Three Traps

Sharing this from a good friend, Jim Niezgoda in Albuquerque:

Quote

“And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.” – Acts 2:42

When I began fellowshipping house to house 15+ years ago I mostly found believers who had burning hearts for Christ, His true Gospel, prayer, evangelism, holiness, real fellowship, and “one anothering”. If you are part of a church like that it would be appropriate to fall on your face and praise God for it. You have something very precious and you should pray for it without ceasing. The sad reality is that the “house church movement” today is nothing like what I described and has been flooded by satan in three distinct ways.

1) Liberal “christians” who deny scripture and approve of sin

2) False “prophetic” people who worship their emotions and demons

3) Judaizers who seek to put God’s people under bondage, replacing the Spirit with flesh

As a whole, the house church movement today is mostly a counterfeit of New Testament Christianity. It’s far more errant, and infinitely more abhorrent, than small institutional churches who are faithful with the Gospel, have a plurality of elders, and try their best within the confines of their traditions to promote love feasts, true fellowship, and body life.

If I read scripture correctly, we should expect every area of Christendom to become increasingly counterfeit and errant as the age closes – including the house church movement. This is not meant to discourage any true believer from meeting house to house. It is just a warning about what you might find there. Keep yourself in the truth of Christ as revealed in the scriptures (including the hard sayings). Stay close to Him in prayer and ask to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Submit yourself to His lordship, this is no time for half heartedly following Jesus. I’m preaching to myself as much as anyone else here.