Becoming a Father Pleaser

The notes below are a parts of the teaching from Bob Mumord as posted on Jim Goll's Web site.http://www.encountersnetwork.com/ as a part of the material from the Secrets from the Fathers Conference hosted by the Encounters network. It may be found under email newsletter archives

"John 8:29

And He Who sent Me is ever with Me; My Father has not left Me alone, for I always do what pleases Him.

Father Pleaser Defined:The term Father-Pleaser should be understood in a governmental context and, consequently, defined as:
'A person whose ultimate desire and purpose is to preserve and maximize the sense of Father’s manifest Presence and approval.'
To walk in His favor at all times and under all circumstances
Reward: In You, I am well-pleased!

Progressive Growth
Seven clear and progressive steps for the ordinary believer, unless there is significant and insurmountable interruptions in the growth sequence:

These seven changes are precipitated by the Kingdom in three successive stages or spheres (see below).

Sphere One
Kingdom of Nature

Sphere Two
Kingdom of Grace

Sphere Three
Kingdom of Glory"

I encourage you to read the who teaching @ http://www.encountersnetwork.com/

Church As Jesus Began To Do And Teach

The Church today seems to have a hard time communicating the Good News and then Equipping those who respond to that Good News by giving their lives to Jesus. There seems to be this battle that rages between being living witnesses and Spirit filled disciples in some churches today. One group wants to win the lost at all cost while another wants to equip people to do great and mighty things through God without a priority to win the lost, as if they were actually opposite objectives.

I would like to suggest that we all reread the Gospels and the other New Testament books to see that reaching the lost with the Good News and providing Discipleship opportunities and relationships are at the heart of all that Jesus began to do and teach. These opportunities which should be clearly designed for spiritual and personal growth can be made up of short term tracks which once each track is completed can provide the foundation for additional growth opportunity tracks designed to equip believers to be effective disciples of Jesus who can experience healthy growth in every part of their life, with God, at work, in their family, church and community.

The New Testament Church saw all that Jesus began to do and teach as their responsibility as they were directed by the teachings, commands and example of Jesus, as well as, the direction and power of the Holy Spirit!

No matter what the name or affiliation of your church are you doing all 'Jesus Began to Do and Teach?' If not you have work to do to be doing God the Father's will.

Call out to Him today! He desires to do a complete work in you, your family, your work, your community and your church!

Church That Equips and Understands Our Calling

The Church That Equips must be built on an understanding of the Calling we who follow Jesus have.

Becoming an Equipped and Passionate Disciple and the Call of God in Your Life

Introduction:
Have you ever wondered what the call of God is, who are called of God and what that has to do with you and your life as a follower of Jesus?

I. Who are the called of God?

Is it only the giants of the faith?

Is it only a select few?

Is it only those who are called to the five offices listed in Eph. 4:11-14?

Is it only those who operate in the more visible gifts listed in I Corinthians 12, Romans 12 and elsewhere in the Bible?

"We can discover who the called of the Lord are if we will look into our Bibles with an open mind and heart."

1. The Call of God is for whom so ever … John 3:16-17 16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

2. The Call is to those he has qualified Col 1:12-14 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. NIV

3. The Call is to those who have said yes to the Gospel 2 Thess 2:13-15 4 He called you to this through our gospel that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. NIV

4. The Call is to those that he predestined Rom 8:28-30 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. NIV

Informative note:

This predestination is based on the advanced knowledge of God. (This is the God who knows the beginning from the end and who sees all things. It is He knows the fact that on a certain day and at a certain time certain place we will accept the Lord Jesus as our savior and Lord.)

5. The Call of God is spoken of throughout the New Testament
Eph 1:17-23 18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, NIV

Eph 4:1-13 4:1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.

2 Peter 1:10-11 10 Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. NIV

2 Thess 1:11-12 11 With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith. NIV

Heb 2:17 3:1 Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess NIV

Informative Note

The Doctrine of the Nicolaitans which is briefly mentioned in Rev. 2:6. Jesus says the believers in Ephesus are to be commended because they hate the doctrine of this group. This group believed there were two groups of people in the Kingdom of God. Those who were more favored or anointed and therefore had special knowledge of the things of God and those who did not and were therefore not as called by God. This false doctrine is today seen in the separation between professional clergy and lay people in many churches. Although there are specific offices in the church to equip God's people; Ephesians 4:10 to 14, The people called to fill these offices have not been put in their office to lord it over God's people or deny the people of God a clear revelation of all that God has for them and the blessings which come from Him to all who call on His name.

II. What is the Call of God?

a. Is it to become a minister, missionary, evangelist, teacher or prophet?

b. Is it to do some weird thing like putting your underwear in the mud of a river bank and then bring them out and wave them around and tell everyone that this (these soiled underwear) represent how they and their sin appear before God as Ezekiel was called to do?

Answer

It is to recieve, become and particpate in all that God has for us in Him.

Ephesians 1-3 Read and be amazed. Below are more verses that give us insight.

1. To become fellow inheritors of God's mercy and power.
Rom 8:17, Eph 3:6

2. To be grafted in to the vine (Israel)

Jn 15
3. It is to become new creations in Jesus christ

2 Cor 5:17

As a Result of who and what we have become in Christ:

It is to do the things that Jesus began to do and teach,

Acts 1:1

1. Jesus came to seek and save that which was lost,

Lk 19:10

2. Jesus came to set the captives free,

Lk 4:18

3. The Call is for us to be witnesses by the power of the Holy Spirit

Acts 1:8

4. We are to make disciples of all people groups and nations,

Matt 28:19-20
5. We are to be living letters or epistles to those around us concerning the Good news of Jesus.
6. We are to be Christ's Ambassadors or representatives, Ephesians 6:19-20.

It is to do what Jesus instructed us to do through the Apostles.

7. We are to go and make disciples of nations and people groups, teaching them to do all that I have commanded. Matthew 28:20

8. We are to do the work of the ministry, build up one another, and work on becoming mature in Christ Ephesians 4:10-14

Conclusion

1. Today as in Jesus’ day God is calling each of us to follow Jesus, to answer His call and do the things that Jesus began to do and teach. We are to be His disciples as He empowers our lives by His Spirit.

2. We need to give ourselves to Him completely, we also need to seek to build a relationship with Him and be available to be a living witness of His work in and through us.

3. We also need to continually seek to be equipped so that we will become mature in Him and then we can do more to help others walk out their calling!

Call to Action
Jesus wants to raise up a new generation of passionate disciples who will say yes to Him and be His voice and hands extended in this day and to this generation.

WILL YOUR SAY YES TO HIM TODAY?

I would like to ask you to check out what the Bible says for yourself and be Acts 17:11-12 Christians 11 And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul's message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to check up on Paul and Silas, to see if they were really teaching the truth. NLT
_______________________________________________________________

Artwork by Graham Braddock http://www.grahambraddock.co.nz/

HighCallingsBlogs.com

TheHighCalling.org

I want to introduce you to a new resource that will assist you as you seek to be a believer who is Equipped and someone who is a part of a Church that Equips God's people.

With a vision to be the internet source for people seeking the high calling of their work and daily life, TheHighCalling.org seeks to connect people with the faith that undergirds and sustains all that we do.

That's why it is the high calling of our daily work. Daily work embraces all aspects and activities of daily life—including home, community, leisure, as well as occupation.

http://www.thehighcalling.org/

The Church That Equips

A Church that Equips is a daily demonstration of Ephesians 4: 11-16 in everyday life.

When we say that the leadership that is called by God is given the assignment to Equip the People of God (the church) What are we saying? What might it look like and what might the values of an Equipping Church be? How might it function?

From the English Standard Translation.
And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds [2] and teachers, [3] 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, [4] to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Eph 4:11-16 The Amplified Translation
11 And His gifts were [varied; He Himself appointed and gave men to us] some to be apostles (special messengers), some prophets (inspired preachers and expounders), some evangelists (preachers of the Gospel, traveling missionaries), some pastors (shepherds of His flock) and teachers.
12 His intention was the perfecting and the full equipping of the saints (His consecrated people), [that they should do] the work of ministering toward building up Christ's body (the church),
13[That it might develop] until we all attain oneness in the faith and in the comprehension of the [full and accurate] knowledge of the Son of God, that [we might arrive] at really mature manhood (the completeness of personality which is nothing less than the standard height of Christ's own perfection), the measure of the stature of the fullness of the Christ and the completeness found in Him.
14 So then, we may no longer be children, tossed [like ships] to and fro between chance gusts of teaching and wavering with every changing wind of doctrine, [the prey of] the cunning and cleverness of unscrupulous men, [gamblers engaged] in every shifting form of trickery in inventing errors to mislead.
15 Rather, let our lives lovingly express truth [in all things, speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly]. Enfolded in love, let us grow up in every way and in all things into Him Who is the Head, [even] Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).
16 For because of Him the whole body (the church, in all its various parts), closely joined and firmly knit together by the joints and ligaments with which it is supplied, when each part [with power adapted to its need] is working properly [in all its functions], grows to full maturity, building itself up in love.

1. What might it (the church that Equips) look like and what might the values of an Equipping Church be? How might it function?

A. It has a plan to make disciples who are passionate for all that God has for them. This plan is based in all that Jesus began to do and teach.

B. It adapts to and connects with current culture, technology and ideas to reach people with the life that God freely gives us in Jesus to be released in every layer of society.

C. People are focused on being not just doing.

D. Their individual gifts are explored and developed so that they may fulfill Ephesians 4:11-16.

E. Leaders are Equippers not Performers, Controllers or Do it all themselves people.

F. Each person ministers within their gifting and skills and a pathway is provided for continual growth.

G. Every person including leadership seeks to grow into the maturity of Christ which is a life long joy and process.

H. Building up one another is participated in with passion, it is not just a truth to agree with.

I. Doing the work of the ministry is embraced by all in every day life not just in the gathering of believers.

J. It is open to either owning or renting facilities and decides which to do on how to best accomplish its vision.

God so values people, which He has chosen to, create us in His image with His DNA. His people (the ones who have decided to give themselves to Him) are the means by which He unfolds or reveals Himself and His ways to all people and all of creation.

Church: Equipping God's People

I recently attended a service where the Teaching Pastor compared what happens in many churches to a child's play at school, where everyone had rehearsed their part and then presented it for those in attendance to see how well they had performed, or memorized their lines. This made me laugh until I realized what a powerful truth she had revealed.

When we say that the leadership that is called by God is given the assignment to Equip the People of God (the church) What are we saying? What might it look like and what might the values of an Equipping Church be? How might it function?

To start we should review the passage in Ephesians 4: 11-16.

The passage below is from the ESV.

11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds [2] and teachers, [3] 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, [4] to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Previously I have stated in other articles that the Church or people of God must continue all that Jesus began to do and teach through the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish the will of the Father. The verses above give us insight and direction for the accomplishment of doing all that Jesus began to do and teach as He fulfilled both the Law and the Prophets.

1. The first observation from these verses is that this is about God's people not programs. Equipping God's people is not about pulling a program out of a box or copying what some other church or ministry is doing, but leadership serving as a catalyst, teacher, encourager and resource so that God's people will fulfill His plan through them.

Below I have provided definitions of these key words so that we might know with greater depth what we are saying. In my next article we will look deeper into being a Church that continues to do what Jesus began to do and teach by obeying the truths stated above in this passage.

According to Websters dictionary:
cat·a·lyst Pronunciation: \ˈka-tə-ləst\ Function: noun Date: 1902
1 : a substance that enables a chemical reaction to proceed at a usually faster rate or under different conditions (as at a lower temperature) than otherwise possible
2 : an agent that provokes or speeds significant change or action

To Teach:

Pronunciation: \ˈtēch\ Function: verb inflected Form(s):
taught \ˈtȯt\ ; teach·ing
Etymology:
Middle English techen to show, instruct, from Old English tǣcan; akin to Old English tācn sign — more at token
Date: before 12th century transitive verb

1 a: to cause to know something

b: to cause to know how

c: to accustom to some action or attitude

d: to cause to know the disagreeable consequences of some action

2: to guide the studies of

3: to impart the knowledge of

4 a: to instruct by precept, example, or experience

b: to make known and accepted

5: to conduct instruction regularly in intransitive verb: to provide instruction : act as a teacher

To En·cour·age
Pronunciation:
\in-ˈkər-ij, -ˈkə-rij, en-\
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form(s): en·cour·aged; en·cour·ag·ing
Etymology:
Middle English encoragen, from Anglo-French encorager, from en- + curage courage
Date:
15th century
1 a: to inspire with courage, spirit, or hope : hearten b: to attempt to persuade : urge

2: to spur on : stimulate

3: to give help or patronage to : foster — en·cour·ag·er noun

Re·source
Pronunciation:
\ˈrē-ˌsȯrs, -ˌzȯrs, ri-ˈ\
Function: noun
Etymology:
French ressource, from Old French ressourse relief, resource, from resourdre to relieve, literally, to rise again, from Latin resurgere — more at resurrection
Date: circa 1611
1 a: a source of supply or support : an available means —usually used in plural b: a natural source of wealth or revenue —often used in plural c: a natural feature or phenomenon that enhances the quality of human life d: computable wealth —usually used in plural e: a source of information or expertise

2: something to which one has recourse in difficulty : expedient

3: a possibility of relief or recovery

4: a means of spending one's leisure time5: an ability to meet and handle a situation : resourcefulness

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/