Principles For The Gathering Of Believers

http://www.gospelfellowships.net/principles-book.html

PRINCIPLES FOR THE GATHERING OF BELIEVERS UNDER THE HEADSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST
Acknowledgements (pdf) (mp3)
Foreword (pdf) (mp3)
Preface (pdf) (mp3)
Introduction Letter (pdf) (mp3)

PRINCIPLES FROM THE BOOK OF ACTS
Principle 1 – Solely Looking to the Person of Jesus Christ (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 2 – Where 2 or 3 are Gathered Together (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 3 – God’s People Scattered in Sects (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 4 – God Directed Churches Needed (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 5 – The Book of Acts our Example (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 6 – Not Depending on or Needing Buildings (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 7 – The People of God are the Church (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 8 – Taking a Stand for the Testimony of the Church (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 9 – The Early Apostles didn’t Seek after Money (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 10 – Preaching the Good News (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 11 – Leading is Serving in Humility (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 12 – Jesus Christ: The Head of The Church (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 13 – A Growing Vibrant Movement (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 14 – Making Disciples not just Converts (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 15 – Not Pleasing Men but God Alone (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 16 – The Church Was Birthed In Prayer (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 17 – The Spirit is Essential (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 18 – The Satanic Counterfeit (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 19 – Dependence on the Spirit of Jesus (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 20 – Holy Spirit Normal Christianity (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 21 – Hungering after the True Holy Spirit Baptism (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 22 – God Uses the Weak by His Spirit (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 23 – Cults, False Gospels and Division (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 24 – Christ the Unity of the Body (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 25 – Not Judging Others (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 26 – Having a Right Doctrine but Wrong Spirit (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 27 – The Priority of Love (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 28 – Examine Yourself and Correction in Love (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 29 – Being Rich in Mercy (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 30 – Reading the Entirety of Scriptures (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 31 – Godly Disciplines For Assemblies (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 32 – Godliness Through the Act of Submission (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 33 – The Obedience Of Believers Baptism (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 34 – The Body of Christ: An Army of Evangelists (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 35 – The Lord’s Supper: The Death of Christ (pdf) (mp3)

PRINCIPLES FROM THE UNDERGROUND CHURCH IN CHINA
Principle 36 – Dependence on the Moving of the Holy Spirit (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 37 – Jesus Christ as Lord and Head (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 38 – The Spirit of Martyrdom (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 39 – God Actually Answers Prayer (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 40 – The Body of Christ is the Church (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 41 – The Back To Jerusalem Movement (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 42 – The True Mission of the Church (pdf) (mp3)

PRINCIPLES FROM THE UNDERGROUND CHURCH IN NORTH KOREA
Principle 43 – North Korea Leader, an Image of Antichrist (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 44 – A Cost to be Part of the Church (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 45 – Five Challenging Reminders (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 46 – Meeting in Home Churches (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 47 – The Lord’s Day can be Everyday! (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 48 – We are a Body of Christ Together (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 49 – Sharing and Memorization of Scripture (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 50 – Not Merely Listening (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 51 – Measuring True Christian Growth (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 52 – The Practice of Teaching Children (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 53 – Raising up Many Leaders In the Body (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 54 – Remembering the Poor (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 55 – Witnessing and Missions Work by Faith (pdf) (mp3)

PRINCIPLES FROM THE UNDERGROUND CHURCH IN IRAN
Principle 56 – Explosive Growth in an Antichrist State (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 57 – Sharing the Faith Constantly in All Situations (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 58 – New Converts Every Church Meeting (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 59 – Networking of Small Groups of Believers (pdf) (mp3)
Principle 60 – Martyrs Esteemed in the Church (pdf) (mp3)
Epilogue: The Call to Gather as Fellowships (pdf) (mp3)

APPENDIX I – PREPARING THE BODY OF CHRIST FOR PERSECUTION
Preparing for Persecution; To be a Christian by brother Edgar (pdf) (mp3)
The Coming Tsunami of Persecution by brother Greg (pdf) (mp3)
A Plain Vision for Coming Persecution by brother Brian (pdf) (mp3)

APPENDIX II – SELECT TEACHINGS FOR GOSPEL FELLOWSHIPS
Chinese House Churches Interview by brother Denny (pdf) (mp3)
God’s New Thing by brother David (pdf) (mp3)
Submission and Leadership by brother Zac (pdf) (mp3)
Baptism of the Holy Spirit by brother Denny (pdf) (mp3)
Without the Holy Spirit of God by brother Chadwick (pdf) (mp3)
Loving Your Brothers and Sisters by brother Edgar (pdf) (mp3)

APPENDIX III – GOSPEL FELLOWSHIPS ADDITIONAL HELPS AND RESOURCES
Statement of Faith for Gospel Fellowships (pdf) (mp3)
Chronological Bible Reading of Scriptures (pdf) (mp3)
Guidelines For Gathering (pdf) (mp3)
Gospel Fellowships Hymnal (pdf) (mp3)
Gospel Fellowships Readings (pdf) (mp3)

What is the nature of your relationship to Jesus?

Can you describe the nature of your relationship to Jesus? I mean, can you examine that relationship and describe it, and describe the dimensions of it, and what it means, and what it entails, and what it covers? What is the depth of that relationship? What are the aspects of it? How does that relationship govern who you are and what you do?

It’s very worthwhile to know exactly what your relationship to Him is, and what that means.

Faith = Fellowship with God

Our faith in Jesus is our fellowship with Jesus. If you have genuine faith in Him you have fellowship with Him. Your faith is your fellowship with Him, for that is the nature of genuine faith. With our heart we believe, and, accordingly, with our heart we fellowship with Him, according to the measure of faith we have been given.

Our faith, hope and love is the substance of our fellowship with Jesus.

And now abides faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Cor 13:13

A Visitation to the Church by the Head of the Church

Repent; or else I will come unto you quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. Revelation 2:16

Here is a visitation by the LORD Jesus Christ to His Church, where He says He will even visit the Church to fight against them with the Sword of His mouth.

Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he who searches the minds and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. Revelation 2:22-23

Here is another visitation to the Church by the LORD Jesus where He comes even to kill those who have made a mockery of His commands.

Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. Ecclesiastes 8:11

A war on two fronts

Our war against sin has two fronts.

When we are redeemed the war against sin is very obvious, and the enemy very conspicuous. The sins of the flesh stand out and are sensed so clearly, just like the terrible stench of a rotting carcass makes hiding that carcass near on impossible. They stand out like a sore thumb.

Yet, further down the track, after the obvious sins of the flesh appear to have been put away, the war shifts to a second front, a more private war, and yet just as deadly.

The first front is the obvious sins of the flesh, the second front, “spiritual” sins, which are just as much of the flesh, and yet have a spiritual disguise. Blatant pride is put away, but then “spiritual” pride takes its place, which is just as much pride as the pride of the wicked. Stealing is put away, but then appears again in a “spiritual” manifestation – using “spiritual” manipulation to get money out of people, which is just the same as stealing. Idols are put away, then later, new “spiritualized” idols are created. Covetousness and the love of money get a spiritual makeover… And on and on.

How can sin ever be transformed into righteousness? How can sin be Photoshopped into looking like Jesus? Turn on the TV preachers and see for yourself.

So, at the start the war is very simple, and the enemy obvious, but later it gets complicated, and the enemy shifts to the enemy within.

At the start, it’s just over the things we do outwardly, but as we grow to maturity in Christ the focus becomes more than just the outward sins of the flesh, and more toward WHAT TYPE OF PEOPLE WE ACTUALLY ARE INSIDE. At the beginning we may think we have died to self, but then “self” raises his ugly head further down the track, but this time he has a “spiritual” cloak, he reinvents himself with a “spiritual” justification.

We find that God our Father requires MUCH more than simply changing our outward behavior, but rather transforming and conforming our whole being into the very image of His Son, Jesus Christ (Rom 8:29, 2 Cor 3:18, Col 3:10).

Burden Sharing

We know that prayer is to share our burden with the LORD, yet how much do we allow Him to share His burden with us? We want God to labor for us, but do we want to labor with Him?

Dispelling the Myth

Half of the Palestinians are Egyptians and the other half are Saudis.

– Fathi Hammad (Minister of the interior and national security for Hamas)

http://www.wnd.com/2012/09/hamas-palestinians-actually-are-egyptians-saudis/?cat_orig=world

This guy will be in trouble for breaking code. So poignant to hear a Hamas leader admit that the “Palestinian people” is just a myth. The context of this statement by the Hamas leader is one of a people who are falsely claiming they have an ancestral inheritance claim to the land. It is a huge scam.

Ultimately, the issue is whether one believes God actually gave that land to the Jewish people forever, or not.

God’s incredible faithfulness to the Jewish people

When I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies’ lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations; THEN SHALL THEY KNOW that I am the LORD their God, who caused them to be led into captivity among the nations: but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there. Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel, says the Lord GOD. Ezekiel 39:27-29

This displays God’s incredible faithfulness to the Jewish people, that even in their present blindness God is bringing them back into the Land of Israel. I think this trips many people up, cos they can’t comprehend how God can lead a blind people who don’t know Him, and who are presently outside of Christ. They have really underestimated the majesty of the Sovereign LORD of Glory. Scripture is plain: He leads them back in their blindness (which He Himself gave them) and then after they are all gathered back in their own land He takes off the blindfold (Romans 11:25-26).

After the great slaughter God carries out on the enemies of Israel, then He opens their eyes:

And I will set my glory among the nations, and all the nations shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them. So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God FROM THAT DAY and forward. Ezekiel 39:21-22

Please read all of Ezekiel 38 & 39, it makes things crystal clear.

Friends

We can say that Jesus is our friend, and what a great friend He is to us, but can He declare of us that we are His true friends? Can Jesus say of us, “This one is a true friend of mine, he/she loves me for who I am, and not for the things I can give them, and loves to be with me, and loves me even when they are suffering, and even when I don’t give them what they want, and is always ready to obey me.”

Cosmic Showdown

Push will come to shove. The Truth is stranger than science fiction. What’s going to happen, the Bible says, is that the history of the human race, and the nations, is one which culminates in a cosmic showdown over the true identity of God.

What we have now is the Arab nations claiming to be the servants of Allah, and the Jews claiming to be the children of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, the God of the OT. Muslims, as servants of Allah, are therefore being stirred up by Allah to prove that the God of Israel, Yahweh, is not the true God. To them, this can only be settled, once and for all, by conquering Jerusalem, the Land of Israel, and, either, bringing the Jews under full submission, or destroying them. This would prove, once and for all, to the whole world that Islam is the true religion and Allah is the true God. Thru violence, hatred and bloodshed they try and prove that Allah is the true God. By their fruit they certainly prove the nature of Allah – what he is like.

And this is the mandate Allah gives the Arabs to complete, and thus prove that Allah is the true God, and that the God of the Jews is a false God. It is truly a cosmic showdown over which of these two “gods” is the real God. It is a real showdown, with real armies, nuclear weapons, and much suffering and bloodshed.

This is THE SPIRITUAL REALITY behind the conflict in the Middle-East, and we know that this is the ULTIMATE conflict for all humanity. This conflict between nations is really a spiritual conflict over who is the true God.

But, of course, it’s a very one-sided battle, like a flea attacking an elephant on steroids. The prince of this world was judged at the Cross (John 12:31) so he has lost the battle before he begins.

Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool. Hebrews 1:13

Persecution will be a choice

From now on, in the West, persecution will be a choice, it will be something we will have to choose, it won’t be a blanket persecution of all professing Christians – we will have to choose whether to OBEY Jesus, who is The Truth, and be persecuted, or, deny His Truth, and escape persecution. Therefore the coming persecution will only be against a remnant who preach the Truth, and who refuse to compromise.

Neglecting the King

No amount of activity will make up for neglect of the King Himself.

– RM McCheyne

Rick Warren endorses the wacko Emergent Church

Sweet Surrender

The daily coming of the Kingdom of Christ – the always present RULE of the King, the LORD Jesus, simply means that when His Kingdom comes we surrender to His rule – that if we have been in a place of resisting His rule over every part of our life – if we have had doubts or reservations concerning anything He has commanded and decreed -if we have had any fears – any work of the flesh we’ve been clinging onto …… THAT WE SIMPLY SURRENDER TO THIS KING – just give up the fight against His Word and surrender to the Truth – yield to the Truth, believe and accept whatever He says, and you will know the sweetness in the soul of a soul yielded to Christ. It is sweet communion with Him. It is a place of quiet rest, peace and much assurance.

When His Word comes to you that is Him coming to you, and how could we not bow down, surrender and worship The Great King?

This is how Jesus conquers and captures the hearts of men. He is the only King whose subjects follow Him bcos the love of the King has conquered their hearts. He is the only King who conquers by love.

There is something about the nature of surrender and yielding to Christ which leaves no place for the glory of man. When Christ Jesus conquers a sinful man’s heart, what can that man boast about?

Usually, surrender is a sign of defeat and weakness, but in relation to Christ it is to share in His victory.

Take no thought for “The Gospel of the Gentiles”

Reading: Matthew 6:24-34

…For after all these things do the Gentiles seek… Vs 32

The “prosperity gospel” is a cancer eating away at the Church of Jesus Christ.

It is the “gospel of the Gentiles”, who do not know God as their Father, for Jesus said it is the way of the Gentiles: they seek after things and not after God Himself. Even their “religion”, their spiritual life, is not about seeking God, but about using God to get things.

What the “prosperity gospel” does is twist the Word of God around so that seeking after things becomes seeking after the Kingdom: The Kingdom becomes a kingdom of this world rather than the Kingdom of Heaven. They are building a futile, temporary kingdom of this world, which will be swept away any day now, and not one stone will be left upon another.

But Jesus said: “You cannot serve God and money”… Vs 24.

So, what they’ve done is make money into a god, and named this new god “jesus”.

And this new god is their master, he dominates everything. Their speech betrays them immediately as to whom their god is. And not just their speech, their whole lifestyle reveals where their heart really is.

The love of money PERMEATES everything they teach from the Bible. They can take any chapter of the Bible, or nearly any subject of the Bible, and turn it around so that SELF ADVANCEMENT becomes the main point of it, and God Himself is thrown into the trash.

So, in this new gospel, Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness is twisted around to mean that the Kingdom is actually financial wealth, so, to Seek first the Kingdom, to them, means to Seek first money : Exactly what Jesus said not to seek.

Everything these “prosperity preachers” teach and preach has money as the bottom-line. I was just reading something from Joseph Prince about how we have God’s favor in everything and we are to seek God’s favor with people and then we will have success. What he is saying is to seek first what the Gentiles (who do not know God) seek after : to transform “Seeking the Kingdom” into the pursuit of selfish ends – to make the worship of self as the Kingdom of God you are seeking. It is a perversion of all that Jesus taught, lived and stood for, and died for, and rose again for. Did Jesus seek after money? Did He desire to be rich? Did Jesus believe that His financial status was an indicator of His favor with God?

No! Only a servant of the devil would believe that.

The whole point of Jesus teaching is that when Jesus is truly your LORD, and God is truly your heavenly Father, then you no longer make the pursuit of your own needs, even, the first thing, rather you pursue Him, and pursue to do His will, knowing that you don’t even need to seek after the things you actually need, but they shall be given by your Father in heaven.

“Give us this day our daily bread” comes after “Your Kingdom come, your will be done” : asking for your needs to be met follows behind the Kingdom. You even forfeit the right to make seeking your own needs the first thing, or the main thing, but you do so in the knowledge that you have a Father in heaven who cares for you, and for your needs. In the wonderful assurance of this promise you can forsake seeking after things and seek the Kingdom and His righteousness instead.

So, take no anxious thought for you what you will eat and drink, and wear, and for your financial position, and take no thought for “The Gospel of the Gentiles” – the “prosperity gospel”, and take no thought of those who preach it.

But seek you first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:33

Each step of faith

Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you… Joshua 1:3

Here is such a vital principle of what it means to walk by faith in Jesus. We take a step of faith, and then find that the place where we have stepped has been given to us by God. If we never took that step of faith we would never have that place given us by God. It’s God working “in step” with our steps of faith.

Peter stepped out of the boat and found that God have given him that place, even as the soles of his feet touched water and not land.

When we preach the Gospel we are the same. We have to take a step of faith, and every time we experience that as soon as our foot touches down on that spiritual ground, that God has given it to us – true to His promise.

Unbelief means to want the ground, but not want to take the step of faith. It would be like the Israelites wanting the land of Canaan, but fearful to go in there and take possession.

The True Workings of God, and Counterfeits of Satan

Highly recommended:
http://www.acts1711.com/TrueWorkings.html

From: War On The Saints
by Jessie Penn-Lewis with Evan Roberts

http://www.acts1711.com/Contents.html

Love is the premier position

Love is the premier position, it is the bond of perfection.

In any conflict we may find ourselves in, whether private or corporate, spiritual or physical, within the Church or outside the Church, with true brothers or false brothers, with family or with friends… whatever the conflict, LOVE is the premier position : That is, it is the only position of victory for the disciple of Jesus, and as the bond of perfection it is the place of perfect victory and peace in Christ. Anything less is a place of defeat.

And above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you are called in one body; and be thankful. Col 3:14-15

That is, when LOVE rules, peace also rules, and accompanies love.

Religious War

Christian, don’t be alarmed when we see the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse released to gallop throughout the earth and take away all peace and create havoc. Jesus Himself opens the Seals and releases them to go forth and create havoc. This present religious war and clash of civilizations has been appointed for this very DAY and HOUR, precisely.

Then, praise God that Jesus is in control and move forward in power and victory as His faithful witnesses in the earth. Let’s move forward TOGETHER as ONE NEW MAN in Christ Jesus.

Jesus is here

No, not bodily, but He is here IN His redeemed (Col 1:27) and He is here when two or three gather in His name (Matt 18:20).

Let’s consider what it means for Jesus to be here. You’re reading this, and Jesus is right there with you as you read this.

We need, now more than ever, a mighty revelation that Jesus is IN and WITH those who love, believe and obey Him, for THIS is the foundation of His Kingdom, when His people know that their King is with them and act accordingly, and live in that knowledge, living in joyful submission to Him.

The NT pattern for the Church is based on the truth that the King is present to lead His Church (Col 1:18) and therefore the true Church IS the current expression of the Kingdom of God on the earth (See 1 Cor 14, Rev 2 & 3 ).

Dead traditional Church, and the control of ambitious men, assumes that the King is absent, or rather, they hope He won’t be turning up any time soon, lest their sin be exposed.

The true disciples of Jesus know that He is with them, and live accordingly, JUST AS IF He were here bodily and physically. They know that He has not changed, He is THE SAME Jesus of Nazareth, the same Son of God, He is the same LORD of Glory we read of in the Book of Revelation – The Almighty King of kings and Lord of lords.

The LORD’s presence with His people is their comfort, their security, their confidence, and their profound joy. The REASON they live the way they do, and gather as the Church the way they do, is bcos JESUS IS PRESENT and it is HIS CHURCH, not theirs. His presence makes the difference. It’s the true reverential fear of God.

Faith means to SEE Christ the King as present in and with His people, and to believe that He Himself is leading us forward in His Victory over sin, the flesh, the world and the devil.

Kingdom and Church were never meant to be separated: Jesus RULES in His Kingdom now by ruling and being the Head of His Church. JESUS IS PRESENT TO RULE, not to have lip-service paid to Him, but to be obeyed. If you believe this you WILL take heed to the NT and Apostolic pattern of order for His Church.