The first Christians didn’t call their gatherings “synagogue” like the Rabbi-led Jewish meeting, but “ekklesia” like the democratic Greek town hall meeting. Gradually the early Christian gatherings turned away from the democratic ekklesia model and embraced the hierarchical synagogue model.

Hierarchical religion wanted Jesus executed. It still prefers a ceremonial and distant Jesus instead of the living and present Jesus.

Jesus’ ekklesia can be demonstrated anywhere two or more Christ-followers gather in His name. When the New Teatament ekklesia gathers it enables every Christ-follower present to hear, obey, and speak about the risen Jesus. It’s beautiful to watch a group of people all obeying the inner promptings of God’s Spirit.

Jesus said His sheep hear His voice; He leads them; and they follow Him. When Christians gather to hear Jesus’ voice and follow His leading, His ekklesia happens. We don’t need to reform church. We need to let God make church ekklesia again.

Faith in Christ is more powerful when it’s presented spontaneously from the heart than from professionally crafted talks. Yet, it’s rare to hear preachers speak freely and spontaneously from their heart. Thus, they falsely train Christians that to speak about Christ requires lots of study and good notes. However, the early Christians said: “We cannot help but speak about the things that we have seen and heard.”

Spirit-led meetings require patience. They’re not songs, sermon, and shutdown. They follow the Spirit’s pacing and timing.

Patience? Praying for patience means committing to accepting and waiting out the processes and timing of God. When patience is hurried it disappears.

My flesh falsely declares that I deserve to have my desires fulfilled quickly. It feels like suffering to wait. Delayed desires are the weeds that choke out the fruit of patience. Laying down my desires to be crucified with Christ and saying with true surrender “Lord, have Your way — Your timing, Your purpose, Your choices,” prepares the way for the Lord to have His will both in and through me. The key to a harvest of patience is surrender. The key to surrender is to embrace the attitude of: “Not my will but Yours be done.”

“Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” That verse from James is much easier read than done.

“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith.” Check yourself often to be sure that the fruit of the Spirit is growing and flowing in and through you.

In the Bible God says:
“Open your mouth
And I will fill it.”
Yet too often
Christians in church
Are trained to
“Close your mouth
And seal it.”