I Love the Small Group Bible Studies in the Homes: Short and Sweet!

Believe it or not, even though all the polls and reports and news say that England is becoming more atheistic or Muslim (rather than becoming more Christian), there are thousands of hungry-for-truth-seeking-ones in this country, and especially in London.

During the Olympic Games in London there was a massive Bible Distribution and there have been more than 70.000 New Testaments given out, with a response of approx. 60% people desiring to be further contacted for Bible studies. Wow, how about that!

What a privilege to live in this day, age, and country at this particular moment in time. All we have to do is be open to the Lord, and He will not only daily supply us but bring men like a flock, those who are hungry for the deeper truths in God’s word!

Small Group Bible Studies

These days we have been having a lot of fellowship, prayer, and eventually some visitation of the ones who request a Bible study in their home. I realize that in myself I am not qualified, but the Lord has “loaded us with His spiritual heavenly cargo” – God’s economy – and He has brought people to us; what can we do but go and visit!?!

I have been visiting together with my dear wife several homes to read the Bible together. I have to say, I love the small group Bible studies! No formality. No pastor. No leader. No schedule. Only the Bible, the footnotes, and the seeking of the Lord. And it is so sweet!

The Lord leads, we follow. We read, He speaks to us. We ask a question, and through the other members, He answers it or at least points us in the right direction. At the end of it all, you feel you have gained not only “more knowledge of God” but you have gained more God!

Example: Last Night Bible Study

For example, last night we met with some believers to get into a portion of the truth related to following the sense of life within – not merely behaving according to right or wrong, but according to the sense of life, the feeling of the divine life, in our spirit (set 3 in Basic Elements of Christian Life, which can be ordered online for free here).

The seemingly-impossible things the Bible tells us to do in Matthew 5-7 can be lived out spontaneously only when we live by the divine life. We all were impressed with the fact that we don’t need to do or say things according to the right or wrong (which belong to the tree of knowledge) but according to the life within.

Sometimes we may do something good (like giving some money to a beggar on the street because “we think it’s good to do this”) but the divine life within us is not happy, and so we need to repent for doing this good thing! Wow!

Questions and Answers in an Open Environment

The best thing about meeting in a home is not only the small number and each one functioning, but also the good questions and all-doing-their-best-to-answer the questions. There’s such a good fellowship when the Lord’s seekers come together, enjoy Him in His word, and then fellowship from their experience of Christ!

What about when someone just likes to make you suffer by doing and saying things that he knows will make you feel bad? What if this person continues to do this? What should a Christian do?

Watchman Nee was presenting the example of two brothers who had a plot of land which they watered daily, but the neighbor down the road was stealing the water at night. They continued to water their plot, but eventually after 7-8 days they felt not happy within. After some fellowship with a more experienced brother, they went and FIRST watered the plot of the down-the-road neighbor, and then they watered their own plot. How about that!

In ourselves we can “endure as a Christian the persecution of others”, but in Christ, in the divine life, we can even turn the other cheek! Eventually the neighbor came and said, I want to know your God – He is real! This story sparked such a good fellowship, and our prayer was, Lord, make us those who live by the divine life in our spirit. Grow in us!

In the Homes – God’s Way

We are all busy. We all have a lot of things to do. We all want “our free time”, our space, our own personal relaxing time… But God has a need. And the way He takes today is away from the big crowds, away from the big buildings, and into the homes. Many thousands of homes. Small, sweet, enjoyable, around the table, in the Word, with the believers, with all ages, and under His leading.

Witness Lee once said that this kind of home group meetings should constitute 80% of our church life. We are on our way now, learning to have many such small group meetings, home meetings, with the immediate members of the Body and the Lord’s seeking ones. And He is building up His church through each member functioning in their measure.

In such a small setting every one can function, and no one can “not function” because his portion is vital! I love God’s way, the way of the homes – from house to house, day by day!

Pictures: the first, a meeting in our own home 🙂 and the second, via Rhema – free Christian Literature.

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