The Third Day Church

There is a great need for believers to STOP going to church and realize they are THE CHURCH! This opens up whole new ideas for the way we might be doing church.

In looking at contemporay church movements The Third day Church is one model with Growing impact. Check out this site to find out more about The Third day Church. The material below is from Gary Goodell @ http://www.thirddaychurches.com/

There are other great articles at this site which can inform you about this movement.

"Welcome
Take a close look at today's culture and today's church. On several occasions, history has provided the needed critical mass and the synergistic inertia to thrust the church into breaking out of its' box and becoming the force in culture and society that God intended it to be.

Today, the church, in the 21st Century, has once again reached this "critical mass." It is something so big and so obvious that the winds of change demand we look hard at our traditional forms and face the reality that a different church must provide a different response to a postmodern age.

This Third Millennium ("a day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as a day," II Peter 3:8; Psalm 90:4), or this "Third Day" requires a "Third Way" of doing and being the church.

Christian Schwartz, the German church-growth researcher suggests that we are in the era of a third Reformation. The first Reformation took place in the sixteenth century when Martin Luther rediscovered the core of the gospel: salvation by faith, the centrality of grace and of Scripture. It was seen as a reformation of theology.

A second Reformation occurred in the eighteenth century when personal intimacy with Christ was rediscovered. It was, according to Schwartz, a reformation of spirituality. But when it was all said and done, we were still trying to pour new wine into old wineskins. The third Reformation is now upon us. It is a reformation of structure of how we actually "do" church.

For too many years, our current forms, structures and traditions have led the way, with these practices remaining painfully predictable from generation to generation, ever diminishing in their effectiveness. It is now time for change! The forms of the "first day church" must be reevaluated, and those lifeless programs and traditions be allowed to die in the "second day church" so that the resurrected "third day church" can be released.

In its "ripple" effect, there now exists a growing fraternity of leaders, ministries, even creative businesses who are ready to obey the wind of the Spirit. They are ready to inhale the breath of change and welcome an experimentation of new and creative ways of "doing" and "being" the church in the third millennium. Many are already experimenting with new relationally-based models that release the priesthood potential of all believers in a given group, area or region.

Our continued purpose in these critical times is to give lots of permission and to empower a large army of ordinary people to be innately creative as they lead.

At the end of the day Third Day Churches is not more meetings, or just more tweaking of the forms. It is ongoing and growing conversation moving towards an ever-increasing radical community lifestyle. Welcome to the journey.
Join the discussion.

Permission Granted...Gary Goodell"

Church As It Could Be Is Already Available

My last article has caused some very interesting reactions. These reactions ranged from Amen, to various defensive responses in support of Church or attending church.

I fully enjoy being in the gathering of believers, fellowshipping, hearing the Word proclaimed and taught. There is something about worshipping and praying together with God's people that is not only spiritually enjoyable but enjoyable on many levels. Before I write more please go back and read the last article and you will find the paragraphs that follow included.

"There are also, many good churches which are doing a good perhaps even a great job at accomplishing all that Jesus began to do and teach. They have the heart of the Father, the mind and revelation of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit freely working in their midst.

If we ever hope to have all that Jesus has for us we must start with an awareness that in and of ourselves we have nothing to offer. This humility is the soil in which God can work and shape us into His image once again.

We have multi-generational, multi-cultural, multi-worldview and multi-actuational (one that puts into action) society today.

God's people have a great variety of visions or models for church today that can minister to each generation, culture and worldview which can put into action the plan God has for them. Many of which are based on Biblical teaching. They will however, never reach the full measure they were intended to reach unless they have the heart of the Father, the mind and revelation of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit freely working in their midst.

God is a creative God. Although He never changes, His infinite wisdom and creativity are constantly at work to accomplish His plans and purposes in His people, the Church."

In previous articles I have written about what success looks like in your church. I have also written about the stream of life that flow out from God and into our various cultures, theologies and preferences in music, the style of our public gatherings, governmental structures and relational dynamics.

There is no one perfect way of doing church! Let me say that again. There is no perfect way of doing church.

There are however many good and healthy ways of doing church! There are common elements that are seen in scripture that make His people who are the church a success in doing all that Jesus began to do and teach!

Sign up at the right for the next article to find our more.

Church As It Could Be Starts Here

My heart, as well as, I believe God's is broken for all of those believers who have been abused by the spirit of religion and religious people (once called well intentioned dragons) whose relationship with God has not transformed them to have the Father's heart for the people of God or those outside of God's grace (known as the unsaved, the unreligious, the heathen, the dammed or the non-Christian).

There are so many people just doing church as they have been taught or believe they should and so many people are fed up with what they have experienced in these churches. I believe this is a 2 Chronicles 7:14 moment for the church world wide but specifically here in America.
2 Chron 7:14 14
If My people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves, pray, seek, crave, and require of necessity My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land. AMP

The land here in this context was Israel, the God given place in which the people lived and all that was a part of it, starting with God's people.

Today the church in America needs to do exactly what is commanded in this verse if we expect God to begin to heal, mend, mature the church, it's relationship with God, it's ability to effectively touch people for God today as God desires and breathe God's life into it's ways (methods and structures, priorities).

This must happen if we expect God to bring forth a nation changing move of God or Great Awakening in this day and hour.

This means that all we know and think about church must be subject to the death of the cross and the resurrection power of God. Allowing everything we see as the right way, to be put on the altar for the consumption by the Fire of God. If we are unwilling to let God have it, how will we ever get the fresh manna or plan God has for the believers he desires to knit together to accomplish His work in our lives, families and communities?

There are many effective models of doing church available to us based on our theological understandings, our gifts and personalities, the context (personal experiences and education) of our lives and the culture (both the secular generational culture and spiritual culture) around us.

This context has been called by some the 'Wineskin' into which God pours Himself by His Spirit to produce in each generation the people of God (also known as the Church, the body of Christ or holy and separated to God ones).

There are also, many good churches which are doing a good perhaps even a great job at accomplishing all that Jesus began to do and teach. They have the heart of the Father, the mind and revelation of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit freely working in their midst.

if we ever hope to have all that Jesus has for us we must start with an awareness that in and of ourselves we have nothing to offer. This humility is the soil in which God can work and shape us into His image once again.

We have multi-generational, multi-cultural, multi-worldview and multi-actuational (one that puts into action) society today.

God's people have a great variety of visions or models for church today that can minister to each generation, culture and worldview which can put into action the plan God has for them. Many of which are based on Biblical teaching. They will however, never reach the full measure they were intended to reach unless they have the heart of the Father, the mind and revelation of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit freely working in their midst.

God is a creative God. Although He never changes, His infinite wisdom and creativity are constantly at work to accomplish His plans and purposes in His people, the Church.

Questions:
1. Will you take your understanding of, or vision for the church and put it on the altar of God's fire?

2. Has God burned all or part of it up, resurrected it and breathed new life in it or expanded your vision?

3. Have you done what 2 Chronicles 7:14 says concerning your experience and understanding about God's people and the functional organism or organization you know and have experienced as the church?

4. Are you willing to look again at what the Bible says about the church, its function, purpose, structure and your role in it?

5. Will you apply John 12:24-25 to your understanding or vision for the church?
24 "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. NASU

Our Vision or model of doing church may need to die to bear the level of increased fruit that God desire fro it!

Jesus gave His life so that he might have a Church without spot or wrinkle. It was important to Jesus to have a Church ready to meet Him and yet one willing to do all that Jesus began to do and teach while here on earth according to Acts 1:1.

Eph 5:25-27

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26 so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. NASU

What is next: What Jesus began to do and teach?
1. According to the fathers will.
2. By the Spirit's Power.
3. With Jesus having given up His authority and power while on earth.

Life Without Church as It Has Been

Over the last several years there has been a great deal written about believers who are in love with Jesus but not the church. There has been a great exit of believers seeking to find an effective model that is both Biblical and that they find relevant where the life the Bible speaks about can be found among other believers. Some have given up and just stay at home, possibly catching a christian TV show to partially meet their need.

Over the next few weeks I want to address this on my here at the Equippers Network Blog http://equippersnetwork.blogspot.com/ and I will be offering brief descriptions of a variety of book on my Equippers Tool Box blog http://equipperstoolbox.blogspot.com/ , which address the church, its current state and a variety of solutions being offered by people from a wide variety of theological perspectives.

Many churches have become ineffective at being alive in Christ and in doing what Jesus began to do and teach, Acts 1:1. The Bible tells us that the people of God are destroyed for lack of knowledge and the people perish or (wander aimlessly without hope or purpose) because they have no vision of who God truly is and what He truly desires for us as individuals or as a people.

Hos 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. NASU

Prov 29:1818
Where there is no vision [no redemptive revelation of God], the people perish; but he who keeps the law [of God, which includes that of man] — blessed (happy, fortunate, and enviable) is he. [1 Sam 3:1; Amos 8:11,12.] AMP

The passage below reminds us that our assembling or gathering together is important. What is not addressed in these verses is the when, where, and how of our gatherings.

Heb 10:19-2519
Therefore, brethren, since we have full freedom and confidence to enter into the [Holy of] Holies [by the power and virtue] in the blood of Jesus, 20 By this fresh (new) and living way which He initiated and dedicated and opened for us through the separating curtain (veil of the Holy of Holies), that is, through His flesh, 21 And since we have [such] a great and wonderful and noble Priest [Who rules] over the house of God, 22 Let us all come forward and draw near with true (honest and sincere) hearts in unqualified assurance and absolute conviction engendered by faith (by that leaning of the entire human personality on God in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness), having our hearts sprinkled and purified from a guilty (evil) conscience and our bodies cleansed with pure water. 23 So let us seize and hold fast and retain without wavering the hope we cherish and confess and our acknowledgement of it, for He Who promised is reliable (sure) and faithful to His word. 24 And let us consider and give attentive, continuous care to watching over one another, studying how we may stir up (stimulate and incite) to love and helpful deeds and noble activities, 25 Not forsaking or neglecting to assemble together [as believers], as is the habit of some people, but admonishing (warning, urging, and encouraging) one another, and all the more faithfully as you see the day approaching. AMP

My Hope: Is that you will discover the option you have been looking for so that you can enjoy all that God has for you individually and that you might grow as a part of a healthy group of believers into all that God desires for you to be as a community and the family of God!

The first book I want to feature along these lines is below. Life Without Church by Brian Sanders.

Life without church. It's getting easier to imagine. And maybe you already left. A leaver, then. Committed to Jesus, not an institution. Perhaps you've left your church in spirit, remaining in the pew. Outwardly silent. Secretly bored. In either case, Brian Sanders has a word for you.

Find out more at http://equipperstoolbox.blogspot.com/

The Word of the Lord

Meditations and Prayers Relating to the (Ways, Law, Testimonies, Precepts, Statues, Commandments, Judgements) of the Lord

Ps 119:1-8 Aleph.

How blessed are those whose way is blameless,Who walk in the law of the LORD. 2 How blessed are those who observe His testimonies,Who seek Him with all their heart. 3 They also do no unrighteousness;They walk in His ways. 4 You have ordained Your precepts, That we should keep them diligently. 5 Oh that my ways may be established To keep Your statutes! 6 Then I shall not be ashamed When I look upon all Your commandments. 7 I shall give thanks to You with uprightness of heart,When I learn Your righteous judgments. 8 I shall keep Your statutes; Do not forsake me utterly! NASU \

Ways, Law, Testimonies, Precepts, Statues, Commandments, Judgements

Ps 119:1-8

BLESSED (HAPPY, fortunate, to be envied) are the undefiled (the upright, truly sincere, and blameless) in the way [of the revealed will of God], who walk (order their conduct and conversation) in the law of the Lord (the whole of God's revealed will).
2 Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are they who keep His testimonies, and who seek, inquire for and of Him and crave Him with the whole heart.
3 Yes, they do no unrighteousness [no willful wandering from His precepts]; they walk in His ways. [1 John 3:9; 5:18.]
4 You have commanded us to keep Your precepts, that we should observe them diligently.
5 Oh, that my ways were directed and established to observe Your statutes [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying them]!
6 Then shall I not be put to shame [by failing to inherit Your promises] when I have respect to all Your commandments.
7 I will praise and give thanks to You with uprightness of heart when I learn [by sanctified experiences] Your righteous judgments [Your decisions against and punishments for particular lines of thought and conduct].
8 I will keep Your statutes; O forsake me not utterly. AMP