An Invitation to Go to Un-Church?

We Went To Church!??

WHAT? The writer that advocates seeking God outside of the walls of a church building found himself in church the other evening?

 -No, it was not a relatives wedding, baptism, children's program, fund raiser, Church Drama, food drive, Ordination Service, Revival Service, Prophecy/ Healing/ Miracle Crusade, Bible Study, Men's Meeting, Staff Meeting, Easter Service, Pastor Appreciation Month, or even the normal routine Sunday meeting.

There were no Big Names, Special Speakers, Doctor of Divinity, mega-church pastors with an entourage, no Italian-suited Apostles, Bishops, Prophets, Purpose Driven Promoter or other titled potentates of Celebrity Christendom. No robed choir and no "worship  team"  was seen.

There was no parking lot, vestibule, no Starbucks in the lobby, no lobby, no pastors office, no display cabinets, nothing was for sale although we did have a chicken dinner, no CD's/DVD's or even a lowly cassette around. 

 There was no pulpit, stage, tele-monitors, microphones, deacons, offering collectors, Special Singers, and not even a pew! There were no ushers, tithe envelopes, no suited orators, no program, no Bulletins, no Classes, no Staff meeting, no song books, no choreographed order of "service". No "special speaker" was flown in and put up in a hotel.

It was unscheduled. There was no one man in charge dominating the gathering.

How in the Name of Denominational Covering can you have church without all that stuff? A REAL church ought to at least have a storefront building you say?  If you don't have that "stuff" and at least a titled Chief Ruler, it's not really a church?

Where were we and what went on that we dare call it .....church?

First let me explain what "church" is. Church is from the Greek word "ekklesia" . What in the world does that mean? Although it was incorrectly translated as "church", it literally means "assembly, congregation, the CALLED OUT ones".   Hence, nobody in God's Word "went to church".  (http://www.biblepages.net/ega061.htm  

Jesus spoke in terms of those whom He called out of apostate Judaism.The folks we gathered with were all ex-"church" goers who had "come out from among them" from various sects of Christianity. No one even gave it a thought that we were conducting a "church" meeting, somehow that small formality was even omitted.

  

There were 11 people there. Matthew 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Jesus was among us.

There were two people confirmed healed and afflicting pain in several of them ceased. At one point it appeared a pet dog would not quit barking and we rebuked it and the dog immediately became quiet..

We had a meal together, testified, taught, edified one anothers' faith, prayed for one another, and shared the Word of God. 1Cor 14:26 What is it then, brethren? When ye come together, each one hath a psalm, hath a teaching, hath a revelation, hath a tongue, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.

 We were in agreement and like-minded even though we barely knew each other and came from very different backrounds.Phil 2:2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind..

Oh yes, we met in a house.

Acts 5:42 ... and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus ChristActs 16:32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.Rom 16: 5 Likewise greet the church that is in their house.

 No one announced we would have a "church" meeting, "go to church", or "meet at the church". As we drove home it dawned on us, we were "the church" tonite !!! We were together most of the day, from 3pm to after 11.   It was not until later that we realized we had been to "church" because NONE of the typical "stuff" of a traditional church were evident!  

The simplicity of it all points out to us how far the modern American church has strayed from the simple gatherings of the disciples as in the book of Acts.

Yes friends, it was true and what we experienced was a picture of what "church" is going to look like for millions of Christians who "come out from among them", i.e. the fallen, competitive, sectarian, self-serving apostate kingdoms and religions of Christianity. 

 No one was "puffed up", but all were "built up".

 It was the best "church service" we have been to and completely devoid of what we now recognize as completely unnecessary clutter, tradition, and ridiculous formality orchestrated every Sunday.

 I can't wait for it to happen again.

Should we Leave LEFT BEHIND On the Shelf?

Should we leave "Left Behind" on the shelf? Let's test.
-by rory moore

Lets see how the dead in Christ are raised first, then the living are caught up with them.

1.  WHO is "caught Up"? 

      First look at the order and just who goes up when  "The DEAD IN CHRIST rise first.  

            a. 1st Thessalonians 4:16  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first;  
            b 1Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.   
            c. 23   But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits; then they that are Christ`s, at his coming.
            d. 42  So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; and raised in incorruption:
            e. 51     I tell you a mystery: We all shall not sleep (in death), but we shall all be changed,
            f.  52     in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised, and we shall be changed.

So it is the dead that are raised first, and the dead are raised in the "first resurrection" according to scripture. Understanding when the first resurrection takes place, and who is in it should simplify this.

 2.  The "first resurrection" is after the tribulation. Rev. 20:5-6

 3.  The "dead in Christ" must include the "dead in the Lord" who die during the tribulation because they refused the mark of the beast.

 4. There is ONE body of Christ and the body of Christ includes both Jews and gentiles  (Eph. 2) The body of Christ at first was a Jewish church. Later gentiles were grafted in.  The Jewish church gave recognition to the gentiles and Jews having one faith, one covenant, and there is "no difference between" them.
       a. Acts 15:9 9 and he made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.
       b. Eph. 2:14  For he is our peace, who made both one/ that he might create in himself of the two one new man, so making peace;  16  and might reconcile them both in one body unto God through the cross

      c. 1 Cor 12:13   For in one Spirit were we all baptized into ONE BODY, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free; and were all made to drink of one Spirit.

4.  There is One body, One Covenant, and the idea that God is rapturing a Jewish-gentile church out and turn to the Jew, and then they tribulation Jews then go and evangelize the whole world including the gentiles is preposterous.  But it does sell a lot of books and movie tickets.

 5. The church of Jesus Christ is called by a number of names: bride, body of Christ, church, saints, elect, election, disciples, a holy nation, and Christians.    It was created with Jews first and then gentiles, and became the "ONE body" of Christ.

6. Christ said after 3 days He would raise His body. He said He would raise the dead. His own physical body would be raised, and so would His corporate body.
Jn 6:54 He that eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day.   
John 2:19  Jesus answered them, Destroy this temple,  in three days I will raise it up.
2Corinthians 4:14  knowing that he that raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also with Jesus,  and shall present us with you.      

      

The dead are raised at the "last day", as Christ said four times in John 6.   
John 6:39    And this is the will of him that sent me, that of all that which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.
John 6:40  …..every one that sees the Son, and believes on him,  should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
:44  no man can come to me, except the Father that sent me draw him: and I will raise him up in the last day.
:54 He that eats my flesh and drinks my blood hath eternal life: and I will raise him up at the last day. 

How might the dead be raised? -will it be by the Word, a voice, a shout and will it be "COME FORTH!!" as with Lazarus, i.e the sound of the trump??? 

Trust Not the Big Name ministry’s that sell their errors.

Jeremiah 14:13

Then said I, Ah, Lord! the <false> prophets say to them, You shall not see the sword, neither shall you have famine; but I will give you assured peace in this place.

 Is God's "house" a building or a body?

 1 Peter 2:5        you also, ... are built up a  spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, to offer up  > spiritual sacrifices…

Notice the words,  "spiritual house"... "spiritual sacrifices".

 Can unconverted Jews (with the Vatican and Freemasons) build a temple made with hands, and offer rejected sacrifices, but somehow it will become "holy"? 

How a building can be God’s house? -when God said the very opposite! 

Accordingly, there is ONE spiritual house and it is a body in which there is "neither Jew nor Greek".  God is not going to raise the dead in part and turn to the Jews and have a second "first resurrection" which the "Pre-Trib" teaches.. 

The "kicker" being that there are also saved gentiles that come out of "great tribulation"!

Rev. 7:9 After these things I saw, and behold, a great multitude, which no man could number, out of every nation and of [all] tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, arrayed in white robes, and palms in their hands.
:13 And one of the elders answered, saying to me, These that are arrayed in white robes, WHO ARE THEY, and WHERE did they come from?  :14 And he said to me, These are they that came of the great tribulation, and they washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

  What body would be raised up on the "THIRD DAY"?

 (Coincidentally, it is now the beginning of the third millennial "day" since Jesus prophesied a dual prophecy when He said "destroy THIS temple and in THREE DAYS I will raise it up". -but He spoke of the temple of His body.”)

 One body He would raise in three regular days, as a "figure", the other body He would raise up in 3 millennial days. 

That time is written of as the "first resurrection”  after the tribulation:

 Rev. 20:4  And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus and for proclaiming the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his statue, nor accepted his mark on their foreheads or their hands. 

They all came to life again, and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 

:5  This is the first resurrection.  (The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years had ended.) 

6 Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. 

Is that now obvious?  
The "first resurrection" is after the tribulation, the dead are raised, which is what 1Thessalonians 4 says "the dead in Christ rise first, then we which are alive and remain to the coming of the Lord...

“Left Behind" and the Pre-trib is a deadly deception that sells well but is contrary to God’s Word.