Thank you Lord for this message. God spoke to me through it! I think everything you shared is true. We have left the evangelical/institutional church for home fellowship, but I feel the Lord is drawing me to understand his early church and anabaptists seem closest to that today. I am a work in progress! Bless you Jonathan and your family! I hope to share what Jesus has been teaching me soon with his fellowship here.
I see what he is saying. It is true that living the Christian life in the power of our new creation in Him is paramount. The danger is when people attach salvation to this. Faith is as John 3:16 states- it is belief in Him for eternal life. The Greek word for belief is belief . It’s is not doing. Doing should come in response to belief. Ephesians 2:8-9 and other verses make clear distinctions between works and faith. James mentions works in the sense of showing our faith to a dying world in action. But salvation is a straight ahead belief in the gift God gives. The foundation of our works in our identity in Christ. We work as an out working of our faith. But the moment we believe we are His. Without that many will take their works as their salvation. I am not saying that is what is being said here. But there needs to be a distinction. Without that we can easily lead people astray.
Yes, JudahMark, you are very accurate in your description of what has happened to the Mennonite branch of the larger “Anabaptist” tree. I have observed this during my lifetime, having grown up and been educated in the “centrist” twig of the Mennonite branch. The influence of Liberalism infiltrated the Mennonite colleges and seminaries through Liberalist-trained professors, so those institutions in the centrist and more progressive twigs went that direction. Now, they go along with the larger, “mainstream” Protestant groups in their acceptance of things like non-biblical lifestyles and humanistic-based policies. Simultaneously, the more-conservative twigs of the Mennonite branch chose to swerve into the Evangelical/Fundamentalist camp as a reaction to what they saw taking place in the Liberalist-influenced institutions mentioned above. The Evangelical/Fundamendalist influences that resulted from this choice have pulled that twig away from their “Anabaptist” roots. Many of that persuasion now fully accept the basic tenants of the Evangelical/Fundamendalist camp, mostly unaware that in doing so, they have turned their backs on the Christ-centered view of scripture and the Christ-centered “daily-living-out” of their citizenship in God’s spiritual Kingdom that was taught and exemplified by the early church and by many of the “Anabaptist” groups since the early-spring of 1525. Unlike the “centrist” and more-progressive twigs that have chose to "throw in their lots" with “mainstream” Protestant groups, the more conservative twig has now been made aware of the clear results of that choice. That choice is this: to remain in the Evangelical/Fundamendalist camp, staying with an individualistic and instantaneous view of salvation, OR to choose to adopt and model themselves after the life-view and world-view spoken of in this video. That is the background from which this video springs. It remains to be seen if any of those twigs will choose to submit to the Christ-centered and truly-Biblical ideal. Or will they continue to be aligned with the other camps: the Liberalist-influenced, modernistic Protestant, world-aligned group, or with the Evangelical/Fundamendalist, Ameri-centric, legalistic-leaning group. That is indeed a critical choice……..
@@arttyree4504 I am an anabaptist. Thank you for the opportunity for iron to sharpen iron. Obedience is the fruit of love for Jesus. It is imperative. Why I commented what I did though was because Jesus in John 17 says Unity is how the world will know. Proverbs says that one who sows division among brethren is an abomination to the Lord. I don’t want anyone to fall into that trap. I think Satan’s no. 1 priority is to keep the church from uniting under Truth. Much love!
@@12magner05 it's been two months since you commented. If you get a notification please reply. I want to share some thoughts and possibly read replying thoughts. Thanks
To this church the definition of the kingdom of God is the physical kingdom (ther community). But the kingdom of God is not of this world as Jesus said. This church interpreted the words of God literally which is very wrong. So anyone who is a believer and living outside ther community is not save. This is heresy.
Thank you Lord for this message. God spoke to me through it! I think everything you shared is true. We have left the evangelical/institutional church for home fellowship, but I feel the Lord is drawing me to understand his early church and anabaptists seem closest to that today. I am a work in progress! Bless you Jonathan and your family! I hope to share what Jesus has been teaching me soon with his fellowship here.
Thank you for the explanation of Christ-centred hermeneutics. It has opened my eyes and I am excited to read the gospels again.
Amen and Amen. The Kingdom of God is Within you.
Excellent stuff! More videos pls 😊
This is an excellent breakdown. Thank you!
I see what he is saying. It is true that living the Christian life in the power of our new creation in Him is paramount. The danger is when people attach salvation to this. Faith is as John 3:16 states- it is belief in Him for eternal life. The Greek word for belief is belief . It’s is not doing. Doing should come in response to belief. Ephesians 2:8-9 and other verses make clear distinctions between works and faith. James mentions works in the sense of showing our faith to a dying world in action. But salvation is a straight ahead belief in the gift God gives. The foundation of our works in our identity in Christ. We work as an out working of our faith. But the moment we believe we are His. Without that many will take their works as their salvation. I am not saying that is what is being said here. But there needs to be a distinction. Without that we can easily lead people astray.
It’s frustrating to see how many mennonite/anabaptist churches have either turned to liberalism or conformed to traditional evangelism.
Yes, JudahMark, you are very accurate in your description of what has happened to the Mennonite branch of the larger “Anabaptist” tree. I have observed this during my lifetime, having grown up and been educated in the “centrist” twig of the Mennonite branch.
The influence of Liberalism infiltrated the Mennonite colleges and seminaries through Liberalist-trained professors, so those institutions in the centrist and more progressive twigs went that direction. Now, they go along with the larger, “mainstream” Protestant groups in their acceptance of things like non-biblical lifestyles and humanistic-based policies.
Simultaneously, the more-conservative twigs of the Mennonite branch chose to swerve into the Evangelical/Fundamentalist camp as a reaction to what they saw taking place in the Liberalist-influenced institutions mentioned above. The Evangelical/Fundamendalist influences that resulted from this choice have pulled that twig away from their “Anabaptist” roots. Many of that persuasion now fully accept the basic tenants of the Evangelical/Fundamendalist camp, mostly unaware that in doing so, they have turned their backs on the Christ-centered view of scripture and the Christ-centered “daily-living-out” of their citizenship in God’s spiritual Kingdom that was taught and exemplified by the early church and by many of the “Anabaptist” groups since the early-spring of 1525.
Unlike the “centrist” and more-progressive twigs that have chose to "throw in their lots" with “mainstream” Protestant groups, the more conservative twig has now been made aware of the clear results of that choice. That choice is this: to remain in the Evangelical/Fundamendalist camp, staying with an individualistic and instantaneous view of salvation, OR to choose to adopt and model themselves after the life-view and world-view spoken of in this video.
That is the background from which this video springs.
It remains to be seen if any of those twigs will choose to submit to the Christ-centered and truly-Biblical ideal. Or will they continue to be aligned with the other camps: the Liberalist-influenced, modernistic Protestant, world-aligned group, or with the Evangelical/Fundamendalist, Ameri-centric, legalistic-leaning group.
That is indeed a critical choice……..
Neat personal testimony!
Kingdom Hall
I live in Ohio also. I was wondering what the name of Jonathan Kinner's church is?
I don't know the name of his church, but if you send an email to churchplantersforum at gmail dot com, we can get you in contact with him.
What part of the continent are you in?
North America!
47:10
I hope this isn’t meant to sow division in the body of Christ between anabaptists and evangelicals.
Actually, it's the way of life and obedient approach to Scripture observed in people that draws others to consider Anabaptist felllowship.
@@arttyree4504 I am an anabaptist. Thank you for the opportunity for iron to sharpen iron.
Obedience is the fruit of love for Jesus. It is imperative. Why I commented what I did though was because Jesus in John 17 says Unity is how the world will know.
Proverbs says that one who sows division among brethren is an abomination to the Lord. I don’t want anyone to fall into that trap.
I think Satan’s no. 1 priority is to keep the church from uniting under Truth.
Much love!
Read how the Reformers massacred the Anabaptists and Mennonites in the days of the Reformers
@@12magner05 it's been two months since you commented. If you get a notification please reply. I want to share some thoughts and possibly read replying thoughts. Thanks
@@billywalker21 hi
To this church the definition of the kingdom of God is the physical kingdom (ther community). But the kingdom of God is not of this world as Jesus said. This church interpreted the words of God literally which is very wrong. So anyone who is a believer and living outside ther community is not save. This is heresy.