House Churches - Don't You Sometimes Wish We could Go Back To the Days Of Acts?

[Angelina]

I love the whole concept of House Churches. Don't you wish that we could be a part of a House Church rather than the Churches we have now?
We could fellowship and read the word together and sing a song or two, break bread together, pray for each other and socialize a little. Doesn't that sound great? ^_^

I think it does.. :) Blessings!!!

 

[dripping yellow madness]

OMG! I go to a house church! But sometimes we meet at other places to when we get a lot of people like at a Dennys or something like that. Its really neat and the people are wonderful., Our worship leader is an x-pastor I mean he used to pastor a church but left it becuase some of the people really got nasty with him and his family! But we are great to him and realy appreciate his time and teaching!

 

[Angelina]

Oh Wow! that is just soo cool! ^_^ I wish I was part of a House Church like that.. Welcome aboard sweetie
- ya gotta be a gurlie!

Bless ya!

 

[Axehead]

Oh Wow! that is just soo cool! ^_^ I wish I was part of a House Church like that.. Welcome aboard sweetie
- ya gotta be a gurlie!

Bless ya!

I too am blessed to be part of a house church. We alternate between 5 houses so as not to overburden anyone family. We usually spend about 5 hours together and have a "potluck" and fellowship afterwards. Friday nights we have a local fellowship of college kids over and they are loving the house church concept, too. And why not? It is a very natural setting. The Church in essence is a family so why run it like a business with a top down corporate structure? Thursdays and Fridays we have prayer meetings for anyone that can come.

It is 1:30am here and the college kids just left about 30 minutes ago. They had a great time of worship and fellowship. They stayed and jammed on their guitars and sang and one kid had a ukelele. It sounded really good. The way they ended up at our house is an interesting story. They were looking for a place to meet and they could not afford to rent any building so someone offered their home up. The problem turned out to be that the owner of that home interjected himself into the kid's meetings all the time and pretty much took over, citing the fact that he was the spiritual head of their home. Anyway, he is pretty well known in this area for wanting to be the "big cheese" in fellowships. The thing is, there is no "big cheese" in the Church, except Jesus. The rest of us are brothers and sisters. So, the Lord knows our address, He knows where we are and He called upon us.

Unbeknownst to my wife and I my daughter volunteered our home. We really did not have a problem with it. We were delighted. My wife knows that young people love food so she makes sure that she has that area well covered. We serve them and make them feel at home and after they eat, they adjourn into the living room and have a great time of fellowship.

I was talking to one of the kids tonight, I say kid, but he is 25 and he was really opening his heart and sharing with me about his home life and it turned into a real sweet time of fellowship and then prayer.

Why do I like house church? Because it facilitates relationships by allowing people to share their life. Once we start the meeting there is freedom for anyone from the youngest children to the oldest person to share a song that is on their heart, a testimony, a word from God or a testimony from the Lord. This "kid" was telling me tonight that he had never been to a house church but that he really liked the freedom. I told him that Jesus has a body with many members and He is so big, that He cannot express Himself suitably through just a finger (one person) every week. Or a forearm, or an ear. Jesus needs the whole body to be functioning and alive in Him. That is what makes our time together very rich and fruitful. House church meetings are only as good as the relationship that the people within them have with the Lord. There are no pews for people to hide in, there is not one man that does all the talking. We don't have spectators. The church of Jesus Christ is a participative not spectative church. No one has to pay my mortgage, or compensate us for food. The Lord blesses us beyond measure just to be part of Him and His body.

Are house churches the panacea? Not necessarily because remember, they are made up of people. I have been in some house churches where the religious system was exactly duplicated in the living room. The people had to sit still and listen to one man, week after week. How tragic. House churches reflect the hearts of the members just like any church does. But, for the most part, people leave the religious institutions because they do recognize what is not working and they don't want to duplicate it in their home.

Another interesting thing is that there are a lot of house churches in our area and many of them know each other. Not coincidentally, there are many, many homeschoolers in our area, too. Many homeschool coops and networks. Homeschoolers say, "If it doesn't work, don't duplicate it". That is what they say about public schools. I see a parallel with House Churchers, too. "If it's not working, don't duplicate it."

God is good, all the time!

Goodnight, time to sleep.

Axehead

 

[stefen]

My house in my town will be a church on sundays. We do worship, prayers and preaching at evenings. As my hometown is located in the middle of hilly villages, lots of hill people who was redeemed from the bondage of demon spirits and few are healed and blessed by God, left their traditional grand parents religion and joined us. It is a great blessing to us to serve to them by giving place for worship.

I live in a city go to local church. Will try to go to my hometown monthly once. And I am leaving tonight to join with them for sunday tomo.

Thanks and Be blessed guys. Miss you all.

 

[Angelina]

too am blessed to be part of a house church. We alternate between 5 houses so as not to overburden anyone family. We usually spend about 5 hours together and have a "potluck" and fellowship afterwards. Friday nights we have a local fellowship of college kids over and they are loving the house church concept, too. And why not? It is a very natural setting. The Church in essence is a family so why run it like a business with a top down corporate structure? Thursdays and Fridays we have prayer meetings for anyone that can come.

Sounds like a house church to me Axehead. During the time of Acts they broke bread from house to house, although it seems that they did go to the temple. Perhaps it was King Herod's temple in Jerusalem...It would not have been any that Paul had established at the time anyway...

Acts 2
40 And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” 41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. 42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.

46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

BB

 

[jiggyfly]

I too have been part of some house churches for some time and the fellowship is much more genuine than what I experienced within the religious system. There is much more freedom and an atmosphere that encourages spiritual growth. There are now millions of believers that have abandoned the religious system to enjoy a more organic relationship with the Lord and with fellow believers.

 

[dripping yellow madness]

Oh no no non o... we did not abandoned the religious system! We just didnt have a denomiation that was like us around, so we started it! HAHA!

 

[daq]

Perhaps it is more like as if Saul was used to establish the "First Church of Achaia" when he baptized the household of Stephen in a hail of fiery stones, (and his name was changed to Stephanas, that is the firstfruits of Achaia, and later Saul was changed to Paul after the baptism of his own household with its members upon the earth). :)

 

[Axehead]

Oh no no non o... we did not abandoned the religious system! We just didnt have a denomiation that was like us around, so we started it! HAHA!

Yeah, that's funny. We hear stuff like that all the time.

In homeschooling, the biggest question that people ask is, "What about socialization?" Well, what about it? There is bad socialization, too. I always say, "Yeah, we keep them away from bad socialization". And that is what we keep our kids away from. Bad company corrupts good morals. They have to stand on their own two feet sometime but 6 and 7 and 8 years old, etc, etc, is no time to rob them of their innocence by teaching them adult subjects. We homeschool all our kids and 2 are in college now doing great. Little kids do not have emotional maturity or discernment, knowledge, life experience, etc, to judge whether their teacher is taking advantage of their young age (and captive audience) or not. It is the parent's duty to protect their children and teach them.

I was public school educated and am a 1st generation homeschooler. I learned things in public school that were detrimental to my decision making (to say the least). But, I wasn't even raised in a Christian home so I had no foundations.

 

[mjrhealth]

I just hope that all christians would go to Christ, than and only then will they walk in one accord for we must all agree with Him when we are in Him.

Joh_15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

Being in church and being in Christ are two quiet different things.

In All His Love

 

[JB_Reformed Baptist]

I love the whole concept of House Churches. Don't you wish that we could be a part of a House Church rather than the Churches we have now?
We could fellowship and read the word together and sing a song or two, break bread together, pray for each other and socialize a little. Doesn't that sound great? ^_^

I think it does.. :) Blessings

I think this desire of yours will eventually become the norm given the exponential rate in which churches are apostatizing and corrupt doctrine infiltrates them. SHALOM :-)

 

[Axehead]

I just hope that all christians would go to Christ, than and only then will they walk in one accord for we must all agree with Him when we are in Him.

Joh_15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

Being in church and being in Christ are two quiet different things.

In All His Love

Professing Christ or Possessing Christ. Amen.

I think this desire of yours will eventually become the norm given the exponential rate in which churches are apostatizing and corrupt doctrine infiltrates them. SHALOM :-)

And maybe the quibbles and divisions between Christians will melt away. Who can afford to be a fractured family in times of hardship?

 

[rockytopva]

I love the whole concept of House Churches. Don't you wish that we could be a part of a House Church rather than the Churches we have now?
We could fellowship and read the word together and sing a song or two, break bread together, pray for each other and socialize a little. Doesn't that sound great? ^_^

Our Pentecostal Holiness Church started with in-house prayer meetings. It continued this way until they built the sanctuary. We have since rebuilt and remodeled twice. The old timers tell me though, that every time we expanded, just a little more of the original spirituality was left behind.

 

[aspen]

if i was going to wish for the past, i would wish for the Garden.

 

[Angelina]

I think this desire of yours will eventually become the norm given the exponential rate in which churches are apostatizing and corrupt doctrine infiltrates them. SHALOM :-)

Hey JB!
You may be right. I do not think that the Govt would like to see such a move as it would be difficult to monitor or control through exemptions etc. I think that house Churches will eventually become underground Churches one day :unsure:

Be Blessed!

 

[IanLC]

House prayer and praise meetings were so powerful and blessed. Many of the Holiness-Pentecostal churches in my area started as little house churches or in old log cabins and other abandoned buildings. But as God has blessed and grew us we moved into more "Church" like buildings. But whether in a house, under a tree, street corner, coliseum or "Church" building as longs as Jesus is uplifted, the word preached, and the Holy Spirit is moving I can worship wherever for WE are the church not a building! But I can attest and testify to the fact of the blessings from House churches.

 

[Rocky Wiley]

I think this desire of yours will eventually become the norm given the exponential rate in which churches are apostatizing and corrupt doctrine infiltrates them. SHALOM :-)

The Peter Principle states that within an organization, people will rise to their level of incompetence and no further. This is true of any organization that promotes people from within the ranks, whether a corporation, military, government or other institution. It can be used to explain why governments and large corporations become so dysfunctional over time.

What you say is true, and it comes about because the 80% that it speaks of in the above principle has taken control of most churches. It is the 80% that does not study to word of God and just use what they have been taught. Many of these pastors declare that they love God and that is the only requirement to being saved. Even if that is true, no one can really love someone unless they know them. The way to know God is to know his Word!

 

[Axehead]

The Peter Principle states that within an organization, people will rise to their level of incompetence and no further. This is true of any organization that promotes people from within the ranks, whether a corporation, military, government or other institution. It can be used to explain why governments and large corporations become so dysfunctional over time.

What you say is true, and it comes about because the 80% that it speaks of in the above principle has taken control of most churches. It is the 80% that does not study to word of God and just use what they have been taught. Many of these pastors declare that they love God and that is the only requirement to being saved. Even if that is true, no one can really love someone unless they know them. The way to know God is to know his Word!

When the Centrality of Christ in the midst of the Church is abandoned and in place of Him, men are exalted and followed, then the Holy Spirit moves on, looking for those who will in turn look to Christ and gather around Him and not men.

That is why He is calling for those that have ears to hear, "Come out, come out, of her my people, and touch not the unclean thing".

He is calling us, unto HIM.

Axehead

 

[mjrhealth]

if i was going to wish for the past, i would wish for the Garden.

I have the best, I have Jesus, "NOW".

In all His Love