Documenti di Didattica
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Copyright © 8/23/'96
This is an ASCII text for unedited and unchanged distribution
on the net and www by Lee Tyler,
P.O.Box 620763, San Diego, CA 921620763;
oldservant8@aol.com; oldservant@gmail.com; Jabez1Chr4@hotmail.com
The principles Amy Carmichael taught in her book, The Gold Cord, are
applicable to fellowships and families. Her book shows the details and
practices of a fellowship or family that wants to fully experience the
following Scriptures.
"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell
together in unity! Like the precious oil upon the head, that ran down
upon the beard, upon Aaron's beard, that ran down to the hem of his
garments; As the dew of Hermon that descends on the mountains of
Zion; for there has Jehovah commanded the blessing, life for
evermore." Psalm 133
"I, the prisoner in [the] Lord, exhort you therefore to walk worthy of
the calling with which you have been called, with all lowliness and
meekness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in Love;
using diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the uniting bond of
peace." Ephesians 4:13
"A new commandment I give to you, that you Love each other; as I
have Loved you, that you also love each other. By this shall all know
that you are My disciples, if you have Love for each other. "John 13:34,
35
Amy wrote:
"No purer joy can be
Than to be one in Thee;
Bound by one golden cord
Of love to our dear Lord.
Together, together, together,
Made one in Thee,
All one in Thee,
Come let us flow together.
Come let us flow together
To the goodness of the Lord
Together, together, together,
Alleluia.
Than song of sweet wild bird,
Deep in the green wood heard,
More sweet the melody
Of such a unity.
All singing, all singing, all singing,
Made one in Thee,
All one in Thee,
Come let us flow, all singing.">a
Such singing is an evidence of the filling and unity of the Spirit
in the bond of peace"speaking to one another in psalms and
hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your
heart to the Lord . . ."(Eph.5:19)
"There is a peerless joy in comradeship that the years can only
prove and strengthen. This joy has been ours. We know that
the Lord 'who knit us together, shall keep us together'. . . . . . . .
Comfort and joy meet in this vital union,
Shelter in storm and peacefulness in strife;
Thus to be knit in Thy pure love's communion
It is our life, O Lord: it is our life.">b
So wrote Amy Carmichael, the author of Gold Cord and founder
of the Dohnavur Fellowship in Tirunelveli District, S. India, that
continues to this day and began in the 19th century. She never
set out or intended to do more than to serve those suffering
about her, share the joy of her salvation in the Lord Jesus
Christ, and rescue children from becoming temple prostitutes in
worship of Hindu sex gods and godesses. As she did these
things the Lord provided not only her material needs, but
precious and wonderful coworkers, Love warriors, and a
fellowship was born that evidenced the supernatural peace,
harmony, unity, sharing, service, and unselfish compassionate
cherishing that is possible only in and by Jesus and His Spirit.
In the process, like Hudson Taylor of China Inland Mission,
George Muller of Bristol England and many, she decided that
she would not ask any mortal for funds or supplies, nor let any
mortal outside of the fellowship know their need for funds or
supplies, even when the fellowship had grown to over 500
residents with an on site hospital. She and those of the Gold
Cord agreed to ask only Jesus' Father for the funds and supplies
they needed, and in an age of no long distance phone service,
no computers and no quick telecommunications, Jesus' Father
provided them with all their needs, providing the fellowship
with tens of millions of dollars (at our current rate of exchange)
over the years before she went on to be with Jesus.
During her life at Dohnavur in the Gold Cord, there was
realized that blessed unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace
anointed with a filling of the spirit that spilled over in song and
thanksgivings when they gathered together, male and female,
old and young, of many races, of many nations, of many
stations in life and over the decades. It is one of the greatest
and best documented proofs that God is, that Jesus is alive and
present in our midst, and that God loves us enough to be
intimately involved in our personal and corporate lives. And
so I offer her as a tried, tested and true expert on loving unity
in a family and in a fellowship.
The keys to a harmonious Christian family
lies in the relationship each member has with the risen and
soon to return Lord Jesus Christ. The keys to such family
harmony are essentially the same as the keys to any
harmonious and Loving Christian fellowship. Loving Jesus
with all our hearts, all our strength, all our minds and all our
soul (personality) first and foremost manifests itself in
loving and devoted obedience to Jesus. Such loving and
devoted obedience manifests itself in the unselfish and self
denying compassionate cherishing of all who Love Jesus,
which would include the husband, wife and children in a
Christian family. Let's look at some of the
character traits that Jesus will work in us if we ask and let
Him, character traits that will make for a Loving and
harmonious Christian family.
Amy found certain character traits essential to the harmony of
the fellowship of the Gold Cord: "truth, willingness for hard
work, a freedom from the dominance of money, and very
loving hearts. . . They were lovers of their Lord and servants of
His sick; they loved one another fervently, and money had no
power over them.">c What about the leader, the husband
in a family or the leader of a fellowship of bonded
souls, bound together in Spirit by a shared vision? He would
have to be a man of that vision, "one to whom the same
heavenly vision had been shown, so that he could not be
turned back from it or caused to doubt what he had seen.">d
"Only one who was so mastered by his convictions about
building in gold, silver, and precious stones could hold on
through what was sure to happen when there seemed to be no
material of that sort at hand, and the driving "must" of
apparent necessity to accept wood and hay and stubble was
upon him. But when convictions are inwrought by the Spirit of
God, they are not conquered by opposition, or shaken by
criticism or failure, or broken or weakened by disappointment.
The leader sent of God would not lose heart. For him we
prayed persistently.">e
The Leader, yea the band, cannot be given to selfindulgent
comfort. A life of sharing is a life of selfdiscipline and self
denial because self does not like to share. In a bonded
fellowship or marriage, after sharing, loving service
to your partners is the next key to success. Sharing and service
are not naturally comfortable and often allow those exercising
such virtues little or no comfort. "Comfort, that stealthy thing
that enters the house as guest, and then becomes a host, and
then master. Ay, and it becomes a tamer, and with hook and
scourge makes puppets of your larger desires. Though its
hands are silken, its heart is iron. Verily, the lust for comfort
murders the passion of the soul, and then walks grinning to the
funeral.">f The desire for personal comfort is an enemy of
unity in a family/fellowship.
In most of the world today anyone considering being a part
of a Godly family or controversial fellowship must be
prepared to suffer ridicule, harassment, social and emotional
trials, and even physical suffering as happened to my friend
Kane and his family.
"Dead to the world and its applause,
To all the customs, fashions, laws,
Of those who hate the humbling Cross">g
"I do not want people who come to me under certain
reservations. In battle you want soldiers who fear nothing. . .
we prayed that anyone who could be kept back should be
kept back. We even found ourselves asking that every
belittling story that could shake courage or desire might be
told to such a oneanything rather than to have one who
was not meant for us.">h It is best to have with you only
those whom the Lord has chosen and called to be with you,
especially in such a complicated and delicate association as in
a complex Christian family or controversial fellowships. If
one should join the family who was not called to it by the Lord,
the family will experience many of the struggles Joshua
experienced with the Canaanites, but the Lord will honor
unified prayer and fasting by the rest of the family
even in such circumstances and can turn it to His glory after
many trials and much struggle, even suffering.
To build such a Loving and harmonious Christian family, the
members of the family must answer the Spiritual call to
build such a family, by Christ's inner working.>1 If there is
any member of the family who does not have the calling to
such a family, the "called" members need to fast and pray in
agreement for such an uncalled member to receive the
"call">2. They must be open to the leading and inner
working of Jesus, no matter how "unpractical">3. That
involves each member dying to themselves and their own
personal desires so that Jesus can birth his Life and desires
in them>4. A lack of zeal and commitment to this Loving
harmony is fatal to such a calling. "Tis death, my soul, to be
indifferent" when He has called us to Love each other with
all our might>5 "Our Master has never promised us
success. He demands obedience. He expects faithfulness.
Results are His concern, not ours. And our reputation is a
matter of no consequence at all" when we are obeying His
clear and explicit Word.>6
The members of such a family should answer the call to Love
in deed and not simply in word. We need a Love that is
willing to have both dirty hands and calloused hands.>7
At the same time, these selfless workers of Love, should
learn to wait on the Lord, listening to His Spirit speak from
within as they quietly wait on Him and meditate on His
Word. This involves a patient waiting, not the hurried or
busy waiting of the Western world. This involves the quiet,
often silent, waiting and listening where we are not speaking
to Him, but spending significant time waiting on Him to
speak to us by His Spirit and Word.>8 This means the
putting aside of our agenda and the waiting on Him for His
agenda. This must precede the prayers of petition,
intercession and the pouring out of one's soul to the Lord.
Those who wait on the Lord learn how better to pray and
speak with the Lord.
"That which I know not teach Thou me,
Who, blessed Lord, teacheth like Thee?
Lead my desires that they may be
According to Thy will.
Kindle my thoughts that they may glow,
And lift them up where they are low,
And freshen them, that they may flow
According to Thy will.">9
First and foremost in the character of those called to Loving
and harmonious Christian marriage is loyalty to Jesus, even
to the point of being willing to lay down and sacrifice your own
life for Him and His will.>10 If all in the family have such a
devoted loyalty to Christ, then it is not difficult for the
husbands to Love their wives as Christ Loved the assembly of
saints, and it is not difficult for the wives to Lovingly follow
the lead of their husbands as they follow the lead of their
Lord. The most important expression of the family's Love
is unhindered prayer together for each other.>11 Such
prayer should spring out of the faith each member has from
hearing and heeding the Word in their lives. That faith
expresses itself in deep and meaningful shared convictions of
what is important and right. That faith expresses itself in
unity, harmony and orderliness based on shared convictions
and shared priorities and shared goals developed in prayer and
in the Word. Such a faith will have the peace that passes all
understanding, casting all our cares on Him because He cares
for us and trusting Him with our future. Such a faith and peace
enables us to experience joy in the Lord, "immortal light
heartedness . . . a spontaneous gaiety" for without a sense of
humor no one would well survive a complex family.>12
" . . this beautiful happy. . . loyalty . . . is the basic quality of
vital unity" >13 in a Christian fellowship or complex family.
As to each other there is a rule to be carefully followed, "the
absent must be safe with us. Criticism, therefore, [must] be
taboo.">14 Not even "The Essence of But" can be a tolerated
(she is so nice, but.......he would be so good for that, but...
....)>15 Such selflessness befits those who determine to
"be emptied of glory and right and name">16
They have died to their own glory, died to their own rights, and
died to their own name (reputation). They have yielded
themselves to their Jesus as instruments of His righteousness
for His energizing, His glory, His rights and His Name. For such
servants of the King, "there was only one way of serviceit
was the way of the Incarnationa man must make himself
one with those whom he wished to serve.">17 A member of
the family/fellowship "must make himself one with those
[members of his family] whom he wished to serve". This must
be true first of the husbandleader, if a child of God, and then
of each and every member of the family/fellowship, if the
family/fellowship is to know that blessed and Loving unity He
wants for us.
". . . like a family. . .We were always, as it were, parts of one
another. . .each member lives for the good of the household,
and we worked together in this way. . . We found, as we
went on, that our way of life was like a transparent shield
about us. People came to us thinking it would be pleasant to
join us. We could not discern their motives. But they looked
awhile and, if they were not in sympathy, they went away.
Long afterwards, when our Father's purpose was revealed,
we thanked Him for leading us so. 'I lean upon no broken
reed, nor trust an untried guide' . . ." Far fewer are chosen
than are called, for many thought to be called may be
"broken reeds" and "untried guides" and may be sifted out
by patient waiting upon the Lord for His timing. Those who
would live in the blessed unity and harmony of the Spirit
must diligently "endeavor" to keep it with the wise discern
ment of the Leading of the Spirit.>18 "This method of divine
leadingby the hour and by the momentleaves the soul
free and unencumbered, and ready for the slightest breath of
God.Madame Guyon">18a
Surely there will be disappointments in any family/fellowship,
but the key "is refusal to be weakened or hardened or soured
or made hopeless by disappointment. 'His only absorbing
passion was to press on' . . . And going on with Him, we find
that in Him is the secret of continuance, and the secret of
recovery too, after any disappointment, after any defeat.">19
So a family may weather, endure and even grow from
defeats, disappointments and setbacks it experiences within
and without. Being comforted through the crisis, the family
then is equipped and enabled to comfort those who suffer in
like manner, expanding their ministry to each other and to
those around them.>20
If the members of a Christian family live
together long enough growing in the Lord, they will learn the
lesson of "willing acceptance of daily, nightly perplexity and
disappointment without explanation. In the Gospels such a
matter was always dealt with instantly. . . Here was delay.
And we were not told why, and have not yet been told. We
learned to accept the silence of our God. . . . In such days we
prove each other. For the demands are greatest then. And
to find that nothing is too much to ask of one another is to
know what our gold cord can be, a golden thing right
through.">21 In such times of trial in a family the two legs
of convinced faith in Jesus and unselfish compassionate
cherishing are critical and sufficient. Thank God He is in
control of all things and we can trust Him for that in those
times of trialand we can carry on bearing Lovingly and
joyfully not only our own burdens, but also the burdens of
our partners when they trip or stumble or need a helping
hand. God is Love and the greatest thing to do in the world
is to Love, unselfishly compassionately cherishing, our
neighbors, our partners and the children of God, even when
God is silent, or doesn't "make sense". He doesn't ask us to
understand His will. He asks us to trust Him, even if it means
to walk on water with Him, spend the night in the lions' den,
or pass through the fiery furnace with Him.
"Strength of my heart, I rest in Thee,
Fulfil Thy purposes through me. . .
Waters of love, oh, pour through me;
I must have love, I must have Thee.
Lord, give me love, then I have all,
For love casts out tormenting fear,
And love sounds forth a trumpet call
To valiant hope; and sweet and clear
The birds of joy sing in my tree,
Love of my heart, when I have Thee.">22
This great Love for Jesus and one another, worked and willed
in us by Jesus, enables us to enter into DavidJonathan bonds of
commitment and Love.
"And David said . . . 'I have found favor in your eyes'. . .
And Jonathan caused David to swear [their loyalty
oath] again, because he Loved him; for he loved him
as he Loved his own soul. . . Jonathan said, 'the Lord
[be] between thee and me forever. . .">23
The Lord is the Bonder who binds together those united with
Him in His Love. The enemies' goal is to break the bond
between those bonded in Love, and to break the bond
between He who is Love and those who Love. So such a
bond must be fought for, often on a daily basis, as long as we
are on earth in our mortal bodies.
For this bonded fellowship in a family or
fellowship one needs a life of unreserved devotion, a life
without fences between those in the fellowship. This is a
daily walk and discipline which requires "that the line so
often drawn between spiritual and secular has no place with
us if we follow Him who not only withdrew to the mountain,
but also went about doing good. . . 'Put on the apron of
humility to serve one another' (1 Pet. v.5).">24 It means not
being out of balance like Martha who didn't know when it
was time to stop work to listen to the Lord, but being
balanced like Mary who worked around the house but knew
when it was time to stop such work to listen to Jesus.
We who build our families and fellowships in the Lord are
like Nehemiah's builders of the wall who wore their swords
in case of an attack while they worked on the wall. That wall
was to protect both their loved ones and the beloved Temple
where they worshipped God (Neh.4). We in fellowship are
the temples of God (1Cor.6) being built into the Temple of
God (Eph.2:21,22) on a moment by moment and daily basis
where the secular and the spiritual are constantly
intermixed in our daily lives. We need to have the sword of
the Spirit and the full armour of God on in our daily lives, even
in the most secular and mundane of our activities, because all
should be done as unto the Lord. If it isn't done that way, we
are adding wood, hay and stubble to our existence. "The Spirit
can sit at the Master's feet while the hands are filled with work
for others. Come unto Me and resttake My yoke upon
you.">24 Mowing the widow's lawn or washing the dishes of
the disabled is a great time for prayer, praise and singing in
the Spirit.
Such a bonded group, family or fellowship, "whose one
purpose is to be spiritually ready to go all lengths with their
Lord">25 may have to express that readiness in changing
diapers, caring for the sick, feeding the hungry, risking one's
life for anotherall the time with an ear open to the Spirit
and a heart filled with praise and thanksgiving waiting for
the opportunity to express itself. No one should be
surprised then if one breaks into praise holding a dirty
diaper, if one sings to the Lord while visiting the imprisoned,
if one thanks God out loud while tending the sick, or if one
speaks out in prayer in the midst of helping one in crisis.
How can a family, a fellowship, be lead and directed by the
Lord in a unified and harmonious manner, especially when
undergoing trials? For those in the family/fellowship who are
Spirit filled (Eph. 5) and offering Him the Love of obedience it
has been found ". . . possible to be directed as a company so
that we can move together in a harmony of spirit that is
restful and very sure. A company has to wait longer than one
or two might have to do, but if all be set on doing their Lord's
will and be truly one in loyalty and the New Testament kind
of affection that makes each one feel safe with each other
one, if all flow together to the goodness of the Lord,
unanimity is certain. It is not difficult for our Father to make
His children to be of one mind in an house. . . And we have
always found that before the ultimate word must be spoken,
divergent thoughts have vanished, . . The interval is sure to
be perplexed by a temptation to the futile fuss of talk.
Recognize this for what it is, the influence of the adversary
(for hurry of spirit confuses) and before long the same quiet
word will come to all. If the inmost law of such a company be
holy peace, it must be so.">26 This peace is born out of
the fervent and effectual praying of those who have
consciously cast all their cares and anxieties on the Lord and
decided to make "everything and anything" known to God in
prayer that has become an issue or concern in their lives, with
supplications, and thanksgivings to God (Phil.4).
What is the frame of mind of those who, in a setting that is
notorious for conflict and jealousy like the average American
family, are able to rise to such a remarkable and glorious unity
and harmony that they can move as one to the glory of God?
Surely they know that their natural nature was crucified with Christ
they know that they and their risen Christ will die no more
so they reckon themselves to be dead to the sinful impulses
and inclinations of their natural body and mind. Freed from
having to obey their natural body and mind they no longer
offer themselves to the will of their natural body and mind,
but rather offer themselves to Jesus to be used, motivated
and worked in His will.>27 "There is no life except by death
. . .Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord
Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in
our mortal flesh. . .">28
What about newcomers to the family/fellowship? Questions
arise. Should newcomers be accepted? Why? How? Can we
afford yet another mouth? Do we want to share with yet
another? If we believe that whoever is born of God is led of
God, that if the same God leads one to apply that same God
would confirm that leading by leading the family/fellowship
members to accept that one in a peace that passes understan
ding, giving them a miraculous peace of mind about it. God is
not the author of confusion, but of peace and harmony, His seal.
His work bears His seal. ". . .He granted a certain assurance
both to her and to us, so that her call should be among the
things that cannot be shaken.">29
So Amy and the fellowship of the Gold Cord made a decision.
"'Resolved together to accept all who offer who are manifestly
called of the Lord to join us, whether they have means or not.' .
'May you obtain strength and support to walk in paths unworn,
at the edge of precipices where God alone can keep us in
safety'. . . . Never do we go far on any path of perplexity or
pain without seeing the footsteps of Him who is invisible,
leading on before. . . 'The steps of faith fall on the seeming void
and find the rock beneath'; but the rock is hardly ever seen till
afterwards.">30
"Beloved, should the brook run dry
And should no visible supply
Gladden thine eyes, then wait to see
God work a miracle for thee.
Thou canst not want, for God has said
He will supply His own with bread. . .>30
"The verse which you want more than any other, and which
you had better make your whole Bible for the present, is that
wonderful passage in DeuteronomyI led thee, and SUFFERED
YOU TO HUNGER, and fed thee with food that thou knewest not,
to teach thee that man does not live by bread aloneno, not
by what you and I think a necessary of life, that without which
we cannot livelove, success, fulfilled desireBUT by
everything that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Most High,
whether that word . . . be failure or success, love or heart
hunger, uselessness or abounding labourby THAT does man
live. Our life is distinctly a supernatural life, and we are
always longing for a natural life, and God has let us go hungry
of the natural life, in order that we may enter into the
supernatural, and our wish be taken up in His.">31
As with the rich young ruler who loved what he had more
than what Jesus had to offer, there comes a time in the life of
every husband and wife when the Lord tries them to let them see
where they are in the Lord with their possessions. The question is,
"Will they be possessed by their possessions?" or "Will they be wise
and godly stewards of their possessions?" Where our treasure is,
there is our heart, whatever our treasure may be. The Lord
calls us to 2 Corinthians 8 and 9; Acts 4:3237; 2:4447.
RKJVActs 2: 44 And all who believed were together and had
all things common. 45 And they sold their possessions and
goods and distributed them to all, according as anyone had
need. 46 And continuing with one accord in the temple, and
breaking bread from house to house, they shared food with
gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having
favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church
daily those who were being saved.
RKJVActs 4: 32 ¶ And the multitude of those who believed
were of one heart and one soul. And not one said that any of
the things which he possessed was his own. But they had all
things common. 33 And the apostles gave witness of the
resurrection of the Lord Jesus with great power. And great
grace was on them all. 34 For neither was anyone needy among
them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold
[them] and brought the prices of the [things] that were sold,
35 and they laid [them] down at the apostles' feet. And
distribution was made to every man according as he had need.
RKJV 2Corinth.8:7 ¶ But even as you abound in everything, in
faith, and in word, and in knowledge, and in all earnestness,
and in your love to us; you should abound in this grace also.
8 I do not speak according to command, but through the
eagerness of others, and testing the trueness of your love.
9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that,
though He was rich, for your sakes He became poor, in order
that you might be made rich through His poverty. 10 And in
this I give [my] judgment; for this is profitable for you, who
began before, not only to do, but also to be willing a year ago.
11 But now also finish the doing [of it], so that, as [there was]
a readiness to will, so also the finishing, [giving] out of [what]
you have. 12 For if the eagerness is present, [it is] acceptable
according to [what] one has, [and] not according to [what] one
does not have. 13 For [it is] not that others may [have] ease,
but you trouble; 14 but by equality in the present time; your
abundance for their need, that their abundance also may be for
your need; so that there may be equality; 15 as it is written,
"He [gathering] much, he had nothing left over; and he
[gathering] little did not have less."
RKJV2Corinth.9: 6 ¶ But [I say] this, He who sows sparingly
shall also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully shall
also reap bountifully. 7 Each one, as he purposes in his heart,
[let him give]; not of grief, or of necessity, for God loves a
cheerful giver. 8 And God [is] able to make all grace abound
toward you, that in everything, always having all self
sufficiency, you may abound to every good work; 9 As it is
written, "He scattered; he has given to the poor; his
righteousness remains forever." 10 Now He who supplies seed
to the sower, and bread for eating, may He supply and multiply
your seed, and increase the fruits of your righteousness 11 you
being enriched in everything to all generosity, which works out
thanksgiving to God through us.12 For the ministry of this
service not only supplies the things lacking of the saints, but
also multiplying through many thanksgivings to God, 13
through the proof of this ministry [they] glorify God for
your freely expressed submission to the gospel of Christ, and
the generosity of the fellowship toward them and toward all,
14 and [in] their prayer for you, who long after you, because
of the exceeding grace of God on you. 15 Thanks [be] to God for
His unspeakable free gift.
It is not natural or normal for humans to live out in practice
2 Corinth. 8 and 9 and Acts 4:3237; 2:4447. It takes the
enabling, leading and inner working and inner willing of the
Holy Spirit to be able to live these truths out in daily
practice, and I believe it takes the filling of the Holy Spirit to
be able live out the Acts 2 and 4 experience of having all
things in common, not claiming anything as our own, in
fellowship with other saintsand for sure for the members
of a complex family. In fact, any member of a
complex family or of a tight knit Christian fellowship, no
saint should be required to practice the communal
experience of Acts 2 and 4 if they do not have the Lord's
inner peace about it, free from doubts, fears and misgivings.
The sharing and equality of 2 Corinth. 8 and 9 are
commanded and required, but that communal sharing, I
believe, can only be maintained in practice by those who are
filled with the Spirit and emptied of self.
Among saints, He established the equality rule, the
precedent for which He established when He provided the
manna in the wilderness for the liberated Israelites. His
equality rule is stated quite clearly in 2 Corinth. 8:815
where he states, in part, " For I do not mean that others
should be eased and you burdened; but by an equality, that
now at this time your abundance may supply their lack, that
their abundance also may supply your lackthat there may
be an equality."
That is His rule for the Assembly, for the saints. The
practical application of it is 1 Jn 3:16,17 "By this we know
Love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also
ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever
has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and
shuts up his heart from him, how does the Love of God abide
in him? "The attitude of Jesus in us in the Body of Christ is
not "I owe you" or "You owe me". Our attitude is to be "My
abundance is for your lack, brother, that we may be equal. I
see your need brother and I share what I have for your
need." Hear this: "Now the multitude of those who believed
were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that
any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all
things in common. . .Nor was there anyone among them who
lacked . . .and they distributed to each as anyone had need."
(Acts 4:3237; 2:4447). That was His model for local
assemblies.
What a shame the local assemblies don't practice this!
What a testimony such a fellowship would have in this
selfish and selfcentered society/world! But there is no
excuse for a godly couple in a Christian marriage to fail to
practice both the principal of equality and the principles of
"not claiming as his own the possessions that he has", of
"having all things in common". The assembly is one body in
Christ, but a husband and wife are one body in the assembly
and in the flesh! How great the marital failure of a so
called Christian couple who each claim as their own their
possessions and refuse to have all things in common"! Theirs
is a pagan marriage.
Did I hear you think "But what about those in my family who
don't work, who refuse to work? The Word says "If anyone
does not wish to work, neither let him eat!" (2Thess3:614).
Read that again! "If anyone does NOT WISH TO work, neither
let him eat!" Those who are not to eat are those WHO
WONT WORK, WHO DO NOT WISH TO WORK! In practical
reality, in a Godly assembly, that means that any saint out of
work but seeking work and willing to work would be the
beneficiary of the principles of "not claiming as his own the
possessions that he has", of "having all things in common".
He would be eligible for and the recipient of the sharing and
providing of the saints. In a Godly marriage, if one mate
were unemployed but seeking work and willing to work, the
principles of equality and "not claiming as his own the
possessions that he has", of "having all things in common"
would be fully in force.
"When a soul sets out to find God it does not know whither
it will come and by what path it will be led; but those who
catch the vision are ready to follow the Lamb whithersoever
He goeth, regardless of what that following may involve for
them. And it is as they follow, obedient to what they have
seen, in this spirit of joyful adventure, that their path
becomes clear before them, and they are given the power to
fulfill their high calling. They are those who have the
courage to break through conventionalities, who care not at
all what the world thinks of them, because they are entirely
taken up with the tremendous realities of the soul and
God.">70
Am I prepared to count the cost and pay it with my life?
Am I willing to let the following be true of me and my life?
1. Loving Jesus with all my heart, all my strength, all my
mind and all my soul (personality) first and foremost
2. Unselfish and selfdenying compassionate cherishing of all
who I know who Love Jesus
3. Truth, willingness for hard work, a freedom from the
dominance of money, and a very loving heart.
4. Bound together with others in Spirit by a shared vision
5. The desire for personal comfort is my enemy of the unity in
my family/fellowship.
6. Personally dead to the world and its applause,
To all the customs, fashions, laws,
Of those who hate the humbling Cross
7. I must answer the Spirit's call to build a godly family, by
Christ's inner working
8. I must be open to the leading and inner working of
Jesus, no matter how "unpractical">3.
9. I must die to myself and my own personal desires so that
Jesus can birth his Life and desires in me>4.
10. A lack of zeal and commitment to this Loving harmony is
fatal to the calling of a godly family living in unity and
harmony.
11. I need a Love that is willing to have both dirty hands and
calloused hands while praying or meditating on the Lord.
12. Loyalty to Jesus, even to the point of being willing to lay
down and sacrifice my own life for Him and His will
13.The most important expression of the family's Love is
unhindered prayer together for each other. I am praying.
14. There is a rule I carefully follow, "the absent must be
safe with us. Criticism, therefore, [must] be taboo.">14 Not
even "The Essence of But" can be a tolerated.
15. I have died to my own glory, died to my own rights,
and died to my own name (reputation). I have yielded
myself to Jesus as an instrument of His righteousness
for His energizing, His glory, His rights and His Name.
16. As a member of the family/fellowship I"must make
[myself] one with those [members of his family] whom [I] wish
to serve"
17.We were always, as it were, parts of one another. . .each
member lives for the good of the household. My commitment.
18.Those who would live in the blessed unity and harmony of
the Spirit must diligently "endeavor" to keep it with the wise
discernment of the Leading of the Spirit. My commitment.
19. The key "is refusal to be weakened or hardened or soured
or made hopeless by disappointment. 'His only absorbing
passion was to press on' . . I make it my absorbing passion.
20. I will learn the lesson of "willing acceptance of daily,
nightly perplexity and disappointment without explanation."
21. Finding that nothing is too much to ask of one another is to
know what our gold cord can be, a golden thing right through.
Make me that golden. Enable me to say "No" lovingly and gently
when asked to something doubtful or wrong.
22. The enemies' goal is to break the bond between those
bonded in Love, and to break the bond between He who is Love
and those who Love. So such a bond must be fought for, often
on a daily basis, as long as we are on earth in our mortal
bodies. Make me a fighter for such a bond.
23. For this bonded fellowship in a complex family or
fellowship one needs a life of unreserved devotion, a life
without fences between those in the fellowship. This is a
daily walk and discipline which requires "that the line so
often drawn between spiritual and secular has no place."
Make this life a reality in me.
24. Let us be directed as a company so that we can move
together in a harmony of spirit that is restful and very sure.
Make it so in me, Lord.
25. "'Resolved together to accept all who offer who are
manifestly called of the Lord to join us, whether they have
means or not.'" . By your almighty grace make this real in me.
26.RKJVActs 2: 4447 And all who believed were together and
had all things common. And they sold their possessions and
goods and distributed them to all, according as anyone had
need. And continuing with one accord in the temple, and
breaking bread from house to house, they shared food with
gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God.
Make me so in my family and fellowship, Holy Father.
27.RKJVActs 4: 32 ¶ And the multitude of those who believed
were of one heart and one soul. And not one said that any of
the things which he possessed was his own. But they had all
things common.
Please, Father, give me this heart, soul, mind and way.
"MY VOW.
Whatsoever Thou sayest unto me, by Thy grace I will" [to] "do
it.>71
MY CONSTRAINT.
Thy love, O Christ, my Lord.
MY CONFIDENCE.
Thou art able to keep that which I have committed unto Thee.
MY JOY.
To do Thy will, O God.
MY DISCIPLINE.
That which I would not choose, but which Thy love appoints.
MY PRAYER
Conform my will to Thine.
MY MOTTO.
Love to live: Live to love
MY PORTION.
The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance.
"Teach us, good Lord, to serve Thee more faithfully; to
give and not to count the cost; to fight and not to heed the
wounds; to toil and not to seek for rest; to labour and not to
ask for any reward, save that of knowing that we do Thy
will, O Lord our God.">71
###########################
** RKJV: OnLine Bible computer program of
"Online Bible f ", Ken Hammil 19087414298; [EMail:
khamel@aol.com].
>a Gold Cord The Story of a Fellowship, 193357, The Society
Promoting Christian Knowledge, London; Holy Trinity Church,
Marylebone Road, N.W.1; New York: Macmillan Company;
Christian Literature Crusade, Fort Washington, Penna. p. 344
>b Gold Cord p. 332
>c Gold Cord p. 278ff
>d Gold Cord p. 280
>e Gold Cord p. 280ff
>f Kahlil Gibran Gold Cord p.336
>g Gold Cord p. 86
>h Gold Cord p. 59
>1 Gold Cord p. 7
>2 Matt. 17:1921; 18:1820.
>3 Gold Cord p.8
>4 Gold Cord p.8 the seed falling to the ground, dying
and reborn as a fruitful plant.
>5 Gold Cord p. 10
>6 Gold Cord p.37
>7 Gold Cord p.42
>8 Gold Cord p. 48
>9 Gold Cord p.48ff
>10 Gold Cord p.49
>11 Gold Cord p.50
>12 Gold Cord p. 50
>13 Gold Cord p.50
>14 Gold Cord p.50
>15 Gold Cord p. 51
>16 Gold Cord p.52
>17 Gold Cord p.52
>18 Ephes. 4:13; Romans 8:9,14; Phil. 2:12,13,14.
>18a Gold Cord p. 284
>19 Gold Cord p. 75ff
>20 2 Corinth. 1; Gold Cord p. 165
>21 Gold Cord p. 154
>22 Gold Cord p. 156
>23 1 Samuel 20
>24 Gold Cord 158,159
>25 Gold Cord p. 160
>26 Gold Cord p. 183ff
>27 Romans 6 and Phil. 2:12,13
>28 Gold Cord p. 220
>29 Gold Cord p. 252
>30 Gold Cord p. 233
>31 Gold Cord p. 258
>70 Gold Cord p. 161
>71 "I will do it" changed to "I will [to] do it." to be in harmony
with James 4:1317, "If the Lord wills, I will do it."
>72 Gold Cord pp. 161,162