Church Gatherings Places of Edification

Church gatherings ought to be places where believers meet to edify in the Word and equip the saints to speak the truth of Christ outside that gathering.

 
Building one another up is not about praising and flattering; it is about reminding one another of what Christ taught and learning to implement those teachings in our daily lives.

 
1 Thessalonians 5:11 "Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing."

Ephesians 4:29 "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear."
Hebrews 10:24-25 "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."

Romans 14:19 "So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding."

The building up of the saints involves strengthening godly character and developing mature responses in accordance with the Word of God. In other words, "equipping the saints."

Ragingly Insane Times

God said in the last days there would be perilous times, in 2 Timothy 3. That word "perilous" means "ragingly insane" in the original language.

 
This is what we are dealing with right now, all the time. Even those who say they are Christians have warped views of what they think "Bible believing" really is; they think it is just saying without obeying.

 
I often hear scripture being taken out of context to make it say what God never said. I hear ideas added to scripture that were not given by God. I see rules added that God never made, and I see traditions that God never commanded or endorsed ruining the walk of many believers.

 
Most people in the church gatherings have placed their trust in traditions and the acceptance of those they elevate above Christ.

 
2 Timothy 3:1-5 "3 But know this, that in the last days perilous (ragingly insane) times will come:
2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,
4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!"

Mark 7:13 "13 Thus you nullify the word of God by the tradition you have handed down. And you do so in many such matters.”

Romans 10:3 "Because they were ignorant of God’s righteousness and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness."

2 Timothy 3:8 "Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth. They are depraved in mind and disqualified from the faith."
So the conclusion of the matter is quite simple but disturbing.
Isaiah 29:13 "Therefore, the Lord said: “These people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship of Me is but rules taught by men."

We are living in the last days of apostasy, few will listen to the truth while claiming they have it, and they will negate, dismiss, and torment the truth tellers.

 
James 1:2-8 "2 Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials,
3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
6 But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.
7 For that person ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord,
8 being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."

The Leading of the Holy Spirit

The modern church does not know what it is to be led by the Holy Spirit. They disobey more of God's Word than they obey, while claiming to be Bible believing Christians. They are fakers and angry at anyone who will challenge them to actually obey the Word.

Listen to what "Christians" talk about, do you ever hear the name of Jesus Christ come from their lips? How often do you hear it?

I hear lots of conservative talk about politics. I hear some principles and commands of God, while others are ignored, but never the name of Jesus Christ.

 
Don't we speak of what is most important to us? Don't we mention the names of our friends regularly and what they are doing?

 
Do we speak frequently of God's commands and principles?

2 Timothy 3:16 "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,"

Acts 4:12 "And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

1 Corinthians 2:14 "The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned."

Only those who belong to Christ love to speak of Him!