I have some things to Share with you that you may not have considered before.
You may have felt "Something Missing" or "Something Wrong" and cannot put your finger on it - you can't quite figure it out. By the time you finish reading this Page,
a lot of things may fit into place and make sense to you.
The Holy Spirit can show you the relevance of them for your Physical, Emotional and Spiritual Health. This will be New to most of You and may Benefit some of You more than any other Page on this Website. OK? "Lets Go!"
Home Fellowship More Interactive - More Friendly!
In No Way does the Local Church Model of Christianity Suffice for an
Intimate Walk with JESUS in Essential Ways in our time on this Earth OR the Fellowship we Could be Having. Let me Explain.
Jesus did say "FOLLOW ME" not a Preacher or Several Preachers - all that stuff is in vain. It's like the difference between a REAL FLOWER and an Artificial Flower.
Even the Close Fellowship of Believers Early Christians had in Each-Others Homes has been replaced by "Facing people's backs" and watching the "One Man Show"
or Elaborate considered to be "Ministry Team" - neither of these are found in the
New Testament when you think about it but Home Churches
The Lord is Bringing Back are.
Many Christians testify they are feeling much better in themselves and as a Family after leaving the Local Church Scene and engaging in Home Fellowship (a much Healthier Church Model) they say that Everyone Communicates and Everyone Participates and they are Closer to Jesus through the rest of the Week.
Most Christians see Local Church Services, Procedures and Practices as the Accepted Form of Christianity but it may enlighten you to hear that the Roman Emperor Constantine CHANGED the WAY that ALL Christians Fellowshipped three Centuries Later in 313AD that Changed the Fabric of Christianity: then in came the Buildings, Services and Hierarchy and Out went the True Fellowship, Healings and Miracles etc because the Leading of the Spirit is replaced with Man-Made Leadership Etc. The very thing Jesus did Not want!
So don't tell me that kind of thing is what we should not Neglect because the Apostle Paul was speaking about a much more Personal Fellowship between Believers when Scripture says "Do not Neglect Fellowshipping Together as is the Habit of Some but Encourage Each-Other all the More as the Coming of The Lord draws NEAR" (Hebrews 10:25)
As a matter of fact, the NMB (New Matthew Bible) words this beautifully and accurately like this "let us not forsake the fellowship that we have among ourselves, as the manner of some is, but let us exhort one another, and that so much the more because you see that the day draws near"........ notice Paul describes Personal Communication between Believers that is ABSENT in Local Church "Services" which incidentally do Not Serve God OR Believers because in reality, they replace Personal Worship to Jesus AND Fellowship between Believers.
Also many Christians feel frustrated and sometimes Unwell by that kind of 'Fellowship' because it Lacks the Experience of feeling Loved and Appreciated and Needed......which is something Present when Believers get together in Home Churches. It's a "Togetherness" thing more appropriate for JESUS' FAMILY.
Lets face it, Services are So Impersonal AND the Healings they Claim to have seldom take place because the Holy Spirit is grieved in such a man-made Controlled atmosphere. Plus Man would be sure to get the glory anyway.
But True and Remarkable Healings DO take place in Believer's Homes and Lives sometimes who are not brainwashed with all the Church Stuff or Looking to Preachers for their Healing. That's a Fact and I am a recipient of such, so I know that's True.
So it may be worth looking at how Closely you relate with Jesus and Believers who do the same if you wish to be Happier, Healthier and more Fulfilled. Jesus did say "Where two or three are Gathered in My Name (around Him) I am There in the Midst of them / in their Company" (Matthew 18:20) so don't worry if you can't find a Home Church, there is nothing to stop you starting one.
Pastors who don't wish to lose their Salaries forbid Christians to find their Freedom by saying "You must have a Spiritual Covering (referring to themselves as such) but nowhere do we find this in Scripture either, so they made that up for their Convenience to keep their Churches existing. But we do read in Scripture that
The Lord Himself is Our Covering - that's His Rightful Place. His alone.
There is also this to consider:
In one of Jesus' Parables, He mentioned Wheat and Tares in relation to Church People: He said there would be a lot of Tares among the Wheat. In other words, people who are not really Christians. The can really have very Unchristlike Behavior and speak mean and spiteful words; they can make so many Hurtful Remarks etc and you can wonder what you've struck with them. MANY true Christians have had necessity to Leave because of them. Even Pastors have been known to say hurtful things, believe it or not. Some Christians have been Anxious or Depressed because of these things or had Nervous Breakdowns and think they have to keep going to those Services to "Please God" that doesn't help matters at all. You could say that "Church Life has made them Sick."
If that is You dear one, Jesus will meet you "Outside the Church door" (so to speak) if you do the Wise thing and Leave. Opt for Simple Fellowship like those in small Home Churches. The Christians there prefer to Act and Communicate like True Believers and more Friendly.
A really Genuine Preacher spread the Message around Churches decades ago saying "Pardon the term I'm using for this but Local Churches - especially Mega Churches - have been Aborting Spiritual Babies for years. The System is wrong."
He went on to say they find it Impersonal and Unloving.
That's So True! you have to admit that.
This Is Also Very Important
Never make a Man or Woman your Spiritual Covering because we all have a New Nature and a Sin Nature. There are a number of ways that can be damaging - you can leave yourself open to Offenses from someone who is suppose to be Holy; you can be Disillusioned if they Lose Faith in You, have Favourites or treat Others Better; you can go Astray if they get Deceived or prove to be Hirelings.
Scripture clearly states "It is better to Trust in The Lord than to Trust in Man.
It is better to Take Refuge in Him than to put your Trust in Princes"
And if all is going well, there's the inclination to Look to Them instead of The Lord OR to think Too Highly of them. Sometimes Jesus could want your attention but
"it all belongs to the Preacher" so to speak. If we have been Dependent on a Preacher's Guidance, we can fail to Find Our Own which is not conducive to our Spiritual Growth; if we're dependent on their Teachings, we've allowed them to take the Holy Spirit's Role OR we can develop Their Bios instead of being Open to something The Lord wishes to Reveal to Us that is maybe different.
"Two is Company, Three is a Crowd" when The Lord wants our audience!
"The Secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him,
and He will show them His Covenant" (Psalm 25:14)
This Verse is speaking about Real Blessing that comes from having a Healthy Fear of The Lord whereby He Takes His Rightful Place in that Believer's Life and a Listening Ear - not Crowded Out by the Voices of Men OR 50% of the Affection we should have for Him Alone given to some Preacher. This is what it means to "Love The Lord will ALL our heart and mind and will" (Matthew 22:38) not some for The Lord and the rest for the Preacher OR a Church Movement. My word "No!"
Jesus called His Disciples together on one occasion to say something Important to them, and it was this "You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among You it will be Different." (Matthew 20:25 NLB New Living Bible) and it was for 3 Centuries before Constantine came along, and he had no business Messing with Believers. So if Pastors have any objections to Simple Home Churches, who is out of line? Those "Pastors" not Believers:) For sure, they are being Selfish for their pockets, so they don't have to Work basically because the Apostle Paul worked for his Income as a Tent maker. So for all their Religious Blurb they give you, they are not being very Spiritual.
Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you these things, where I am coming from.
His Peace be with You!