or bothers your way of thinking might be exactly the message your heart needs to hear.

Do you belong to Jesus?

You were indeed called to be free, brothers and sisters. Don’t turn this freedom into an excuse for your corrupt nature to express itself. Rather, serve each other through love. All of Moses’ Teachings are summarized in a single statement, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” But if you criticize and attack each other, be careful that you don’t destroy each other. Let me explain further. Live your life as your spiritual nature directs you. Then you will never follow through on what your corrupt nature wants. What your corrupt nature wants is contrary to what your spiritual nature wants, and what your spiritual nature wants is contrary to what your corrupt nature wants. They are opposed to each other. As a result, you don’t always do what you intend to do. If your spiritual nature is your guide, you are not subject to Moses’ laws. Now, the effects of the corrupt nature are obvious: illicit sex, perversion, promiscuity, idolatry, drug use, hatred, rivalry, jealousy, angry outbursts, selfish ambition, conflict, factions, envy, drunkenness, wild partying, and similar things. I’ve told you in the past and I’m telling you again that people who do these kinds of things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the spiritual nature produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There are no laws against things like that. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their corrupt nature along with its passions and desires. If we live by our spiritual nature, then our lives need to conform to our spiritual nature. We can’t allow ourselves to act arrogantly and to provoke or envy each other.
Galatians 5:13‭-‬26 GW

Do you belong to Jesus Christ?

Or is your life your own?

Does it offend you that Christ would ask you to subdue that carnal, worldly, sinful, rebellious nature for the sale of living and serving others?

Or are you grateful for what He has done on the cross to save you, poor, wretched sinner – and in turn you are yielding to His Holy Spirit to be your trusted guide?

Does your life, your whole life, belong to Jesus?

Don’t just settle for a religious life where you tithe part of your life, time, money, and gifts to Him and keep the rest for yourself. Don’t hold back, let Him into every area of your life. Run to Him with reckless abandon. Use your whole life in ways that will bring glory and honor to Him, and you will not be disappointed with the abundant life that He has in store for you.

The Basics

Then they took him to the high council of the city. “Come and tell us about this new teaching,” they said. “You are saying some rather strange things, and we want to know what it’s all about.” (It should be explained that all the Athenians as well as the foreigners in Athens seemed to spend all their time discussing the latest ideas.)

So Paul, standing before the council, addressed them as follows: “Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way, for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To an Unknown God.’ This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I’m telling you about. “He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn’t live in man-made temples, and human hands can’t serve his needs—for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need. From one man he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries. “His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us. For in him we live and move and exist. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ And since this is true, we shouldn’t think of God as an idol designed by craftsmen from gold or silver or stone.

“God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.”

When they heard Paul speak about the resurrection of the dead, some laughed in contempt, but others said, “We want to hear more about this later.” That ended Paul’s discussion with them, but some joined him and became believers. Among them were Dionysius, a member of the council, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
Acts of the Apostles 17:19‭-‬34 NLT

The basics.

The Gospel.

Yes, telling people that God is much, telling them that they are little, telling them about their ignorance and about their need to repent and turn to God because judgement is coming – it is a divisive message. It was then. It is now. It is divisive because it cuts to the truth of the heart – What is more important? Self, ego, and my way (which is sin and death) – or the Truth and Life of His Way?

We aren’t called to convince people that God is nice enough to fit into their own box of what God should look like and act.

We aren’t called to change the Truth of what God has laid before us as His Way in order to make it more palatable to those who aren’t even seeking Him.

There was a time before we and the world knew about Jesus that God was, to us, “seeker friendly” because of our ignorance, friends. But can you claim ignorance today that you have not heard of Jesus Christ?

Can you claim that you have not heard of His sacrifice on the cross as a testament that He alone is worthy of judging between those that are His and those who are dead in their sin?

Can you claim that you do not know that we must repent and turn to God?

Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you.  They will do all this to you because of me, for they have rejected the one who sent me.  They would not be guilty if I had not come and spoken to them. But now they have no excuse for their sin.
John 15:20‭-‬22 NLT

Then Jesus told him,  “I entered this world to render judgment—to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind.” Some Pharisees who were standing nearby heard him and asked, “Are you saying we’re blind?” “If you were blind, you wouldn’t be guilty,” Jesus replied. “But you remain guilty because you claim you can see.
John 9:39‭-‬41 NLT

The church of Satan wants you to believe that saying a sinner’s prayer or acting religious allows you to avoid the consequences of your remaining in your sinful and worldly ways – but the gospel,  this Good News, is a different message. It is a message of God’s extended mercy and grace and of our need for repentance – not just “once upon a time” but as an attitude, perspective and direction in our lives.

Yes, many will mock this message and turn away. Paul let them leave, He didn’t change the message. Making it softer to try to “win them to God” doesn’t get them any closer to the narrow gate and path that few will find – it just satisfies the ego of those who foolishly think that God “needs their valuable ego” in order to fulfill His Kingdom work. God does not “need you” – you have the opportunity to be used for His glory and honor. We don’t use Him as a way to establish ourselves over others in a seat of our own glory and honor over the pigs at our feet.

No, the ones who hear this Truth and recognize the voice of the Good Shepherd, the call on their lives, the drawing and quickening that the Word of God has on them – they have hearts that are prepared to receive, their eyes are open to the light, their ears are open to receive truth.

“If you love me, obey my commandments.  And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you.  He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.
John 14:15‭-‬17 NLT

If you are softening the Word of God in order to feel like you are winning religious converts to Christianity – in order to “put up big numbers for God” – you are more interested in the approval of people than you are the approval of God. Worry less about your own plans for being great in the Kingdom of God, and stay true to the course of the gospel,  the Good News.

If you are ashamed to share this divisive Good News of the gospel with the world along with the testimony of what He is doing in your life, don’t fool yourself by saying “I’m not equipped”. You are either a born again,  Holy Spirit filled Child of God with a living testimony of your faith – or you are deceiving yourself with religion. You do not need theology lessons,  because we aren’t sharing and teaching theology and religion – we are sharing the truth about the personal touch of God upon our lives. So I ask,  “Is He touching your life in a personal, real, alive way today?” If not, repent and turn to the Lord. He is faithful and true and ready to come live with you, if you truly want Him in your life. He will forgive you. He loves you. Just come back home into His arms and know His loving touch.

So, you have either stopped reading at this point – or we are in agreement that it is Good News, it is the only Good News. There is no other way to God, and it is revealed to you. You are no longer in darkness, you are free from your sin if you choose to love and serve the Lord as first and only in your life.  If you don’t like the message, you can reject it, or you can decide that you want to believe and learn more. He has an amazing purpose and direction for you, Child of God. I look forward to seeing you on that day where we will forever worship Him and give Him honor and glory Forever and ever. Amen.

House Church & Missional Communities

We are not meant to just be “consumers” of a regularly scheduled religious church service, but “participants” in the movement of God’s will being done on earth, His Kingdom come in the lives of the true church played out daily – a body of active, born again believers and disciples of Christ.

“No one can say: ‘Since I’m not called to be a missionary, I do not have to evangelize my friends and neighbors.’ There is no difference, in spiritual terms, between a missionary witnessing in his home town and a missionary witnessing in Katmandu, Nepal. We are all called to go—even if it is only to the next room, or the next block.” – Thomas Hale

“Ministry is not a thing we do, but a lifestyle we live. Missional living flows from a life that is surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and led by the Spirit of God. The Christian life is not defined by ritual or church services. The Christian life is only the Christian life if it is a life that is rooted in the transforming regeneration of the New Birth – from surrender to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, to the in-filling of the Holy Spirit and to obedience to the Word of God, the Bible.

A Christian community is a fellowship where believers have surrendered to Jesus in such a way that, together, they seek to find ways to obey and please the Lord. There is a shared mission, sacrificial lifestyle, and a deep love for one another. This community together seeks to live out a Christ-centered life before a watching world. Together we communicate the Gospel, disciple believers, teach the Scriptures, worship together, serve the poor, and participate in world missions.

Together we are on mission. We desire to reach the lost with the Gospel and bring transformation where ever we are.” – Neo House Church Movement

“A Missional community is a group of people, about the size of an extended family, who are united through Christian community around a common service and witness to a particular neighborhood or network of relationships. The Missional Community doesn’t exist for anything less than making disciples of Jesus among these networks or neighborhoods. The participants of missional communities find their primary identity of “church” within the missional community, rather than a larger worship service or small group. In essence, this group of people becomes a close-knit spiritual family on mission together.” – Wikipedia

“During a struggling economy, churches can face formidable financial challenges forcing them to make cuts in funding to missions and benevolence programs. A traditional church that is required to support the typical church infrastructure including a building or campus can face financial pressures if it faces a significant drop in membership. Limited financial resources can encourage church leaders to rethink the pattern of ministry and look for ways to forward the outreach of the church with unpaid members. House churches are already in a more favorable financial position due to the limited expenditures required to facilitate the functionality of the church.

House churches require less money to start up and operate which frees up funds for other ministries. There are no sanctuaries to buy and maintain, and frequently there are no pastoral salaries to sustain. “The constant pressure to fill the pews and provide the money to keep the building and programs going is draining to the traditional church. To some of us, churches have become like big monsters that eat up everything we can give them and then constantly ask for more and more.” – Wikipedia

There are times that every Christian, as a good steward of his or her time and resources, should examine the effectiveness and responsible use of the buildings,  resources, and finances by their religious leaders for accountability, transparency, and adherence to the biblical principals and responsibilities of “feeding the flock” not “feeding off of the flock”.

Politics, secrecy, and isolation between “staff” and “membership” can be a red flag. I see Christ calling His followers to be servants of their brethren, while the religious Pharisees seek to rule as kings over a kingdom. We are told that we can recognize them by their fruit – that where there treasure is, that is where their heart is. If they talk more about tithes and “planting seeds of money” than repentance, love and service, they might be a hireling most interested in growing their money tree. If they are comfortable making merchandise of the people and making the gospel a measured career choice and business decision,  they may be interested in filling the pews just to fill their bellies and their pockets.

Also, if you know in your heart that you are being called out into a house church or missional community – it may have nothing to do with any problems in your existing place of worship,  but the Lord may be planting a new body of believers for a special purpose. Sometimes He calls teams of people into particular areas of focus and service. It doesn’t always have to be that there way is wrong and your way is right – there are lots of unique and varied parts of the body of Christ.

NOTE: Sometimes a muscle on one side of a joint exists solely to counter balance the muscle on the other side to keep the joint from over extending. The two are not working in opposition, but in unity – even though from there own unique persisting they might not understand why the other muscle always seems to be “pulling against/contrary to them”. Not everyone with a different perspective is your enemy – seek wisdom and understanding.

Christians who meet together in homes have often done so because of a desire to return to early Church style meetings as found in the New Testament. The New Testament shows that the early Christian church exhibited a richness of fellowship and interactive practice that is typically not the case in conventional denominations. They believe that Christians walked closely with each other and shared their lives in Christ together. Others believe that the early church met in houses due to persecution, and home meetings were the most viable option to the early adopters of Christianity.

Several passages in the Bible specifically mention churches meeting in houses. “The churches of Asia greet you, especially Aquila and Priscilla greet you much in the Lord, along with the church that is in their house.” I Cor 16:19. The church meeting in the house of Priscilla and Aquila is again mentioned in Romans 16:3, 5. The church that meets in the house of Nymphas is also cited in the Bible: “Greet the brethren in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in her house.” Col 4:15.

For the first 300 years of early Christianity, people met in homes until Constantine legalized Christianity, and the assembly moved out of houses into larger buildings creating the current style church seen today.