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SUBJECT: Church
QUESTIONS: What church should I attend? With so
many offshoots, how do I know which one I am to be
attending?
ANSWER:
Actually, this is easier than one might imagine. Go to your
calling.
You see, ultimately we do not choose these things...God
does. If it were left up to our own choosing there would be
a lot of chaos in the churches. As it is, we have, what I
call floaters and fence-sitters in the Body of Christ that
attend several churches or float aimlessly from one to the
other. There is no biblical justification for this. Can
you imagine a professional football league where the players
just show up to play on the team they are interested in this
week? You might see a player with the Seattle Seahawks
showing up at the Detroit Lions locker room to play in their
game against the Denver Broncos. It would be insane.
We see from the Bible that God establishes the organizations
and puts people into those organizations:
Ephesians 4:11-12
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some,
evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the
ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Now did these evangelist, pastors and teachers choose to be
those things and preaching were they are or did God put them
there?
God even says He chooses the cities in which we live.
James 4:13-15
13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go
into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and
sell, and get gain:
14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what
is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a
little time, and then vanisheth away.
15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall
live, and do this, or that.
We see from these verses that God has final say on where we
live and even what we do. Clearly if He is doing this for
members of His flock, then He is choosing the loyal members
for each group.
Is the ICG a true church of God? Is United? Is Living? Is
Steadfast?...or any of the other 450+ groups with declared
roots to Worldwide? Do they have members and leaders and
ministers and deacons? How did they get there? Who
ordained those positions. Do these churches have loyal
members? How did they get there? Was it by choice? I
DOUBT IT. God does not leave things to chance.
THEREFORE: Go to where God is calling you. This procedure
is PERFECT, for if the church relies on God to bring the
members and declare the leaders and ministers (servants)
and the other positions, then the church does not have to
attempt to get members from anywhere. All we have to do is
proclaim the gospel and feed the flock that God brings. The
focus is always on God and Christ and not the physical
organization or the human individual.
This is a Spirit-driven church and not a choice-driven
church. Clearly, if speaking about our own personal
Salvation Process, there IS choice. We choose each day
whether to sin or obey, but when it comes to the church, and
the city where we live, and our position in the church and
even what we do for a living, it is God directing those
things. His will prevails.
You find you calling in prayer, meditation and contemplation
on the subject. Let go and let God direct you by your own
personal unction (1 John 2:20) of the Holy Spirit. Go where
He directs you. Do not allow any human to make your
decision for you. |