____________________________________________
A
journey
in
rethinking
what
we
know
as
"church."
What a phenomenal
journey it is to walk with the
LORD and when, on the journey,
you begin to see things you've
never seen before, the resulting
emotion can sometimes be overwhelming!
Such is the case, here, lately. Incredible
as it is, we're seeing more and more of a picture we've
never seen before! It's as if a fog is lifting and
we're seeing things in a new light. The church---
the church doesn't need a revival---it needs
reformation! The great Reformation did give
something incredible: it gave people the Word and the
opportunity to experience the grace of God through faith
in the LORD Jesus---but it also gave them a model that's
not described in the New Testament---a model that's
remained and is yet going through changes in recent
years! What we're seeing now is the dramatic need
for reformation---the need to examine the 'church' and
how it functions and how it *ought* to function.
It's risky to throw out new ideas---people are offended
by ideas different than their customary ways of doing
things. In fact---we, as Christians can be
very very critical and down-right mean when we feel our
ways are challenged---when our sacred cows are
'attacked.' But what I'm talking about isn't an
attack---it's a realization that's unsealing all my
tightly held beliefs and crushing down my high-places.
This is radical thinking---but contrary to some people's
beliefs, it's real and true and right and it's right in
the Word in black and white. This
reformation would shake denominational hierarchies and
authorities and shake the pillars and rock the
foundations.
Once you start seeing
this, you can never return to walking the way you've
been walking---when you start seeing the blueprint of
the New Testament and you realize you would reject
violations to Scriptural mandates, you must soon reject
violations of the 'blue-prints' too. What are the
blue prints to which I refer? The gathering of the
saints and the fellowship of the brethren and the ways
of Acts. |