I would like to address several of the comments made about house church and institutional church. I think my perspective falls somewhere between the extremes expressed.
I perceive that God works in both. I also perceive that Satan works in both. Man also works in both. :-) So you won't find me saying that home church is the ONLY way to fellowship with saints. Nevertheless, there are many things wrong with the institutional system but they only cause real problems when people mature to the point that they become ministers, teachers, and preachers of Christ themselves. The less spiritually mature can function in many institutional church settings without any problems at all. In fact, for the immature believer, an institutional church might even be better than a home church. Yet, even so, some very mature believers can function in the institutional churches just fine, depending upon their calling in Christ and the particular institutional churches ability to receive this person's gift in Christ. I find that modern apostles and prophets can rarely if ever exist in any institutional church these days. The power struggles that exist between them and the "clergy" ultimately cause them to be cast out of the institutional churches. That's why many who attend institutional churches do not know apostles and prophets like the early church did. Well, I could go on to write a book about this (lol), but this is not the place. Let me simply address Izzy's comment about needing the covering of her church to have believers fellowship in her home. If you feel that you must have someone supervise you and hold your hand to open your home for Christian fellowship and Bible study, then certainly you should do that. But consider also that one day you should be mature enough to do that under the headship of Christ. Is he not your Lord and master? If he leads you personally in the path of eternal life, is he not able to lead you in this too? As children eventually must cut the strings with their parents and live life on their own, so we ought to mature in a way that causes us to reproduce and do that which our spiritual mentors have done. Some people are like 40 year old men still living with their parents. Here you are a grandmother and published author, yet you are unable to open your home to believers and trust the Lord to provide the leadership? If you haven't left the nest yet, when is it going to happen? Now if you do opt for a human covering instead of a divine covering, know this, that eventually, you will find that covering restrictive and a hindrance to the leadership of the Holy Spirit. Just as a teenager matures and finds his parent's rules restrictive and difficult, you will experience similar frustrations, and when it comes time to leave the nest so-to-speak, they will lay a guilt trip on you that you are breaking fellowship with the church, leaving your covering, etc. Therefore, seek the Lord now about it and ask his wisdom about this need you have for an institutional covering. I think you would do better to step out in faith, asking the Lord to send the leadership, calling those whom God puts on your heart to supply that leadership, and let the Lord Jesus Christ Himself be the head of the assembly that meets in your home. Peace be with you. David Miller, Beverly Hills, Florida. ---------- "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) http://www.InnGlory.org If you do not want to receive posts from this list, send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and you will be unsubscribed. If you have a friend who wants to join, tell him to send an e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and he will be subscribed.
