Hi all,
The greatest revelation is that Jesus is Lord, and that is a revelation from the Father we've all experienced for responding to that revelation is how we were born again.

But all else in the kingdom flows from that revelation. Even in His ministry, Jesus said He did nothing unless He first saw or heard the Father doing it (John 5:19, 30).

And that is what our meetings are all about - revelation from heaven - perceiving the direction heaven is going for the meeting is the responsibility of who is leading that meeting, and those attending as well.

Paul said in I Corinthians 14:26, "How is it when you all come together brethren? One has a Psalm (worship and/or prayer), another a revelation, another a teaching, or the gifts of the Spirit...let it all be done to the edifying of others..."

If you are to lead, then lead
It takes purposing in the heart to lead a house church meeting because you must commune with the Lord and your heart to see what direction to go in - if you are a worshipper you may lead everyone in worship and prayer and ministry.

If your grace is more along the lines of a teaching, you may have a 20-30 minute teaching for everyone. If you love to tell your testimony you may share yours and others may also share theirs.

Many house church meetings end up with laying hands on everyone, prayer, and the gifts of the Spirit moving.

But coming together in a house church meeting is for the purpose of receiving from the Lord - revelation, healing, inspiration, a fresh touch or word. That takes a willingness to launch into the unknown of just sharing from your own revelation, teaching or revelation He has shown you this week.

And when all do that, then are eager to pray for one another, revelation flows in the gifts of the Spirit, in love, in balance, and all are encouraged and built up in the Lord.

But we are lazy
But human nature is to come to someone's house and sit...and listen, and receive, and maybe not share too much or maybe too much, and eat, and talk a bit...lol.

I often see ruts develop in house churches. By 'rut' I mean they fall into a pattern that soon becomes 'we do it this way because' tradition, and others feel challenged or uncomfortable or outright angry if someone messes up the pattern.

Some of these ruts can include using song sheets. Another is a set house to meet in all the time. Another is the same pattern - open with prayer, song, someone shares, food - week after week.

Another rut can be a set study on a book of the Bible or topic. Another can be having the Lord's Supper at each meeting. Another could be using musical instruments played by the same people each week.

Song sheets can be good once in a while, but you won't enter into deep worship that way. A study of a Bible book or topic is good once in a while for uniform Bible teaching is often a need. Having a pattern for the meeting that feels comfortable is good, but be open to changing it up based on what the Lord wants to do that day.

A little rabbit trail
On that last sentence - I remember when I was a pastor in a traditional church and I started sensing what kind of 'mood' the Lord was in for that service - was the anointing more on the worship, the Word, or ministry? In house church it can be much the same - if you are leading ask where He wants to go - more towards worship and then ministry, or the Word?

And then mix it up to give that area more time - so maybe if you feel a heavier peace in your spirit about worship, then put together a great flow of cd's and then let God be God and just worship in the meeting.

Back to the subject
But I've been doing this long enough to see patterns develop - laziness sometimes sets in and turning to someone else's revelation and someone else's outline becomes the 'go to' thing to do - someone else's study of a NT letter or someone else's study or outline on a topic.

Someone feels led one time to share on the importance of the Lord's Supper, then every week they insist on having it - and soon weeks or months go by and the life is gone, the spontaneity is gone, and people start wondering what is wrong, why they feel listless, why it isn't fulfilling anymore.

Pretty soon you are using song sheets or an overhead projector or Powerpoint, a handout with outlines, and you might as well be back in a dead traditional church because it is no longer a Bible patterned house church. All moving of the Spirit is gone, all spontaneity is gone...what happened?

They left personal revelation in favor of 'easy' and they fell into a rut.

Get your own revelation!
The kingdom works by revelation, and when we come together we should be sharing and receiving revelation. 

Be willing to set aside a pattern and find revelation as (you or they) share their story (knowledge), the gifts, revelation, teaching, or just pray for one another or get lost in worship for an hour and let God be God in your midst.

Suggestions
It takes balance, and so each meeting will be different - maybe one set of leaders will want to study the Sermon on the Mount - but they only host/lead 1x a month so that is no problem because the other weeks people are sharing as outlined in scripture, from their own revelation.

Maybe someone else asks to have the Lord's Supper in a week or two - do it! Mix it up. Some house churches have set up a night during the week to study a book or topic. Some might use song sheets one week and nothing the rest of the time. Rather than meet in the same host home each week, try a park, another host's home or elsewhere - get creative!

People want to hear your heart
Paul told the Corinthians it wouldn't profit them at all unless he came willing to share knowledge - his life experience with the Lord - or revelation or teaching or prophesying.

But if every meeting becomes a prophecy-fest then no real meat is received. But if every meeting is a simple chapter and verse study, it becomes dry as toast.

My point here is for house churches to step back and look at the larger picture
Do you have a good mix of the moving of the gifts of the Spirit and set study topics? Do you rotate homes and leaders? Do you mix up worship between instruments and cd and no accompaniment at all?

Are you in a rut - always first prayer, then some songs, then food, then 'the meeting' - or some other pattern?

You don't HAVE to have worship every time you meet. You don't HAVE to have food every time you meet. You don't HAVE to have a Word study every time you meet.

You DO have to find the Lord's will for each meeting, and trust me, it will vary from week to week based on who is leading.

You know if you are in a rut if your thoughts of changing the pattern are met with either questioning why you want to change things, or you wonder 'if it is ok to do this instead' (whatever is different from the routine).

In the summer doldrums in the northern hemisphere (apologies to my Aussie, Kiwi, South American and RSA friends who are experiencing winter), with people on vacation and everyone feeling disconnected from one another, when you come together be willing to share YOUR revelation, YOUR heart.

Let fresh revelation flow, share the life you have learned during summer break - and use the occasion to be creative and bold, and if you are in a rut pattern, break out of it.

    Blessings,

        John Fenn

www.cwowi.org and email me at [email protected]

Hi all,
Wherever I travel to house churches I always receive questions that inevitably lead me back to the church at Corinth for answers.

The mix
Acts 18 tells us people from 3 cultures were thrown together in the house of Justus: Roman, Jewish, Greek - each of whom did not normally mix. That means they were violating every social custom they were raised with, yet they gathered initially in the Roman house of Justus to worship and learn of the Lord.

The same type of thing is true of house churches today: People coming to house church from various backgrounds, nationalities, and religious practices, not to mention socioeconomic differences all thrown together for home based meetings.

We know Corinth had major issues as a result, as seen in Paul's first letter to them - strife in chapter 3, two brothers suing one another in chapter 6, some were eating meat sacrificed to idols because they thought it ok to do, while others disagreed in chapters 8 & 10, wives taking their veils off which in that culture dishonored their husbands and the rich refusing to eat with the poor in chapter 11, and so on.

A revelation to one is not...
The kingdom works by revelation, but a revelation to a Jewish person that they could eat lobster at house church if they wanted, would mean nothing to their Roman or Greek brethren, and maybe their revelation would even offend fellow Jewish believers who weren't ready to eat shellfish!

But sometimes a personal revelation hits with such force that the person thinks EVERYONE should hear about it and then do it.

Moses had this issue as stated in Acts 7:25 when he killed the Egyptian for 'he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them from the Egyptians, but they understood not.'

Most Christians probably think Moses received the revelation he was God's deliverer at the burning bush, but in fact he had that revelation 40 years earlier while still in Egypt. His mistake was assuming the revelation God had shown him, He had also shown to 'his brethren', and that they would be just as thrilled as he was!

That mistake cost him 40 years, or 1/3 of his life, for he was trying to do God's will in his flesh. Some 40 years later he learned by revelation God would deliver them by His hand, not Moses' citing a civil war in Egypt by his hand. God gets the glory after all, not man.

Back to Corinth
What I have seen from nation to nation, culture to culture in my travels these last 11 years, is that Moses' misstep is relatively common in house churches. Like the hypothetical situation of a Jewish person receiving the revelation that he can eat lobster, but it would mean nothing to the Roman or Greek believers present who had eaten shellfish all their lives, so too do house church people assume similar things.

In the early years of CWOWI I'd hear of people who received revelation about celebrating the Lord's Supper and how it was to be. Based on their revelation they wanted to put that revelation on everyone else, becoming a point of contention with the rest of the house church.

How do you celebrate it?
Soon I heard people saying you had to use real wine, others said it had to be part of a regular meal as Jesus did, and some said it had to be celebrated every week, some said it had to be home made unleavened bread.

When I'd ask people about the how and why, they would most often say, 'The Lord showed me...' or 'I did it this way by myself for a time and it blessed me so much, I just know if we all did it this way everyone would be blessed like I was...' or other words that revealed they thought their revelation should be practiced by everyone else. And to do otherwise was wrong.

But they were assuming their brethren would have understood how God by their hand would teach them the 'right way' to celebrate the Lord's Supper, but they understood not. lol.

That's one example - I could share many examples of things that started out as a true revelation, but somehow became fixed in stone that it had to be 'this way'. Like any revelation or move of the Spirit we can examine down through history, someone's freeing move of the Spirit based on revelation gradually becomes rigid and a tradition and expectation on others to follow. Many denominations started this way.

Reality
The truth is, the New Testament is purposely (I believe) vague about how to 'do' house church. The basics are there - rotate homes and rotate who leads weekly, discussion oriented, all may participate, love and courtesy guide all things - but beyond that nothing is set in stone because revelation to one is meant to bless others, but not necessarily intended to be revelation for all.

So those with revelation feeling God is leading them to do say, the Lord's Supper as part of a larger meal - great, do it! Don't expect others to have that same revelation, and don't be disappointed by their juice and crackers that close the meeting next month - that is their revelation, and it isn't wrong, it's just not your revelation.

These types of things can include the order of a meeting, the kinds of food (if served), how and when prayer requests are received if at all, what kind of music there is (band, keyboard, cd, MP3, no music), if song sheets or overhead projection or nothing at all is used to provide words for people. How the Lord's Supper is celebrated, whether to follow a guided study or keep in line with I Corinthians 14:26, and so on.

The key is - look at your house church meeting. Has it become as rigid, inflexible and set on an agenda as x church you once attended?

Whoever is leading that week needs to take ownership of their meeting - and do what is on their heart - and the rest get over themselves, they can lead it how God leads them when they next lead.

Be ready to experience someone else's revelation.

The disclaimer
The disclaimer in this is of course any revelation someone claims they have will be in line with the Word and Spirit, and lead to peace - a revelation they say God showed them to have an affair, isn't a revelation from God. What I share isn't a license to do the weird, sinful, or unscriptural, for house church is about what we agree on, what we have in common, not a place to drum up support for the controversial topics out there.

My point is that one person's revelation may not be another's, so don't let your house church become as predictable at the sun's rising. Each person leading should have revelation from the Lord, felt in their spirit and what seems good to them as well, for that meeting, and the freedom to move in that revelation.

Serve some lobster if that's your revelation! And don't roll your eyes if it isn't, just say, "Pass the butter please." LOL.

Some thoughts...blessings!
John

www.cwowi.org and email at [email protected]

Hi all,
I haven't written my monthly house church thoughts since spring, when 'travel season' began. Thanks for your patience.

I've been thinking on a topic the last several months and now have the time and energy to write some thoughts to you.   

Opinions, perceptions, right and wrong

A common difficulty seen across borders and cultures, is people in house church having hard feelings or eventual separation from each other, all because of opinions and perceptions.

My current Weekly Thoughts series is about a related topic, within the context of separating from one another because of sin. But what I see around the globe is Christians getting in strife and even separating because of differences of opinion. There are 3 main categories:

1) Transferring their life experience onto another - the pre-conceived idea
A visitor to a house church meeting came away from the experience very offended. What was the reason? Because the house church didn't have the Lord's Supper in that meeting and this person felt that was totally wrong. He had pre-conceived ideas of what house church was going to be, based on his experience some 20 years earlier in a small home (cell) group that celebrated the Lord's Supper every time they met.

He couldn't be persuaded that his opinion was welcome, but the house church celebrated the Lord's Supper as the leader for that week felt led, not as a set-in-stone schedule. He left in his offense, continuing his search for that 'perfect' house church, defined as a house church that was completely like his experience 20 years ago.

The advantage of time is that it allows us to select which memories we want to hold onto, and this man evidently only retained memories of perfection concerning his small group from 2 decades earlier.

Shocking experience - A family was in need of repairs to their home electrical system, and the house church volunteered to gather as a group and help with the wiring. They purchased supplies for the family and intended to show up one Saturday morning to re-wire the breaker box, laundry area, and a bathroom, but the homeowner politely declined.

One person was very upset that he declined. The reason for turning down the help while accepting the materials, is that the man knew wiring, and the prospect of 8 or 10 volunteers pulling wiring and attaching this and that to his breaker box and outlets terrified him, with concerns ranging from electrocution to a later electrical fire if one of these unskilled helpers wired something incorrectly.

The offended person was knowledgeable of wiring and took personal offense as if the home owner was questioning this man's ability. He thought because he was good at wiring then everyone should understand that and accept his help. He transferred his life experience and expectations of how he would be received, onto this homeowner and situation.

I could go on and on with this sort of thing, but the common thread is that sometimes people think the way they experienced life is the way others should too. If they received the Lord's Supper every house church meeting, then it is wrong to do otherwise. If one offered help with some wiring and he knew he could do that job, it was wrong to turn down such a generous gift of experience and material.

Paul said in a couple places to discuss topics, but not to the point of arguing. In other words, a discussion turns into an argument when someone insists on placing their opinion on another person who doesn't agree with their opinion. Stop short of argument, exchange opinions, but offense comes when we place our expectations on someone else.

Ask yourself if you are forming opinions about a person or situation based on your life experience, and transferring those expectations to them. That is a very personal offense, a feeling they are rejecting you because they aren't doing things the way YOU would do them. Pull back, let them work it out by what they think they should do in that situation. The are accountable to Jesus, not you, so relax and let it go.

2)  Transferring their gift onto another
This attitude is revealed when someone says to another, 'Well, I wouldn't do it that way!' It is related to #1 in that we see the world through our life experiences, which is also perceived through our gifts and talents.

However, this opinion is formed and offense happens when we only see others through our own gifts, and fail to see they have different gifts. Often we see a smidgen of our gift in another and think that must be developed to the same level it is in me.

News flash: Our job is not to develop our gifts in them.

When we look at others through our own gifts we end up thinking if others aren't doing as we would, they are not mature, or they have issues they need to deal with. It is the log in our eye and splinter in theirs, situation.

A pastor's wife who also led worship (I was on staff at this church), was very energetic in her worship, jumping up and down, spinning around, yelling and clapping. If you weren't jumping up and down as she was she would look at you with 'the look' to get with it. I learned to give the look back, that said basically, 'That's not how I worship lady, in fact you should just be happy I'm not just laying down here on the carpet face first, because that's how I receive.'

I remember a pastoral staff meeting, with about 35 of us in the room, where she urged everyone to jump up and down and be cheerleaders with her for the congregation. I nervously scanned the room, hoping beyond hope she wasn't just talking just about me, and was relieved to see 6 or 8 other non-jumpers present. LOL.

She thought if you weren't doing as she did, then you weren't worshipping. She couldn't conceive that someone (like me) could receive better just standing still, eyes closed, hands uplifted. (Or better yet, seated or flat on the floor).

Sick and tired - A person in a house church was sick and homebound for a few weeks during a round of chemotherapy, and most all the house church came to her aid, bringing in food. One of the ladies who had done so was talking to another woman in that house church, and when asked what food she had brought her, the woman responded 'none'.

Before she could explain any more, the first woman who had given several meals, started 'chewing out' this woman, totally offended that their friend was weak due to chemotherapy and this lady couldn't even bring a single meal to their friend.

She learned the rest of the story and had to apologize a little while later. It turns out the other lady had taken time off her job to take the sick friend to various doctor's appointments, to sit in the park, to go on drives with her, and she did housework and laundry for her as well - far more than merely fixing a meal. But she did so unheralded and unannounced.

Ask yourself if you are measuring others by your own gifts. Are you forming opinions about how people should act in a situation based on how you would act in that situation? Ask yourself if you think another should be more like you, based on your own gifts and what you would do in a given situation.

Each of these first 2 rob a person of the ability to see another's situation and their own needs and desires, as well as their gifts. These 2 give people tunnel vision, and cause them to take offense when others don't fit in their tunnel view of life, and they can lead to trying to 'fix' another person rather than actually being friends, making them a project rather than a friend in the Lord.

3)  Insinuating themselves into a situation that is not their business
This is one of the most dangerous and damaging things in a house church for it can turn a house church into a gossip-fest, with everyone knowing everything about everyone's life without respect of the boundaries of marriage and friendship.

A man confides to another man in the house church that several years ago, before he knew the Lord, he had an affair. When his wife found out, she had an affair out of spite, and the stress of it all eventually led them to the Lord. There were still some stresses in their marriage because of all that, and the husband was asking his friend for prayer that he and his wife could talk it out and enter into the last bit of healing needed.

BUT...the friend brought up that bit of history to the wife one day, and offered him and his wife for spiritual guidance and prayer so they could bring that chapter of their lives to an end - The wife was immediately horrified as well as deeply hurt, that her husband had shared that sensitive information.

The friend then became offended that he was being blamed as well as the husband - but he was in the wrong, as was the husband. He tried to insert himself (and his wife) into a private marriage issue - he had not been invited, and it was not his place to do the inviting.

Often someone will find out about someone else's sin, either past or present, and then either want to become involved in that person's repentance/deliverance, or run to leadership with their new knowledge, or in the case above, to the wife and ask to become involved.

Ask yourself if the Lord allowed you to know this 'secret' because you can be trusted for confidential intercessory prayer, and as a friend. Ask yourself if you shared that information, would you cross lines of marriage, of friendship, or work relationship or family ties? Is it your place to share this information, or theirs? Don't cross the line.

If you aren't related by blood, marriage, or a work relationship, hold this knowledge in confidence, keeping it before the throne, thus demonstrating to the Father you are trustworthy in handling private matters.

Conclusion
As I said, these 3 are the main areas I see around the world, across nations and cultures. People are people and the devil is the devil. But in general, refrain from forming opinions about other people.

Judge their works, not their heart and motives. But don't get offended at anything. Always ask yourself, 'How can I grow more mature', 'How can I walk in deeper love towards them', and let them walk out their life. It is their story to tell, not yours.

Until next month on house church thoughts!

Blessings,
John

From time to time a single issue arises from multiple house churches in the network, so I know it must be an issue to many more, and there is an issue I've been asked about a lot in the last month:

Use of cell phones in a house church meeting.

Many of us, myself included, have one or more Bibles on our smart phones - and often there are Bible related app's as well - concordances, word studies, etc.

A typical situation:
House church is well underway with a lively discussion and study taking place, when everyone notices 1 or more people texting or playing games, when everyone else has (pick one) paused, looked up, or become involved in the discussion, so that the person playing the game or texting stands out like a sore thumb and is immediately revealed for not being engaged.

The person leading is frustrated at the rudeness of that person, and the others present become disappointed they have chosen a video game over discussing and studying God's Word.

The scriptures that cover this include I Corinthians 14:26-33, where Paul talks of social courtesies while attending a meeting of the church in someone's home.

Its in the Greek, really!
These include taking turns, not dominating a conversation, if you don't have an opportunity to share then remain quiet and keep it between you and the Lord, and somewhere in the Greek I'm sure in the fine print, is something like 'and if someone doth text thee while in the meeting, thou shalt not be rude to those present, but putteth it away that you showeth full attention to thy brothers and sisters.'

In each situation I've been asked about, the issue of people being offended at being asked to turn cell phones off, or silent, or refrain from texting and games during meetings comes up.

It is sad that many who call themselves by the name of our Lord also have the thinnest skin and wear their feelings on their shoulders for all to see. Yet bringing it up as a group and providing context of cell phone manners in the general public can help:

We turn our cells on silent at movies and refrain from looking at them when they buzz in our pocket?

We turn phones on silent at restaurants.

There is a sign to 'turn cell phones off' at the local driver's license branch.

We turn our cell phones off or silent at doctor's offices, business meetings, any number of situations in day to day life and we turn phones off or on silent - so why would people be offended at being asked to be polite in a meeting of the body of Christ?

It is because we are asking to go beyond silent, to issues of self-control - not gaming or texting while 'churching'. Can you see a billboard: "Don't text and church" like so many 'Don't text and drive' notices.

If they are offended, they have deeper issues and have a choice to do right, or leave - pretty simple.

How to handle?
Depending on whether it is continually just 1 person doing it or a larger issue that all from time to time text and/or play video games while in the meeting, you could either gently go to the single person privately and let them know their texting is a distraction and very noticeable, and ask them to stop - or bring it up to the whole body if all have been guilty at one time or another.

Because it is so prevalent in society, I'd advise as a whole house church, go over I Corinthians 14:26-33 and talk about Corinth's situation - Acts 18 reveals 3 cultures thrown together in Justus' house, and some of them needed instruction on basic manners of what it means to be a guest in someone's home, and how to act while in a small group in someone's home: Taking turns, deferring to another, controlling themselves (what they say or don't say, prophesy or don't prophesy), not dominating conversation, etc.

Then tie this teaching to updated manners - cell phones included, how if a person must respond to a text (like they're going to be late to granny's 96th birthday party) then leave the room to do so. And in general exhibit the self control required to not play video games during the meeting.

If you are taking the time to go over I Corinthians 14:26-33 admonition of 'decently and in order' and 'God is not the author of confusion', then just take a minute to bring it up using today's accepted manners of society as above - we turn them off in movies, restaurants, doctor's offices, government offices, business meetings - so turn them off during meetings of the body of Christ or otherwise use them only as it relates to the meeting.

Fear of offense
The greater issue many times is leaders fear leading - because it doesn't come naturally to them - meaning they are as much afraid as offending as they are miserable at letting a person continue to be rude. I'd encourage leaders to step up, shake off the fear of offense, and politely and gently bring the issue to the body.

IF someone does get offended, as I said earlier, they have larger issues - this is an opportunity for them to grow up, for it is Christ asking them to grow, and if they don't then their offense is at Him, not you.

And if all else fails, plaster your home with 3 dozen big signs saying 'turn cell phones off', and pictures of a cell phone with a big line through it - but maybe just including cell phone manners as part of a larger teaching will help bring everyone up to speed, and for those who are distracted along with you, they will be relieved you brought it up and will support you in the discussion, so that you are not alone.

Blessings,
John

HI all,

I've not written on house church in a couple months - just tired and drained on a lot of different levels. But recharged now and looking forward to the 'travel season'.

We'll have affiliate leaders in to Tulsa from Colorado Feb 22-24, I may be headed over to Arkansas one of those other weekends in February. March 10 we'll be in Hays, KS, the 11th in Omaha, Tuesday the 12th in Cedar Falls, Iowa, the 13/14 in Cannon Falls/Minneapolis area, Saturday all day conference in Wauseon, Ohio, Sunday the 17th in Washington, Indiana - then home!

Meeting with Purpose
Part of what makes the gathering of the church in a home a 'church', is the purpose behind the meeting. Unlike a prayer meeting, Bible study, or time of worship with friends which may happen whenever it is convenient for all, a house church meets with purpose, on a regular basis, with commitment to one another. As such people move their schedules around to be there because it is important to them. 

Though Emperor Constantine decreed Sunday to be the official day of worship in the year 321, Christians were meeting on Resurrection Day long before his command, as seen in Acts 20:7: "And on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached to them..."

This was in the port city, now in modern Turkey, called Troas. It is the same city where in Acts 16:7-10 Paul saw the vision of the Greek man saying 'Come over here and help us'.

My point isn't the day of the week, for in Romans 14 Paul called believers who said we should worship on one day over another 'weak in the faith'. But Acts is clear early believers had set aside a time they could commit to, to make their schedules revolve around, a set time to meet with other disciples. This was no I'll be there if I'm not too tired from work', nor 'I'll try to make it if I get out of the store in time and get my groceries put away'. It held the place in their hearts it should have, an important part of their lives.

They met Acts 20:7 says, 'to break bread together'.

Breaking bread is mentioned 5 times in Acts and means both having a common meal and can mean the Lord's Supper, which Jesus celebrated as part of a meal as you'll recall. In the gospels and Acts, even in I Corinthians 11, it wasn't separate from a main meal with separate paper cups filled with juice and some tiny bread pieces served somewhere in a 'church service'.

The communion of the Lord's Supper was part of the communion of the saints over a meal - just part of the end of the meal as Jesus did in the original. (Those 5 times are Acts: 2:42, 46; 20:7, 11; 27:35)

I celebrate anytime the Lord's Supper is shared and however it is shared. The purpose of partaking in the Lord's Supper reflects the larger fact that the saints gathered with purpose, with intent on a regular basis.

Their commitment to these meetings is clear if you examine Acts 20:6-12.

This is where v 7 says they gathered on the first day of the week to break bread, and Paul preached to them - and that he preached until midnight. That is when Eutychus fell asleep in the window, fell to his death, Paul went down the 3 stories to ground level, raised him from the dead, THEN verse 11 says:

"When he therefore came up again (to the room where he had been preaching before he had to go downstairs to raise Eutychus from the dead) and had broken bread and eaten, and talked a long while, even to the break of day, he departed."

I'm not saying our gathering together should always start in the evening, raise someone from the dead at midnight (also affords a short potty break) and then continue 1 man preaching until the sun rises - but I do want to note that no one complained about how long the meeting was. LOL.

Some practical helps:
Who ever is leading the meeting, lead with purpose. If you start at 10am, then allow the usual 15-30 minutes of valuable visiting, for fellowship is very important. But don't let it go on 45 or 60 minutes. Respect the fact that everyone is there with purpose and intent on being there, so honor them by starting close to when you say it starts.

Start with prayer - this focuses everyone and is a good time to bring needs before the Lord and give thanks for all the good things shared during the time of fellowship.

If you are a leader, or for that matter anyone who notices that someone is butting in and taking the discussion away from where the Lord was moving, or someone is dominating and rambling on and on - don't be afraid to step in and redirect it back to the purpose you had in your heart for the gathering.

This can be done tactfully; "That's a good point, but lets go back to where we started" or "Thanks, but I think the main point the Lord put on my heart is..." can redirect gently and all who are sensitive to where the Spirit was headed, will be thankful.

And remember it isn't numbers that meet, but that the Lord does what He wants in the meeting. This will be multifaceted: There is value in fellowship, in a meal, in the Lord's Supper if you choose to celebrate it that day, in the worship, prayer and teaching - it isn't so much what's taught, but what's caught.

Those are some thoughts...meet with purpose, don't be afraid to lead with purpose, start on time, let the Lord have His way...our gatherings are worthy of being elevated in our priorities in life for as we gather together in His name, so is He in our midst!

Blessings,
John

Hi everyone,
As Barb and I have traveled these past 7 1/2 months and visited many house churches, we see common elements no matter the country or language, culture or customs. The common elements are the family of Christ, the sense of extended family and community, just as we see in Acts and in Paul's letters.

It's been so rich to take people on many of these trips, or have them meet us at the destination, or they invested in the time and money to travel to our meetings - wonderful in every way! The commonality of family and instantly knowing we are each on the 'same spiritual page' is amazing.

But we also have seen the processes a body goes through to become centered on that sense of family and community, and it is those processes that vary, though still remaining consistent with human nature being what what it is, and the devil what he is.

Feel after Him
In Acts 17: 16-31 Paul told the elders of the (pagan) city of Athens that he could identify their unknown god as the God who made all things. In Greek, 'unknown god' is 'agnostos theos', where we get 'agnostic'.

He told them that his God made the world and all therein, and all mankind with the various nations, and knew ahead of time and even determined their borders and the times of their rising and falling. He said of one blood He made all nations in the hopes "they would feel after Him and find Him". v27

The Greek word for 'feel after' is 'pselaphao', and means "to feel or grope about". The root 'psao' means 'to touch'. It is used in Luke 24:39 where after His resurrection Jesus says: "Look at my hands and my feet! It is I myself, touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see I have."

Struggles
It occurred to me how much house church is accomplished by 'feeling after Him' which feels more like 'groping about' at times. Some people who visit are rather 'agnostos theos' about us, about visiting a strangers home, about house church...it is unknown to them.

I think back to our middle son's description of Army training called 'reconnoitering'. They would drop several teams of soldiers over hundreds of acres of woods, each with a map of their destination and little else, with just instructions to meet at the location on the map 2 or 3 days later.

Imagine teams of soldiers all spread out over hundreds of acres of forest, too far from each other to hear or see each other, yet all trying to make their way to a common goal. They would feel their way, grope about, scavenge what food they could, holding first and foremost in their minds their common goal.

But they first had to find out where in the world they were. They could see their goal, but were confused about where they had been dropped off. So the first order of business was figuring out where they were.

Such is house church. At first, and I mean for the first year or two, it is confusing just figuring out where you have been 'dropped off'. You see the goal, but where in the world are you, and where do you go from here?

Many people from all sorts of backgrounds over time formed into a team, a family in Christ, trying to get to the goal of maturity in Him - and feeling and groping (at times it seems) their way towards maturity in Christ.

Time
What I found in the traditional church and in house church, is that people feel after God just to find out where they are, then they grope their way towards Him, but at points along the way for each of us, we must make a choice to make the right decision no matter what it feels like, but because it is towards our goal of maturity in Christ.

During our travels this year, and what I hear in Skype and Facebook Instant Messaging and such, I've had people say things like 'It took 2 years' and 'It's only now after a year that we are...' and '...after these 3 years we are just now becoming a family and community in the Lord...'

People will come and go, but those who want to mature in Christ, who want community and extended family in Christ, will become your core. I've seen seasons of a year or more for the Lord to whittle things down to a core group - before growth happens again.

House church is counter culture to the west, but it is the culture of Jesus. People need help as they feel their way to kingdom culture, for house church is a lifestyle where those we fellowship with are our top priority - let us realize people are groping, and help them with tender mercy and patience, for we are finding our way too.

Blessings!
John
www.cwowi.org

A personal note - a special thanks to those of you, individual or as a house church, who support us financially. Of the 10,000 or so people around the world reached weekly with my Weekly Thoughts, there are less than 600 people in a whole year who contribute financially.

That 600 includes those who contribute a donation and buy a cd/MP3 during the year. Even a small amount on a monthly basis makes such a difference. Thanks to those of you who do contribute, and know that you are prayed for and much loved.

Hi everyone,
The summer doldrums seem to be upon us, and that means house church is affected too.

By definition
The doldrums are an area just above the equator where there is no wind - it is an area between weather systems so the air is still, stagnates, and often even the sea is a flat calm. In the old days sailing ships would drift aimlessly until they drifted out of the area.

Those were the times when mutinies happened, when the crew became disgruntled with leadership, when fights started, people got sick, some died, others became enemies, all because of the doldrums. They were going in no particular direction and each day was the same, day in, and day out. Boredom was the enemy.

Still talking house church here, not sailing ships - sound familiar?

Summer is the time of travel, of transition, of changing seasons from one part of life to another. This is normal in house church. People get tired due to heat and long daylight hours and high activity level. All the annoyances of the year bubble to the surface and cause them to ask what they are doing in house church, or in life, or in marriage, and so on.  

The traditional church has the same issues but it is masked because of size and the activities of programs which give the appearance of a smooth ship sailing along normally. August is always is the month with the lowest offerings, lowest attendance, lowest interest in 'church things' in the traditional church. In the traditional church mid-summer conventions are held in part to bring in fresh money and visitors to help the budget, because regular members spend their tithes and offerings on Disney World and trips to mom and dad.

In house church these things aren't masked. When people go on vacation, they are missed. When a relative dies and people have to travel or grieve, it is noted and prayed for. For us, there is always a dip in regular giving as part of a normal cycle as well. Income drops but requests for needs rise. That's normal.

Doldrums in Acts
In Acts 11:19 we are told that some of those who were forced out of Jerusalem by Saul's persecution of Steven moved further than just Judea and Samaria as Acts 8:1 tells us. It says some went north to Antioch, and started sharing Jesus with Greeks - a new thing entirely!

Barnabus was sent by the apostles to check out the idea that Greeks could get saved, and he found exactly that! Knowing that the fairly recently saved Saul of Tarsus was called to the Gentiles, he went to Tarsus to get him, and brought him to Antioch.

For a whole year they taught the disciples, and it was there we first became known as Christians. There was even a visit by a prophet named Agabus who prophesied of a famine that would hit Judea, so they collected money to send to those saints so they could prepare.

What excitement! Something new with every meeting!

What do we do now?
Acts 12 is inserted after the busy-ness of Acts 11 as a window to view what else was going on at that time in Jerusalem - James, the brother of John was executed by Herod by sword, and Peter was imprisoned and destined for the same fate Herod thought.

But Jesus had previously told Peter in John 21:18 he would be crucified when he was older, not stabbed while young, so Peter was sound asleep when the angel jabbed him on the side to wake him up. Acts 12 also tells us that Herod was executed by an angel for receiving worship, which he knew better than to do.

All that was happening while things in Antioch settled down to a normal routine. And that's where Acts 13 opens up, with 5 men of various races and nationalities sitting around worshipping, praying, asking, 'OK, so what do we do now?' They were in the doldrums.

There was Barnabus from the island nation of Cyprus, Simeon from Niger in central Africa, Lucius from our modern Libya, Manaen from Jerusalem, and Saul from Tarsus in the south central coast of modern day Turkey.

They were seeking God for what was new, what did He want of them, what was next? They were in the doldrums needing direction.

It is normal
What I'm saying is that seasons in house church come and go, just as seasons of life come and go. Antioch started with great fanfare and the move of the Lord. They were taught for over a year by Paul and Barnabus and received regular visitors from Jerusalem, so there was always something new going on.

That is like our school year - there is always something on the calendar, some event, some meeting, some holiday, and people are geared towards the next thing on the calendar.

But then it changes - school stops, transition start with graduations, vacations/holiday time, and by mid-summer with the heat and long daylight hours people are tired, a bit grumpy, a bit listless and wandering like an old sailing ship that has lost all direction and wind in the sails.

This is normal. Go with it. That house church that had over 20 attending during the year, now seems empty with the 6 that show up - so and so is traveling, so and so had a relative die, so and so is camping, so and so is just doing something else today - normal!

Solution?
People will settle into the autum routine - everyone who has moved during the summer, will have moved and settled in. All vacations and other holiday time off from work and church and life, will come to an end.

I think this is what Paul and Barnabus and this group of men were doing - praying, seeking, worshipping - what is next? After a year like they had, how can you top it?!

Perhaps they were looking for excitement, maybe discussing if a big name was coming up from Jerusalem, but one thing we do know is this - they had no answers.

That's right, they had no answers. Life was changing, and they approached it this way: "As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said..."

So that is where I encourage you today. You don't have the answers because seasons change without our help. School starts, holiday time ends, weather cools, people regain energy, and you wonder how to get moving again. Don't.

"Minister to the Lord". Consider a time of worship, a time of telling Him how He is loved - no other agenda, but like these 5 men, just worship, consecrate yourself anew to Him from a heart of love. Then wait and see what He speaks to all the hearts present. Allow time for Him to speak, to lay something on someone's heart.

As these 5 men in Antioch came out of their doldrums, out of their routine, it was a new season for Saul of Tarsus, forever after these verses known as the apostle Paul.

Who knows what new venture He has for you!

Blessings,
John Fenn
www.supernaturalhousechurch.org