And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching (Hebrews 10:24-25). Is the body of Christ all in one place, meeting weekly in just one building? Can we know what is happening in the body of Christ in the fellowship meeting one block down the road or the next town over or around the globe, if we assemble with the same people every week? For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building (1 Corinthians 3:9). We do not belong to one Pastor, except Christ Jesus. We do not belong in one building, we are the building. We are the stones of the temple made by the hands of God. Our family extends the globe, and is not just one collection of people meeting in one building in one town.
There are Christians on this globe being denied the assembling or having to assemble in hiding, risking their lives in order to stir up love and good works. There are Christians in the USA and around the world living in poverty according to physical possessions. There are believers trapped in a prison of alcohol and drugs – that can see no way out (if you do not believe they are Christians ask yourself this, “Why does their sin deny them and yours does not deny you?”. There are Christians in prisons. There are Christians trapped in a prison of dictator leadership calling itself Christ. Let us not forsake the assembling of ourselves together in order to stir up love and good works.
What are our good works? Jesus came to preach to the poor. Jesus came to proclaim liberty the captives. Captives are those being held by force – those denied freedom. Jesus came to give sight to the blind. Jesus came to set at liberty those who are oppressed. The oppressed are those under the wrong leadership; pushed down and sat on by misled leadership. Do not forsake the assembling of ourselves together to stir up love, to preach to the poor, to set the captives free, to give sight to the blind leading the blind, to proclaim liberty to those who are oppressed. And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment (1 John 3:22-23). Who is our family in Christ (who is the one another?)? Where are our fields? Where is our building? What are our good works?
© 2010, Tim D. Coulter Sr.