As you know we do house church for many years and we move it from place to place - home to home, outside, bowling alleys, camp sites - its NOT a building or place but a PEOPLE. More like the kids sitting around the kitchen table with Dad & Mom all partaking, all involved, all with a right to eat and share and speak or listen. That is what GOD wants! and its fun! (Joy).
Years ago when we realized (real eyes) the SPIRIT spoke to my wife and I asking this question "what is the term for a division of money?"
We said "denomination". Meaning classifying something. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 1:2 to the "Church in Corinth" . He wasn't talking about a building on the corner with a large steeple and a cross on it that folks would go to for one hour on Sunday. Rather these were the called out ones (Ekklesia is the Greek word) not meaning a "church building" but rather CALLED OUT. Like GOD through Moses demanding Pharaoh to "let my people go so they can hold a festival to me in the wilderness Exodus 5:1 This brought about a question? Can GOD prepare a table in the wilderness? Can HE prepare a festival in the wilderness?
Note: the steeples on many church buildings represent the asherah poles that GOD wanted the children of Israel to smash and destroy (see Exodus 34:13 but there a tons of verses on this).
Its pagan.
So back to the divisions of money, called denominations. Paul warns of this exact thing in 1 Corinthians 1:13 "Is Christ divided?" Also 1 Corinthians 11:17 when he asks "In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good" Did you know that you can come together and "do MORE HARM than good?"
Vs 18 Paul askes "In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it." Also in 1 Corinthians 3 Paul says you are acting like mere men (vs 3) and vs 4 "One says he follows Paul and another Apollos - are you not acting like the world - mere men?" We are not to follow men and name our church after them. Remember in transfiguration? Peter wanted to build 3 tabernacles, one for Moses, one for Elijah and one for JESUS and GOD thundered this is MY SON, whom I love, with HIM I am well pleased.. listen to HIM and GOD removed Moses and Elijah.
Let them be ONE is the prayer JESUS prayed in John 17
We can't have it when we follow man.
we can't have it saying my church is bigger than your church, we have bigger congregation than you do, this is my pew, come forward to an alter call, our pastor, this place, going to gods house, all religious talk.
Acting like mere man.
The temple is YOU Paul askes in 1 Corinthians 3:16 "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in your midst?"
And you folks are set free to worship and enjoy HIS festival and your joy of the LORD will return.
