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How can the Body of Christ be one body and yet be so divided as it is today? Members of one denomination often will not fellowship with those of another because of differences in belief or custom. An attitude of disrespect is all too often displayed by members of various Christian groups or assemblies toward people of other sects and/or denominations. There seems to be such a difference in beliefs among these people who are professing to be believers in the same Bible. Many of these people also seem to be so very intolerant of those who are members of a different denomination.

Most towns or villages will have several assemblies, each a different denomination. Sometimes there will be two branches of a denomination included in those in a town. And of course the large cities will have many of each. This is contrary to the teaching of Scripture for there was a (single) church in Ephesus, a (single) church in Corinth, a (single) church in Philippi, a (single) church in Colosse, a (single) church in Thessalonica. In all these cases, and others which could be listed, the group of believers was identified only as "The Church at Ephesus" or "The Church at Thessalonica" or as in 1 Corinthians 16:19, The Churches of Asia and the church that meets at the house of Aquila and Priscilla. "The churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house."

Denominations result when some individuals within an assembly with a differing opinion, split off to form their own group. There are multiplied hundreds of denominations in existence today. Most of these have differences based upon man's opinion, tradition or custom rather than Scripture.

Are we who have accepted Christ as our savior not all brothers and sisters in the same Lord? Why then must we each have our own ‘church?' Why are we separated one from the other over traditions and customs with very little, if any, Scriptural basis? Why should the parting of ones hair on the left, or the right, make us enemies? Or why is the question of using wine or grape juice important enough to go to war about? These types of issues are merely questions of tradition and/or custom having no real eternal difference. Let us instead focus all of our resources toward seeking the face of Him who is the Head of us who are His Body. As we do that we will then want to do all those things He has commanded us to do and be.

(Ephesians 1:20-23), "Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all."

The sectarian or denominational walls separating believers had been an issue which kept my wife and myself from accepting the free gift of salvation for many years. We were both raised outside the ‘organized church.' Our parents were not even occasional attendees of any recognized church assembly, denomination or religion during our ‘growing up' years at home. When we finally did accept the ‘Good News of the Gospel' We were in our mid-40's, but it was not in a church assembly setting. We were in occasional fellowship with other believers but it was well over a year before we began attending a church assembly. And that was because we were constantly being told this is what you need to do. Our grounding came from reading Scripture with the Holy Spirit revealing His Truth to us which was later confirmed by man. We, who are born again, have no need of man to teach us for that is the job of the Holy Spirit.

(John 2:23-27), "Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also. Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life. These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him."

In a like manner, we who are born again, spirit filled believers are to be led by the Holy Spirit.

(Romans 8:11-14), "But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God."

During the following 20 some years we were members of two different church assemblies and attended many others as well as a host of Spiritual conferences, meetings and training sessions. The many different interpretations of Scripture leading to sectarianism and the toleration, or re-naming, of actions unquestionably described in the Bible as sin, were things which seemed to us so far from what the Scripture required of us who are the church. We sensed there was something wrong with that which we were experiencing within the formal organized body of believers. We thought it must be us, not the system that was wrong. As we continued to study Scripture and to ask the Holy Spirit for a greater revelation of His Truth we began to see many other areas where the church assemblies of today are greatly different from the Scriptural model.

In July of 1999 we made a move from one town to another some 90 plus miles away. After moving to the new area we visited quite a number of assemblies while asking the Lord to direct us to the body He wanted us to become a part of. Only one seemed acceptable but there was check in our spirit about it. The more we prayed about where to attend, the more we sensed in our spirit that we were not to be involved in the life of any assembly, at least for the present time. Instead we were to return to our first love - to increase our time in the Word and prayer. Even though we are currently not attending a ‘duly recognized body of believers' our contact with other members of the Body of Christ continues to exist. Contact is not on a scheduled basis and is often, but not always, by telephone or e-mail rather than in person. Our conversations are usually about the things of the Lord instead of worldly issues so each of these times of contact has become more precious to us. Most of the ‘church people we have met in the past are reluctant to talk about anything having to do with Scripture or the Lord. If you love something or someone that normally is all you want to talk about and it has always bothered us that Christians don't seem to want to discuss these things. What is the problem here? Don't they love the Lord and His Word? Are they ashamed to talk about it? Are they afraid to talk about it because of their lack of knowledge? Or are we the odd balls who are out of order?

During the next 18 months the Lord revealed to us through Scripture how Jesus patterned His church under the New Covenant. We were also reading accounts of previous moves of the Holy Spirit, biographies of many of the great people of God, and a fair amount of history of the early church. The change which started to occur toward the end of the first century and was in full bloom by about the third or fourth century transformed the church from the original form to closely approximate what we see today. Yes, there have been many things of the first church restored during the period from the time of Martin Luther until now. It is my belief, however, that we have moved a great distance away from the Scriptural model shown us in the New Testament. It is also my belief, the church today has become spiritually very poor and ineffective compared to the one during the first century. Sure we have tongues, the occasional healing, and a few ‘miraculous transforming salvations' but so much of the Body of Christ is living a very non-victorious life. Untold millions of dollars and much energy have been expended in an evangelistic effort by the church. And yes, there are exciting reports coming in from selected parts of the world. Many thousands have come forward during the altar calls and there are reports of amazing transformations taking place in several cities. The unfortunate fact is, for the most part, many of the salvations seem to be of a short-lived nature.

The people of today are looking for something, as also were those of prior generations. They realize they are missing a vital part of themselves but don't understand what it is they crave. Of course that need is to hear and accept the ‘good news' of the gospel of Christ. While they don't comprehend what it is they are searching for, they are willing to try anything that appears to bring that desired peace. Drugs, alternative lifestyles, eastern religions, the occult and the many other forms of cults are all attractive because they seem to offer that sense of peace being sought. Additionally, those already involved in these activities excel at promoting and indoctrinating new converts to their way of life.

If Christians would become as active and avid in their evangelization and making disciples as these of the darkness, there would be a lot more ‘light' in the world. We, who are born again, have a mandate to live our lives such that ‘the light of Christ' shows.

(Matthew 5:14-16), "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

Our witness must first be demonstrated through a genuine love of and for people, putting their welfare before our own. We have no power of our own to extend this kind of love, it can only develop in us as we daily seek a love relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. As this relationship grows, so will our ability be available, through Him, to manifest itself in love to those around us. Only as we do that will our verbal witness be recognized as real and something to be sought.

The question must be asked; "Why don't these people who are searching for that something to fill the void in their life look to the church for their answer?" Rather than an answer, another question immediately comes to my mind. "What does the church, as it is generally practiced today, have that is more attractive or appealing than that offered by the world?" In most cases the answer has to be "not much, if anything." The world views the church as a laughable, hypocritical, foolish and ineffective organization having unrealistic requirements. The sad fact is there is more than a little truth to their comments. There seem to be as many people in today's organized church seeking a more satisfying life as there are outside the church. For the most part those in the church are leading lives with very little evident victory. The divorce rate now is about equal to, or even worse than, that of the world. The children of the church seem to be involved in as much serious delinquency as the unchurched. The number of those in the church who are patients of the Psychologists and Psychiatrists is unbelievably high.

Again the question needs to be asked; "What does the church have that is not already available from the world?" THE Church has THE answer. It is "THE GOOD NEWS" that Christ came to give LIFE in exchange for the DEATH we are born into.


Is the Church effective today? And, is it accomplishing the objective?

What percentage of the world's population has received the ‘good news' and accepted the gift of life in exchange for their dead sinful nature? Only God can answer that question because He is the only one who knows the heart of a man.

(2 Corinthians 5:17), "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

Because repentance is an included part of the exchange whereby we are a new creation we can hazard a guess based upon observed behaviors of the people of the world. With the greed, malice, violence, and turf protecting actions taking place all over the globe, it must be assumed the percentage is very low. When you consider the untold millions of dollars and the immense amount of energy that has been expended in spreading the gospel it can only be concluded the church is not all that effective in accomplishing the goal of making disciples of all the world.

(Matthew 28:18-20), "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."


Does it meet the needs of today?

The body of Christ, to a large extent, is all too ignorant of Scripture making them easy prey for the evil one to work through. Far too little knowledge exists within this body of the blessings and obligations of the redeemed. Even less knowledge exists of the methods used by the evil one and the necessity of the born again believer to use the equipment provided by God in waging warfare in the battles which are a normal part of a walk with the Lord.

(2 Corinthians 10:3-5), "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;"

This condition has come about as a result of many factors but there are probably two primary ones. First, the people of God have not really developed a love affair with the Lord Jesus and the Word of God. Secondly, Pastors are not teaching the ‘whole council of God.' We have a system of educating clergy that all too often teaches the Bible is only a ‘guide book' rather than the Inspired Word of God. In many of the Theological and Seminary Schools great emphasis is placed on sectarian thinking or a set of beliefs which often are merely man's rules of control rather than Scripturally based doctrine. Adherence to these rules can easily become "gospel" with the result they are a law dethroning Christ. When that happens, the Word of God as a pattern and design for living is seldom taught and the ignorance of the people occurs.

Added to these two factors is the worldly influence which has been allowed to enter the church. The most important aspect of this influence is the organizational pattern of hierarchy established by the Roman Church. That brought about a system of church government making man as head of the church instead of the Holy Spirit. Pastors today have had to become administrators, or CEO's of an organization fashioned after the pattern of the world. They are so fully consumed with the church politics, fund raising, mediating disputes and a long list of other activities associated with the job of CEO, they have little time or energy to spend on the ‘teaching' Scripture indicates as their ‘job description.' Pastors and teachers as described in Scripture, and yes the two are listed together as one, is someone concerned with the feeding and guiding of those under his care.

(Ephesians 4:11-12), "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:"

This is a task of teaching, encouraging, warning and otherwise guiding those who are in his care. It is not a task of ‘hearing from the Lord for them' or ruling over them. The ‘church organization' or form of government today, has become so patterned after the world system that most often the rightful ‘administrator', the Holy Spirit, no longer is allowed much, if any, input.

The current traditional structure of the church, which was instituted during the period of the second to the fourth century, is not conducive to the development of spiritual gifting. There is usually no opportunity for the exercise of any spiritual gift one might have other than by a very select few. It also is not amenable to teaching by any one other than the Pastor. The commandment to make disciples (Matthew 28:20), "Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you" is virtually impossible as today's church is normally structured. Discipling someone, requires spending large amounts of time with that individual. Today's church structure and its society, is predicated primarily on contact with others of your assembly in the Sunday morning, and maybe the Wednesday evening service. Occasionally the Sunday night and/or a midweek prayer service are also included. None of these, however, leave time for individual fellowship. Additionally, our society seems to require us to have schedules demanding that we immediately rush to and from these services so there is seldom time for fellowship.

Another issue which seemed to us, from very early in our walk with the Lord, to be in sharp contrast with the Word is the clergy/laity structure of the current day church. After searching the Scriptures we are not able to find any substantial justification for this type of church structure. The churches, one in each locality, had no clergy. There were ‘elders' who had oversight, as guides not rulers, over the church of a city. Their ‘oversight' did not extend beyond the limits of that city. The Holy Spirit was in charge of the church, not man. The preponderance of Scripture referring to church meetings seems to indicate a sharing by all rather than a lecture by one. And, these meetings were not in buildings dedicated to the single use of a group on Sunday morning.

The clergy/laity type of ‘church structure or government' so common today has great potential to create congregations of ‘very dependant sheep.' A church structure based upon the ‘formally educated and anointed professional clergy' vs the ‘uneducated and, Scripturally ignorant' lay people tends to promote a ‘them/us' atmosphere where the laity is considered unable to properly hear from the Lord. This is in sharp contrast to Scripture,

(Romans 8:11-14), "But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God."

It appears to us many, if not most, of those sitting in pews of the church buildings have developed the attitude of ‘let the Pastor do it - he is the professional and that's what we pay him to do.' I fear these have also gotten into the habit, or worse yet been taught to, rely on the Pastor to always teach lessons which are Scripturally correct. With the Bible being the most bought book on the market today you would think Christians would check what they hear against the Scripture but I feel this is seldom done. We wonder if this clergy/laity structure coupled with so much of the non-Scriptural ‘tradition of man' and the many ‘programs' which are so prevalent in the church today hasn't become a ‘religious spirit' that has replaced the Holy Spirit in much of the Body of Christ.

As we are near the time of Christ's return, we are commanded to be especially watchful for the deception that will be so very prevalent. Being led by the Spirit of God is the only sure way to keep deceptions from overtaking you.

(Mark 13:22), "For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect."

Using an Old Testament symbol to describe where Christians today are in their relationship with the Lord I see Him as the temple where there were the outer court, the inner court and the Holy of Holies. Yes I realize that Christ has replaced that temple with us as the living temple of the Holy Spirit. I am just using this as an illustration which might make it easier to understand what I am trying to say.

(1 Corinthians 6:19), "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?"

A large majority of the Body of Christ is either in the outer court or just entering it. These are the ones who are newly born again or haven't progressed much beyond that point. They have not yet begun the process of dying to self. A much smaller number are entering or have gone into the inner court. These have developed a habit of regular reading of Scripture and prayer. They also are hearing and being led by the Holy Spirit, and have shed themselves of much of their fleshly desires. The last group, which is very small in number, is entering the Holy of Holies. These are the ones who are totally sold out to the Lord and have to a large extent died to self. It must grieve the heart of God immensely to see so few seek such a relationship with His Son.

The portion of the Body of Christ who is serious about their relationship with Jesus, as I see it, is currently a very open weave, lace like, fabric. There are many pockets, of from one to several individuals. These pockets for the most part are connected by only a mere wisp of a thread. That thread of course is Jesus and while it is very tiny it is the strongest of materials. These pockets, often exist within a local church congregation without them having knowledge of each other. Because of the prevalence of sectarianism, the pockets in one congregation seldom are aware of any in other bodies. They also exist in believers who are not part of any ‘duly recognized body.' Very few of these small pockets are in any type of fellowship with one another. The walls of sectarianism, cultural difference, geographical distance, language, and many other things still divide believers.

We have recently become acquainted with a number of the Body of Christ who are ‘unchurched' and we are impressed with their depth of Scripture knowledge. These people also seem to have a much greater concern for others than we have encountered among many of those we have met who are ‘churched.' There is a large body of people throughout the world, we have discovered, who are born again believers but not connected to any type of church. The reasons for their being outside the ‘normal church organizations' are varied and numerous but it appears they generally have a much better knowledge and understanding of Scripture than many of the ‘churched' Body of Christ.


How can we become the Church "WITHOUT SPOT OR WRINKLE?"

Jesus, The Christ or Anointed One, said He will build His Church and Paul, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, said it will be a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle.

(Matthew 16:16-18), "And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

(Ephesians 5:27), "That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."

Because God has said it, it will happen. Our God has chosen to work on earth through man. While He is all powerful, He is a gentleman who desires us to be obedient to the Holy Spirit in the building of His Church. Man on the other hand tends most often to walk in the flesh rather than be led of the Holy Spirit. It is for this reason we find the church so tarnished and ineffective today. There are some things, however, that we have been commanded to do which will bring about the change necessary for the church to be without spot or wrinkle.

We are to have a relationship with Jesus. He is the vine and we are the branches. Branches cannot function or even survive when they are not attached to the vine they are a part of.

(John 15:3-7), "Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you."

Additionally, we are to be not only connected to the vine (Jesus) through a personal relationship with Him but we also are to be productive branches bringing forth much fruit. Many have interpreted this ‘much fruit' to mean making disciples and that is true but I believe it also refers to the ‘fruit of the spirit'

(Ephesians 5:8-11), "For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth; Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them."

(Galatians 5:22-26), "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.  Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other."

When we have a right and personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, we will want to obey all that He, through the Holy Spirit, is instructing us to do. How do we get this ‘instruction?' We must read the instructions provided by the ‘Manufacturer's Handbook.' We are the creation of our heavenly Father so He is the manufacturer and His instruction book is His Word, the Bible. We are told, in Ephesians 5:26, to sanctify and cleanse ourselves by the washing of the water of the Word. In other words, we are to READ HIS BOOK, the Bible.

(Ephesians 5:26), "That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word."

It is here that we are made aware of whom God is, what He requires of us, what He will do for us as we follow His instruction, and who He considers us to be. As we read this book, we need to ask God to give us revelation of how these instructions apply to us and how we can accomplish what He has commanded us to do. He has promised to send the Holy Spirit to lead us into all Truth.

(John 16:13-15), "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you."

We also are commanded to pray.

(Matthew 6:5-13), "And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

This Scripture tells us where (verse 6), how (verse 7), and what (verses 9 through 13) to pray. We should also add the statement of Jesus on the night before He was crucified where He gave an admonition about temptation and prayer regarding whose will is to be done.

(Luke 22:39-42), "And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him. And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation. And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done."

We should also ask for a greater understanding of the Scriptures.

(Luke 24:45), "Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures."

As we learn to hear, and be led by, the Holy Spirit we will begin to see that our enemy is not other people but the evil one. We also will learn what weapons are available for our use, and the manner in which we are to combat this enemy.

(Ephesians 6:10-18), "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;"

(2 Corinthians 10:3-5), "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;"

We are to judge Scripturally. This means we are not to judge people but we are to lovingly confront our brethern who has been overtaken in a fault and not walking according to Scripture. It is imperative that we remember our God is a God of reconciliation and restoration; Jesus came, was crucified, was buried and rose from the grave that He might reconcile us with the Father.

(Galatians 6:1-6), "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted"

At the same time we are not to be walking after the flesh.

(Matthew 7:3-5), "Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye."

We should also keep in mind that often the behaviors we see and are prone to judge may not be the sinful acts we think they are.

(Acts 10:9-15), "On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour: And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance, And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean. And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common."

Peter was shown what seemed to him to be against the teaching of Scripture but was in fact something God wanted him to do. We must remember that only God knows the heart and motive of man. There may well be a Holy Spirit inspired reason for the behavior we see.

It is also important for us to realize that not all of our Christian brothers and sisters are at the same spiritual place on the path to the Holy of Holies that we are. Some are far ahead of us, but many have not yet gotten to where we are. Some, being led by the Holy Spirit, may even be traveling on an altogether different route on their walk with the Lord. We must be careful to encourage rather than judge them. We must also refrain from entering into ‘doubtful disputations' with them over the things we have or have not been shown by the Holy Spirit. What can be an appropriate belief or behavior for someone today, in their particular setting, may not be so at another time or place.

(Romans Chapter 14:1-23), "Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him. Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks. For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living. But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way. I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. Let not then your good be evil spoken of: For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence. It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak. Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin."

We are to be holy, a royal priesthood, a holy nation and a peculiar people. God has called us to be different from the world. Because of this our thinking, behavior and conversation, should have changed after receiving Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

(1 Peter 1:13-16), "Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy,"

(1 Peter 2:9), "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 marvelous light:"

That marvelous light we have been called into has a purpose. We who are born again have a mandate to live our lives such that His marvelous light shows.

(Matthew 5:14-16), "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

Our witness must first be demonstrated through a genuine love of and for people, putting their welfare before our own. We have no power of our own to extend this kind of love, it can only develop in us as we daily seek a love relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. As this relationship grows, so will our ability, through Him, be available to manifest itself in love to those around us. Only as we do that will our verbal witness be recognized as real and something to be sought. Through that relationship with Jesus we then have this light and are commanded to proclaim the "Good News of the gospel of Jesus Christ" unto all peoples.

(Mark 16:15-16), "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."

(2 Peter 3:9), "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

We have an obligation to disciple those, who have seen, heard, and seek after that which we demonstrate and verbalize. This goes beyond just seeing they accept Christ as Savior. It means we need to spend time with them in fellowship so they can continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of Our Lord. Discipling is not just a few minutes once or twice a week; it is a long term commitment of our time and energy. This is perhaps one of the greatest areas of weakness in the church today.

We are told "do not forsake gathering together with other believers" but there is more to that Scripture than just the "gathering together."

(Hebrews 10:22-25), "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; for he is faithful that promised; And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."

This portion of that verse of Scripture is used all too often by Pastors to encourage congregations to faithfully and regularly attend their services. It almost becomes a law unto bondage for those who are not that consistent in their attendance. The rest of verse 25 along with verses 22 through 24 is perhaps a much more important message for the Body of Christ to hear. While regular fellowship with other believers is vitally important for us to grow in knowledge and understanding of Scripture, to mature in the faith, and to develop spiritual gifting it is questionable whether the ‘assembly' of today's church will accomplish these goals. That is not to say there is no value in attending the traditional church service of today: corporate worship if it exists in the service and the hearing of the Word, if it is preached are both desirable. The Scriptural model for the church, however, has these elements plus a much better method for accomplishing the goal of fellowship and discipleship. It also is better able to permit the discovering and development of spiritual gifting.

The fellowship of believers is normally only with those of the particular assembly to which they belong. Fellowship with believers from other assemblies is not often practiced. There are multiple reasons why this is so, but many are based upon intolerance for the beliefs and doctrines of the other groups. Members of one denomination often will not fellowship with those of another because of the difference in beliefs or customs. An attitude of intolerance is all too often displayed by members of various churches toward people of other sects and/or denominations. Are not all who have accepted Christ as savior brothers and sisters in the same Lord? Why are we separated one from the other over traditions and customs with very little, if any, Scriptural basis? Let us concentrate all of our resources toward seeking the face of Him who is the Head of us who are His Body.

(Ephesians 1:20-23), "Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all."

As we totally submit ourselves to the headship of Jesus, rather than man, we will become a functioning part of the Body of Christ. It is then we will begin to see with our heart, the ‘whole body', where Jesus is the head and us, both individually and collectively, as His body. That is when we will then want to do all those things He has commanded us to do and be. We also will begin to become genuinely interested in other people and their welfare.

(1 Peter 1:22-23), "Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever."

Also, as we begin to have fellowship with believers outside our own ‘clique' that ‘open weave lace like fabric' will change into one having fewer open spaces. The ‘pockets of those who are serious about a relationship with Jesus' will become both larger and knit closer together by that ‘mere wisp of a thread which is Jesus, the strongest of materials.' When that happens the Body of Christ will begin working together as one, reclaiming the ground the evil one has taken captive. Jesus will be building His church, through us His Body, into that "Glorious Church without spot or wrinkle."
 

 If you desire additional information you may contact me:  Bill