In May of last year, I delivered a message entitled Bethany: The Lord’s Desire for His Church.
That message was transcribed and made into a 24-page free eBook.
It captures the central thrust of my heart toward the church, mission (the mission of God), and the Christian life.
The eBook is in PDF format. If for some reason, it doesn’t download and you can’t read it, click here and download the newest edition of Adobe Reader. You will be able to read it then.
The eBook is presently in four languages:
English Version: www.ptmin.org/bethany.pdf
Spanish Version: www.ptmin.org/bethany_spanish.pdf
Dutch Version: www.ptmin.org/Bethany_Dutch.pdf
Albanian Version: www.ptmin.org/bethany_albanian.pdf
Please give it a read and then come back to add your comments. I’d love to know what part of it spoke to you the most and what further insights you may have on the subject.
We shall keep comments open until Monday morning.
I’ll post my promised movie review then.
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I don’t attend a house church, but I agree that every fellowship needs to be a “Bethany.” Regarding being “radically inclusive” in a fairly intimate gathering, how do you do that practically? How can you make your church open to visitors without falling into the seeker-friendly obsession?
Hey Frank, a dear brother of me translated the book in Albanian and we had this book read in our group here in Athens. (At that time we all were Albanians)
I just wanted to say that there were a lot of discussion on the passages we read and the Lord showed us much of Him during those days. What I want to say is that, when something comes out of church life, it is difficult to be reproduced again. It is something spontanious, as the Spirit leads.
Anyway, I will find some time to read again and comment on the what I will read.
konti
I was very touched by this audio message when I listedned to it… I intend to give it to our first meeting as a house church as it clearly and briefly defines the organic church and mainly the reason why setting up a house church or a Bethany house. I am deeply thankful for your insights of the Word and your main point the supremacy of Jesus Christ. Please Frank come to France or the U.K… Be blessed for your work, we feel refreshed and grateful for you are a sheperd to us all who have been longing for a true and simple liife in Christ.
I’m writting you from Argentina. I just want to thank You, Brother, for sharing Jesus Christ so generouslly with us all thru your website. The Lord knows that my life has never been the same ever since I came across with them. Apart of you, there have been only two people whom I’ve known dealing with God’s Eternal Purpose, in books that have never been sold here (nor even translated into spanish). Therefore, I consider these writtings and audios of yours real treasures! Thank You, Frank, so much!
Frank, what fellowship I had with the Father while reading Bethany! It took me back many, many years of coming into a place of abiding with Him through submitting to the suffering first. He always asked me who would be His resting place. As I learned the joy and the value of becoming this for the Father, I have led others to this place. We cherish His Presence so much so that three years ago while enjoying His Presence, He spoke prophetic words through a ten year old in our gathering to several people, and every word has been fulfilled. Yes, He includes all who will receive Him. I simply adore the rendering! I write a blog on SimpleChurch.com.
Thank You,
Marion Clark Ingram/author
“HIS DAUGHTERS DO PROPHESY”
(With A Word For You)
BarnesandNoble.com
It was all good! The things that spoke most strongly to me were:
Jesus wants love and friendship, not servants.
It’s okay to respond according to our individual characters, as long as it is without complaint and the need to be exonerated and noticed.
How the warmth of the fellowship in that Bethany home is a prototype of being the church.
The fragrance of Jesus…
Frank,
I’m involved in leading a small Christian community in rough housing estate in Wales. Your book ‘Pagan Christianity’ has had a radical effect on my life, thoughts, ministry etc. It is going to be key in helping our community move forward into a deeper understanding of what it is to be ‘church’ in the 21st C.
Our church is part of a network within the Salvation Army called NEO (www.salvationarmy.org.uk/ALOVE). We’re exploring so much of what you are writing about. You and others are helping us to express what we are feeling and thinking.
I’ve only started Reimagining Church and am enjoying it. Gotta stop every few pages to digest it for our context! God grant you continued wisdom and the grace to share it, and protection from being corrupted by wealth and popularity.
Tim
Your e-book paints a captivating picture of the church using the biblical imagery of Bethany which I’ve never connected to the church before.
The parts that spoke to me the most:
- Receiving the whole Christ and all those whom he sends (a needed message for today’s fractured church)
- Wasting our time on Christ and giving Him our highest and best.
- Allowing Christ to put us to death when He takes four days too long, but waiting for Him to give us resurrection life!
Thank you for this precious portrayal of the church.
Chris
Frank:
The talk and article on Bethany is again right on target. It is a humbling and awesome thing to understand that God has always desired a people with whom He can be comfortable and who will be obedient to His direction regarding His purposes.
I taught for years that the focus of both covenants was right relationship (a people with whom He can be comfortable) and obedience(carrying out His word/direction to accomplish His purpose). In the old covenant we were working at right relationship through obedience (impossible!). In the new we have been given right relationship so we might learn to be immediately obedient to His direction/word.
Mary’s choosing the good part came from sitting at His feet first, so she would know how to serve Him properly. Rather than just thinking “I’ll do this and He will be pleased”, which leads us to works without His direction. It’s impossible to serve the Master properly if you don’t know Him or Hear His instruction about what He wants done and, often, how He wants it done. What a blessing to see this revealed as a part of the purpose of gathering corporately as His Bethany.
Up until a month ago I had not heard of you, nor was I very familiar with the simple or organic church movement. Although I have had a passion since the mid 80’s for seeing the church BE the church, and to see saints stop just GOING to church and to end the platform to spectator “church” experience. My passion is to see the church function as the “fulness of Him who fills all in all” (Ephesians 1:18-23).
I have read Pagan Christianity, Re-imagining the Church, and Gathering in Homes, as well as several of your on line articles. I greatly appreciate your ministry. Your insights are clear and you give practical building blocks.
When I first read ‘Bethany,’ I was blown away and sent the link to everyone I knew.
I began praying that the Lord would make us a Bethany. That He would have a home in my town.
I was especially taken with the picture of us as cleansed lepers and resurrection people. And the point about the perfume– the Lord is worth our all.
I am so glad your wrote it, because it really puts in a nut shell everything we should be about as a church. It makes a short, sweet conteraction to the tendency to focus on some ‘thing’ that is other than Jesus Christ.