Sunday 9 October 2016

If You Want to be 'Messianic'...

Some marks of a true, fully Messianic movement:

1. Outsiders remark how loving its members are towards one another (John 13:35); towards outsiders they are non-argumentative, gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, and meek (II Timothy 2:24-26)

2. They "...conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law" (Rom.3:28); and they know that "...except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God" (John 3:3)

3. Therefore their focus is on the message of the cross - on winning souls - they are outward-looking, missional, going - and they bear "...much fruit..." (John 15:16)

and they are willing to be "...as without law..." to "...them that are without law, so that they might "...gain them that are without law..." using "...all means..." to "...save some..." (1 Corinthians 9:21,22)

4. These signs accompany their activities: "...they cast out devils...speak with new tongues...they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover" (Mark 16:17,18);

their young people "...see visions...and prophesy..." and they are seeing the Holy Spirit poured out (Joel 2:28, Acts 2:17)

their gatherings are marked not by "...word, but in power..." (I Cor.4:20); not majoring on words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power (I Cor.2:4); their faith stands in demonstrations of "...the power of God..." that they see in their meetings, not merely "...in the wisdom of men..." (verse 4).

5. They make serving God acceptably a matter of "...righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost..." rather than allow matters of "...food and drink..." to become divisive (Rom.14:17,18);

therefore its members
"...depart from iniquity..." (II Timothy 2:19); endeavour to keep the "...unity of the spirit in the bond of peace..." (Eph.4:3); and their gatherings know "...the joyful sound..." (Psalm 89:15)

6. In their communities, they believe that "...the Word was God" (John 1:1)

So long as a congregation is doing those things, I can live with it if they also want to learn the odd Hebrew word, and regard certain days as special.

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