> General Discussions
If you are the son of god..
Kat:
There was definitely a time when the Apostles had so many people converting and believing in Christ, so there were large numbers of people meeting together and the Apostles were overseeing them. Now the Apostles were evangelizing and moving around teaching, so they determined to put people in authority of these groups as you can see spoken of in 1 Tim. 3. How long this lasted and when did some start leaving these larger groups to meet in homes, I'm not sure. But I believe it eventually happened to all true believers, even in that first generation of those churches.
The other Scripture in Hebrew 13:17 is probably still referring to the churches they were starting, but it can be applied to any group of believers where God has provided somebody to teach, such as we had with Ray. 1 Peter 5:5 an "elder" generally are those who have more life experience and are wiser because of it.
All of these are speaking of the groups/churches that were being started by the Apostles and were meant to be instruction to believers. Without the Holy Spirit working these things in the body of believers, well you have the church - Babylon, we all have had a taste of that and it was not good, to me anyway.
mercy, peace and love
Kat
lareli:
Are we supposed to be as isolated as we are now? I mean I don't talk to anyone outside of this forum about this stuff. Now that I'm not part of a church I feel kind of like I'm rebelling against God for not being part of a body of believers..
Kat:
largeli, if like many of us, you were raised in a church, then that is what you became accustom to. Now that God has drawn you to Him things need to change, but it is natural to want to stay with what you are used to and miss what you have left behind. But there is a warning about returning to what God has called you out of.
2Pe 2:21 For it were better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
v. 22 It has happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog turning to his own vomit again, and the sow that had washed to wallowing in the mire.
I was raised in church and became quite involved when I was an adult. Now I've been out of church for about 8 years. I certainly missed my friends from church at first, it seems that the church was the only bond that we had (to my surprise) and when I left that is it. But now I have adjusted to this new way of life and what I'm spiritually gaining now does not compare in any way to what I had then. Of course now that you do not have the church's guiding, so it is important for you have to continue the Bible study, meditate and pray on your on, but the blessings you can reap are beyond amazing.
Eph 1:17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him;
v. 18 having the eyes of your heart enlightened, that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
mercy, peace and love
Kat
lareli:
My concern isn't so much whether or not to go back to church.. I haven't been a part of a church for years. My concern is this.. God has literally blown my mind over and over and over ever since I left the church and focused on my own one on one relationship with Him without the input of the church. There's been revelation upon revelation and this site is a humongous part of that.. My question is, if the church instructions in the bible don't apply to us then what is it we're supposed to be doing with all these talents we've received? If the rest of my life is comprised of continually having my mind blown by new revelations and being a hermit then I'm fine with that but how then am I not the servant who buried his Masters talents instead of investing them?
Kat:
Mat 25:14 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.
v. 15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.
Well what do you surmise that the "talents" are? Can we understand that the "goods" that God has are spiritual and the talents that He gives us are spiritual as well. So what does He expect from us "when He returns"?
Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
v. 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
v. 24 And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
v. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
mercy, peace and love
Kat
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