The Nobles

The nobles of the Tekoites would not help with the work of restoring the wall and the gates of the city of Jerusalem.

God's people are accustomed to having their leaders think for them and seek God for them, while they themselves occupy their time and strength with the things of the flesh. As far as God's remnant, His saints, are concerned, those days are over. We cannot depend on the "nobles" to do God's work.

It is time now for each of the Lord's people to seek God's will for his own life. Each member of the Body of Christ, without exception, is given gifts and a ministry at the time the Lord Jesus baptizes him or her by the Holy Spirit into the Church. Those gifts and ministries are the "talents" spoken of in Matthew, Chapter 25. There is no member of the Body of Christ who does not possess a gift of ministry from the ascended Christ, a gift given for the purpose of building the Body of Christ into the fullness of maturity and unity.

There is no part of a physical body that has no purpose, that is extra, useless, that makes no contribution to the body—unless the part is diseased or dead.

There is no member of the Body of Christ who has no purpose, who is extra, who is useless, who makes no contribution to the Body—unless the member is diseased or dead.

The churches of Christ are filled with "dead" members. They assemble with the believers but they are not living members of the Body of Christ. They are not living members of the Body of Christ because they are purposeless, useless, making no contribution to the Body.

The Lord Jesus Christ is walking among the lampstands, the churches, in the hour in which we are living. It is His intention to trim the lamps so they will give a shining light to the sin-darkened world, a clear and powerful testimony that will overcome the devil.

Every lamp not shining brightly He will trim and fill with oil so the testimony will be clear—blazing with conquering power and authority. But every lamp that refuses to be trimmed and filled with oil He will remove from the lampstand as being useless to Him and useless to the world.

The Body of Christ can be built only by the functioning of each member of the Body. The church will be brought to fullness of stature by that which every part contributes.

It is impossible for any pastor or any other form of church leadership to bring the Church to the fullness of the stature of Christ. Only as each member finds his or her own place and begins to function as a living part of Christ is it possible for the Church to be built into the awesome manifestation of Christ that will, in fulfillment of the Word of the Hebrew Prophets, cause the multitudes of the nations to be converted.

There is a time for outstanding human leadership. There is an hour for the "nobles." There is an occasion to "strike the rock."

But in the latter (harvest) rain sweeping downpour of the Glory of God Almighty scheduled for the days just prior to the return of the Lord Jesus from Heaven, no flesh will be exalted. The whole Body of Christ will be anointed with a double portion of power from Heaven. The saints will go to every nation under the heavens, healing the sick, casting out devils, and proclaiming the soon coming from Heaven of the Kingdom of God.

To be continued.