Hello Everyone,

It has been a couple of years since I have posted anything on the internet or put out a study. I apologize for this. I have been quite disgusted over the reactions of Christians to the Covid problem. Let me explain briefly.

God called us as Christians to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16; Acts 1:8). We have been commissioned to make disciples, teaching them how to put into action the instructions that Jesus brought on the earth. He did not call us to make church members. He did not call us to make pew warmers. God did not call us to make institutions that put on a great show to pacify the masses. We were warned that in the end times men will gather to themselves teachers who say what they want to hear and draw people into pathetic meaninglessness (2 Timothy 4:3-4). This was heavy on my mind after the last Philippine trip that I went on. My heart cry was simply wondering what happened to discipleship. When did we become a community of plastic Christians who are fake on the inside as well as on the outside?

I put the Bible study on sabbatical while I started working on a book on spiritual healing. This book is finished, I am planning one more quick read through before I publish it though. Then Covid hit. It astounded me that Christians willingly let their churches be shut down out of the fear of Covid. It also astounded me that very few churches were willing to stand against the authority of our land and keep their doors open. I am concerned that we are not an army of God standing to fight for the hearts and souls of men. We as a whole became a church of sheep who were herded by the world toward destruction! Our pastors and leadership lead us willingly to slaughter.

Several years ago, I was working on an idea of developing a church that was patterned after the New Testament synagogue. The idea in a nutshell was to build a small home church that was focused intently upon discipleship with numbers limited to under twenty participants. Once twenty was exceeded, the church will then split to make two small home churches. Each church should be able to comfortably fit in a living room.

I have revised that vision slightly. The main reason is I do not wish to start another church! I want to start a home ministry that is focused upon discipleship. This has began to be called “organic church” by modern church planters. I encourage you to do an internet search on this term. The idea is to break away from conventional church where there is a hierarchy of responsibility and become an assembly where everyone is involved like a living organism. This is a discipleship ministry patterned after the New Testament church that we see described in the epistles.

I will be beginning a series of studies that focus on this type of assembly and hope that you will join me in the ministry.

Thanks,

Joe Turner.