24 Features of the Kingdom

24 Features of the Kingdom
by Terry Somerville www.totalchange.org

1. The Kingdom Of God is a mystery to the Undiscerning
Mar 4:11 And he said unto them, Unto you is given the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all things are done in parables: 12 that seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest haply they should turn again, and it should be forgiven them.

2. The Kingdom Of God Is Not Observable, It is Not Flesh and Blood
Luk 17:20 And being asked by the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God cometh, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:

1Co 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

3. There Are Seasons When The Kingdom Is Available
Mar 1:15 and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe in the gospel.

4. The Kingdom Marks A New Age
Luk 16:16 The law and the prophets were until John: from that time the gospel of the kingdom of God is preached, and every man entereth violently into it.

5. The Kingdom of Heaven is Precious
Matthew 13:44 "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. 45 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls,46 who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

Mar 9:47 And if thine eye cause thee to stumble, cast it out: it is good for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell;

6. The Kingdom Is Righteousness, Peace , Joy, Power
Rom 14:17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

1Co 4:20 For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.

7. God Wants To Give The Kingdom
Luk 12:32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

8. Men Enter The Kingdom of God or Stay Out of It
Mat 19:24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, that the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.

9. Men Enter The Kingdom Violently (pressing in)
Luk 16:16 The law and the prophets were until John: from that time the gospel of the kingdom of God is preached, and every man entereth violently into it.

10. Repentence (Changing of Ways) is Required to Receive The Kingdom
Mar 1:15 and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe in the gospel.

11. The Wicked Cannot Inherit The Kingdom Of God
1Co 6:9 Or know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with men, 1Co 6:10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

Gal 5:21 envyings, drunkenness, revellings, and such like; of which I forewarn you, even as I did forewarn you, that they who practise such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God

12. Child Like Faith Is Required To Enter The Kingdom of God
Mar 10:15 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall in no wise enter therein

13. God Transfers Us Into His Kingdom
Col 1:13 who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love;

14.The Kingdom Must Have Priority
Luk 12:31 Yet seek ye his kingdom, and these things shall be added unto you.

Mar 9:47 And if thine eye cause thee to stumble, cast it out: it is good for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell;

15. The Kingdom Of God Operates Inwardly
Luk 17:21 neither shall they say, Lo, here! or, There! for lo, the kingdom of God is within you.

16. The Kingdom of God (Heaven) Grows
Matthew 13:31 Another parable he put before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field; 32 it is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches."

Matthew 13:33 He told them another parable. "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened."

Mar 4:26 And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed upon the earth; Mar 4:27 and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should spring up and grow, he knoweth not how

17. Love Is The Greatest Commandment In The Kingdom
Mar 12:32 And the scribe said unto him, Of a truth, Teacher, thou hast well said that he is one; and there is none other but he: 33 and to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is much more than all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices. 34 And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.

18. The Poor Have A Special Place In The Kingdom Of God
Luk 6:20 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed are ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.

Jam 2:5 Hearken, my beloved brethren; did not God choose them that are poor as to the world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to them that love him?

19. The Work of Believers is to Announce The Kingdom Of God
Luk 9:60 But he said unto him, Leave the dead to bury their own dead; but go thou and publish abroad the kingdom of God.

20. Announcing The Kingdom Brings Power To Deliver
Luk 10:9 and heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.

Luk 11:20 But if I by the finger of God cast out demons, then is the kingdom of God come upon you.


21. God's People Are to Reign On Earth In His Kingdom
Rev 5:10 and madest them to be unto our God a kingdom and priests; and they reign upon earth.

22. Nations Can Receive The Kingdom of God
Mat 21:43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken away from you, and shall be given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.

23. At Some Point The Kingdom Will Come With Totality and Some Will be Cast Out
Luk 13:28 There shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and yourselves cast forth without. 29 And they shall come from the east and west, and from the north and south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God.

24. The Kingdom Of The World Will Become The Kingdom Of God
Rev 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there followed great voices in heaven, and they said, The kingdom of the world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ: and he shall reign for ever and ever.

LIONS SET FREE

Lions Set Free
"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free; stand fast therefore, and do not be entangled with the yoke of slavery again."    Galatians 5:1
A friend of mine recently told me about a conservation group in Zimbabwe that is taking captive lions and rehabilitating them back into the wild.
This is a difficult, four phase process, but they are having success with it. The rehabilitation process has many snags involved because of the effects of captivity on an African lion. When lions are bred and raised out of their natural habitat, some very abnormal patterns begin to develop. In short, they become domesticated. Yet lions were born to be wild.
In captivity, the lions basically forget that they are lions. The forget how to hunt. They forget how to live in the wild. And they forget how to live in a pride. The "pride" is the name for a community of lions. Lions are by and large social creatures and do not do well as loners.
The Effects of Captivity
You and I were born (again) to be spiritual lions. That's who we are, but we have forgotten our true nature because of our captivity in the religious system. Captivity has conditioned us to believe things that are just not true. We have become something less than our true calling and destiny because of this conditioning. We have become domesticated.
We have become isolated pew warmers; a mutated race that sits and listens instead of participating and functioning. The clergy/laity system has made us passive and spiritually lazy. In other words, we have sold out our birthrights. Just like Esau we have sold out for the comfort of a bowl of lentil stew, that is, our warm and comfy pews. We no longer wanted to bother with functioning as members of the Body of Christ, so we sold out and instituted the clergy/laity system.
We Have Forgotten How to Hunt
This is definitely one of the most important aspects of a lion's life. Without the act of hunting, how will you eat?
How will the pride eat?
We have forgotten how to hunt for our own food. Part of our conditioning has been that everyday (or every Sunday!) someone opens our cage and throws us a piece of meat. This bypasses the whole hunting process.
Who is this person that throws in that piece of meat? Where did he get it? Apparently, he went and hunted for it himself. But that is not my prey! And I never had to hunt for it myself.
Hunting is much more than just killing an animal and then eating it. There is the encounter of the hunt itself: finding the right place and time; having the right equipment; getting very quiet; smelling the prey; stalking the prey; taking aim, etc. Sometimes you come up empty handed, but the actual engagement is the thrilling part.
As believers, our food is Jesus Christ Himself! Not just teaching and doctrine about Christ, but the very Person and experience of Christ. You need to hunt for this "food" yourself. Sharing someone else's food is alright at times. But there is nothing like you going out on your own "hunt" and capturing some new revelation or insight into your Lord. This is exciting. This is discovery. This is how you were born to live!
But then what? What do lions do after they have captured the prey?
They bring it home and share it with the pride.
As I said before, lions are very social creatures and they live in a pride. But in captivity there is no hunt and there is no pride. Lions are thrown their food everyday and they do not live as a pride. They are just individual lions living a mutant life of individualism.
A lion in captivity never has to hunt for his own food. He becomes lazy and complacent. He actually believes that this is normal. He believes that someone else is responsible.
We Have Forgotten How to Live in the Wild
"Because we do not regard the things which are seen but the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal."    II Cor. 4:18
There are two kinds of realms that exist. There is the unseen realm (or the eternals) and there is the seen realm (or the physicals). Both of these reams exist together at the same time.
One realm is spiritual and unseen. That is, it has no physical substance or what we would call matter. It has no size or dimension, and it exists without time or space. You could say that this spiritual realm is totally "other than" the seen, physical realm.
Of course, we know that the seen physical realm does have matter, energy, space, time, and dimension. Science tells us all about electrons, protons, neutrons, atoms, and molecules. We seem to know a lot about the seen realm. But the scriptures tell us that this realm is only temporary.
It is the unseen realm which is eternal, and yet, we really don't know much about that realm at all. How do we live in that realm? How do we live in spirit?
The Creature of Two Realms
As lions, we are called to live in two realms at the same time. But we should live mostly in the unseen realm. This is the "wild" for us. And it is mostly unexplored. It really is the "wild." It is our natural habitat. And we can never be fulfilled with anything less. And yet, because we have forgotten who we are, we have become comfortable in captivity. We have become comfortable in the seen realm. We actually start believing that the physical realm is everything and then we start investing our lives into it.
Yet we have a Lord who is both Lion and Lamb. He is definitely gentle. But make no mistake about it, He is not tame! He is as wild as they come and the wild realm that is our home is inside of Him (Eph. 1:3).
But our natural habitat is not lived alone. This is a place of community. This is the place of the pride.
We Have Forgotten How to Live as a Pride
The "pride" is the social unit for the wild lion. They do not live alone. They interact in small groups know as prides.
Dear believer, a very important part of your natural habitat is the spiritual "pride." This has been lost to us as well. Lions in captivity don't live in prides. That is a special feature only found in the wild. When you discover that you are already free and begin living in the other realm, you will see the need of community life. This wild life is a shared life. Shared with your Lord and shared with His people.
But we are not used to sharing our lives with others. We have been isolated (held captive) for so long that we have forgotten that this is just the normal life for wild lions. In a true pride, you all share your food, share your joys, share your sorrows, and share everything in life with one another.
The big question is: how do we get to this place of freedom? How do we remember how to hunt? How do we remember how to live in the wild? How do we remember how to live in a pride?
Our great God has already provided a solution to this situation. And this solution was in force as early as the first century.
God's Solution: Walking with Lions
As I told you in the beginning of this article, there is a conservationist group in Zimbabwe that is successfully rehabilitating lions back into the wild. But how do they do it?
They take the young cubs for walks everyday in the wild. An experienced lion "handler" (not trainer) will take a cub on long walks everyday to introduce the young lion to life in the wild. Eventually, the lion's natural instincts will begin to kick in. They will begin to respond to their natural prey and eventually begin to stalk them. Then, one day, they will learn to hunt for themselves. The lion handlers will also introduce them to a pride in the wild so they can be socially integrated.
God does the same thing with His people. He re-introduces His "lions" back into the wild by the use of "handlers." These are men and women who are called, prepared, and sent by Him for this difficult task. They do not become caretakers of the believers, but their job is to be re-introducers. Then the believers re-discover their spiritual instincts and habitat that has been long forgotten in captivity.
We can see these people at work in the first century. They were sent out by God as itinerant apostolic workers (or church planters) to lay a foundation of Christ for the assemblies of believers. Their job was to work themselves out of a job. Peter, John, Paul, Barnabas, Titus, Silas, Timothy, and others did this work or re-introducing God's people to the wild. Then they would leave them on their own to live as wild lions! Every one of these workers had already experienced true "pride life" for themselves and knew about the hunt, the wild, and the pride by personal experience.
In the Zimbabwe program, the handlers have less and less contact with the lions. The goal is to completely release them to the wild, not to control them and keep them domesticated.
Christians are leaving the religious institutions in droves. They are seeking more reality, a deeper spirituality, and freedom. They are being set free from the captivity of the religious system and it is a beautiful thing to see. But that creates an altogether different problem.
Now that all of these believers are being set free from captivity, what will happen next? How will they now be re-introduced to the wild? How will they remember how to hunt? How will they be introduced to the "pride" life?
God's own rehabilitation program must be the answer. We need to pray that God will raise up many "handlers" who have been called, prepared, and sent to walk with the lions.
You are a lion and you have a divine right to be free in the wild with His pride!
If God has been speaking to you about these things and you would like help finding an organic church, just contact davebroos@yahoo.co.uk if you live in Indonesia or admin@therebuilders.org if you are in other countries.

THE KINGDOM SPECTRUM

The Kingdom Spectrum
by Stephen Crosby www.stevecrosby.com

Some very interesting relational dynamics have developed for me over the last decade.

I know leaders in traditional (for lack of a better term) church environments who barely speak to me any more. I thought of them as my friends. My crime in their eyes? I associate with “de-churched” individuals in the emergent/organic/house-church move-ment who have left their churches. I cannot categorize them all as wounded and reactio-nary Jezebels with an authority problem. These leaders also label me as wounded and reactionary for not agreeing with them about their alleged “God-given” authority, and for failing to confront those rebellious people with truth.

I also know individuals in the emergent/organic/house church movement (who I thought were my friends) who will barely speak to me. My offense? I continue to relate to people and leaders in traditional church structures. I don’t just write them off as mem-bers of the whore of Babylon- a.k.a., organized Christianity. These folks think I haven’t clearly seen the light of God’s reforming move of this present hour. They think I’m a compromiser for continuing to minister and serve those in traditional expressions, and for failing to confront those blind people with truth.
 
~ O happy day ~

Building authentic kingdom relationships is not for the faint of heart, the thin skinned, the psychologically fragile, or the easily offended. Of course we all must live before the Lord in identity wholeness, personal integrity, and calling. We ultimately an-swer to Him, not one another, even as we work toward unity of spirit and faith. It’s real work.
 
Purposeful Polarity

My personal relational neurosis is just one example of a common kingdom pheno-menon: polarity.

Polarity can be either negative or positive (I couldn’t resist that one). If polarity means standing on opposite banks of the River of Life, lobbing truth bombs at each other, that’s not such a good thing. The usual result of an atmosphere where truth bombs are flying is a company of people standing on the perimeter of a hole, staring into it. Nothing gets built.

However if polarity represents the mystery of kingdom life, values, virtues, and perspectives in divine tension, that’s a good thing.

Jesus gentle shepherd and Jesus lion of Judah is a polarity. Jesus, “I love you and gave my life for you,” and Jesus, “I will kill you if you do not repent” (Acts 5, Rev. 2:21-23) is a polarity. It’s also supernaturally attractive. We need to understand that kingdom power (real kingdom power), life, and unity is found in the presence of our polarities, not in their removal or homogenization.

There’s no such thing as a North-North magnet. A magnet has North and South poles. It’s only useful as long as the polar opposites remain. A North-North magnet is . . . a rock. Without polarity, a magnet loses its power and purpose. It attracts nothing. Without polarity, the Church loses its power and purpose and will attract nothing.

Imagine two people rowing a canoe. If both try to crowd into the same end of the canoe, it will sink. The safe functioning of the canoe requires they be at opposite ends. Life depends on each maintaining their position. The challenge is to paddle in the same direction and in sync. It’s no small challenge.

Life itself is a polarity. It begins with birth and ends with death. In between there’s growth: biological, intellectual, emotional, relational, and spiritual.
 
The Kingdom Spectrum

The kingdom of God is a spectrum contained within opposite poles. Truth is abso-lute. Our apprehension and application of it is spectral. The totality of Truth is in the to-tality of the Body, not in any singular individual or ministry. Paul said we have the mind of Christ (3rd. pers. pl) not I, or he/she (the pastor, the apostle, the prophet, the leader, miracle worker, evangelist) whomever they might be, and however great his or her “anointing” might be.

We need each other, even in our strong differences. I have convictions on many topics that I will unapologetically preach and present with passion from my place in the spectrum. Each of us can do no less. Yet I understand I don’t represent the whole forest and not all the trees in the forest look just like me.

We should directly and quickly confront issues of sin (falsehood, abuse, gross doc-trinal error, corruption, etc.). However, at any given time on just about any other issue, there’s going to be a spectrum of points of view.

This is especially true of new or emerging ideas regarding methodologies and em-phases. Arriving at truth concerning our practices or what “ought to be” is a process of distillation. Distillation can take time and is accompanied by unpleasant aromas! The smell of relationship building while establishing truth can be like a men’s locker room after an overtime football game! The aroma of the brethren “working it out” is most often not pleasant, but the fruit of victory is worth it. Sweat is sweet if you’re invested in the game. (Mt. 18:15-35).

The kingdom spectrum also means that at any given moment individuals can be at various stages of life-growth in relationship to the Lord, one another, and different as-pects of His kingdom.

All of us, without exception, process the kingdom of God through the lens of the gifts we have received from Him, the measure of the character of Christ that has been de-veloped in us, and where we “are” along the way. None of us is completely objective. We perceive God and His kingdom from the seat we may currently hold in the spectrum of His life, and it’s fine to do so.

When someone discovers something new or life giving from the Scriptures or in their relationship with Christ, it’s human nature to be excited about it and to assume that the excitement should be the norm for everyone. It’s also normal to think one’s present place on the spectrum is “the greatest” and to wish everyone else was or should be, at the same place. However, expecting everyone to be at the same place with the same values is like piling everyone into the same end of a canoe! Not helpful!

Someone in the opposite end of the canoe is not necessarily “wrong.” They’re just currently postured differently in the spectrum of kingdom life. The question isn’t who is right and who is wrong, but are we abiding in Life, and bringing it/Him to those around us, wherever we may be on the spectrum? What is needed at the moment to manifest the life of Christ? That’s what is “right.”

We were not converted because we were right in our thoughts and behaviors, but because He gave His life for us and introduced us to Himself while we were yet dead in our sin. After we entered into His life, we then began to learn about what is right or wrong. Right and wrong derive from life, not the other way around. We so easily forget this and relationally suffer for it.
 
The Emergent and the Ultimate

Living things never appear fully developed. They emerge and grow. Those of us wired toward ultimate things (myself, and others like me) can tend to never be satisfied with what is. We should and must pursue ultimate things, but in that pursuit, we must not step all over what is emergent. If I am out walking in the yard everyday inspecting the grass I just planted, I will never have a lawn. I will be treading all over the present thing, looking for the hoped for thing, and in the process killing the hoped for thing!

There will always be tension between what is and what could be. That’s a kingdom polarity. Prophetic people (over generalized) tend to focus on what could be at the ex-pense of what is: “Things are terrible, God says FIX IT!” Pastoral people (over genera-lized) tend to focus on what is at the expense of what could be: “Things are wonderful, God says: LEAVE IT ALONE.” Both are true and neither is true.

The tension between the actual and the ideal will be with us until the end of the age. The contented/actual folks need to put a little “git along” in their step. The discon-tented/ideal folks need to take a deep breath and be accepting. The Holy Spirit is an ex-pert at supervising this adjusting process. He sees to it that Calvary is appropriated and applied to folks on both poles of the spectrum, and every resting place in between.
 
Doves, Rams, and Bulls

I was recently reminded of some details of the Old Covenant offerings that could have application to this topic. Old Covenant typology is not exactly a favorite endeavor of mine, so for me, this is a unique meditation.

In the Levitical system there were different kinds of burnt offerings. Short version: turtledoves (doves), rams, and bullocks (bulls). Some Levitical offerings were strictly prescribed. Others were flexible. God’s economy included allowance for people’s capa-bilities-what they could offer. There was not a right offering, and a wrong offering, per se. A turtledove was not inferior in quality or spirituality to a bullock. They were all ac-cepted as “life given.”

If in a Covenant based on inferior promises this was the case, how much more so should an accepting ethos of accommodation guide our interactions with one another in a greater covenant based on greater promises?

It’s illegitimate for those of us who may have bullock capacity, or who might be at the bullock edge of the spectrum on a developing topic or issue, to demand that folks who may be at the dove stage of things “produce” something bigger or more “perfect” to our liking. They don’t have to, and God doesn’t expect it. Their turtledove is just as acceptable as our bullock. The issue is the realm of life or death, not right or wrong. A turtledove offering isn’t “wrong.” It’s just a measure of life for that person, at that moment.

The dove to bullock spectrum applies at multiple levels: personal development, re-lationships, Body life, and “emerging” issues. We need to give each other space to be in different places of development and journey from turtledove to bullock. If someone else sees, or lives at a turtle dove place on the spectrum, who am I to say they should be dif-ferent? I was a “turtledover” once upon a time in some areas, and in others areas I still am! God does not require of us what we have not been given to see. We should require of each other no less

Love and Service
 
If I claim to be a mature, enlightened, or overcoming believer my responsibility is not to try to coerce others into my end of the kingdom canoe, to enlighten them with my superior biblical knowledge. My calling in Christ is to take on the burden of what I perce-ive to be others’ weaknesses, deficiencies, and shortcomings. They might not even be weaknesses or deficiencies, but merely a different resting place of life in the spectrum.

I’m not called to fire bomb others because they aren’t “up to standard” in the new order, apostolic, prophetic, cutting-edge, emerging church of the Joshua generation, third day, seventh heaven, Elijah company man-child of overcoming, wealth transferring, mi-racle working, world changing, covenantal sons and daughters of end time intercessory prophetic warriors. (We can be a tad pretentious concerning ourselves, can’t we?)

If we claim to be spiritually mature, if we claim to be prophetic, if we profess to be spiritual fathers and mothers, if we profess to be apostolic leaders, if we profess to have “cutting edge” insight, if we think we have Christ’s authority, our kingdom mandate is not to illumine others with our profundities, maturity, rank, and government, but to be able to stand as a vessel of grace and life in the midst of another’s death and weakness for their sake. Their realm does not affect me. I “absorb” death (in whatever form: minor to major, spiritual to natural) for their sake. I become the fertilizer for their progress out of death. Paul said it like this to a people for whom he gave his life who were rejecting him:
 
• Death works in me, but life in you (2 Cor. 4:10-12)
• I will therefore, most gladly, spend and be spent for you, though I am loved the less for it (2 Cor.12:15)

 
Summary

Someone else’s place on the spectrum, in “revelation,” character development, or methodology is not a limitation on my ability to love and serve them. I do not have to change their polarity or get them into my end of the canoe for me to love and serve them . . . unless they prohibit me from serving them.

If the castle of their soul is locked down, drawbridge raised, battlements armed, I will be unable to serve them. Even my sincere approach will likely be misinterpreted as a threat and an attempt to take over their castle, or motion them come to my end of the ca-noe.

Even so, when service is not possible, love remains. I can still wait outside their castle (maintain some degree of relationship) until the Holy Spirit enables them to drop their drawbridge and invite me into their heart. My perception of their turtledove or bul-lock status ought not to limit how His love manifests through me. No man or woman, no pastor or apostle, no method of “doing church” can limit the river of God’s love in me. Only I can do that.

Love and service are effective all across the spectrum, all the time. Love never fails.

THE CASE FOR SIMPLE CHURCH

The Case for Simple Church
Perhaps today, more than ever, it is vital that we grasp the significance of the simple church paradigm. Let’s look at why this is so important.
 
1. Simple Churches are Removing Hindrances
I love the way Eugene Peterson (translating Ephesians 1 ) expresses the essence of what the church really is: “The church is Christ ’s body in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence.” Yet, as my wife and I travel throughout the world we see the church so often hindered by organizational forms and structures that are not necessary. By reducing or eliminating these human-made restraints, the church can be unleashed. My wife, Brooks , wrote these words after returning from Africa :
The Revolution is happening – it’s happening all over the world. We are in a Reformation. Acknowledge it or not. Be a part of it or not.. Jesus longs for his church to come alive, to become a living, breathing, organism. He longs for us to be in a real, live, intimate relationship with Him, regardless of others – and then in real, live relationship with our families – earthly and spiritual. And, He’s begging us to come alive, be who we are as individuals, alive and free in Him, telling the world who and what He has done for us…
What I saw in Kenya , I see in America and I see in other parts of the Christianized world. The enemy accepts that Christianity is in the world… but if he can just contain us, keep us from contaminating others, there’s little to worry about. If he can contain us in buildings, then the world will not know the truth and few will be set free. But what I saw in Kenya , I also see in America and other parts of the world. The virus is leaking. The Reformation of the 21st Century, led by the Holy Spirit, is taking Christianity out of containers into the open spaces of the neighbourhoods and nations of the world.
 
2. Simple Churches are Biblical
The New Testament does not seem to make a big deal about the forms and structures of church. The focus is much more on Christians going and living the lifestyle of Jesus. Yet, it is easily noted that most church gatherings were simple and natural, meeting mostly in homes:
Please give my greetings to the church that meets in their home ( Romans 16:5 ).
The churches in the province of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly in the Lord, and so does the church that meets at their house ( 1 Corinthians 16:19 ).
Please give my greetings to our brothers and sisters at Laodicea , and to Nympha and the church that meets in her house ( Colossians 4:15 ).
By meeting in homes, the early church gathered families, households, and other normal social connections together. The Gospel spread quickly through these lines of family and friends and everyday relationships. This methodology was biblical as well as effective for the spread of God’s message.
 
3. Simple Churches Empower All Believers
House churches make room for the spiritual gifts of all believers to operate on a regular basis. What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church ( 1 Corinthians 14:26 ).
By simplifying church and gathering simply and naturally in home-sized groups, everyone becomes a participant and every person’s gift is needed. This trains and equips the whole Body of Christ to become fully alive and fully functioning.
 
4. Simple Churches Foster Authentic Community Life
The desire for authentic relationships where we can open our lives, share our lives, and be vulnerable safely seems to be a universal hunger. Someone suggested that they had closer relationships at the neighbourhood bar before becoming a Christian than they experienced in their neighbourhood church after becoming a Christian.
The shared life that takes place in simple/house churches allows people to find a place of community that is real and honest, where practical living can be discussed and the real struggles of life addressed. As relationships develop it becomes possible to genuinely “encourage one another” and “bear one another’s burdens.”
John Eldredge says, “when Scripture talks about church, it means community. The little fellowships of the heart that are outposts of the kingdom. A shared life. They worship together, eat together, pray for one another, go on quests together. They hang out together, in each other's homes.”
 
5. Simple Churches Free Up Finances
Isaac Cheduke , a church planter in Africa , shared with us his deep grief in closing down a church that had nearly 100 members because they could not afford the rent on the building where they met. As he found the freedom to meet in homes and to network house churches, he is no longer constrained by buildings and finances. He has now developed a network of dozens of house churches that are multiplying and has money available to meet needs of people rather than cover the cost of buildings.
This is not just a problem in under-developed countries. It is estimated that it takes over two hundred thousand dollars to launch a church in America . Imagine the money that can be freed up for missions and poverty by simplifying our church structures.
 
6. Simple Churches Can Be Easily Reproduced
Perhaps the most significant case for house churches is that they can be easily started and multiplied. God’s clear desire is for the earth to be filled with the “knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea ( Habakkuk 2:14 ).” Rather than build buildings and organizations that require tremendous time, finances, and energy to reproduce, the kingdom of God multiplies organically: one seed produces fruit that produces more seed that produces more fruit. The power of multiplication is far more powerful than we realize. Take a look at any forest and realize how much is accomplished through natural reproductive processes without any human aid at all.
One of the most exciting developments around the world is rapid church planting movements. These take place where disciples are reproduced quickly and simple/house churches are reproduced rapidly. When this happens, entire cities and regions are being impacted with the Good News of Jesus Christ. There are several components that must be present for Church Planting Movements to take place, but one of them is a model of church that is easily reproduced—a simple/house church model.
 
7. Simple Churches Can Ignite Our Generation
Many people, today, are catching the vision of what the church is meant to be as she throws off the hindrances and becomes the Spirit-filled movement of Believers she is destined for.
We are catching the vision for living life, 24/7, with and for God without one moment or place being more holy than another. It is a vision of every believer contributing to one another through the spiritual gifts that reside in each one. It is a vision of every believer, using his/her gifts, to take God’s love and power into the world we live in. It is a vision of no longer thinking of the church as an event or place to go, but realizing that we, his people, really are the church everywhere and every place that we go.
 
Wolfgang Simson describes his vision of what the church, unhindered, is becoming:
[I dream of a] church, which does not need huge amounts of money, or rhetoric, control and manipulation, which can do without powerful and charismatic heroes, which is non-religious at heart, which can thrill people to the core, make them lose their tongues out of sheer joy and astonishment, and simply teach us The Way to live. A church which not only has a message, but is the message. Something which spreads like an unstoppable virus, infects whatever it touches, and ultimately covers the earth with the glory and knowledge of God.

RANDEEP'S TESTIMONY

Randeep's Testimony

A story from India that was shared at the 2007 Asian House Church Conference. Signs and wonders resulting in 3,500 house churches planted…

When he was 22, in 1994, Randeep, then a nominal Christian with no real desire to follow Jesus, was walking down the street of his home town in the state of Himachal Pradesh. He saw a woman who was rolling on the ground screaming. He recognised that she was demonized, and sensed God saying to him that he was to pray for her. However, he had no desire to do so and walked on, until again he fancied he heard God talking to him. This time God said "I can easily get someone else to pray for her - but where would that leave you and your salvation?" He then prayed for her, and she was instantly completely healed and restored to her right mind.
 
Later on that evening, when he was at home, he heard a commotion outside. There was a crowd of about 70. He was very nervous. "It must be a crowd of Hindus upset because I prayed for that girl," he thought. However, a voice sounded out, "Does Jesus live here?" He opened the door to speak to the crowd. "I am a Christian", he said. It turned out that the crowd had heard about the girl who was healed, and had brought many to be prayed for. Randeep was scared to pray for them, because he thought that if he prayed and nothing happened, they would think him a fake and beat him up, so he declined to pray. But his mother said, "If they want you to pray for them you'd better pray". He told her if she was prepared to accept the consequences, he would pray. She agreed - and when he prayed for the people, every one of them was miraculously healed! He started to form house churches amongst those who believed, and in the years since this miraculous start, 3500 house churches have started as part of this network, which now has 120 full-time church planters and 300 volunteer workers. This is only one network in India, which is seeing many of these movements spring up. He told us much more of his experiences, which also include costly persecution and beatings. But the Lord has been faithful to bring him through each trial. He and his co-workers also shared key teachings and understandings which they believe have been instrumental in God's move in India.

What is Apostolic?

What Is Apostolic?
by Martin Schmaltz www.apostolicmissions.org
Email: martinschmaltz@gmail.com

Much is being said today about “the apostolic.” There are those who believe a restoration of “the apostolic” is necessary. Various views of what apostolic means include: a succession of leadership traceable back to Peter, a particular doctrine instructed by the apostles or a particular church organizational structure with an individual in leadership, calling themselves an apostle. Many of these may contain some elements of truth or they may be man’s attempt to apply the principles of apostolic, but they often can fall far short of God’s original intentions. In this Ezine I would like to present a view of apostolic for us to consider.
 
To begin with, the word apostolic is not contained in the scriptures. This word is a creation of man. So what is this word based on? In my personal experience, apostolic is used as an adjective to describe the type of ministry first demonstrated by Jesus, as The Apostle, then His apostles. The Greek for apostle is apostolos. According to Vine’s it is “one sent forth.” Holman Bible Dictionary says it is “a person sent to accomplish a mission. An apostle represents the one sending and has authority to represent the sender in business, political or educational situations.” An apostle is one who has been specifically sent by another to deliver a message or conduct business according to the one doing the sending.
 
Scripture shows us that the word apostle and sent are similar. According to Thayer’s, send or sent is apostello; “properly, to send off, send away.” Furthermore, Thayer’s tells us there are four components to being sent.
First, they are ordered to go.
Secondly, they are sent with a commission or something intended for another.
Thirdly, the place of their sending is specific.
Fourth, the completion or manifestation of the duty is proof of the sending.
In the literal sense of the word, anyone who has been given a job to perform then sent (apostello) to do this duty for the one sending is an apostle (apostolos). In Matthew chapter 2, those that Herod “sent forth” to slay the children in Bethlehem were apostello. In John 1:19, the Jews “sent” or apostello as their apostolos, priests and Levite's to question the identity of John. If you are part of an organization or business and you delegate someone to go and relay a message, represent you or conduct business for you, they have been sent (apostello) by you and are your apostle (apostolos).
 
The major significance of biblical apostolic is WHO is DOING the sending.
And What are we being sent to accomplish.
 
Being apostolic is being sent as a representative of Jesus Christ. It is from Him we are to get our orders. Jesus stated that all power had been given to Him. When He sent out his disciples in Mark 6:7-13, they were given specific commands of where, who and what to say. When they operated as He commanded is when they saw the miraculous happen. In Acts 19, we see the sons of Sceve attempting to operate under their own initiative. They were attempting to accomplish something of benefit, yet they were not effective. Their problem was they were not sent. I can desire to do good things for the kingdom, yet find frustration and limited results IF what I am attempting is not what He has sent me to do.
 
This is significant for us to grasp because if we desire to see His kingdom manifest or reach the lost of this world with His miraculous delivering power we MUST make sure we are operating as His representatives in the manner that He has determined. We must make sure we are not perpetuating man’s traditions, values or structure. In my personal life and ministry, I must be sure that I am operating in a manner that He has authorized. Our churches must carefully evaluate and make sure we are performing His mandate and not our programs. The power to impact our worlds only comes when we are operating in accordance with His commission.
 
Food For Thought
Am I operating according to my plans or His sending?

GOD'S RECIPE FOR ORGANIC CHURCH

Gods Recipe For Organic Church
by Terry Somerville www.totalchange.org

 
Eating organic food has become a big industry in recent years. For a while the word "organic" was used to trick the public into paying more with getting the real thing. Now there are government guidelines in labeling "organic' food.
 
In the last few years there's been much talk about returning to the "organic" church. But what does that mean? Many regular churches are using this term to attract members. Now (somewhat tongue in cheek) I'd like to suggest some guidelines to using the term "organic church".

Guidlines To organic Labels in The Church
 
The Organic Church Is Not Genetically Modified - It Has Pure DNA
For centuries church life has been planned and preprogrammed down to tiniest detail. The church's DNA has been modified in the petrie dish of institutionalism. Such manipulation of the core life of Jesus' gathered people is unnatural and "inorganic". In spite of occasionally creating monstrous plants, this modified DNA has resulted in chronic immaturity with little fruit bearing.
To be organic the church must have the unmodified DNA of Jesus controlling her life. Each plant growing according to the divine code within. Only then is the church truly organic. Unfortunately, most of her gardeners are trained in church genetics and refuse to take a "hands off" approach. To be labeled "organic" the life of Jesus must be allowed to freely flourish in His body.

The Organic Church Does Not Use Pesticides - It Has Natural Resistance
In the modern church, out of control plants ( young believers) and disruptive pests (sinners) are controlled by a herbicidal response and poisonous attitude. "Unsubmissive" or "You are not welcome here". No More! What may seem to be "a garden springing up in disorder" in fact allows God's life and natural immunities to start to work! Discernment, healing gifts, evangelism, encouragement, and many other gifts all wait dormant. When these gifts operate, believers will love the unlovely, resist sin, cast out devils, and save souls. Organic church life is a natural pesticide. In the organic church we embrace Christian life, weeds, pests, and all. To be labled 'organic" the church allows God's love to flow to problem people. It covers a multitude of sins.
 
The Organic Church Does Not Use Chemical Fertilizers - It Grows In The Compost of Life Recently, the futility of "seeker friendly" fertilizers has been noticed by church gardeners around the world. The "church growth" garden was all the rage but it produced an addiction to fertilizer, not to Jesus. These chemicals gave a spurt of enthusiasm but soon drained the plants of real life! This "hydroponic church life" is not organic, not genuine. We need real soil! Theres nothing like being dumped in manure grow Gods life! Away with the artificial church! To be labled organic, the church must grow in the compost of daily living.
 
The organic Church Has No Artificial Color or Flavor - It Is All (super) Natural!
In spite of the claims of spectacular signs and wonders, intensely dramatic prophecies and promises of the "greatest anointing", it seems that the plants in God's garden have not been doing well at all! But what do we expect? The recent spate of "heavenly" flavors tasted intensely artificial! Cheap imitations of the real thing, being sold by hucksters! ("Come and get it!") NO! It's time for God's people to get out of the supermarket and visit God's road side stand! Go organic! The organic church produces the best naturally ripened fruit and it tastes like nothing else on earth! Ditch the fake stuff and get into God's organic garden!
 
The Organic Church Has Free Range Believers - No Chicken Coop!
The church as we have known it, has been like a farming conglomerate. Every chicken owned and controlled! Sure you know the manager, but his job is to keep you in the coop! .... Force fed on a timer under artificial lighting! Lay that tithe! The real organic church has free range believers. Freely gathering together, but part of the larger flock. Eat naturally, sharing with each other, growing under the sun! Free to stretch and fly! (God's chickens can fly) To labled organic means believers are free to be part of God's entire garden and not bound. They are bound only by the law of love!

The Organic Church Has Biodiversity - It is Not A MonoCulture
Todays church farm is a monoculture. All may NOT contribute their ministry. All plants are expected to be the same. Sit there and grow! No variety allowed. If something different springs up in a church it is soon cut down. It is "unsubmissive".
In the organic church every plant is unique and contributes to the farm. It is encouraged. Each one contributes their unique gift as Jesus works through them. We are the 'planting of the Lord" and produce His abundance. This makes for stronger roots, rapid growth, greater strength, disease resistance and healthier variety of fruit! To be labled "organic church" every member participates, bringing their particluar flavor. Building each other up.

The organic Church Is Environmentally Sustainable
The modern church garden is coming to an end. It has exhausted the gardeners, stripped the soil, created chemical-resistant pests, become over run with weeds, and produces tasteless fruit. It is not sustainable. The world is not buying from this garden any more.
 
The organic church garden is coming into its own. It can grow in todays environment. It can adapt to a changing world. It thrives in crisis. It is simple. It is portable. It needs no budget or building or program. It is full of God's life. It is real and produces great tasting fruit. It just needs organic believers.
 
It is God's Organic Garden

WHY LESS IS MORE: ADVANTAGES OF SIMPLE CHURCHES

Why Less is More: Advantages of Simple Churches
By Neil Cole

In our quest to be part of a powerful move of God’s kingdom, we often are tempted to think the solution will come from a complex composite of things that produce the results we so desperately long for. We cry out to the heavens for a solution that will finally change the church forever. Many travel every year to new seminars and conferences, buying the latest books and binders full of new methods in our search for the answer. The primal scream of our hearts is a search for spiritual success that will ultimately change the world. To our query of the universe, Albert Einstein once commented, “When the solution is simple, God is answering.” In this article, we will describe the practical ways our team—Church Multiplication Associates—has used to multiply and network house churches that saturate neighborhoods and nations with the message of Jesus Christ .

                                            Why Are Simple Things Better?
The Power of Simplicity
There is something special about the power of simplicity. Many of the most profound things in life are indeed simple. Simple, however, does not mean simplistic. We tend to overlook simple things thinking that anything of value and substance will be complex, require professional oversight and will be very expensive. A valuable lesson that we have integrated into all we do as a church multiplication movement is that “less is more.”
Simplicity is a step beyond complexity. It takes great skill and effort to make something simple. It is easy to create something that is complex. But, to design something that is simple and yet profound, however, is a creative challenge. It takes great skill to know what is absolutely essential and what can be discarded.
Jesus said, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My load is light.”(1) For most, discipleship has become so complicated that it is no longer an easy burden and a light load. But Jesus intends for the Christian life to be easy and light and to bring rest to our souls. Fulfillment of the Great Commission is meant to be restful, not stressful!

Simple Things Last, while Complex Things Breaks Down
When we approach disciple making—wanting to pass the baton on to succeeding generations—we must refine the process so that it is simple and transferable. Simplicity is the key to the fulfillment of the Great Commission in this generation. If the process is complex, it will breakdown early in the transference to the next generation of disciples. The more complex the process, the greater the giftedness needed to keep it going. The simpler the process, the more available it is to the broader Christian populace.
Perhaps the reason that we do not see multiplication of disciples more often is that we are trying to do too much too soon in the process. We fail to grasp the fact that discipleship—following Christ in simple obedience—is a life-long pursuit. We, unfortunately, attempt to teach our disciples so much in the first year that we unintentionally sabotage the rest of the years by intimidating them into thinking it is way too hard for common people to do. We tend to over estimate what we can do in a year and underestimate what we can do in three years.

Simple Things are “Sticky” and Transferable to Others
In the best selling book The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell says any epidemic type of expansion requires a “stickiness factor.”(2) In other words, the pattern must stick with people in such a way that it is unforgettable and easily passed on to others. It is not enough that it is easy, but it also must capture the imagination and affection of those who will pass it on.
Paul passed on to Timothy truths that were so profound that he would not forget them. They gripped his life and never left him. At the same time, however, the things Paul passed on were simple enough that Timothy could in turn pass them on to others who could then pass them on to others.(3) The gospel itself is the most profound truth mankind has ever received, yet it is simple enough for a child to understand and pass on to others! It is not enough that people can pass it on, it is necessary that they will want to pass it on. The gospel is good news, and like a profound secret, it should be something that we all want to tell others.
What we need are systems that are practical and profound. They must be both simple and significant! A system that is significant enough to tap into the Christian’s internal motivation, yet simple enough that it can be easily passed on from disciple to disciple, such a system will strengthen the church and produce growth that is qualitative and quantitative.
Our team of house church planters uses the following criteria to evaluate the ways we function as a movement in order to see multiplication to the ends of the earth:
Received personally. It has a profound implication. It must be internalized and must transform the soul of the follower.
Repeated easily. It has a simple application. It must be able to be passed on after only a brief encounter.
Reproduced strategically. It has universal communication. It must pass on globally by being translated into a variety of cultural contexts and languages.

Simple Things Keep the Focus on What is Important
Another reason why simple methods are better is that they do not take away the glory from Christ himself. There are many times, unfortunately, that methods can be so impressive that people cease to notice Christ . Yet, Christ chooses to put his glory in weak vessels so that all the glory is retained by him. If people are so impressed with our wineskins (i.e. systems and strategies) that they stop noticing the wine (i.e. the message and person of Christ ), then there is a big problem. Simple strategies keep it focused on Christ , not the plans or the people dreaming up the plans.
Jesus spoke of wine and wineskins.(4) Wineskins are important because they carry the wine, but without the wine, the skins are useless. It is good to give some thought to ministry systems, but the systems should not be the main thing. In fact, if done right, they should hardly be noticed at all because the living water has captivated our attention and affection. Simple systems are more likely to allow for this.

Simple Things Can Reproduce Easily
One final reason why simple methods are important is that multiplication becomes much more feasible. Reproduction comes from a natural desire and ability inherent in all healthy living things. Similarly, reproduction of churches should not be hard. It should be natural and even pleasurable. The fact that reproduction is thought to be so hard and painful for churches is evidence of how far removed we are from being healthy and natural. Reproduction is the product of intimacy, and we are created to enjoy intimacy. Even among churches, reproduction is the product of intimacy—with Christ , his mission, his spiritual family, and the lost world.
All reproduction begins at the molecular level and develops from the micro to the macro, from the simple to the complex. It is the same in the kingdom of God . We each began life as a zygote. A zygote is a cell formed by the union of a male seed and a female egg. Life multiplies from there. The moment that conception occurs, all the DNA necessary for the formation, growth, and development of a mature person is intact. The DNA never changes—it just leads the multiplication process within every tiny cell into forming the complete body. The same can be said for the body of Christ .