Public discourse in our society today is often characterized by extreme incivility and intemperance. The advent of the Internet and particularly social media has reinforced this trend. As those who have been purchased by the precious blood of Christ to partake of His holiness, we should resist this trend. Whether coming from a young person […]
All articles tagged "importance of fellowship"
Restoring Fellowship in the Body of Christ
The fellowship of life in the Body of Christ is a most precious and vital matter (1 Cor. 1:9; 2 Cor. 13:14; Acts 2:42; 1 John 1:1-7). We should grieve whenever a brother or sister loses that fellowship for whatever reason, whether it be the church’s discipline exercised on that member, an accumulation of real […]
Caring for Both the Headship of Christ and the Fellowship of the Body
God’s desire is to head up all things in Christ (Eph. 1:10). In His plan the church as the Body takes the lead to be headed up in Christ by its members holding Him as the Head and growing up into Him in all things (4:15). Upholding the headship of Christ is crucial for the […]
On ‘Independent’ Administration
Words have power. On the one hand, they are the means by which God has chosen to communicate His self-revelation, the Bible, to man (Heb. 1:1, 3; 2 Pet. 1:21), the means by which the Lord imparts His life into us (John 6:63), and the means by which the Lord’s servants open the Scriptures (Neh. […]
Authority and Fellowship
God desires to establish His kingdom on the earth through a group of people who stand against all forms of rebellion and come absolutely under His authority. Establishing God’s authority over the earth is a great matter in the Bible, but fallen men have miscast divine authority according to natural human concepts and have even […]
Obsession and Subjectivity
Obsession In the 1930s Brother Watchman Nee gave a word concerning “Obsession and God’s Light” (The Collected Works of Watchman Nee [CWWN], Vol. 36: Central Messages, 257-271). His speaking should help us discern dissenting speakings directed at the Lord’s recovery in general and at the leadership in His recovery in particular. Brother Nee began by […]
Being Safeguarded by the Discernment in the Body
Those who bear responsibility in the ministry, the work, and the churches in the Lord’s recovery have a biblically mandated responsibility to protect the flock (Acts 20:28-31; 1 Pet. 5:2; Titus 1:9). In performing that duty they may advise the saints not to read writings in print or on the Internet that attack the local […]
A Harmonious Coordination between Generations to Advance God’s Move
Because the Lord is continually advancing to carry out His economy, His people must advance with Him. Individuals are finite in terms of their lifespan and what experiences they can acquire of the Lord during their life. The lessons learned through precious experiences of Christ, the cross, and the Body of Christ accumulated in one’s […]
Questions versus Questionings
Some have claimed that questions are not allowed in the local churches. On the one hand, this should not be true in any local church. On the other hand, all the saints must discern between proper and improper questions and between questions and questionings. A proper question takes as its goal receiving an answer that […]
The Proper Way to Deal with Problems in the Church
Because the church is composed of redeemed sinners who are in the process of transformation, it is inevitable that there will be problems among the saints. No one can say that they no longer have sin or that they have been transformed to the extent that their flesh, self, or natural life is no longer […]