Showing posts with label service. Show all posts
Showing posts with label service. Show all posts

Monday 27 January 2014

Many forgot how Christ should be our anchor and our focus

When we look at the trends in the spiritual life of people we notice a growing trend among elders, preachers, and members of the church of Christ which is to turn Christianity and worship into things that are casual in nature.

People are given the freedom to look at their faith like they want to have it. they also may come to worship God whenever they like “as they are” and “dressed as they are.” Some preachers do not find it necessary to prepare their sermon because it has to be casual and straight from the heart. In some churches people have become totally against prepared or printed prayers , saying they would not come from the heart. Everything in service should be improvised and or casual.

73% of born again Christians may say that it is important to share their faith with others, but when we walk around is our environment we do not hear many talking about the Word of God or about the hope we can have in the Gospel. The Good News is not heard much, though many may know it is something we should share with others.

Only half (52%) of born again Christians say they actually did share the Gospel at least once this past year to someone with different beliefs, in the hope that they might accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour.

This sharing of the Good News demands also knowing it and acting accordingly it. But we can notice not many youngsters today really can or want to find time to read the Bible. They think it is not so necessary and for the few times they can make it to church they will hear enough of the Scriptures (they think), but in many churches there is less and less being read from the Scriptures and often just being shouted a few verses, but that's it.

Some preachers do find it more important to get others to know those dogmatic teachings and want to get as many as possible their own church rules, often by breaking off other churches and trying to get the followers of the other church to their church, claiming they are the better church. the set of beliefs — a collection of ideas seems all to what it turns about, instead of preaching the love of Christ.

For most people it is easiest to blindly keep accepting what the preachers tells them on the pulpit. those who dare to question certain things are looked at, because they could be a danger for their own believes or making them to doubt about certain matters, which they now can accept, because the follow the preacher and count him responsible in case it would not be true.

They are not interested in to look at the meaning of one verse with looking at the context in which it was written or to compare it with other verses in other chapters of the Holy Scriptures. Why should they bother who wrote it in which circumstances, what led into it, what did it lead into, etc. 

Today it may look surprising to find it interesting that the age group that is least likely to be regular church goers are most likely to verbally evangelize. In ordinary life, at work, we can find some people (a few) who simply share what they have seen and heard and know to be true and place it in Biblical perspective. Luckily we can find people committed to a Christ-centered, faith-based relationship with God through Jesus Christ, who are not actively connected with and participating in a church. They define themselves as Christians, but they are not active in pursuing spiritual formation in the context of a congregational expression. Some might consider them as beings who could be called "Christian “nones”" in that they have no formal affiliation at this time.

Most Evangelicals, especially leaders feel it important to affirm their doctrine and call out many verses (even when it may be out of context) to affirm their doctrinal believes and to frighten their members so they  would be afraid to leave any idea of their community. 

Jesus is the true example of right understanding of the Word of his Father, the Only One True God. He is the mediator between God and man, who showed us the way to a holy living, and unconditional mercy and love for the lost. It's a message that many Christians dismiss today – just as it was 2000 years ago.

Some may think what the world needs is the revelation of the Grace of God through the complete work of the cross. They might say listening to the likes of Joseph Prince, Creflo Dollar & Rob Rufus , getting this fresh revelation and drinking of the new wine of Holy Spirit is what keeps us fresh in our faith. God never promised us a bed of roses and the road is long and tough at times, but if Christ is our anchor and our focus, how can we neglect so great a salvation?

Lots of people become more concerned how big a church is, how people are dressed, how pleasant the services are, which 'good music" is played, how entertaining the worship can be, etc..

Exterior elements seem to have become more important than the state of the heart, the inner feelings.

In 2001 Barna warned already  most self-professed Christians are only dabblers in the Faith lacking any desire for holiness; begging the question of how serious these people are about their faith, and how real their relationship with Christ is. {George Barna, Growing True Disciples (Colorado Springs: WaterBrook, 2001), 17.}

Those who call themselves Christian, should give much more attention to the person they are claiming to follow. They should listen more to the words of the one they would call their master. Christ Jesus should be their guide, more than any particular preacher or church. Jesus should be the one they should follow.

Christianity is not a set of doctrines in the sense that a mechanic operates with a set of tools. Instead, Christianity is a comprehensive worldview and way of life that grows out of Christian reflection on the Bible and the unfolding plan of God revealed in the unity of the Scriptures. 
As such we also should need to develop more concern for our attitude, attendance, and attire. In a time when many want to practice casual Christianity, we need to practice true Christianity. We need to practice serious Christianity, devoted Christianity, and respectful Christianity.

The Bible tells us about the foggy times when religions will get against religions. The time of its prophesies has come
Men and Women of God must rise up, the Watchmen must cry out; for if the Spirit of the Living God is not poured out on us then all will be lost.


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Wednesday 10 November 2010

Contribution - Contributie, bijdrage

Bijdrage of contributie

Bijdrage: contribution. MEcontribucioun fr MF contribution fr L contribution contributio dividing distributing, assigning fr L contributus.
D Beiträge

 Act of contributing or a payement imposed upon a body of persons or on the population or group of people, a sum of monney paid as a form of tax or voluntary contributed.
  In certain churches a tithe or tenth to pay or give for the suport of the church or to cover the costs of the congregation or ecclesia. A form of tax imposed by certain churches to their members for religious purposes and especially for the support of the priesthood or religious establishement.
Other churches say that the administration of the Last Sacraments should be free of charge but dare to ask of the requesters a contribution (with direct price) to cover the expenses of their pastoral work and diaconal work.  According to them, the direct prices may not be a limitation however to ask for those sacraments.  They are for men that live of a low income always negotiable.  This method can give men an easy feeling that they do not beg but also give an idea how much they could contribute so not to have to give too little.  It can give the requesters a certain form of peace of mind. 

In some protestant churches there is also worked with collection coupons that either become furnished at the church members or that for every visitor at the church lie ready by the coffee buffet in the church.  By others, there lies an envelope which the churchgoers can put  their financial contributions. 

The Belgian Christadelhians find that the mostly suitable form for financial contribution is having a collection box or basket behind or on an inconspicuous spot, which gives the opportunity far everybody that wishes, to give a voluntary financial present discreetly.

 

Contributions are not have to be accounted for on the financial site.  One can contribute or furnish also by performing through work in the church community.  The foreseeing of flowers, hall decoration, taking care of the common classrooms, keeping everything clean, foreseen of the delicacies for after the service, etc give all sorts of activities, that also must be performed in the community , and where one mainly must count on voluntary co-workers.

 

Textually people also can contribute.  Literary writings, dissertations over Biblical and scientific subjects to discuss, can enrich the spiritual life of the entire community.  The lectures are not  always have to be provided by one man and how more people can contribute towards the church community, how more realm on spiritual understanding can become realised and how less danger there exists for an indoctrination or a concept from one person.  By bringing texts of more people several thoughts can be discussed and a larger variety of subjects and perspectives can come at bid.

The contribution can according to a promotion its till the welfare of the community.  Also contribute can possibilities create to do new things arise. 

But also through gifts within the church community, the ecclesia or parish can on her turn then again contribute to the commune, the town or living environment.  Churches have shown a long tradition in the middle-class commune.  In the anglo-saxon countries it is (or has been) the custom that churches offer all sorts of peoples activities through the year.  In our regions we do not see that so much, outside by the Catholic church the renting of the parish house where then all sorts of eat festivities and other affairs are offered for the locals to meet.  Also we can see  that it are the churches who remain in the old districts as other organizations already have left. They try that to be at the disposition for the needy and try to offer help where they can.  For that lasting presence, also called ecclesiastic presention, are according to some men professionals 'indispensable'.  For them it is asked to much for the volunteers to have to  work in the districts alone.  And actually it is well so, only one person can not do all that work, but in mutual cooperation of the church members it can be made possible. Together all members can, under a particular leadership, spend attention at the problems in districts and at the role belief can play in municipalities to improvement of those problems.

The approach, understandings and methods of the Christian Community can furnish a contribution at a harmonious society and promote the luck and welfare of so much possible living beings. 

The hospitality of the church community has to stretch further than the table of the Lord by which all baptised are welcome but all the others should also feel welcome to become partners to a wonderful event. 

Were former parishioners quite narrowly concerned on the ecclesiastic life, now it is difficult to find volunteers and people eager to help to construct the parish community.  Many men can find no time to invest themselves with activities in the church community.  For them, the financial contribution appears the easiest manner to support  the church community.

However, when you are really interested in belief, you can not escape to fix your relation to the developments in the church community.  Everybody on this earth must come till selfresearch.  Asking yourself question about faith and in what you want to belief. What will I do with my belief, for what do I need the church community and which contribution can I furnish to that church community?  Because belief and church are not obviously any more, it is difficult to find answers to all those questions. 

Therefore it is fine that in the history of men examples can be found of women and men that can help us to find our own way.  Women and men that have a particular meaning because of the way they lived.  They can help us to find the direction in which we can find answers on our life questions.

God needs men.  He needed Jesus of Nazareth.  But especially also: he needs us to give the love hands and feet.  In our actions Gods Light can break through. Besides, this is what Jesus wants from his followers, that they spread or carry out  the gospel further but also that indispensable love.  Each other giving life ... that can we!  That we do by stepping out of our own silly little world and to give each other attention, to take each other serious and listening to each other's  stories and urges.  By letting each other feel: I want to commit to you.  By coming  together on particular places so that every believer is able to carry out his faith and also can be of support and anchor for others.  The social contact that there can be given is in the commune of that belief group then becomes of very big importance. That is a not a neglect-able contribution.

For small small belief communities, especially all those which are not supported by institutional churches, it is more difficult to remain upright and to be able to cover the expenses.  Because they already have lesser means they are tremendously limited in the carrying out of their belief and in making their belief community known to others.  The mutual solidarity between men in the small belief community can certainly remain - how small in number the community also is, if these have been built on true belief.  Then it becomes importatn for them as a small group of enthusiastic men that they can keep the fire burning and that they remain seeking to forms of being together church that can fit their community. 

As local religiously we can only badly hope that by more men shall come more understanding  that the different part activities to service stand of the structure of one community and her mission. That more men may become more actively involved by the structure and the maintenance of the church community and may realize that it is a 'large' number of small branches that necessarily can be fulfilled.  Everybody in the beliefs community must there be self conscious that the church community has to play a positive striking and at the same time recognizable role in the towns community and that activities and projects of the church community can give a larger acquaintance at the belief community through which on her turn the community also again shall be able to grow and so will get a good return.





De bijdrage is het aandeel dat men geeft, welk op wetenschappelijk, theoretisch en op praktisch en financieel vlak kan liggen. Het is de verwachting voor het toekennen of afgeven van een betaling in natura of geldelijke middelen aan een groep van mensen of aan de bevolking, als een vorm van taks of vrijwillige voorziening om bepaalde kosten te kunnen dekken.Zo kunnen in verscheidene kerken de kosten door vrijwillige bijdragen gedekt worden.

In bepaalde kerken wordt er op gerekend dat de leden van de kerkgemeenschap uit eigen overtuiging vrijwillig een tiende (tithe) van hun loon of inkomsten afstaan aan de kerkgemeenschap, zo dat de kosten van de kerkgemeenschap of congregatie kunnen gedekt worden. Bij sommige kerken wordt dit (tithing)  zelfs als iets vanzelfsprekend gezien en kan men eigenlijk niet meer van een vrijwillige bijdrage spreken maar van een heffing op het inkomen. Deze heffing of 'Tiende' wordt dan gebruikt om de priesters, pastors, dominees of predikers en het religieus establishment te ondersteunen.

Andere kerken zeggen dat de bediening van de sacramenten gratis is bij hen maar vragen van de aanvragers een bijdrage (met richtprijs) om de onkosten van hun pastoraal en diaconaal werk te dragen. Volgens hen mogen de richtprijzen echter geen beletsel zijn om een viering aan te vragen. Ze zijn voor mensen die leven van een laag inkomen altijd bespreekbaar. Deze methode kan de mensen een gerust gevoel geven dat zij niet bedelen maar ook een idee geven hoeveel zij zouden kunnen bijdragen om niet te weinig te moeten geven. Het kan de aanvragers aldus een zekere vorm van gemoedsrust geven.

In sommige protestantse kerken wordt er ook gewerkt met collectebonnen die ofwel bezorgd worden aan de kerkleden of die voor iedere bezoeker aan de kerk klaar liggen bij het koffiebuffet in de kerk. Bij anderen ligt er daar een envelop waar de kerkgangers dan hun geldelijke bijdragen in kunnen stoppen.


De ons meest geschikte vorm voor financiële bijdrage is van achter of op een onopvallend plekje en collectebus of mandje waar iedereen die wenst, onopvallend een vrijwillige financiële schenking kan doen.

Bijdragen hoeven echter niet enkel op financieel vlak te liggen. Men kan ook bijdragen leveren door werk in de kerkgemeenschap te verrichten. Het voorzien van bloemen, zaalversiering, proper houden van de gemeenschappelijke lokalen,  voorzien van de versnaperingen voor na de dienst, enz. geven allerlei activiteiten die ook in de gemeenschap moeten verricht worden en waar men hoofdzakelijk moet rekenen op vrijwillige medewerkers.



Tekstueel kunnen ook bijdragen geleverd worden. Letterkundige geschriften, verhandelingen over Bijbelse en wetenschappelijk te bespreken onderwerpen, kunnen het geestelijk leven van de gehele gemeenschap verrijken. De lezingen hoeven niet steeds door één man voorzien te worden en hoe meer mensen bijdragen in de kerkgemeenschap, hoe rijker aan spiritueel inzicht zij kan worden en hoe minder gevaar er bestaat voor een indoctrinatie of een denkbeeld vanuit één persoon. Door teksten van meerdere mensen naar voor te kunnen brengen kunnen ook meerdere gedachten besproken worden en een grotere verscheidenheid aan onderwerpen en gezichtspunten aan bod komen.

De bijdrage kan aldus een bevordering zijn tot het welzijn van de gemeenschap. Ook kunnen bijdragen mogelijkheden creëren  om nieuwe dingen te doen ontstaan.

Maar ook door giften binnen de kerkgemeenschap kan de ecclesia of parochie op haar beurt dan weer bijdragen tot de leefgemeenschap, het dorp of woonomgeving. Kerken hebben een lange traditie in het zich vertonen in de burgerlijke leefgemeenschap. In de Angelsaksische landen is het gewoonte dat kerken allerlei volksactiviteiten doorheen het jaar aanbieden. In onze contreien komt dat niet zo veel voor, buiten bij de katholieke kerk de verhuring van de parochiehuizen waar dan allerlei eetfestijnen en andere zaken worden aangeboden om de mensen in het lokaal te ontmoeten. Ook valt het op dat het de kerken zijn die in de oude wijken blijven als andere organisaties al zijn vertrokken. Zij proberen daar ter beschikking te zijn voor de behoeftigen en hulp te bieden waar het kan. Voor die blijvende aanwezigheid, ook wel kerkelijke presentie genoemd, zijn volgens sommige mensen beroepskrachten 'onontbeerlijk'. Voor hen is het voor vrijwilligers te veel gevraagd om het werk in de wijken alleen te moeten uitvoeren. En eigenlijk is dat wel zo, alleen kan men dat niet aan, maar in onderlinge samenwerking van de kerkleden zou dat wel mogelijk kunnen gemaakt worden. Samen kunnen alle leden onder een bepaalde leiding aandacht besteden aan de problemen in wijken en de rol die de geloofsgemeentes kunnen spelen ter verbetering van die problemen.



De benadering, inzichten en methodes van de Christen Gemeenschap kunnen een bijdrage leveren aan een harmonische samenleving en het geluk en welzijn bevorderen van zo veel mogelijk levende wezens.

De gastvrijheid van de kerkgemeenschap hoort zich zich verder uit te strekken tot aan de tafel van de Heer waarbij alle gedoopten welkom zijn maar de anderen zich ook welkom voelen om samen deelgenoot te zijn van een wonderbare gebeurtenis.

Waren vroeger parochianen heel nauw betrokken op het kerkelijk leven, nu is het moeilijk om vrijwilligers en vrijwilligsters te vinden. Veel mensen kunnen geen tijd vinden om zelf met activiteiten in de kerkgemeenschap te investeren. Voor hen lijkt de financiële bijdrage de makkelijkste manier om de kerkgemeenschap te steunen.
Wanneer je evenwel geïnteresseerd bent in geloof, ontkom je er echter niet aan om je verhouding tot de ontwikkelingen in de kerkgemeenschap te bepalen. Iedereen op deze aarde moet tot zelfonderzoek komen. Jezelf vragen gaan stellen: waar geloof ík in, wat wil ík met mijn geloof, waarvoor heb ík de kerkgemeenschap nodig en welke bijdrage kan ík aan die kerkgemeenschap leveren? Omdat geloof en kerk niet vanzelfsprekend meer zijn, is het ook zo moeilijk om een antwoord op deze vragen te vinden.
Daarom is het fijn dat er in de mensengeschiedenis voorbeelden te vinden zijn van vrouwen en mannen die ons kunnen helpen om onze eigen weg te vinden. Vrouwen en mannen die een bijzondere betekenis hebben vanwege de manier waarop zij geleefd hebben. Zij kunnen ons helpen om de richting te vinden waarin wij antwoorden kunnen vinden op onze levensvragen.
God heeft mensen nodig. Hij had Jezus van Nazareth nodig. Maar vooral ook: hij heeft ons nodig, om de liefde handen en voeten te geven. In ons handelen kan Gods licht doorbreken. dit is trouwens wat Jezus van zijn volgelingen verwacht, dat zij het evangelie verder verspreiden maar ook die onontbeerlijke liefde uitdragen. Elkaar het leven geven... dat kunnen wij! Dat doen we door uit ons eigen wereldje te stappen en elkaar aandacht te geven, elkaar au serieus te nemen en door te luisteren naar elkaars verhalen en noden. Door elkaar te laten voelen: ik ben met jou begaan. Door samen te komen op bepaalde plaatsen kan elke gelovige zijn geloof mee uitdragen maar ook tot steun en toeverlaat voor anderen zijn. Het sociale contact dat er in de leefgemeenschap van die geloofsgroep dan gegeven kan worden is van zeer groot belang. Dat is een niet te verwaarlozen bijdrage.

Voor kleine kleine geloofsgemeenschappen, vooral al zij niet gedragen worden door institutionele kerken, is het veel moeilijker om overeind te kunnen blijven en om de kosten aan te kunnen. Doordat zij reeds op veel minder middelen beroep kunnen doen zijn zij enorm beperkt in de uitdraging van hun geloof en in de kenbaarmaking van hun geloofsgemeenschap.
De onderlinge verbondenheid tussen mensen in de kleine geloofsgemeenschap kan zeker blijven - hoe klein in aantal de gemeenschap ook is, als deze op waar geloof is gebouwd.  Het komt er dan op aan dat de kleine groep van mensen enthousiast kan blijven en dat zij steeds blijven  zoeken naar vormen van samen-kerk-zijn die passen bij hun gemeenschap.

Als plaatselijke gelovigen kunnen wij slecht hopen dat bij meer mensen meer besef komt dat de verschillende deelactiviteiten ten dienste staan van de opbouw van de ene gemeenschap en haar missie. Dat meer mensen meer actief betrokken mogen worden bij de opbouw en het onderhoud van de kerkgemeenschap en mogen beseffen dat er een ‘groot’ aantal kleine taken zijn die noodzakelijk kunnen vervuld worden. Iedereen in de geloofsgemeenshap moet er zich bewust van zijn dat de kerkgemeenschap een positief opvallende en tegelijkertijd herkenbare rol moet vervullen in de dorpsgemeenschap en dat activiteiten en projecten van de kerkgemeenschap een grotere bekendheid kunnen geven aan de geloofsgemeenschap waardoor op haar beurt de gemeenschap ook weer zal kunnen aangroeien en zo een goede return krijgen.

Friday 5 November 2010

Making church

That God our prayers wants is sometimes found strange even by Christian believers. But our Creator has His eye on us and would like to have it tht His creation loves Him as their father. We should show our presence, our gifts and our service as the expression of our gratitude to God. Jesus gave us the task to pray to His Father as well instituted he at the Last Supper, just a few hours before his dead, the Memorial Meal.

As such we do have received the task to come together, regularly meeting to remember the dead of Jesus.It is
our presence our physical presence, our attendance, that we have to give to God. As part of the limb of Christ we should become thriving blood and give the community warmth and health to live and grow.
Remember the old story about the blind man who also had great difficulty hearing? He couldn't see and couldn't hear, but he never missed church. He was there every Sunday. Someone asked him, "Why? You can't see what's happening and you can't hear much of what is being said, but you are always here at church. You are always here. Why? Why do you come?"
He answered, "Because I want the world to know whose side I'm on."


It does not have to be every Sunday or even on Sunday, but we should have to be able to find a day in the so many hours which lay for us. Every one of us who finds himself a believer should be courageous enough to come out in this world as a follower of Christ and show it by his attitude.The world should tell by the way you live, by your love for the church, by your devotion to the church, by your church attendance record, whose side you are on. In the spirit of gratitude to God for his inexpressible gift of Jesus Christ, we can give our prayers and our presence.

When we as believers would unite and come together we shall be able to create church. We can become church.



We can pray, too, that God will be with you and will use you as His instrument of love and peace and grace. But then you have to be prepared to be willing to give yourself as an instrument in the hands of God.

Then it becomes important that we ask God to create His instrument here on earth for us. We can pray that we can form with others a church where we may be faithful in continuing the preaching, teaching, healing, caring ministry of Christ. Please pray for your church. The church needs your prayers.

In the articles Opbouw van een ecclesia en verbonden kosten & The Ecclesia in the churchsystem we go in to present the possibilities and difficulties we have to face forming an ecclesia.

We show that
the point is that we are all needed. But, you know, there is another thing to be said that is even more important: We all need to give. Giving is good for our souls. It's the spiritual expression of our gratitude and commitment to God and it is so important to our spiritual health. Virtue is its own reward and so is giving. The real reward is in the giving. And this giving can be in different ways. Everybody has something in which he can excell. that what we can do well we can use for the community. We can give our service to all the believers who want to become united.

When we join hands in grateful service to God we are making the church together. When in gratitude to God for His inexpressible gift of Jesus Christ, we give our prayers, our presence, our gifts and our service. We are making the church together. Let's do just that - for our own sakes, for the good of others, and for the greater glory of God.

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Read more > 
The Ecclesia in the churchsystem

For the Dutch version go to  / Nederlandse versie: Maken van een kerk

Dat wij allemaal samen kunnen werken in het verwezenlijken van een ware kerkgemeenschap kan u vinden in  Opbouw van een ecclesia en verbonden kosten & uitgebreider in de Engelse versie The Ecclesia in the churchsystem

Tuesday 21 September 2010

An ecclesia in your neighborhood

Sometimes you hear people complaining that they do not have a church nearby.
But then you could wonder why they do not bring the church in their village. God is everywhere and you can reach Him at any place all over the world. He is not limited to a certain building.
So those who would like to have an ecclesia nearby could start to create that place in their home town.

The Brothers in Christ prefer to use the term ecclesia (ekklesia in the Greek) meaning ‘gathering’ and historically refers to any gathering in any context, secular or otherwise. The word implies people not buildings or programs. All of God’s people make up the church. We are the church together. ‘Church’ is people. That is the view the earliest Christians had of themselves.‘Church’ is loaded with so many connotations. We wish we didn’t have to use it! One easily thinks of buildings with pointy roofs, stained glass windows, pews, pulpits, shrines and statues, priests and pastors. People think of it as ‘where you go’ and ‘what you do’. This is a far cry from the view the earliest Christians had of themselves.

The basic unit of the church in the first three centuries was the ‘household’ or ‘oikos’ (Gr). Oikos refers to the ‘household’ rather than just the building. Households in New Testament times included wider family, slaves, servants, clients and in fact one’s ‘sphere of influence’. We as brothers and sisters in Christ should feel bounded together and should not feel that there are any differences between us in rank, colour, age. Everybody in the community should have the same value. Our binding element should be Christ Jesus, who died for us all. As his followers we should be like being his brother or sister and should share the love with others as he showed his love for all those around him.  Jesus went into different houses and showed in them how people could come to his Father. In one upper room he also showed the apostles how they should continue his work and have a meal together with other believers. Around the table he asked them to do in remembrance of him a breaking of the bread and a sharing of the cup of the New Covenant. Jesus did not do that in the temple, but in a hired room in a normal house. We also can either hire a room, use an open or public space or better still, use a living or other room in some ones house. Jesus was reared in a home in a family and as a family man he loved also the atmosphere and fulfilled his ministry often in homes. The house was, as today, the place where the basic unit of society lives – the family. Note the many times we read of Jesus eating with His disciples and with others – in homes.
Disciples were sent out on a door-to-door mission and Jesus also told them to continue their way in case they were not welcome at a certain place. After Pentecost, Christians met in houses. In Romans 16:3-5 and in several other places in the New Testament, reference is made to the church that meets in a home. Work and ministry in homes was part of Paul’s mission journeys.


Start with two or three friends - have a meal together, and share your vision.  Plan to encourage one another, share you lives, pray together to seek God's way forward to be and to do what He wants for you as a gathering and for the community around you.  It's as simple as that!

In our small community it is important to be open to new comers. But we always do have to be aware that we all come from many different experiences in our Christian journey. the ecclesia does not have to have many people, it is more important that those who are present are people who want to share the Good News and want to serve God. However small it is important that they are willing to encourage one another, share life, pray together, read the Bible together, and enjoy God and one another.

You could ask if there has to be a strict order of the gathering. Except that there should be a welcoming moment, an opening, a centre part  with lots of time to be taken for the Word of God with Bible reading and exhortation, the Breaking of the Bread and then a closure, there should be no strict format you have to follow or for everyone to agree on minor matters of doctrine for this to happen. It just can be inspiring to have every time a different service. Also we should avoid any regular uttering of preformed repeating texts. You do not have to be afraid to create prayers or moments of meditation on the spur of the moment, or to be afraid that the texts would not be brought fluently enough when it is not a set text. Members of the community should be sympathetic to anybody who dares to open his or her mouth. Understanding has to go out to all those who bring something into the service. Spoken or sang anything is welcome. A worship service has to be one of action and everybody in the ecclesia should be part of that action. All, young or old can contribute.

The experience of the Risen Lord was an ever-present vibrant reality within the individual and amongst the followers of Christ as they encouraged, blessed, taught and enabled one another, and as they joyously spread the Good News of the Gospel from household to household. Today is should not be different. We all should spread the word and that beautiful message of the Good News the New Covenant and the coming of the Kingdom of God.
By coming together in one place or other we can give each other a moment of blessed time.  for us it can create an opportunity to built one another from the teaching we received from the time we could have free to read in the Bible. We should be aware that not everybody has the same chances to spend the same amount on reading the Word of God. Also not everybody has the same gifts to read and understand easily. So we all should help each other to see the light. We should give each other the possibility to bring forward some questions on all sorts of matters. All the questions brought forward can then be answered in the light of Gods Word. By bringing forwards different interpretations every body can see  and hear how others think and understand certain phrases in the Bible. Everybody can also share the experience of the ways of God in each person. Very grassroots and alive. Teaching and admonishing one another all can look at and share prophecy, tongues and other gifts.

We should not be afraid that every worshipping service is different. What happens arises from the experience of God that each member has. Growth happens as the encouraging and enabling one to another takes us further on the journey as individuals and as a group. In the ecclesia we should enable and encourage the gifts of one another for the building of the Body. And this is easier to do in a smaller community, so it may not bother us that we are such a few.

Monday 24 May 2010

Florence Nightingale on the Work of God in her

Florence Nightingale from Carte de Visite
Florence Nightingale from Carte de Visite (Photo credit: Wikipedia)


If I could give you information of my life,
it would be to show how a woman of very ordinary ability
has been led by God in strange and unaccustomed paths
to do in His service what He has done in her.

And if I could tell you all, you would see how God has done all,
and I nothing.

I have worked hard, very hard -- that is all,
and I have never refused God anything.

-- Florence Nightingale,
founder of the Red Cross and the nursing profession


Dutch version / Nederlandstalige versie > Gods werk in Florence Nightingale


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2016 linkupdate

Saturday 16 May 2009

A Living Faith #9 Our Manner of Life

A LIVING FAITH
Our Manner of Life

When we consider the great price that has been paid for us and the great love extended towards us, really it is very reasonable matter that we are asked to respond to that love. If we truly do love the Lord our God, then we will strive to obey His Word and put the Commandments into practice day by day. In addition we will earnestly desire the return of the Lord Jesus and strive to diligently prepare for that great and glorious day.  By way of exhortation Peter asks:

“What manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God” 2 Peter 3:11-12

That word ‘ought’ means: ‘it is necessary’, or ‘there is need of’, or ‘it is right and proper’. It is indeed only right and proper, that as children of the Almighty, we live our lives striving to be holy, separate and undefiled to the best of our abilities. There is a great need for personal conduct to be upright and to be ‘Christ like’ in our way of life and behaviour. Indeed Paul speaks of this as being our ‘reasonable service’. So we read:

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” Romans 12:1 

That word reasonable means, logical or rational. Reflecting upon the great price paid for our redemption, the great mercy extended towards us and the divine love shown towards us surely must inspire a willing, wholehearted response. The rational response is to demonstrate loving appreciation by obedience to His Word. Our manner of life must change as we grow in the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith and love will be shown not merely by our words, but by our actions.

Yet as always being so prone to forgetfulness we need constantly reminding about the true values in life. We must maintain the right perspective, thus Jesus commands us to remain in his love lest we stray:

"As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in my love.”If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in His love.  John 15:9-10

Now the Commandments of Christ booklet is a loved and valued reminder of the principle teachings of Christ.  Our manner of life must manifest obedience to those commandments, if faith is to be something that is living, vibrant and active in our daily lives. Ask yourself the following questions:

Ø What do those commandments mean to me personally? 
Ø What effect do they have upon my daily life?
Ø How am I as an individual, personally putting them into practice?

These questions are very pertinent for Jesus must come first and above all else in our lives. Indeed he is our life! Did not Jesus say:

"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:26-27

What does bearing a cross daily mean? Clearly, it means a sacrifice of self, a crucifying or putting to death the ‘old man’ and following Christ daily. In other words, not our will, but doing the will of Yahweh as expressed in the commandments so clearly laid out in scripture.

So then what do I mean by suggesting that the commandments of Christ are personalised? Well, firstly consider the greatest commandment of all, Jesus said:

“You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment.” Mark 12:30

What does this mean in practical terms?

Personalising this commandment might go something like this:

Ø  Service to God must be first in my life: Matthew 6:33

Ø  I must work in the Lords service faithfully and diligently to the best of my abilities: Isaiah 66:1-2; Matthew 24:45-47; 1Tim 2:15

To give another example of personalising the commandments of Christ we can recall that Jesus provided the means by which in his absence his disciples would be reminded about his ministry and resurrection. We read:

“And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me. Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.” Luke 22:19-20

What does this mean in practical terms?

Well, if we honestly desire to remember Jesus and all that he represents, then again personalising this commandment might go something like this:

Ø  Jesus must be my example in everything and I will try to be like him. 1Peter 2:21-23; John 13:15-16
Ø  Only through Jesus can my sin be covered, therefore I must remain in him.  John 15:5-7; Heb 2:1-3
Ø  My aim must be to prepare diligently for when Jesus Christ returns. Because of this, I will not get too engrossed with the work and interests of this life. Matt 24:44; Luke 12:35-38, 40; 2Peter 3:10-14

For a third example of personalising the commandments of Christ consider these words of John:

“If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” 1John 1:6-7

What does this mean in practical terms?

Well before answering that question let us first reflect upon some more scripture:

“The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.” Psalm 119:130

“Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105

“There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” Ephesians 4:4-6

Without the Word of Yahweh there is only utter spiritual darkness. Therefore our manner of life must be subjected to the scrutiny of His Word which alone can illuminate and guide our feet in the way of life. There can only ever be one Truth, any other gospel is a lie and will not save. Therefore personalising this commandment to “walk in the light” might go something like this:

Ø  I cannot have fellowship with those who live in darkness, but must set an example to others: Eph 5:11
Ø  I cannot have fellowship with those who turn away from sound doctrine and/or practice: Gal 1:6-9; 2Thess 3:6,14; 2John 8-10


 Andy Peel




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