FROM OUR HOME TO YOURS w/ Nancy Campbell

EPISODE 107: TOGETHERNESS, Part 4

God has given us 31 different things that He wants us to do to one another, in our homes, and in our extended church family. One for every day of the month! These “one another” principles will bring “heaven on earth” to your family life, and revival to your church life.

Rocky Barrett: Welcome to the podcast, From Our Home to Yours, with Nancy Campbell, founder and publisher of Above Rubies.

Nancy Campbell: Today, ladies, we continue again to share about our “mutual faith.” In Romans 1, verse 12, the Bible calls our faith not a singular faith, but a “mutual faith,” both of you and me. Most other places where that word is translated in the New Testament, it says:

“one another,”

“one to another,”

“one toward another,”

“one with another,”

“one of another,”

“one for another,” and

“members one of another”

and so on. I found 31 “one anothers” that God wants us to have towards one another in our lives, in our family lives, and in our church lives.

So today, we're up to “one another”. . .

No. 10.  EDIFY ONE ANOTHER ( (Romans 14:19; 15:1-3; 2 Corinthians 12:19; and 1 Thessalonians 5:11. ).

That means to build one another up. I have a number of Scriptures, and as I mentioned last time, I won't give you them all, because I know you're most probably cleaning, working, cooking something, or doing something. But you can get the transcript, and then you'll be able to get the Scriptures from there (you’ll notice I am giving them all to you now. Look them up when you get a chance.)

Edify means “to build up.” We need to build up our husbands. Build up our children. And then we continue that in the body of Christ, when we come together. We're always seeking to build up. Each person we talk to, or we meet. Just imagine, if every person is building up one another, what that would do in the Body of Christ?

No. 11. ESTEEM AND DELIGHT IN ONE ANOTHER (Psalm 16:2-3 and Philippians 2:3).

No. 12. FELLOWSHIP WITH ONE ANOTHER (Malachi 3:16 and 1 John 1:7).

This is very much part of church life. In Acts, Chapter 2, we read about the way they lived in the beginning of the church, when the church was first born. They fellowshipped together daily, not just once a week. But daily they got together and met with one another in each others' homes. They met in the Temple, and they met in their homes.

Yes, we could read again, verse 42: “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and the breaking of bread,  and in prayers.” Do you notice that it wasn't just, “we come together, we sing, and we hear the Bible preached to us.” No, they came together in fellowship. They broke bread together. They prayed together.

Down in verse 46: “They, continuing daily . . . breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat together with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God . . . ” You see, it was more than going to church. It was a lifestyle, wasn't it?

Fellowship, true fellowship, as we were talking in our last podcast, it is “face to face.” Fellowship, you can't have fellowship unless you're face-to-face.

I know many of you have been having Zoom church. That has been a blessing to you over this time, but it was only temporary. And it's time to be back full force, meeting with one another, fellowshipping with one another, dear ladies. This is what the Bible tells us to do.

I remember when we first came to Nashville. That was, goodness, how many years ago? I think it was about 1992 we came to Nashville. Our sons were already living here, because they were in the music industry (the NEWSBOYS) and going to a church in town. We went along with them for a few weeks, until we began to be established in the church we began to pastor here.

It was interesting, the Bible teacher at church was just amazing. Oh, people flocked to hear his word. I loved his teaching. It was so great! So we enjoyed that little time there, but oh, it was hard to fellowship. When church was over, everybody scrammed. They were gone! Nobody hung around and talked with one another. We tried to talk to people, because that's what we were used to, but nobody seemed to be interested. They were too much in a hurry.

But one Sunday, just as it was time for everybody to leave, down came a great downpour of rain. It was just pelting down! Nobody could even run for their cars, so they were all huddled in the foyer. I thought, “Whoo-hoo, now's a good time! I'll be able to fellowship! Wow!”

So I turned to someone next to me and said, “Hi, I'm  Nancy Campbell. We've just recently come from New Zealand, (No, Australia, that's right, because we lived . . .  were born in New Zealand, and then we lived ten years in Australia before coming here).” And they said, “Ah, yes,” and never kind of continued the conversation.

 So, “Oh well, I'll try to talk to somebody else.” But they weren't interested in having a conversation. All they were interested in was watching . . . as soon as there was a little break, they were going to run for it! And they come to church, praise the Lord, they got a good Word, praise the Lord, but they had no interest in fellowshipping, which is really the heart and soul of church life.

Oh, precious ladies, don't be one who runs off as soon as church is over. Fellowship for a while. Better still, ask someone home to your place for a meal, so you can continue that fellowship.

Colin and I, we have always had people in our home, either a fellowship meal, or just asking people. When our church didn't have a fellowship meal at that season, we would always ask folks home. I remember when our children were younger, Colin and I would ask folks home for a meal.

Then our children, who saw what we were doing, they would begin to ask people home. When they got to teens, they'd be asking their friends. We'd get home and sometimes find 30 or 40 people!

“Wow! How am I going to feed them?!” Well, I learned to do that. I would always put on a big huge pot of something, a meat dish or something, before I left for church. Then we'd have other things ready to put out on the table.

Back in Australia, they used to have hot . . . (Now of course, I'm someone who makes my own bread. I don't even make normal whole grain bread. I make sourdough bread, and I make it with spelt and rye. I just can't even eat other bread. When my bread runs out, I starve on bread until I get my next load made.)

But back in those days, we would give our children a day off of homemade bread. On Sundays they were allowed to have hot white bread. So the shops used to make it hot on Sundays. You could go after church, and you could buy this hot bread, right out of the oven! Oh, they so loved it! It wasn't really very good for you. But anyway, we'd buy that, and take a load of it home. Everybody loved this hot white bread, fresh out of the oven.

All the other dishes I'd previously made. Sometimes people would bring something too, which was so lovely. I had always taught our children, when you are asked to a home for a meal, never go without taking something. That's something I drummed into them all their lives: “When you go to someone's place for a meal, always take something with you, something to add to the meal.”

If you've been asked previously, and you say, “Well, is there anything I can bring?” And they say, “No, we've got it all under control, you don't need to bring anything,” well, buy a little gift. Buy some flowers. Buy something. Always take something. That's etiquette. That's protocol.

Not everybody knows true etiquette, unfortunately. But some did, and some would bring something extra to add.

But we would fellowship. Oh, goodness me! It was so wonderful! I mean, it's the most terrible thing, to go to church and come home and just, “Well, what are we going to do?” You know, it's the Lord's day. It's the day for the people of God, to bless them and minister to them.

I remember one time, I think it was when I had quite a lot of young children. I said to my husband, “Darling, let's not ask anybody home this Sunday. I'm just worn out. I just want to rest.” So, “OK,” he said, “we won't ask anybody.” So, we didn't.

We came home from church and nobody came with us! We looked at each other and we were bored out of our brains! It just wasn't the same. We were used to the fellowship of the people of God. That was the last time we did that! It was so boring. After that, we always made sure we asked someone to come home with us. Or more than one, of course!

OK, what are we up to here? Yes, here's . . .

No. 13. FORBEAR WITH ONE ANOTHER (Ephesians 4:2 and Colossians 3:13).

Putting up with all kinds of different people. They're not all going to be lovely.

They’re not all going to be just your type, but you don't just keep to your type. You embrace all those who are in the body because everyone is important.

You may think they're a misfit, but no, in God's eyes, they're a fit. Because He wants to join every believer, “fitly joined together.” He's going to put every one into the body, into the building. Every one is important, even if we think they really are a bit of a misfit, and were better not in it. No, not in God's eyes, and He hasn't finished with them yet. Nor is He finished with us. So, forbearing with one another.

No. 14. FORGIVE ONE ANOTHER (Matthew 6:14, 15; 18:21-35; Ephesians 4:32; and Colossians 3:13). The Amplified Version states: “Willingly forgiving each other.”

You dare not hold unforgiveness. It will destroy you. It will destroy your family. Always forgive, no matter what people have done. It's often hard. It's difficult. You don't feel like it. But we don't live this life by our feelings. We live it according to the Word of God.

Matthew 4:4: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” We don't live by how we feel. We live by every word that God has given to us. It's always for our blessing. So He reminds us, forgive one another.

No. 15. LIVE IN HARMONY WITH ONE ANOTHER (Romans 15:5 TLB and RSV).

No. 16. HELP ONE ANOTHER WITH YOUR GIFTS AND YOUR ABILITIES (1 Peter 4:10 (GNB) and Hebrews 10:24).Use your gifts to help and bless others. 

No. 17. HONOR AND PREFER ONE ANOTHER above yourself  (Romans 12:10 and Philippians 2:3, 4).

No. 18. SHOW HUMILITY TO ONE ANOTHER (Ephesians 4:2; Philippians 2:3; and 1 Peter 3:8 (all GNB).

No. 19. PRACTICE HOSPITALITY TO ONE ANOTHER (Acts 2:41-47; Romans 12:13; and 1 Peter 4:9).

Let's go, shall we, to 1 Peter, chapter 4. I'll read you this Scripture. 1 Peter 4: 7: “The end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. And above all things, have fervent love among yourselves . . . Use hospitality one to another, without grudging.”

Now let's look at this word in the context. Isn't it interesting, ladies, that Peter is writing, and he says, “Folks, the end of all things is at hand!” Now when you hear a message like that, if your preacher, your  pastor was to get up and say to you on Sunday, “People, the end of all things is at hand!” we would expect the next words to come out of his mouth, “It's time to get right with God! If you've got something, if you've got sin in your life, you'd better repent! If you've got unforgiveness in your heart, you'd better forgive! You've got to get ready, because the end is coming!”

Well, we would expect that, wouldn't we? But that's not what the Bible says.

“The end of all things is at hand.”

“Be sober.” That means to get your thinking straight. It's not just meaning well, don't get drunk. It's to have a proper understanding of what is right.

“Watch and pray” and

“Love one another.”

“Use hospitality to one another without grudging.”

Hospitality, dear ladies, is the lifestyle of the Kingdom of God. Our God is an hospitable God. Oh, He wants His House filled! He wants eternity filled! In the parable where Jesus said: “Go out into the highways and the byways, and compel them to come in, that My house may be filled” (Luke 14;23). That's God's heart for His eternal home, that it will be filled. God is the God of the full house.

Now I believe if we are wanting to get God's house filled, we need to fill our houses along the way. Do you like to fill your house with the people of God? Can I ask you a personal question? Well, I think I can, because you can't answer me personally. So you can answer it in your heart, so you won't be embarrassed.

But when was the last time you invited some people to your home? To sit around your table for a meal? When was the last time? Was it a week ago? Or a month ago? Maybe a year ago? Oh, in the early church, in the lifestyle of the Kingdom of God, it was every day!

Now I have to confess, I don't have extra people in our home every day, well, they do, every day people are coming in and out. But around my meal table, I do try to have people at least a couple of times a week, more if possible.

But even if you can start out once a week, taking someone home for a meal on Sunday. Think about it. During the week, think of a family in your fellowship, just a young family maybe, who needs encouragement. Call them up and say, “Hey, how would you like to come home and have a meal with us after Sunday church? We'd love you to come!”

Now we are living in such inhospitable days that some people don't even know how to accept hospitality. Sometimes you've got to really work on them. “Yes, we'd love you to come! Please do!” Be excited about them coming. Then you can be preparing and thinking towards it as you get ready for Sunday.

You can prepare the day before, food that you can have ready, so you're not trying to fuss around and get it all ready when they come. Just stuff you can heat up  or bring out to the table. You don't have to make it all so amazing and perfect, and some new dish you've never cooked before. In fact, that's the worst thing to do! Never try out a new dish on visitors! That's the worst thing, because it just might be a flop.

Always do your good old favorites, because then you know they’ll be a success. You can have it ready just to heat up. You can add salad and extra bread and so on to the table. People are not there to see how good a meal it is. They are there to feel loved.

Oh, there are so many families who have never been invited for a meal! How can we live in the Body of Christ and never be invited to another home for a meal? That's not the lifestyle of the Kingdom of God. We're living a false lifestyle, ladies! Come one, that's got to change! The end of all things is getting closer. So let's do what the Bible says! That is to show hospitality to one another.

Well, maybe you grew up, and you were never used to hospitality in your home. And I will admit I'm sure it must be much harder to do when you haven't been used to it. Praise the Lord, I was used to it. I lived in a hospitable home. Anybody who knocked at my door, my father would be there. He'd open the door.

“Hello! Welcome! Come on in! Come and sit at our table! Oh, we'll get some food out!”

My parents loved to feed people. We fed hundreds of people at our table as I grew up. So to me, as I got married, it was just normal to feed hundreds of people at my table. In fact, Colin and I started hospitality, guess when we started? Did we wait ‘til we got everything together, and got our home just right, and all this will be nice to bring people to?

No, we started on our honeymoon! We went away up north of New Zealand. We didn't think we'd see anybody we knew. But there, we went out on a boat for a day, and there were some people from our church! Wow!

“Oh, hi! How great to see you! Hey, come home and have a meal with us!” So we just didn't know how to say anything different. That was our lifestyle! So we had people for our house at a meal. We made a meal for them on our honeymoon.

I remember, because when we were first married, Colin and I went to the Philippines as missionaries. I remember when we came back. We came back and we got this house. We were living out of suitcases. We had three little babies. We just lived out of our suitcases. We didn't have enough chairs, but we still invited people.

“Come home with us!” So we'd get boxes out of our garage for them to sit on. We would borrow utensils and cutlery. No, you call it the silverware here. Back Down Under, we call it the cutlery. We would borrow them from the church to bring home.

But it was all so simple! You see, it's simplicity. What does the Bible say? “He that giveth, let him do it with simplicity” (Romans 12:8).When you're showing hospitality, you are giving. You are giving of your life. You're giving of your time. You're giving of your home.

Now you do it with simplicity. It doesn't matter if your home's not perfect. It doesn't matter if your table's an old rickety one. Oh, it doesn't matter if you haven't got enough chairs. Find boxes to sit on! We've done that so many times. So do it with simplicity. Just cook a simple meal. The main thing is to cook plenty of it!

Yes, hospitality is the lifestyle of the Kingdom of God. Hospitality is a biblical doctrine that begins in Genesis and weaves through the pages of the Bible, right up until Revelation. Hospitality is an extension of your mothering and homemaking ministry. You see, you cook for your family. Part of what you do every day is serve them at your table.

So hospitality is just an extension of that. You just cook a bit more. Just put a bit more in the pot. When you're having people, you just cook what you cook for your family. Just make more. It's simple.

But it does take some extra work. It does take serving. And it does take cleaning up. When they're all gone, and you've had children too, well, there's a mess to clean up. There are dishes to do. But, darling ladies, this is the lifestyle God loves! And when you're cleaning up the mess, and when you're finding broken things, and when you're doing the dishes, rejoice! You are in the perfect will of God. You are in the very heart of serving God. You're doing as much as some preacher preaching from a pulpit. In fact, most probably more. I'm sure it touches God's heart even more.

Romans 12:13 says that we are to be “given to hospitality.” That means that we, it's our lifestyle. We just, oh, we can't help ourselves! We can't help ourselves saying “Come!” The Living Bible of that Scripture says, “Get into the habit of inviting guests home for dinner. Or if they need lodging for the night.”

1 Corinthians 16:15 says: “You know the house of Stephanas,” says Paul, “they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints.” This home of Stephanas and his wife and family, they were addicted to hospitality. Addicted to having people in their home! Addicted to ministering to the saints! It was their life!

That's what it's meant to be. It's not just going to church. Church is so important. But we go to church to meet the people, to come together. From that we are going to minister to them, and bless them, and show hospitality to them. How can you show hospitality to people when you don't even meet them?

Hebrews 13:2 says: “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” Amen.

If you haven't asked anybody to your home for a long time, talk to the Lord about it. Just say, “Lord, who would You want me to invite?” The Lord will show you. In fact, I usually have so many on my heart, I have a list. I write them down as God puts them on my heart. Then I have to just, OK, I can look at my little list. Oh, who will I have this time? Because I have so many on my heart! I can never get through my list of all the people I want to have in my home.

But maybe if you're not used to it, you don't even feel you could maybe cope with a big family, or even a little family. You can always cope with one person. Even to reach out and invite one lonely person. A widow. Someone living on their own. A student maybe, away from home. A single mom and their child. An older person.

You can embrace one person, even as Jesus sat the well and spoke to that woman. And out of that, a whole town came to know Jesus. Sometimes Jesus ministered to the crowds. Sometimes just to one. Start with one. You'll build up your confidence to be able to invite more.

All right. Number 20:

No. 20. BE KIND TO ONE ANOTHER (Romans 12:10; Ephesians 4:32; and Colossians 3:12).

No 21. LOOK OUT FOR ONE ANOTHER’S INTERESTS, not just your own (Philippians 2:4 (GNB) and 1 Corinthians 10:24.

That's a good thing to do, isn't it? So easy to get caught up in what we're doing. Get caught up in just what we're involved in. I can do that. I mean, I find that I am so busy in the ministry of Above Rubies. It takes every day of my life. I pour out my life to encourage the mothers of the world.

But I have to watch that I'm not just taken up with my ministry, although I don't like to think of it as my ministry. I like to think of it as God's ministry, because He wants so much to encourage and build up mothers and wives. But there are times when I have to stop and think, OK what are other things that others are doing, that I know? I need to encourage them. I need to take time and bless them in what they are doing.

I remember way back, even back in New Zealand days, where I started Above Rubies, back in New Zealand. When I started it, of course, I was very much taken up with doing it all. God really spoke to me. He said, “Nancy, what about what others are doing?”

And I thought of a lovely family in our church who were fostering children. I said, “Wow, what a great ministry!” So I took time out and went to visit her, to just take some food to her, and just sit down with her, and bless her, and tell her “Oh, what a great work you are doing! God is so pleased with you.” And encouraged her. So we need to take time to think of others.

No. 22. LOVE ONE ANOTHER (John 13:34; 15:12; 17:26; 1 Thessalonians 3:12; 4:9; 1 Peter 1:22; 3:8; 4:8; 1 John 3:11, 23; 4:7, 11, 12; and 2 John 1:5.

No. 23. Have PEACE WITH ONE ANOTHER (Mark 9:50).

No. 24. PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER (1 Samuel 12:23; Romans 1:9; 2 Timothy 1:3; and James 5:16).

No. 25. SERVE ONE ANOTHER (Matthew 20:26-28; Galatians 5:13; and 1 Peter 4:10). Wash one another’s feet which is symbolic of serving one another, no matter how servile the task (John 13:14-17).

Did you notice that word? Serve? S-E-R-V-E? Serve? Well, that starts in the family too, doesn't it? Serving our husbands. Serving our family. Serving them meals. All serving. Motherhood is a serving ministry! That's what it's all about.

But God loves serving. Even Jesus did not come to be served, but He came to serve and to give His life (Mark 10:45). And so serving is a very beautiful part of our one anothering. As we learn to serve in our family (we don't grudge it in our families), well then, it will just overflow to others, to reach out to others, invite them into our homes and serve them. It will be our delight to serve.

No. 26. SING TO ONE ANOTHER (Ephesians 5:19).

No. 27. STIR UP ONE ANOTHER TO LOVE AND GOOD WORKS (Hebrews 10:24 AMPC, ESV, Moffat, RSV).

That's Hebrews 24. I want to look at that, to remind us again that that Scripture comes immediately before Hebrews 25. So let's read it. Well, of course it does, 24, then 25. But you'll see when I read, why I'm saying this.

Chapter 10, verse 23, King James; “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering.” That's 23, sorry. Verse 24: “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:”

It's not a full stop, ladies! No, it's mid-sentence. Mid-sentence! “Provoke one another unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but encouraging and exhorting one another: and so much the more as ye see the day approaching.”

Now God's Word is very plain and strong that we are not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together. The word “assembling” and the word “together” are the same Greek word. They both mean “coming together, assembling together.” Not in isolation, not in our homes on our own.

Yes, you can have home churches. Home churches are wonderful. Home churches are biblical. But they're not a home church with just one family. No, you're not isolating yourself as one family if you're having a home church. You fill your home with other families and bring them into your home.

So the reason for our “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together” is that, when we get together, we will be able to stir up one another to love and good works! You see, we can't fulfill all these “one anothers” unless we meet together. You get it?

Verse 24: “To provoke and stir one another up to love and good works” comes before 25. And it's in mid-sentence, “not forsaking the assembling of yourselves together” so you can do it! You can't do it unless you get together. Amen? Yes.

The New Living Translation says: “Motivate one another to outbursts of love and good works.”

Other translations say: “Stimulate one another to love and good deeds” . You've got to be together to do this!

Oh, and I love the Living Bible: “Let us outdo each other in being helpful and kind to each other.” Isn't that great? Outdoing one another.

Going back to hospitality, back in our church in Palmerston, New Zealand, where we were pastoring before we went to Australia, and then before we came to the States, this was just such a wonderful church. This church, it multiplied on hospitality.

Colin and I had a lifestyle of hospitality, and so did many of the other elders in this church. We encouraged the church in hospitality. The whole church was filled with people showing hospitality in one another's homes. On Sunday, we encouraged people to take someone home with them, to enjoy a meal together when they went home.

By the way, you never really truly get to know someone until they put their feet under your table. Oh, you can even take them out for a meal, and that's lovely. We enjoy that too. But there's nothing more incredible than bringing people into your home. That's where they really know who you are. Oh yes, they really find out the “tin tacks” (New Zealand saying) there. They find out you're not perfect, of course. But that's all part of life. We're not perfect people. We're imperfect people, showing love to one another.

I remember how we got to the stage where you couldn't find someone to take home for a meal! Because everybody, someone else had asked them. Oh, you go to someone else. And unless you called up during the week, you wouldn't get anyone to take home, because everybody was asking everyone else! See, isn't it exciting? They were outdoing one another!

The New English Translation says: “Spur one another on to love and good works.”

No. 28. SUBMIT TO ONE ANOTHER (Ephesians 5:21 and 1 Peter 5:5).

No. 29: TEACH AND ADMONISH ONE ANOTHER (Ephesians 5:21 and 1 Peter 5:5).

No. 30. BE TENDERHEARTED TO ONE ANOTHER (Ephesians 4:32).

No. 31. THINK MORE HIGHLY OF ONE ANOTHER THAN YOU DO YOURSELF (Philippians 2:3 AMP).

Ladies, there are the 31 “one anothers” that God wants us to do to one another. We have to come together to do these “one anothers.

As I close this podcast, can I read a little quote? It's from an old theologian, John Gill. He lived back in the 16^th and 17^th centuries. But he was a great expositor of the Word of God. In fact, he was the first man to write a verse-by-verse commentary of the whole of the Word of God. Someone wrote of him that he had “a heaven-instructed pen.” I love to go to the old theologians. I love to read Ellicott and Alexander Maclaren. I enjoy reading John Gill.

Here's just a little comment of Hebrews 10:25 from John Gill. Talking about our assembling together, he says:

“It is the duty of saints to assemble together for public worship.

“One, on the account of God, Who has appointed it, Who approved of it, and Whose glory is concerned in it.

“And two, on the account of the saints themselves, that they may be delighted, refreshed, comforted, instructed, edified, and perfected.

“And three, on the account of others, that they may be convinced, converted, and brought to the knowledge and faith of Christ.

“And fourth, in an imitation of the primitive saints. And an assembling together ought not to be forsaken; for it is a forsaking God, and their own mercies, and such are like to be forsaken of God; nor is it known what is lost hereby; and it is the first outward visible step to apostasy.”

Well, pretty strong words from someone back in the 17^th century, where they preached a little more powerfully than perhaps we do today. Someone wrote of John Gill, “Pastors are not preparing children to go to the playground, but rather, they are sending out soldiers of Christ to head off to war.” I thought that was a very powerful quote.

May the Lord bless you, lovely ladies, as you seek to put these 31 “one anothers” operating in your lifestyle, in your home. Also, then in the extended fellowship of the people of God. Shall we pray?

“Dear Father, we love You. We praise You. We thank You that You are our God. You are our Savior. You are our Deliverer. You are our Healer. We thank You for Your Word, which is our light to our path, and our lamp to our feet. It shows us the way. Thank You for showing us, Lord, the lifestyle You want us to live.

“Oh, God, many of us, Lord, are far from living this kind of lifestyle. But we pray that You will help us, little by little, to come into the fullness of how You want us to live, Lord, as family, and as the extended family of the people of God, in our church life, in the body of Christ life.

“We ask that, Lord, You will help us. We know that as we seek to live this kind of life, that we will see the great and mighty things that happened in the early church. This was their lifestyle, and they saw miracles. They saw mighty things happen. They saw persecution. But they saw great things happen.

Lord, we pray that we will also come into this lifestyle and begin to see miracles and mighty things taking place. We ask it in the precious Name of Jesus. Amen.”

FROM OUR HOME TO YOURS w/ Nancy Campbell

EPISODE 106: TOGETHERNESS, Part 3

Rocky Barrett: Welcome to the podcast, From our Home to Yours, with Nancy Campbell, founder and publisher of Above Rubies. 

Nancy Campbell: Hello ladies. It’s a beautiful day here in Tennessee. I’m in my lounge here with you today and as I look out the window in front of me all I can see is the beautiful green trees. If I look out behind me there are green trees. Beautiful trees surround our whole house. It is so wonderful to look out upon them.

Today we are continuing our third session on the subject of TOGETHERNESS. It is such a wonderful subject; it is a subject that is part of the lifestyle of the Kingdom of God.

Today we are going to look at point number 20. Yes, I got to 20 points.

No. 20. MUTUAL FAITH WITH ONE ANOTHER

This Scripture that is found in Romans 1:12 says: “That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.”

Paul was writing to the Romans and he was writing previously to these words saying, “I long to come to you. I want to come and bestow spiritual gifts upon you to help you grow. I want to come and be encouraged by you and you will be encouraged by me.”

I love the words that are used here: Mutual faith.

I have read the Word of God so many times, but I had forgotten about these two words. I hadn’t picked them up in a long time: Mutual Faith. And this is what it is all about, dear ladies. Our faith is a mutual faith.

We have been looking at Scriptures in the last two sessions and now we get to this last one and here we see it again.

Yes, we have a personal faith in Christ but it’s also a mutual faith where we go along this road together, strengthening one another, and encouraging one another. Regular hospitality and the regular gathering together for church are essential for the strengthening of our faith. We have been seeing this over and over again.

Paul says, “When I come to you, we will be comforted together.”

Do you notice that again? We have this word, “Together,” continually—“Come together.” “When you come together.” “When you came together.” Here he says, “We are comforted together.”

The word in the Greek is symparakaleōv and it means: “To console jointly, to comfort together.”

You see, it’s not something that we do in isolation. It’s something we do together. We comfort and encourage one another jointly.

The Greek word for the two words “mutual faith” is a very important word, too. In the Greek it is allēlōn and this is what it means: “Reduplicated, one another, each other, together.” You see, our faith is a “one another” faith.

This Greek word that is translated as “mutual faith” here is mostly translated throughout the New Testament over and over again. It usually says:

“one another,

one to another,

one toward another,

one with another,

one of another,

one for another,

members one of another.”

This is the full meaning and it’s shared over and over again. It’s the lifestyle of the Kingdom of God. If we belong to God’s Kingdom we belong to the lifestyle of the “one another” lifestyle.

Let’s look at some other translations.

The Holman Translation says: “That is, to be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.”

The Amplified Classic says: “ . . . that we may be mutually strengthened and encouraged and comforted by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.”

As I am sharing with you today on this podcast, I am here sitting in my lounge here in Tennessee. You are somewhere else in this world. Ladies are listening from many countries of the world. I am encouraging you and I trust you are being encouraged. That’s good ,but really, ladies, to truly encourage one another means to be together. That’s the full meaning of it.

Paul says, “I love to come to you so we can be mutually encouraged both with your faith and with my faith.” We get together and we speak about Jesus. We encourage one another. We tell the stories of what God has been doing in our lives.

My daughter, Evangeline, she calls it, “My God stories.” When she’s with people she will say to them, “Well, what’s your latest God story?” Sometimes they don’t have any so she will say, “Well I’ll tell you my God story!”

She always has God stories—amazing things and miraculous things that are happening in her life and in the life of her family.

That’s what it’s meant to be. We’re experiencing God day by day and we don’t keep it to ourselves, we share it with one another. We share our God stories and we are encouraged by each other.

FACE TO FACE AND SIDE BY SIDE

I love The Passion Translation of this Scripture. It says: “ I yearn to come and be face-to-face with you and get to know you. For I long to impart to you the gift of the Spirit that will empower you to stand strong in your faith. Now, this means that when we come together [you see, the coming together, this is where it happens) side by side, something wonderful will be released. We can expect to be co-encouraged and co-comforted by each other’s faith!”

I notice two phrases there: “face to face” and “side by side.” They are powerful phrases, dear ladies.

Face to face . . . real fellowship only happens face to face. When we get side by side that’s when we can really encourage one another. We’re coming along side.

We found the meaning of that included the word paraklētos from paraklēt, the Comforter, that’s the Greek word for the Holy Spirit Who is the Comforter. He’s called the Comforter. He comes alongside us to comfort us.

But this word is also used for us coming alongside one another to comfort and encourage one another.

We do this in our family because everything starts in the family. If we haven’t got it together in the family, we’re not going to get it together in church life. Church life is an extension of the family.

That’s why we eat our meals together as a family because we are then having face-to-face fellowship. It is sad that many families today eat their meals and they’re not looking face-to-face.  Maybe they are sitting in front of the TV or maybe they are sitting in their bedroom in front of the computer.

Maybe they’re in the car coming back from sports or some other thing. It’s getting late and mother doesn’t have time to prepare a meal, so they just get some fast food, and everybody eats in the car. One brother is just looking at the head of his brother in front of him. That’s not reality. That is not what eating is meant to be about.

Did you know that eating is not just meant to be eating? Eating is coupled with fellowship. It’s face-to-face table fellowship.

Dear mothers, we’ve got to start in our homes and start that habit. I know that you do this as much as you can but do it even more as much as you can. Make it a habit.

When you eat your meals, you gather your family around your table. They sit at the table, you are around the table, you are looking at one another and conversing with one another. You are face-to-face. It’s face-to-face table fellowship.

I love the Scripture in Psalm 128:3 where God gives a picture of the mother in the home. He says: “Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table.”

God, Who is so practical, Who loves the family, Who loves families to sit around the table, He paints that picture. This is the picture of the family that is blessed by the Lord. When the children are all around and they are face-to-face. They are not only eating food, but they are conversing and having heart and soul communication face-to-face.

Remember those phrases: “face to face” and “side by side.” We start them in the family. They are part of our family life. Then we continue that same spirit and that same lifestyle in our church life.

THE LIFESTYLE OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD

You see, hospitality, meeting with one another, encouraging one another, getting side by side with one another, that is all church life. That’s the lifestyle of the Kingdom of God. This is what we see in the Word of God. If we’re not doing this in our homes, how will we do it in the church?

Sadly, today’s church often becomes a place where we come to maybe have a bit of entertainment and hear a message, but we don’t do much more than that. That’s only a small part of church life. It is meant to be this interaction, this togetherness, this mutual faith both of my faith and your faith together.

Are you getting the message, ladies?

Of course if we’re going to be coming together, yes, we can just have fellowship. But, often, real fellowship takes place over a meal, doesn’t it? That’s real fellowship. The greatest fellowship you can have is sitting around a table over a meal, eating together and talking together. I think we need to have more and more of that in our church life.

That has always been part of our church life throughout all of our married lives. There have been different seasons, of course.

My husband is a pastor and he has pastored many different churches. Sometimes we haven’t had what you would call a “Love Feast” or a fellowship meal after church. Sometimes everybody just has gone home to their homes. If that has been the case, we have always asked people home to sit around our table after church. We have always opened our home to the people of God on Sunday.

Currently at our church fellowship here, we have a fellowship meal. Everybody brings a dish and we all eat together, and we fellowship together, and hang out together, often for most of the afternoon.

I believe that Sunday is the Lord’s Day. It’s the day we give to the Lord. We give that time to come together, to worship, to hear the Word from God, but also to encourage one another, to be face-to-face and come together side by side.

We get together, talk and hear one another’s burdens, share one another’s joys and catch up with one another.

Of course, when you do that, it takes a little extra work. You have to prepare something to eat. There is serving one another and cleaning up. That all takes work. Often people today are not prepared for that little bit of extra work. They just want cookie-cutter Sundays. They go to church, worship, hear the Word, get home and do their own thing. No, that’s not how it’s meant to be, and it never was for centuries until this modern day in which we’re living.

Church is not just something we do. But no— it’s lifestyle. We have to get back to the lifestyle of the Kingdom of God.

We have our church in a big room underneath our home. It started as our Above Rubies packaging room, but we’re so blessed to have this room because we use it for all of our family gatherings, which can get up to about 80 or more people. We can pack in about 100 people in this big fellowship room, so we are able to have our church fellowship here, which is so wonderful.

But you know, in doing that, of course there is wear and tear on the home. I would say that every Sunday we get another chair broken.

When you open your home in hospitality, not only on Sunday but also throughout the week, and you have people and families, children will knock, and break things and things wear and tear.

Are you prepared for this? It’s all part of coming together, our one anothering. It’s what we’re meant to do. It’s real life.

This Greek word for “mutual faith” as I said is usually is translated “one another” or “one to another” or ”one for another” and so on.

31 ONE ANOTHER SCRIPTURES

I found, lovely ladies, as I checked out all these “one another” Scriptures, do you know how many I found? In just the New Testament, I found 31 different things that God has told us in His Word to do to one another.

Thirty-one is one for every day of the month—you’ve got a different thing that God wants us to do to one another.

I’m going to share these 31 “one another’s” with you because there they are in the Word. Maybe you sometimes miss them so let’s put them all together.

These “one another’s,” once again, start in the home. If we could begin to put them into practice, we can have a beautiful heavenly atmosphere in our home.

If we could begin to put them to practice in the church, I think we would begin to have revival in the church.

Are you ready for them?

I won’t give you all the Scriptures because many of them have more than one Scripture, but I’ll tell you what I do. We have transcripts for our podcasts. They usually come a couple of weeks later because I have two beautiful, wonderful ladies who transcribe these podcasts. They do it out of love. I am so grateful. It takes a lot of time. It can take about four hours to transcribe one of these podcasts.

One is a precious mother. The other is a young single girl. She was one of my Above Rubies helpers. One does the even numbers and one does the odd numbers. They give of their time to do this for you.

When I started doing podcasts I thought, “Wow, this will be great! I can just share my heart.” Then can you believe it? I got people emailing in and saying, “I don’t have time for podcasts. I need a transcript.”

I thought, “Oh goodness me, how much more work do I have to do?” Anyway, the Lord graciously provided these wonderful, wonderful ladies who do it so freely. Then I also go over it again.

But it takes them a couple of weeks so a couple of weeks after the podcast you can go to the website, www.aboverubies.org. On the home page you can click on “Our Home to Yours” and then you will find the transcripts. I will put all the Scriptures in this transcript so you will get all the Scriptures.

You can look them up and see that this is the Word of God. Not just one Scripture but many, many, many Scriptures. (Now you are reading the transcript I would encourage you to take time to look up the Scriptures and meditate on them. The Scriptures give life. They release us into truth. They show us the way to go. Get them into your heart).

Here we go, number one: BLESS ONE ANOTHER

Maybe I’ll talk about a few of them. I better not get talking about all of them or we’ll never get through them all, will we?

But I do want to take you to this one, 1 Peter 3:9: “Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing . . ..”

In other words, when people speak against you, when people rail against you, when people say nasty and untruthful words about you, what do you do?

I mean this is reality. We all face this. I don’t think there is one of us who have not had spiteful things said against us, about us, or to us. Many times they’re not true and you can feel, “Wow, how can they say these things?” You feel so lousy and you can feel indignant: “How dare they say those things?” You just want to get them back and get them straight.

I love another translation of this Scripture and it actually says those words: “Pay them back!” I love that, don’t you?

But what does it say after that? To “pay them back with a BLESSING.” Isn’t that amazing? You see, this is God’s way and God gives us strategies. He gives us the answer for everything we face in life. We’re all going to face this and we’ll most probably face it again.

Someone says these awful things about you. They really hurt you into the very core of your being. We dare not let that hurt go into us. We dare not ever become bitter because it will not only ruin your soul, but it will ruin the souls of your children. If we allow bitterness and hurt and anger to stay with us, it comes out of us and it’s horrible. It comes out on your children.

We as mothers have got to keep a pure spirit because if our spirit is contaminated it will contaminate our children and so we have to guard. If you are holding unforgiveness, you can’t ever hold unforgiveness no matter what people have done or said. You can’t because it only destroys you.

You have got to bless them. I don’t know how many times I have had to be down on my knees saying, “Oh God, bless them.” I say the person’s name. “Bless them, Lord. I pray God’s blessings on them.”

It’s an amazing thing because as you do that, it frees your spirit. You get free of the hurt! Also in the spirit realm, that blessing works and somehow it works on that person.

I can remember once, years and years and years ago, someone saying these very derogatory things. I remember her looking at me and I could see that sort of hatred in her face and oh, that went so deep.

But I knew God’s Word. I knew what I had to do and sometimes you don’t feel like doing it but you don’t do anything by feelings, you do what God says, whether you feel like it or not. You might feel mad with them but that doesn’t matter. You get down on your knees and say, “God bless them.” You keep saying it until you can get up off your knees and know you can look them in the eye and say it to them.

I did this and of course this doesn’t mean that you have to do this once. You have to keep doing it because this Scripture is written in the present tense. Sometimes you will get the victory and then it comes back again. You feel all mad again. Down on your knees you go again, and you bless them again.

Say in your heart, “Lord bless them. Bless them.”

The months went by for quite a long time and I met this woman again. I couldn’t believe it. It was as though nothing had happened. She looked at me and smiled. She gave me a hug. She had forgotten. She had gotten free and I had gotten free. We were both free!

This is how it works, ladies. We have to do a lot of blessing in our families. We have to do a lot of blessing in the body of Christ because it’s easy to be hurt by one another because we are not all perfect. We say the wrong thing. I’ve most probably hurt people as they have hurt me.

But if we can get this principle, then we can live how God wants us to live.

Here is a very sad story: My father was one of five boys. Godly parents brought him up, well, after his father got converted. His father was a wild man before he got converted. He had a wonderful conversion and then he began to raise his sons in the ways of God. They all grew up to marry wonderful Christian wives.

I can remember living life with my cousins and all going to church together.

But someone said something to the oldest brother, and he got offended. He obviously didn’t apply this principle and bless that person. Instead the hurt went into him and he left the church. He never went back to church.

I can remember my father going to him and pleading with him saying, “Brother, what about your children? What are you going to do about them? They’re not even hearing the Word of God.”

He said to my father, “Don’t worry. When they’re old enough I will take them to a Gospel meeting. They will hear the Gospel and decide for themselves.” Well, they grew up and he never got to take them to that Gospel meeting. Those children grew up never darkening a church door, never knowing salvation, and never walking with God.

There were many divorces and now their children are not walking with God. And now there is another generation and they are not walking with God.

All the other brothers continued in the faith and all of their children are walking with God right down to this day with us. We are now in the fourth generation with great-grandchildren coming along and they are still walking with God.

That one brother, that family has not walked with God from the day he left the church because he got offended.

Look at all those lives without God, without enjoying eternity with Christ forever, all because of an offense. How we have to watch that.

Oh, let’s be those who bless one another. This is part of our mutual faith.

It’s not all going to be perfect. It hasn’t been, and isn’t now, and never will be until we meet Jesus. So let’s put into operation the way that we can live, blessing one another.

Actually I started with “bless” and I should have started with an “A.” I’ve actually got them in alphabetical order.

So going back . . .

No. 1. ACCEPT ONE ANOTHER (Romans 15:7 HCSB).

With all of our idiosyncrasies and the things that drive us crazy about one another, no, we accept one another.

No. 2.  BEAR ONE ANOTHER’S (Galatians 6:2 and Colossians 3;13). The Amplified

Version states: “Bearing graciously with one another.”

No. 3. BLESS ONE ANOTHER (Matthew 5:44 and 1 Peter 3:9).

No. 4. CARE FOR ONE ANOTHER (1 Corinthians 12:25).

No. 5. COMFORT ONE ANOTHER (1 Thessalonians 4:18 and 2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

No. 6. Have COMPASSION ON ONE ANOTHER (1 Peter 3:8).

No. 7. CONFESS YOUR FAULTS ONE TO ANOTHER (James 5:16).

No. 8. CONSIDER ONE ANOTHER (Hebrews 10:24

No. 9. ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER (Hebrews 3:13 and 10:25 AMP, HCSB, and NASB).

Oh how important that is. Encouragement is such a powerful thing.  We start doing it in our own families, in our family lives. How can we encourage people in the body of Christ if we aren’t’ in the habit of encouraging one another in our family life?

First of all, in our marriage: Do you encourage your husband every day? Did you tell him today, “I love you”? That is part of daily life. Did you know that husbands so need encouragement? They are like little puppy dogs with their tongues hanging out just flapping waiting for encouragement. They thrive on it.

Your husband will grow to be who God wants him to be, not by your nagging at him or getting at him but by your encouraging him, by speaking words of encouragement and speaking words of love. Try to do it every day. You will be amazed what will happen.

Proverbs 12:25 in The Living Bible says: “ . . . a word of encouragement does wonders!” It can do miracles. It can save a marriage. Get into the habit of it.

Get into the habit of encouraging your children. They do so many stupid things and we seem to always be on them saying, “Don’t do this” and “Don’t do that.”

Yes, we have got to keep them in line, but I have found if you can encourage them in the fine moments, even when they are happy and not doing something crazy, encourage them!

Say, “Oh! You are such a happy boy! Mummy is so blessed to have you. I love your smile! I get blessed all over when you smile.”

When they do some little thing, or even in their schoolwork, just encourage them: “Oh you’re amazing, that’s fantastic!”

Let it flow from your lips, the spirit of encouragement.

I was blessed to have been brought up with a spirit of encouragement. My father especially encouraged us children. His encouragement to me, I believe, prepared me for what I am today. I was a bit of a hopeless child, but he saw something in me beyond anything I saw in myself.

He encouraged me. He encouraged me beyond what I thought I was capable of. That encouragement worked.

That was just part of life for me, so I encouraged our children. Both my husband and I became encouragers of our children. Sometimes I wonder if I encouraged them too much because there wasn’t a thing, they didn’t think they could do! They grew up thinking there was nothing that was impossible. They have done many impossible things that people say, “Oh you can’t do that.” But they did them because they thought, “Oh well, you can do anything.”

Encouragement is powerful. I believe it is the rich soil in which we grow our children to their full potential.

We do it in our families and then we get to church. We get to the body of Christ. When we get together, what do we do? Encourage each one we meet. We’ve got a little word of encouragement for them to bless them and build them and lift them up.

Imagine, imagine, imagine, ladies, if every one of us, as we are going back to church now that we are all getting back together, if everyone comes with a word of encouragement for each one and everybody is encouraging each other. Can you believe how the body is going to be lifted up and how they are going to go home filled not only with something from the Word but encouragement from one another.

This will release revival!

I am running out of time again, but we will carry on next session.

“Dear Father, We thank You for Your Word, Your Word which shows us how to live, Your Word, which is practical. It comes down to the nitty-gritty of our lives.

“Thank You for showing us. Thank You for these ‘one another’s.’ Thank You for showing us how to bless and encourage one another and care for one another.

“We pray that You will help us to live this lifestyle. We ask it in the precious name of Jesus. Amen.”

Transcribed by Morgan Roth.

FROM OUR HOME TO YOURS w/ Nancy Campbell

EPISODE 105: TOGETHERNESS, Part 2

Are you enjoying togetherness in your family life? What about your church life? Is this your habitual experience?

Rocky Barrett: Welcome to the podcast, From Our Home to Yours, with Nancy Campbell, founder and publisher of Above Rubies.

Nancy Campbell: Hello, ladies. We are continuing again today to talk about togetherness, of course, family togetherness. I trust that you have been enjoying family togetherness this last week.

It seems as though we are always getting together here in our family. The other week we had a birthday party for my granddaughter's little girl, Ezzie. That’s Rashida’s daughter, Evangeline’s granddaughter, and my great-granddaughter. That was a fun time.

Then the next night was Memorial Day. That's gone past now. Usually we have a barbeque for Memorial Day, but this year we had a games night. Serene's daughter, Cherish decided to put on a game’s night. It was amazing.

Oh my, she just thought of some amazing fun games that required a lot of energy, and a lot of fun, and a lot of screaming and yelling. I think we must have had 75 or 80 people in our big room downstairs having such a wonderful time.

We had taco night too. Everybody brought stuff for tacos. Then after all food and games, they went out and played volleyball. Sometimes they play until ten or after at night. I think one night they were still playing until midnight!

The other Sunday, we had Rashida's baby shower. Rashida is Evangeline's daughter. She is having her third baby, a little boy this time. We must have had about 50 ladies all come together for her shower. It was such an amazing, amazing time together. Fellowship and then praying over her. People telling their fun stories of things that happened with their births. It was so great.

The other night, at our Shabbat meal, we enjoyed celebrating an engagement. We didn't plan to do this. We had invited people over. And then, at the last minute this couple said, “Oh we want to celebrate our engagement, joining you for Shabbat!” And they had just got engaged that day. So that was so beautiful and exciting.

I have to tell you who it is. You're going to get all confused, so see if I can make it simple. OK, now Pearl's son Noble, he is engaged to Megan. Megan is the daughter of Erin Harrison. I used to do a Talk Show with Erin, but somehow, we both got busy. She now has two special needs little children. We haven't done one for a while.

I think some of you know Erin. She has also done podcasts with me. So Megan and Noble are going to be married in November. But then her other daughter got engaged, Molly. And she got engaged to Riku. Now who is Riku?

Pearlie's older son, Bowen, is married to Kahoru, and Riku is Kahoru's brother. Oh wow. Have you got it all in your head now? Anyway, we're so excited about this beautiful, beautiful relationship. Riku came to visit Kahoru from Australia. He's lived most of his life in Japan, but he was in Australia and came from there

While he was here, he met Molly. They have got engaged now. Sadly, he's just had to go back to Japan. Because of visa problems, he can only stay so long in the country. Now he'll have to work out how he gets in. Most Americans don't realize that it's not so easy to come permanently into the country. We ourselves were New Zealanders. We had to become green card holders. Then after many years, we eventually got our citizenship.

But anyway, we trust it will all work out for Riku because it's just beautiful to see their lovely relationship. I love the way God brings couples together. Don't you? I believe God is in it. I really do.

I think back to the very first moment of how we read in the Word of how God created the woman out of the man. Then the Bible says: “And God brought the woman to the man.” I love that. God did it, and I believe that God still does that today. He brings the woman to the man. God is into bringing beautiful couples together.

This coming week I'm hoping to have a . . . No, this week's nearly ended as I'm sharing this with you. Next week I'm going to have a night where I'm going to have some of our courting couples. I love that. I had a courting couples’ night a few months ago. We had such a special time with all our lovely couples so I'm going to have another one. I'm looking forward to this.

Isn't it fun to think of ideas to bring members in the family together? We do this in family life, and we do it in church life. This should always be our heart. We're always thinking of  fellow members of our fellowship who are part of the body of Christ. How we can relate to them? How we can ask them into our home to have a meal with us and really get to know them.

Hospitality was the lifestyle of the early Church. They didn't show hospitality once in a while, perhaps every now and then. No! They showed hospitality daily! They just so loved to be together and share the things of God together. People looked on and they saw their lifestyle. They saw their love for one another. They just saw what was happening in their lives. The Bible says: “They found favor with the people, and the Lord added daily to the church.”

Well, we're going to carry on today with more points about our togetherness in the body of Christ, and how God loves us to come together.

THE PURPOSE OF COMING TOGETHER IN ONE PLACE—

No. 6. TO BUILD ONE ANOTHER UP

 TO BUILD. The purpose of coming together in one place is to build one another up. In 1 Corinthians 14:26, the Bible says: “How is it then, brethren, when you come together,” there's those words again, they keep coming up all the time. “When you 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 unto edifying.” That means “building up.”

The Passion Translation says: “Let each one contribute what strengthens others.” T

The New English Translation says: “Let all these things be done for the strengthening of the church.”

The World English Bible says: “Let all things be done to build each other up.”

So what did they do in the early church? A little bit different than what we do today. Mostly we come together to church, and we have our organized program of worship, and then the ministry of the Word, and so on. But when the early church came together, every one of them had an opportunity to take part, and to share. It says, every one of you, not just the pastor. Little bit different than what we do today, isn't it?

But this, once again, is the pattern. Of course, it is very difficult to do something like this in huge churches, where you have a thousand or more people meeting together. But this can happen in small churches.

We have experienced this most of our lives. Colin and I actually grew up way back in New Zealand, amongst the church affiliation known as The Brethren people. They believed in the priesthood of all believers. It was a wonderful truth. It's a Biblical truth, of this very Scripture. When you come together, it's not just the pastor who takes control, it is: “every one of you has a psalm to share or has a doctrine, or has a tongue, or has a revelation.” You've got something that God has been showing you, and you want to share it. It makes church life very exciting.

In our fellowship, my husband, who is the pastor, will always have a word ready to share. He will give a word most Sundays unless we have a visiting speaker. But we give time for sharing, for open sharing, for the functioning of the priesthood of all believers. Because we are all priests unto God, not just the pastors.

It does make life exciting. Also, it causes the people in the fellowship to not rely only on the pastor to get a word from God. No, we should all be seeking God every day in the Word. We get into the Word daily. When you come to the Word, and you're asking God to speak to you, and He gives you revelation, well then, you're wanting to share it. So it is a beautiful thing.

No. 7. WE ARE MADE ALIVE TOGETHER IN CHRIST

 Ephesians 2:5: “When we were dead in sins, he quickened us together with Christ.”

No. 8. WE ARE RAISED UP TOGETHER IN CHRIST

Do you notice that in all these things, we don't only experience them singularly, but together? Ephesians 2:6: “And he has raised us up together, to sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”

No. 9. WE ARE BUILT TOGETHER BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD

Ephesians 2:22: “In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.” God is putting together a building. He is building us together. Just as living stones, one by one, He's putting us into this great building.

We love to sing the old chorus:

There is a virgin church, untouched by man,

A holy habitation, built by God’s own hand.

The blueprint is the Bible, the foundation is the Son,

And we are all as living stones, built in one by one.

No. 19. WE ARE JOINED TOGETHER

Ephesians 4:15-16: “Yet, speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him, in all things, which is the Head, even Christ, from Whom the whole body, fitly joined together....“ Did you get those words? “Fitly joined together.”

This is how God sees His body. This is how He sees His church, which is His Bride.  He sees us “fitly joined together.” This happens by the Spirit, but also practically. Dear ladies, this is what church is about. When we come together, it's not just to a building. Yes, we come to the building so that we can come together, and encourage one another, and build one another up, and help one another to grow so we become “fitly joined together.” And compacted, yes, not isolated, not here and there, not just unto ourselves, but no, compacted.

It's good to say those words. “Fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth.” Do you get that? “Every joint supplieth.”

You're one of the joints. Or maybe you're not a joint. Maybe you're a nerve, or maybe you're a sinew, or maybe you are an artery. But you are some important part of the body. And the body will not be what it really should be, unless you are jointly fitted in, and you are supplying to the body.

You see, we supply one another. We can't do that unless we're meeting with one another. We can only supply one another if we come together “according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the building up of itself in love.”

Wow. That Scripture, ladies, takes a lot of taking in, doesn't it? Oh, I know you'll have to go and read it again later and let the glorious truth of it sink into your soul. I don't think I've got it all yet. Oh, it is just about too much to get. But we need to read it over, to let it become part of us. So we'll be able to begin to function as God wants us to.

Now that's from the King James. But maybe you'll read it from a more modern version. Perhaps you'll understand it even a little more.

The New English Translation says, “From Him the whole body grows, fitted and held together through every supporting ligament. As each one does his part, the body grows in love.”

Do you get the picture? This is what God wants us to be. Joined together, every joint supplying, every ligament supporting another area of the body. Isn't that wonderful? We do that, precious family, as we come together. Families coming together as an extended family body in the body of Christ.

No. 11. WE ARE KNIT TOGETHER

Colossians 2:2: “That their hearts may be comforted, being knit together in love.”

Colossians 2:19: “The Head, from Whom the whole body, supported and knit together through its ligaments and sinews, grows with a growth that is from God.”

In that Scripture I read in Ephesians 4:16, about the whole body “fitly joined together and compacted,” the word “compacted” is actually the word that's translated “knit together.” The Greek word is soombibadzo. It means “to drive or force together, to unite, to gather, to knit together, compact.” So we're getting the revelation of what it really means to be a church. Amen?

No. 12. WE WILL BE CAUGHT UP TOGETHER TO BE WITH THE LORD

Notice “together”! Yes, 1 Thessalonians  4:16-17: “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God. And the dead in Christ shall rise first” (hose who have died and gone before) Then we, which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds.”

We're all going to go up together, even those who passed away. Yes, their spirits are with God, but their bodies are going to come alive and they're going to rise, and we're going to meet together in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air! And so shall we ever be with the Lord!

No. 13. WE WILL LIVE TOGETHER WITH HIM FOREVER

1 Thessalonians  5:10: “Who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.”

Well, lovely ladies, if we're going to live together with one another forever, we'd better get used to living with one another down here! We have to get used to living with one another in families, don't we? And even family life is not perfect. No, we have our ups and our downs, and we have our challenges, and we have our spats, and we have our disappointments with one another, maybe getting on one another's nerves. We have to learn how to live with one another, how to forbear with one another, how to have patience with one another.

So we do in the body of Christ also. There are many people who, sometimes, in our particular body, they're not easy to get on with. But we have to learn to love them. We have to learn to forbear with them. And to embrace them, even though they may not be our type, even though we may not agree with them.

We have people in our fellowship who we don't agree with them on certain issues of doctrine. They don't agree with us. But as my husband says  (he says this regarding our marriage, because my husband and I don't always agree with one another, but we love one another, and that's the thing). My husband always says we don't have to agree with one another, but we have to love one another.

We have to see past grievances, see past not even agreeing with one another. We see past idiosyncrasies. We see past all these things. Even though we don't agree, we don't really . . . OK, they may not even be our type. We love. We love one another. So it's a good idea to get used to it down here because they're going to be with us for eternity!

No. 14. WE ARE TO COMFORT ONE ANOTHER WITH GOD’S WORDS

We are to comfort one another with the words that we have been sharing: “Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:18).

1 Thessalonians 5:11. Again, it says: “Wherefore comfort yourselves together and build up one another even as you also do.”

No. 15. WE ARE TO FOLLOW THE LORD TOGETHER

Philippians 3:17: “Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as you have us for an example.” So you're not only walking on your own. There you are, you're on a lonely road, walking your walk of faith. No, God wants us to do it together, because when we do it together, we'll be so much stronger in our walk.

No. 16. WE STRIVE TOGETHER FOR THE FAITH

Philippians 1:27: “Stand fast in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel.” It’s not easy to stand alone. And God doesn't want us to. He wants us to do it together.

The word striving together is soonathleho. It means “to wrestle in company with others, to seek jointly, to labor together, to strive together.” It comes from the root word athleo, meaning to contend in the competitive games.

So in our striving, in our faith, we don't do it alone. We do it together. That's why we need one another! That's why we need to meet together. That's why we need to come together as a body. Because God knows we need one another. We've got to strive together for the faith of the gospel! We'll all be so much more powerful in the gospel when striving together for the gospel, as we are doing it together.

No. 17. WE HELP ONE ANOTHER BY PRAYING TOGETHER

2 Corinthians 1:12: “Ye also helping one another by praying.”

Prayer is something we need to do together. Well, it's something you do on your  own. Yes, we pray personally. But we need to pray as family. Oh precious ladies, are you praying together as a family? Family praying is so important.

But we also need to pray with others. We pray at a special prayer meeting where we gather others to pray with. Or we pray at church.

When we start our church each Sunday, we start with prayer. No, my husband doesn't open with prayer. We start by having a prayer meeting. Now that is not a prayer meeting before the church. That's church. Because the Bible says, when you come together, once again, come together, first of all, pray for those who are in authority: “For kings, and for all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life.” (1 Timothy 2:2) So we are commanded to pray for those who are leading us and those who are in authority. We need to do that together. There's so much more power in prayer together.

We have a weekly prayer meeting. At the moment, we have it in different places, usually our place Over the winter we've been having it at Serene's home. We have lots of young people coming to this prayer meeting. It's so wonderful.

Colin usually says, “OK, young people, I want you all to pray first,” because if we, maybe as adults, sometimes we will get praying, and we don't give time to all these amazing young people! So he will say, “Young people, you get praying first!” And they get praying!

Oh my, it's so wonderful to hear them praying! Praying for our nation, and praying for the current needs of our nation, and praying for the incredible things that are happening. Especially as I talk now, we are watching anarchy in our nation. There are many, many young people who are stirred up by those behind the scenes. We know there are people who are orchestrating this and planning these riots. Young people are being given money to do this.

So they're storming cities and burning cars with fire. They are destroying buildings and churches. They are looting and stealing. You see pictures of shops with nothing left in them. People who have established businesses over the years are just left with nothing. We see all this happening and we can't just sit idly by. We have to pray. Prayer is our only answer to stop what is happening in our nation.

We can't do it alone! We have to pray together. That's why the Bible says we are helpers together in prayer. HELPERS TOGETHER. We have to help one another.

I think I mentioned the last couple of podcasts ago how that even the angels, Michael and Gabriel, they had to help one another in fighting those spirit forces over cities. They couldn't do it alone. They had to help one another! Read about it in Daniel 10:12, 13, 20).

We're not fighting flesh and blood. Not at all! We're fighting these demonic spirits of destruction and rebellion. It's demonic spirits that we are fighting. We can't do this alone! We have to fight together in prayer! So we have to come together to pray.

This, I believe, is one of the most important things in a church, is that they pray together. Maybe as we come back to our churches, we will see more of helping one another in prayer. It's not just coming to a program. But we are coming together to build one another up and to encourage one another. We're coming together to pray and pray for the nation. These are very much part of what church life is all about.

We are in a war! A war, ladies, a war that can only be won by prayer. The greatest way we win the war against evil, and against demonic spirits, is in prayer.

I love this chapter in 1 Samuel, chapter 22. That's another chapter that you need to read on your own, later, when you get some time. It talks about David. Now when David was escaping from Saul, first of all, he escaped to the cave of Adullam. While he was there, men came to him. It's very interesting.

It says: “And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented and disgruntled, gathered themselves unto him.” He had a real lot of misfits come to him.

My, they weren't people who were successful and great and amazing. No! They were in debt, and they were disgruntled, and they were in distress. They came to David. But David became captain over them. There were about 400 of them that came. And David made them into a mighty army.

It's amazing what God, well God did it, I'm sure, through David, through those disgruntled men. But then we read of another passage. This is later now. More and more have been added to David. His company is growing and growing by the day.

In 1 Chronicles 12:1: “Now these are they that came to David in Ziklag.” He's now established in the city of Ziklag. “And all the mighty men came, helpers of the war.” David was in a war. He was still fighting or hiding from Saul. He was still fighting battles on the side. These men, they came to make David king.

Let's see, 1 Chronicles 12. Where does it say that in Scripture? Verse 38: “All these men of war, that could keep rank, came with a perfect heart to Hebron, to make David king over all Israel.” These were men of war who came. They came to be helpers of the war.

Now what are we doing as a church? We are preparing to make Jesus king over all the earth. At the moment, we're fighting many battles because Satan is out to bring down the people of God, to bring down the Kingdom of God.

We're fighting a spiritual battle, not against flesh and blood, but against these demonic spirits. And we will fight it in prayer. We, lovely ladies, have got to be HELPERS IN THE WAR. We're in the war. So what are we? Are we helpers of the war? Or are we just in the road? If we're helpers of the war, we'll be praying.

I love these other descriptions about these men who came to David (you can read them in  1 Chronicles 12):

“Men of war, fit for the battle, that could handle shield and buckler, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were as swift as the roes upon the mountains”

“mighty men of valor”

“ready armed for the war”

“men of valor for the war“

“men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do.” That's one of my favorite Scriptures. I believe we're living in an hour when we need to know, “Oh God, what do You want us to do in this hour?” Well, I know He wants us to pray. That's our biggest weapon.

“men who were expert in war”

“they were not of a double heart”

“men of war that could keep rank”

And so they were helpers of the war. That's what we're to do, help one another in prayer. Pray as a family. Gather others with you to pray. Encourage your church members to pray together. Amen?

Yes, all right. I wonder if we can finish off our points today, ladies?

No. 18. Now this is not a very nice one, but it's in the Word, and therefore we have to read the whole counsel of God, don't we?

WE BRING JUDGMENT OF SIN WHEN WE COME TOGETHER

1 Corinthians 5:4, 5: ”In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,” Paul said, “when ye are gathered together . . . to deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.”

We don't ever see this happen in church life today. But back in the early church life, when there was sin, and this was a very grievous sin that had happened, Paul said they were to gather together. It was to be done in the gathering of God's people, not silently, not kind of hiding away. They were to do this in the gathering of God's people. They were to deliver that man “unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved . . . ” It was for his salvation.

Sadly, today, there is sin in the church. Nobody does a thing about it. People are allowed to keep on sinning. So more sin comes, because “a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.” Back then, when there was sin, this was a very grievous, adulterous sin, it was dealt with.

I remember when, back in our church in New Zealand, we faced a very horrific thing when one of our elders was caught with playing around with boys. That was horrendous. That was unbelievable. The other elders, pastors, including my husband, together brought the whole church together.

They first of all spoke to this man, and dealt with him, and dealt with him in love. Because they wanted to see his deliverance and his salvation. He was willing for discipline. He wanted to be free. So he was brought before the church. His sin was exposed.

The elders said to the people, “We don't want any of you to be visiting him. This is a time for God to deal with him. We will meet with him. We will pray with him.”

So they did. For a few months, the elders continually met with him and prayed with him. God began to work in his life, and deal with him. He came through to a great place of repentance. So much so, that there came a time when they felt that God had done His beautiful work. God had brought repentance to him and brought deliverance to him. It was time to bring him back into the church.

Now in the first meeting, it was the most solemn meeting I have ever been in in my whole life. It was, to this day, I can still feel the pins and needles. The fear of God came into that meeting. It was packed out. The church was full.

That night, at the end of that night, the altar was packed with people coming down to the altar, crying out to God, confessing their sins. That exposing of sin caused the fear of God to come into the church. People got right with God. It was most healthy, most powerful.

Then came the time when this man was received back into the church. He wasn't received back as an elder, but he was received back in love, as a member. The people embraced him and received him back.

That man went on to be able to (he was a great teacher of the Word) he went on to minister the Word around the world, because discipline had been dealt with. He was delivered. There are too many people who are shipwrecks because they have not been dealt with as God wants them to in the church fellowship.

No. 19. WE ARE TO SHOW POLITENESS AND COURTESY WHEN WE COME TOGETHER

They were having problems at Love Feasts because some were getting in before others and eating it up, and not leaving stuff for others. Even all that's dealt with in the Word of God in 1 Corinthians 11. How it says you're to show love to one another, reverence to one another, and wait for one another when you have times of love feasts and eating together.

And now No. 20. I haven't got time for it. This is the most important one! This is so powerful. The amazing thing is ladies, I have never noticed this Scripture before. How can I read the Word over and over and over and miss something? Well, here it is. Romans 1: 12.

Oh, goodness me, they're showing me the card. It's time up! I'd better do it next week. Oh, I'm so sorry!

OK, we'll do our most important point next week. Well, it's really very much part of all the others, but it's amazing. And I never noticed it before! Oh, so I'm going to share it with you next time, OK? Don't forget to listen in!

“Father, we come to You again at the end of the session. Thank You again for all these Scriptures that talk about us being together. Everything You do, Lord God, for us, You do it together, because You see us as one body. We are one body.

Yes, we are individuals, and Lord, You understand the uniqueness of each one of us. You have given specific and special gifts to each one of us. But You see us as one body, one bride, one church, one building, one house. Lord God, help us to see ourselves as You see us, and to truly be the church coming together to build one another up, coming together to be helpers in praying for one another and this nation.

Lord, help us to truly be what You want us to be, not, Lord, according to custom. Oh, God, we've gotten in so many customs of just going to church. We worship, we hear the Word, we go home. Lord, we're not really even fellowshipping with one another. Help us to be what You want us to be as the People of God. We ask it in Jesus' Name. Amen.

Transcribed by Darlene Norris.

FROM OUR HOME TO YOURS w/ Nancy Campbell

EPISODE 104: TOGETHERNESS, Part 1

Rocky Barrett: Welcome to the podcast, From our Home to Yours, with Nancy Campbell, founder and publisher of Above Rubies. 

Nancy Campbell: Hello lovely ladies. I wonder where you are as you’re listening to this podcast today. Most probably you are in your home, maybe doing dishes or maybe cleaning. Perhaps you are just sitting down with your little nursing baby or maybe you’re even on a walk. Any way, it is lovely to be with you again. Today I want to talk to you about togetherness.

Togetherness is a lovely word. God loves this word. He uses it over and over again in His Word.

Of course family is togetherness. That is what family is all about.  God doesn’t want us to live separate lives. He doesn’t want us to live on our own. The Bible says that He sets the solitary in families because God knows this is the best way for us to live. It is the best way for us to live spiritually, physically, emotionally, and mentally. In a family.

It brings security. The more togetherness we have, the more security we have.

The family is the very first institution God ordained before church, before government, before everything else. It lays the basis and the foundation for all other organizations and entities.

The church, which is also ordained by God but after the family, because church is made up of families. That is what it is about. It is an extended family.

The church is also to be a place of togetherness. We all know that church isn’t the building. We all say, “Let’s go to church” and we go to a building. We’re not going because of a building. It’s just a place where we can meet with one another because we are going to meet to be with one another to have togetherness. That’s God’s plan and so I wanted to talk a little bit about this today.

I’ve been thinking about it because as I have been sharing and encouraging families that it is time to get back to church. Not only do we need it ourselves but also the nation needs it, I believe.

But I’ve had people respond to me and say, “Well we’re doing very fine with our Zoom churches, thank you. We don’t really need to get back together yet.”

Now I know that Zoom churches have been such a blessing through this time of lockdown; but they are not the ultimate plan that God has for us and we cannot rely on them. We have to be what God wants us to be and that’s a “together people.”

So I thought, “Well, I have got to know the truth.” When I am challenged or when I want to know what is right, what is the truth, I go to the Word of God. I search the Word.

Don’t you love to do that? I love to be a Berean. Do you remember the Bereans when Paul came to Berea? They didn’t just take what Paul was saying immediately. No, it says they “searched the Word of God to see that those things were so.” They wanted to know the truth.

(Here’s the exact Scripture in Acts 17:11 “These (Bereans) were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”)

So I have gotten into the Word of God and ladies, I have found that there is more about our getting together than I realized. God says so much about it, so I want to take you into the Word today. Will you come with me?

This is such an important message to listen to because this is God’s heart and I believe we are challenged with it at this time as many churches are getting back together but there are still some who are not getting back together. Yet this is God’s plan and we don’t wait for everything to be perfect.

No, God doesn’t say, “I want you to come together when everything is perfect, there is no sickness around, and everything is just all one, two, three, four.”

No, we meet together whatever the situation.

We think of our persecuted brothers and sisters in China and other countries who meet together. They do not forsake the meeting together even though they face persecution.

I believe we have to listen to God. We don’t listen to a governor, especially a liberal governor who does not want church to happen. No, we listen to God and we listen to His Word.

Let’s start on our points, shall we, and have a look at what it says here in the Word of God.

No. 1: WE ARE MEMBERS ONE OF ANOTHER

The Bible says we are members one of another, just as our body has many parts but there is only one body, so is the church. God likens the church to our body. The church also has many parts, many people, every different person, but we are one body.

We often forget that don’t we? We just live our lives unto ourselves. Of course we are believers in God and believers of His Word, but we live pretty much unto ourselves.

No, God wants us to understand that we are part of a body and every single member has a different part to fit the body.

Romans 12:5: “So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.”

1 Corinthians 12:20: “But now are they many members, yet but one body.”

Ephesians 4:25: “ . . . we are members one of another.”

The New Living Translation says: “ . . . we are all parts of the same body.”

Ephesians 5:30: “For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.”

Oh I love that Scripture. Christ is the head. We are His body on the earth. We are His flesh and we are His bones. We’re all different. We are each a different person and a different part, but we are all one body. Therefore, there needs to be the coming together.

We cannot come together with every believer in the world, but God has established that we come together in groups of believers because we need one another.

No. 2: TOGETHERNESS WAS THE LIFESTYLE OF THE EARLY CHURCH

Let’s have a look, shall we? We’ll have a look at Acts chapter two, which of course is the very beginning and the birth of the church.

We recently celebrated Pentecost Sunday. Many churches got back together on Pentecost Sunday, which was remembering the birth of the church.

When the church was birthed in Acts 2:41-42, it says: “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.”

Notice that word: fellowship. Let me say it again, FELLOWSHIP.

They prayed together when they came together. In fact, some say that it really should be “in the prayers” because they met three times a day, morning, noon, and evening to get together for the hour of prayer.

Notice how they came together. They couldn’t have fellowship without coming together. They couldn’t break bread with one another without coming together. That breaking of bread was not only communion. I’m sure they had communion together as they came together, but

breaking of bread was eating together. Back then they talked about, “Let’s break bread together.”

That means, “Let’s eat together.” Today some people will say, “Come to our home and let’s break bread together.” That means, “Let’s have a meal together and fellowship together over the things of the Lord.”

They couldn’t even hear the apostle’s doctrine unless they came together.

They did this continually. Verse 43: “And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.”

Verse 46: “And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart. Praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.”

I’ve always noticed those two things there in verse 46 where it says: “And they continued daily” meeting together. They didn’t meet only once a week like we do. They met DAILY, sometimes in the temple and sometimes in their homes. They met in both places.

And what happened? “The Lord added daily to the church such as should be saved.”

Sometimes we wish, oh, that people would be added to the church, that more and more people would be saved but often we don’t see many people being saved. I believe there is a principle here. They met daily and daily the Lord added to the church. We see here that it was a coming together.

Togetherness was a lifestyle. It was the plan. It was just what happened in the early church and they were the pattern for the church to come.

And so precious, lovely ladies, mothers and wives in your home, be an encourager of getting your family back to church, back to togetherness.

Yes, online is great but God wants us to have togetherness. This is biblical. This is His plan.

Let’s read Acts 20:7, 8: “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together.” Oh, we read these words over and over again: “When they came/come together.” It’s just part of the lifestyle and part of the reading about the early church.

 It says that when the disciples came together “ . . . to break bread, Paul preached unto them.”

There it is: a foundation of what we are to be doing today.

We go to Hebrews 10:25. I talked about this Scripture the last two weeks: “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”

We’ve become aware of many, many things in the last few months. We see things behind the scenes of what they want to do and how they want to bring in mandatory vaccinations and so many things to take control of our lives.

We see it’s not the end but it’s getting closer. In these times we need to gather together more than ever to strengthen one another, to encourage one another in the ways of the Lord.

No. 3: WE EACH HAVE DIFFERENT FUNCTIONS TO PERFORM

1 Peter 4:10-11: “As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another.“

That is another phrase that we see over and over and over again: one to another, one for another, one toward another.

You see, our whole Christian life is a “one another” life. It’s not just me, myself and my family. No, it’s one another. It’s reaching out to one another, caring for one another, thinking about others, meeting with others. It’s a “one another” lifestyle.

If we belong to the body of Christ, we should desire a “one another” lifestyle. If we’re not living this one another lifestyle, we are not living the way the early church lived.

So here it says: “ . . . even so minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”

Let’s have a look at some other translations. I read the King James, but I love to look at other translations, too.

The Holman Translation says: “Based on the gift each one has received, use it to serve others, as good managers of the varied grace of God.”

Now ladies, God has given gifts to each one of us. I have certain gifts and you have certain gifts. They are gifts that God has given to you. Your children have certain gifts. Isn’t it amazing to see the gifts in our children?

I mean, of course, our children have grown. Now we are seeing all the different gifts coming out in our grandchildren and now of course we even have great grandchildren coming along.

As I see the gifts in our children, even as they are operating in them today, I look at them and I think, “Where did they get those gifts? They certainly didn’t get them from me, and they didn’t get them from my husband. Where did they get them?”

They came from God.

God sovereignly put gifts and talents into their lives to bring glory to Him so they could use them for His glory.

God has done that with you and with each of your children. We’ve all got different gifts. God wants us to use those gifts.

We remember the parable of the servants who were given different gifts, the stewards. Those who got ten talents made ten talents more because they were diligent. They worked at their gifts and they used them and then more gifts developed.  The same thing happened to the one who received five talents and he used those. As he developed them, he got five more gifts.

But then there was one who only had one. He thought, “Oh poor me, I’ve only got one” and he went and buried it in the ground. He received not a reward but the opposite for doing that. God does not want us to burry our talents. He gives them to us to use them. Read the parable again in Matthew 25:14-30.

So lovely wife and mother, whatever talent you have, don’t burry it. Use it!

This is a wonderful thing being a wife and a mother in the home. You have opportunity to use your talents. You have a home. You have a sphere. You have opportunity to develop your talents. I know many women do this and many women have creative talents.

Of course we all have creativity. God created us in His image and therefore, ladies, we were created to create. Remember that. We are creative beings. We are creative to create.

God loves us to create and so whatever desire you have to create beautiful and amazing things, DO IT!

Maybe some of you are amazing cooks and you love to make incredible things. Some of you may even sell some of the cooking you do.

Others may be very crafty, and you can make all kinds of crafts. I’m not very good at crafts myself. Some women are amazing! I have two sisters in law who are the most incredible at crafts. They are so amazing with their hands. I know many of you are like that. Many of you may even have a web page where you sell your crafts.

Others of you love to write. Perhaps you write books. Others of you think, “Oh I would love to do that but I’m not really very good enough to do it.” Look, don’t wait to do a big thing.  Sometimes we think, “Oh I need to write a book.” Don’t start with a book! Oh goodness, that can be overwhelming. Start with writing little things.

You think of someone, someone in your fellowship who needs encouraging. Write a card. Get a card and write a word of encouragement to them. Write a poem and send it to them or give it to them when you see them. Write beautiful things that you can send to people personally. Write to your family.

Every now and then at mealtimes you can think of making a lovely place card and write on that place card something special to each one in your family.

Don’t wait to use the gifts you have in a big way. Do them in a little way and then you’ll find they’ll get bigger and bigger and bigger.

I remember when I was a young teen and older, I began teaching. I was a high school teacher and therefore I was able to have all my holidays (as we call it Downunder where I was living at the time; here you call it vacation time.).

We didn’t actually have a big summer vacation down in New Zealand. We had different vacations throughout the year. I had those times available where I would work among children in children’s camps and youth camps. I had the beautiful opportunity to lead many of those young girls to Christ.

But I knew they were going back to homes where their parents didn’t know God. How would they grow in their faith? So I was burdened to write to them. I would write letters to them and encourage them in their faith and walk with the Lord. I ended up writing to about 100 girls.

I look back and think, “Well, that was just a little thing.” But I look back and think that as I was faithful to write to those girls, that was the beginning of later starting Above Rubies and writing to women all over the world as I have done for over the last 43 years and I am still writing today. Every day I write to women. I write on my Facebook. I write devotions. I am writing books gradually, but I don’t get them out, as I should. But I am writing. I started little.

Use your gifts.

I know many of you use your gifts to help with family income. Some do very, very well. You can make a webpage and you can sell gifts that you do.

Could I just pop in a little word here? There is nothing wrong with that and I think it’s wonderful. That is so great. But remember something: what does the Word say here? “Use your gifts to serve others.”

The Passion Translation says: “Every believer has received grace gifts, so use them to serve one another as faithful stewards of the many-colored tapestry of God’s grace.”

The New Living Translation says: “God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.”

I think we should always be available to use our gifts, not only for monetary gain, ladies, but using them to bless people; just to bless the body of Christ.

What does it say? “Use them well.”

Yes, we can use them well by being faithful and diligent to hone our gifts. We are able to use them in a greater way, even for financial income. But don’t always think you have to get financial income. Do things for love. Do things just to serve. I believe that’s the greatest thing we can do— use our gifts to serve.

That’s what He wants us to do and so this is part of being part of the body of Christ: using our gifts to serve one another. Amen?

That’s another part of the one another’s.

No. 4: GOD HAS PUT GIFTS IN THE BODY FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH

We can go to Ephesians four. Actually, you have to read the whole chapter. When you get some time, read the whole chapter again.

But we’ll just read a little bit of Ephesians 4:8-16.

Verses 11-13: “ And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”

Here we’re getting into perhaps the more organized part of the church life. Church is not a building. It’s people, it’s fellowship and it’s gathering together to meet, bless, and encourage one another.

It also happens by specific gifts put in the body of Christ such as the prophets and pastors and teachers and so on so that we can all grow up into the stature of the fullness of Christ.

There are some people who say, “Oh well, I can read the Bible here at home. I don’t really need to go to church. I’ve got a lovely personal walk with the Lord. I can just enjoy reading the Bible here.”

But here God says He’s put these gifts in the church for us to come together to receive from them. We can’t receive from teachers, prophets, and apostles unless we come together.

We read it again in 1 Corinthians 12. Oh goodness me, you’ve got to read this whole chapter, too, because the whole chapter is about it. I haven’t got time to read the whole chapter. Let’s just read a little bit here.

Verses 4-10: “Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.  For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues.”

And so on. Then we go down to verse 27-28: “Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. And God hath set some in the church [in the CHURCH], first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.”

All these things have been set in the church to help us grow and help us grow into the fullness of Christ and to grow together. All these things cannot happen if we just stay at home. This is part of church life and so we have to read them.

We’re reading everything. When I’m looking to see what God says about a subject, I read all the Scriptures. I can’t leave any out.

Also look up Romans 12:5-8. It speaks, again, about all the gifts that God has put in the church.

Once again as we see that we realize that church life is important. God didn’t say, “I just want you to stay at home and have this little relationship with Me.”

No, He wants us to come together. He’s even written in His Word how it’s to happen. He’s put administration, pastors, teachers, and governments and everything in the church for it to function. He also talks about the elders or the bishops or the pastors, all very similar terms. In 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9 it tells the qualifications of these elders.

Why are all these things in the Word of God if we can just stay at home and do our little thing?

No, we’ve got to get with God’s plan.

No. 5: WE ARE TO GATHER TOGETHER IN ONE PLACE

Acts 1:14 and chapter two verse one says: “ These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. . . . And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.”

Now, remember what happened when they were all in one place? The Holy Spirit fell.

Then in Acts 4:31, this happened in a latter time: “And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.”

God loves to manifest His presence when we assemble together. This time God shook the whole place. Those words “assemble together,” in fact, whenever you read “come together” or “assemble together” it’s going to be either sunagō, which is the root word. It means: “to lead together, collect or convene together, assemble together, come together, gather together, and to have hospitality.” It includes all those meanings.

Then there is another word, episunagoge, and it means “a complete collection, especially a Christian meeting for worship; an assembling or gathering together.”

So those are the words, precious ladies. It’s continually reminding us about assembling and coming together.

In 1 Corinthians 14:23 it says: “If therefore the whole church be come together into one place.” Interesting. in that one little sentence there are three phrases that are very important.

No. 1.

“If therefore the whole church . . ..” It doesn’t say, “If some of the church.” No, it says, “the WHOLE church.” Oh precious ladies, this is a longing, it is a burden on my heart that all of the church, the WHOLE church, ALL believers ,would come back to their churches and fill them up and pack them out to overflowing.

What a beautiful testimony to the people in this nation and what a threat to the devil! When we come back in little trickles it does not have impact and Satan has still got the upper hand.

But when we all, the whole church, every believer, comes back, oh what a threat to the devil!

Now that word for “whole church” in the Greek is holos and it means “whole, all, complete, all together, every whit.” I like those words, “every whit.” Do you remember when Jesus used those words?

He healed someone on the Sabbath day. They were all mad and angry at Him and He said, “Are you angry at Me because I have made a man every whit whole on the Sabbath day?” He used that same word that is used for “whole church.” Jesus didn’t make this man half whole. He made him FULLY whole.

That’s the meaning when He wants the whole church. He doesn’t want half the church or some of the church to come together. He wants the WHOLE church.

No. 2.

“Come together.” This time the word is sunerchomai and it means “to convene, associate with, accompany, assemble with, come together in one place.”

No. 3.

“One place.” Three phrases  I one sentence that are all about coming together—

THE WHOLE CHURCH,

COME TOGETHER,

IN ONE PLACE.

Wow. Time is going so quickly so I will just end with this little thought. Once again there are, as I mentioned before, some people who think, “Well I can just read the Word at home. I don’t need to come together with the saints. Goodness me, half of them drive me mad any way.”

But if they are really reading the Word of God at home, if they really are, they will be reading the Scriptures about coming together.

There are so many! We are only up to point No. 5 and I have 20 points, ladies, about how God wants us to come together.

Yes, we can’t just take a little Scripture here and there. We’ve got to read the whole Word.

We’ll hear some more next time, okay?

May the Lord richly bless you, dear ones. I hope you have got back to your church. Maybe, if your church is not open yet, why not just get with some other believers at another church until yours is open? Of course you want to be faithful to your own church but go somewhere in the meantime until yours is open and then get back there faithfully.

Let’s respond to God’s heart and to God’s precious Word.

Let me pray.

“Dear Father, I thank You for every family, Lord God, that I am speaking to today because each one that listens, Lord, represents a whole family. You love families. You love families to be together but, Lord, You want Your church family to be together. When Your people come together You love to manifest Your presence.

“I pray that You will give them wisdom, Lord, and You will show them how they can get back together, assembling themselves, meeting with Your people and coming together as Your Word says. I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.”

Transcribed by Morgan Roth.