Society and community

In a commerce to build the Kingdom thread, some of the ministers have discussed a number of ways that ministers of service can assist people in seeking the kingdom of God, which is the right to be ruled by God.

There is a lot of work going on behind the scenes that is only shared with ministers and "congregants".

Congregations of Record composed of Elders have no real "members".

Why should we call them congregants instead of members?

A congregant is simply exercising the right of free assembly; there are no legal bonds that control or restrict his or her liberty.

Unfortunately, men and women everywhere have sought the benefits of the world and have become again entangled in the elements of bondage offered by the world.

They will not be free unless they repent. You will not be forgiven unless you forgive others, and you cannot be free unless you desire to free others. You must be faithful in loving others, if you desire God to love you.

That means you must attend to others true needs in righteous ways.

Christ showed the Way to be free souls under God, which requires gathering in His name, His character, according to the righteousness of God. You will not find Christ trying to save Himself first.

So what is the Kingdom He preached, that thousands of Jews were baptized into, back at the beginning? Those who were baptized into one system under Christ were cast out of another system under men, like the one Herod established by his baptism and Corban.

Those Jews who said, "What is Jesus to us?" and went back to the cities of bondage with their civil benefits, were cast out of the kingdom of God. Or as Jesus said, the kingdom was taken from them and given to those who would bear fruit (Matt 21:43).

What we call the early Church today was, in reality, God's government. It was composed of both a society and a community.

"Constantly bearing in mind that in entering into society individuals must give up a share of liberty to preserve the rest…" --Andrew Jackson, March 4, 1833.

In the kingdom of God the people do not enter a society, but become a part of a community by their communion.

One definition of communion is, of course, "the act of receiving the Eucharistic elements."

The elements of the Eucharist was a sharing of daily bread; taking what you have and freely giving it to others who are hungry. Christ talks of this giving and feeding over and over again. This Eucharist involves several spiritual elements which are all a part of Christ's character. Matthew 10:8, "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give."

It is the relationship born out of this communion with God and man, in pure religion, that is part of the keys to the kingdom.

The Church appointed by Christ is actually a society of service to that community. When you seek the kingdom you enter not by giving up a share of your liberty as Andrew Jackson stated, but by casting bread upon the waters (Ecclesiastes 11:1) in faith. Another way to say that is, you sacrifice something to provide communion for your fellowman in righteous service.

“Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.” (Lu 11:52)

"When I wrote the Covenants of the gods my father, after reading the first chapter, said I was right, but they will not like me. He clearly meant the lawyers who did not like Jesus." --Bro. Gregory

The kingdom of God has ministers who make themselves servants of God by serving the community who seek God as the ruler of their lives. That community must seek to love one another in real ways. As Bro. Gregory wrote the PCM group concerning Caleb's post below:

The ministers of Christ's kingdom need to have the character of Christ.

If the Titanic was sinking do you think you would find Jesus in the life boats or do you think you would find him helping others in the life boats?

The guys who want out of the system first before they make arrangement for others, sometimes even their own families, are probably not minister material.

Christ was rich but made Himself poor; He had a life but laid it down for others.

This is the spirit of His ministers; it is not about saving ourselves but about saving others, and the people who congregate in that spirit with a similar attitude of sacrifice are hearing Christ.

Everyone on these groups needs to select a congregation of record and become part of that communion of Christ.

Those who hear His voice and come to His ways are His Sheep.

Everyone should be a congregant to an existing congregation of Record, or begin to form a congregation of record by gathering with two or more; testifying that you are looking for the ministers of God. Early Christians did this by the thousands and were saved from much of the wrath to come.

It is no different today.

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