Hillsage
Well-Known Member
No, I have not been getting notifications. Just came to check and was surprised at how many posts there have been.
And it will take a while to catch up on my reading now.Friendly Bible Study - participants must agree to Nicene Creed.
- Thread starter Carl Emerson
- Start date
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And it will take a while to catch up on my reading now.
Hey, thanks for your thoughts.
Jesus had very few intellectuals in His team...
Matthew 11:25
At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.
Yes may we collectively return to 'honeymoon time' with Him !
The Temple was the gathering place where the first mission field was.
I think they discovered what their corporate faith was as they journeyed with Him but sadly First Love waned in the process.
There was a strong family initially and I think that is what humanity is looking for when seeking Him - sadly this is not often offered.
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No, I have not been getting notifications. Just came to check and was surprised at how many posts there have been.
Thanks for the feedback I will send a general alert about this, folks will need to select the Watch tab.
@Brakelite @amadeus @Azim @Pearl @Rita @Ritajanice @APAK @MA2444 @faithfulness @GTW27 @Berean @rockytopva @quietthinker @ScottA @marks @grace @Oneoff @Hillsage @VictoryinJesus @Angelina @Johann
Hi there folks.
Just to say that notifications are not happening and we will have to select the option to watch the thread.
One small problem -
Can someone point us all to where we choose 'Watch this thread' please.
As you were...
Found it - top of the page where the thread heading is - on the right.
Hi there folks.
Just to say that notifications are not happening and we will have to select the option to watch the thread.
One small problem -
Can someone point us all to where we choose 'Watch this thread' please.
As you were...
Found it - top of the page where the thread heading is - on the right.
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@Brakelite @amadeus @Azim @Pearl @Rita @Ritajanice @APAK @MA2444 @faithfulness @GTW27 @Berean @rockytopva @quietthinker @ScottA @marks @grace @Oneoff @Hillsage @VictoryinJesus @Angelina @Johann
Just a wee reminder...
We have few rules -
Just two.
We don't debate the trinity (this is a forum wide rule)
We all agree with the Nicene Creed to eliminate the contentious debate on our fundamental Christian foundations.
Here we can hear each other more easily and listen for Him through or quieter members.
Just a wee reminder...
We have few rules -
Just two.
We don't debate the trinity (this is a forum wide rule)
We all agree with the Nicene Creed to eliminate the contentious debate on our fundamental Christian foundations.
Here we can hear each other more easily and listen for Him through or quieter members.
Not sure I totally agree that a strong family is what we want when we seek Him, inside all of us is a need to connect to God and often as not we are not even aware of it - yes a desire ‘ to belong ‘ is part of it.
In those early days you still had two cultural norms at work, the old and the new.
Was the temple the first mission field, or was it at Pentecost when Peter first spoke out to the grounds of visitors to Jerusalem , for me it was Pentecost because many were added to the numbers and those visitors would have travelled back to their own homes - we don‘t know if they were part of the group that were together in Jerusalem.
We sometimes look back at this portion of scripture and desire it to be that way again, and yet the Church was ever evolving and moving forward in transition. When the issues arose after this period they became opportunities to learn, adapt to the new and grow. The church is never going to be without wrong choices, because we know that none of the human race is perfect. We won’t get the true ‘ Honeymoon period ‘ until after the wedding !!!!!!!!
The community family recorded in early Acts which was visible to the world reflecting the unity and Love of the Godhead and aligned with Jesus prayer in John 17:23.
What developed lost this first Love or the Spirit would not have highlighted this error in the seven letters of Revelation.
Can I suggest both were opportunities to spread the Word. They were apprehended for preaching the Gospel in the temple and this was traditionally Paul's first port of call as he traveled...
I yearn for a return to this First Love and have tasted it during the Charismatic Revival.
should introduce myself I am Andrew and Carl was involved in introducing both of my parents to the Lord almost 50 years ago before they were married and had us 6 kids. I am number 2 and don't recall how old I was when I first came to the Lord I remember being about 4 at the time. I am now 45 and life has certainly been an up and down battle but God has always been faithful. I am single and live in Christchurch New Zealand.
Hillsage
Well-Known Member
I still didn't find it Carl. Are you talking about scrolling to page one of 'this threads heading'? I'm not finding "WATCH THREAD" I'm finding "WATCHED THREADS" which only has 2 options, neither of which is what I think you are talking about.
See screenshot of the top of every page...
Just below "REPLY" is UNWATCH - hit that and it triggers to WATCH
Attachments
@Brakelite @amadeus @Azim @Pearl @Rita @Ritajanice @APAK @MA2444 @faithfulness @GTW27 @Berean @rockytopva @quietthinker @ScottA @marks @grace @Oneoff @Hillsage @VictoryinJesus @Angelina @Johann @seatts79
OK - lets tackle Acts 5...
Here we see the empowered church in action.
Incidentally have you pondered on when the church was born ?
When was the authority to operate given?
We in fact see Jesus giving instruction on how to relate as a church way back in Mathew 18.
So the common belief that the Church was born at Pentecost is in doubt. The church was certainly empowered at Pentecost but I believe it formed earlier.
Back to Acts 5 - first is the extraordinary account of the Holy Spirits activity in the New Born Church and the Spirit of the Fear of the Lord in particular dominating the spiritual atmosphere.
Some folks don't believe that God's power struck down members who lied and attribute their demise to heart-failure from extreme fear.
However there is a strong parallel with the boy who steadied the Ark and was struck down by God's Power. In both cases the presence of God was mightily in their midst.
Peter was also moving in short term prophesy so the demand that the Prophetic gift must always be in the bounds of "edification, exhortation and comfort" does not always hold true.
We also see that in the matter of giving there was high respect for personal ownership and very much 'free will' without coercion. This means that when there was a common purse, the contributions were voluntary yet profoundly more impacting on the inequality among them, than what we hear of in the Church today.
Notice that they gathered in Solomons Portico - a public space - so from the get go, the community of believers was visible to the world as Jesus prayed in John 17. This was a prime factor in the extraordinary rate of growth that occurred.
Meetings were also house to house at the same time - I suspect these were more private meetings for breaking bread, the apostles teaching and prayer.
So the main heart of Church was home meetings it seems.
I wonder why we don't adopt this model today - it would certainly be much easier to finance - not sure if real estate should ever have been part of the plan.
Back in the 80's the Baptist Churches in Auckland were surveyed and they looked at the relationship between combined annual budgets and conversion growth - It was rather shocking - around $1,000,000 per. Convert.
Another point to note is that support for the Apostles was a heart response from the community rather than a commercial contract. Those who were seen to be gifted and used by God were set aside for service and taken care of for the time they were actively engaged. This meant that anointing defined ministry and length of service rather than credentials or contract.
We are privileged to have this level of detail concerning the events that occurred in the life of the early church and there are lessons to be learned around moving towards a more fruitful model of doing church in this present age.
OK - lets tackle Acts 5...
Here we see the empowered church in action.
Incidentally have you pondered on when the church was born ?
When was the authority to operate given?
We in fact see Jesus giving instruction on how to relate as a church way back in Mathew 18.
So the common belief that the Church was born at Pentecost is in doubt. The church was certainly empowered at Pentecost but I believe it formed earlier.
Back to Acts 5 - first is the extraordinary account of the Holy Spirits activity in the New Born Church and the Spirit of the Fear of the Lord in particular dominating the spiritual atmosphere.
Some folks don't believe that God's power struck down members who lied and attribute their demise to heart-failure from extreme fear.
However there is a strong parallel with the boy who steadied the Ark and was struck down by God's Power. In both cases the presence of God was mightily in their midst.
Peter was also moving in short term prophesy so the demand that the Prophetic gift must always be in the bounds of "edification, exhortation and comfort" does not always hold true.
We also see that in the matter of giving there was high respect for personal ownership and very much 'free will' without coercion. This means that when there was a common purse, the contributions were voluntary yet profoundly more impacting on the inequality among them, than what we hear of in the Church today.
Notice that they gathered in Solomons Portico - a public space - so from the get go, the community of believers was visible to the world as Jesus prayed in John 17. This was a prime factor in the extraordinary rate of growth that occurred.
Meetings were also house to house at the same time - I suspect these were more private meetings for breaking bread, the apostles teaching and prayer.
So the main heart of Church was home meetings it seems.
I wonder why we don't adopt this model today - it would certainly be much easier to finance - not sure if real estate should ever have been part of the plan.
Back in the 80's the Baptist Churches in Auckland were surveyed and they looked at the relationship between combined annual budgets and conversion growth - It was rather shocking - around $1,000,000 per. Convert.
Another point to note is that support for the Apostles was a heart response from the community rather than a commercial contract. Those who were seen to be gifted and used by God were set aside for service and taken care of for the time they were actively engaged. This meant that anointing defined ministry and length of service rather than credentials or contract.
We are privileged to have this level of detail concerning the events that occurred in the life of the early church and there are lessons to be learned around moving towards a more fruitful model of doing church in this present age.
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Brakelite
Well-Known Member
Times have changed. Today we have technology and air travel to support missions. God will work with the tools available to His people. It was necessary at the time that they met house to house. It didn't mean they neglected the synagogue, but they spent far more time together then than we do today, again, of necessity due to persecution and circumstance. They needed constant support, and communications were limited to face to face... no emails or texts. So they spent more time together.
The future for us is uncertain. We know there are dramatic changes coming. And not good changes. The time will come I believe when circumstance will necessitate Christians to come together more often, particularly as our institutions become banned or cancelled, and the buy/sell restrictions are implemented. In the meantime, we need to make best useof what we have, especially our freedoms to preach and share the gospel, by whatever means possible.
The future for us is uncertain. We know there are dramatic changes coming. And not good changes. The time will come I believe when circumstance will necessitate Christians to come together more often, particularly as our institutions become banned or cancelled, and the buy/sell restrictions are implemented. In the meantime, we need to make best useof what we have, especially our freedoms to preach and share the gospel, by whatever means possible.
So we might see a return to Loving Community when persecution comes ???
Was the warning to return to that first love not there through John in Revelation ?
Does that not indicate a departure from the Loving Church Jesus intended at a very early stage?
How much more have we departed from that now ???
Brakelite
Well-Known Member
The church in general has not fully extricated itself from the doctrines of the dark ages. It still cleaves to tradition and superstition, and does not have a full appreciation yet of the character of God. Nor yet of Satan. When we do have a full understanding, the fruit will be ripe and harvest will take place. This ripening of the fruit will be followed immediately by the latter rain which will be even more powerful than the former. By them that first love will be revived. It won't be our own doing, any more than any of the apostles could take credit for what God did in their midst. We need to pray, fervently, constantly, and without ceasing in order to receive the power promised to go through the final hours of earth's history.
There is a place to speak about a return to First Love even if the Breath of God inspires and empowers it.
Past revivals are usually traced back to folks who prayed fervently for it over considerable time.
Brakelite
Well-Known Member
@Brakelite @amadeus @Azim @Pearl @Rita @Ritajanice @APAK @MA2444 @faithfulness @GTW27 @Berean @rockytopva @quietthinker @ScottA @marks @grace @Oneoff @Hillsage @VictoryinJesus @Angelina @Johann @seatts79
Hi Friends...
Who is still on board ?
Are theses studies delivering fruitfully or do we need to change course?
Hi Friends...
Who is still on board ?
Are theses studies delivering fruitfully or do we need to change course?
Hi Carl
I found it interesting early on when quite a few were sharing but then it changed, also I like study where we learn from one another, no real agendas but an open group where you can share and be heard. You already know what conclusions you have reached, and I believe what you want us to reach - I kind of have an open mind to see what I see at the time, and for it to be just as relevant.
Some of the responses started to go over my head a bit and if I am honest.
For me, sadly I do think it was a shame that some members were excluded - never been to a study group where you had to agree on a creed before you could take part- in the groups I have been a part of over the years anyone was welcome and you were still able to be civil and learn from one another.
Sorry, but it hasn’t worked for me x
I found it interesting early on when quite a few were sharing but then it changed, also I like study where we learn from one another, no real agendas but an open group where you can share and be heard. You already know what conclusions you have reached, and I believe what you want us to reach - I kind of have an open mind to see what I see at the time, and for it to be just as relevant.
Some of the responses started to go over my head a bit and if I am honest.
For me, sadly I do think it was a shame that some members were excluded - never been to a study group where you had to agree on a creed before you could take part- in the groups I have been a part of over the years anyone was welcome and you were still able to be civil and learn from one another.
Sorry, but it hasn’t worked for me x
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