This is part teaching and part simply my characterization of what I see happening.
For now, there is no meat-space congregation for me to serve. Lacking such a flock for this shepherd anointing, I pray for the folks where I live. I already know that traditional evangelical methods of outreach aren't going to work here. They need to come to me. So I've been praying that the Lord would work through my spiritual dominion here. As noted in one of my blog posts, what that does is call for His shalom, His divine Presence to manifest in power. If His people call on His name, He will build up and protect His shalom.
It could be where you live, or where you work, or any other mission field. You'll know; God works that way.
So I've been praying for that shalom to come in power. Granted, there are plenty of people around here whom the Lord will simply pass over, at least as far as I am concerned. He's got something else for them; I'm not in their picture. But there are some whom the Lord wants me to shepherd as His Elect, in one way or another. The issue, then, is whether they will submit to His Spirit moving, or whether they will resist and give room to their demons. Those demons will become very active; the Lord will crack the whip on them and make them do their work.
When God's people are provoked in that fashion, it either drives them to seek covenant support for redemption, or they go bonkers. His Spirit is polarizing. If they go bonkers, they will eventually be driven away physically. One resident has already started down that path. They won't be able to exist that way where the power of prayer gathers. The others will seek you out for reasons they don't even understand, and that's your chance to share your faith. That's how fellowship is born.
Even if this has nothing to do with starting a church, it opens the door to a move of the Spirit that eventually results in forming a covenant family. This is the method I'm using to get things started. I'm waiting to see where it takes me. Every morning I go out on the sidewalk and pray for the folks around me, in that I ask the Lord to come and visit. I ask for Him to build His shalom and make His Presence felt.
For now, there is no meat-space congregation for me to serve. Lacking such a flock for this shepherd anointing, I pray for the folks where I live. I already know that traditional evangelical methods of outreach aren't going to work here. They need to come to me. So I've been praying that the Lord would work through my spiritual dominion here. As noted in one of my blog posts, what that does is call for His shalom, His divine Presence to manifest in power. If His people call on His name, He will build up and protect His shalom.
It could be where you live, or where you work, or any other mission field. You'll know; God works that way.
So I've been praying for that shalom to come in power. Granted, there are plenty of people around here whom the Lord will simply pass over, at least as far as I am concerned. He's got something else for them; I'm not in their picture. But there are some whom the Lord wants me to shepherd as His Elect, in one way or another. The issue, then, is whether they will submit to His Spirit moving, or whether they will resist and give room to their demons. Those demons will become very active; the Lord will crack the whip on them and make them do their work.
When God's people are provoked in that fashion, it either drives them to seek covenant support for redemption, or they go bonkers. His Spirit is polarizing. If they go bonkers, they will eventually be driven away physically. One resident has already started down that path. They won't be able to exist that way where the power of prayer gathers. The others will seek you out for reasons they don't even understand, and that's your chance to share your faith. That's how fellowship is born.
Even if this has nothing to do with starting a church, it opens the door to a move of the Spirit that eventually results in forming a covenant family. This is the method I'm using to get things started. I'm waiting to see where it takes me. Every morning I go out on the sidewalk and pray for the folks around me, in that I ask the Lord to come and visit. I ask for Him to build His shalom and make His Presence felt.