Author: admin

I recently discovered author Tim Kurtz, founder of Ekklesia Center Ministries. His book, Leaving Church Becoming Ekklesia, is really impactful; you can read an excerpt here. The excerpt below is from his new book Boots on the Ground. The book ultimately encourages people to get training through his ministry, but it’s still worth a read. I don’t know Tim personally and I’m not familiar with Ekklesia Center Ministries, but Tim’s point that there is more to relational gatherings than just meeting, is exciting and resonates with my spirit.

The early believers understood that they were called to bring the culture of heaven to earth (Matthew 6:10). Their mission wasn’t to reflect Rome but to establish communities that embodied the values of the Kingdom-love, righteousness, peace, and justice- ultimately subverting the influence of Rome through faith.

This realization led me to a significant conclusion. When I read the narrative of Caesarea Philippi-where Jesus declared that He would build His ekklesia-and connected it with the original command given in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 1:28), it completely shifted my perspective.

This revelation redefined my understanding of God’s purpose, showing me a continuity between His original intent for humanity and the mission of the ekklesia as Jesus proclaimed it.

Jesus could have said He would build His temple or synagogue. Either would have been appropriate for the religious world in the first century. Instead, He chose a secular, governmental entity whose purpose was understood by those around Him. His choice of the word ekklesia helps to shed light on His divine intent.

The Roman government used the concept of the ekklesia to extend and enforce its culture in conquered territories. In the Greco-Roman world, an ekklesia was a governing assembly made up of called-out citizens responsible for making decisions and implementing policies on behalf of the ruling authority. Rome adopted this model from the Greeks and expanded its use, transforming it into a tool for cultural and governmental influence. This allowed Rome to maintain control over its vast empire by ensuring that conquered regions aligned with its values, laws, and social structures.

When Rome took control of a new territory, it aimed to reshape it in the image of the empire. Roman laws, customs, language, and administrative systems were imposed to create a uniform identity across the empire. One of the primary ways this was accomplished was through the establishment of colonies, often populated by Roman citizens, retired soldiers, and government officials. These individuals acted as representatives of Rome, reinforcing its influence. In Roman cities, the ekklesia functioned as a governing body that helped manage this transition, ensuring that local populations adopted Roman ways of life and that the empire’s authority remained firmly in place.

Now, think of the Roman model and consider what Jesus said He would build. He said He would build His ekklesia. The commitment was made at Caesaria Philippi. The first foundational steps were taken on the Day of Pentecost. In the two thousand plus years since, the building process has endured through attempts by the Gates of Hades to confuse, destroy, and restructure it. Here we are today in the twenty-first century standing on the advent of its full manifestation in the earth.

There is a lot of talk arising about ekklesia. There is ample confusion relating to what it is. I believe the best way to define it comes from scripture, history, and etymology. Before we can employ Boots On The Ground, we must be clear of our destination.

I want you to imagine where you are is an outpost. You have been stationed there to represent the Kingdom of Heaven. Your assignment is to establish kingdom policies in the territory. The question arises, “What tools do your have at your disposal?” “What authority do you have to carry out your assignment?”

And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:19)

When Jesus declared that He would build His ekklesia, He wasn’t just forming a gathering-He was establishing a powerful, fully equipped, and divinely authorized body to represent the Kingdom of Heaven on earth!

First, He gave it the keys of the Kingdom (Matthew 16:19). That means you have access to everything you need to fulfill your God-given assignment with boldness and confidence. Nothing is lacking-every resource of Heaven is available to you!

Second, He entrusted His ekklesia with unmatched legislative authority. Whatever is bound or loosed in Heaven, you have the divine authorization to bind or loose the same here on earth. You are not just a bystander-you are an active participant in God’s Kingdom agenda!

This is the ekklesia-a called-out assembly of Kingdom citizens, empowered to transform the world. What an incredible privilege to be part of this movement! Are you ready to step into your authority and embrace your role in the ekklesia? The time is now!

You can find out more about Tim Kurtz and The Ekklesia Center by going to https://theekklesiacenter.org/

Sign up for my bi-monthly newsletter below. Thank you. Please be sure to check your spam folder.

I was disappointed reading What If Jesus Was Serious About The Church by Skye Jethani. Skye has some great observations about the shortcomings of the institutional church but there is no sense of how change would be implemented or any mention of an alternate way of meeting or doing life together. A quote from the back cover reads, “Rather than an event, a building, or an institution, the New Testament calls the church to be a community living in communion with God and one another for the sake of the world.” It’s unfortunate that the Skye never elaborates on how that can be achieved. The excerpt below is about Vampire Churches and gives a sense of observations with no solutions. I do not recommend this book.

I find Jesus’ purpose for church leadership in Ephesians 4 to be beautiful and inspiring. It means pastors and Christian leaders are to help us grow into maturity so that our communion with God through Christ can transform our work, our relationships, our communities, and ultimately our world into one in which God “is over all and through all and in all” (Eph. 4:6). This dramatically changes how we measure a church leader’s work. Ultimately it’s not about how many people attend to hear a sermon on Sunday, or even how many volunteers are engaged in the church’s programs. Instead, it’s about whether people are deepening their life with God and manifesting Christ’s kingdom everywhere they go Monday through Saturday.

Unfortunately, many churches don’t carry this vision, and too many leaders narrowly define what it means to “equip the saints for works of ministry.” That’s why the vocations of God’s people in business, government, the arts, education, the home, the social sector, and the media are so rarely acknowledged or affirmed within the church and why few non-clergy vocations are ever celebrated as genuine callings from God. Rather than empowering people to manifest God’s reign in the world, too many churches seek to use people to advance the goals of the institutional church. Success is assumed when a person is plugged into the apparatus of the church institution rather than released to serve God’s people and their neighbors out in the world.

I call such ministries “vampire churches” because they suck the life out of you. They view people as resources to be used rather than as God’s saints to be empowered, and the wide acceptance of this posture explains, in part, why so many committed Christians are becoming church dropouts-or what sociologist Josh Packard calls “church refugees.” In his book by that title, coauthored with Ashleigh Hope, Packard interviewed hundreds of Christians who’ve given up on institutional churches. Remarkably, he discovered those most likely to leave the church were also the most spiritually mature and often had years of deep church involvement.

A recurring theme in Packard and Hope’s interviews is how dehumanizing the church structures can become. Sophia, a professor, said, “I felt that really all I was doing was functioning as part of a machine, doing what the machine likes, which is money and head count…Nobody was mean to me; nobody did anything. It was like once you became a member, it was all about what you could do for the church to keep the church going.” Another church refugee put it more bluntly “The machine just eats you up.”

So, how do you know if you’re part of a vampire church? Here’s what I do-engage and get to know the people at the center of the community, those who are giving the most time to the institution- the pastors, elders, staff members, and volunteer leaders. What fruit do their lives display? If you generally find healthy women and men of peace, harmony, gentleness, and joy, it’s usually a good sign. If those at the center are consistently burned out, exhausted, anxious, bitter, and unable to keep their core relationships healthy-be careful. Remember, the reason vampires want to suck the life out of you is because it’s already been sucked out of them.

To receive my bi-monthly newsletter subscribe below.

Milt Rodriguez writes that itinerant workers are needed to securely plant a relational gathering. Starting a gathering is one thing, planting is another. Milt’s book Starting Organic Churches, expresses this concept in detail. Written in 2016, it’s a short book and most of the links are broken. I don’t agree with everything in the book but overall it has some good insight. The excerpt below is about Detoxing Together From The Religious System.

As stated previously, the religious system is simply a sub-set of the world system. Man has taken hold of the “church” and tried to turn it into something for himself, for his own benefit and glory. This doesn’t set very well with our Lord. He has his own kingdom (church); and make no mistake about it, there (among those people) he is completely Lord and King! So here is the problem at hand in a nutshell.

Most of us who are seeking an organic expression of the church are coming from the religious system.

This system has been developing for over 1800 years. That’s a lot of system! That’s a lot of man’s own building his own tower of Babel. So, this presents a huge problem:

How do we, the church system refugees, leave that system and then not proceed to just build another system in a living room?

The answer comes to us in one simple word: detoxification. It’s best to explain this by a comparison with our physical bodies. Because of the air we breathe, the processed foods we eat, and the general negative effects of the world system around us, our bodies become toxic. So, we need detoxification. There are many ways that we can be free of these toxins but whatever path you choose it’s not going to be easy. It usually involves a major shift in diet, exercise, and exposure to healthy ways of thinking and living. In others words: “you will need a major shift in the way your think and the way you live!”

This also has happened to us believers throughout the centuries. We cannot even begin to talk about a return to the organic way of being the church unless we are willing to go through a detoxification process. What this means begins with a willingness to be detoxed by the Lord so that he can get what he wants, his eternal purpose. It means humbling yourself and emptying yourself so that God can get what he wants.

Blessed (happy, to be envied, and spiritually prosperous-with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the poor in spirit (the humble, who rate themselves insignificant), for theirs is the kingdom of heaven! (Mat 5:3)

Brothers and sisters, if you will humble yourselves and lose your lives, then God will set you free from the effects of the religious system that are inside of you. Believe me, many of those effects you are not even aware of. But others will see them. And the closer you get to other saints in community the more they will be seen. But that’s okay. Let yourself become vulnerable. This is the pathway to growth. This is the pathway to true freedom! We must be willing to let go and forsake all of the mindsets, paradigms, and religious baggage that gets in the way of Jesus Christ being the Center, the Life, and the Head of the church.

Of course, the development of a close knit community of believers presupposes the fact that these things will come out. We also (as workers) will suggest exercises that will help accelerate this process.

Suffice it to say for now that everyone needs detoxing. Even people who have never been involved in the institutional church or religious system need detoxification. How do I know this? Simple. If you live in this world, you have been exposed to many unhealthy things physically, mentally, and spiritually.

The key here is to embrace the cross in humility and not to engage in self defense or shutting out your brothers and sisters because they see some of these things in you. Of course, we are not speaking about being hurtful or damaging to others in any way. But God will use our fellow citizens to sharpen our iron.

Subscribe below and receive my bi-monthly newsletter. Make sure to check your spam. Thank you.

I read the Amazon review of this book by Bob Whitesel and have posted it below. I am not recommending this book. Don’t be fooled by the title.

Although well written, the subject matter is more about hierarchical, programme driven, ‘expert’ led old wineskin churches and their wanderings and self imposed difficulties, rather than the beautiful priesthood of all believers, life through every sinew, flat structure organic churches who are learning and being taught how everyone can hear from Jesus for themselves not having to go through a ‘third party’; whether its a priest or vicar or pastor or ‘expert’ elder group. The title of this book is misleading. If a reader wants to know more about the amazing things God is doing through organic churches try Frank Viola.

I really enjoyed reading Leaving Church Becoming Ekklesia by Tim Kurtz. The author talks in depth about the true meaning of the word “Ekklesia” and how and why the word “church” ended up replacing it in the Bible. Concerning the word church, Tim writes… “We have embraced and perpetuated a culture around a single word. A word never spoken by Jesus.”

The meaty excerpt below is from Chapter 5: Six Characteristics of a Major Transition. It is sprinkled with prophetic seasoning.

And as they were going down to the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Bid the servant pass on before us, (and he passed on,) but stand thou still a while, that I may shew thee the word of God. Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the LORD hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance? (1Samuel 9:27; 10:1)

Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah. But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him. (1Samuel 16:13-14)

Israel wanted a king. They wanted to operate and be structured like the nations around them. It was not God’s will for them, but He allowed them to have what they wanted. Their desire for a king was their rejection of God ruling over them (I Samuel 8:5-7).

First, notice that Samuel used a vial of oil to anoint Saul. A vial is essentially a shallow bowl or a flask. In either case, it is a man-made vessel. This typifies the kind of anointing Saul received. It was man-made. He was the people’s choice, not God’s. The people were taken in by Saul’s appearance (I Samuel 16:7).

Second, it is interesting that when Samuel anointed Saul, he said that God had chosen him to be captain, not king over God’s inheritance. Maybe this is just a play on words, but nevertheless, Samuel’s choice of words should be considered.

The Hebrew word nagiyd, translated as captain suggests that Samuel saw Saul as a commander in front of the people, not the king. Captains were usually under the command of the king. They had authority, but their authority was limited to the king or pharaoh’s orders. Isn’t it amazing that the people wanted a king, and Samuel declared Saul to be a captain? I question whether the Israelites would have known the difference.

Saul proved himself to be a dismal failure. He regularly disobeyed God, acquiesced to the whims of the people, and had jealous and irrational temper tantrums. Even in one of his most grievous times of disobedience, his main concern was that Samuel would make him look honorable in front of the elders (I Samuel 15:30).

God rejected Saul; even though he seemingly remained in power, he was rejected by God. Samuel was commissioned by God to anoint a replacement (I Samuel 16:1).

This transition point is critical for you to understand. Samuel anointed David with a horn of oil in the presence of his father and brothers (I Samuel 16:1, 13-14). The horn from a ram or bull represented a sacrificed life necessary to carry the anointing. David’s anointing for king, not captain, was not man-made. That is why what took place in the spirit realm must be understood. The Spirit of the Lord came upon David and simultaneously the same Spirit left Saul.

In the heart of God, Saul was rejected. Yet, he remained in the role of captain/king over the people. God orchestrated the anointing of a new king while Saul was seemingly still in power.

David, God’s choice, was not a ‘ready-made’ king, but rather a young shepherd boy who was not even considered qualified by his own father. This boy would spend several years in preparation for his role as king. Some estimate this process took thirteen years. Don’t lose sight of the fact that during David’s time of preparation, Saul was still in power.

The church to ekklesia is such a transition. God has shifted His attention to His desire to have a fully functioning priesthood of believers (Exodus 19:6; 1 Peter 2:9). The system of church that has contained, constrained and restrained believers is coming to an end. It is the system that was put in place by man and has been allowed to flourish on its own strength for nearly 1,700 years. It is the institutional church. It is a carnal substitute of the ekklesia Jesus said He would build.

The institutional church is man-made and built on systems that use the Name of Jesus to glorify man. It is a system where iconic leaders are followed and where the larger the brick and mortar building is, the more successful they are considered. The institutional church is measured by how many people attend a meeting rather than how effectively they expand the Kingdom.

We are in a world of mega-churches and pop-culture preachers. They won’t be disappearing off the religious landscape soon. They appear to be strong, and their systems (according to worldly standards) appear to be successful. Those of us who are heralding a return to first century values and structure appear out of place. I believe we are like David. We have been anointed but must journey through our season of preparation until the day God fully restores and releases His Ekklesia.

In the meantime, has the Spirit of the Lord left the institutional church? I don’t have a Word from the Lord on this. However, I will clearly say that His focus is His people, not their systems. Implicit in this transitional period is that God will allow the man-made systems to fend for themselves.

In this critical time, we must be careful how we respond and interact with those in the institutional church system. Why? Because most of us were saved in that system. Many of us got our spiritual foundations in the institutional church system. Then God granted us the ability to see something fresh from His heart. We have been graced to see His Ekklesia built His way. What we see is a privilege, not a right. Like David, we must handle what God is showing us wisely. David knew he was anointed to be king, but he behaved himself and acted wisely around Saul, who was still in power (I Samuel 18:5,14,30).

I am at times disheartened by those who attack the people who are in institutional churches. The people in these systems are not the ‘bad guys’. They simply have not seen what God has shown some of us. Those who are attacked often entrench themselves deeper. David never attacked Saul, even though Saul sought to kill him. As far as David knew, God’s anointing was still on Saul and he had no right to attack it, even when he had the opportunity (I Samuel 24:1-7).

I don’t know what God will do with the institutional church system. All I know is that it is His desire to release an army of blood-washed believers into the earth who will turn the world upside down (Acts 17:6). In the meantime, don’t lose sight of the fact, that for the time being, the institutional church system will appear strong and intact. Hold fast, God’s time for His Ekklesia is soon (Habbakkuk 2:3; Galatians 4:1-2).

You can find out more about Tim Kurtz and The Ekklesia Center by going to https://theekklesiacenter.org/

Sign up for my bi-monthly newsletter below. Thank you. Please be sure to check your spam folder.

This is the second excerpt from Let My People Go! by David W. Dyer. This book has become one of my all time favorites and I highly recommend you check it out. You can download the PDF for free (below) and you can find his other books and videos by going to agrainofwheat.com.

There is an interesting verse in Proverbs which speaks to this subject. We read: “The locusts have no king, yet they all advance in ranks” (Pr 30:27). These swarms of insects have no visible leader, but they move together in harmony as if they did. There is some invisible impulse which is guiding them. In the same way, the Leader of the body of Christ is not seen by human eyes today. But, if and when the members of His body move and minister following the leading of His Spirit and they are “tuned in” to His authority, then there is a wonderful harmony seen. There is nothing contradictory or discordant. There is no need for believers to be competing to be seen or heard.

We are taught that each one can “prophesy” or contribute their portion. “But if anything is revealed to another who sits by, let the first keep silent” (I Cor 14:30). You see, when the Spirit of God is leading a meeting, then everyone must be sensitive to His every direction. No one can dominate the others, using the time for only their revelation and ministry, but always must be ready to yield to someone else who takes up the thread of the revelation which God is giving and contributes his portion also.

There is no need for human organization. There is no requirement to plan and program everything in advance. There is no necessity for someone or some group of men to try to control the rest. In fact, such efforts will be shown on judgment day to have been a great hindrance to God’s work. Jesus is infinitely capable of leading His church in her meetings. It is only essential for every member to learn to enter into and be led by the Holy Spirit. It is necessary for each one to be moved by God’s eternal Life. When the members are directed by the one Head, then all their movements and ministries are in harmony with each other.

A person who is moved by the Spirit in a gathering of believers should minister or speak “as the oracles of God” (I Pet 4:11). They should be careful, according to their spiritual maturity, not to include any fleshly opinions, ideas, or directions. They should only minister according to the proportion of their faith (Rm 12:6). Further, they should be vigilant not to continue on talking or singing when the Holy Spirit has already moved on.

It is very common for someone, when they feel the attention of the group upon them, to become enamored with a feeling of importance. It is easy for the flesh to be stimulated when we are used by God. Consequently, it is not infrequent for different members of the body to go beyond what God wishes to say and continue rambling on, enjoying the limelight. This is detrimental to all.

On the other hand, sometimes it is hard for a more timid member to say anything. Perhaps he or she is naturally disposed to be reticent or shy. Such members need to be encouraged to contribute what they feel the Lord is giving them. They need to be taught that their part, be it ever so small, is something of value to all.

If and when the stronger members of the body dominate any and all gatherings with their gifts and ministries, it is almost impossible for the weaker ones to grow in sharing their portions. Therefore, the stronger ones should be very sensitive to give the weaker members an opportunity to function in the meetings.

Building Strong Bonds

When we have seen the truth about others and still love them, when the devil has shared with us all his insights about their sins and failures, when we have overcome our own reactions and feelings, then what remains is something which will endure forever.

When we cooperate with Jesus and allow Him to build us together in this way, then the church becomes much less vulnerable and eventually, invincible to the attacks of the enemy. In the Old Testament, the stones for the temple were carefully crafted. They were cut, sawn, and possibly even sanded until they fit perfectly together. When they were put into place in the temple, it has been said that they fit so well that not even the blade of a knife could be inserted between them.

You see, the devil’s attacks are like the blade of a knife. He loves to insert his accusations about another brother in the middle of our relationship. When his words find a little space in our hearts and minds, then he begins to twist this knife to pry us further apart. This is his main technique to destroy the work of God. It is to “reveal” to us the faults and sins of others. Then he uses this information to destroy the love which should hold us together.

But when we succeed in living in love, when the devil’s accusations no longer find a place in our hearts, when he has expended all his efforts but has failed to separate us, then the gates of hell begin to tremble. When we overcome his words which he uses to accuse others, then he has very little power left. It is then that he has exhausted all his ammunition and failed.

When we no longer agree with the thoughts which he puts in our minds, when we stop reacting in natural, human ways to his assaults, when we continue to love our brothers and sisters in the middle of his attacks on their character, then the devil’s kingdom is in trouble. It is then that Christian men and women are winning the victory. They are overcoming God’s enemy. God’s house is being built up.

As we have seen, love is the only glue that holds the true body of Christ together. Without some artificial doctrine, leader, practice, method, etc. to keep believers together, only God’s love will work. So the devil does his best to attack this unique, precious connection.

When we, acting in our flesh, cooperate with him and criticize, defame, gossip, and speak ill of our brothers and sisters, we tear apart the only thing which joins us together. This kind of speaking is sin and must be avoided at all costs. If and when we find ourselves involved in it, a deep and thorough repentance is the only solution. It is only when we overcome in this sphere that we will see the house of God being built up in love.

Check out David’s website agrainofwheat.com. If you would like to receive my bi-monthly newsletter you can sign up below. Make sure to check your spam.

One word to describe Let My People Go! by David W. Dyer is complete. This book has become one of my all time favorites and I highly recommend you check it out. You can download the PDF for free (below) and you can find his other books and videos by going to agrainofwheat.com. I decided to post two excerpts from his book, this being the first one, under the title Jesus Can Lead Our Meetings.

One important key to enjoying spiritual meetings when we gather with a group of Christians is that Jesus can lead our meetings. He can actually conduct our corporate activities just as a conductor might direct a symphony orchestra. This experience is not meant to be something which happens once in a while, but something which should be a normal and constant part of our church experience.

When we and others with whom we are meeting are in the presence of God, we can sense His directions. In the Spirit, we discern when He wishes us to speak, sing, pray, or even to be quiet. In our spirit we realize what it is that Jesus is doing and saying at any particular time. In this way, we can flow along with what He is wanting, harmonizing with the will of God moment by moment.

Such direction by Jesus in our Christian gatherings is essential. Without it, we are only left with human guidance. When we fail to enter into the spiritual dimension and discern the authority and leadership of the Holy Spirit, we can only employ natural techniques to conduct our meetings. Although we might seem to approximate the spiritual reality, such church experiences are ultimately unsatisfying and useless. Truly, “the flesh profits nothing” (Jn 6:63).

Today, Jesus is invisible yet He is very real. Although He is intangible in the natural, physical realm, He is abundantly perceptible when we enter into the Spirit. When He does come to our Christian gatherings, He does not come to watch or to be entertained. Neither is He intending to sit in the “back pew” to make sure we are doing things correctly. Instead, He comes into our midst as our Leader and King. He comes not to watch but to lead. His role is not to observe, but to guide and direct everything.

When we succeed in entering into His presence and thus allow Him to fulfill His role in our midst, these meetings will be extremely satisfying. He knows the need of every member. He understands how to minister to every heart. So, when He is the leader, He can inspire someone or other to speak, pray, prophecy, or even sing to minister to these needs. Probably He has prepared these people beforehand to fulfill this very task

Only God knows what is in every soul. Only He understands the aches, the needs, or even the joys which are there. Therefore, when He is orchestrating all that is said and done, true spiritual ministry is effected. Human needs of every variety are truly being met. This truth applies to our worshipping and/or singing as well as to any preaching, teaching, or other ministry which occurs. For example, each one can have a psalm, hymn, or song. When a person is inspired by the Spirit to suggest a song or to begin singing, then singing it will be an anointed, spiritual experience. It will be a blessing to all. It will be something which Jesus has chosen, with words which will meet some needs and an anointing which will uplift every spirit.

We read: “How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification” (I Cor 14:26).

If, on the other hand, people merely call out their favorite tune or someone selects everything in advance, the opportunity for Jesus to lead is diminished. Consequently, the blessing also becomes less or even nonexistent. The more we can succeed in allowing Jesus to lead us when we meet, the more blessed and uplifted our experience will be.

The same thing is true concerning any preaching or teaching. No one should be dominating every meeting with their eloquence and gift. There must be room for all to have a chance to contribute. We read: “For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged” (I Cor 14:31). The word “prophesy” here means “to speak for God,” which can include preaching and teaching as well as ministering “prophetically.”

No one man has all revelation. No one besides Jesus Christ has all the gifts and ministries. God has designed the body so that members are dependent upon each other. The portion of every member is required so that the whole can be edified. Therefore, when two or three or even more are together in the presence of the Lord, there should be opportunity for each one, guided by the Holy Spirit, to minister their portion of Jesus to the rest.

As the Spirit of Jesus moves among the members of His body, He will lead one or the other to minister according to his or her gift, ministry, or revelation. Following the direction of the Holy Spirit, each “joint” of supply (Eph 4:16) can be used to edify the others.

Here there should be no confusion. Everything should occur “decently and in order” (I Cor 14:40). Since there is one Head which is directing the activities of the various members, a divine harmony is seen. When Jesus is the author, then there is a supernatural synchronization of everything which occurs. Although the Director is invisible, when all the members enter into the spiritual realm where He is, then everything is done in an orderly manner.

Check out David’s website agrainofwheat.com. If you would like to receive my bi-monthly newsletter you can sign up below. Make sure to check your spam.

I love Acts 2:42. Most of the relational fellowships I visit go heavy on the “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching” and not so much on the “breaking of bread”. When brothers and sisters sit at the same table, eat and fellowship, something supernatural happens. Relational fellowships work best when all four elements are well balanced. A recent (2022) book, simpler church by Roger Shenk, explores the four devotions found in Acts 2:42 and the two loves. An excerpt from his book, discussing the importance of breaking bread, is below. I have also linked four videos where Roger discusses the four devotions.

Two of my favorite words are “Let’s eat!” Eating together is one of the most meaningful human activities. It’s physical, but it’s also relational and spiritual. It’s fuel, but it’s also fellowship and fun. It conveys acceptance, commonality, and interdependence.

We feast together to celebrate. We share a meal together to connect. We sometimes even withhold a meal, as an act of self-discipline or sometimes to discipline others. Eating together is one of the most significant things we can do.

And especially for those of us who are following Jesus as Lord, and devoting ourselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, it just makes sense that we would also devote ourselves to breaking bread together.

It’s where faith and fellowship feast.

It’s good for eating to be part of meeting.

As we read the gospels, we see Jesus eating with his disciples in various situations, sometimes around a fire, or at someone’s house, or at feasts and banquets, and even a couple times having a picnic on a hillside with thousands-each time fueling his body to keep it alive, but also enjoying fellowship with others doing the same thing.

When Jesus taught about the Kingdom of God, he told parables about banquets and wedding feasts and guests, and described redemption as having the right to eat and drink at his table. The Pharisees complained that Jesus was eating and drinking with sinners, as if that was a bad thing, and Jesus said it was a good thing.

At the end of his life Jesus ate Passover again with his disciples and told them to keep doing it as a remembrance of him after his death.

Then, after he was resurrected, he ate a piece of fish in front of his disciples to prove he wasn’t a ghost.

Another time they didn’t recognize him until he broke bread, and then their eyes were opened.

And yet another time he made breakfast for them and spent time eating with them, and then went for an after-breakfast walk with Peter.

In fact, Luke started out his book of Acts with the resurrected Jesus eating with the disciples and telling them about the coming Holy Spirit.

And later, when giving testimony about his resurrection, the disciples don’t just say they saw him, they said specifically that they ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.

Eating together was a significant part of the disciples’ relationship with Jesus, and then, after he returned to heaven they kept on meeting to eat together as a part of their own fellowship.

We already read Acts 2:42 that “they devoted themselves to…the breaking of bread” and then, in verse 46, “They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.”

We should renew our devotion to that. We should practice that as part of our faith expression. We should eat together in each other’s homes more often, and do so with glad and sincere hearts as an expression of our faith and acceptance.

When we eat together we commend each other as worthy of fellowship. To eat with someone is to accept them, to approve of them.

I mean that socially to an extent, but I also mean it with regard to faith. In fact, it’s so significant that when Paul wrote about not tolerating wickedness in the church, he said we shouldn’t even eat with people who claim to be in the faith but live in wickedness. You can read it for yourself in 1 Corinthians 5. We won’t take time to study it here. I just mention it to note that refusing to eat with someone is such a powerful demonstration of disapproval because choosing to eat with someone is such a powerful demonstration of approval!

I believe we need to restore the practice of eating together as a devotion of our faith. When we meet, let’s take time to eat.

How to House Church Part 1 – Apostles’ Teaching

How to House Church Part 2 – Fellowship

How to House Church Part 3 – Breaking of Bread

How to House Church Part 4 – Prayer

Sign up for my bi-monthly newsletter below and don’t forget to check your spam folder. Thank you.

The majority of books on House Church were published 25-35 years ago so it’s delightful to find a recently published book. It’s even more delightful when the book is worth reading and full of wisdom. Rex Whitman’s book House Church Now was published in 2023 and I highly recommend it. The excerpt below is about the importance of communication.

For genuine community to exist, communication is also necessary, and in fact, a community without communication is a contradiction in terms. Communication, by its very nature, is the clear exchange of information that serves to deepen and enrich the experience of community. In the basic process of communication theory an idea formed in the mind is transmitted through words and received by another person who then offers a response to the original idea. This process is repeated over and over until both parties reach a state of clarity, but whenever the process is short-circuited, communication dies and community decays. As I have stated elsewhere, this process of communication occurred naturally in the informal setting of an early house church where believers could comfortably discuss and interact over the scriptures to seek clarity on the will of God for their community.

But communication is more than simply a symbolic exchange of information or ideas; it also serves a vital social function. As proof of this fact, we are all fully aware that a meal without conversation can actually feel cold and uncomfortable. In addition, we also instinctively know that there are times when far more may be communicated by a hug or a simple act of caring than could ever be communicated in words. Communication may sometimes even seem confusing, but whether by means of symbolic communication with words or the social communication of actions, both of these aspects are necessary for healthy, genuine community to occur.

In addition to this, good communication is necessary for the healing of relationships within a community, and serves to prevent potential misunderstandings or divisions that might arise. This communication must be open, honest, and tempered by grace for genuine community to exist. Disingenuous surface communication is powerless to create actual community, and over time, the pretense becomes burdensome and even exhausting as it becomes more difficult to maintain the façade.

In genuine community, however, real people wrestle with real life and real truth to find real answers to real problems, and if you have anything other than these four elements, you probably don’t have community. Salt may look very similar to sugar, but you should never mistake one for the other, or your final product will be disappointing, at best. A few years ago, rushing to make a pitcher of Kool-Aid for a group of children in my backyard, I added salt rather than sugar to the mixture. Bad mistake! It tasted horrible and no one was impressed with my new recipe. So, if you think you can create genuine community without the right ingredients, know this, you can’t! And whatever your best intentions, you will impress no one, and as a result, be left with a very bad taste in your mouth. But as we consider the elements of genuine community, it is also important we examine the process.

Community is built upon relationships, and churches that desire a healthy, genuine, and relational community need to consider the process leading toward this goal. This process usually begins with casual contact, a friendly hello, an exchange of niceties, and some basic information on your job, your children, and where you live. But these are only the seeds of genuine community, and sadly, many churches fail to water these seeds to grow relationships beyond the level of casual contact. In many cases, people do not possess even this basic information about the people sitting right next to them on a Sunday morning. In a house church, however, the very size, structure, and informality of this small body of believers invites a deeper understanding of the people who gather there. This deeper understanding phase of community collects further information about hobbies, interests, life experiences, and a host of other details not covered in the casual contact phase of relational community. After a period, this additional information serves to strengthen relational connections as individuals discover that there are other people with whom they have much in common. As this growing identification with other individuals becomes evident, invitations are given for further discussion over a cup of coffee or a shared meal. This people-to-people phase begins to move a house church in the direction of a genuine community. As trust builds in these relationships, members expand their understanding of community, accepting other members into their circle of trust until, somewhere along the way, they begin to perceive themselves as a gathering of fellow travelers walking together on the same journey to the same destination. At this phase, group identity and group loyalty become more evident, and members begin to rejoice in the experience of their common journey, perceiving that they are far more than a conglomeration of individual travelers. Discovering that they have now become a unified body, they begin to experience the reality of genuine community, realizing that they possess a common nature in Christ, a common truth in his word, and a common mission entrusted to each of them. To briefly review, here are the five phases leading toward a genuine community:

Phase #1 – The Casual Contact Phase

Phase #2 – The Deeper Understanding Phase

Phase #3 – The People-to-People Connection Phase

Phase #4 – The Fellow Traveler Phase

Phase #5 – The Unified Body Phase

In all of this, we recognize the need to be intentional about creating a genuine community. And while knowing the limitations of artificial community, we are also fully aware of the essence, the elements, and the process leading to genuine community. The modern church has often failed to understand the importance of a healthy community that glorifies the God who dwells in our midst. May God renew our desire for community. May He remind us again of its importance; and may we rediscover its joys.

Subscribe below to sign up for my bi-monthly newsletter. Make sure to check your spam folder. Thank you.