FROM OUR HOME TO YOURS w/ Nancy Campbell

EPISODE 105: TOGETHERNESS, Part 2

Are you enjoying togetherness in your family life? What about your church life? Is this your habitual experience?

Rocky Barrett: Welcome to the podcast, From Our Home to Yours, with Nancy Campbell, founder and publisher of Above Rubies.

Nancy Campbell: Hello, ladies. We are continuing again today to talk about togetherness, of course, family togetherness. I trust that you have been enjoying family togetherness this last week.

It seems as though we are always getting together here in our family. The other week we had a birthday party for my granddaughter's little girl, Ezzie. That’s Rashida’s daughter, Evangeline’s granddaughter, and my great-granddaughter. That was a fun time.

Then the next night was Memorial Day. That's gone past now. Usually we have a barbeque for Memorial Day, but this year we had a games night. Serene's daughter, Cherish decided to put on a game’s night. It was amazing.

Oh my, she just thought of some amazing fun games that required a lot of energy, and a lot of fun, and a lot of screaming and yelling. I think we must have had 75 or 80 people in our big room downstairs having such a wonderful time.

We had taco night too. Everybody brought stuff for tacos. Then after all food and games, they went out and played volleyball. Sometimes they play until ten or after at night. I think one night they were still playing until midnight!

The other Sunday, we had Rashida's baby shower. Rashida is Evangeline's daughter. She is having her third baby, a little boy this time. We must have had about 50 ladies all come together for her shower. It was such an amazing, amazing time together. Fellowship and then praying over her. People telling their fun stories of things that happened with their births. It was so great.

The other night, at our Shabbat meal, we enjoyed celebrating an engagement. We didn't plan to do this. We had invited people over. And then, at the last minute this couple said, “Oh we want to celebrate our engagement, joining you for Shabbat!” And they had just got engaged that day. So that was so beautiful and exciting.

I have to tell you who it is. You're going to get all confused, so see if I can make it simple. OK, now Pearl's son Noble, he is engaged to Megan. Megan is the daughter of Erin Harrison. I used to do a Talk Show with Erin, but somehow, we both got busy. She now has two special needs little children. We haven't done one for a while.

I think some of you know Erin. She has also done podcasts with me. So Megan and Noble are going to be married in November. But then her other daughter got engaged, Molly. And she got engaged to Riku. Now who is Riku?

Pearlie's older son, Bowen, is married to Kahoru, and Riku is Kahoru's brother. Oh wow. Have you got it all in your head now? Anyway, we're so excited about this beautiful, beautiful relationship. Riku came to visit Kahoru from Australia. He's lived most of his life in Japan, but he was in Australia and came from there

While he was here, he met Molly. They have got engaged now. Sadly, he's just had to go back to Japan. Because of visa problems, he can only stay so long in the country. Now he'll have to work out how he gets in. Most Americans don't realize that it's not so easy to come permanently into the country. We ourselves were New Zealanders. We had to become green card holders. Then after many years, we eventually got our citizenship.

But anyway, we trust it will all work out for Riku because it's just beautiful to see their lovely relationship. I love the way God brings couples together. Don't you? I believe God is in it. I really do.

I think back to the very first moment of how we read in the Word of how God created the woman out of the man. Then the Bible says: “And God brought the woman to the man.” I love that. God did it, and I believe that God still does that today. He brings the woman to the man. God is into bringing beautiful couples together.

This coming week I'm hoping to have a . . . No, this week's nearly ended as I'm sharing this with you. Next week I'm going to have a night where I'm going to have some of our courting couples. I love that. I had a courting couples’ night a few months ago. We had such a special time with all our lovely couples so I'm going to have another one. I'm looking forward to this.

Isn't it fun to think of ideas to bring members in the family together? We do this in family life, and we do it in church life. This should always be our heart. We're always thinking of  fellow members of our fellowship who are part of the body of Christ. How we can relate to them? How we can ask them into our home to have a meal with us and really get to know them.

Hospitality was the lifestyle of the early Church. They didn't show hospitality once in a while, perhaps every now and then. No! They showed hospitality daily! They just so loved to be together and share the things of God together. People looked on and they saw their lifestyle. They saw their love for one another. They just saw what was happening in their lives. The Bible says: “They found favor with the people, and the Lord added daily to the church.”

Well, we're going to carry on today with more points about our togetherness in the body of Christ, and how God loves us to come together.

THE PURPOSE OF COMING TOGETHER IN ONE PLACE—

No. 6. TO BUILD ONE ANOTHER UP

 TO BUILD. The purpose of coming together in one place is to build one another up. In 1 Corinthians 14:26, the Bible says: “How is it then, brethren, when you come together,” there's those words again, they keep coming up all the time. “When you come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.” That means “building up.”

The Passion Translation says: “Let each one contribute what strengthens others.” T

The New English Translation says: “Let all these things be done for the strengthening of the church.”

The World English Bible says: “Let all things be done to build each other up.”

So what did they do in the early church? A little bit different than what we do today. Mostly we come together to church, and we have our organized program of worship, and then the ministry of the Word, and so on. But when the early church came together, every one of them had an opportunity to take part, and to share. It says, every one of you, not just the pastor. Little bit different than what we do today, isn't it?

But this, once again, is the pattern. Of course, it is very difficult to do something like this in huge churches, where you have a thousand or more people meeting together. But this can happen in small churches.

We have experienced this most of our lives. Colin and I actually grew up way back in New Zealand, amongst the church affiliation known as The Brethren people. They believed in the priesthood of all believers. It was a wonderful truth. It's a Biblical truth, of this very Scripture. When you come together, it's not just the pastor who takes control, it is: “every one of you has a psalm to share or has a doctrine, or has a tongue, or has a revelation.” You've got something that God has been showing you, and you want to share it. It makes church life very exciting.

In our fellowship, my husband, who is the pastor, will always have a word ready to share. He will give a word most Sundays unless we have a visiting speaker. But we give time for sharing, for open sharing, for the functioning of the priesthood of all believers. Because we are all priests unto God, not just the pastors.

It does make life exciting. Also, it causes the people in the fellowship to not rely only on the pastor to get a word from God. No, we should all be seeking God every day in the Word. We get into the Word daily. When you come to the Word, and you're asking God to speak to you, and He gives you revelation, well then, you're wanting to share it. So it is a beautiful thing.

No. 7. WE ARE MADE ALIVE TOGETHER IN CHRIST

 Ephesians 2:5: “When we were dead in sins, he quickened us together with Christ.”

No. 8. WE ARE RAISED UP TOGETHER IN CHRIST

Do you notice that in all these things, we don't only experience them singularly, but together? Ephesians 2:6: “And he has raised us up together, to sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”

No. 9. WE ARE BUILT TOGETHER BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD

Ephesians 2:22: “In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.” God is putting together a building. He is building us together. Just as living stones, one by one, He's putting us into this great building.

We love to sing the old chorus:

There is a virgin church, untouched by man,

A holy habitation, built by God’s own hand.

The blueprint is the Bible, the foundation is the Son,

And we are all as living stones, built in one by one.

 

No. 19. WE ARE JOINED TOGETHER

Ephesians 4:15-16: “Yet, speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him, in all things, which is the Head, even Christ, from Whom the whole body, fitly joined together....“ Did you get those words? “Fitly joined together.”

This is how God sees His body. This is how He sees His church, which is His Bride.  He sees us “fitly joined together.” This happens by the Spirit, but also practically. Dear ladies, this is what church is about. When we come together, it's not just to a building. Yes, we come to the building so that we can come together, and encourage one another, and build one another up, and help one another to grow so we become “fitly joined together.” And compacted, yes, not isolated, not here and there, not just unto ourselves, but no, compacted.

It's good to say those words. “Fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth.” Do you get that? “Every joint supplieth.”

You're one of the joints. Or maybe you're not a joint. Maybe you're a nerve, or maybe you're a sinew, or maybe you are an artery. But you are some important part of the body. And the body will not be what it really should be, unless you are jointly fitted in, and you are supplying to the body.

You see, we supply one another. We can't do that unless we're meeting with one another. We can only supply one another if we come together “according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the building up of itself in love.”

Wow. That Scripture, ladies, takes a lot of taking in, doesn't it? Oh, I know you'll have to go and read it again later and let the glorious truth of it sink into your soul. I don't think I've got it all yet. Oh, it is just about too much to get. But we need to read it over, to let it become part of us. So we'll be able to begin to function as God wants us to.

Now that's from the King James. But maybe you'll read it from a more modern version. Perhaps you'll understand it even a little more.

The New English Translation says, “From Him the whole body grows, fitted and held together through every supporting ligament. As each one does his part, the body grows in love.”

Do you get the picture? This is what God wants us to be. Joined together, every joint supplying, every ligament supporting another area of the body. Isn't that wonderful? We do that, precious family, as we come together. Families coming together as an extended family body in the body of Christ.

No. 11. WE ARE KNIT TOGETHER

Colossians 2:2: “That their hearts may be comforted, being knit together in love.”

Colossians 2:19: “The Head, from Whom the whole body, supported and knit together through its ligaments and sinews, grows with a growth that is from God.”

In that Scripture I read in Ephesians 4:16, about the whole body “fitly joined together and compacted,” the word “compacted” is actually the word that's translated “knit together.” The Greek word is soombibadzo. It means “to drive or force together, to unite, to gather, to knit together, compact.” So we're getting the revelation of what it really means to be a church. Amen?

No. 12. WE WILL BE CAUGHT UP TOGETHER TO BE WITH THE LORD

Notice “together”! Yes, 1 Thessalonians  4:16-17: “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God. And the dead in Christ shall rise first” (hose who have died and gone before) Then we, which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds.”

We're all going to go up together, even those who passed away. Yes, their spirits are with God, but their bodies are going to come alive and they're going to rise, and we're going to meet together in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air! And so shall we ever be with the Lord!

No. 13. WE WILL LIVE TOGETHER WITH HIM FOREVER

1 Thessalonians  5:10: “Who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.”

Well, lovely ladies, if we're going to live together with one another forever, we'd better get used to living with one another down here! We have to get used to living with one another in families, don't we? And even family life is not perfect. No, we have our ups and our downs, and we have our challenges, and we have our spats, and we have our disappointments with one another, maybe getting on one another's nerves. We have to learn how to live with one another, how to forbear with one another, how to have patience with one another.

So we do in the body of Christ also. There are many people who, sometimes, in our particular body, they're not easy to get on with. But we have to learn to love them. We have to learn to forbear with them. And to embrace them, even though they may not be our type, even though we may not agree with them.

We have people in our fellowship who we don't agree with them on certain issues of doctrine. They don't agree with us. But as my husband says  (he says this regarding our marriage, because my husband and I don't always agree with one another, but we love one another, and that's the thing). My husband always says we don't have to agree with one another, but we have to love one another.

We have to see past grievances, see past not even agreeing with one another. We see past idiosyncrasies. We see past all these things. Even though we don't agree, we don't really . . . OK, they may not even be our type. We love. We love one another. So it's a good idea to get used to it down here because they're going to be with us for eternity!

No. 14. WE ARE TO COMFORT ONE ANOTHER WITH GOD’S WORDS

We are to comfort one another with the words that we have been sharing: “Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:18).

1 Thessalonians 5:11. Again, it says: “Wherefore comfort yourselves together and build up one another even as you also do.”

No. 15. WE ARE TO FOLLOW THE LORD TOGETHER

Philippians 3:17: “Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as you have us for an example.” So you're not only walking on your own. There you are, you're on a lonely road, walking your walk of faith. No, God wants us to do it together, because when we do it together, we'll be so much stronger in our walk.

No. 16. WE STRIVE TOGETHER FOR THE FAITH

Philippians 1:27: “Stand fast in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel.” It’s not easy to stand alone. And God doesn't want us to. He wants us to do it together.

The word striving together is soonathleho. It means “to wrestle in company with others, to seek jointly, to labor together, to strive together.” It comes from the root word athleo, meaning to contend in the competitive games.

So in our striving, in our faith, we don't do it alone. We do it together. That's why we need one another! That's why we need to meet together. That's why we need to come together as a body. Because God knows we need one another. We've got to strive together for the faith of the gospel! We'll all be so much more powerful in the gospel when striving together for the gospel, as we are doing it together.

No. 17. WE HELP ONE ANOTHER BY PRAYING TOGETHER

2 Corinthians 1:12: “Ye also helping one another by praying.”

Prayer is something we need to do together. Well, it's something you do on your  own. Yes, we pray personally. But we need to pray as family. Oh precious ladies, are you praying together as a family? Family praying is so important.

But we also need to pray with others. We pray at a special prayer meeting where we gather others to pray with. Or we pray at church.

When we start our church each Sunday, we start with prayer. No, my husband doesn't open with prayer. We start by having a prayer meeting. Now that is not a prayer meeting before the church. That's church. Because the Bible says, when you come together, once again, come together, first of all, pray for those who are in authority: “For kings, and for all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life.” (1 Timothy 2:2) So we are commanded to pray for those who are leading us and those who are in authority. We need to do that together. There's so much more power in prayer together.

We have a weekly prayer meeting. At the moment, we have it in different places, usually our place Over the winter we've been having it at Serene's home. We have lots of young people coming to this prayer meeting. It's so wonderful.

Colin usually says, “OK, young people, I want you all to pray first,” because if we, maybe as adults, sometimes we will get praying, and we don't give time to all these amazing young people! So he will say, “Young people, you get praying first!” And they get praying!

Oh my, it's so wonderful to hear them praying! Praying for our nation, and praying for the current needs of our nation, and praying for the incredible things that are happening. Especially as I talk now, we are watching anarchy in our nation. There are many, many young people who are stirred up by those behind the scenes. We know there are people who are orchestrating this and planning these riots. Young people are being given money to do this.

So they're storming cities and burning cars with fire. They are destroying buildings and churches. They are looting and stealing. You see pictures of shops with nothing left in them. People who have established businesses over the years are just left with nothing. We see all this happening and we can't just sit idly by. We have to pray. Prayer is our only answer to stop what is happening in our nation.

We can't do it alone! We have to pray together. That's why the Bible says we are helpers together in prayer. HELPERS TOGETHER. We have to help one another.

I think I mentioned the last couple of podcasts ago how that even the angels, Michael and Gabriel, they had to help one another in fighting those spirit forces over cities. They couldn't do it alone. They had to help one another! Read about it in Daniel 10:12, 13, 20).

We're not fighting flesh and blood. Not at all! We're fighting these demonic spirits of destruction and rebellion. It's demonic spirits that we are fighting. We can't do this alone! We have to fight together in prayer! So we have to come together to pray.

This, I believe, is one of the most important things in a church, is that they pray together. Maybe as we come back to our churches, we will see more of helping one another in prayer. It's not just coming to a program. But we are coming together to build one another up and to encourage one another. We're coming together to pray and pray for the nation. These are very much part of what church life is all about.

We are in a war! A war, ladies, a war that can only be won by prayer. The greatest way we win the war against evil, and against demonic spirits, is in prayer.

I love this chapter in 1 Samuel, chapter 22. That's another chapter that you need to read on your own, later, when you get some time. It talks about David. Now when David was escaping from Saul, first of all, he escaped to the cave of Adullam. While he was there, men came to him. It's very interesting.

It says: “And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented and disgruntled, gathered themselves unto him.” He had a real lot of misfits come to him.

My, they weren't people who were successful and great and amazing. No! They were in debt, and they were disgruntled, and they were in distress. They came to David. But David became captain over them. There were about 400 of them that came. And David made them into a mighty army.

It's amazing what God, well God did it, I'm sure, through David, through those disgruntled men. But then we read of another passage. This is later now. More and more have been added to David. His company is growing and growing by the day.

In 1 Chronicles 12:1: “Now these are they that came to David in Ziklag.” He's now established in the city of Ziklag. “And all the mighty men came, helpers of the war.” David was in a war. He was still fighting or hiding from Saul. He was still fighting battles on the side. These men, they came to make David king.

Let's see, 1 Chronicles 12. Where does it say that in Scripture? Verse 38: “All these men of war, that could keep rank, came with a perfect heart to Hebron, to make David king over all Israel.” These were men of war who came. They came to be helpers of the war.

Now what are we doing as a church? We are preparing to make Jesus king over all the earth. At the moment, we're fighting many battles because Satan is out to bring down the people of God, to bring down the Kingdom of God.

We're fighting a spiritual battle, not against flesh and blood, but against these demonic spirits. And we will fight it in prayer. We, lovely ladies, have got to be HELPERS IN THE WAR. We're in the war. So what are we? Are we helpers of the war? Or are we just in the road? If we're helpers of the war, we'll be praying.

I love these other descriptions about these men who came to David (you can read them in  1 Chronicles 12):

“Men of war, fit for the battle, that could handle shield and buckler, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were as swift as the roes upon the mountains”

“mighty men of valor”

“ready armed for the war”

“men of valor for the war“

“men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do.” That's one of my favorite Scriptures. I believe we're living in an hour when we need to know, “Oh God, what do You want us to do in this hour?” Well, I know He wants us to pray. That's our biggest weapon.

“men who were expert in war”

“they were not of a double heart”

“men of war that could keep rank”

And so they were helpers of the war. That's what we're to do, help one another in prayer. Pray as a family. Gather others with you to pray. Encourage your church members to pray together. Amen?

Yes, all right. I wonder if we can finish off our points today, ladies?

No. 18. Now this is not a very nice one, but it's in the Word, and therefore we have to read the whole counsel of God, don't we?

WE BRING JUDGMENT OF SIN WHEN WE COME TOGETHER

1 Corinthians 5:4, 5: ”In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,” Paul said, “when ye are gathered together . . . to deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.”

We don't ever see this happen in church life today. But back in the early church life, when there was sin, and this was a very grievous sin that had happened, Paul said they were to gather together. It was to be done in the gathering of God's people, not silently, not kind of hiding away. They were to do this in the gathering of God's people. They were to deliver that man “unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved . . . ” It was for his salvation.

Sadly, today, there is sin in the church. Nobody does a thing about it. People are allowed to keep on sinning. So more sin comes, because “a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.” Back then, when there was sin, this was a very grievous, adulterous sin, it was dealt with.

I remember when, back in our church in New Zealand, we faced a very horrific thing when one of our elders was caught with playing around with boys. That was horrendous. That was unbelievable. The other elders, pastors, including my husband, together brought the whole church together.

They first of all spoke to this man, and dealt with him, and dealt with him in love. Because they wanted to see his deliverance and his salvation. He was willing for discipline. He wanted to be free. So he was brought before the church. His sin was exposed.

The elders said to the people, “We don't want any of you to be visiting him. This is a time for God to deal with him. We will meet with him. We will pray with him.”

So they did. For a few months, the elders continually met with him and prayed with him. God began to work in his life, and deal with him. He came through to a great place of repentance. So much so, that there came a time when they felt that God had done His beautiful work. God had brought repentance to him and brought deliverance to him. It was time to bring him back into the church.

Now in the first meeting, it was the most solemn meeting I have ever been in in my whole life. It was, to this day, I can still feel the pins and needles. The fear of God came into that meeting. It was packed out. The church was full.

That night, at the end of that night, the altar was packed with people coming down to the altar, crying out to God, confessing their sins. That exposing of sin caused the fear of God to come into the church. People got right with God. It was most healthy, most powerful.

Then came the time when this man was received back into the church. He wasn't received back as an elder, but he was received back in love, as a member. The people embraced him and received him back.

That man went on to be able to (he was a great teacher of the Word) he went on to minister the Word around the world, because discipline had been dealt with. He was delivered. There are too many people who are shipwrecks because they have not been dealt with as God wants them to in the church fellowship.

No. 19. WE ARE TO SHOW POLITENESS AND COURTESY WHEN WE COME TOGETHER

They were having problems at Love Feasts because some were getting in before others and eating it up, and not leaving stuff for others. Even all that's dealt with in the Word of God in 1 Corinthians 11. How it says you're to show love to one another, reverence to one another, and wait for one another when you have times of love feasts and eating together.

And now No. 20. I haven't got time for it. This is the most important one! This is so powerful. The amazing thing is ladies, I have never noticed this Scripture before. How can I read the Word over and over and over and miss something? Well, here it is. Romans 1: 12.

Oh, goodness me, they're showing me the card. It's time up! I'd better do it next week. Oh, I'm so sorry!

OK, we'll do our most important point next week. Well, it's really very much part of all the others, but it's amazing. And I never noticed it before! Oh, so I'm going to share it with you next time, OK? Don't forget to listen in!

“Father, we come to You again at the end of the session. Thank You again for all these Scriptures that talk about us being together. Everything You do, Lord God, for us, You do it together, because You see us as one body. We are one body.

Yes, we are individuals, and Lord, You understand the uniqueness of each one of us. You have given specific and special gifts to each one of us. But You see us as one body, one bride, one church, one building, one house. Lord God, help us to see ourselves as You see us, and to truly be the church coming together to build one another up, coming together to be helpers in praying for one another and this nation.

Lord, help us to truly be what You want us to be, not, Lord, according to custom. Oh, God, we've gotten in so many customs of just going to church. We worship, we hear the Word, we go home. Lord, we're not really even fellowshipping with one another. Help us to be what You want us to be as the People of God. We ask it in Jesus' Name. Amen.

Transcribed by Darlene Norris.

FROM OUR HOME TO YOURS w/ Nancy Campbell

EPISODE 104: TOGETHERNESS, Part 1

Rocky Barrett: Welcome to the podcast, From our Home to Yours, with Nancy Campbell, founder and publisher of Above Rubies. 

Nancy Campbell: Hello lovely ladies. I wonder where you are as you’re listening to this podcast today. Most probably you are in your home, maybe doing dishes or maybe cleaning. Perhaps you are just sitting down with your little nursing baby or maybe you’re even on a walk. Any way, it is lovely to be with you again. Today I want to talk to you about togetherness.

Togetherness is a lovely word. God loves this word. He uses it over and over again in His Word.

Of course family is togetherness. That is what family is all about.  God doesn’t want us to live separate lives. He doesn’t want us to live on our own. The Bible says that He sets the solitary in families because God knows this is the best way for us to live. It is the best way for us to live spiritually, physically, emotionally, and mentally. In a family.

It brings security. The more togetherness we have, the more security we have.

The family is the very first institution God ordained before church, before government, before everything else. It lays the basis and the foundation for all other organizations and entities.

The church, which is also ordained by God but after the family, because church is made up of families. That is what it is about. It is an extended family.

The church is also to be a place of togetherness. We all know that church isn’t the building. We all say, “Let’s go to church” and we go to a building. We’re not going because of a building. It’s just a place where we can meet with one another because we are going to meet to be with one another to have togetherness. That’s God’s plan and so I wanted to talk a little bit about this today.

I’ve been thinking about it because as I have been sharing and encouraging families that it is time to get back to church. Not only do we need it ourselves but also the nation needs it, I believe.

But I’ve had people respond to me and say, “Well we’re doing very fine with our Zoom churches, thank you. We don’t really need to get back together yet.”

Now I know that Zoom churches have been such a blessing through this time of lockdown; but they are not the ultimate plan that God has for us and we cannot rely on them. We have to be what God wants us to be and that’s a “together people.”

So I thought, “Well, I have got to know the truth.” When I am challenged or when I want to know what is right, what is the truth, I go to the Word of God. I search the Word.

Don’t you love to do that? I love to be a Berean. Do you remember the Bereans when Paul came to Berea? They didn’t just take what Paul was saying immediately. No, it says they “searched the Word of God to see that those things were so.” They wanted to know the truth.

(Here’s the exact Scripture in Acts 17:11 “These (Bereans) were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”)

So I have gotten into the Word of God and ladies, I have found that there is more about our getting together than I realized. God says so much about it, so I want to take you into the Word today. Will you come with me?

This is such an important message to listen to because this is God’s heart and I believe we are challenged with it at this time as many churches are getting back together but there are still some who are not getting back together. Yet this is God’s plan and we don’t wait for everything to be perfect.

No, God doesn’t say, “I want you to come together when everything is perfect, there is no sickness around, and everything is just all one, two, three, four.”

No, we meet together whatever the situation.

We think of our persecuted brothers and sisters in China and other countries who meet together. They do not forsake the meeting together even though they face persecution.

I believe we have to listen to God. We don’t listen to a governor, especially a liberal governor who does not want church to happen. No, we listen to God and we listen to His Word.

Let’s start on our points, shall we, and have a look at what it says here in the Word of God.

No. 1: WE ARE MEMBERS ONE OF ANOTHER

The Bible says we are members one of another, just as our body has many parts but there is only one body, so is the church. God likens the church to our body. The church also has many parts, many people, every different person, but we are one body.

We often forget that don’t we? We just live our lives unto ourselves. Of course we are believers in God and believers of His Word, but we live pretty much unto ourselves.

No, God wants us to understand that we are part of a body and every single member has a different part to fit the body.

Romans 12:5: “So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.”

1 Corinthians 12:20: “But now are they many members, yet but one body.”

Ephesians 4:25: “ . . . we are members one of another.”

The New Living Translation says: “ . . . we are all parts of the same body.”

Ephesians 5:30: “For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.”

Oh I love that Scripture. Christ is the head. We are His body on the earth. We are His flesh and we are His bones. We’re all different. We are each a different person and a different part, but we are all one body. Therefore, there needs to be the coming together.

We cannot come together with every believer in the world, but God has established that we come together in groups of believers because we need one another.

No. 2: TOGETHERNESS WAS THE LIFESTYLE OF THE EARLY CHURCH

Let’s have a look, shall we? We’ll have a look at Acts chapter two, which of course is the very beginning and the birth of the church.

We recently celebrated Pentecost Sunday. Many churches got back together on Pentecost Sunday, which was remembering the birth of the church.

When the church was birthed in Acts 2:41-42, it says: “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.”

Notice that word: fellowship. Let me say it again, FELLOWSHIP.

They prayed together when they came together. In fact, some say that it really should be “in the prayers” because they met three times a day, morning, noon, and evening to get together for the hour of prayer.

Notice how they came together. They couldn’t have fellowship without coming together. They couldn’t break bread with one another without coming together. That breaking of bread was not only communion. I’m sure they had communion together as they came together, but

breaking of bread was eating together. Back then they talked about, “Let’s break bread together.”

That means, “Let’s eat together.” Today some people will say, “Come to our home and let’s break bread together.” That means, “Let’s have a meal together and fellowship together over the things of the Lord.”

They couldn’t even hear the apostle’s doctrine unless they came together.

They did this continually. Verse 43: “And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.”

Verse 46: “And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart. Praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.”

I’ve always noticed those two things there in verse 46 where it says: “And they continued daily” meeting together. They didn’t meet only once a week like we do. They met DAILY, sometimes in the temple and sometimes in their homes. They met in both places.

And what happened? “The Lord added daily to the church such as should be saved.”

Sometimes we wish, oh, that people would be added to the church, that more and more people would be saved but often we don’t see many people being saved. I believe there is a principle here. They met daily and daily the Lord added to the church. We see here that it was a coming together.

Togetherness was a lifestyle. It was the plan. It was just what happened in the early church and they were the pattern for the church to come.

And so precious, lovely ladies, mothers and wives in your home, be an encourager of getting your family back to church, back to togetherness.

Yes, online is great but God wants us to have togetherness. This is biblical. This is His plan.

Let’s read Acts 20:7, 8: “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together.” Oh, we read these words over and over again: “When they came/come together.” It’s just part of the lifestyle and part of the reading about the early church.

 It says that when the disciples came together “ . . . to break bread, Paul preached unto them.”

There it is: a foundation of what we are to be doing today.

We go to Hebrews 10:25. I talked about this Scripture the last two weeks: “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”

We’ve become aware of many, many things in the last few months. We see things behind the scenes of what they want to do and how they want to bring in mandatory vaccinations and so many things to take control of our lives.

We see it’s not the end but it’s getting closer. In these times we need to gather together more than ever to strengthen one another, to encourage one another in the ways of the Lord.

No. 3: WE EACH HAVE DIFFERENT FUNCTIONS TO PERFORM

1 Peter 4:10-11: “As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another.“

That is another phrase that we see over and over and over again: one to another, one for another, one toward another.

You see, our whole Christian life is a “one another” life. It’s not just me, myself and my family. No, it’s one another. It’s reaching out to one another, caring for one another, thinking about others, meeting with others. It’s a “one another” lifestyle.

If we belong to the body of Christ, we should desire a “one another” lifestyle. If we’re not living this one another lifestyle, we are not living the way the early church lived.

So here it says: “ . . . even so minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”

Let’s have a look at some other translations. I read the King James, but I love to look at other translations, too.

The Holman Translation says: “Based on the gift each one has received, use it to serve others, as good managers of the varied grace of God.”

Now ladies, God has given gifts to each one of us. I have certain gifts and you have certain gifts. They are gifts that God has given to you. Your children have certain gifts. Isn’t it amazing to see the gifts in our children?

I mean, of course, our children have grown. Now we are seeing all the different gifts coming out in our grandchildren and now of course we even have great grandchildren coming along.

As I see the gifts in our children, even as they are operating in them today, I look at them and I think, “Where did they get those gifts? They certainly didn’t get them from me, and they didn’t get them from my husband. Where did they get them?”

They came from God.

God sovereignly put gifts and talents into their lives to bring glory to Him so they could use them for His glory.

God has done that with you and with each of your children. We’ve all got different gifts. God wants us to use those gifts.

We remember the parable of the servants who were given different gifts, the stewards. Those who got ten talents made ten talents more because they were diligent. They worked at their gifts and they used them and then more gifts developed.  The same thing happened to the one who received five talents and he used those. As he developed them, he got five more gifts.

But then there was one who only had one. He thought, “Oh poor me, I’ve only got one” and he went and buried it in the ground. He received not a reward but the opposite for doing that. God does not want us to burry our talents. He gives them to us to use them. Read the parable again in Matthew 25:14-30.

So lovely wife and mother, whatever talent you have, don’t burry it. Use it!

This is a wonderful thing being a wife and a mother in the home. You have opportunity to use your talents. You have a home. You have a sphere. You have opportunity to develop your talents. I know many women do this and many women have creative talents.

Of course we all have creativity. God created us in His image and therefore, ladies, we were created to create. Remember that. We are creative beings. We are creative to create.

God loves us to create and so whatever desire you have to create beautiful and amazing things, DO IT!

Maybe some of you are amazing cooks and you love to make incredible things. Some of you may even sell some of the cooking you do.

Others may be very crafty, and you can make all kinds of crafts. I’m not very good at crafts myself. Some women are amazing! I have two sisters in law who are the most incredible at crafts. They are so amazing with their hands. I know many of you are like that. Many of you may even have a web page where you sell your crafts.

Others of you love to write. Perhaps you write books. Others of you think, “Oh I would love to do that but I’m not really very good enough to do it.” Look, don’t wait to do a big thing.  Sometimes we think, “Oh I need to write a book.” Don’t start with a book! Oh goodness, that can be overwhelming. Start with writing little things.

You think of someone, someone in your fellowship who needs encouraging. Write a card. Get a card and write a word of encouragement to them. Write a poem and send it to them or give it to them when you see them. Write beautiful things that you can send to people personally. Write to your family.

Every now and then at mealtimes you can think of making a lovely place card and write on that place card something special to each one in your family.

Don’t wait to use the gifts you have in a big way. Do them in a little way and then you’ll find they’ll get bigger and bigger and bigger.

I remember when I was a young teen and older, I began teaching. I was a high school teacher and therefore I was able to have all my holidays (as we call it Downunder where I was living at the time; here you call it vacation time.).

We didn’t actually have a big summer vacation down in New Zealand. We had different vacations throughout the year. I had those times available where I would work among children in children’s camps and youth camps. I had the beautiful opportunity to lead many of those young girls to Christ.

But I knew they were going back to homes where their parents didn’t know God. How would they grow in their faith? So I was burdened to write to them. I would write letters to them and encourage them in their faith and walk with the Lord. I ended up writing to about 100 girls.

I look back and think, “Well, that was just a little thing.” But I look back and think that as I was faithful to write to those girls, that was the beginning of later starting Above Rubies and writing to women all over the world as I have done for over the last 43 years and I am still writing today. Every day I write to women. I write on my Facebook. I write devotions. I am writing books gradually, but I don’t get them out, as I should. But I am writing. I started little.

Use your gifts.

I know many of you use your gifts to help with family income. Some do very, very well. You can make a webpage and you can sell gifts that you do.

Could I just pop in a little word here? There is nothing wrong with that and I think it’s wonderful. That is so great. But remember something: what does the Word say here? “Use your gifts to serve others.”

The Passion Translation says: “Every believer has received grace gifts, so use them to serve one another as faithful stewards of the many-colored tapestry of God’s grace.”

The New Living Translation says: “God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.”

I think we should always be available to use our gifts, not only for monetary gain, ladies, but using them to bless people; just to bless the body of Christ.

What does it say? “Use them well.”

Yes, we can use them well by being faithful and diligent to hone our gifts. We are able to use them in a greater way, even for financial income. But don’t always think you have to get financial income. Do things for love. Do things just to serve. I believe that’s the greatest thing we can do— use our gifts to serve.

That’s what He wants us to do and so this is part of being part of the body of Christ: using our gifts to serve one another. Amen?

That’s another part of the one another’s.

No. 4: GOD HAS PUT GIFTS IN THE BODY FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH

We can go to Ephesians four. Actually, you have to read the whole chapter. When you get some time, read the whole chapter again.

But we’ll just read a little bit of Ephesians 4:8-16.

Verses 11-13: “ And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”

Here we’re getting into perhaps the more organized part of the church life. Church is not a building. It’s people, it’s fellowship and it’s gathering together to meet, bless, and encourage one another.

It also happens by specific gifts put in the body of Christ such as the prophets and pastors and teachers and so on so that we can all grow up into the stature of the fullness of Christ.

There are some people who say, “Oh well, I can read the Bible here at home. I don’t really need to go to church. I’ve got a lovely personal walk with the Lord. I can just enjoy reading the Bible here.”

But here God says He’s put these gifts in the church for us to come together to receive from them. We can’t receive from teachers, prophets, and apostles unless we come together.

We read it again in 1 Corinthians 12. Oh goodness me, you’ve got to read this whole chapter, too, because the whole chapter is about it. I haven’t got time to read the whole chapter. Let’s just read a little bit here.

Verses 4-10: “Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.  For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues.”

And so on. Then we go down to verse 27-28: “Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. And God hath set some in the church [in the CHURCH], first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.”

All these things have been set in the church to help us grow and help us grow into the fullness of Christ and to grow together. All these things cannot happen if we just stay at home. This is part of church life and so we have to read them.

We’re reading everything. When I’m looking to see what God says about a subject, I read all the Scriptures. I can’t leave any out.

Also look up Romans 12:5-8. It speaks, again, about all the gifts that God has put in the church.

Once again as we see that we realize that church life is important. God didn’t say, “I just want you to stay at home and have this little relationship with Me.”

No, He wants us to come together. He’s even written in His Word how it’s to happen. He’s put administration, pastors, teachers, and governments and everything in the church for it to function. He also talks about the elders or the bishops or the pastors, all very similar terms. In 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9 it tells the qualifications of these elders.

Why are all these things in the Word of God if we can just stay at home and do our little thing?

No, we’ve got to get with God’s plan.

No. 5: WE ARE TO GATHER TOGETHER IN ONE PLACE

Acts 1:14 and chapter two verse one says: “ These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. . . . And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.”

Now, remember what happened when they were all in one place? The Holy Spirit fell.

Then in Acts 4:31, this happened in a latter time: “And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.”

God loves to manifest His presence when we assemble together. This time God shook the whole place. Those words “assemble together,” in fact, whenever you read “come together” or “assemble together” it’s going to be either sunagō, which is the root word. It means: “to lead together, collect or convene together, assemble together, come together, gather together, and to have hospitality.” It includes all those meanings.

Then there is another word, episunagoge, and it means “a complete collection, especially a Christian meeting for worship; an assembling or gathering together.”

So those are the words, precious ladies. It’s continually reminding us about assembling and coming together.

In 1 Corinthians 14:23 it says: “If therefore the whole church be come together into one place.” Interesting. in that one little sentence there are three phrases that are very important.

No. 1.

“If therefore the whole church . . ..” It doesn’t say, “If some of the church.” No, it says, “the WHOLE church.” Oh precious ladies, this is a longing, it is a burden on my heart that all of the church, the WHOLE church, ALL believers ,would come back to their churches and fill them up and pack them out to overflowing.

What a beautiful testimony to the people in this nation and what a threat to the devil! When we come back in little trickles it does not have impact and Satan has still got the upper hand.

But when we all, the whole church, every believer, comes back, oh what a threat to the devil!

Now that word for “whole church” in the Greek is holos and it means “whole, all, complete, all together, every whit.” I like those words, “every whit.” Do you remember when Jesus used those words?

He healed someone on the Sabbath day. They were all mad and angry at Him and He said, “Are you angry at Me because I have made a man every whit whole on the Sabbath day?” He used that same word that is used for “whole church.” Jesus didn’t make this man half whole. He made him FULLY whole.

That’s the meaning when He wants the whole church. He doesn’t want half the church or some of the church to come together. He wants the WHOLE church.

No. 2.

“Come together.” This time the word is sunerchomai and it means “to convene, associate with, accompany, assemble with, come together in one place.”

No. 3.

“One place.” Three phrases  I one sentence that are all about coming together—

THE WHOLE CHURCH,

COME TOGETHER,

IN ONE PLACE.

Wow. Time is going so quickly so I will just end with this little thought. Once again there are, as I mentioned before, some people who think, “Well I can just read the Word at home. I don’t need to come together with the saints. Goodness me, half of them drive me mad any way.”

But if they are really reading the Word of God at home, if they really are, they will be reading the Scriptures about coming together.

There are so many! We are only up to point No. 5 and I have 20 points, ladies, about how God wants us to come together.

Yes, we can’t just take a little Scripture here and there. We’ve got to read the whole Word.

We’ll hear some more next time, okay?

May the Lord richly bless you, dear ones. I hope you have got back to your church. Maybe, if your church is not open yet, why not just get with some other believers at another church until yours is open? Of course you want to be faithful to your own church but go somewhere in the meantime until yours is open and then get back there faithfully.

Let’s respond to God’s heart and to God’s precious Word.

Let me pray.

“Dear Father, I thank You for every family, Lord God, that I am speaking to today because each one that listens, Lord, represents a whole family. You love families. You love families to be together but, Lord, You want Your church family to be together. When Your people come together You love to manifest Your presence.

“I pray that You will give them wisdom, Lord, and You will show them how they can get back together, assembling themselves, meeting with Your people and coming together as Your Word says. I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.”

Transcribed by Morgan Roth.

FROM OUR HOME TO YOURS w/ Nancy Campbell

EPISODE 103: SHOULD CHURCHES BE MEETING TOGETHER? Part 2

Are you back at church yet? Please check out this podcast as we dig into God's Word to see what He has to say about this matter. This is a timely matter. God's people need to be back together, praying together, and crying out for the soul of this nation.

Announcer: Welcome to the podcast, From Our Home to Yours, with Nancy Campbell, founder and publisher of Above Rubies.

Nancy Campbell: Hello again, ladies. Would you mind? I'm still on my little soapbox. I didn't get enough time last week to share with you. So here's a few more Scriptures. I'm not just sharing my own ideas. I want to give you something from the Word. Just know that it's coming from my conviction of God's Words.

I love that passage in Acts, how that the apostles had just been put in prison. The angel of the Lord came. Acts 5:19, and it says: “The angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, 'Go, stand and speak in the Temple to the people all the words of this life.'”

And so, they did what the angel said. They were blessed, they were rescued from prison. So out they went and started preaching again. Then when the High Priest and the chief priests found out, they came to them, and they said: “Did not we straightly command you in this name? Behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine.”

And what did Peter and the apostles answer? They said, “We ought to obey God, rather than men.” That's Acts 5:29. So I think that is where we are today, ladies.

If God is touching your heart about this, call your pastor. Call your minister, and say, “Look, we're ready to come back to church as a family. We want to obey God's Word. We want to get back.”

I think maybe many pastors are waiting for their congregations to let them know. They need encouragement too. So let them know that you are ready. That can be an encouragement to them that can help them to take a stand.

If your church is going to just cave in and not get back together, well, look out for some other church in your community that is getting back. Go and worship there in the meantime. So you're making a stand for God.

Now, what is church? It's not a place. We know that. Here I'm saying, “Let's get back to church.” Of course, we know that we're the body of Christ, and it's not a building. But the fact that we meet together is very much a part of it. It's part of the togetherness. There's so much that we cannot do unless we meet together.

I was sharing about this on Facebook and I had a comment from someone who said, “Well, the Bible doesn't really say what “assembling” means. Maybe it can mean just in your home.” But I'm going to give you a bit more about that later, because we're looking into the Greek and the Hebrew, and seeing what it does really mean “to assemble.”

But No. 1, the Church is a gathering together to worship God, to hear the Word of God, and to take Communion. That is very important. But that's not all there is to it. Because secondly, the church is the gathering together to communicate with one another, and encourage one another, and exhort one another.

I noticed in Hebrews 10:25, where it says, “Don't neglect the assembling of yourselves together.” Before that, in verse 24, it says: “And let us take thought of how to spur one another on to love and to good works, not abandoning our own meetings.”

You see that verse comes before getting together. It's says we've got to spur one another on. We've got to love one another, and build one another up, and encourage one another. Well, how can we do that? We can really only effectively do it as we come together. That's why we have the gathering together.

Now of course, you can call someone up on the phone and encourage them. That's a good thing to do. But there's something about seeing someone face to face. I noticed even on Sunday, this last Sunday, as we met together. We always have fellowship meal after our service. People stay on, often into the mid-afternoon, or even longer sometimes.

But even with that time for fellowship, I really didn't have enough time to talk to everyone I wanted to. There were ladies who I know were waiting to talk to me. There were others who had, who were going through, really, a very difficult time, and needed to pour out their hearts. There just wasn't time enough, even in the time we did have.

It's so important, these “coming togethers.” The times I did have with the ladies I spoke to; I would never have had those times if we hadn't have met together. They would never have opened up about their concerns and what they were going through. It was because we were together, face to face, and fellowshipping over a meal.

You see, that's also part of church, and yet, maybe when we all get back together again, that we could do church differently than we have. You see, people have gone to church, gone to a building, ”Isn't worship wonderful?” Listen to a message, wonderful. And then just gone home again.

But there's more to it. There is fellowship. All throughout our church life, all throughout our lives, from the time that Colin and I were married over 57 years ago, Sunday has not only been a day to meet together with the saints, but to fellowship.

We've had different seasons. In some seasons, we’ve been pastoring and attending a church that didn't have fellowship meals. So we would always ask people home to our home, to sit around our table and fellowship with them. We would never go home from church without taking somebody with us to sit around our table.

For many years now, we've been doing fellowship meals where everybody brings a dish and we all  have it together after the service. This is as much a part of the church fellowship as the service. It's such an important thing, and we can't do that when we are hiding in our homes.

Now I will concede that many are sharing that they're loving their Zoom meetings with their church and their online meetings. They're getting blessed. And I am sure they are. Maybe you are too, and  you're doing this.

But we do have to face it. It's wonderful. It's good. In fact it's good, good, good, good, good! Yes! It's great! But it's not the best. It's not the ultimate. It's just something to tide you over. It's not what God ordained. He ordained the assembling of ourselves together.

It's the same in our homes. We can have our meals, and in some homes, they just sit and have their meals in front of the TV, or go to their rooms, or they just do what they like. Nobody's sitting around together at the table, looking at one another, face to face, having face-to-face table fellowship. And that's the difference.

It's the same with church. You can go to church. You can worship, and you can hear a message, and I love that. But there is more. There is fellowship, and that is so important.

Now the Scripture about church is in 1 Corinthians 14:26. I wonder if you've ever read this Scripture? I don't think many people have read it, because there are very few churches where this happens. And it says: “How is it then, brethren, when ye come together,” notice the “come together” again, “when you come together,” hear it again, “come together.”

Yes, it's great sitting on your sofa, just watching a Zoom meeting, but that's not “coming together!” When you come together, “every one of you has a psalm, has a doctrine, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation.”

And so we get a picture here of the body of Christ coming together to share together, because they are not relying on only one church service a week to get their food. No! Every day, they're feeding in the Word. They are getting sustenance! They're getting revelation!

So by the time Sunday comes, they are full, over the top! They're ready to pour it out and share it with others. They're coming to give a revelation, another little word, or a testimony. The church is alive, and it's up to date with what God is doing in our lives.

Now this is the picture that God gives and says this is what you do. This is what you do when you come together. So once again, we see the church is a “coming together.”  Also, a time for sharing in our fellowship.

My husband will always give a word, or we'll have a visiting speaker. But we have quite a bit of time, quite a large amount of time also, for people to share, to share a revelation from the Word, or testimony, or what God is doing. That allows everyone to participate, because that Scripture says, “every one of you.”

Just as God said in the very beginning: “It is not good for man to be alone. I will make a helpmeet for him.” God created man not to live alone. He didn't create us for isolation. He created us for togetherness. That's why he designed marriage, and then the family, where we are living as a family corporately. It's the most healthiest, wonderful way to live, physically, emotionally, and mentally.

Also, it just spreads out into the church. For our three-in-one God designed a many-in-one church, because that's Who He is. Colossians 3:15 says: “That we are called in one body.” Of course, great things happen when we come together. We can be prayer warriors on our own, but oh, isn't it wonderful to get with the saints to pray? I mean, there's greater power when we come together.

In Acts 1;2 it tells us how they were all filled with the Holy Ghost as they came together in unity. In Acts 4:31, it again tells us about them coming together. It says: “And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the Word of God with boldness.”

Now ladies, isn't that exciting? When they, what does it say? When they were “assembled together,” assembled together, the whole place was shaken by the power of the Holy Ghost, and they were filled with the Holy Ghost. God seems to come and do wonderful mighty things when we are together!

Yes, we can have amazing revelations and encounters with God on our own, but God loves to manifest Himself when we are together. In Acts 2:43-46, it says: “And all that believed were together.” We need to read these Scriptures, how that “they continued daily with one accord in the Temple. And they broke bread from house to house, and they ate their meat with gladness and singleness of heart.”

So they were meeting together, not only weekly, but daily! And then it says: “The Lord added to the church daily, such as should be saved.”

I often wonder about that passage of Scripture, how they were so filled with God, so filled with the Holy Spirit, so filled with revelation of their new understanding of salvation! Because many of these were Jews who had done the daily sacrifices and offerings all throughout their lives, but now they're seeing that “Oh, we don't have to do that any longer. Jesus is our sacrifice. He was sacrificed as the Lamb for once and for all.”

They began to see all the revelation of Christ in all the practices that they were doing throughout the ages, in the Tabernacle, and then in the Temple. But now they're seeing the fulfillment of it, and they're so filled! They've just got to get with one another to share with one another. They just can't keep it to themselves, so they not only met weekly, they met daily!

“And daily the Lord added to the church, such as should be saved.” I sometimes wonder if we got back to this kind of lifestyle, the lifestyle of the early church, do you think we would also see people daily added to the church? Wouldn't that be wonderful?

Yes, so thirdly, the church is a gathering together to pray. Jesus said, “My house shall be called a house of prayer.” We see in Matthew, chapter 18, how in verses 19 and 20, Jesus said: “That if two of you,” just two, “shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them, of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My Name, there am I in the midst of them.”

Oh, we come together. And notice again, gather together, “gather together in My Name.” That's what we do when we come together. We gather together, gather together. This phrase just comes over and over throughout the Word of God. “Gather together in My Name. There am I.”

Yes, of course God's going to come, even in your family, even in your little family, or your big family, if you gather in His Name, morning and evening to worship Him, and hear His Word.

But there is an even greater manifestation as we get with many believers. What does it say? Gather in His Name. “There am I in the midst.” And it's in the context of asking God. As we agree together, it will be done, because His House is a House of Prayer.

And that's another thing. Maybe when we get back together, we'll not only be a place to worship and have the Word, but we'll be a House of Prayer, where we come together to pray! Yes! I believe we need to come together to pray.

Ephesians 6:11, 12 says: “Put on the whole armor of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

We were reading this Scripture in our morning devotions the other day. And we looked up, we thought, what does this really mean, “the rulers of the darkness of this world”? The word is kosmokrator, and it means, “a world ruler, an epithet of Satan.”

How true it is that these powerful demonic spirits are seeking to rule the world! They want world domination. They want a global world where they can rule. Of course, they're going to rule through people, but it all comes back to these demonic spirits, these demonic ruling spirits.

We're facing that. Even today we're seeing this spirit of control and ruling come in over our personal lives. Infringing on our rights according to the Constitution, infringing on our mandate according to the Word of God, infringing upon our freedom. This is not from God. This is from the enemy, and we have got to come against this in prayer.

We cannot do it on our own, precious ladies. Oh my, yes, we can, but we need more. We need help, because these are powerful demonic spirits. They are hovering over every city and every nation, and especially in the most strategic places. Over Washington, DC. Oh, no wonder, we hear constantly how the swamp has got to be cleaned up. And President Trump went in to clean up the swamp. But my, I can't think he ever imagined how filthy the swamp was, and how it's really entrenched in these world-ruling spirits of darkness.

We have to come against them in the power of God, in the Name of Jesus, and through the power of the blood of Jesus. The Passion translation says: “For they are a powerful class of demon gods, and evil spirits that hold this dark world in bondage.”

The Amplified Classic says: “For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood, contending only with physical opponents, but against the despotism, against the powers, against the master spirits who are the rulers of this present darkness.”

Are you getting it, ladies? We are not having a Sunday school picnic. We are in a battle, and we need one another.

The New English translation commentary of that Scripture says: “Depraved world rulers of this darkness does not refer to human rulers, but the evil spirits that rule over the world.”

So we're not praying against people, though we see what people are doing. Because we think of a man like Bill Gates. I mean, I guess he's a lovely, nice man. But he is bringing in deception. Oh my, if you just want to listen, or read what he is saying and writing, it's obvious he's coming from these demonic spirits.

We're not coming against people. It's the spirit world that we have to fight. And I go back to Daniel, in Daniel, chapter ten. Remember how Daniel, the archangel Michael was coming to Daniel, but he was held up for 21 days!

Daniel waited and waited. When he came, he said, “I was blocked by the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia.” And he said, “I had to get Gabriel to come.” No, Gabriel, he was the one who was coming, but he had to get Michael to come and help him!

Now he was an archangel. So what about us? I mean, here were Michael and Gabriel fighting these spirit princes, and after he talked to Daniel, he said, “Now I've got to go back and fight against the spirit prince of Persia, and then the spirit prince of the kingdom of Greece will come, and I've got to fight him.”

So we were just getting a little glimpse into this spirit world of where the battle is. When we're coming together as the people of God, this is the most powerful thing we can do, is to pray and intercede together. Just imagine, if God's people would come back together to pray and take authority over these despotisms, over these ruling demons who are seeking to take control! Oh my.

Now, personal prayer is powerful, but collective prayer is even more powerful. That's why we pray as families. That's even powerful. But then we need to have prayer meetings in our homes. And praying at church, battling, and wrestling in prayer. We are missing out on this, ladies as we're not meeting together as the people of God.

All right, so, number three, yes. The church is also a gathering, Yes, I gave you that, gathering together to pray. That was three, wasn't it? OK, and now four. It is a gathering together to be an exceeding great army. Oh, I've been thinking about Ezekiel 37. Do you remember this chapter, ladies? Ezekiel 37?

Now let me see . . . I'll go to Ezekiel 37. And this is the chapter of the valley of dry bones. The Hand of the Lord was upon Ezekiel. Verse one says that the Lord carried him out in the Spirit of the Lord and set him down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones.

And God told him to prophesy to these bones. In verse seven: “So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his  bone. When I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them about. But there was no breath in them.”

But now they were flesh and bones and sinew and skin. That also takes me over to the New Testament, Ephesians 5:30, where it says: “For we are members of His Body, of His flesh, and of His bone.” Oh, do you remember reading that?

Isn't that incredible, ladies? We are members of Christ's body. We are His flesh, and His bones. He is the Head, but we are His body on the earth. We're His flesh and blood and bones on the earth. We are His revelation on the earth. He indwells our flesh-and-bone body to reveal Himself on this earth. Not through one person, but through His whole body. Not one person can reveal the fullness of Christ. The fullness of Christ is revealed through the whole body of Christ.

Of course, it goes back to Genesis 2:24, where God said: “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” As we know, marriage is a mystery. It is the revelation of Christ and His Bride. That's why we have to put such honor on marriage. We dare not dishonor the marriage relationship. It reveals the picture of Christ and His church. He is the Head, and we are His body, and we are one! But we are His flesh and His bones.

For the fullness of His body to be together, we have to have our bones connected, just as they did in Ezekiel 37. Of course, I guess you remember the old children's song, “the foot bone connected to the leg bone, the leg bone connected to the knee bone, and the knee bone connected to the thigh bone,” and so it goes on.

But they first had to come together. Yes, come together. Verse seven, we read it: “And I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together.” You notice the coming together again.

In the Hebrew, the word is kawrab, and it means “to come near, to draw near, intimate, proximity.” In some Scriptures, that same Hebrew word is used for sexual relations. So we see that it's a word that means “connection, connected together.” We're not really connected together, although it's wonderful and great to have Zoom meetings, online meetings, that's so wonderful, but it's not the coming together, the assembling together.

Let's go to the Greek word, over there in the New Testament. Hebrews 10:25, we talked about that last week. “Don't neglect assembling yourselves together.” Now in that passage, the word “assembling” is the Greek word episunagoge. The word “together” is the same word, episunagoge. They use it two times, the assembling together.

What does that mean? It means “a complete collection, especially a Christian meeting for worship.” Assembling together. Yes, it's together, ladies. Together. Now, we're doing good things, having Zoom meetings, but it's not assembling together, and that's what God told us to do.

Now, go back to Ezekiel 37 and what was the purpose of them coming together? Bone to bone. Let's go down to verse 10. “So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.”

That, precious mothers and wives and families, and anyone listening, is the purpose of our coming together; to be what God wants us to be as the body, His collective body in our community, in the nation, in the world, ANA EXCEEDING GREAT ARMY!

That's why I shared last week with you, my dream that if every believer, which would be millions, all came back to church, bone connected to bone, and we were all together, in all our respective churches worshiping God, an exceeding great army, it would impact the nation! We can do it. All it takes is every believer getting back to church.

Nobody could do anything about it. They couldn't put millions of people in jail. What could all these liberal governors say? “We can't have church for so long?” What can they say? Well, they're already completely disobeying the Constitution, disobeying the Word of God. But what could they say about that?

You see, why don't we be who we are? This EXCEEDING GREAT ARMY! Amen? That's who we are. That's what is meant to happen when we come together. That is the purpose of bone to bone, being His flesh, and His bone in this world! We are going to be an exceeding great army!

I love the Song of Solomon 6:10: It's a picture of the Bride of Christ. “Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible...” Some translations say “awesome.” Awesome or terrible, “as an army with banners?” An army with banners! Coming against the foe. It's an awesome, frightening sight.

It frightens the enemy, a bit like the nation that I come from. I come from New Zealand, and we have our lovely native people, the Maori people. Back in the early days, when some of them were even cannibals, they fought against the pakeha, because the white people were the pakeha.

Even when they had their Maori wars, and they fought against one another, they would have what you call a haka. It was a Maori war dance. It was frightening. I mean, today they still do it for entertainment, and they roll their eyes, and they do all these things. It's very frightening, but it was to frighten the enemy.

That's what we, as the body of Christ and the people of God, are meant to be. We're meant to be a threat to the enemy! The enemy should fear us, instead of us fearing the enemy!

Now ladies, before we can fight, we have to come together. Now a soldier who is in the army, he can belong to the army. You don't see a soldier on his own. He belongs to the army. If I see a soldier dressed up in his army uniform, I love to go up to him and thank him for what he is doing to protect our nation. But he can't do anything on his own. When they’re going to fight, they're called up, and they all go together. They have to gather together to confront the enemy.

It's the same with us. We belong to Jesus. We can have a beautiful relationship with Jesus, but if we're going to fight the enemy, if we're actually going to be awe-inspiring and frightening to the heathen, we have to be gathered together!

I was just looking this morning, just looking at the words “gathered together” in the Word and I noticed, there are hundreds of verses, I just took a few of the battles back in the Old Testament.

Joshua 10:5: “Therefore the five kings of the Amorites gathered themselves together against Gibeon and made war against it.” They couldn't make war against the enemy until they gathered together.

Judges 7:23: “And all the men of Israel gathered themselves together and pursued after the Midianites.” Now if one person, one lone soldier decided that he was going to pursue after Midianites, well, he would be wiped out. But they gathered together as one, a mighty army, to pursue them.

You see, our power is in togetherness. Satan knows it, and he is weakening our power. And dear ladies, I'm speaking this to you as precious mothers. We are the mothers of the families. We are the families that make up the church. We are the ones who have to have this vision to get our families back. So we become part of this mighty great army.

Let's look at one or two others. Judges 20:11: “So all the men of Israel were gathered together against the city, knit together as one man” to come against the city.

1 Samuel 17:1: “The Philistines gathered together their army,” gathered together their army, “to battle.”

2 Samuel 12:29: “And David gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it and took it.” So you see here, we just can't be lone soldiers on our own, lovely ladies. We've got to be gathered together. Then we have power to pursue the enemy. Amen?

So oh yes, have I got time for one little thought? I pray that when we get back together, that we won't be going back together with masks on. Oh, do you know, forgive me for saying this, but I have a thing against masks.

Now of course, if I was a dentist, I would be wearing a mask. My. Because I'm closely right up to someone's face and I would have a mask that was totally fitted for that career. If I was a doctor or nurse, I would have a properly fitted mask because I am treating maybe infectious patients. I'm protecting them, and I'm being protected.

But for daily life, out in the beautiful fresh air and sunshine, dear ladies, I'm sure you already know that even the CDC and the WHO have stated that wearing a mask will not help you in stopping to get coronavirus. If you were to get it, it will not help you.

In fact, people, they have found people who wear masks, they're handling their faces far more than people who don't wear them. You are only breathing in your own carbon dioxide. That is not healthful for you. You are far healthier getting the beautiful fresh air.

Once again, it is just a farce. In fact, it's more than that. I believe it's a picture, because everything is a picture. I believe it's a picture of DUMBING US DOWN AND SILENCING OUR MOUTHS! They want us silenced, and they want complete control of our lives.

You will not get me wearing a mask if I go to a shop. In fact, two of my favorite shops, Costco and Whole Foods, I don't go to either at the moment because they require you put on a mask if you go in. They don't get my business. I'll go where I don't have to wear a mask.

But why would we wear a mask to church? We're in a company of people who are indwelled by the Spirit of God, and not only do we become more like Jesus as we behold Him, but as we behold Him in  one another. Isn't it sad to see people with these masks on and we can't even see them?

My husband was somewhere the other day at a little restaurant, and he saw the waitress, and she had her mask on. He said, “You look like such a beautiful lady, but I can't really tell because your mask is on.” But it's so sad. You can't see people. You don't see their smiles.

The other night three of our beautiful, amazing grandchildren took Colin and I out for a meal. So lovely of them! The waiters and waitresses were all wearing their masks. But the one who was attending us, he had his mask on. For a moment he took it off, and he gave us this most beautiful smile. He said, “I want you to see my smile.” He put it on again. But we were so glad that he did that because you can't really see the face.

Let me end with this lovely Scripture. 2 Corinthians 3:18: “But we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

We behold our precious Lord in His Word, but we also behold Him in one another. So when we come back, when all the millions of believers come back, and we become this great mighty army, let's behold one another, and see Him in one another.

“Dear Father, we pray that You will help us to rise up as the people of God, to fulfill Your Word. Oh God, save us, Lord, from being dumbed down by the lies and the deceptions of the enemy. Lord, we have been seeing more and more lies exposed, even through this whole pandemic.

We pray that You will help us to be people who do not live according to what might be also wrong predictions, but we will live according to truth, according to Your Word, and we will live by faith and trust in You. We will not fear. We will live in hope and faith and, Lord, that we will cast aside all fear  which does not come from You.

I pray, Lord, for great mighty revival. I pray for the great returning of the people of God to meet together. And, Lord, to let Your glory be seen in us, and through us, and out to this world.

In the Name of Jesus, Amen.”

Transcribed by Darlene Norris.

 

FROM OUR HOME TO YOURS w/ Nancy Campbell

EPISODE 102: SHOULD CHURCHES BE MEETING TOGETHER? Part 1

Rocky Barrett: Welcome to the podcast, From our Home to Yours, with Nancy Campbell, founder and publisher of Above Rubies. 

Nancy Campbell: Good morning. Well it may be “Good evening” where you are. Actually it is “Good afternoon” here.

Anyway, ladies, today I would like to jump on my little soapbox. Would you let me do that? I don’t think it’s a very popular soapbox but it’s a burden on my heart at the moment. I want to talk to you about it. You may not agree with me but that doesn’t matter. My husband always says, “We don’t have to agree with one another, but we do have to love one another.”

Even if you don’t agree, keep listening because I am going to bring a lot of the Word of God into what I’m saying.

Now what’s my current little soapbox? My burden at the moment is that people get back to church to worship together. It really grieves my heart that the body of Christ are not getting back together.

Some of you may say, “Nancy, aren’t you thinking of our dear older people? Those who are immune compromised and those how have diseases with heart problems and diabetes and high blood pressure and all these things who can be susceptible to COVID-19. Aren’t you thinking of them?”

Well, yes, I am. Actually, I guess I would have to put myself in the category of the older people, but I never think of myself like that.

Oh goodness me, Colin and I think we belong to the young people. When we hear about the older people we’re thinking about some other section of society, even though my husband is eighty and I’ll be eighty next year. But we’re in the young people’s section.

But okay, these precious people, if they are not well or they have some compromise in their health, we would not expect them to attend church. That’s just common sense. That’s common sense for any time of life, not only when there is a pandemic in our world. No! That’s common sense at any time. People just don’t go out when they are sick, and we wouldn’t encourage anyone to go out when they are sick.

But healthy people! Why are healthy people compromised? Why are healthy people quarantined? Why are healthy people kept at home? It doesn’t make sense.

Even in Bible times they had quarantine. They had to quarantine the leapers. They were infectious. They couldn’t come near healthy people and that is right. It’s always the same. You just don’t go out amongst healthy people if you are infectious.

Also, I believe that we as the people of God, don’t we really realize who we are? The Bible says in Romans 8:11 that the Spirit of God that raised Jesus from the dead dwells in us.

If people are getting together to worship God and they have indwelling in them the Spirit of God with the power that raised Jesus from the dead, how can we all be getting sick?

No! We have living within us the One Who is our Healer, our Savior, and our Deliverer!

Let me just share a few things on my heart.

I would like to go to Hebrews 10:24, 25. You know the Scriptures: “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”

Now that word was written to the Hebrews. The book of Hebrews was written prior to A.D. 70,  the full of Jerusalem. They were tumultuous times. They were not easy times. Yet the Word of God tells us to not forsake the assembling of yourselves together.

That’s the King James. I love the King James, but I also love to look at other translations, too.

The Moffat translation says: “Not ceasing to meet together.”

The Knox translation says: “Not abandoning, as some do, our common assembly.”

The Amplified Classic says: “Not forsaking, nor neglecting, to assemble together.”

The Common Jerusalem Bible: “Not neglecting our congregational meetings.”

The J. B. Phillips says: “Let us not hold aloof from our church meetings.”

It’s pretty plain, isn’t it? It doesn’t say that you are not to neglect them in “good times.” No, it just says not to neglect them whatever the time because this is part of our Christianity to meet together.

We are a together people. Yes, we have individual salvation, but we have been brought together to be one body. We are the body of Christ upon the earth. Jesus is our head. We are His body, not one individual but all of us collectively together.

God loves us to all meet together. It’s always been part of the church.

I was reading the other day about Daniel. It’s a Sunday School story of how Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den. It’s more than a Sunday School story, isn’t it? Let’s read it over in Daniel chapter 6. We read the story there and it’s a story that’s worth reading to your children. I believe this is a time to read it to your children; not just as a little Bible story but as principles for how we are to live.

Daniel of course was a very intelligent, faithful, and diligent man. King Darius decided to appoint three presidents over all his specific counties.

He had to appoint three presidents over all his specific counties. He had 120 divisions of his land and a prince over each one and three presidents over that. The head president was Daniel.

Because Daniel was the one who was made to be the head, all of the others got very jealous of him, and they decided they wanted to come against him.

They couldn’t find one bit of fault with his whole life. But they found one fault and that was that he didn’t pray to their gods but to the God of all gods, King of kings and Lord of lords.

He prayed every day and they thought, “Wow, we’ll get him on that.”

You know the story of how they went to King Darius and said, “Oh king, will you establish that law that anybody who asks of any god or man a petition apart from you, oh king, for the next thirty days, will be thrown into a lion’s den” (Daniel 6:7). The king, I guess being the king and thinking he was so important, he signed the decree.”

Now listen, he signed it, yes. It was signed and sealed, obviously with his signet ring or however they made it absolute.

It says here in verse 8 that he signed it according to the law of the Medes and Persians, “ . . . which altereth not.” In other words, it could not be changed. There was no way to change it once the king had signed it.

Verse 10 says: “Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, [and he knew that it could not be changed and that he would have to face the consequences] he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.”

Daniel didn’t change his habit. His habit was to go before the Lord three times a day. Now there are a few others in the Bible who went before the Lord three times a day. Do you remember who they were?

There was David who came before the Lord, morning, noon, and night.

Of course, there was Daniel; he came three times. It was his habit.

It was the habit also of Jesus to attend the synagogue and go into the house of God. In Luke 4:16 it says: “And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was . . ..” Or in other words, as was His habit. It wasn’t something He did every now and then or whenever He felt like it. It was a habit, ingrained in Him from an early child.

Also Paul had this same habit. It says in Acts 17:2 that Paul went into the synagogue as was his habit to do every week.

Let’s go back to Daniel. He did not change. Ladies, I have been challenged by that in realizing here we are facing this situation where churches are no longer meeting together. In some states they are told that they will not be allowed for many months and yet there is no signed decree.

Did you know that? Nothing has been signed. We’ve just been told to do this. Daniel faced something that had been signed and could not be changed and yet he did not compromise.

What has happened that we have compromised?

Why am I talking about this, dear ladies, when all my podcasts are to encourage you as wives and as mothers. Well this is very much part of who we are as wives and mothers because, dear precious wives and mothers, churches are made up of families.

That is what church is. It is an extension of the family. The first institute that God ordained was the family; that came before church; that came before government. Then as the church was established and born in Acts chapter 2, from that very moment in Acts chapter 2 believers have met every week.

It has become a part of who we are: the togetherness of the body. It’s made up of families. We as families have to make the decision of what we are going to do.

Along with our husbands, we have to have strong, biblical convictions.

Are we going to go according to what man says? To what ungodly men say? What liberal socialists and very pro-communist men are saying?

Or are we going to go along with the Bible?

Mothers, we have to have strong convictions. We have got to have biblical convictions because if we don’t, where is this world going to go? If we as the mothers don’t have Biblical convictions and don’t pass them on to our children, where are the convictions going to be?

They’re going to fade. They’re going to be lost.  We are the ones who carry on the biblical convictions and we have got to be strong in our convictions and not just wimpy, not just tossed to and fro, not just going along because this is what everyone else is doing.

No, we have got to be strong in the Word of God.

So I have been very challenged to read this because every Word of God is for our learning. Every story in the Word is not just a story. It’s God showing us the way as it tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:11 how every word was “written for our learning on whom the ends of the world have come.”

They are for our learning and so we learn from this. What do we learn? What is biblical and what are our godly convictions. We don’t just give them up because somebody said we can’t do it.

The Bible says we ARE to do it. Who do we obey?

We don’t even have an edict saying that we’re going be thrown into the lion’s den and yet we are still compromising.

But even though Daniel knew the consequences, he did not change. He could have still done it in hiding. He could have gone into his house and hid it behind closed doors. He didn’t have to kneel at his open window as he had always done. He did that because he was looking towards Jerusalem.

He could have compromised there perhaps. Isn’t that what they tell us to do today? “Oh yes, now you can still just have online worship and zoom worship and all this.”

That’s all good and there’s nothing wrong with that. I’m sure many people are being blessed out of that.

But is that what we were doing before? No and Daniel didn’t compromise. He didn’t just go into hiding and pray before his God. He could have easily said, “I’m still praying three times a day to worship my God” and done it in hiding.

No, he didn’t hide. He honored God.

I think of that Scripture: “Them that honor me I will honor” (1 Samuel 2:30).

I am thinking of the words of Jesus: “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32).

Now of course we know the story and how Daniel was thrown into the den of lions and God was faithful to him.

I love verse 23. This was after that long night. The King, who loved Daniel and did not want to throw him into the lion’s den, he hardly slept that night as he waited to see if God would save this man.

God did and so “ . . . Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he trusted in his God.”

What a principle we learn here, precious mothers: he trusted in his God. Who are we trusting in at this time?

Are we trusting in man? Are we trusting in all these numbers and projections that are given to us, which have all turned out to be wrong? If you’re keeping up with the numbers on this corona virus, you will know that they keep coming down in numbers all the time. It has been nothing like they have projected. It was fear mongering. It was to bring this whole world into fear.

Oh when are we, the people of God, going to be people of faith and trust God instead of living in fear?

And so Daniel trusted his God.

I wonder what we are prepared to do?

Of course, remember when Daniel’s friends, the three men would not bow down to King Nebuchadnezzar’s image.

That was a different king, but they were still in Babylon. They said, “NO! We will NOT bow down! We will only bow to our God. We believe God can deliver us. But even if He doesn’t deliver, we will not bow down” (Daniel 3:16-18).

They were prepared to be thrown into the fiery flames. But once again, God DID deliver them. Of course our trust is even if we’re not delivered.

Go over to Daniel 11:32. It is a wonderful Scripture. I have quoted this Scripture all my life. But I was reading it again the other day and noticed that I had forgotten a very big word.

Any way, it says: “ . . . the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.”

That’s King James again but when you go to the Hebrew you find the word exploits is not actually in the original. They have put it in there but it’s a great word. There is nothing wrong with it because we want the people of God to do exploits.

But this is how it really goes. Let me look at another translation here.

The ESV says: “ . . . but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action.” Many translations say, “Take action.”

But really, in the original it should be: “The people who know their God take action and do.”

I like that: “And DO.”

Then again, I was reading it and I noticed that there was a “but” in the Scripture, “BUT.”

There’s a word but: “BUT the people who know their God.” Do you notice that? But do know their God. In times like these, ladies, we have to be people who know our God; not know about Him but KNOW Him and know His Word.

We get to know Him by knowing His Word. As we know His Word, we know Him.

The whole context of this Scripture is that the king of the North was coming down and bringing great persecution on the people of God.

It says Daniel 11:28 (NLT): “He will set himself against the people of the holy covenant, doing much damage.”

Verse 30: “He will vent His anger against the people of the holy covenant and reward those who forsake the covenant.” I believe that these times are coming when people, even Christians, will be rewarded when they go along with the deception and forsake the Word of God.

Verse 31: “His army will take over the Temple fortress, pollute the sanctuary, put a stop to the daily sacrifices.” Now that’s interesting. The king of the North was going to come down. This is all prophetic, this word in Daniel. “And put a stop to the daily sacrifices.”

Of course that’s talking about the Jewish sacrifices, but we can relate that to what we are going through now. They have put a stop to our weekly sacrifice when we go to meet with one another and assemble together as a body of believers.

They have been putting a stop to this.

It’s the same thing here. It goes on to say, ladies, after telling us all about all that is going to happen and how they will put a stop to the daily sacrifices. We could even say, in our day, putting a stop to weekly worship.

BUT. “ . . . BUT the people who know their God.”

BUT. Did you get it? It’s the BUT. There it is: “ . . . but the people who know their God shall be strong and resist him.”

A number of translations put that in because that is in the context. That is why they are rising up: to be strong.  They are resisting the enemy as he comes against the people of God.

We go on to verse 33. This is the remnant because it was really a remnant that stood up. ”But these teachers will die by fire and sword, or they will be jailed and robbed. During these persecutions, little help will arrive, and many who join them will not be sincere. And some of the wise will fall victim to persecution. In this way, they will be refined and cleansed and made pure until the time of the end, for the appointed time is still to come.”

That was all back in Daniel, but it relates to us today, precious mothers.

There are people who are putting a stop to what is Biblically mandated and not only biblically mandated but also where we are given a mandate in our constitution.

A couple of podcasts ago I read to you our first amendment. As I close this session, I want to read it to you again because we have to know. We have to know the WORD.

I think I am going to do another session, ladies, because I’ve got so many more Scriptures, I want to give you. We have got to know the Word and we’ve got to know the First Amendment because this is what this country is based on.

“We the people.” Of course that’s how it starts, then . . . “The First Amendment (then it goes on) “to the United States Constitution prevents . . ..”

Did you hear that? PREVENTS.

“ . . . Prevents the government from making laws which regulate an establishment of religion, prohibit the free exercise of religion, or abridge the freedom of speech, the freedom of the press, the right to peaceably assemble, or the right to petition the government for redress of grievances.”

Dear ladies, there it is in black and white: the right to PEACEABLY ASSEMBLY. We’ve got it in the Word, and we’ve got it in the Constitution.

It also says here in Title 18 U.S.C. Section 242, talking about the First Amendment: “Whoever, under color of any law, statute, ordinance, regulation, or custom, willfully subjects any person in any State, Territory, Commonwealth, Possession, or District to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured or protected by the Constitution or laws of the United States, … shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both; and if bodily injury results from the acts committed in violation of this section or if such acts include the use, attempted use, or threatened use of a dangerous weapon, explosives, or fire, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both . . ..”

Then it goes on to say more.

So we hear, lovely ladies, in black in white, that the imprisonment or just going after people who are doing wrong is to the people who are stopping God’s people from peaceably assembling.

That’s the Constitution. Look it up, know it, and teach it to your children.

Here’s something else. This was a ruling of the United States Supreme Court shortly after the Civil War which still stands to this day. Let me read it.

Ex parte Milligan, 71 U.S. 2 (1866): “Neither the legislator nor any executive or judicial officer may disregard the provisions of the constitution in the case of emergency.”

Section 98: “Therefore anyone who declares the suspension of constitutionally guaranteed rights to freely travel [that has been stopped in many states], peaceably assemble [that is where churches are free to gather together], earn a living [people have been stopped from carrying on their business and going to work], freely worship, etc., or attempts to enforce such suspension within fifty independent sovereign continental United States of America is making war against our constitution and therefore we the people.

“They violate their constitutional oath and thus immediately forfeit their office and authority and their proclamations be disregarded with impunity and that means anyone, even the governor and President.”

That still stands today, ladies.

And so why as families are we not going back to church? Why are pastors not drawing their people back?

I don’t dream in the night. I wish I did. I would love to have amazing dreams like lots of people have but I don’t. I just go to sleep and wake up.

Anyway, I have a dream in the day. It’s a vision, really, a burden. It’s more a burden.

My burden is that the people of God will obey His Word, who will live by their rights they have been given according to the Constitution and get back to church. I would love to see the whole of God’s people, millions of believers, getting back on one day.

The first day, all together, just all go! Every believer just filling the churches!

Oh, can you imagine? Can you just imagine what would happen to this nation? Can you imagine if believers got out of their homes with joy on their faces and their families with them in their cars and drove to church, whatever church they go to, and fill them like they’ve never filled them before?

Wow. It would cause revival in the nation.

Oh, can you make that dream? Let’s pass it on to make it happen.

Let’s pray:

“Dearest Father, We thank You for Your precious Word. Every little word is showing the way to live, not just in good times but in challenging times

“Oh God, I pray that You would help us to be people of the Book, people of the Word, people who not only read it but people who believe it and people who act on it..

“Oh God, I pray that You will stir Your people up, Father, and Lord, that You would bring a mighty revival to this nation. We ask it in the name of Jesus. Amen.”

 

Transcribed by Morgan Roth.