A Church Where Men Wonder
A TRUE BIBLICAL CHURCH IS A POWERHOUSE OF SPIRITUAL LIFE. If the church is only a human institution, it is not a New Testament church. If there are no miracles and utterly transformed lives, then it is of no value to God or men. The biggest problem in America is not the White House but “God’s house.” Every minister and believer need to read the book of Acts and pray for a revival on that same level.
Listen to the response of the Jews in Jerusalem when they saw the New Testament church in action. “And all the people saw him walking and praising God: And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him. And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon’s, greatly wondering. (Acts 3:9-11)
When is the last time a visitor saw God’s mighty power in your church and “wondered” at the beauty of the Holy Spirit’s presence? When a man of God is anointed by the Holy Ghost, his sermon leaves the people convicted and hungry for God. Sin loses its grip.
The single hope for America is to witness the visitation of God. Be careful not to mistake pretty sermons or emotional music for the power of God. The Holy Spirit will leave you fixed on Jesus, not on the performance of men. Where there is a moving of God’s presence, you will be stirred to live a holy life and to love God with your whole heart and soul.
Mike McCue
Greetings; Brother Chambers
I throughly enjoyed your message,most people have forgotten what we were created for.
We were created for one purpose and that was to worship our Creator. I have found out that with
true worship, all things begin to happen. The Real Holy Ghost staarts manifesting itself,
and from there no one could tell what may happen, when the Real Holy Ghost begins to take charge.
I love you Brother and looking forward to meeting you at Camp Meeting in Jacksonville.
Maranatha;
Brother Mike McCue
Ed Wood
We may very well be at a time similar to that of Soddom and Gomorrah in it final hours. To be sure homosexual perversion is already gaining legal status. And we aleady know how Obama and Biden feel along these lines. The Episcopal Church has given the nod to same sex blessings and adding transgendered people to its list of eligible clergy applicants in its triennial convention.
I think there will be on last revival – when believers are finally called off this sick planet to meet Jesus in the air. Other than that my hopes for one of sufficient impetus to turn the tide of evil now sweeping over our world and country are very slim.
Sean
Joseph writes: A TRUE BIBLICAL CHURCH IS A POWERHOUSE OF SPIRITUAL LIFE. If the church is only a human institution, it is not a New Testament church.
In his brevity Joseph has managed to state a powerful truth about preachers, prepared and Spirit-filled, being able to transform the culture, exactly as the Apostles did.
But I must take exception to Joseph’s vagueness concerning “the” Church as opposed to “a” church. He also introduces a strawman argument with the supposition that the Church could be a human institution. The supposition is an impossibiity, so far as Christianity goes. Jesus proclaimed that He is the builder of the Church; it is His Church, no one else’s (Matthew 16:18). Therefore the Church simply CANNOT be a human institution.
Now, it is true that local churches are started by men – Paul writes letters to the churches he’s established in Corinth, Ephesus, Colossae and Galatia, to name a few. But Paul’s local assemblise were always united to the Mother Church in Jerusalem. Paul took orders from that Church, he presented his views to that Church (Acts 15) and took up at least one major collection of money from the local churches as an offering to alleviate the suffering of the Mother Church in Jerusalem.
Bill Bratt writes: First and foremost among [Paul’s motives] was brotherly love (Rom 12:13; 13:8; Gal 6:10), making the offering a tangible expression of the interdependence of the members of the body of Christ (1Cor 12:25, 26) that would honor Christ (2Cor 8:19) and help effect equality of provision (2Cor 8:13-15). Moreover, it effectively symbolized the unity of Jew and Gentile in Christ (Eph 2:11-22) and may have been designed to win over those Jewish Christians who were still suspicious of Paul’s Gentile mission (cf. Acts 11:2, 3). Also, the collection dramatized in material terms the spiritual indebtedness of Gentile believers to the church at Jerusalem (Rom 15:19, 27; cf. 1Cor 9:11).
In Acts 15 we also see the Mother Church, at the Apostolic Council of Jerusalem in AD 50, making rules and decisions for ALL the local Churches and expecting the members of these local churches to follow these directives (Acts 15:28ff). And the members of that Church write the local assemblies that it is NOT just their decision, it is that of the Holy Spirit acting WITH them.
In Acts 8 we see Peter and John being “sent” to Samaria. Well, no one is “sent” by nothing. There was a central organization in Jerusalem. In Acts 10, Peter baptizes Cornelius, the first Gentile member of the Church, along with his family, and then feels compelled, in Acts 11, to explain his actions “to the elders” of which he is one.
So it may be true that a man might institute “a” church, but it is always to be united to “the” Church, of which there is only One: “One Lord, one Faith, one Baptism one God who is Father of all” (Galatians 4:5). The Body of Christ, too, is one (1Corinthians 12:12-27). And, since the Church is the Body of Christ (NOT the body of believers), the Church must also be One.
All local churches, therefore, are images of the One Church, not autonomous entities responsible only to themselves. As I have shown, such a concept is unbiblical and unChristian.
Judy
Acts 3:9-11
There was no such thing as ‘church’ when this was written.
… not for nearly 200 years later ,, invented by Greeks & Romans.
Keith Black
MOST CHURCHES CRASHED INTO APOSTASTSTY
Dear Joe Chambers,
Most of our churches today have already COLLAPSED into Apsotasty. Most of the preachers today are PORK-BARREL PROSPERITY PREACHERS. Pork-barrel preachers include Robert Schuller, Oral (as seet tating as chocolate cookies) Roberts, Creflo Dollar, RICK WARREN (King of Pork), and some other that preach PORK-BARREL PROSPERITY SERMONS. THEY SOUND EXACTLY LIKE THE VOTE-BUYING POLITICIANS IN WASHINGTON. That is not going to make a better church. Also the PORK-BARREL CHURCHES have theater seats, coffee bars, COUNTRY CLUBS (called Family life centers), swimming pools, rock bands, and other things to draw a lot of people. The big churches are filled with mostly unsaved people including their leaders. These are the PROSTITUTE CHURCHES AS IN REVELATION 17. To those of you who are in these big PORK-BARREL PROSPERITY CHURCHES, if you want a real church, GET OUT OF THE PORK-BARREL CHURCHES. The reason why big churches do not preach REPENTANCE is because it will DRIVE TH FOLKS OUT IN A HURRY, AND EMPTY THE PEWS, AND CUT OFF THE MONEY COMING INTO WEALTHY PREACHERS.
The best churches of the PHILADELPHIA MODEL are usually not very large. The reason why conservative bible believing churches are SMALL is because their REPENTANCE PREACHING IS NOT POPULAR. So these good quality churches may be little ONE ROOM COUNTRY CHURCHES where something like the SANDERS FAMILY PLAYS COUNTRY-GOSPEL MUSIC on their banjos, guitars, violins, and basses. There is even a play called SANDERS FAMILY CHRISTMAS (bluegrass music) There services are long, and there is lots of bible studies. Then after services they HAVE DINNER ON THE GROUND OUTSIDE WITH COVERED DISHES. In winter Potbelly stoves are used for heat. I have been to some of these churches before, and enjoyed the outdoor dinners too. Good churches in cities might be small neighborhood churches. Some may be medium size. Some may be STORE-FRONT CHURCHES. Some groups might even meet in homes with neighbors and friends.
If you want a good church AVOID THE BIG PORK-BARREL PROSPERITY CHURCHES LIKE PLAGUE, They give you lots of entertainment, but they GIVE YOU NO FOOD FOR THE SOUL WHICH IS THE WORD OF GOD. Instead look for the small good quality churches where the true WORD OF GOD IS PREACHED. Maybe it might even be a small country church with a potbelly stove, oil lamps for lights, long sermons, bluegrass music, singing out of old hymnals, and EVEN OUTDOOR DINERS ON THE GROUNDS WITH COVERED DISHES AS IN OLD DAYS. Joe: Maybe your Paw Creek Church can have a COVERED DISH DINNER ON THE GROUND OUTSIDE like the do at country churches. Enjoy the food.
SIncerely,
Keith Black
Renee
How I praise God for this message. Thank you, Brother Joseph, for being faithful to share it with the rest of the Body of Christ, and peace be upon you and your household. Peace be unto all my brothers and sisters here.
The fields are really getting white now and I’m seeing various members of the Church beginning to agree to meet together all over the US to beg our Heavenly Father for another Great Awakening! Praise God! The Body of Christ is waking up and seeing her need in this late hour. Oh what a faithful High Priest we serve! The Lord Jesus is always ready to forgive and move on behalf of those who see their NEED and ASK Him for help. We’ve had not because we’ve asked not. We’ve had need? OF NOTHING! But not so anymore. Our Lord Jesus prayed for a unified Church and so did brother Paul. A Church without spot or blemish. A Church who has repented once more and RETURNED TO HER FIRST LOVE—-HIM!
Brother Mike mentioned the “Real Holy Ghost.” Amen. Oh how the weary world desperately NEEDS to SEE the Holy Spirit of Truth (Holiness) on the move once more.
Dearest Father, once more we humbly beg You to Rend the Heavens and Come Down! Restore Your Church to her 1st Love once more, and glorify Your wonderful name! Because Your mercy endureth FOREVER (even now) and because You desire that none should perish but that all should come to repentance, we beg You to Rend the Heavens and come down. The Body of Christ will be so sold out for the Lord Jesus, so desperately in love with You, that like with Enoch, You’ll rapture them up to be with You in Heaven until the Lord Jesus and His own return 7 years later. Glorify You worthy name Father, Son and Holy Spirit! I ask this in that name that is beyond price, that name that is above EVERY name, in the name of our Lord Jesus Messiah, amen!