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Valerie wrote: ↑Tue Jun 09, 2026 4:36 am...One of them Lester B started about the message to the seven churches and revelation, and I was hoping that each of the seven churches would get discussed as a group that what we could take from it, but it just really fell flat for some reason.

I think this is a worthy topic. I have long appreciated the messages to the churches in Revelation 1-3.

barnhart wrote: ↑Tue Jun 09, 2026 7:02 am

Valerie wrote: ↑Tue Jun 09, 2026 4:36 am...One of them Lester B started about the message to the seven churches and revelation, and I was hoping that each of the seven churches would get discussed as a group that what we could take from it, but it just really fell flat for some reason.

I think this is a worthy topic. I have long appreciated the messages to the churches in Revelation 1-3.

Likewise. It is a couple of chapters I read more often than others to glean from & apply to my personal walk & to somewhat stand back and look at the Church as a whole.

I agree with you that this is a very interesting topic. Probably to me the most interesting is the differences that are in the churches and yet Christ considers them all a part of his church as a whole. It seems so complicated to me to try to understand when does a group no longer become part of Gods church, which of course brings up the question is the church I currently go to a part of it or not.

Kenny1995 wrote: ↑Sun Jul 12, 2026 3:37 pm I agree with you that this is a very interesting topic. Probably to me the most interesting is the differences that are in the churches and yet Christ considers them all a part of his church as a whole. It seems so complicated to me to try to understand when does a group no longer become part of Gods church, which of course brings up the question is the church I currently go to a part of it or not.

That is an interesting angle. Those churches were less than a generation old and yet Jesus is warning them he may take away his candlestick. I also like the image of Jesus standing among the candlesticks, he truly identifies with his church(es).

barnhart wrote: ↑Sun Jul 12, 2026 4:41 pm

Kenny1995 wrote: ↑Sun Jul 12, 2026 3:37 pm I agree with you that this is a very interesting topic. Probably to me the most interesting is the differences that are in the churches and yet Christ considers them all a part of his church as a whole. It seems so complicated to me to try to understand when does a group no longer become part of Gods church, which of course brings up the question is the church I currently go to a part of it or not.

That is an interesting angle. Those churches were less than a generation old and yet Jesus is warning them he may take away his candlestick. I also like the image of Jesus standing among the candlesticks, he truly identifies with his church(es).

We must keep in mind there were many more Churches than the ones mentioned in Asia in Revelation 2 & 3.

Kenny1995 wrote: ↑Sun Jul 12, 2026 3:37 pm I agree with you that this is a very interesting topic. Probably to me the most interesting is the differences that are in the churches and yet Christ considers them all a part of his church as a whole. It seems so complicated to me to try to understand when does a group no longer become part of Gods church, which of course brings up the question is the church I currently go to a part of it or not.

Simple. Does your church have a lampstand?

barnhart wrote: ↑Sun Jul 12, 2026 4:41 pm

Kenny1995 wrote: ↑Sun Jul 12, 2026 3:37 pm I agree with you that this is a very interesting topic. Probably to me the most interesting is the differences that are in the churches and yet Christ considers them all a part of his church as a whole. It seems so complicated to me to try to understand when does a group no longer become part of Gods church, which of course brings up the question is the church I currently go to a part of it or not.

That is an interesting angle. Those churches were less than a generation old and yet Jesus is warning them he may take away his candlestick. I also like the image of Jesus standing among the candlesticks, he truly identifies with his church(es).

barnhart wrote: ↑Sun Jul 12, 2026 4:41 pm

Kenny1995 wrote: ↑Sun Jul 12, 2026 3:37 pm I agree with you that this is a very interesting topic. Probably to me the most interesting is the differences that are in the churches and yet Christ considers them all a part of his church as a whole. It seems so complicated to me to try to understand when does a group no longer become part of Gods church, which of course brings up the question is the church I currently go to a part of it or not.

That is an interesting angle. Those churches were less than a generation old and yet Jesus is warning them he may take away his candlestick. I also like the image of Jesus standing among the candlesticks, he truly identifies with his church(es).

We read how Apostle Paul admonished the Corinthians for areas they needed correction. We also read him admonishing the Galatian Church for easily being “bewitched”
YET we know the long suffering of our Lord- He promised the Holy Spirit to guard “The Church” which is now about 2000 years old-
To me we can glean so much from the chapters whether we
Consider our own church or make personal application.

So excuse my ignorance, but what is the Anabaptist view of the kingdom of God and the church? Are they the same thing or are they different? I’ve just never really understood this point at all. I’ve visited many different church denominations and I appreciate different points about them all, but I’ve studied enough about them to know the Methodists for example believe a lot differently than the Anabaptists. This is where I have trouble, because it seems to me there are Christians in most all churches I’ve visited.

Kenny1995 wrote: ↑Wed Jul 15, 2026 10:26 pm So excuse my ignorance, but what is the Anabaptist view of the kingdom of God and the church? Are they the same thing or are they different? I’ve just never really understood this point at all. I’ve visited many different church denominations and I appreciate different points about them all, but I’ve studied enough about them to know the Methodists for example believe a lot differently than the Anabaptists. This is where I have trouble, because it seems to me there are Christians in most all churches I’ve visited.

There is variation but in general Anabaptist accept that the church is an initial or temporal stage of the kingdom of heaven. The church is the kingdom but only a part of it and only for now. We expect the kingdom in its fullness some time after the return of Jesus and accompanying events.

Implications:
1. Jesus' life, teaching and example are for this age.
2. Jesus' life, teaching and example are meant to be applied and interpreted for literal application in the physical world we live in.
3. The kingdoms of this world are still functioning under divine authority.
4. The church will continue as a stranger and Pilgrim and sheep among wolves until Jesus' return.
5. The redemption of all things has already begun.
6. The posture of the church to the brokenness of the world is generosity, hope, confidence, mercy and forgiveness because this honors Jesus and fulfills the new covenant.

Thanks for that!! That makes more sense to me than anything I’ve previously read about it. I’ve studied a bit about numerous of the denominations, but the thing that has always impressed me about the Anabaptists is the way they put the sermon on the mount as their model to try to literally follow.

The first time I read the New Testament seriously, I concluded at the end that the most important part was the Sermon on the Mount. When I watched many of the videos on Anabaptist Perspectives i see them again and again come back to that, which gives me confidence in their interpretation. I was raised in a Mennonite home, but from a young age I left and never got very serious about understanding what truth really is until recently.