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Meeting & assembling together
 How Christians go out according to how Christ commands it (Matthew 28:19-20)


Only when you have become a Christian you can start that assembly together, because:

  • You then know what you believe,
  • You believe what you know,
  • You have become a Christian and
  • You have received Gods Guidance anchored in Christ; at the same time
  • You were equipped with the Spiritual Gifts

    Only in thát condition you are personally ready to go out in your surroundings (in your family, in your neighbourhood, at work, in your circle of acquaintances, etc.), because now you can tell and teach clearly about your foundations of belief, connecting rules, standards and values, what being a Christian is all about, how to become one, etc. Still... how can one getting started to assemble together?!

    How you meet people these days?
         Jesus meet people 'in the flesh'; in the streets, during his travels, near a well, near the Temple, in the homes of people. Also the apostles meet people in that way, but because of imprisonment and their distant travels they also wrote letters to meet, greet and keep contact by.

    Nowadays there are almost no more wells where people meet. The streets are too busy and chaotic to meet. And in general everyone is very keen on his- or her privacy and doesnot want to be bothered. Also: meeting people in their leisure time in equality is very important too. With all those restrictions you may wonder in dispair 'how on Earth am I at all able to meet people in that way?!?

    Focus on personal contact & meeting
     Christ asks Christians to go out- and meet others personally leading to exhortation. And 'exhortation' can consist of education, encouragement, helping one another, praying for one another, comforting one another, etc. Just as if you would meet family, friends, acquaintances, collegues, guests or visitors. As long as it is personal, with respect and appropriate it doesnot really matter how you contact people or how the meeting takes place at all.

    These days we contact- and meet people:

  • through the internet,
  • by visiting webpages,
  • by writing on hyves,
  • by talking through the phone
  • by viewing webcams
  • by sending eachother SMS-messages

    And far more incidental we meet, talk and see one another

  • in the citchen, hall or sitting-room,
  • at work (near the coffee-machine)
  • at the gym or in the canteen,
  • during walks,
  • during- or sharing of hobbies,
  • during trips, travels or vacation

    That's how people get in contact, how they meet and interact freely in equality.

    Christians are guided by GOD wherever they go!
         GOD guides and organizes every Christians personally by His Spirit wherever they each go. So Christians are always suited and equipped to contact, meet and interact with other people. Surely also in todays ways and manners. Moreover they can be sure of the appropriate Guidance for every contact and conversation when preceding with asking GOD in prayer for it!

    Examples of making contact & meeting one another
         From the Bible we know, that Christians wrote eachother letters, meet eachother in their houses, gardens and citchens. They meet during travels, walks or staying abroad. And the Spirit arranged many of the contacts and meetings. What of course doesnot mean that Christians cannot go out and meet others without the Spririt making arrangements for it; Christ is the one commanding Christians to go out- and how to go out in general. Provided Spiritual Gifts added to Christ's command enables Christians to go out and get going as they should anyhow!

    Just as it was for the first Christians - the same applies to todays Christians; simply during your everydays ways you go, meet, greet and contact people. Personally and appropriate to occassion and situation you can show, tell, educate and explain what being a Christian is about ánd how to become one.

    A relaxed conversation without formal grounds or goals is the ultimate way of getting any kind of message across; certainly when you are the embodyment of a true Christian communicating as a true Christian: personally, with respect and caring!

    From my own experiences I know that meeting people in a relaxed and personal way are:

  • during walks through nature or just through 'the City-green',
  • during a shared cup of tea or coffee at the citchen-table,
  • during breakfast, brunch or lunch in the citchen or in the living-room at home,
  • during a joint cycle-tour,
  • during a short stay somewhere out

    Just by being that caring, sharing, respecting and listening Christian in person you get the message across; in that way also creating the needed environment to tell, teach and share about what being a Christian is about, how to become one and even use your Bible in that process. Your personal example and explanation gives an very thorough view of the Christian way and faith. And that is much more than just 'one's believes' according to doctrines of others.

    You can show personally how the way you live adds up bodily and spiritual health, how- and why applying financial assets should be used with care and wisdom. And why being a trustworthy-, enduring- and caring person is much stronger and far more lasting than those that use bodily strength, threats, harming others in impatience ways so they can getting thing done.

    What you share assembled will exhort others
         When you meet others and share your faith personally being a Christian what you do, say and share will exhort others. And there are many ways of doing so. By means of sharing information, educating, helping others, praying for- and with others, comforting people, cooking for others, etc.

    Most important however is that what you do when you meet with others is that it stays a personal encounter organized by the Spirit being a Christian. Worldly ways, (church-)organisations and connecting goals are neither the Way of GOD nor the Way of Christians. Worldly organisations cannot rule above GOD, Christ, Guidance by the Spirit or Christians equipped with the Spiritual Gifts at all!

    More about exhorting/encouraging during personal assembly:

    More about how to be active as a Christian yourself:

    By: Hein Kuipers dd. 24 july 2009
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