The ekklesia letters of the Bible

Posted on January 2, 2016 by Steve Simms

Several letters in the New Testament are addressed “to the ekklesia” in certain cities. Ekklesia was the name of the city council in ancient Greek city-states. Thus, Jesus said: “I will build My city council.” However, in most English language Bibles the word ekklesia has been replaced by the word church which means a place of religious worship, a religious meeting conducted in such a place, or a religious organization.

epistles

Most of the Bible’s ekklesia letters were written by Paul of Tarsus. Here Paul describes his reason for writing. “I am writing you these instructions so that, if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the ekklesia (city council) of the living God.” (1 Timothy 3:14-15)

One ekklesia that Paul used as a positive example for others was the ekklesia in the city of Thessalonica. In his second letter to them (2 Thessalonians 1:4) Paul wrote: “Among God’s ekklesias (city councils) we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.”

Form this letter we learn that an ekklesia is supposed to look directly to the living, resurrected Jesus Christ for its leadership, its strength, and its encouragement (and not to a mere human minister).  Paul of Tarsus tells them that four times:

  1. “May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good word and deed.” (2:16-17)
  2. “The Lord is faithful and He will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.” (3:3)
  3. “May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.” (3:5)
  4. “Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.” (3:16)

Since the Lord Jesus is with us when we gather in His name (Matthew 18:20), why do churches look to a man to run and control church meetings? Paul tells us that the Lord is present in the ekklesia and that He will minister directly to us “Himself,” without a human minister doing it for Him.

Perhaps we could begin to move beyond church and into ekklesia. One step in that direction is to give the living, resurrected Jesus Himself some time on the church program. For example, we could give Jesus 12 minutes. The minister could invite people to come to the mic as they are prompted by the Spirit. Then he could sit down and allow Jesus to direct the next 12 minutes. After that he could go on with his program.

For more ways to go beyond church, check out my new book: Beyond Church: An Invitation To Experience The Lost Word Of The Bible available at Amazon at this link.

 

 

 

 

 

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16 16s for 2016 (keys to a great year)

Posted on January 1, 2016 by Steve Simms

2016

  1. #2016 — Even when you don’t feel like you are trending, you can still have a great year!
  2. A sixteen quotation — Be enthusiastic about the new year! “If something is boring after two minutes, try it for four. If still boring, then eight. Then sixteen. Then thirty-two. Eventually one discovers that it is not boring at all.” –John Cage
  3. Sixteen candles — “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” –Matthew 5:16
  4. Dieciséis — It’s still 16, although it is written in Spanish. We’re all the same, no matter what language we speak. May we discover cultural diversity to be enriching in 2016 rather than threatening.
  5. Sweet 16 — May your heart flow with the sweetness of God’s Spirit in 2016.
  6. 4 X 4 = — May God’s presence and blessings multiply in your life in the new year!
  7. John 3:16 — “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son . . .” Let God’s love transform your life in 2016
  8. 1652 — In 1652 George Fox had a vision while on Pendle Hill in northwest England of “a great people to be gathered” and he began Friends meetings where ordinary people waited on God and shared as prompted by the Holy Spirit. Those meetings spread around the world. May God once again gather people to wait on the Spirit and obey His leadings.
  9. √256  (square root of 256) — Even when you don’t understand things, may you trust in and obey the living, resurrected Jesus Christ in 2016.
  10. 16th Century — In the early 16th Century (October 31, 1517), Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of a church in Wittenberg, Germany, starting a world wide movement — the Protestant Reformation. One of Luther’s teachings was the priesthood of the believer. In 2016, may churches begin to allow all of God’s priests (ordinary Christ-followers) to speak in worship meetings as they are led by the Spirit.
  11. Song 16 in The Songbook of The Salvation Army — God is still on the throne.
  12. Sixteen — Some things are better understood when you take the time to write them out. Consider journaling in 2016.
  13. Ekklesia (8 letters) X 2 = — 2016 is the time for the church to open its doors to the lost word of the Bible — ekklesia.
  14. Matthew 16:16-19 — “Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’ Jesus replied, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my ekklesia, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.'”
  15. 1611 — The most widely read English translation of the Bible, the King James Version, was completed in 1611. The wording is out dated, but the meaning and beauty of this version still shine forth in 2016.  Why not read it (or an easier to read version)?
  16. Proverbs 16:16 — “How much better to get wisdom than gold, to get insight rather than silver.”

 

Posted in a new reformation, Bible, Bible quotes, George Fox, John 3:16, Martin Luther, Matthew 16, Protestant Reformation, Protestant Reformers, proverbs, Quaker, Quakers, reformation, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

2015 in review–a look back at “Free Gas For Your Think Tank”

Posted on January 1, 2016 by Steve Simms

Here is the WordPress.com 2015 annual report for Free Gas For Your Think Tank. Thank you for reading it and thinking about my ideas.

If you like this blog, you will love my new book, Beyond Church: An Invitation To Experience The Lost Word Of The Bible. Reading it is a great way to start your new year — it’s available in paperback and Kindle at this link.  Happy 2016!

beyond church book

 

Here’s an excerpt of the Word Press annual report for my blog:

The Louvre Museum has 8.5 million visitors per year. This blog was viewed about 87,000 times in 2015. If it were an exhibit at the Louvre Museum, it would take about 4 days for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

Jesus thompkinsville

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How many fingers (members) should you (your church) use?

Posted on December 31, 2015 by Steve Simms

finger church

If a person only uses one finger and all the rest are kept frozen in place; the things that person can do will be very limited. That person will not live up to his/her possibilities.

If a church service only uses one person to preach and all the rest of the members are kept silently frozen in place; the things that church can do will be very limited. That church will not live up to its possibilities.

We have multiple fingers, because God wants us to use them all. They should not be allowed to atrophy.

Churches have multiple members, because God wants church meetings to use them all. They should not be allowed to atrophy.

The Bible puts it this way: “What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you (not just a preacher) has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation.” (1 Corinthians 14:26)

When a church begins to allow each member to share and speak in the meeting, they go beyond church and begin to experience the New Testament concept of ekklesia. More on ekklesia at this link.

 

 

Posted in 1 Corinthians 14:26, ecclesia, ecclesiologist, ecclesiology, ekklesia, here's the church here's the steeple, house church, more than church, paralysis, simple church, Uncategorized, When you come together | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

“Built Jesus Tough” on the Rock that never rolls

Posted on December 30, 2015 by Steve Simms

Sometimes it’s not enough to be Built Ford Tough. We need to be Built Jesus Tough!

Ekklesia: Jesus builds it rock-solid! It’s being built on the Rock that never rolls — set in stone — Built Jesus Tough!
Religious foundations wobble. Pastors can hurt you and let you down. Sermons sometimes disappoint (or bore) you. Church programs occasionally flop. Church members may even offend you.
Church is based on a one-man performance — the presentation of a sermon. However, ekklesia is built on open, Spirit-prompted sharing — the rock of personal revelation coming directly from the living, resurrected Jesus Christ — people gathered to hear Jesus speak in their heart and then openly say and do what He tells them to.
–“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” (Matthew 7:24)
beyond church Bible
–“On this rock I will build my ekklesia and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” –Jesus Christ (Matthew 16:18)
–“They drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.” (1 Corinthians 10:4)
–“Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go; give the command to save me, for You are my rock and my fortress.” (Psalm 71:3)
–“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.” (Psalm 18:2)
–“Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears My words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.” (Luke 6:47-49)
More about how you can be Built Jesus Tough —  at this link.
Posted in Beyond Church, built his house on a rock, Christ the solid rock, ekklesia, house church, organic chruch, parable, rock and roll, rock church, rock of revelation, rocking religion, simple church, the wise builder, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Holy Spirit–teaching topic or Teacher?

Posted on December 29, 2015 by Steve Simms

Church makes the Holy Spirit a teaching topic (a preaching point). Ekklesia makes the Holy Spirit the Teacher who releases revelation and spiritual gifts through ordinary people in the meeting.

Church has made the Holy Spirit a lesson to learn by listening to a lecture. However, the Holy Spirit longs to directly lead His people when we meet together.

There is a place for teaching and preaching, but it is not supposed to completely eliminate everyday people from sharing in the meeting as prompted by the Spirit. God has used traditional church, and will continue to do so, but He wants to do so much more in the 21st Century. He’s ready to roll out His ekklesia, controlled not by a man, a method, a progarm, or an organization; but by the presence and power of His Spirit.

“The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” –Jesus (John 14:26) Paul of Tarsus says: “Quench not the Spirit.” He also asks this question: “After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?” (Galatians 3:3).

Perhaps it’s time for church to lay down its control and allow the living, resurrected Jesus the freedom to directly speak to and through ordinary people when we gather in His name. “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” (1 Corinthians 12:7)

After posting this article, I went to Facebook and the first thing I saw was a blog post that contained these words:

“It’s costly to move beyond the comforts of our status quo – even when the status quo is failing. It’s costly to see something fresh birthed from our churches. What is innovative and pioneering to us might be seen as disrespectful or threatening to others. There may be tensions, confusion, and rejection. It’s costly to invest future legacy in favor of current popularity.  But our heart and communities carry a message of salvation that has transformed us and can transform our cities. We have been commissioned by a Savior whose love and power empowers us. So we press on, seeking fresh ways to share Jesus, not for the sake of something new, but for the sake of our communities, and for His glory.” –Joe Saxton in Fresh Expressions blog.

Perhaps it is time to go beyond church to ekklesia! Check out Beyond Church: An Invitation To Experience The Lost Word Of The Bible–Ekklesia at Amazon.

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Posted in Bible quotes, body life, church programming, ekklesia, gifts of the Spirit, Joe Saxton, nontraditional church, one another, organic church, Quench not the Spirit, Quotes, Spirit-led, spiritual gifts, taught by the Spirit, the Spirit will teach you, traditional church, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Let’s go BC — beyond church

Posted on December 28, 2015 by Steve Simms

Johnny Hart, creator of the comic strip, BC, defined prayer as “allowing God to have His will in your life on His terms.” That’s also a great definition of going “BC–beyond church.”

Church meetings are set up by the will and control of man. A person plans and directs them. However, to go beyond church we need to allow God to have complete control (to personally bring forth His will) by letting Him actually direct the gathering according to His terms.

How can we do that? It’s really quite simple. We trust what Jesus said in Matthew 18:20: “For where two or three gather in My name, there am I with them.” We allow the living, present Jesus Christ to speak to the hearts of the people in the meeting and tell them what to do. Then we allow them to do it.

When people meet to be patiently prompted & propelled by Christ’s presence, rather than to passively listen to the presentation of a prearranged program; the lost word of the Bible (ekklesia) comes to life in their midst. Glory, power, and love fill the place where they are gathered.

Ekklesia is amazing. One after another, as moved by the presence of Christ, people open up their heart and share powerful words, testimonies, prayers, and songs. Compassion and joy flow freely. 

More about ekklesia @ this link.

beyond church kindle

Posted in Beyond Church, Bible, comic strip, ekklesia, house church, I did it His way, organic church, prayer, simple church, Uncategorized, Wizard of Id | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The Christ Holiday!

Posted on December 25, 2015 by Steve Simms
Don’t keep Christ in Christmas!
Let Him out!
Celebrate, follow, and obey,
The living Jesus everyday!

May you enjoy this day,
Named for Christ,
And encounter Jesus’ love
As you gather today
With family and friends
On this special “Holiday,”
That honors Jesus Christ
As God’s “way”
Of salvation.
Have a wonderful
Christmas!

Christmas card

Posted in blogs about Christmas, Christ in Christmas, Christian holidays, Christmas cards, Christmas greeting, Christmas is about Jesus, Christmas season, Christmas story, Christmas traditions, for the holidays, Happy Holidays, international holidays, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Merry Christmas, plan of salvation, real meaning of Christmas, salvation, Uncategorized, unusual holidays, winter holidays | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

New Book Full Of Salvation Army History & Quotes

Posted on December 24, 2015 by Steve Simms

Major Stephen Court says in the foreword: “What would happen if we burst out of the conventional church paradigm? What would happen if we decided to live our lives, fight our salvation warfare, serve our King of Kings, within a revolutionary paradigm, one unbounded by cultural accretions to the Gospel, one unmoored from human expectations and limitations? Monumental positive change . . . We’re introducing you to ekklesia.”

My new book, Beyond Church: An Invitation To Experience The Lost Word Of The Bible, Ekklesia, (get it here) contains many Salvation Army quotations and much Salvationist history, such as:

  • Quotes from the Booths, Samuel Logan Brengle, General André Cox, Commissioner Israel Gaither, Commissioner Phil Needham, and many others;
  • An entire chapter about how The Salvation Army was a much more radical reformation of the church than the Protestant Reformation;
  • Stories about Nashville’s Berry Street Corps and our experience with ekklesia;
  • Numerous quotes from the book, Come Join Our Army, by R.G. Moyles; published by Crest Books in 2007.

The book also contains information about:

  • How the key word “ekklesia” was left out of almost all English language Bible translations;
  • My personal search for ekklesia in contemporary society;
  • Historical examples of Christ-followers meeting in ekklesia;
  • The concept of ekklesia as the city council of Greek city-states;
  • Practical and effective steps to ekklesia;
  • How ekklesia works to turn spectators into participants;
  • The real life benefits of ekklesia;
  • Our need for a new reformation in the 21st Century;
  • And my own 95 Theses (following Martin Luther’s example).

Beyond Church: An Invitation To Experience The Lost Word Of The Bible, Ekklesia is available in paperback and Kindle at Amazon. You can learn more about the book and/or purchase it at this link.

Beyond Church SA

 

Posted in 95 theses, André Cox, Berry Street, Beyond Church, Catherine Booth, Come Join Our Army, Crest Books, ekklesia, Israel Gaither, Martin Luther, Nashville, Phil Needham, Protestant Reformation, salvation war, Samuel Logan Brengle, Stephen Court, Uncategorized, William Booth | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

O Come Emmanuel To Ekklesia

Posted on December 23, 2015 by Steve Simms
ekklesia Emmanuel
O come, Emmanuel!
If God is with us
When we gather in His name,
Why don’t we allow Him
To lead us beyond church
And quicken His people
To minister to one another,
Instead of relying on
Our own control and programs?
“O come, Wisdom from on high,
Who orders all things mightily;”
To us the Spirit’s leading show,
And prompt us in Your way to go.
Let your ekklesia flow
With Your glorious, leading Presence!
Emmanuel wants to take us beyond church to ekklesia! Check out the new book, Beyond Church: An Invitation To Experience The Lost Word Of The Bible, available in paperback and kindle on Amazon.
Posted in Christ in you, Christmas carols, church program, God with us, Greek words, Immanuel, lyrics, O come O come Emmanuel, simple church, Uncategorized, words, words taught by the Spirit | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment