MinistrEmail July 2015 – Assembled As The Day Draws Near

We are in a day and a season right now where we must understand the need for the corporate Anointing of the Body of Christ. Of course we have an individual Anointing specific for the grace needed to accomplish the call of God on our lives and to run the race set before us personally. But we must understand how our part effects and is effected by all the other parts.

In Hebrews 10, we see that our boldness to enter God’s presence is because of the Blood of Jesus. This is the great leveler. It’s not through your own merit. Our entry point into the “Holiest”, into everything Good, is through the veil of the flesh of Jesus.

Hebrews 10:19-25  Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus,  20  by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh,  21  and having a High Priest over the house of God,  22  let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.  23  Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.  24  And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,  25  not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

Now we need to begin to understand this to see, and to perpetuate what God is doing on the earth in an “end of day’s” time of revival. We are not in a day of individuals. Yes, God will still use the ministry offices of the Apostle, Prophet, Pastor, Teacher and Evangelist, because when we give esteem to these offices, we open ourselves to be taught by the gifts that are dedicated to equip the saints for the work of the ministry.

In the place of confidence before God, in that place where we have drawn near, we find we have come in through the open door of Jesus own flesh, His own Body. In theological terms we call this ‘Ecclesiology’ the study of the church. We see this first introduced as Jesus explains Peter’s revelation of Who Jesus is.

Matthew 16:13-19  When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”  14  So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”  15  He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”  16  Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”  17  Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.  18  And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.  19  And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

The word for church used here is ‘ecclesia’ meaning ‘calling out’. It is a compound of two Greek words meaning ‘out of’ and ‘calling’. In the time of the writing of the New Testament this was used to describe the calling out of an individual to political office. It is interesting to note this as we ‘rethink’ our jurisdiction as the church.

Jesus declares that He will build His church. This is His Body. It is through His corporate Body that we have entry into the Holiest. Imagine then how ludicrous the statement is that says, “It’s just me and Jesus, we don’t need any one else” Or “I love Jesus, it’s just His church I have a problem with.”

Part of the reason we haven’t seen the kind of power manifest amongst that we have desired us is that we haven’t identified the Body of Christ. His Body was broken physically, so that His Body could be made whole spiritually. Jesus prayer in John 17, was that we would be one as He and the Father are One! Lets ask ourselves then, what happens as we enter by the Blood together through His flesh as the Body?

There is a manifestation of Jesus in our corporate assembling that doesn’t happen any other time! Yes! It matters that you are at church, especially in these end of days!

Hebrews 10:24  And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,  25  not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

Why?

Hebrews 12:22-23  But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels,  23  to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect,

So, we see that we are an assembly, called out! In the New Testament church, there is “some assembly required”! We were not recreated to function as individuals only, but as an important individual part of the whole collectively. Now read carefully through these next scripture verses considering what we have just studied.

1 Corinthians 12:7-20  But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:  8  for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit,  9  to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit,  10  to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.  11  But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.  12  For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.  13  For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body-whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free-and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.  14  For in fact the body is not one member but many.  15  If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body?  16  And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body?  17  If the whole body were an eye, wherewould be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling?  18  But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased.  19  And if they were all one member, where wouldthe body be?  20  But now indeed there are many members, yet one body.

The context here, is the manifest power of the Holy Spirit, the exhortation is that we are one Body in this manifestation! We have to begin to see Jesus manifest in our assembly. Again, read through these next verses with this in mind.

Ephesians 1:19-23  and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power  20  which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,  21  far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.  22  And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over allthings to the church,  23  which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

When you look around at Church, are you seeing the Lord’s Body? Would you slander Jesus in your conversation? Would you dislike a part of Jesus person?

Ephesians 5:29-30  For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.  30  For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.

1 Corinthians 11:18-29 NKJV  (18)  For first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it.  (19)  For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you.  (20)  Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper.  (21)  For in eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of others; and one is hungry and another is drunk.  (22)  What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I do not praise you.  (23)  For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread;  (24)  and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat;this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”  (25)  In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” (26)  For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.  (27)  Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. (28)  But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.  (29)  For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.

Communion is more than a revelation of us being joined with Christ, it is also a revelation of us being joined together!

Ephesians 4:16  from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

The letter to the Hebrews gives us another powerful insight. Now hold onto your hats for this one!!! What does Jesus do when we assemble together?

Hebrews 2:11-12 NLT  So now Jesus and the ones He makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them His brothers and sisters.  (12)  For He said to God, “I will proclaim Your name to My brothers and sisters. I will praise You among Your assembled people.”

Quoting Psalm 22:22, Jesus spoke these words on the cross! When we come together, Jesus proclaims the Name to us and He begins praising God amongst our assembly!

We see the difference between a gathering and an assembly? We know that when two or more are “gathered”, Jesus said He would be in our midst Matthew 18:20  For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”, however here Jesus not only relates to us as brothers and sisters but He get’s involved in our ‘assembly’ declaring the Name of God and praising Him!

Don’t underestimate this, Jesus, seated at the right hand of God is declaring the NAME ‘YHVH’ of God and joining us as His Body in praise to Him. WOW!

As you sow your financial seed this month, do so with a fresh revelation that it is a ‘part’ of what the Body of Christ is doing. Use your faith specifically and declare, “I sow this as my part of a significant offering that will manifest as great increase in the Kingdom of God”.