Dear saints scattered abroad,19
Greetings in the precious Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. To all who are reading this book, called to be saints and beloved of God, grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
With such powerful modern movements of the Spirit such as the house Church Movement in China,20 the underground Church in North Korea, and the underground Church in Iran, we need to reevaluate the fruitfulness of the body of Christ in our countries. There is a great need to see such a move of God’s Holy Spirit in many of the churches in the world. As the Church, we believe that there is a need to again learn godly discipline, prayer and discipleship from these suffering brothers and sisters, especially in countries where no strong persecution is yet taking place. The Lord is in deep pain.21 He is mocked and He is blasphemed.22 The Lord wants us to return to Him.23 As we compare our lives to the Christians in China, in North Korea, in the Middle east, in other persecuted countries and even Christians in the Book of Acts, there is little similarity.
In 2 Timothy it says: “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”24 Western Christianity as an example, more often than not, finds Christians living so much like the fallen world around them25 that there is no need to persecute them. Only 3-5% of Christians witness in North America. The salt has lost its flavor. The light is barely flickering. May God, by His Spirit, use this book to turn the hearts of His people back to Him, for He is willing to pardon us.26 May we return to Christlikeness,27 responding in obedience and love to God’s Word, and receive power from the Holy Spirit, to become bold witnesses for Him. May the Lord use this book to prepare us and make us worthy28 of the persecution that will come globally.
We don’t need more large church buildings; we need the kind of true fellowship of the Body that these persecuted believers experience. We have a desperate need to see an expression of the Church where Jesus Christ is allowed to be the Head, and where there are servant leaders who share His heart to shepherd His body. In this day there is a tendency and a temptation to rely more on technology, websites, and money than the Holy Spirit of God. We truly have “acquired wealth and do not need a thing.”29 Yet we desperately need God’s empowering to be His disciples and witnesses to a lost and dying world.
With over 40,000 registered denominations worldwide, the true members of the body of Christ are scattered abroad and divided into many different groups, sometimes over nonessential doctrines. God clearly calls this division in the Church carnality in the Book of Corinthians.30 We are in need of a unified gathering of brothers and sisters to meet under Christ’s Lordship and to obey Christ’s call for the discipleship and evangelization of the world.31
However, not all unity is right unity. For there are many movements with apostate believers who desire unity apart from truth. These movements declare we should not judge or preach truths that might be offensive to some. They say that we are one with all believers in Christ—even cults, sects and other religions such as Catholicism. This calls for the wisdom of the saints to seek only unity with all true believers in Jesus Christ. The fruit of the Spirit32 and regard for Holy Scripture should be a primary test for true fellowship in Christ.
We must respond with the love of 1 Corinthians chapter 13 to accept brothers that we can disagree with on some nonessential doctrinal points but with whom we can have fellowship as part of the body of Christ. There are even true believers who hold to teachings that can be wrong and we can have fellowship with these believers and still not accept their teachings. This calls for the maturity and discernment of the believers who are able to in meekness and love guide believers into the fullness of the true faith.33
Jesus Christ is coming back for a unified Church. A holy Church. An uncompromising Church.34 A Church that is full of love for each other and for the lost world. May we begin to be an expression of such a Church for the Lamb that was slain. He deserves the reward of His sufferings.
Please consider using these following principles in your house fellowships, gatherings, and churches as the Lord leads. Also—as you are led of the Lord—consider assembling with others in your local area, even with just 2-3 other believers in the Lord.
“Let us be awake and sober,”35 as we “look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.”36 May all of us seek Him anew for the power of His resurrection and to be found worthy37 to be invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb of God.38
brother Greg, brother Edgar (on behalf of other brothers and sisters in the Lord.)
19 Paul in Ephesians 1:1 and other verses declares all Christians saints or holy people so this letter is addressed to all believers in Jesus Christ.
20 Referring to the unregistered underground rural house Churches
21 James 4:4
22 1 John 2:15
23 Revelation 3:19
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Principles For The Gathering Of Believers ( - )
Read freely the free ebook Principles For The Gathering Of Believers in text and pdf format. We need revival in our countries like what we see in the underground house Churches in China. Learn the following from this volume: Prepare for coming persecution in non-persecuted countries. Learn Principles of how to gather as the Church from the Book of Acts and current underground Churches.Access resources that will help your gathering or house Church meeting. Experience personal revival and the Spirit’s empowerment. In response to reading the Principles book consider starting a fellowship group under the Headship of Jesus Christ in your local area. Access also this free christian ebook in many other formats. Learn more at Gospel Fellowships.