The Character and make of the Body, the Church of God – Model 2020
The Lord gives us choices but also gives us gifts and positions us according to His wisdom. The question is, have we accepted our position in the body of Christ? I have always said; “no man is an island’. Yet, it seems an independent spirit is that essence of much of what is going on in the body of Christ today around the world. Many people come into a corporate setting called the Church wanting and needing help but soon become confident in themselves as they grow in the Lord. Then what often follows is a disconnect in their spirits and they seek to move into an independent attitude that separates them from their church family. Such people begin to see themselves as the main one in God’s choosing and election. They begin to dictate and order others around. Yet, when they are faced with opposition, they leave the church and often time jump from one place to another till they become so isolated that no one can reach them anymore. Others leave the Church and the Lord altogether. When a member becomes a legend in his mind then what he is essentially doing is rejecting the very body he is a part of and thinks he is the body.
Apostle Paul speaks of the Church as a body and particularly as the body of Christ. He connects the spiritual gifts to the position of each member in the body of Christ 1 Cor 12.11,12. God has a system by which He runs the church with Apostles, Teachers, Pastors, Evangelists and Prophets along with Spiritual gifts and many other gifts to the body of Christ. That is why no one is an island or can function on their own. Accountability, submission, holiness, righteousness, rebuke, correction and encouragement will all continue. We all need each other no matter where we are in Christ. Everyone (member of the body) is needed as much as the next even though they differ in gifts and knowledge. The immature is mixed in with the mature and this where iron sharpens iron because one is a strong iron, and another is learning to become a strong iron. The word of God is a two-edged sword that cuts both ways involving the mature and the immature. One learns of the other and grows thereby. This is how we are expected to grow in the Lord and the body of Christ. We cannot all be babes in Christ, or all mature in Christ otherwise there will be no multiplication of new souls or the maturing of old ones.
The changing dynamics of a growing church always has its challenges as so many different people from so many different cultures and backgrounds come into the church. What happens to a church that does not grow is the dying of its soul and is in danger of becoming legalistic or falling into error. I am talking about growing spiritually. The truth about church sons and daughters is, they do not necessarily align with the vision of the church or with one another in love. They may be sons and daughters but do not have a vision and lack love expressions in a spiritual sense and as a result, perish. Others are unequally yoked because they have a vision of their own which is not in line with obedience to God. We must know who a son and daughter are and who it is that will align. Alignment is the effect of unity
in the same vision. If oarsman in a boat race do their own thing, guess what? Their oars do not align and there is no unity and a huge loss looms unless unity can be restored.
I believe the events of the world today have a huge bearing on how the church will be conducted in the future and who will remain a true believer. A new generation of Christians has arisen who understand the need for God’s order in the Church. They will speak what has always been spoken but will do great exploits and will forego religiosity. They are prophetic people who are ready to go to war and are not afraid to go to war. They abhor the world and know its pitfalls. There isn’t any more room in the Church for the one who has learned of the ways of the Lord and still flaunts his flesh. The babes in Christ will grow exponentially and take over from sticks in the mud, stubborn people who refuse to grow up. The dying of the old way of doing church is upon us but not the principles of what God has written in His Bible. That never changes because His word is settled forever. It is incredibly important that you find your position in this new body of Christ or you will be left behind. The old wineskin is being discarded and the new wineskin is coming in with new wine.
The danger is in running church differently to what the Bible teaches because it will certainly lead people astray into independence and everyman will become right in his mind. These times can create independence rather than unity. Though the format of Church may change in its presentation to the world, as I said, the running of it remains Biblical and God expects us to maintain that requirement. This is not a time to go of on ones’ own tangent. This will also be a time of great falsity with false information, deception and false prophets and teachers who will subtly change the meaning of the word (like satan did with Eve) and even create panic among the people. We must stick to the word revealed by the Holy Spirit.
A body is united in its members, otherwise, it is a dismembered body or handicapped in some way. Therefore, it cannot function in the way it should, nor can it bring unity within its members. I long for the day when we can all mind the same things as Apostle Paul instructed us. This means the local body vision becomes an important vision along with what the Bible teaches about the commonality of the faith. It is then that we will see the Holy Spirit move.
The dew of Hermon is like the anointing oil that flows down Aaron’s beard. Aaron was the high priest of Israel at one time. Now, Jesus is the High Priest of the Church, His Church. The anointing that flows down the beard of Jesus is the dew of unity of the body of Christ and it is a sweet thing before God which causes Him to command a blessing. Be prepared, the Church is going to be blessed like never in its history pushing it into its fulness and destiny very shortly. You are the church and so be united with like-minded sons and daughters of God and create the unity for the Lord to command the blessing.
Be Blessed - Pst Noble 12/04/20