Amen Ned.

Vicki

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ned Benton" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, January 24, 2005 4:30 AM
Subject: Re: [ECHURCH-USA] Right Church or should I say Family


> Keith,
> Good post!  You are right!  The word church is from a greek word
"ecclesia"
> meaning the called out.  We are the called out, members of the church the
> body of Christ.  We use the word in a manner foreign to it's definition.
> The church meets at a certain place but we do not "go" to church but we
are
> the church.  As we view the church in it's early days in the New
Testament,
> we see a body of people who were, at that tiem, "turning the world upside
> down'".  They came together (Acts 20, on the Lord's day to break bread and
> to encourage one another.  Also, in the church, we are all ministers
> (servnts) and there are pastors whom, in the beginning, were chosen or
> appointed by the appostles.   The word used as pastor is a word that is
used
> of shephderds.  That is another area where, it seems to me, we use the
word
> in a wrong way.  In the New Testament, there were preachers, usually
> referred to as evangelists, who did the preaching.  Sometimes, one of the
> elders, bishops or pastors would preach.   So many people are always
saying
> they don't go to a particular "church, gathering place, because they don't
> get fed.  We are to feed one another and to feed on the word.  The
gathering
> is to encourage the flock and to strengthen one another while we worship
and
> praise the Lord.
>
> Phil, you provoked a good discussion here.
>
> May we be encouraged by our discussion and come to know Him better.
>
> Ned
>