I have a confession to make to you all. and I hope that this little light the LORD has been speaking to me recently for a while now will be of some help to all of us in our HC wilderness journey now.

I want to confess that recently I suddenly felt very content but then a little empty about where our HC gathering is now. Let me explain. I mean for the longest time I have been so concerned about the "New Wineskin and Body life, Body life, Body life" and getting it "right" -- that was a big reason and a good scriptural one to leave the very "unscriptural" IC wineskin we we involved in. I mean Jesus did make it totally clear that if you have the wrong/old wineskin it WILL even RUIN the new wine -- the new wine will spill out and the old wineskin will be ruined. But NEW wine MUST be put into new wineskin. (Mk 2:22) ( So the new wineskin is important) .I know I'm probably preaching to the choir here, but what I'm realizing more and more is that what MUST make us different than who/what IC we left is the overflowing and abundant, life-changing presence of HIS NEW Wine in our midst. NOT spending way too much time talking about NEW wineskin ecclesiology all the time..and yet still so lacking in the New Wine in our lives indiv and corporately. Which I believe should be visibly manifested to all around us by the supernatural gifts, signs, and fruit of the Spirit freely flowing and transforming our lives where we are. Saints I believe if we make getting filled and drunk with the new Wine of His Spirit in our midst our chief concern, the proper looking new wineskin will GROW out of our simple desire to keep HIM and His Spirit center in our church lives. Each HC expression WILL look different as we just get out of the way and let HIM order the very different kind of members of the Body He gathers together and builds up before our eyes. Don't listen to anyone who can offer you a new wineskin sureproof formula! IF you take his formula, you may just need to listen to him as well (his wine). BUT His Spirit is a LIVING & MOVING Person who interacts with each of us in a dynamic and unique way -- like the wind that blows where it will, but the FRUIT of the Wind will be evident to all! (Jn 3:8)

Saints, what I can offer to you from my brief 1 plus year HC journey so far is that it is ANYTHING but Static! Since we began in March 2002, it has been a challenging, constantly evolving Spirit-led adventure as we encounter one problems after another (within and without), and yet at the same time see amazing answers to heart-felt prayers as the LORD again and again PROVES HE is the HEAD of this messy Body life and resolves issue after issue before our very eyes! Much like following the victorious Joshua into the Good Land full of enemies on every side yet wonderful Lord-fought and led conquests whereever they go!

So..what's my confession??

My confession is that for the first time in being a Christian and in church life for over 20 years do I finally feel that we have gotten our new wineskin to resemble what the LORD showed me in the book of Acts over 5 years ago. AND that is sooo wonderful saints -- and MORE than worth the in and out IC journeys/wilderness experience it took me to get here. BUT now that we got here NOT by the way of any HC Guru out there by the way -- though the LORD has been so gracious to send HC workers to father us as needed..(they do not meet regularly with us), I feel kinda let down.

like SO this is IT, so what? or what next? I mean all my church life I have LONGED to be where the LORD has put me now accdg to the vision of the NT church He has repeatedly revealed to me at different phases of my journey. And NOW I'm living in that vision -- we have our own local home bread-breaking gathering/meal with about 8 of us, a new couple just joined us and we have some visitors time to time. Like I said, no HC Guru showing us the "way", just on our knees week after week.and NEW Wine and therefore, new wineskin every Sunday! We have widespread fellowship with diff HCs around the Bay Area -- with some coming to visit us and we goto to see them -- even outta state HCs. The open, simple X-centered fellowship we've received (also some prob of course), makes the journey out out hermetically-sealed IC camp ALONE worth it! On the IC side, we have received nothing...nothing but harsh critiques or just ignoring our existence entirely as some aberrant form of the "real church". BUT from those on the HC journey with us in diff stages from all backgds -- ex-Local Churchers, Mennonites, Presbyterians, Charismatics, etc., nothing but the warmest and family-style welcome and fellowship! The LORD also showed me such a beautiful picture of a mutually open, sharing, and ministering Body life among all the local churches in the NT: true two-way fellowship among all the churches in terms of ministry, financial and other needs. In this last year, the LORD has wonderfully connected us with more like-minded Body members from all over -- like this list!

Saints, It's like a dream to have this local church in my home according to what HE has shown me in His heart and Word, and physically in places like China.I mean that was my GOAL for the longest time when I was in the IC to be involved in such a local home gathering in this way (NOT necessarily my own.a matter of fact, our first HC was gonna be at another home the first time, but that couple was still too IC-minded to make the leap). BUT a YEAR LATER HERE WE ARE.

AND YET I feel strangely empty, having "arrived" at this very costly place. You know what I mean saints? I mean I thought I would be on Cloud NINE Spiritually being in the "ideal church life" as He showed me, but what I actually feel is that I have simply "arrived" or just am touching the mere TIP of an Infinite Iceberg or Mountain! THAT I NEVER would have ever arrived to if I stayed in the IC setting!

The LORD seemed to be saying to me Thomas, congrats you have finally entered into a NORMAL, healthy NT local church life wineskin -- "that which I have Always intended for all my children", NOW the REAL work of ME building up My Church can BEGIN. Meeting in the homes locally in fellowship with the rest of the Body is NORMAL and simply the BEGINNING of what HE has always wanted to do and desired in His heart for His own. Bottom Line: For the LORD to get us here-- back to a normal NT local church life expression -- was such an EASY and surprisingly quick thing! It only required our heart-felt cooperation and willingness to lay down our agendas and follow His Spirit's leading. Can't believe it has been a year already!

People have come & gone, and now the Lord has wonderfully brought this new couple with China HC background too! But whoever comes or HE brings, I now know in my heart that NOW the LORD can start to do a real spiritual building work among us in such a free, unhindered way with this kind of "normal Christian church life". With all the IC games, rituals, traditions, dominating teachings/personalities/teachers outta the way, we can simply meet together with whomever He brings to cooperate with anyway HE wants to build up His Body in this place. NOW the HARD WORK -- the WORK, the "greater works that these" that HE wants us to do vs. our own can COMMENCE! NOW is the time for more praying for each other than ever before, to see HIM do more life-transforming "STUFF" in our midst -- more Healings, Revelations in His Word, more mind-boggling answer to all our prayers, more one-anothering in and OUTside our gatherings, more serving other's real needs, more sharing of our hearts/lives with one another vs. "going to church" with each other week after week yet never knowing half the people by name. More REAL, Christ-centered, 2-way fellowship with all who CALL on Him out of a pure heart WHEREVER and HOWEVER they meet. More outreach, starting with getting to really KNOW our neighbors and sharing our lives with them, as He opens doors! And more loving outreach to OTHER kinds of believers with Totally different baggages to learn how to BE His Body with ALL the precious members in His Body.

With the new and normal wineskin in place now.we can finally concentrate on the real business of getting the new wine into us and flowing out of us to those who need it the most!

HIS building WORK has just BEGUN saints..
HIS ultimate intention was never just getting us to "the new wineskin", BUT that the new wineskin be simply a means to a far glorious end:
A vehicle that not only serves to prevent the wine from leaking out but allows His new wine to be poured out of our lives in an unending flow to a thirsty, needy and hurting world! (beginning with ourselves .and then going out!) John 7:38-39

Let the River flow....

Does anyone know what I'm talking about and feel the same?

Your fellow HC journeyman and worker in His Body,

Thomas
thomasshou--@--yahoo.com
(remove -- to send mail)

It was wonderfully thought-provoking to read your post on HC life, and how you have seen the Lord bring you to the place of experiencing true fellowship. Praise God for what you have been given! My husband and I have been out of IC for about a dozen years now. Initially I felt abandoned and was ready to "die in the wilderness" but after a few years, I grew to love the solitude with Jesus. Sometimes we would gather with like-minded believers, but more often than not, it was just our family. "Where two or three are gathered" seemed to be the lesson I desperately needed to learn!

We have had times of refreshment, little springs of water in the wilderness, where we have met with other brothers and sisters for a season and enjoyed the wonderful joy of sharing Jesus! I am so thankful for those times. Some have been longer than others, but I do not regret any time shared with a fellow sojourner. We have experienced some heart-breaking times where separation occurred, but again I do not regret those experiences either. I am learning to be content in whatever fellowship state He has placed me in--for I know when I am in His presence, I am never alone! I actually have felt the wonderful presence of all the saints worshipping together and it comforts me like nothing else can. We are not alone!

I am thankful that you are enjoying the refreshment of the River of Life. You are indeed a blessed brother in Jesus and I am thankful you shared your experience and insight.

In Jesus and His love,

Sue