Organic Home Church in Charlotte

Comment by Kenny Russell on January 12, 2009 at 10:36am

We had a blessed time together in the word of God . we shared on Matt 7 v13 29. we talked on the 2 ways, the 2 trees, and the 2 builders and the outcome of what Jesus was saying Not everyone who says Lord Lord will enter the kingdom. our chice was to be wise dont just listen to the word but put it into practice. Storms are coming to those who build on the foundation of the rock (Jesus) and those who build on the sand (the worldly view point) but we can't just agree with the Bible or the rehma words of Christ we need to apply them to our lives. Question is what is the Lord saying to you? Hosea 8 v4 "they set up kings without my CONSENT, they chose princes without my APPROVAL, etc... Hosea 8 was a prophesy of Judgment but Gos people doing things based on their opinions and counsel, Matt 7 was proof of the Kingdom and the need of listening to the Holy Spirit who will guide us closer to Christ. Inquire of the Lord, chose what is good and get his CONSENT and approval. Live the kingdom.

Comment by Elizabeth Danielle Martin on January 20, 2009 at 2:15pm

Dear Organic Church Worshipers,

I have been released from a position God called me to on a Via de Cristo Team, because of my organic affliation which has stirred the pot in my Christian community. They say that I do not beleive in church and even though I go to organize church as I feel called, the fact that I started up a mission called S.O.S. - Service On the Sand, an organic movement of His Spirit (where I go to the boardwalk on the beach with my guitar and sing worship songs and pray for my city and its people.) proves I am taking a stand for the organic church. For this I and my mentors of the Organic church in NSB, Fl, Neil and Brenda, have been released from God's service, until they vote on if we belong or not on Feb 2, 2009? We have been told we are in rebellion against God's Church and we need you prayers for God's will! I am totally lost about htis and as a new potential member to the organic church, I can not beleive I am in the middle of this spirtual warfare going on here! Has God called me to be such an instrument of His Word? I am very humbled and confused as to why me? And what does it all mean? How can this have inigted such mean spiritedness even in me? I beg for forgiveness for being so angry then I am grateful for being the catalyst, all over the place are my emotions and I am serching for God to direct me. He gave me lyrics of two songs, UNDONE and REVELATION!! WOW this is so powerrfull I feel out of control with the Holy Spirit and Gods Words of love.
Another thing is God has been trying to get me to go to North Carolina for a few months, so let's talk, I feel the Lord working in ways I can not even think of.
In Jesus Name and with His Love - Libby
Matt 7:13 'The Narrow Way' "Heaven can be entered only through the narrow gate! The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide enough for all the multitudes who choose its easy way. But the Gateway to Life is small, and the road is narrow, and only a few ever find it." Amen

Comment by Kenny Russell on January 20, 2009 at 7:52pm

Hi Everyone, we had a great meeting on the 18th and we shared on Change Commitment and Perseverance and what that means in our life.

Question what changes are taking place in or lives as we serve the Lord?

There is an importance in committing to the new direction of the Lord. Launching Organic church is exciting and we need to commit to the process for growth.

The early church in Acts shared the life of Christ with others and the word they spoke had authority and testimony to the changes in there life. Today we need to celebrate the goodness of God at the works he is doing in our lives and how we translate this in our witness.

Finally perseverance must finish its work so we can be mature and complete lacking no god thing. What I love about home church is that everyone is looking to grow into maturity with the Lord we all desire to participate bring something from the Lord as we fellowship together.

We pray that the Lord will connect us to more families in Charlotte and around the world through Organic Church Today.

Comment by Kenny Russell on January 20, 2009 at 8:01pm

Libby, thanks for sharing your heart on what you are going through in Florida. The good news is that there is actually around 5 million people meet in house churches and even on the beach like you are doing!
I would not take it personally when people attack you for seeking to reach out to your community in a different way. There is also some great resources out there concerning Organic Church and worshiping the Lord outside of the institutional church. Have you read Pagan Christianity by Frank Viola and George Barna?
If not this would be a great book to start with and even to share it with those who are condemning you for your conviction to be Christlike outside of Institutional Church. We are the body of Christ and serving him is awesome. So don't be angry or concerned just trust the Lord as you reach out. We will stand with you in prayer over this.

Comment by Frankie Joubert on January 21, 2009 at 7:55am

Hi Libby.

First of all, thank you so much for being so open to us and exposing your heart. I know it isn't easy being so transparent and vulnerable, but it is essential for spiritual growth.

I would like to share a few scriptures with you, and I am sure you might even know them, but sometimes it is good to hear it again. God’s word is so powerful, it can deliver us from our emotions and hurts. It might take some time, but through faith and patience, it will happen.

Mat 5:10 Blessed are they who have been persecuted for righteousness sake! For theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.

Mat 5:12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for your reward in Heaven is great. For so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Joh 15:20 Remember the word that I said to you, The servant is not greater than his master. If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.

And the verse that really blew me away:

1Co 15:9 For I am the least of the apostles and am not sufficient to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

This is obviously Paul that wrote this, but he is considered by some to be the greatest apostle, and look what he says about himself. He persecuted the church of God. That is, people that followed in “the Way”, what we would call organic church in our day and age. He was working for the religious Jewish leaders. They couldn’t understand what God was doing, and accused Jesus and His disciples of blasphemy and worse many times. What the religious leaders of your institutional church do not understand is this: we are the church, not the institution, not a building, and definitely not a denomination. Really, they are persecuting God’s church when they persecute you. They are in rebellion to God’s way, not you. It is a scary thing to realise that the foundation you have been building on is wrong. To admit it and to change is difficult, it is much easier to just sweep it under the rug and cry heretic to anyone who would challenge the status quo. The weight of God’s church cannot be supported by man’s institutions, ideas, philosophies, logical reasoning or man’s wisdom. It can only stand supported when Christ is truly the foundation, the center, the very soul of the church.

Now, having said all that, our aim is not to criticize and point fingers at the institutional church, but to plain and simply just do that which God has called us to do. To be intimate with Him, to support and be supported by a group of people who follow after God and not after man. You must guard your heart against bitterness and resentment. Just realise that we all have to face trials and tribulations, and personally my wife and I have also suffered under the institutional church. At the same time, we also have some very fond memories. Remember, the greater the trial, the greater the glory at the end of it. And I am talking of God’s glory. He gets glorified when we stand strong when everything around us seems to fall apart. Our testimony is one of the keys to overcome, the other is the blood of the Lamb.

For now, the best thing you can do is to stay strong in your relationship with God. If you have the chance to go to North Carolina, do it and meet up with Kenny. Kenny has been a blessing in our lives for many years now.

On another note, I would love to hear those two songs you wrote. I don’t know if you have recorded it yet or composed it (I know you said you got the words to the songs, not sure about the music) but even the words would be great. I am a writer/composer myself, and love music that’s divinely inspired. There is such a commercial element in Christian music today, you have to search long and hard for something that is truly from the heart.

I hope I have not overwhelmed you with all of this, and that the Holy Spirit will truly minister and comfort you in this time. Feel free to write to any one of us here at Organic Church Today for prayer or encouragement. My wife Corinne and Kenny’s wife Hayley are both excellent listeners and ministers of the Word of God in an honest and real way. And I don’t just mean everything written in the bible, but the practical way of living out our faith.

Blessings in Christ,
Frankie Joubert

Comment by Corinne Joubert on January 21, 2009 at 10:30am

Dear Libby

Firstly, we would all like to welcome you to Organic Church Today! It is truly a blessing to connect with Christians of like mind and spirit - especially in a time where so much "evil and manipulation" has infiltrated the so called institutional church of today.

I would just like to share an experience I went through when the Lord called Frankie and myself out of the insutional church 7 years ago! When we started attending this specific church the Lord opened the doors for my husband and I to lead the praise and worship in the church. We started off with just the 2 of us but we were obedient in what we felt the Lord had called us to do. Eventually we built the band up to a strong group of people who had a heart to worship the Lord in spirit and in truth. But then the Lord told us He wanted us to hand the band over to another couple and that we needed to step down completely. Frankie was totally committed to being obedient and together we went to speak to the pastor who in turn told us that the Lord had not spoken to him and that he was not willing to release us.

In a way I was glad as I was not quite willing at that point to let go of our "baby" in which we had invested so much time and had seen the Lord moving in a really awesome way. But the Lord decided he needed to get my attention!

I am not sure if you are aware of the portion where Moses was being strangled because he had not been circumcised and then his wife got the revelation and he did what was required of him? Well the evening before we were supposed to meet with the pastor again for our weekly meeting I went to bed as usual and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Into the evening I suddenly felt like I was being strangled and could not seem to get my breath. Frankie and I started rebuking evil spirits and to no avail. Eventually I received the revelation that I was walking in disobedience and immediately repented before the Lord and I knew what I needed to do in the meeting the following morning.

When we entered into the meeting I was not sure how I was going to tell the pastor but God as usual is totally awesome and the pastor came with the scripture of Moses and he said that the Lord had given it to him the previous evening - probably thinking that this would turn the tables on our decision as in his mind he thought we were being disobedient. But this just opened the doors for me to tell him that I was in disobedience and I needed to do what the Lord had called us to.

This in turn brought a major alienation between us and the eldership of the church and eventually the Lord released us and asked us to walk a path of isolation for a period of time as He did not want us to be part of any institution - and that was 7 years ago. It was difficult to walk in obedience as everyone else thought we were totally walking against the word of the Lord.

In the interim we started a little home church but due to circumstances out of our control it came to an end but all this was preparation for a time such as now.

From previous posts you have written you are truly a woman called of God and we know that you truly love Him and want to walk in total obedience to Him. So fear not for man does not always know the will and plans of the Lord and when they feel threatened and out of control they will lash out. But stand strong in the Lord and He will give you the strength to walk out in the way that you need to go.

I would also like to encourage you to go to North Carolina if you have the opportunity meet up with Kenny and Hayley. Although we are still in South Africa (waiting for the day that we can eventually meet with them in person) we have special times of fellowship throught the internet!

We will continue to keep you in our prayers and trust that the Lord will heal the hurt that you have gone through and that He will continue to lead you by His spirit!

Much love in Christ!

Corinne

Comment by Kenny Russell on February 2, 2009 at 6:49pm

Well it is 2 weeks since I posted our update here. We stand in hope and joy at what the Lord will do here in Charlotte as well as through this social network.

I posted some key things the Lord has been showing me over the last few weeks and i called it The Lord has need of you! click to read and be blessed.

It has been a great week we had Libby here all the way from Florida! thanks for coming Libby. It was a great time of fellowship and joy. We are excited at where the Lord is calling you in Wilmington NC.
This Sunday we had Gloria and Raymond with their daughter Abigael join us for fellowship and a meal, it was great to hear there story on how the Lord is leading them as a family towards Organic Church. It amazes me how the Lord connects us with others and my hearts cry and prayer today is for the Organic Church to start shining its light and to see a network of believers rise as the army of the Lord this time allowing Jesus to be the head not the program of an institution.

I watched a great youtube video called the "Revival Hymn" i will post this tonight as i have preached for years about how God has moved in revival, being from Scotland and living in Wales UK i have walked to places where great revival has made an impact when we study what happened it is amazing to see that people got saved and no one preached so watch the video!

Keep praying for the Holy Spirit to move over our lives and ministry and pray if you are called to join us.

Love in Christ
Kenny

Comment by Jim & Colleen Lochard on July 19, 2009 at 9:06pm

Hi, we would LOVE to connect with you Kenny and Hayley. We live probably an hour and a half south of you but are longing to meet with like minded people. We have read pagan Christianity and it totally confirmed a lot of things that we had felt for quite some time. I (Colleen) am in the process of reading Reimagining Church which has been awesome too. We have been 'churchless' for a while now and are looking for a connection and a community of believers who will be part of giving and receiving with us. Anyway, please contact us so we can talk... Thank you.

Comment by Kenny Russell on September 11, 2009 at 12:51pm

Hi there, This is an open invitation for you to come and join us on Sunday 11am at our home in the Mint Hill, Charlotte area. We are especially looking for people who are musically talented and families who have children 10yrs and up. Please contact me (Hayley) via e-mail h.russell@gottalife.org. Hope to see you then.

Comment by Kenny Russell on July 4, 2010 at 5:22am

Update for those in the Charlotte area. Hayley and I are still in the UK so we do no0t have a local group in Charlotte but there is a great group of believers meeting in Charlotte so please email us and we will connect you. Pray for us also in the UK as we look for a home and place for our broadcast ministry in the UK we are not sure the time we will be in the UK but we are seeking the Lord on the steps we take. We are blessed to be in contact with many of you in the Charlotte area and we are available by email or through this site. Blessings Kenny & Hayley
this is a like to our daily devotional ebook http://www.organicchurch.us/word_of_god_speak.exe

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