Bad Situation Or Divine Revelation?

Bad Situation Or Divine Revelation?

Nathaniel J. Chapman

Mary, Pregnant And Unmarried

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I am going to draw a picture. It's not gonna be pretty. Or maybe it will be. How you decide to look at it is in your hands. 

A young woman is unmarried and pregnant. She was never married to the father of the child, and is currently engaged to a man who is not the father; and was engaged to him at the time of the child's conception.

How would you view this woman? Perhaps a loose woman? Perhaps a woman who has a wandering heart? Maybe some of you are thinking she is a straight up whore?

 Now place that woman in a time, and place when such a woman would be punished by death for being found unfaithful to the man she was engaged to. Actually she would be stoned wether she was engaged or not.

Such was the case, and such was the setting  for Mary the mother of Jesus. We know the dilemma that occurred from Mary finding out she was pregnant by the work of the Lord through the anointing of the Holy Ghost. In fact it even came to the point that an angel had to go to Joseph her fiancé, and charge him to marry her, and not be afraid of the situation. This was going to be a messy life to many observing them. 

Now I am not writing this as a Christmas paper, nor am I writing this as an instructional advice entitled "Here's what to do if you get pregnant by the command of the Lord." This came to my mind when I was reminded by something somewhere in the hubbub of everyday life of the question that frustrates many,

"How could a loving God let bad things happen to good people?"

I don't know how often I have heard this question. It's right up there with the familiar line: "God only wants the best for you."

The problem with these phrases at times is that they rely heavily on the preconceived ideas of what each individual believes God will or will not do to those He loves. But we need to consider Mary's situation. A young engaged woman, excited for her soon and coming marriage, has the news from the Lord that she will become pregnant. To any other unwed woman of her time, this would have been a news of terror. For a young woman to find herself pregnant outside of marriage, from another man besides her fiancé nonetheless, this would have meant death, or a complete public shunning. Mary seemed to have had a different response. It's as though she had peace knowing it was the working of the Lord. How often is this the case for us when something "bad" happens? Do we immediately look to the negatives, and dwell on the "bad things that could happen"? The fact is God does allow bad things to happen to good people. Well that statement has some issues as well. There is none good no not one........except the good Lord Himself. Those "bad things" can be seen differently depending on how you look at the situation. Are you looking at it through the frail eyes of humanity, or peeking through the looking glass of heaven? You will see two different things, and have two very opposing outcomes depending on which one you look through. If we look back at that overly asked question, ("How could a loving God let bad things happen to good people?") perhaps we should consider the only good person that ever lived, and what the Father in heaven allowed Him to go through. There was a day when Christ was confronted by a rich young ruler, who sought to understand how he might obtain eternal life. When this young ruler reaches Jesus through the crowd, he cries out, "Good Master!" Jesus replied to Him in a very intriguing way by saying, "Why do you call Me good? There is only one good, that is God." Jesus puts this man in a place of decision, is Christ just simply another man in which there is no good, or is He truly the one true God thus calling Him good would be an accurate proclamation? As we who believe know to be true, Christ is the one true God, and He stands out as being good among the fallen. So when we consider that Christ came to suffer, to be mocked, and ultimately to die, this destroys any room for complaint and question as to why God allows bad things to happen to people. From the moment Christ came into the world, some "bad things" happened to "good people." These are not the only cases of such found in the scripture.

Joseph And His Crazy Messed Up Life

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I never got a chance to meet Joseph before he died, in fact anyone reading this has never met him, (If you think you have you may need to seek some help) but I can't help but think upon his life when it comes to "bad things happening." Of almost anyone in the scriptures recorded, Joseph stands out as a man who got royally screwed. From be hated by his brothers, then sold into slavery by them, one would think that would have been enough to cause Joseph to doubt in the goodness of God. From what we see in Genesis though, he never lost sight of the Lord through it all. But if being hated and sold by your brothers into slavery wasn't enough, Joseph was then horribly and falsely accused. When his brothers sold him, he was brought to Egypt, and purchased by Potiphar, and his wife. One day as Joseph was minding his own business as a faithful servant, Potiphar's wife came to him with the intentions to seduce him. Joseph, being the God fearing man he was, denied her seductions, and said, "How could I do such a thing against my God?!" 

 His master's wife in turn spread the lie that Joseph tried to force himself upon her, when in fact it was the opposite. So as the story goes, they capture Joseph, he lands in prison, and is left there till the day he died. Wait, that's not how it ended! A couple years into his prison sentence, Joseph interpreted a couple dreams for some fellow inmates. Later on the Pharaoh found out, and called for Joseph to reveal a dream for him as well. When Pharaoh was pleased with Joseph's interpretation he exalted Joseph, and made him second in command over all the land of Egypt! Wow! Now let me ask, was Joseph thinking to himself, "I'm so glad my brothers sold me into slavery!" Probably not. But years went by, and a famine hit Egypt and all the countries around it. Joseph's Dad, and his crappy brothers were dying for food, and decided to head to Egypt to buy some. Long story short, Joseph sees them, doesn't let them know it's him, tricks them, and reveals himself to them with loving, and forgiving arms. At this time Joseph makes a bold, and almost absurd statement. "What you intended for evil, God used for good!" For all those years that Joseph was mistreated, abandoned, abused and imprisoned, he could have thought "Why me? What did I ever do to deserve this?!" But when the time came, and his family was in dire need of food, it was from the evil intended by his brothers, the Lord used Joseph in Egypt to save them. Joseph recognized this and instead of saying, "How could a loving God let bad things happen to good people?" Joseph basically said, "God took what we saw as evil, and turned it for His good."

Egypt: The Bad, The Ugly, All For The Good

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There is some good, bad and flat out ugly history between Israel, and Egypt. It would seem as though for a moment during Joseph's life that there was some comfort, and rest for the people of Israel in Egypt. But as time would have it, that changed. Joseph passed away, and soon after, the new Pharaoh forgot who Joseph was. The people of Israel grew in number, and with it so the fear grew in the heart of Pharaoh that Israel would overtake Egypt. So Pharaoh placed upon the Israelites heavy burdens and tasks in hope that it would diminish their growth as a people. This would solve his dilemma. Or so he thought anyway. Problem for him was that Israel continued to grow and prosper. 

So in a horrible power trip, he commanded that any new born baby boy born to an Israelite should be cast into the river, and killed. It was during this murderous plot that God saw fit to bring into this world a child named Moses. Born an Hebrew, Moses's mother immediately set out to make sure her son survived the murderous onslaught. After making a wicker basket, she placed her son in it and set him in the river. Soon after, the daughter of Pharaoh found him there, took him home, and raised him as her own. In doing so, the scene was set, and the history of Moses and Israel leaving Egypt was soon to follow. Once again, God brought forth something beautiful out of something horribly bad. Too often we are focused on all the bad being done to us, and missing the beauty and wonder of the goodness of God that can be seen. Imagine what was going through each mind of the members in Moses's Hebrew family! Of all the babies being slaughtered, why was he saved? And in being saved, why was it Pharaoh's daughter that found him, and took him home as her own? Imagine if in the "bad" situations that arise in our lives, we sought to look and ask these kind of questions. What would the "bad" situations look like then? How would they effect us?

 I believe that we would begin to see these "bad situations" as opportunities for "divine revelations." We would begin to search out the mystery of God in the events that make no sense to us. We need to understand that "He who began a GOOD work is faithful to complete it in us" no matter how we judge our surroundings to be. 

 Think of men like Jim Elliot, a missionary who upon his first contact with the tribe he was seeking to reach, was brutally killed by them. What a terribly "bad situation!" To make this a "good situation," we would have seen him go over there, make contact with the tribe, preach the gospel, make many disciples, and return to tell us how awesome it all went. Instead, the Lord had other plans in store, and in turn a fire of action was set in motion. In the aftermath of Jim Elliot's death, many committed their lives to the work of the Lord, and the preaching of the gospel. Years later, Jim Elliot's wife would return to that tribe, and bring the gospel to them, making many disciples for Christ. So although the situation looked bad for Mr. Elliot, his death became, as it were, a foundation for ministries after him. We should always be on the lookout for what God is seeking to do in the midst of our tribulations. 

Paul And His Tough Life

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We all know Paul the apostle, the guy who penned the majority of the New Testament. If you don't know who he is, he's the guy that prior to his conversion made it his mission to drive out Christianity by means of prison, persecution, and/or death. He's the guy that stood by as Stephen, the first martyr, was stoned to death by the mob. He heard him cry out, "Lord Jesus receive my spirit. Lay not this sin to their charge." But soon after this event, Paul who was called Saul at the time, was met by the Lord on the road to Damascus. While traveling down a road that led to Damascus, Saul and his men were met by a bright light, the brightness of which caused the men to fall to the ground. Paul went on to converse with the Lord, and in turn came to know the Truth. But in this encounter, Paul ended up losing his eye sight. Now at a distance we might think, why would a loving God call someone to Him only to then take his eyesight from him? That seems a bit cruel, and unnecessary. But it was necessary for Paul to go blind, for in his blindness God used Paul to open up the Church's eyes to the power of the Lord's forgiveness, and truth of being born again. Upon losing his sight, and repenting, Paul was then sent by the Lord to the home of a believer where he would end up regaining his eyesight again. The Lord was using Paul's weakness to bring about His will, something Paul touched on later in his epistle.

2 Corinthians 12:9

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Paul saw that within the weaknesses that we may have, wether constant or occurring, we can be rest assured that the glory of the power of Christ will be found in them. How often we complain and cry out, "Why me God?!" when in actuality we should be thankfully awaiting what powerful work He is going to accomplish through us. 

 Paul had many trials and tribulations of which he could have complained about. But in each situation we the reader can see the power of the Lord at work. Paul did not have that luxury to see ahead, he had to walk by faith knowing God was in control. Think about when he was shipwrecked. He, and all the men on board barely made it out alive. But upon swimming to the Island of Melita, Paul had the opportunity to heal, by the power of Christ, many who were sick. This would not have come about had he not been shipwrecked. Throughout his trials and tribulations, Paul had one focus and one drive in life, this was evident when he said, "To live is Christ, and to die is gain." Whatever situations arose, whatever trials presented themselves, it didn't matter to Paul for this life was all about Christ and the preaching of the Gospel. The gain for Paul was found after this life. 

 We need to come to this same realization. When we rest all good things as being in this life, we diminish the grandness in our minds of what's to come. It is then that we become frustrated by these momentary trials and ask such questions as,

"Why me God?"

"Why would a loving God let bad things happen to good people?"

All Things Work Together For Good

The Conclusion

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The history of the Church that followed after the life of Paul, and the disciples, was one filled with persecution of indescribable pain, and suffering upon the Church. Some were drug by ropes down roads by horses till they died, others hung upside down on crosses, some beaten, mocked, and tortured. Yet in all this the Church continued to grow, and the passion with which the Church continued  to preach the gospel with was as a roaring fire in a forest of dead trees. The realization to the saints was that these "bad things" were for the good, and to the glory of God, and that wether they lived or died, they were the Lord's. Today we seem to have a much different message. I remember a while back I was having a discussion on the whole end times/rapture issue and someone said that they did not believe the Church would go trough the tribulation because "God wouldn't let His bride suffer." Really?! Then how do we explain all the pain and suffering the early church endured? Or how about the 400 years that Israel was enslaved to Egypt? Or even Joseph's life sufferings? Or even yet, if God wouldn't allow bad things to happen to good people, why then did He allow Cain to kill Abel? Actually, let's go one more step, if God would not allow suffering to fall upon His children, why then did He allow His only begotten Son Christ Jesus to die on a cross? 

 To say that God does not allow "bad" things to happen to "good" people denies millions of believers before their salvation. For since they suffered they must not have been His children. Such is not the case.

 What we need to do is "take up our cross and follow the Lord." We need to realize that just as Christ endured the cross for the joy that was set before Him, we ought to seek out the joy that follows our trials, and the reward that comes after the pain. Like a woman who has endured much labor to birth her child, we need to look forward to that which is to come from the trials we endure.

God allows bad things to happen to His people, but we need not fret because "we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."

-Nathaniel

Church-The Broken Family

Church-The Broken Family

In a time when the term "family" has lost almost all sense of it's true meaning, it is no extreme surprise that it has lost some of it's most important elements it terms of the Church family. For some, the physical aspects of family remain as they were designed: Man, Woman, Children. For others it has become something of a more liberal view, that as long as the emotion of love is there, the family set up is of no importance. And yet for others the term family has no real meaning or value. But despite which view one might take, all would agree that there is great brokeness in the families of this generation. This is true even in the heavenly family here on this mortal dwelling earth. Some might view the family of God as being a spiritual representation of a physical family. Others might view it as a building. While some may treat it as low as a club, with memberships and all. But if each were to take a moment in scripture, it would be easily found that the Church was and is viewed by the Lord as His family. It would seem though, that just as the physical families of today are plagued with so many problems, so is the Church. But for each family there is always a lineage and heritage for which each individual can learn lessons of what to do and what not to do. This is also true in the family of God.

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, Hebrews 12:1a

With that said let us learn from the heart and pursuit of our early Church "ancestry."

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Now depending on your views of when or where the Church actually began, you might find it interesting that I am starting us in Genesis. But it seems the logical place to "begin."

So he sent his brethren away, and they departed: and he said unto them, See that ye fall not out by the way. Genesis 45:24

This of course is Joseph speaking to his brothers upon his sending them back to his father to proclaim his where abouts and the fact that he still lived. Odd it may seem that I am bringing up such a verse, but in light of the fact that the life of Christ is seen so much in Jospeh, there is something to learn from this. In the Gospels we find that Christ no longer refered to His disciples as servants but rather brothers. Then He commands His "brothers" to love one another. Romans 12:9 commands that that love be without dissimulation. In other words undissembled. It is to be a unified love with no room for quarrels or strife. When Joseph commanded his brothers to go and "fall not out by the way," he was admonishing them to keep guard that they do not quarrel in their journey together, for in doing so they would become undissembled and the task incomplete. This is the same reason Christ commands that we love one another as brothers, with a unified love. Just as Joseph gave his brethren the task to proclaim that he in fact was still alive, so Christ commands His brethren to do the same and proclaim His life! That is why we are commanded to love and not quarrel, for in such love the family of God can accomplish much!

Love does not dominate; it cultivates. Johann Wolfgang Goethe

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But with every family and with every loved one, there also comes those times when we must learn forbearance. Not every one we meet is going to seem like an angel. And even those who do, are not always easy to forbear! The interesting thing is, when it comes to family, no matter how one might view them, they are still family. For instance, if I had a cousin I couldn't stand being around I could take one of two options for our relationship.

1) shun him and disown him as family

Or

2) forbear with the things that he does that drive me up the wall and still love him as family

Either option, family is always family no matter what I choose. But let's once again look at an example in scripture I think we can glean off of. This time though, I won't take us as far back in the old testiment.

But ten men were found among them that said unto Ishmael, Slay us not: for we have treasures in the field, of wheat, and of barley, and of oil, and of honey. So he forbare, and slew them not among their brethren.

Jeremiah 41:8

Obscure passage you might believe, and may not even recognize. Prior to verse five, we find that this man Ishmael was a wicked man. He led a team of men on a mission to slay all the Jews. But in this passage it says that he forbear with these ten men and slew them not. For what purpose? Because from these men he saw something he could gain from them if they were to live. Had he killed them, he would have then had to take care of the crops himself. Now how does this apply to a family forbearing with one another? Simply this. If the most wicked of men was able to find within himself the ability to forbear, because he saw something good in those he hated; how much more should the righteous forbear with those who are called brothers? For if the brother be found a child of God, washed by the shed blood of Christ, should not that be enough to forbear? No matter what be the cause or need to forbear.

Our Lord has many weak children in his family, many dull pupils in his school, many raw soldiers in his army, many lame sheep in his flock. Yet he bears with them all, and casts none away. Happy is that Christian who has learned to do likewise with his brethren. J.C. Ryle

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How amazing it is to see the Church family in Acts; how they lived, fellowshipped and worked in unity. Frankly, the book of Acts gives the present day Church something to be ashamed of, that is; our own present state. Of all the "hard to follow" examples given to us by scripture, the layout of the early Church seems to be the most unreachable example of them all. Where does one find a single group, made up of thousands of people, who live in unity with one common purpose, without there being fear of rules or punishment? The closest we could come to finding such would be perhaps the Amish. But even they have divisions of beliefs, fear of rules, and at the present moment the Truth is causing great shaking in the falsehoods of thier traditions.

Within every known religous viewpoint, there is always found to be different sects and branches of it. Even within those offshoots there are found many differences which usually cause a breaking away at some point. Only in the account of the early Church, as clearly shown in Acts 2 and 4, do we see a unified people, with a common purpose. Sadly enough, it didn't last long, as any reader of Paul's writings would see, divisions eventually arose within the early Church. Now with that said let's look at the layout of Acts 2. There is a point to be made of which I will attempt to make.

And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. Acts 2:42-47

If you are a believer who finds himself on Sunday fellowshipping with the saints in a home rather then a Traditional style building known as a church, Acts 2:42-47 will be a common verse to your ears. But although many home churches and traditional churches seek to have that same mindset as the early believers, I believe we fall short.

The early believers did not just become one in spirit, they became in essence one in life. All things they possessed became common, that all might be blessed and that all might be able to work as a unit. What the world may have viewed as merely a group of friends or deem as a religious fanatical group, they viewed each other as family. But this was the mindset Christ himself had towards his disciples.

But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

Matthew 12:48-50

How surprising would hat be to hear? Imagine visiting an Aunt or Uncle and instead of being welcomed in, you hear that they believe their family to be those who you view as nothing more then their friends. But Christ made it clear as day; His mother and His siblings were not His family due to physical blood. If you were of His family it was determined by wether you were of the Father in heaven and not if you shared the same DNA.

Our spiritual family is defined not by physical blood or government paper, it is defined by those who have been bought by the blood of Christ, and follow through with the will of God.

For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

Ephesians 3:14-15

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Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. James 5:13-16

Such passages seem to leave no room for solo-Christianity. It is as though we are called to be, as it were, transparent.

The dictionary (on the dashboard of my MacBook) defines transparent, in terms of a human attribute, as: having thoughts, feelings or motives that are easily perceived.

I believe such a state of mind is what all Christians are called to have towards God, and towards one another. The flip side to this would be to have a closed off mind, and keep things to ones own self. This, dear reader, is the mind of the western culture. All through scripture we read how man kind would come to a place where all did "that which was right in his own eyes." Such a state of mind was frowned above by the Lord. We were not created or called to work within our own selves, but rather we are to work in Christ and in each other. This is so crucial if any body of believers has hope to remain in fellowship. We must be able to allow ourselves to be easily perceived, as well as ready to reach out to those who are allowing themselves to be the same. If our brother mourns, mourn with him! If our sister rejoices, rejoice with her! Can a marriage last without communication between the spouses? Can siblings grow as family without apologies for wrong doings? The answer is no. Open communication with our brothers and sisters is of utmost importance if we seek to have a relationship with the saints around us. Why should we perceive each other as the family of God if we only treat one another as friends? In some cases, friends (whether in the world or not) can be found more open towards one another then the family of God is to those in it. Perhaps, this is because the family of God has forgotten another major attribute it needs to work as a united people: Trust.

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In the process of writing this, I took time to ask those around me (both saved and unsaved) what a family needs to work as a family should. I received much of the same answers: God, love, good attitudes, etc. But one person mentioned trust. I believe trust is not only important to the a family in general, it is crucial in any relationship that plans to stick through thick and thin. If there is not trust between a husband and wife, the crumbling of a marriage is around the corner. If a there is a lack of trust between siblings, you will soon find them spending more time with friends then family. Trust is so vital in a relationship, for if there is no trust, there is no openness of heart but rather fear of how open to be. So I gave trust some thought.

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:11:

but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.

As much as the apostles had confidence in their standings with God, they desired a good standing with the saints as well. Paul did not write with thoughts of mistrust towards the saints, as though some may think bad of him; he wrote to them believing the best and trusting in the relationship he had with them through Christ. This made it easier for him to be able to write letters of reproof to certain churches and letters of encouragement to others, and vise versa. For even those he wrote to reprove, he still referred to as and considered to be brothers. It would make sense then that Christ would command us to leave our offering at the altar and make amends with our brothers before we offer it to Him. (Matt. 5:23:24) He wants the family of God in order before anything else moves forward. But with different issues that arise in the family of God, there is a great need for trust. I speak of the ability to trust each other, that wether it is in edification or reproof, it is all said and done for the spiritual growth and betterment of our brothers and sisters.

To those who have something against another, there is much to be learned from scripture. In 2 Timothy 4:2 we read,

Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

Now before anything, let us remember that we ought to be in prayer without ceasing. So when the need to reprove a brother arises, prayer is a vital key to a good start. But notice what Paul commands us to do when we reprove or rebuke; we are to longsuffer and speak according to doctrine. I stand on the understanding that we must realize that our brothers might not agree with our every reproof, thus we need to have a heart of longsuffering. In the same sense, we must realize that criticism without an answer of how one might make amends is, in a practical sense, worthless. That is why it is key that when reproving a brother it must be done in doctrine. So when reproving a brother we must keep the scriptures as our center for the accusations we are bringing forward. Otherwise our reproving has no ground to stand on in terms of the family of God. This means that what we speak must be done for the growth of our relationship with our brother or sister we are at odds with. This means we should make time to seek the Lord as to what we say and what we should not say. This means for the sake of our brother or sister, we must make time to keep the unity in the family of God. But again, this brings me back to trust. In such situations as bringing an accusation to another, the amount of trust between the two can make a difference as to the outcome of the situation. If the hearer has no trust for the reprover, he will most likely receive the reproof with a heavy ear. That is to say: he won't listen! As well, if the reprover has no trust that the hearer will consider his words, he may not feel open to even share his concerns. In this, the brother who is possibly at fault won't ever know due to the lack of trust others have towards him. Although some could argue that the burden falls upon each man to be the first to show trust.

Learning to trust is one of life's most difficult tasks. Isaac Watts

Here are some anagrams that may help me to explain what I'm trying to get at.

The trust the hearer has for the brother who has "ought against him;"

Timely

Reaction

Unites

Souls

Together

In this, I am referring to the fact that when confronted by a brother, it is best to give the subject some thought instead of being "quick to speak." In lending time to the matter, this reveals ones desire to search out such accusations. In doing this, the relationship between the two will strengthen for the spiritual growth of them both.

The trust the reprover has towards the brother he is reproving;

Thoughtful

Reproof

Ultimately

Seeks

Trust

In this, I am trying to drive home the fact that when a brother goes to another for the purpose of reproof, he should go with a heart that seeks the best for his brother, all the while proving to his brother he seeks nothing more. In doing so, the reprover will gain trust from the hearer and a greater bond in the relationship will arise.

The sad thing is that in most situations it is hard to deny ourselves when confronted. Our own image is at question, and it is hard to crucify the flesh. The flip side is that it is also hard to confront. The fear of being received as an enemy, and thus rejected, leaves most brothers silent in their concerns. Thus we have churches filled with people trying to fight their own battles instead of seeking help from their fellow brothers and sisters. All because the trust that should be evident in the spiritual family relationships is at a great loss in our midst. It is time that we begin the healing process and seek a deep restoration in our spiritual relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ. It is time that we begin to trust. Trust that the family of God has only our best interest in mind.

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Perhaps one aspect of any man, woman, child or family that makes the greatest difference in their productivity is a simple goal. The wisest of the wise once wrote,

Where there is no vision, the people perish: Proverbs 29:18

If we never have something to work for, or look to, what purpose do we have at all? Perhaps with my next illustration the term "shoot for" would be the best example to use.

Imagine you are given a group of hockey players. You supply them with pads, helmets, hockey sticks and a puck. You place them on the ice rink and give the instruction to then play hockey. But in all that you provided, the one thing you did not give them was a simple metal frame with a net: also known as a goal. Before long the players realize their lack of a goal, and begin to question the purpose of even playing with the puck. You hear one call out, "Pass me the puck" and another ask, "What for?" If there is no goal for which the players are to shoot for, the question of why they are even on the ice with a hockey stick and puck would make complete sense to ask.

Now imagine you are beholding a group of people who are brought together in one place. They are given a Bible, spiritual armor, spiritual gifts, and a call to meet together. But as a group they have no goal for which to shoot for. Is it to hard to believe that some might not come or others might begin to question why they are even there if they have no goal to pursue? I believe Paul saw that such a goal needed to be clarified, and so he made sure to clear the matter up.

And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

Ephesians 4:11-13

That there is our purpose; our mark; our goal to shoot for. Gathering on sunday, praying together, breaking bread; such things are good but they are not the final product we are to press on towards. They are the "passing the puck" requirements for a well functioning body. But the unity of the faith, the knowledge of the Son of God for the purpose of becoming a perfect man as Christ was on earth; that is our goal and our mark for which we are call to press on towards. When we "pass the puck" (pray, teach, break bread, etc.) we do it for the purpose of unity. If we do it only because we are told to; and we find ourselves without a goal; then we should not be surprised to find some questioning their reason for teaching or praying or dare I say: gathering.

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A pharisee is hard on others and easy on himself, but a spiritual man is easy on others and hard on himself. A.W. Tozer

A lot of problems arise amidst friends, family, coworkers, and just about everyone else when one person thinks himself better then another. Such a sinful mindset was a very noticeable issue amongst the Pharisees. In reference to the Pharisees, Christ described them by saying they,

Love the uppermost rooms at the feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.

Matthew 23:6-7

With the exception of a few, the Pharisees enjoyed viewing themselves as the leaders of Israel. They enjoyed performing their "righteous" acts in public so as to be seen by men. But how does such an attitude point the world towards a closer relationship with the Father?

As always though Christ did not just take time to reveal the faults of the Pharisees without a purpose or goal. Only a few verses later we read:

But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. Matthew 23:11-12

Such a concept of being a servant to those you are to lead was not a concept the Pharisees had a grasp on. But to have the mindset of a servant and the attitude of viewing those around you as brothers and sisters instead of servants is of a huge importance in the family of God. What family can withstand the storms of life if the children think they rule each other? Now there is the aspect of maturity, and with maturity comes wisdom for those not yet at that level to gain from. But in the family of God we are to work as a team, as a unit. Brother to brother, hand in hand. If one thinks he needs not his brothers and sisters, or that by some "righteous act" he has been elevated to a higher place of spirituality then those around him, then he has been very much misguided.

For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;

Romans 12:3, 10

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In all this, I believe that much of our mindset towards the family of God is determined by where our priorities lay. The greatest confusion I see though is that many seem to think that the physical family responsibilities are somehow separate from the spiritual family. As if when a man is called by God to do something, he has to find time aside from his family to fulfill it. I know of many missionaries who regret to this day that instead of sharing the calling of the Lord with their whole family, they shipped their kids off else where. Saints, if God commands a man to accomplish a task, He is calling that man's wife and children as well. But sadly men in the Church act as if they have to first deal with their families problems so that they can then go off and take care of their spiritual families issues. But as rough as it may be to bring up such a verse, I feel I must.

If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:26

Am I saying that we must not love our physical family? No. And neither is Christ. But we are given a challenge: where do our priorities lay? If our love for Christ is greater then our love for our families, then we will be more apt to carry out the will of the Father. Am I saying that a man must deny his responsibilities as a father and husband? By no means. But his responsibilities were not given to him as a stumbling block in his obedience to his heavenly Father, nor in his role in the family of God. Ask yourself: Do I value my children more then the will of God? The answer can clear up a lot of things.

So if we are truly ready to work and live and carry on as the family of God, we must set our priorities straight. We must realize our need for each other. We must have a un-dividing love for all saints. We must realize that the family of God cannot work as a family until the members within view each other as family! We must learn to forbear with one another. Within each church we ought to seek the will of the Father for the spiritual growth of the body. All this is for the purpose that we all grow in the knowledge of Christ unto a perfect man. That in the process of it all we

May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Ephesians 3:18-19

I do not wish to step on any toes, but I desire to play what ever part I can in the body of Christ for the sake of my brothers and sisters who I have in the family of God. For I have gained much encouragement, edification and admonition from such, and to such I must perform the same as well. This is our duty towards one another in the family of God!

Brother Nathaniel

While The Church Warms Her Hands

Have you ever stumbled upon something in scripture and felt like you just found something no one else had? Well I began to look into the endings of the four gospels, during the time when Christ was on trial. I was looking at them in regards to Peter’s actions revolving around the trial at hand. But before I get to far into sharing what I have seen portrayed in that event I want to take a look at a passage just prior to it. Let’s begin with the familiar scene of the last supper. With Christ and Peter being the center of our focus.

And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.
And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me. Luke 22:31-34

If you noticed the Lord has just stated that Satan had desired to sift Peter as wheat, and he doesn’t say he stopped him from doing so. Instead He indicates that Peter will be sifted, and will have to be converted. If I haven’t said it before I will say it now, I love Peter because he is one who makes the boldest statements of all the disciples, falls the hardest, and learns the quickest. I can relate to this man more than the other eleven. Upon hearing such words from Jesus, one would think Peter would fall on his knees seeking for strength and a way out from the desires of Satan. Instead Peter leans on his own strength by saying that both in prison and death he would follow Christ. This would appear to be what leads him to deny Christ three times as we will read in a moment. I wanted to read this passage to sort of set the scene a bit more as we will now turn to my favorite of the four Gospels: The Gospel of John.

By this time Jesus has been taken from the garden, by the soldiers and religious leaders. All the disciples have run just as Christ predicted when He said that all would be offended. But if you look at Mark 14:29 you will see Peter once again makes a bold statement that he would never be offended of Christ even though all others were. In this next passage I am going to break it down instead of looking at it in one large portion.

And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple: that disciple was known unto the high priest, and went in with Jesus into the palace of the high priest.

We see so far that Peter is remaining true to his promise. When all others ran in offense, Peter followed, as Christ was lead away.

But Peter stood at the door without. Then went out that other disciple, which was known unto the high priest, and spake unto her that kept the door, and brought in Peter.
Then saith the damsel that kept the door unto Peter, Art not thou also one of this man's disciples? He saith, I am not.

Already Peter is offended. He hasn’t even taken more then two steps into the palace of the high priest and he is already denying the very one whom he declared was “the Christ, the Son of the living God.” John 6:69

And the servants and officers stood there, who had made a fire of coals; for it was cold: and they warmed themselves: and Peter stood with them, and warmed himself.

As I came upon this I was struck with the thought that it was the soldiers and servants of the high priest who made the fire. Peter was allowing himself to take comfort in what the world had prepared for their own comfort, while Christ was only a short distance away on trial. Peter’s attitude prior to Christ being arrested was that he would follow Christ through thick and thin. But as we have read instead of standing by Christ side, Peter is off warming his hands with the very ones who arrested his Master.

The high priest then asked Jesus of his disciples, and of his doctrine.
Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing.
Why askest thou me? ask them which heard me, what I have said unto them: behold, they know what I said.
And when he had thus spoken, one of the officers which stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, Answerest thou the high priest so?
Jesus answered him, If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why smitest thou me?
Now Annas had sent him bound unto Caiaphas the high priest.

I found it very interesting that this scene of the trial was sandwiched between Peter warming his hands and then denying the Lord. Here is the reason why. In the gospel of Mark we see that all the witnesses testifying against Christ were so false that even the Pharisees were seeking a true testimony. (Mark 14:53-56) Here in John we see that Christ is now seeking a witness for Himself. Why would the Pharisees ask Christ to speak on what He openly taught? Shouldn’t they not ask those who heard Him? And yet right there in that very room, warming his hands with the wicked stood the very one who truly knew who the Accused was. The Son of God! In silence, as the false accusations continued the stable faith of Peter began to weaken. Another thing to take note on is that the false accusers and testifiers were quoting Christ’s exact words. They had the knowledge of what He said, but not the understanding of what He spoke. If they had known they would have realized that though they destroyed the temple, in three days he would rebuild it once again, for no grave could hold Him down. John 2:19/ Matthew 26:61

And Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. They said therefore unto him, Art not thou also one of his disciples? He denied it, and said, I am not.
One of the servants of the high priest, being his kinsman whose ear Peter cut off, saith, Did not I see thee in the garden with him?
Peter then denied again: and immediately the cock crew. John 18:15-27

We have now come down to the final point for Peter, He has denied the Lord once already and just as prophesied he denies twice more that he never knew Christ. Luke reveals that upon Peter’s third denial, the Lord looked upon Peter. Luke 22:61

The reason I have taken the time to look into this is not for the purpose of slamming Peter. Rather I see in this event a sad but very close resemblance to the Church. Now please hear me out, if this does not convict you then perhaps it is not for you personally. I am not one to preach or teach something and say you all better feel convicted as I am. What I saw in this was that Christ is once again on trial before the world. They are seeking witnesses, and what they are getting are those who know a Jesus but not the Jesus. They are hearing from those who know the scriptures but do not understand the scriptures. It has become so horrendous that not only is the Lord seeking a true witness, the world has begun to seek out a true understanding of who Christ is and what He taught. Where are those who understand? Where are those who said that through thick and thin, prison and death, trial and pain they would follow all the way with Christ? Sadly they are standing in the same courtyard, hearing all the false teachings and doctrines of cults about who Christ is and they are remaining silent. Not only that, but even worse they are warming themselves by a fire which their Father did not provide but the very ones who have drug their Lord around and placed Him on trial prepared. They are, comforted by the accusers while the Lord is being accused. When will they open their mouths? Many are opening their own mouths but not with the truth, only with what appears to be. It is our calling to show forth the One True Jesus, to proclaim His name for all to hear.

As I felt convicted and began to realize the size such a task has become I wondered if Peter had anything to say about this in his epistle. Many times in his epistles Peter seems to reference back to his dealings with Christ. Such as when Christ asked him to feed the sheep, John 21:16 Peter then commands the elders to feed the flock. 1 Peter 5:2 Here is what I found.

Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

It is as if Peter is referring back to when Christ looked upon him after his denial. Christ looked upon Peter and found him without peace, with spot, and much to be blamed. Not that Christ goes around casting blame upon His sheep, but Peter was found unfaithful to his own claims. This is in part due to the fact that his claims of what he would do for Christ were based upon his own strength.

And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

This is exactly the very picture of the false accusers Peter heard on that very dark night in which Christ was on trial. They were unlearned, unstable and they were in some sense wrestling with one another in what they stated, carrying themselves to their own destruction.

Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.

And then Peter uses a word, which I love to read in scripture. He calls us beloved. He warns us to not do as he did. We know the truth, so let us not be led away by the wicked to the fire for warmth, in doing so it will lead us to fall from the stable foundation to which we are built upon. Look at Peter, he knew who Christ was, but he allowed himself to be led towards the comfort of his flesh and in turn fell from his stability and denied his King. Let us heed this warning.

But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. 2 Peter 3:14-18

Peter found grace in the resurrected Lord. He found knowledge in the death and resurrection and power of Christ. He is showing us that our hands are not for warming by a fire but rather for work, so let us be about the work of the ministry. Let us grow in grace for it is the only thing that will give us strength to carry on when we fall, and let us grow in understanding so that when we are strong we can be the witness Christ desires, and the testifier the world needs!

In Christ,
Brother Nathaniel

The Fellowship Of The Saints

The Layout Of The Meeting

Before I begin I would like to say one thing, that in all things we as the Church must be careful so as not to take things by the letter of the law, but by the Spirit.

In today’s American church the set up is very much the same. One pastor, two to three elders; perhaps a deacon, Sunday school teachers, and the usual crowd that shows up each Sunday. On a normal given Sunday around 9:00am Sunday school starts ending around 10:00am. Then from 10:30am worship starts with around five songs pre-picked by the worship leader, perhaps to better suite the pastor’s sermon. Following the time of worship the pastor relays his message for the day, after this everyone rises to leave and the meeting of the body of Christ is over. Now I want to be careful on how I write this, for to some this may seem over the top. Is the diagram of the church layout in American society scriptural? At this point I could do as many believers do when writing about Theology and Christian living, I could ramble on and on about my own knowledge. I will do that most likely, be assured, but first I believe we need to look to the scriptures first.

Order In the Church, Order In The Church

In 1 Corinthians 14, Paul is dealing with order in the church, something I believe has been abused in the denominational church and yet forgotten by many of the home churches.

1 Corinthians 14:23-26
If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?
But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all:
And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.
¶How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.

In verse 23-24, notice that Paul gives an hypothesis; a what if. That what if, is that if all the church comes together, and all speak with tongues. These verses immediately raise a question in my mind. How could all speak in tongues or prophesy if on Sunday it is the pastor who shares his message? Paul shows in vs. 26 the answer to this seemingly confusing mishap between today’s church and the scriptures. He first asks a question. How is it then, brethren? Or, How should it be brothers? The way the church should function when together is everyone either has a psalm, doctrine, tongue, revelation, or interpretation. We must remember that we are the body of Christ. How useful is an arm that plays not out its role for the body? It is useless. So then we as the body of Christ should all be moving and working for the sole purpose that the rest of the body might be edified to the glory of the Lord.

1 Corinthians 12:4-12
Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
¶For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.

So what things could be done in the church for the edification of the church? Well one of course is teaching, which teaching is a gift. So let us look at another great passage.

Ephesians 4:9-16
(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

Following the ascension of Christ into glory, the anointing of the Holy Ghost, gifts were given. As the purpose of the saints is to edify the body as shown in the previous passage, God has supplied gifts to His children that they might better build up the body of Christ. Now let us carefully look at each one of these gifts. Let us scrutinize and not legalize.

The Five Gifts Of Ephesians

Apostles
apostolos -- pronounced: ap-os'-tol-os
from 649; a delegate; specially, an ambassador of the Gospel; officially a commissioner of Christ ("apostle") (with miraculous powers): KJV -- apostle, messenger, he that is sent.

In today’s words: a missionary. Although many argue that there are no longer apostles these today’s, that is simply untrue. If anything, there are more sent out into all the world then there were in the early church, due of course to the growth of the church since then.


Prophets
profetes -- pronounced: prof-ay'-tace
from a compound of 4253 and 5346; a foreteller ("prophet"); by analogy, an inspired speaker; by extension, a poet: KJV -- prophet.

Although throughout the Old Testament a prophet usually spoke of future events, the gift of prophesy is more then that alone. A prophet is merely one who speaks at a certain moment by the very inspiration of God.

Evangelists
euangelistes -- pronounced: yoo-ang-ghel-is-tace'
from 2097; a preacher of the gospel: KJV -- evangelist.

The evangelist is much like the apostle, only instead of being sent out from the local body of believers into the world, he rather remains local as a preacher of the gospel.

Pastors
poimen -- pronounced: poy-mane'
of uncertain affinity; a shepherd (literally or figuratively): KJV -- shepherd, pastor.

Although today’s American church would view otherwise, I look at the gift of pastor as merely one, who just as a shepherd, watches out and cares for the spiritual and physical needs of the body. This is the same command to the elders. In fact the same Greek word for pastors used in Ephesians 4 is the same Greek word for elders used in 1 Peter. Peter exhorts the elders to feed the flock. He goes further by saying they need not be lords over the flock, but rather examples. (1 Peter 5:1,3) For, there is only One Shepherd who is Lord over the flock, the others just care for them as examples to the others to do so as well. Todays church view of a pastor is a mix-mash of both teacher and pastor into one. I am not saying that a pastor cannot have the gift of teaching, but that the gift of teaching is different from the gift of pastoring. I believe that an elder and a pastor are dealing with the same gift and calling as they both come from the same Greek word.

Teachers
didaskalos -- pronounced: did-as'-kal-os
from 1321; an instructor (genitive case or specially): KJV -- doctor, master, teacher.

This gifting is simply having a better ability to project the truth of the word to the believers, whether it is the tough meat for the mature believer, or the milk for the newly saved.

The Five Bars Of The Tabernacle

If we turn to the Old Testament we will find a great picture of what Corinthians 4 is describing. In almost every aspect the Old Testament was historical, but it also extends further as a picture how of the church was to work.

Exodus 26:26-28
And thou shalt make bars of shittim wood; five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle,
And five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the side of the tabernacle, for the two sides westward.
And the middle bar in the midst of the boards shall reach from end to end.

If you have ever built a fence before you would know that if you leave your fence posts standing in the ground alone for to long, the weather and elements of the climate will begin to twist and warp the posts. But if you place your fencing on immediately, your posts will remain straight and stable, come what may. The tabernacle was much the same way in its design. It’s posts or boards as described were held together by five bars, one of which reached from one end to the other. If you turn to Ephesians 2:20 you will find that the Apostles and Prophets were the foundation of the church. I believe that middle bar as found in Exodus could very well be a picture of the evangelist, as the calling of making disciples is sent forth to all the saints. But that is up for interpretational debate. What I am trying to show in these scriptures from both the old and new Testament is that without the five bars or the five gifts in use, the boards of the church will over time become twisted and deformed perhaps even beyond repair. If all the gifts are not in use the walls of the church are in dire danger. So many churches today mark off apostles and prophets as being a thing of the past. Then they take the gifts of pastor and teacher and try to squeeze them together into some mega gift that certain people with a degree obtain. All in all by doing so, the church at large has removed the foundation of the church, the apostles and prophets, and has taken away the working of the Spirit in the midst of the meetings by simply handing out gifts in the form of a paper diploma. This is not found in scripture nor is it seen in early church history. We must be careful so as not to hinder the Holy Ghost, and we must needs be cautious so as not to mold the church in an unbiblical setting for the sake of traditional secular ways. Scriptural truth must supercede all human notions of church function.

“All Ye Are Brethren”

Matthew 23:8-12
But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.
And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.
But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

The intent that God seems to make so very clear for the church is that we are all on one level, that level is simply based upon the calling and working of God. This is clearly lost in the Catholic Church. Going from the Pope down to the priest, this is considered the positions that God speaks through in the Catholic religion. The congregation has no need for biblical studies, just the hearing of the daily sermon from the priest. We can see how this goes against what God desired from the beginning. Turn to Exodus and there we will find that with Israel, God desired to speak directly to them Himself. He no longer wanted them to have to go through Moses, He desired a relationship with them. Yet it was due to their sin that they could not all hear from God but had to wait for Moses to bring the word of God to them.

Exodus 20:18-22
¶And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.
And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.
And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.
And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.
¶And the LORD said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.

The Lord desired greatly to be able to speak directly to His people. But because they were fearful and unbelieving and because the Spirit of the God was not in them, they left the task for one man to bring to them. In the end the Lord took this burden from Moses and laid it upon the priests and prophets of the tabernacle. But as seen in Acts, after the ascension of Christ to His throne, by the power of the Holy Ghost to which He left for the church, we have all become priests. It is not left to only a certain tribe, but to one tribe, the tribe of Jesus Christ.

Acts 2:1
¶And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

1 Peter 2:9-10
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

So Christ has made us all partakers in the church. As priests we all have our duties before God to perform in the meeting. If we heed not the working of the Spirit but rather stand back due to the schedule or layout of the traditional church, so prevalent in America, we become a useless part on the body of Christ. God forbid that we should become that. As Peter puts it, we are a royal priesthood. Let us be faithful to the calling and duties to which God so desires to work through us for the edification, admonition, encouragement, and even correction of the brethren around us. If we slack in our work, the fence posts of the church will become twisted and unworkable in hard times, and in due time even non-repairable. I fear the traditional church is already there. Let us take caution in this world, and action in the Word of God.

Wells Of Salvation

John 4:13-14, 21-24
Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

Jesus makes it clear to the woman at the well. It is from Him that we receive the water of life, and that by Him we will have a well springing up inside of us. Isaiah prophesied of this in chapter 12.

.Isaiah 12:3-4
Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.
¶And in that day shall ye say, Praise the LORD, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted.

The Lord has made us wells of salvation. As wells of salvation the church is able to draw from one another. As vs.4 shows that we not only draw from the brethren, but we also must spring forth the truth and declare the doings of the Lord among the people. This is what the Lord desired to do with Israel in Exodus, and what Christ stated as being done through Him. The well springing up was no longer subject to the Levite priests, but rather to the whole church; for we all are priests. Jesus continues in Gospel of John, showing that not only is the Spirit now working in all for the edification of the saints, but that He is not limited to location. He works where He wants and how He wants for the one purpose: to accomplish God’s eternal purpose.

John 4:21-24
Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Then He explains that worship of the Lord among the saints is no longer subject to physical locations such as the temples in Jerusalem or the mountains of Israel. So bodily ministry is not something that the “home churches” do, but it is something all fellowships when meeting together should be practicing. Whether it is the mid week Bible study or the Sunday morning meeting, the Church needs to be listening to the voice of the Lord and allowing Him to use them at any give moment, so that all may draw from the well Christ has placed in them. I am not saying that all men are teachers, but all men should be open to teach should the Lord desire to have them do so. 2 Timothy 2:23 shows us that “the servant of the Lord must be apt to teach.” Let us not hinder the working of the Holy Ghost, but let us spring forth the river life that should be, if not is, flowing out from our inner most being. We are one body, the body of Christ Jesus, let us act as such that God might be glorified, the saints be edified, and the lost be mystified as they were in Acts 2.