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
>
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