When We Assemble: Part II

    How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification. I Corinthians 14:26

    When we assemble as a body of the "Risen Christ," something many don't understand being indoctrinated for eons by the traditions and doctrines of men and demons! Remember that little thing we did as kids when we entwined our fingers and said, "This is the church, this is the steeple, open the doors and see all the people?" 

    A very seemingly harmless but very dangerous statement indeed and already implanting a word in a child's mind, "Church" and what it is: a building with a steeple and pews full of people sitting in it! Ever since Constantine made the church the state religion the devil took control of many of our Christian practices. Church became organized with man becoming the center of attention and everyone else just sat and listened to whatever he had to say!

    Most of the leadership of the modern-day church were trained in seminaries that taught many of the humanistic traditions that we have today, basically how to have church! The pastor became the leader of the church armed with the order of service in which no one else can enter without his expressed permission. Hardly ever can a member participate in the service because of the Clergy/Laity tradition set by the leadership.

    Till we all come to the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. Ephesians 4:13

NO LONGER CHILDREN

    That we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting. Ephesians 4:14

    Today we have thousands of denominations, sects and even cults, many of whom started out with honest intentions but were perverted by pastors who were not accountable to anyone and became the supreme leader of the church not to be questioned! 

    Jim Jones who killed almost a thousand of his members started out a Pentecostal preacher doing the ministry, feeding the poor and spending much time doing what pastors do. But the ministry overloaded him, so he began to take drugs which perverted him and then having sex with his members that led him to move the church to the South American jungle where he could totally dominate his members!

    This is what can happen when we don't follow the instructions that Jesus laid down for us in His word. The apostle is the architect of the church having the Divine blueprint to build with as the apostle Paul used at Corinth. If you were to build a house without a blueprint it could end up a trainwreck of good intensions like many churches have led by their own understanding.

    But speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the Head-Christ. Ephesians 4:15

EVERY PART DOES ITS SHARE

    From whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint (us) supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. Ephesians 4:16

    One of the biggest problems today is many in the churches are not born-again and many of those who are haven't received the baptism in the Holy Spirit. This is very problematic leaving thousands dead spiritually not knowing what their part is.

    When we are born of the flesh our organs begin to function with every part doing what the body needs. When one is born-again, he also begins to function as he was called building up the body in faith! As he grows in the Spirit, he uses his gift and shares it with the other members so that their faith is built up. If the pastor is the only one sharing, there leaves a great deficit in the body rendering it powerless and without faith!

    So, when we assemble the gospel should be presented so that if there is anyone lost, he may be saved. Although the assembly is reserved for the saved there will almost always be those who are not that need Jesus! The body of Christ deserves to be the most powerful entity in the earth with all of its members doing their share to build up the faith of their brothers and sisters!

    "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:3

Your servant in Christ, Timothy Laughlin
   Minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ