2000 years ago, the church meeting was very different from that which we see today.
Today, the church services are preplanned by man. They have added choirs which rehearse and perform at churches. It is more a type of entertainment than participation. It is very restricted with only those prepared events, for the most part, being allowed.
The Holy Spirit and the various gifts of the Holy Spirit are almost gone due to all the planning by humans.
At verse 26 of I Corinthians 14, Paul tells us what to do when we gather as the church:
How is it then, brethren? When ye 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 for edification.
I've never seen this at any church service I have attended. When we read this, we have to imagine what it would have been like for the Holy Spirit to have been free to move through the individuals in that group that day. It should have been very exciting, not knowing ahead of time what would happen. It would have been totally in the hands of God to bring forth as HE willed what HE willed.
I would love to have been in one of these groups.
This entire chapter deals with that which we should do when we come together as the church.
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I Corinthians 14:1-3 Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather so that ye may prophesy. For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God, for no man understandeth him, however it may be that in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. But he that prophesieth, speaketh unto men for edification and exhortation and comfort.
edify: to build the individuals in spiritual ways
exhort; to instruct and to warn the church
comfort: to give hope and console, especially in time of grief or affliction
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All things spoken should edify the group. I use this as a guide for these writings. The words from the Holy Spirit and the examples of the Holy Spirit edify the church.
We, as humans, can preplan and speak words which seem clever and we can "tickle the flesh" and it will profit the people nothing, but might entertain them. Only the power of God and things from the Spirit of God are beneficial to the church. Therefore we try to present those things.
I've seen individuals rise up to speak "great swelling words" from their own flesh and I have stopped such when I've had opportunity to do so and have rebuked that person in front of all.
We don't allow things to get out of order and to have imaginations of the flesh to come forth to the church. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth. Individuals are free to speak but they must also realize what they speak is subject to judgment.
So we rejoice in that which the Holy Spirit does through the individual but we rebuke the works of the flesh.
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I Corinthians 14:4-9 He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself, but he that prophesieth edifieth the church. I would that ye all spoke with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied; for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, unless he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.
Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, unless I shall speak to you either by revelation or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine?
And even things without life, making sounds, whether pipe or harp, unless they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped?
So likewise you, unless ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken, for ye shall be speaking into the air?
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I once heard a woman telling of what a great sermon her pastor spoke on that Sunday. She said, "He is so scholarly, I didn't understand a word he said."
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I Corinthians 14:10-25 There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification. Therefore, if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me.
Even so ye, inasmuch as ye are zealous to possess spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.
Therefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret.
For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.
What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also; I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.
Else, when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say “Amen” at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?
For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.
I thank my God that I speak with tongues more than ye all. Yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.
Brethren, be not children in understanding. Nonetheless, in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.
In the law it is written: “With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that they will not hear Me,” saith the Lord.
Therefore tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe, but to those who believe not; but prophesying serveth not those who believe not, but those who believe.
If therefore the whole church come together into one place and all speak with tongues, and there come in those who are unlearned or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?
But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not or is unlearned, he is convinced by all and is judged by all, and thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God and report that God is in you in truth.
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I was speaking at a church once in Brownwood, Texas. The pastor called for a "prayer line" and asked me to go down the line and pray for the people. I yielded to this request of pastor although I don't usually do prayer requests or prayer lines. There can be so much greed in people when they come for prayer and even a lack of faith in their own prayers.
As I walked down the line, I noticed a very fat, large black woman. I went up to her and said, "What is it you want?" She replied, "I's gist wants more of God." I replied, "God will tell me what you are doing." In front of all the church, she screamed out, "Oh, no Lord. Don't tell her." The whole church broke out in laughter.
There is so much phony stuff that goes on at church meetings, religious pious, that this was real and delighted everyone, except maybe the woman who was terrified that God would show me what she was doing in private.
When the Holy Spirit is involved in the gathering, there will be some surprises and it will be unforgettable to all, as-well-as edifying.
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I Corinthians 14:26-33 How is it then, brethren? When ye 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 for edification.
If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two or at the most by three, and then in turn, and let one interpret. But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church, and let him speak to himself and to God.
Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge. If anything be revealed to another who sitteth by, let the first hold his peace. For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be comforted. The spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets, for God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as it is in all churches of the saints.
This is completely different from anything I've ever seen in the gathering of the church. We can only image, never having seen this pattern.
When they gathered it was "to eat the Lord's supper", the Word that God would give them.
The meeting was open to all to speak what God had shown them, subject to edification. It wasn't one speaker but the whole group being free to share testimonies of God working and prayers and revelations of information giving understanding of scripture, and such.
God was free to speak through all by the Holy Spirit.
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I Corinthians 14:34-35 Let your women keep silence in the churches, for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home, for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.
There is a good deal of confusion about this instruction. Today there are groups that will not allow any woman to speak at the "main" service but will allow women to speak and even to teach their Sunday school classes. It is like the church is not the Sunday school class therefore women can speak. (makes no sense)
I asked God about this when I knew I was to be a "minister". How can a woman be a minister if she cannot speak to the church, especially a prophet who is sent to the church and not to the world?
In response to my question, I was urged to look at what these women were doing in the church.
Paul said: "And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home,"
I felt, by this, these women were interrupting the gathering of the church by asking questions. This should not be permitted.
Then God reminded me of Philip, the evangelist and how he had 4 daughters who did prophesy. Prophesy is for the church. They would have to speak in the church to do this.
I believed I had my answer concerning women. They are not allowed to be out of order but they are allowed to share when God has given them something by HIS Spirit.
Concerning a woman being out of order at a church meeting ... I once attended a church gathering at a small non-denominational church. As pastor was speaking, this woman threw her hands into the air and jumped up from her seat and began running around the room shouting, "Praise God ... praise God." The people and pastor grew very excited thinking this was the Holy Spirit.
I was horrified at this!
This was not the Holy Spirit. I know what the Holy Spirit does and I know the Holy Spirit would not interrupt the church meeting this way. The Holy Spirit would edify the church. This was just emotional nonsense which stopped the preaching. It was out of order and this woman should have been stopped and disciplined strongly in front of all.
Here is what the Holy Spirit does inside the person of God:
John 14:26 But the Comforter, who is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
John 16:13 However when He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth; for He shall not speak from Himself, but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak; and He will show you things to come.
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I Corinthians 14:36-40 What? Did the Word of God come out from you? Or did it come unto you only?
If any man think himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.
But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.
Therefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak in tongues.
Let all things be done decently and in order.
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We have reached the last days, the end times.
Not only is the church set up differently from the way Paul instructed in this chapter, but scriptures of all kinds have been removed or explained away to allow various sins to take place in the church and to be approved among the congregation.
The removal of such scripture is the removal of restraint against antichrist in the church and this had to happen, according to Paul, before Jesus could return. This is the apostasy in the church spoken of in II Thess. 2.
Paul says: II Thess. 2 (NASB)
Let no one in any way deceive you, for it (the day of the Lord) will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.
Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things?
And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed.
For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. Then that lawless one will be revealed
The one restraining the man of lawlessness was Jesus, THE WORD, the scriptures.
As soon as scripture, even a portion of scripture, was removed, the restraint which held lawlessness back from the churches was removed so antichrist could move into the churches and lawlessness could reign inside the churches.
Let no one in any way deceive you, for it (the day of the Lord) will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.
Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things?
And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed.
For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. Then that lawless one will be revealed
The one restraining the man of lawlessness was Jesus, THE WORD, the scriptures.
As soon as scripture, even a portion of scripture, was removed, the restraint which held lawlessness back from the churches was removed so antichrist could move into the churches and lawlessness could reign inside the churches.
It helps me to know this had to happen to the churches. I had grieved so much for so many years concerning what I saw going on at church and I couldn't understand until God spoke to me in 2017, giving me the word "restraint" (NASB) and then I saw immediately.
What I had been seeing for 30+ years when I tried to attend church service was antichrist operating in the church itself, the apostasy of the end times.
What I had been seeing for 30+ years when I tried to attend church service was antichrist operating in the church itself, the apostasy of the end times.
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Poison Gas Dream
In 1979, God gave me the following terrifying dream:
Destruction was everywhere.
I went into a meeting room where a meeting was going on. A man was speaking to a room filled with people. I went in and began to listen.
A second man rushed in and said: "Stop ... Wait ... Can't you see ... It's too late ... It's already begun."
The first man resumed speaking.
I looked out the window to see what had "already begun."
There was a tall pole with a yellow civil defense speaker at top of the pole. A gas was coming out of the speaker. I knew it was poisonous and would kill the people. It was coming directly toward us!
The shocking thing was the speaker that was set there for the purpose of warning us was being used as the instrument which dispersed the gas that was poison and would kill us!
I looked at the man seated next to me. He had a big grin on his face and was looking directly at the man who was speaking to the group. But then I saw this man was a corpse, though he looked alive. He was already dead!
I looked about the room at the other people and realized they were all dead.
As I sat back in my chair and listened to the man speaking I began to feel sleepy and I knew as I sat there among them this was killing me too.
God was showing me the anarchy in the church groups, at the time of the dream, 1979.
The destruction in the churches was everywhere, even at that time. And it is much worse today.
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II Timothy 3:13-17 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
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