Searching for the Truth in the King James Bible;
Finding it, and passing it on to you.
EDITOR:
Steve
Van Nattan
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Wrong Reasons for Starting a House ChurchFor revenge
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You will never reach out to anyone but gripers and revenge junkies if that is what YOU are. Leave the mongrel alleged believers behind, and start out only in the Lord as you start your House Church.
Revenge is against SIN, NOT LOCAL CHURCHES:
2 Corinthians 10:6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.
Romans 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
For novelty, or because Harry thinks it is cool
A brother from Australia called recently and told me the Assembly of God is actually encouraging House Churches around the USA. This is the AOG's way of keeping control over their members who are upset over some aspect of local church life, and these house churches are also encouraged to support the AOG financially (Did you think there was any other reason :-).
This is no reason to start a House Church. Trends come and go, but you better decide right now whether you want to start a House Church to the Gory of God, or just because your friend in Alabama has one. This thing will call on all of your zeal, for you will be few in number for a long time. Will you persevere when no one cares what you are doing?
Luke 14:28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
30 Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
Because you are too lazy to find a Bible based church
If you are too lazy to get out of the house and find a Bible based church, especially if you KNOW there is one nearby, you will soon be too lazy to get out of bed and have a House Church fellowship time on Sunday. The doctrine of Bedside Baptist will soon prevail:
Proverbs 6:10 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:
For power over people
There are House Churches, usually lorded over by men with powerful personalities, which are founded for no other reason than to give hubris and satisfaction to the ego of the founder. They are a place of small weak people who don't know who they are and need to have their fir rubbed smooth by some dude with a clever mind and a sugary mouth.
If that is the kind of leader you are, and if that is how you want to start a House Church, sir, you are demon possessed.
If you have been sucked into such a gathering, get out of there at once. Something will be going wrong very soon-- I promise you. Either start a House Church yourself, or drive as far as necessary to find a local church which is Bible based.
Examine the man leading. Does he fit Peter's standard?
1 Peter 5:2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.
To enforce your own patented law code
So, you caught someone wearing slacks, and you went out the door of a Bible believing local church in a rage. How mature of you! NOT!
If you think that you can start a House Church on the sole foundation that you will have a place for holy law abiding people to hang out, you are in for lots of sorrow. You better read the Nine Essentials of Church Life very carefully. You will have nothing but a modern version of the Pharisees and their air tight hermetically sealed synagogues of Jesus' day.
Tell me, friend, what if the first Sunday at your House Church, a whore who had been trashed by the nearby Baptist Church, came into your service and, as it were, fell at your feet and wept. Would you bring her into Jesus Christ, extend the right hand of fellowship, and say, "Go, and sin no more..." "let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall."
James 2:4 Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?
To follow the blasphemous teachings of Harold Camping
HAROLD CAMPING DECLARES THE LORD'S CHURCH IS GONE -
In 1992, Harold Camping, a syndicated television preacher operating out of Oakland, California, penned the following words:
"The results of this study indicate that the month of September of the year 1994 is to be the time for the end of history"
(1994?, New York: Vantage Press, p. 531).Some 3,500 years earlier, Moses wrote:
When a prophet speaks in the name of Jehovah, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which Jehovah has not spoken: the prophet has spoken it presumptuously, you need not be afraid of him. (Dt. 18:22).
Here we are, a decade after Mr. Camping's illustrious oracle, and history has not ended. That is a telling commentary on the gentleman's prophetic abilities.
Now, however, the Bay Area prognosticator has baffled the community of Christendom with another rather shocking pronouncement. Camping, who labors under the burden of his own self-designed brand of "millennialism," has declared that we are at the beginning of the "great tribulationï" period, hence the "church age" has ended. He has produced a tract that is titled: "Has the Era of the Church Age Come to an End?" He answers his own query in the affirmative. [ MORE ]
Mp3 of Camping saying he has the biblical truth that the Church Age is ended
The pain he feigns is the work of a guru who claims to be shocked and humbled that
God would choose him to give the world this one-time message. Benny Hinn used the
same false humility when he broke the news that there are nine members in the Godhead.
Sounds a lot like his final authority position in 1994 that the rapture was coming that year.
Camping may be damned to hell himselfThe house church movement is NOT about abandoning the Lord's Church or site build churches-- It is about starting a local church where there is no other fellowship available.
Because Caesar and World Government are taking over Christendom
Mark 12:17 And Jesus answering said unto them,
Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's,
and to God the things that are God's.
And they marvelled at him.Understand this-- If you are incorporated as a "Non-Profit Corporation," you will....
....Obey every edict of the United Nations, the IRS, and all local and Federal Laws..
....Marry sodomites to one another, and hire them if you ever tell the public you are looking for an employee.
....Hire a sodomite pastor.
....Never speak about any publicly accepted sin, such as nakedness and Freemasonry.
....Never have a secret meeting on any subject.
....Never have authority over the disbursement of "tithes and offerings" without IRS approval.
....Never read or preach from Bible texts which violate "Public Policy."
....Never put a attender under church discipline or send them away for any sin which the United Nations approves.
....Never be able to prohibit a blasphemous drunk Federal Employee from entering your church house.
The House Church is the only hope of having a local church in the New Testament model, for it is, at least for now, accepted by the courts as a true "Church" by law which predates the Non-Profit Organization laws. The House Church is also the place where a home can be called a home without identifying it as a gathering. Of course, you will have to stop your obsessions with numbers, bussing, and bragging about how great you are. The local churches with numbers over about 50 WILL ALL BE MARRYING QUEERS soon. Good intentions will have nothing to do with it, and the great guru of Fundamental Baptist zeal whom you exalt WILL marry queers in order to save his pay check and keep his temple of glory.
The following article shows how this is working in Canada, and California and the rest of the USA will follow soon.
LAW OF THE LAND
The Bible as 'hate literature'?
Canadians advance bill that chills speech about homosexuality
Posted: October 21, 2002 1:00 a.m. Eastern
By Art Moore � 2002 WorldNetDaily.com
A prison sentence for quoting the Bible in Canada? Holy Scriptures treated as "hate literature"?
That could happen if a proposed bill is passed by Parliament, according to opponents who believe it would criminalize public expression against homosexual behavior.
A self-described homosexual member of the House of Commons, Svend Robinson, is expected this week to reintroduce bill C-415, which would add sexual orientation as a protected category in Canada's genocide and hate crimes legislation.
Christian groups lined up against the bill admit they can easily be misunderstood for opposing a measure apparently designed to protect people.
"We don't want to promote hatred against anyone and are opposed to violence for whatever reason," said Bruce Clemenger, head of the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada's Centre for Faith and Public Life. "Our concern, though is that ... courts have not distinguished between the identity of the person and the activity. So sexual orientation refers to both the sexual disposition as well as the activity."
But homosexual activists contend such a distinction cannot be made with homosexuals any more than it can with matters of race or ethnic origin.
"The argument of separating the person from the behavior is their concept," insisted Kim Vance, president of Ottawa-based EGALE, Equality for Gays and Lesbians Everywhere.
"In reality they are the same thing," Vance said in a WND interview. "That's language that they use to justify [opposition], but it's language that we don't agree with."
The bill's backers argue that statements against homosexual behavior for religious reasons are exempted in the current law.
In a letter Robinson sends to inquirers, he quotes Alberta Attorney General Dave Hancock, who insists protecting gays from hateful propaganda has nothing to do with endorsing homosexuality.
"There are appropriate ways to discuss issues in our country ... and you don't need to put forward hateful literature," Hancock said. "It doesn't matter what you believe about sexual orientation."
But opponents point out that the law addressed by Robinson's amendment spells out three different types of actions or speech considered criminal, and only one can be excused by a religious defense. And even that one, opponents maintain, has not always held up in court, because its vagueness leaves wide discretion to judges.
The most dangerous aspect of this amendment is that "hate" and "hate propaganda" are not defined, says Brian Rushfeldt, executive director of the Canada Family Action Coalition in Calgary, Alberta.
"I would have no way of knowing I'm conducting a criminal act until I'm charged with it, because there is no clarity in the law," Rushfeldt told WND. "Sexual oriention" also is not defined in the law. Prime Minister Jean Chretien, when he was justice minister, told a constitutional parliamentary committee in 1981 that "sexual orientation" should not be in the Canadian constitution because it is too "difficult to interpret, to define."
Religious defense?
No religious defense is contained in section 318 of the current law, which has a sentence of up to five years in prison for advocating "genocide," nor in section 319(1), prohibiting public incitement of "hatred" against an identifiable group that is "likely to lead to a breach of the peace."
Section 319(2), which prohibits a public statement that "willfully promotes hatred" against a protected group, does have an article that excuses statements expressed in "good faith," including religious expression.
Clemenger, however, points to a 4-3 Supreme Court decision in which the minority opinion, written by current Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin, expressed deep reservations about whether these defenses are of any use.
"What they are saying is, that if you willfully promote hatred, you can use this defense, but no one in good faith would promote hatred," Clemenger said. "So that 'good faith' clause almost eliminates the defense."
Rushfeldt and his allies note that provincial human rights commissions, which already include sexual orientation as a protected category, have penalized people for actions motivated by their conscientious objection to homosexual behavior.
A Saskatchewan man recently was fined $5,000 for buying a newspaper ad that quoted verses from the Bible condemning homosexual behavior.
Two years ago, the Ontario Human Rights Commission penalized printer Scott Brockie $5,000 for refusing to print letterhead for a homosexual advocacy group. Brockie argued that his Christian beliefs compelled him to reject the group's request.
Robinson's amendment would make both of these men criminals, opponents contend.
Rushfeldt also recalled instances in which the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council rules have been used to censure programs addressing homosexuality. In 1997, the council ruled that the airing of a James Dobson "Focus on the Family" program, called "Homosexuality: Fact and Fiction," violated the requirement that opinion, comment, and editorializing be presented in a way that is "full, fair, and proper."
The rules are "so vague," said Rushfeldt, "that if somebody says something that hurts feelings it can be considered a violation of the broadcast standards."
In a current case, a British Columbia teacher could lose his job for making "derogatory and demeaning" statements against homosexuals, according to the judgment of a teachers association panel. Though none of the statements in question were made in class, the panel cited letters to a newspaper that indicated veteran teacher Chris Kempling's attitude could poison the class environment.
One Kempling letter cited by the panel said: "Gay people are seriously at risk, not because of heterosexual attitudes but because of their sexual behaviour, and I challenge the gay community to show some real evidence that they are trying to protect their own community members by making attempts to promote monogamous, long-lasting relationships to combat sexual addictions."
The Vancouver Sun reported Sept. 25 that the panel does not need to find direct evidence of a poisoned school environment to determine that a member is guilty of conduct unbecoming. The panel said, "It is sufficient that an inference can be drawn as to the reasonable and probable consequences of the discriminatory comments of a teacher."
In June, Sweden passed a constitutional amendment that adds sexual orientation to groups protected against "unfavorable speech." The amendment must be voted on again this fall, and if passed, would be enacted in January. In effect, it outlaws any teaching that homosexuality is wrong, carrying a sentence of up to four years in prison.
U.S. opponents of this kind of legislation fear that the United States is heading in the direction of Canada and Sweden as battles continued to be waged over the addition of sexual orientation as a protected category in hate crimes laws and employment discrimination.
"I think the U.S. is not far behind Canada," said John Paulk, gender and homosexuality specialist for Focus on the Family in Colorado Springs.
Canadian pro-family activists also are concerned about challenges to the definition of marriage, especially after an Ontario court ruled earlier this year that restricting marriage to a man and a woman is unconstitutional and discriminatory.
'Hate literature'
In an "action alert" distributed last week, Rushfeldt wrote that if C-415 becomes law in Canada, "the following consequences will result, especially once hate crime charges are brought before the courts":
The Bible, at least certain portions of the Bible, may be declared "hate literature."
Churches will not be able to mention certain Scriptures.
Clergy may be subjected to criminal charges if they refuse to marry homosexuals.
Parents may be subjected to criminal charges if they refuse to allow their children to attend classes that teach about and promote homosexual behavior.
Expressing disagreement with homosexual behavior or the homosexual agenda, either verbally or in writing, would be considered hate propaganda.
Educators, including those at private religious schools, will not be able to refuse to teach homosexual curriculum.
Religious institutions will not be allowed to teach anything non-supportive of homosexual sex.
Canadian Blood Services will not be allowed to screen risk-behavior donors.
Governments (including local municipalities) will be prevented from passing (even debating) sex standards laws.
In his letter to constituents, Robinson defends the necessity of the bill by using the example of American Fred Phelps, known for his website "www.godhatesfags.com." Robinson said that when Phelps wanted to come to Canada to "pursue his campaign of hatred against gay and lesbian people," Canadian police lamented that there was nothing in the criminal code to stop him.
Robinson quotes Sgt. Pat Callaghan, head of the hate crimes unit of the Ottawa-Carleton Police Department: "If we had that legislation, we wouldn't have to put up with his nonsense � . We could have told him, 'If you show up and start spreading this hate, we'll arrest you.'"
Opponents point out, however, that Phelps, pastor of Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan., bases his views on religious grounds, which contradicts Robinson's claim that he does not intend to shut down religious discussion.
EGALE's Vance told WorldNetDaily that she believes, however, that religious speech must be limited.
"There's a huge difference between someone being allowed to practice their religion and taking out ads in the newspaper saying that gay and lesbian people are sick and immoral," said EGALE's Vance. "There is a line there, and it's been crossed."
Responding to concerns about free speech, Robinson said the law has an additional protection in that no criminal proceeding can be instituted without the consent of the provincial attorney general, which "will prevent frivolous or trivial prosecutions."
Clemenger said, however, that provincial law officials across the country have expressed support for the bill and have shown deference to homosexual activists in their decisions.
Robinson said the Canadian Association of Police Boards adopted a resolution in support of C-415 at its annual general meeting Aug. 23, "noting that equal protection and treatment of all citizens is fundamental to a fair justice system."
Not a dead issue
Robinson's bill passed a "vote in principle" in the House of Commons in May with just 16 MPs present and must pass a final vote before submission to the Senate, where opponents say it likely would be rubber stamped. Bills that become law pass a final formality of "royal assent" from the queen's representative, the governor general.
Some Canadians mistakenly have believed that the bill is a dead issue, according to opponents, because when a new session of Parliament convenes, all legislation from the previous session dies.
But according to the rules, if Robinson resubmits the bill within 30 days of the Sept. 30 "Speech from the Throne" ( which outlines Parliament's plans for the year ) the legislation will continue on its track from the same position it had before.
Bill Siksay, Robinson's assistant at his Burnaby, B.C., office, said Robinson was unavailable for comment. He told WND, however, that the MP has indicated his intent to reintroduce the bill this week.
Patrice Martin, clerk of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights for the House of Commons, which would handle the bill, said he expects C-415 to be reactivated.
Martin's committee then would prioritize the bill among other submissions by government and members of parliament. The committee could either delay C-415 (a private members bill) or send it back to the House for a "third reading" and final vote, possibly with amendments.
Enough votes
Vance believes that based on the voting pattern of MPs, enough votes are there to pass C-415. She notes passage of a law that added sexual orientation as a factor in sentencing for crimes motivated by hatred.
"Our sense is there is very strong support for [C-415]," she said. "To me, this is just a natural extension of the sentencing law. If you agree that sexual orientation is a motivating factor for hate crimes, then it's logical to have it for speech."
Her group is preparing a brief for the justice committee and plans to submit a petition that it circulated in the summer.
The issue has received little attention in the Canadian press, says opponent Jim Enos, vice chairman of the Hamilton-Wentworth Family Action Council in Ontario.
"We're asleep as a nation," said Enos. "Outside of families who are made aware through the churches, you never hear anybody talking about it."
"I don't think people are all that politically minded as a whole, unless they are closely linked to a church," Enos added. "They're more concerned about the price of a VCR or DVD."
After sodomites have forced the state approved churches to marry them and pamper them, then other filth will come forward. Nakedness will be defined as a civil right. It is now being protected in Berkeley, California and in other United Nations venues. The Laodicean church, according to Jesus in Revelation 3, is naked and likes it. Then the alleged "age of consent" will be enforced as men and children practice fornication, and the UN and the US Government will tell pastors not to preach against it.
It is time for you and your Christian friends to look for ways to get OFF of the bull's eye of public policy. The House Church will be the only place of refuge in days to come, and those who PLAN a quiet and orderly retreat to the home will be largely left alone. Those who cling to their tax deductions and their real estate will be destroyed. History proves me correct.
Because you want to exalt God with the saints
This is the foundation of any local church, and a lot of Fundamental Baptists and other Bible believers show no sign that they understand this.
These boys left the old stale churches, but they threw out the baby with the bath water. They seem to think that the chief end of man is NOT to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Soul winning is great, but it is NOT the chief reason we are here. Preaching is good for the saints if it is really feeding them, but that also is NOT the chief reason we assemble together.
Psalm 86:12 I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore.
Tongues will cease. Prayer will one day be redundant. Preaching will not be needed in heaven. Tithing will be only a memory in heaven. Soul winning will be unnecessary in the Glory. But David, along with you and every Bible believer, will worship God forever. You better be sure that is the main event in your life and in your House Church.
Romans 15:5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:
6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7 Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.Verse 7 is ONLY fulfilled when you, the local church, "glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Did you know that there is good vanity? Solomon said there was over and over in Ecclesiastes. Like eating an apple? It has no spiritual reward, and it is entirely optional. But, as you eat that apple, do you enjoy God for making it? God didn't give you Purina Human Chow-- He gave you big red apples, French Roasted Coffee with Hazel Nut flavoring in it, and a zillion other things to enjoy. Do you enjoy God for what He gave you?
Do you ever look up at night and exalt God for making the stars which declare His Glory? Well, I have news for you. The Church of Jesus Christ exists for only ONE reason-- to Glorify God. If that is not the goal of your House Church, go take a walk and forget it friend. At least leave me out of the loop please.
Because assemblies in the area are brutish,
heretical, use funny Bibles, or are politicalEvery Sunday you go to church, and across the aisle sits a family of extortionists. These people have lifted several million dollars off of the unsaved in your community, and your church is the brunt of all manner of jokes and sarcasm at the general store, all the bars, and the barber shop. You don't dare go door to door witnessing because you would just be laughed at. And, when you asked your pastor why he did not send the extortionists away, the pastor told you that God wanted the extortionists to stay in the church so he could "reach their children."
Well, if you are not sure if this is right or wrong, I want to know this... Do you really want YOUR children to think the Lord's Church is a place for Extortionists to hang out?
There are many more things people tolerate too long and to their own hurt. Adultery in some member, a political spirit which includes a vicious contest of wills between clicks of leaders and gossipy wives, financial tricks and juggling the books, fat overweight preachers who have no self-control, youth who live like dogs, even the pastor's kids-- all of these and more are getting all too common in Fundamental Bible believing churches.
Why don't you leave? What are you waiting for? Do you get some sadomasochistic rush out of being thrashed and offended? If the temple cannot be cleansed, get moving and start a house church at once.
Because you are starved for the Word
Just before Jesus went back to the Glory, he gave last minute instructions to His disciples. These instructions were looking forward to the Apostolic ministry the disciples would soon take up for Christ. Here is what Jesus told Peter three times:
John 21:15 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.Jesus did NOT say, "Beat my sheep." Nor did He say, "Sheer my sheep." In fact, Jesus did not even say, "Love my sheep." It is very instructional to notice that if we feed sheep, the love, kindness, charitableness of our relationship with His sheep takes care of itself.
If you have been sitting under the "ministry" of a man who will not study to show himself approved of God and then feed the Lord's sheep, you have been under the spell of a hireling-- a fraud. Perhaps nothing is more clear about many Fundamental Baptists pastors as they brutalize the Lord's Church than that they are not willing to teach the Word of God.
They have about five sermon topics, and they rehash these topics, week after week, with various proof texts as starting points each time they preach. When it could become obvious that they have not studied, they bang the pulpit, scream, jump up on the front pew, hop across the tops of the pews, and spew until you need a towel to clean up your face. The only things most of them preach on are:
Salvation
Tithing
Loyalty
Baptist Heritage
Your sins (not theirs)
What did you miss by sitting under the preaching of these hirelings? Here are some things you will need to study to begin to cure the malnourishment you are suffering:
Holiness
Fruit bearing
Prophecy
Church order
Creation
Old Testament History and Covenants
Eternal Security
Prayer
Atonement
The Life of Christ
Dispensational principles
The Godhead
Inspiration of the Scriptures
Hell as a study rather than as a spewed blast
Heaven
The coming Kingdom of Messiah
The nations as they develop in the Bible
Marriage with an emphasis on the blessing of marriage
The Universal Church and the Local Church
All of Church History, not just Baptist
Ecumenism
Demon Possession and Deliverance
Heresies and Cults Exposed
Music as taught in the Word, not some rule codes
Health and the Bible
Sexual contentment in marriage, as taught from the Bible
Divorce and Remarriage from the Bible
Debt and Financial principles from the Bible
There are many other topics to study, and I would imagine the above list of things you need to study is a bit of a shock to you. You are a very starved saint, and you need to start digging in the Word of God to catch up as quickly as possible.
Question: How will you best catch up on all the things past pastors failed to teach you?
Answer: You will do this by much study of the books of the Bible-- BOOK STUDIES.
Fundamental Baptist pastors actually say that Bible Book Studies are wicked and nonproductive. They will try to give the impression that Bible Book Studies are boring and only done by John Mac Arthur and men in dead churches. This is because these Fundamental Baptist pastors are lazy and don't know how to study. That's right-- They don't know how to study.
An "A" honors graduate from Bob Jones University sat in on a Bible study I was conducting in California, and after two weeks he told me he had never been taught to study the Bible like we were doing. Do you know what he had never done? I brought a handful of study helps to the Bible study, dropped them on the table, and everyone took turns looking up cross references and keeping their own notes. At the end, I simply pulled everyone's findings together and made an application by again asking each one what we had learned. BJU had not even gone that deep into the Word of God with the students.
Virtually ALL of the Bible colleges and Baptist schools in the USA teach the students to regurgitate what the instructors blabbed in class. A good student simply learns to vomit on queue! A six year pastor's course will do this all the way to the end of the last year-- canned predigested pearls of wisdom from instructors-- ready to barf all over you in this kid's first church. That is all you will get from such a pastor.
This is a deception of the devil. The most powerful preaching of all the history of the Church of the Lord Jesus has been book studies. This is because you don't miss things. You don't pick and choose according to your preferences. It is preposterous to claim to defend the King James Bible, and then not teach from 80% of it. More on this later.
May I illustrate? During the 1970s, in California, I took two years to preach through Ephesians. That is pretty short order actually. Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones of Westminster Chapel (Bible believing during his tenure) preached 108 messages on Ephesians and was only part way through Chapter Six. He took twelve years to preach through Romans during mid-week Bible study.
I am not suggesting you that you have to take this long to get it right, but you MUST study whole books of the Bible to ever come to sound spiritual health and knowledge of the Word of God.
Because you are very far from Bible believing fellowship
Many House Churches are started because someone lives many miles from a KJV Bible Believing local church. You may have experienced this geographical problem, and some preacher told you to change jobs and move near his church. Some of these alleged Fundamental Baptist pastors will even tell you God told them to tell you to move. This is a trick they learned from the Pentecostal preachers who claim to hear from God so they can tell people how to direct their lives. This is a spiritual fraud. God is in the business of talking straight to his people without using a go-between.
So, count the cost, and if moving and finding a new job is not rational, you have a good reason to start a House Church. Even if there is a church nearby-- If that church is defective in doctrine or conduct, you are not under any obligation to go sit there and waste you life. If you have kids, they will conclude that the Christian experience is one of living under guilt. Guilt is the principle tool used by Fundamental Baptist preachers to get what they want and to manipulate the sheep into submission.
Turn your back on these mongrel jackboot preachers, and get on with a New Testament House Church.
Because.... Just read this letter, and you can figure it out.
Dear Pastor Steve,I am a born-again Christian in a Godly marriage with 4 children. I became ill with many conditions within the last year and a half. I am unable to do most of the things I formerly did, like teach Sunday school, attend church, go grocery shopping, and many daily chores. I am on medications to help the conditions and can now do some things again, but very limited and sporadic.
I desperately want to attend Sunday school and church every Sunday and the services in between. It is so important for me and the family. My husband is very understanding that my health prevents me from doing this, however. He always goes and takes the children and I stay home when I am feeling bad. I go when I am physically able to. Question: How do I reconcile my sincere desire to attend worship when I am really physically unable to? By physically unable, I mean running a fever, in a lot of pain, feeling too bad to get out of bed or the house and my joints stiffening up.
We have prayed much over this issue and I feel I am having a problem with accepting the situation as it is. I feel guilty for not attending when I am unable to. I know I should not feel this way, but it is difficult. I feel left out, also when the family goes without me. Of course, they all should go, but I feel alone. This isn't all the time, but it happens more frequently than not.
Do you have any Biblical advice on this?
Sincerely,
Editor: Steve Van Nattan: This lady's husband should start a house church at once. His first priority is his wife, then his kids, and then the local church. God has allowed him to have the opportunity to be a house church pastor. He will also show his kids who counts most in his life, and his kids will take it to heart. He can find ways to keep them in touch with other Christian kids, and if the pastor of the local church does not approve, a new local church must be found. A mature pastor will send some church members around to take turns being part of the house church so that the feeling of family is extended from the local church to this lady's home and heart. Are we big enough, fellow pastors, to rise to the challenge and set aside our notions of fundamental Baptist tradition?
CONTACT
Steve Van Nattan
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