Can You Build a Book of Acts Ministry?

Paul B Thomas

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This post has already been read 345 times!

The gospel and the church is not a brand. It cannot be reinvented, innovated, taken to a higher level or replaced. It’s only authentic if it maintains it’s original form.

Online  we see many new brands of Christianity coming out, each with a new idea, emphasis, crowd and proponent. As with all things new, something new has to come alone sooner or later to replace it, when the new finally gets old and no longer works.

For those who preach Jesus, the gospel is something we cannot change, unless we of course desire to be a heretic! So let’s take the hassle out of brainstorming, leadership meetings, solution finding forums and building innovative modules and do ministry God’s way. The gospel works when its his gospel. the moment we own it, we can change it and then it ceases to be truth.

Moses as told to build a tent according to God’s pattern, David Too was to told to build a tabernacle according to God’s pattern. Peter had the keys and that too was built the church according to pattern (Ex25:8,9 Chron 28:19).  Pattern as in architects blueprint. pattern “hupographo” a underwriting or a written copy, as in a child tracing over the lines of an original which cannot be improved or modified. The first thing we learn to do as kids is trace that which is “original” that’s why we as God’s men, preach or copy that which is original. The faith that once was delivered is delivered once and for all (Jude 3) delivered once for all time.

If God was so concerned about having a tent built to divine pattern how much more so is he concerned about having his church built according to divine pattern!. Allow me to over-simplify that pattern in a few words. “The salvation as in book of Acts and the apostles doctrine.” The church built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets. The things Jesus began (Acts 1:1 Acts 2:42) It’s all there for us. No need to improve on it because nothing that has been done since that has been better. That’s why you don’t have to be an innovator to be a preacher or cutting edge to build a church. If you can follow suite, you qualify!

The challenge of today’s pastors is not to find what will work but to go back to that which has not failed.

Paul.

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18 responses to “Can You Build a Book of Acts Ministry?”

  1. newgenesisres Avatar
    newgenesisres

    Its very interesting that you mention the pattern of things God laid out for us to follow with Moses, and David. That include more importantly, Jesus also because he is the fulfillment that these things foreshadowed. God went on record saying perhaps you didnt hear those before him, but youd do well to hear him who is the fullness of all things. The pattern of works that he did and asks us to do exactly and even greater words require the power of demonstrated to accomplish them. To the extent that anyone even tries to do like Jesus in ministry works, they are quickly set upon by the very people who call themselves believers. These believers pinch their nose and point accusingly at such persons saying those word of faith people as though to distinguish themselves as the word without faith people.What we do instead is to trust in our bristling intelligence and academic training, and say to ourselves, God give us the ideas, and we go ahead and do the things inspired by the ideas. Well that still doesnt explain, water turning into wine, Lazarus raised from the dead, speaking to storms and tempest driven seas, healing the sick, feeding the multitude with a few fish, and loaves of bread. No amount of inspiration in the world can help human efforts accomplish that. I suppose it never occurs to us that athesits get inspired as well to do great works in the spirit of altruism. Maybe as you say it shouldnt be branded, but we already have a new brand of Christianity running nearly 2000 years now since the original trained disciples were laid to rest.If disciples cannot be as their mastersas they should, they will continue making disciples after themselves; all new converts will be made like themselves instead of the masters image. Jesus warned of this; where leaders do not enter into the kingdom of God, but cross land and sea to evangelize, and make the new converts twice the child of hell as they.Today you look across the globe and what you see is a stunning fulfillment of that warning. For the better part of the last 1000 years the church has produced some of fiercest most outspoken Atheists in history. Like Darwin, they all come from within the church, and are twice as smart, know the bible better than most of the clergy, and are exceeding vexed and bitter because of what they see as gross incompetence in them.Over the last several decades they have torn prayer and any spiritual expressions from out of the schools and public life of America so that even the nativity is a pariah in towns of America, produced the greatest killing fields in abortion than all the wars fought by humanity from the dawn of his inception, created doctrines of evolution that have swallow the world apostasy and chased Christianity from the public forums around the globe. Almost any of the worlds major religions are accepted and respected at face value, but Christianity is derided at every corner and every opportunity.

    Reply
  2. newgenesisres Avatar
    newgenesisres

    Its very interesting that you mention the pattern of things God laid out for us to follow with Moses, and David. That include more importantly, Jesus also because he is the fulfillment that these things foreshadowed. God went on record saying perhaps you didnt hear those before him, but youd do well to hear him who is the fullness of all things. The pattern of works that he did and asks us to do exactly and even greater words require the power of demonstrated to accomplish them. To the extent that anyone even tries to do like Jesus in ministry works, they are quickly set upon by the very people who call themselves believers. These believers pinch their nose and point accusingly at such persons saying those word of faith people as though to distinguish themselves as the word without faith people.What we do instead is to trust in our bristling intelligence and academic training, and say to ourselves, God give us the ideas, and we go ahead and do the things inspired by the ideas. Well that still doesnt explain, water turning into wine, Lazarus raised from the dead, speaking to storms and tempest driven seas, healing the sick, feeding the multitude with a few fish, and loaves of bread. No amount of inspiration in the world can help human efforts accomplish that. I suppose it never occurs to us that athesits get inspired as well to do great works in the spirit of altruism. Maybe as you say it shouldnt be branded, but we already have a new brand of Christianity running nearly 2000 years now since the original trained disciples were laid to rest.If disciples cannot be as their mastersas they should, they will continue making disciples after themselves; all new converts will be made like themselves instead of the masters image. Jesus warned of this; where leaders do not enter into the kingdom of God, but cross land and sea to evangelize, and make the new converts twice the child of hell as they.Today you look across the globe and what you see is a stunning fulfillment of that warning. For the better part of the last 1000 years the church has produced some of fiercest most outspoken Atheists in history. Like Darwin, they all come from within the church, and are twice as smart, know the bible better than most of the clergy, and are exceeding vexed and bitter because of what they see as gross incompetence in them.Over the last several decades they have torn prayer and any spiritual expressions from out of the schools and public life of America so that even the nativity is a pariah in towns of America, produced the greatest killing fields in abortion than all the wars fought by humanity from the dawn of his inception, created doctrines of evolution that have swallow the world apostasy and chased Christianity from the public forums around the globe. Almost any of the worlds major religions are accepted and respected at face value, but Christianity is derided at every corner and every opportunity.

    Reply
  3. Paul Avatar
    Paul

    Greetings friend, thanks for your post. PLease forgive me Im not sure how to read your first sentence but I must add that this post is about the pattern Jesus gave to both Moses, David and The Apostles. It was just given in part before it was given in completion.Paul.

    Reply
  4. Paul Avatar
    Paul

    Greetings friend, thanks for your post. PLease forgive me Im not sure how to read your first sentence but I must add that this post is about the pattern Jesus gave to both Moses, David and The Apostles. It was just given in part before it was given in completion.Paul.

    Reply
  5. newgenesisres Avatar
    newgenesisres

    Hi Paul, sorry for the lack of clarity. God gave to Moses the pattern for the tabernacle, David built the Temple on that pattern, and now the messenger of his covenant with us, Jesus is presented as a pattern of a house made without hands for our spirit, the new temple of God who lives in man. This I see as the object lesson of the destruction of the material Temple, because God desires to live in temples made without hands. My comment underscores that endgame of these pattern which is Jesus, a pattern for us in person and works of God. Where God to told Moses: see that you make the building and things according to the pattern shown you in the mount we are to look in the mirror and make adjustments to emulate Jesus in image and works. The patterns are not referencing themselves but pointing to the workmanship of God in us as Jesus, the endgame of these patterns. The church is not made of traditional raw natural building materials, but of people and the spirit of God in themGod in the flesh, made without hands. I’m aware that you know these things already, so I only mention them where my meaning of them as applied in this context is in question.Im not sure that this satisfies your question, but I am committed to making every effort to be as clear as possible, so please do not hesitate to request further clarity if needed; Id be happy to respond to that end. Thanks again.Grace for GraceTony

    Reply
  6. newgenesisres Avatar
    newgenesisres

    Hi Paul, sorry for the lack of clarity. God gave to Moses the pattern for the tabernacle, David built the Temple on that pattern, and now the messenger of his covenant with us, Jesus is presented as a pattern of a house made without hands for our spirit, the new temple of God who lives in man. This I see as the object lesson of the destruction of the material Temple, because God desires to live in temples made without hands. My comment underscores that endgame of these pattern which is Jesus, a pattern for us in person and works of God. Where God to told Moses: see that you make the building and things according to the pattern shown you in the mount we are to look in the mirror and make adjustments to emulate Jesus in image and works. The patterns are not referencing themselves but pointing to the workmanship of God in us as Jesus, the endgame of these patterns. The church is not made of traditional raw natural building materials, but of people and the spirit of God in themGod in the flesh, made without hands. I’m aware that you know these things already, so I only mention them where my meaning of them as applied in this context is in question.Im not sure that this satisfies your question, but I am committed to making every effort to be as clear as possible, so please do not hesitate to request further clarity if needed; Id be happy to respond to that end. Thanks again.Grace for GraceTony

    Reply
  7. Bishop O.W. Prince Avatar
    Bishop O.W. Prince

    Hello Pastor Thomas. I cannot help but respond to this article with an AMEN!!! I am sharing This on my FaceBook wall. It is consistent with the theme of my newly copyrighted book entitled,”Rediscovering Biblical Christianity.” Thanks for saying it so well. We need “to to go back to that which has not failed.”

    Reply
  8. Bishop O.W. Prince Avatar
    Bishop O.W. Prince

    Hello Pastor Thomas. I cannot help but respond to this article with an AMEN!!! I am sharing This on my FaceBook wall. It is consistent with the theme of my newly copyrighted book entitled,”Rediscovering Biblical Christianity.” Thanks for saying it so well. We need “to to go back to that which has not failed.”

    Reply
  9. Paul Avatar
    Paul

    Thank you Bishop.. I look forward to reading your book and will watch your site for updates…

    Reply
  10. Paul Avatar
    Paul

    Thank you Bishop.. I look forward to reading your book and will watch your site for updates…

    Reply
  11. Paul Avatar
    Paul

    That fine my brother, ( I know the passion we all have online just got to get it all out (lol) we wouldn’t be preachers if we didnt feel that way.. my friend that’s fine! and thanks for returning.I like what you said… “we have to look in the mirror (The Old Testament) “to emulate Jesus in image and works”….”God in the flesh, made without hands….” That’s shouting talk right there…Hallelujah!.

    Reply
  12. Paul Avatar
    Paul

    That fine my brother, ( I know the passion we all have online just got to get it all out (lol) we wouldn’t be preachers if we didnt feel that way.. my friend that’s fine! and thanks for returning.I like what you said… “we have to look in the mirror (The Old Testament) “to emulate Jesus in image and works”….”God in the flesh, made without hands….” That’s shouting talk right there…Hallelujah!.

    Reply
  13. newgenesisres Avatar
    newgenesisres

    Much love to you,….Thank you for understanding and your encouragement.

    Reply
  14. newgenesisres Avatar
    newgenesisres

    Much love to you,….Thank you for understanding and your encouragement.

    Reply
  15. nightshade130 Avatar
    nightshade130

    I am so loving this post Paul. We should not follow the “patterns” of this world to build that which is divine. You can only build something that is divine in design by a divine pattern of instruction from the Divine God that we serve. His plans never fail.

    Reply
  16. nightshade130 Avatar
    nightshade130

    I am so loving this post Paul. We should not follow the “patterns” of this world to build that which is divine. You can only build something that is divine in design by a divine pattern of instruction from the Divine God that we serve. His plans never fail.

    Reply
  17. nightshade130 Avatar
    nightshade130

    Reblogged this on <a href="http://nightshade130.wordpress.com/2012/03/09/3080/“ rel=”nofollow”>Sherline's Watchu Thinkin' Blog and commented: God Pattern vs. the World’s Pattern. A fresh prespective on how we do things.

    Reply
  18. nightshade130 Avatar
    nightshade130

    Reblogged this on <a href="http://nightshade130.wordpress.com/2012/03/09/3080/“ rel=”nofollow”>Sherline's Watchu Thinkin' Blog and commented: God Pattern vs. the World’s Pattern. A fresh prespective on how we do things.

    Reply