What is God's dream for His church?
 

I await your response>>>
Can we fulfill God's dream?

I see this as 2-fold.

First, we are to be the bride, the Lambs wife. Our desire is to be towards our husband, Jesus. We are to always be wanting intimacy and communion with him.

Second, and this is "birthed" out of the first, we are to produce spiritual offspring. Our lives should be a continual reach to bring others to Christ. Our desire for souls should be a reflection of his desire.


To me, these two are the primary vision God has for his Church. His "dream" is that we abide in his fullness, and produce children.

He wants us to see things as He does...He talked often about see, look, eyes...
I guess we could say He willed us His eyes...He wants us to have the ability to see as He does.

"Two distinguishing marks of the early church were: 1) Poverty and 2) Power." -
T.J. Bach
Most churches have neither...oh a few poor folks and a big noise...but real power like the early church...I have seen very little of it...We are too busy collecting things to have time to pray for power...

This is an awesome answer!

To add to it, we as his bride and as his body are to represent Him to the world. We are Christ's ambassadors and are to be like Him. We bring light and salt to a dark and unsavory world.

Other distinguishing marks of the early church are Love and Fellowship.

Another great thread that has the potential of great substance, and already has begun to take that shape with the posts thus far.

He wants it to grow up into HIM in all things.

11: And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12: For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:
14: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
15: But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: Eph. 4:11-15

A man does not go out looking for a little girl to marry. He wants a woman the same stature of himself that they may fellowship in understanding.

that's not true...

the early church wasn't that poor, they were just underground, there is a difference...

There is direct evidence that as early as Paul's ministry people who were mayors and very wealthy land-owners were converts...

Look at Philemon... Ananias & Saphiris... you can't sell property if you don't own property and you don't own property if you aren't wealthy in the ancient world...

You are forgetting the land was given to them.

what??

given to them by who?? what are you talking about???

The land was given to them by God. What land are you talking about? LOL!! We may be talking past each other. Hehehehehe!

lol, well yeah...

but you can't say the church was in poverty because everything they owned actually belonged to God... thats akin to saying Bill Gates is living in poverty because God actually owns everything Bill Gates has...

I was saying the early church was not as poor as some people think they were, there is evidence that major landowners and "city council" members were converts in the early church in cities like Corinth and Ephesia and in Galatia (I think its Galatia that is a territory not a city)

The church was not poor... do you think a bunch of poor, broke peasents could build the catacombs??? No way...

The catacombs were not built by the church. They were built by the Romans. The early church was not made up of a bunch of rich people. I am sure there were some rich folks in the mix, but the church did not hit the ground running with wealth untold.

they didn't have wealth untold, no, but you don't have to have wealth untold to not be in poverty...

look at Sister Alvear's post that I first responded to in this thread where she claimed the early church was in poverty. Simply put, claiming the early church was in poverty is false... That's my point... They weren't grossly wealthy, either, but they were far from impoverished...

and the Christians lived int he Catacombs, however they got there... my point was there was no way they were going to be down there for as long as they were without some wealthy and powerful people bing a part of thier group and protecting them....

Brother, the early church didn't even have a church. They met in houses. She knows what she is talking about.

Can you see how your own words betray your claims? They weren't in poverty but they were living in the catacombs. *sigh*

honestly, church buildings and Christianity being legal are two of the things that hinder the modern church the most...

besides, the "church" is not the building we meet in, its the people. If you say "the early church was living in poverty" that means the people were in poverty and that is simply not true...

the entirety of the church never lived in the catacombs, just the ones that got found out by the Roman government...

Christianity is NOT legal in many places in the world. Communism, Islam, and Hinduism are the worst offenders.

many is a vast overstatement and you know it...

The places where Christianity is illegal is much, much smaller than the places it is not only legal but the main religion of the country...

James 2:5-

"Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor

of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he has

promised to them that love him?

But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you,

and draw you before the judgment seats?

Read on!

Blessings,

Falla39

You folks have taken this thread and made it a den of thieves. Where is my whip???

Back to the original idea of the thread............

What is God's dream for His church?