ALONE WITH GOD     

  After Jesus had entered his life's work of preaching the kingdom of God--and many were pressing into he said, "Upon this rock I will build my church" ( Matt. 16:18). On the day of Pentecost these believers received the Holy Ghost and were welded together in love and became the temple of God. They had already been, delivered from sins committed, and on the day of the Pentecost the carnal nature was burned out, and they received the divine nature of God, and fellowship was completely stored so that Paul could say, "In whom we also are builded together for an habitation (place of abode) of God through the Spirit" (Eph. 2:22). These were people— individuals from whose lives sin had been destroyed— who were enjoying fellowship with God; God lived in their hearts and among them, not in material form, but through the Spirit. This was the church that Jesus said he would build. The same experience that produced this kind of a church in the morning of this dispensation will produce the same today. Sin is no more powerful today than it was in Jesus' day, neither is the power of God any different. There is still power in the blood of Jesus to break every shackle and fetter of sin and set the captive free if he only will trust in it. This church Jesus said he would build, and did build, is not a myth but a spiritual fact about Christ. It is his body the reincarnation of him who sits at the right hand of the majesty on high. She, the church, must be free from sin today as much as Jesus was without sin when he was in the world.

  Why the church? Why did Jesus build a church? Was it because he had nothing else to do? NO! He built it to meet a specific need in the world, that he might have a church through which he could work and manifest his glory and power. As soon as a so-called church fails to meet this specific need, it is discarded by the Lord, just as we discard a useless article. Many churches have fallen into the discarded lot without realizing it, the Lord having departed from them; yet they continue on as best can without his help. So many churches allow the fervent love of God to leak out of their hearts, thereby losing power of genuine religion and also the ability to see spiritual things, and then fall into the class that depends upon forms of worship and good deeds to carry them through. In Rev. the second chapter, we read some letters the Lord wrote to the churches. To Ephesus he wrote and commended them for their patience and the fact that they couldn't bear those who were evil, or false prophets, yet he said, "I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast LEFT thy first love." This church had labored in Christian service, had borne many burdens for the sake of the Lord, yet she had allowed that strong ardent affection for God and sacred things to leak out of her heart, she was discarded by the Lord as a result of it. He said, "Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent." Undoubtedly this church was in a backslidden, condition. She failed to meet the specific need for which Jesus built his church and was set aside. The true church of God as she is inhabited by the Lord will need no human scaffolding to support her; she will not have to depend upon forms and ceremonies to keep her going because she is the dwelling place of the eternal God.

  The work of the church is twofold. First, the church to "offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ" (I Pet. 2:5). Second, to meet a definite and precise need of humanity.

  Before the church can offer spiritual sacrifice acceptable to God, she must be alive spiritually. Peter said, ÒYe also as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house.Ó ÒThe trees of the Lord are full of sap.Ó Jesus said, ÒI am the life.Ó It is only as we come in vital contact with him that we have spiritual life. The so-called Israel of God today is much like it was when God gave Ezekiel the vision of the valley of dry bones. Those bones gave mute evidence that there had at one time been a people. In many places today we find the bones of what once was a spiritual church. What has happened? Many things might have happened to cause such a spiritual decay. Maybe it began by an innocent wink at the world, which in time led to friendship with the world--which is enmity with God, and death to spirituality. Beloved, individuals and churches do not backslide over night. They don't lose it all at once; it is a gradual process. Just a little slackening up in their devotions to God and loosening of their grip on the word of God and Satan already has the wedge in that will mean your soul in the end. Perhaps someone left Babylon (denominationalism's confusion) and came to the congregation, not because they had gotten a vision the bride, the Lamb's wife, but because the folks were little more friendly to them, and with them they brought some Babylonish garbs and traits and by their winning personality persuaded the pastor to use these relics from Babylon, which in time brought about an apostasy among the group. (A word to the pastor who reads this article might be fitting right here.) Keep yours eyes on the one who comes to you out of Babylon. No, I don't mean to put him under suspicion or probation either. Remember it took God only a short time to get Israel out of Egypt but it took him forty years to get Egypt out of Israel. So it may take you longer to get Babylon out of the individual than it will to get him out of Babylon. Many other things might have happened; however, the bones are there and give evidence of death, that is, in relation to God. Spiritual life is gone and this group can no longer worship acceptably, for they cannot offer spiritual sacrifices God. Sin in any form will bring about spiritual death; and when sin is allowed regardless of how little, it puts a stop to the flow of the Spirit of God, and death prevails. Beloved, let's be certain that we keep that vital contact with God shunning the very appearance of evil, barring the door to the enemy of our soul, that we might be a people acceptable in the sight of the Lord. Therefore any people other than a spiritual people cannot be God's church.

  Second, to meet a definite and precise need of humanity. Open your Bible and reread Isaiah 1:2-9, and you will find the need of the world and the work of the church "The whole head is sick and the whole heart faint, from the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises and putrefying sores; they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment." The whole of humanity is in the same condition today; she is sick, there's no soundness it, but wounds, and bruises, and putrefying sores that have never been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment. Herein is the work of the church— to mollify the wounds and bruises and sores of humanity.

  Also the human family is dead in trespasses and in sins. It is the duty of the church to lead them to Christ, wherein they might find life spiritually. The greatest need of a dead man is life. The greatest need of the sinner, the world, is life from God; and the church that is dead (spiritually) cannot lead anyone to Christ; she needs to be resurrected herself.

  Jesus went about doing good, healing all manner diseases, casting out devils, having compassion upon multitudes; and on his departure he left the church to carry on his work. "Greater works than these shall ye doÓ proves to us that he intended his followers to carry on in the same field in which he labored; and when the church fails to anoint the wounds and bruises of humanity, she fails in her work and is discarded by God.

  Much has been written about the church evangelizing the lives of individuals in this crisis in which we are found today. Truly the church should be doing something about the lost souls that are in a state of bewilderment, but her exploiting in the field of recreation and amusement will never lead a soul to a saving knowledge of Jesus When any church leaves the field of evangelism (preaching or promulgation of the gospel—Webster) and enters the realm of recreation and amusement, it fails God and has left the old paths that lead toward heaven. It ceases to be the body of Christ, regardless of its profession. "It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe" (I Cor. 1:2). The preaching of the gospel will still save the believer and will bring others to the cross of Jesus. The preacher wasnÕt called of God to run bazaars and conduct recreational centers or to manage church basement restaurants; he was called to preach the gospel, and God has promised to take care of his word. Let the church be the church or take down the sign. It's these dead flies that cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savor. Many are the churches that have tried these avenues to entice their young people to services, but they failed. Many are the church basements that have been converted into a recreational center, or perhaps the church purchased a piece of property somewhere for the purpose of making a playhouse for the youth of the community. Beloved, this is not the work of the church. "Well, someone asks, "What shall we do with our young people, let them go to the devil?" No, I wouldn't agree to that. But if the church will be the church and act like the church carry on the work of the church, the gospel will go forth in the community under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, the members will live godly, upright lives, and mothers and fathers will be saved, and they'll bring the children to the church, and those young people who are of age will also find the Lord. The devil has succeeded in blinding many church leaders and ministers with the idea that they have to have a program that will entertain or amuse people in order to get them to church. If a crowd is all are looking for then let's buy a monkey and a grind organ and put on a real show and get the crowds. I like crowds too, but I'm not willing to sacrifice anything the Lord desires in order to get them; I'd rather have the LordÕs approval on the meeting than all the crowds you can get. Here's where the nominal church has been bewitched by her enemy, the devil. You never read in the New Testament where the apostles were quibbling over the question of entertaining or getting the crowds. No! They were filled with the power of God and went out to preach and either had a revival or a riot, and the crowds were always there. If Jesus is not the rose of Sharon, the lily of the valley, the bright and morning star to young people as well as old, then he has failed, in his mission. God reproved ancient Israel for making alliance with Egypt for help. "Woe to them that go down Egypt for help" (Isa. 31:1).

  Isn't God's program good enough for us? Won't it win the lost? Jesus said, "And I, if I be lifted up from earth will draw all men unto me." When we as a church enter the field of recreation and amusement we are not lifting up Jesus before the world. We are lifting him only as we obey him and walk close by his side.

  May the God of heaven breathe the Holy Spirit anew upon our hearts, enlighten our minds, and enlarge our vision as to our duty and responsibility as professed Christians. I'm persuaded to believe that a preaching program conducted by a Holy Ghost owned preacher will thrill and entertain the souls of the saints of God, whether they are young or old. We're just kidding ourselves to think that we need all manner of entertainment to hold the young or win them to God-and I'm speaking from the young person's viewpoint, since I'm young myself. If we preachers will not handle the word of God deceitfully but denounce the hidden works of darkness and preach the Bible with the manifestation and power of the Holy Ghost, and will honor and live the word, people will not need or even think about entertainment. "Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodnessÓ (Psm. 107:8-9). Isn't it the cry of empty souls and unsatisfied hearts that seek and demand entertainment? A church that is drinking at the fountain of life and busy with salvation's work, mollifying the spiritual wounds and bruises of mankind, is offering spiritual sacrifices unto God fulfilling her place in the world as God's church and not be worried about how we can entertain people. also will be worthy to be called the church of God on earth; therefore, LET THE CHURCH BE THE CHURCH.