Sister Alvear
03-10-2008, 11:56 AM
Dear Loved Ones,
The growth of Christianity in various nations has led to increased persecution. You probably have heard of that which has taken place in China, but it is now intensifying in India. Last year, during Christmas celebrations, Hindu fundamentalists in the state of Orissa, India, attacked and destroyed many churches and Christian homes. A number of Christians have been forced to leave their homes and take refuge in the forest. More than 400 homes were looted and burnt, 29 church buildings damaged or destroyed, five people murdered, others beaten, a number of businesses destroyed. Unfortunately, this kind of thing happens in many parts of India as Hindu extremists react from fear of the powerful growth of the Christian movement in the nation.
Practices in the Church in India much more nearly model the Early Church than the Church in the West. We in the West (especially in the U.S.A.), have no idea what persecution is about. But it is likely we will find out. Today’s environment in the U.S.A. is declining against Christianity. As those of the politically correct, Left agenda gain power, they bring more and more attack against the Church. In all nations, the condition of that nation is directly attributable to the Church (2Chronicles 7: 14). Nations rise and fall based on the Believers doing or not doing what they are supposed to.
The Early Church was quite different from today’s Western Church. We can see it in Acts 2: 42-47. There the Church was a participative, vital and living organism. Most of what passes for “church” today in the West is an Institutional Church. While the Organic Church was living & vibrant, the Institutional Church functions under a different spirit and therefore has a totally different outlook and function. For instance, the Institutional Church has, for the most part:
1) programs which do not facilitate transformation;
2) an order of service that is most often not H.S. led;
3) structures that do not lend themselves to participation by all;
4) and is marked by a failure to submit, pray, repent, seek His face.
We have gotten away from the basics and become a spectator religion, but we must get back to the basics of the Organic Church.
In the West, there are perspectives, traditions, expectations which hinder faith’s development. What do I mean by that? Simple.
1) Our perspective is that if the preacher cannot get it done in an hour or perhaps 90 minutes, then we just will not go there.
2) Our traditions are immersed in the 7 deadly words, “We have never done it that way.”
3) Our expectations are that some “superstar” is going to be there who will bless me (the reason many flock to the mega churches).
Due to these things, as well as some others, the typical Western believer has been frozen in the pew – lulled into passivity by star performers. Not so in India, for much is happening without “star” performers. For instance, Savitri, a 63 year old, illiterate, Indian Dalit (untouchable), who sweeps the streets of New Dehli, has raised 16 from the dead. Rodrick Gilbert, pastor of Deliverance Church in New Delhi, offers her as an example of how God is using anyone who believes in His Word. She has been “in ministry” 6 years. I would give you a way to contact her, but then when you cannot read and write, why would you have an e-mail address?
The Early Church was a high intensity, grass-roots movement, with no star performers and no drawing to that kind of thinking.
They (the Early Church):
met in homes
had the Lord’s supper as a full meal (house to house-partook in common – fellowship meals)
gathered openly and participated together (Paul’s correction in 1Corinthians 11: 18, 21-22 was due top the seeds of division by social grouping. The Body at Corinth met for worship, but the rich people, contrary to custom, greedily consumed their more bountiful provisions before all the poor came, so that they would not have to share their food in visible representation of the unity of the Body)
spiritual gifts were employed by all (1Corinthians 14: 26)
saw themselves as a family (Acts 2: 46)
elders set in order and oversaw the community (Titus 1:5)
were established and aided by itinerant apostolic workers (1Corinthians 16:10; Colossians 2: 5; 2 Peter 2: 1; Romans 1: 1, 7: 2)
fully united (without denomination or separated groups in a city) (Revelation 2:1, 8, 12, 18; 3:1, 7, 14 shows Jesus thoughts about it, not churches but church- not plural)
did not use honorific titles (no Apostle Such and Such, Minister So and So, nor Bishop What’s His Name)
did not organize hierarchically.
Leadership of these house churches was by anointing, not elected or appointed to an office with some official title. When Paul talks about being an Apostle, he is talking about function in that capacity, not an office or hierarchy of leadership.
Paul’s instruction to the Early Church in Corinth, concerning the order of service was,
“What then, brethren, is [the right course]? When you meet together, each one has a hymn, a teaching, a disclosure of special knowledge or information, an utterance in a [strange] tongue, or an interpretation of it. [But] let everything be constructive and edifying and for the good of all.” (1 Corinthians 14:26, Amplified Bible)
If we were to follow Paul’s instruction here, we would kill anything that is not edifying to the Church and stop anything that is not led by the Holy Spirit. This would be facilitated by the leadership of the Church. In the Organic Church, leadership was by calling and anointing by the Holy Spirit. Much of the leadership in the Institutional Church is by position and title, (and hardly worthy of it too often). A change must be made in most churches if the Early Church model is to be put into action.
The growth of Christianity in various nations has led to increased persecution. You probably have heard of that which has taken place in China, but it is now intensifying in India. Last year, during Christmas celebrations, Hindu fundamentalists in the state of Orissa, India, attacked and destroyed many churches and Christian homes. A number of Christians have been forced to leave their homes and take refuge in the forest. More than 400 homes were looted and burnt, 29 church buildings damaged or destroyed, five people murdered, others beaten, a number of businesses destroyed. Unfortunately, this kind of thing happens in many parts of India as Hindu extremists react from fear of the powerful growth of the Christian movement in the nation.
Practices in the Church in India much more nearly model the Early Church than the Church in the West. We in the West (especially in the U.S.A.), have no idea what persecution is about. But it is likely we will find out. Today’s environment in the U.S.A. is declining against Christianity. As those of the politically correct, Left agenda gain power, they bring more and more attack against the Church. In all nations, the condition of that nation is directly attributable to the Church (2Chronicles 7: 14). Nations rise and fall based on the Believers doing or not doing what they are supposed to.
The Early Church was quite different from today’s Western Church. We can see it in Acts 2: 42-47. There the Church was a participative, vital and living organism. Most of what passes for “church” today in the West is an Institutional Church. While the Organic Church was living & vibrant, the Institutional Church functions under a different spirit and therefore has a totally different outlook and function. For instance, the Institutional Church has, for the most part:
1) programs which do not facilitate transformation;
2) an order of service that is most often not H.S. led;
3) structures that do not lend themselves to participation by all;
4) and is marked by a failure to submit, pray, repent, seek His face.
We have gotten away from the basics and become a spectator religion, but we must get back to the basics of the Organic Church.
In the West, there are perspectives, traditions, expectations which hinder faith’s development. What do I mean by that? Simple.
1) Our perspective is that if the preacher cannot get it done in an hour or perhaps 90 minutes, then we just will not go there.
2) Our traditions are immersed in the 7 deadly words, “We have never done it that way.”
3) Our expectations are that some “superstar” is going to be there who will bless me (the reason many flock to the mega churches).
Due to these things, as well as some others, the typical Western believer has been frozen in the pew – lulled into passivity by star performers. Not so in India, for much is happening without “star” performers. For instance, Savitri, a 63 year old, illiterate, Indian Dalit (untouchable), who sweeps the streets of New Dehli, has raised 16 from the dead. Rodrick Gilbert, pastor of Deliverance Church in New Delhi, offers her as an example of how God is using anyone who believes in His Word. She has been “in ministry” 6 years. I would give you a way to contact her, but then when you cannot read and write, why would you have an e-mail address?
The Early Church was a high intensity, grass-roots movement, with no star performers and no drawing to that kind of thinking.
They (the Early Church):
met in homes
had the Lord’s supper as a full meal (house to house-partook in common – fellowship meals)
gathered openly and participated together (Paul’s correction in 1Corinthians 11: 18, 21-22 was due top the seeds of division by social grouping. The Body at Corinth met for worship, but the rich people, contrary to custom, greedily consumed their more bountiful provisions before all the poor came, so that they would not have to share their food in visible representation of the unity of the Body)
spiritual gifts were employed by all (1Corinthians 14: 26)
saw themselves as a family (Acts 2: 46)
elders set in order and oversaw the community (Titus 1:5)
were established and aided by itinerant apostolic workers (1Corinthians 16:10; Colossians 2: 5; 2 Peter 2: 1; Romans 1: 1, 7: 2)
fully united (without denomination or separated groups in a city) (Revelation 2:1, 8, 12, 18; 3:1, 7, 14 shows Jesus thoughts about it, not churches but church- not plural)
did not use honorific titles (no Apostle Such and Such, Minister So and So, nor Bishop What’s His Name)
did not organize hierarchically.
Leadership of these house churches was by anointing, not elected or appointed to an office with some official title. When Paul talks about being an Apostle, he is talking about function in that capacity, not an office or hierarchy of leadership.
Paul’s instruction to the Early Church in Corinth, concerning the order of service was,
“What then, brethren, is [the right course]? When you meet together, each one has a hymn, a teaching, a disclosure of special knowledge or information, an utterance in a [strange] tongue, or an interpretation of it. [But] let everything be constructive and edifying and for the good of all.” (1 Corinthians 14:26, Amplified Bible)
If we were to follow Paul’s instruction here, we would kill anything that is not edifying to the Church and stop anything that is not led by the Holy Spirit. This would be facilitated by the leadership of the Church. In the Organic Church, leadership was by calling and anointing by the Holy Spirit. Much of the leadership in the Institutional Church is by position and title, (and hardly worthy of it too often). A change must be made in most churches if the Early Church model is to be put into action.