What Is Church?

[marksman]

Your comment disturbed me (in the best possible way) Manichunter and made me think even more than I usually do. What is occuring to me is that just maybe the word 'church' is not so far from the truth as it indicates a counterfeit, not the real thing.People are forever saying and believing that God is going to come and revive the old wine skins but the scripture makes it clear it is just not going to happen.When God revives he revives people, not the institutions. I have met people affected by the 1904 Welsh revival. They still have a depth of relationship with God but the church that gained the most from it, the Methodists is as dead as a dodo in Wales. In Act 11:26 it says "He found him and brought him back to Antioch. They were there a whole year, meeting with the church and teaching a lot of people. It was in Antioch that the disciples were for the first time called Christians".What it should say is that he met with God's called out ones as it should in all the texts that use the word church. This correct translation takes away all notion of 'church' and clearly deposits the activity into the lives of people, who do not need any formal organisation to contain what was passed on. We know that the Roman church is an apostate church (I say that as one who has been employed by them) but I am beginning to wonder if all formal religious organisations whether they be Roman or protestant are apostate and the true church of called out ones are where two or three are gathered together in the name of Jesus without any formal organisation, leadership or creed.

 

[manichunter]

(marksman;52540)
Your comment disturbed me (in the best possible way) Manichunter and made me think even more than I usually do. What is occuring to me is that just maybe the word 'church' is not so far from the truth as it indicates a counterfeit, not the real thing.People are forever saying and believing that God is going to come and revive the old wine skins but the scripture makes it clear it is just not going to happen.When God revives he revives people, not the institutions. I have met people affected by the 1904 Welsh revival. They still have a depth of relationship with God but the church that gained the most from it, the Methodists is as dead as a dodo in Wales. In Act 11:26 it says "He found him and brought him back to Antioch. They were there a whole year, meeting with the church and teaching a lot of people. It was in Antioch that the disciples were for the first time called Christians".What it should say is that he met with God's called out ones as it should in all the texts that use the word church. This correct translation takes away all notion of 'church' and clearly deposits the activity into the lives of people, who do not need any formal organisation to contain what was passed on. We know that the Roman church is an apostate church (I say that as one who has been employed by them) but I am beginning to wonder if all formal religious organisations whether they be Roman or protestant are apostate and the true church of called out ones are where two or three are gathered together in the name of Jesus without any formal organisation, leadership or creed.
You are closed to the revelation. The people of God today identify themselves as Christian. Not all Christians are born from above by the Holy Spirit. The Spiritual people of God are sitting in the pews with a identity crisis. They do not know that they are the olive tree. The olive tree of the original branches, grafted on branches, and regrafted branch. God is about shake up things. The vanguards are already starting to go forth. I am not crazy or preaching a heretical message. Eventhough I am young to this message (Nine years now). I have started to see some mainstream TV preachers touch on these subjects of bravery. It is a hard message to teach about Holy Days and pin pointing the identity of the people of God. I am Messianic, so I am not preaching that people should be Jewish, but Spirtual Israel which a combination of the two on the same olive tree. Believers who seek God dilligently in spirit and truth feel something tugging at them and not letting them sit still eventhough it goes against their every tradition and past religious experience and training.