The working of the church

The working of the Church

The book of Acts

The book of Acts is an historical documentation of the records of the

early Church by Luke. If you read in most places Luke uses the term

‘WE’ (102 times) showing more of group activity and less individual.

The early Church truly showed the working of the Body of Christ. There

was no one principle human heading the Church, nor there was any one

great temple where all people gathered. We see there were many small

house gatherings or Churches yet there was no confusing between them

terming themselves as denominations. The believers from one place did

not have the same understanding as believers from another place; they

called themselves Churches according to the location not according to

their understanding. They knew that primarily they were one and

believed in the one Jesus Christ as the only way.

If one goes into the details we see that even persecution turned into

a blessing and the Church grew. When the believers were driven out

they in turn added thousands to their folds.

The Lord is telling us are we running a Church or a franchisee, a

profit center in His Name. Some may not be making money or wealth but

they may be make a name or earthly power for themselves.

The greatest problem with the Church is not the people or their lack

of understanding but is the problem with the leaders and their lack of

understanding. If the leaders themselves lack spiritual communication

with God then how are they going to run a congregation? If they

themselves do not understand the directions of the Shepherd they how

are they going to lead the sheep?

I was very happy when I heard an honest confession from an ex-Pastor

who admitted that he knew only the Gospel and nothing else. This so

called Pastor used to lead more than one church and withdrew from them

for he did know where he himself was going, if he was called to be a

Pastor or God had a calling in his life. Most leaders lack knowledge,

gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit and yet have taken charge of

leading others just one the basis of a testimony in their life. Out of

fear they node their heads to every instruction of their superiors

like a trained cattle does to the drum of their masters here in India.

Before the revival of the Church we need a revival for the leaders of

the Church. They need to realize the seriousness of what Jesus said

when He said it was better to tie a big stone around their neck and

jump in a sea then harm any little one from the Kingdom of God.

There were both gold and silver vessels which were considered holy

unto the Lord. We see all are becoming silver vessels and there is no

sight of gold vessels. During the early Church it were the Apostles,

Prophets, Teachers etc. who were the backbone of the Church and today

we do not see any of this. It is the Nicolaitans principle which has

penetrated in all the churches.

It is time the leaders get up and take their job seriously. It is time

they realize and see how much they have side tracked from the Word. It

is time they build their communication with the Holy Spirit who is the

Rock on which the Church is built.

[Prayer Starter]

Lord, we prayer for your Church. Your glorious Body which is suffering

corruption because the watchmen You have put on the job are busy

building their own houses. Lord, like during the times of Joel, You

rebuked them and bought them to track, we pray Lord You intervene into

their lives. Turn their lives upside down but do not lose them or let

them lose any of your precious sheep. May your Body come into glory...

This prayer we make in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]

Revelation 2:1-7

1  Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith

he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the

midst of the seven golden candlesticks;

2  I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou

canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say

they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:

3  And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast

laboured, and hast not fainted.

4  Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left

thy first love.

5  Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do

the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will

remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

6  But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans,

which I also hate.

7  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the

churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of

life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

Matthew 18:6 - But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which

believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged

about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

Joel 1:5-20

5  Awake, ye drunkards, and weep; and howl, all ye drinkers of wine,

because of the new wine; for it is cut off from your mouth.

6  For a nation is come up upon my land, strong, and without number,

whose teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he hath the cheek teeth of a

great lion.

7  He hath laid my vine waste, and barked my fig tree: he hath made it

clean bare, and cast it away; the branches thereof are made white.

8  Lament like a virgin girded with sackcloth for the husband of her youth.

9  The meat offering and the drink offering is cut off from the house

of the LORD; the priests, the LORD’S ministers, mourn.

10  The field is wasted, the land mourneth; for the corn is wasted:

the new wine is dried up, the oil languisheth.

11  Be ye ashamed, O ye husbandmen; howl, O ye vinedressers, for the

wheat and for the barley; because the harvest of the field is

perished.

12  The vine is dried up, and the fig tree languisheth; the

pomegranate tree, the palm tree also, and the apple tree, even all the

trees of the field, are withered: because joy is withered away from

the sons of men.

13  Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests: howl, ye ministers of the

altar: come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for

the meat offering and the drink offering is withholden from the house

of your God.

14  Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and

all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the LORD your God,

and cry unto the LORD,

15  Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD is at hand, and as a

destruction from the Almighty shall it come.

16  Is not the meat cut off before our eyes, yea, joy and gladness

from the house of our God?

17  The seed is rotten under their clods, the garners are laid

desolate, the barns are broken down; for the corn is withered.

18  How do the beasts groan! the herds of cattle are perplexed,

because they have no pasture; yea, the flocks of sheep are made

desolate.

19  O LORD, to thee will I cry: for the fire hath devoured the

pastures of the wilderness, and the flame hath burned all the trees of

the field.

20  The beasts of the field cry also unto thee: for the rivers of

waters are dried up, and the fire hath devoured the pastures of the

wilderness.