KEYS TO LOVING UNITY IN FAMILY AND FELLOWSHIP.

Copyright © 8/23/'96

By Lee Tyler,

San Diego, CA 92162-0763;

http://biblicalmaturity.yuku.com/forums/66
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Best_Way_to_Live/
http://groups.google.com/group/PGChristianLivingIssues -
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Christian_Life_Issues_Tod
ay

The principles Amy Carmichael taught in her book, The

Gold Cord, are
applicable to fellowships and families. Her book shows
the details and
practices of a fellowship or family that wants to fully
experience the
following Scriptures.

"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to

dwell

together in unity! Like the precious oil upon the head,

that ran down

upon the beard, upon Aaron's beard, that ran down to the
hem of his

garments; As the dew of Hermon that descends on the

mountains of
Zion; for there has Jehovah commanded the blessing, life
for

evermore." Psalm 133

"I, the prisoner in [the] Lord, exhort you therefore to walk

worthy of

the calling with which you have been called, with all
lowliness and

meekness, with long-suffering, bearing with one another

in Love;

using diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the

uniting bond of

peace." Ephesians 4:1-3

"A new commandment I give to you, that you Love each

other; as I

have Loved you, that you also love each other. By this
shall all know

that you are My disciples, if you have Love for each other.
"John 13:34,
35
Amy wrote:

"No purer joy can be

Than to be one in Thee;

Bound by one golden cord

Of love to our dear Lord.

Together, together, together,

Made one in Thee,

All one in Thee,

Come let us flow together.

Come let us flow together

To the goodness of the Lord

Together, together, together,

Alleluia.

Than song of sweet wild bird,

Deep in the green wood heard,

More sweet the melody

Of such a unity.

All singing, all singing, all singing,

Made one in Thee,

All one in Thee,

Come let us flow, all singing.">a

Such singing is an evidence of the filling and unity of the

Spirit

in the bond of peace---"speaking to one another in psalms

and

hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in

your

heart to the Lord . . ."(Eph.5:19)

"There is a peerless joy in comradeship that the years can

only

prove and strengthen. This joy has been ours. We know

that
the Lord 'who knit us together, shall keep us
together'. . . . . . . .

Comfort and joy meet in this vital union,

Shelter in storm and peacefulness in strife;

Thus to be knit in Thy pure love's communion

It is our life, O Lord: it is our life.">b

So wrote Amy Carmichael, the author of Gold Cord and

founder

of the Dohnavur Fellowship in Tirunelveli District, S. India,

that

continues to this day and began in the 19th century. She

never

set out or intended to do more than to serve those

suffering

about her, share the joy of her salvation in the Lord Jesus

Christ, and rescue children from becoming temple

prostitutes in

worship of Hindu sex gods and godesses. As she did

these

things the Lord provided not only her material needs, but
precious and wonderful coworkers, Love warriors, and a

fellowship was born that evidenced the supernatural

peace,

harmony, unity, sharing, service, and unselfish

compassionate

cherishing that is possible only in and by Jesus and His

Spirit.

In the process, like Hudson Taylor of China Inland Mission,

George Muller of Bristol England and many, she decided

that

she would not ask any mortal for funds or supplies, nor
let any

mortal outside of the fellowship know their need for funds

or

supplies, even when the fellowship had grown to over 500

residents with an on site hospital. She and those of the

Gold

Cord agreed to ask only Jesus' Father for the funds and
supplies

they needed, and in an age of no long distance phone

service,

no computers and no quick telecommunications, Jesus'

Father

provided them with all their needs, providing the

fellowship

with tens of millions of dollars (at our current rate of

exchange)

over the years before she went on to be with Jesus.

During her life at Dohnavur in the Gold Cord, there was

realized that blessed unity of the Spirit in the bond of

peace

anointed with a filling of the spirit that spilled over in

song and

thanksgivings when they gathered together, male and

female,

old and young, of many races, of many nations, of many

stations in life and over the decades. It is one of the

greatest

and best documented proofs that God is, that Jesus is

alive and
present in our midst, and that God loves us enough to be

intimately involved in our personal and corporate lives.

And

so I offer her as a tried, tested and true expert on loving

unity

in a family and in a fellowship.

The keys to a harmonious Christian family

lies in the relationship each member has with the risen

and

soon to return Lord Jesus Christ. The keys to such family

harmony are essentially the same as the keys to any

harmonious and Loving Christian fellowship. Loving Jesus

with all our hearts, all our strength, all our minds and all
our

soul (personality) first and foremost manifests itself in

loving and devoted obedience to Jesus. Such loving and

devoted obedience manifests itself in the unselfish and

self-

denying compassionate cherishing of all who Love Jesus,

which would include the husband, wife and children in a

Christian family. Let's look at some of the

character traits that Jesus will work in us if we ask and let

Him, character traits that will make for a Loving and

harmonious Christian family.

Amy found certain character traits essential to the

harmony of

the fellowship of the Gold Cord: "truth, willingness for

hard

work, a freedom from the dominance of money, and very

loving hearts. . . They were lovers of their Lord and

servants of

His sick; they loved one another fervently, and money

had no

power over them.">c What about the leader, the

husband

in a family or the leader of a fellowship of bonded

souls, bound together in Spirit by a shared vision? He

would
have to be a man of that vision, "one to whom the same

heavenly vision had been shown, so that he could not be

turned back from it or caused to doubt what he had

seen.">d

"Only one who was so mastered by his convictions about

building in gold, silver, and precious stones could hold on

through what was sure to happen when there seemed to

be no

material of that sort at hand, and the driving "must" of

apparent necessity to accept wood and hay and stubble

was

upon him. But when convictions are inwrought by the

Spirit of

God, they are not conquered by opposition, or shaken by

criticism or failure, or broken or weakened by

disappointment.

The leader sent of God would not lose heart. For him we

prayed persistently.">e
The Leader, yea the band, cannot be given to self-
indulgent

comfort. A life of sharing is a life of self-discipline and

self

denial because self does not like to share. In a bonded

fellowship or marriage, after sharing, loving service

to your partners is the next key to success. Sharing and

service

are not naturally comfortable and often allow those

exercising

such virtues little or no comfort. "Comfort, that stealthy

thing

that enters the house as guest, and then becomes a host,

and

then master. Ay, and it becomes a tamer, and with hook

and

scourge makes puppets of your larger desires. Though its

hands are silken, its heart is iron. Verily, the lust for
comfort

murders the passion of the soul, and then walks grinning

to the
funeral.">f The desire for personal comfort is an enemy
of

unity in a family/fellowship.

In most of the world today anyone considering being a

part

of a Godly family or controversial fellowship must be

prepared to suffer ridicule, harassment, social and

emotional

trials, and even physical suffering as happened to my

friend

Kane and his family.

"Dead to the world and its applause,

To all the customs, fashions, laws,

Of those who hate the humbling Cross">g

"I do not want people who come to me under certain

reservations. In battle you want soldiers who fear

nothing. . .

we prayed that anyone who could be kept back should be

kept back. We even found ourselves asking that every

belittling story that could shake courage or desire might

be

told to such a one--anything rather than to have one who

was not meant for us.">h It is best to have with you only

those whom the Lord has chosen and called to be with

you,

especially in such a complicated and delicate association

as in

a complex Christian family or controversial fellowships. If

one should join the family who was not called to it by the
Lord,

the family will experience many of the struggles Joshua

experienced with the Canaanites, but the Lord will honor

unified prayer and fasting by the rest of the family

even in such circumstances and can turn it to His glory

after

many trials and much struggle, even suffering.

To build such a Loving and harmonious Christian family,
the

members of the family must answer the Spiritual call to

build such a family, by Christ's inner working.>1 If there

is

any member of the family who does not have the calling
to

such a family, the "called" members need to fast and

pray in

agreement for such an uncalled member to receive the

"call">2. They must be open to the leading and inner

working of Jesus, no matter how "unpractical">3. That

involves each member dying to themselves and their own

personal desires so that Jesus can birth his Life and

desires

in them>4. A lack of zeal and commitment to this Loving

harmony is fatal to such a calling. "Tis death, my soul, to

be

indifferent" when He has called us to Love each other

with

all our might>5 "Our Master has never promised us

success. He demands obedience. He expects

faithfulness.

Results are His concern, not ours. And our reputation is a

matter of no consequence at all" when we are obeying

His

clear and explicit Word.>6

The members of such a family should answer the call to

Love

in deed and not simply in word. We need a Love that is

willing to have both dirty hands and calloused hands.>7

At the same time, these selfless workers of Love, should

learn to wait on the Lord, listening to His Spirit speak

from

within as they quietly wait on Him and meditate on His

Word. This involves a patient waiting, not the hurried or

busy waiting of the Western world. This involves the

quiet,
often silent, waiting and listening where we are not
speaking

to Him, but spending significant time waiting on Him to

speak to us by His Spirit and Word.>8 This means the

putting aside of our agenda and the waiting on Him for

His

agenda. This must precede the prayers of petition,

intercession and the pouring out of one's soul to the Lord.

Those who wait on the Lord learn how better to pray and

speak with the Lord.

"That which I know not teach Thou me,

Who, blessed Lord, teacheth like Thee?

Lead my desires that they may be

According to Thy will.

Kindle my thoughts that they may glow,

And lift them up where they are low,

And freshen them, that they may flow

According to Thy will.">9

First and foremost in the character of those called to

Loving

and harmonious Christian marriage is loyalty to Jesus,

even

to the point of being willing to lay down and sacrifice your

own

life for Him and His will.>10 If all in the family have such
a

devoted loyalty to Christ, then it is not difficult for the

husbands to Love their wives as Christ Loved the

assembly of

saints, and it is not difficult for the wives to Lovingly

follow

the lead of their husbands as they follow the lead of their

Lord. The most important expression of the family's

Love

is unhindered prayer together for each other.>11 Such

prayer should spring out of the faith each member has

from
hearing and heeding the Word in their lives. That faith

expresses itself in deep and meaningful shared

convictions of

what is important and right. That faith expresses itself in

unity, harmony and orderliness based on shared

convictions

and shared priorities and shared goals developed in

prayer and

in the Word. Such a faith will have the peace that passes
all

understanding, casting all our cares on Him because He

cares

for us and trusting Him with our future. Such a faith and
peace

enables us to experience joy in the Lord, "immortal light-

heartedness . . . a spontaneous gaiety" for without a

sense of

humor no one would well survive a complex family.>12

" . . this beautiful happy. . . loyalty . . . is the basic quality

of
vital unity" >13 in a Christian fellowship or complex
family.

As to each other there is a rule to be carefully followed,

"the

absent must be safe with us. Criticism, therefore, [must]

be

taboo.">14 Not even "The Essence of But" can be a

tolerated

(she is so nice, but.......he would be so good for that,

but...

....)>15 Such selflessness befits those who determine to

"be emptied of glory and right and name">16

They have died to their own glory, died to their own

rights, and

died to their own name (reputation). They have yielded

themselves to their Jesus as instruments of His

righteousness

for His energizing, His glory, His rights and His Name. For
such

servants of the King, "there was only one way of

service---it

was the way of the Incarnation---a man must make

himself

one with those whom he wished to serve.">17 A

member of

the family/fellowship "must make himself one with those

[members of his family] whom he wished to serve". This

must

be true first of the husband-leader, if a child of God, and

then

of each and every member of the family/fellowship, if the

family/fellowship is to know that blessed and Loving unity

He

wants for us.

". . . like a family. . .We were always, as it were, parts of

one

another. . .each member lives for the good of the

household,

and we worked together in this way. . . We found, as we

went on, that our way of life was like a transparent shield
about us. People came to us thinking it would be
pleasant to

join us. We could not discern their motives. But they

looked

awhile and, if they were not in sympathy, they went

away.

Long afterwards, when our Father's purpose was

revealed,

we thanked Him for leading us so. 'I lean upon no broken

reed, nor trust an untried guide' . . ." Far fewer are

chosen

than are called, for many thought to be called may be

"broken reeds" and "untried guides" and may be sifted

out

by patient waiting upon the Lord for His timing. Those

who

would live in the blessed unity and harmony of the Spirit

must diligently "endeavor" to keep it with the wise

discern-

ment of the Leading of the Spirit.>18 "This method of

divine
leading---by the hour and by the moment---leaves the
soul

free and unencumbered, and ready for the slightest

breath of

God.---Madame Guyon">18a

Surely there will be disappointments in any

family/fellowship,

but the key "is refusal to be weakened or hardened or

soured

or made hopeless by disappointment. 'His only absorbing

passion was to press on' . . . And going on with Him, we

find

that in Him is the secret of continuance, and the secret of

recovery too, after any disappointment, after any

defeat.">19

So a family may weather, endure and even grow from

defeats, disappointments and setbacks it experiences

within

and without. Being comforted through the crisis, the

family
then is equipped and enabled to comfort those who suffer
in

like manner, expanding their ministry to each other and

to

those around them.>20

If the members of a Christian family live

together long enough growing in the Lord, they will learn

the

lesson of "willing acceptance of daily, nightly perplexity

and

disappointment without explanation. In the Gospels such

a

matter was always dealt with instantly. . . Here was

delay.

And we were not told why, and have not yet been told.
We

learned to accept the silence of our God. . . . In such days

we

prove each other. For the demands are greatest then.

And

to find that nothing is too much to ask of one another is

to

know what our gold cord can be, a golden thing right

through.">21 In such times of trial in a family the two

legs

of convinced faith in Jesus and unselfish compassionate

cherishing are critical and sufficient. Thank God He is in

control of all things and we can trust Him for that in those

times of trial-----and we can carry on bearing Lovingly and

joyfully not only our own burdens, but also the burdens of

our partners when they trip or stumble or need a helping

hand. God is Love and the greatest thing to do in the

world

is to Love, unselfishly compassionately cherishing, our

neighbors, our partners and the children of God, even

when

God is silent, or doesn't "make sense". He doesn't ask us

to

understand His will. He asks us to trust Him, even if it

means

to walk on water with Him, spend the night in the lions'

den,

or pass through the fiery furnace with Him.

"Strength of my heart, I rest in Thee,

Fulfil Thy purposes through me. . .

Waters of love, oh, pour through me;

I must have love, I must have Thee.

Lord, give me love, then I have all,

For love casts out tormenting fear,

And love sounds forth a trumpet call

To valiant hope; and sweet and clear

The birds of joy sing in my tree,

Love of my heart, when I have Thee.">22

This great Love for Jesus and one another, worked and
willed

in us by Jesus, enables us to enter into David-Jonathan

bonds of
commitment and Love.

"And David said . . . 'I have found favor in your eyes'. . .

And Jonathan caused David to swear [their loyalty

oath] again, because he Loved him; for he loved him

as he Loved his own soul. . . Jonathan said, 'the Lord

[be] between thee and me forever. . .">23

The Lord is the Bonder who binds together those united

with

Him in His Love. The enemies' goal is to break the bond

between those bonded in Love, and to break the bond

between He who is Love and those who Love. So such a

bond must be fought for, often on a daily basis, as long as

we

are on earth in our mortal bodies.

For this bonded fellowship in a family or

fellowship one needs a life of unreserved devotion, a life

without fences between those in the fellowship. This is a

daily walk and discipline which requires "that the line so

often drawn between spiritual and secular has no place

with

us if we follow Him who not only withdrew to the

mountain,

but also went about doing good. . . 'Put on the apron of

humility to serve one another' (1 Pet. v.5).">24 It means

not

being out of balance like Martha who didn't know when it

was time to stop work to listen to the Lord, but being

balanced like Mary who worked around the house but

knew

when it was time to stop such work to listen to Jesus.

We who build our families and fellowships in the Lord are

like Nehemiah's builders of the wall who wore their

swords

in case of an attack while they worked on the wall. That

wall
was to protect both their loved ones and the beloved
Temple

where they worshipped God (Neh.4). We in fellowship are

the temples of God (1Cor.6) being built into the Temple of

God (Eph.2:21,22) on a moment by moment and daily

basis

where the secular and the spiritual are constantly

intermixed in our daily lives. We need to have the sword

of

the Spirit and the full armour of God on in our daily lives,
even

in the most secular and mundane of our activities,

because all

should be done as unto the Lord. If it isn't done that way,

we

are adding wood, hay and stubble to our existence. "The

Spirit

can sit at the Master's feet while the hands are filled with
work

for others. Come unto Me and rest---take My yoke upon

you.">24 Mowing the widow's lawn or washing the

dishes of
the disabled is a great time for prayer, praise and singing
in

the Spirit.

Such a bonded group, family or fellowship, "whose one

purpose is to be spiritually ready to go all lengths with

their

Lord">25 may have to express that readiness in

changing

diapers, caring for the sick, feeding the hungry, risking

one's

life for another----all the time with an ear open to the

Spirit

and a heart filled with praise and thanksgiving waiting for

the opportunity to express itself. No one should be

surprised then if one breaks into praise holding a dirty

diaper, if one sings to the Lord while visiting the

imprisoned,

if one thanks God out loud while tending the sick, or if

one
speaks out in prayer in the midst of helping one in crisis.

How can a family, a fellowship, be lead and directed by

the

Lord in a unified and harmonious manner, especially

when

undergoing trials? For those in the family/fellowship who

are

Spirit filled (Eph. 5) and offering Him the Love of

obedience it

has been found ". . . possible to be directed as a company

so

that we can move together in a harmony of spirit that is

restful and very sure. A company has to wait longer than

one

or two might have to do, but if all be set on doing their

Lord's

will and be truly one in loyalty and the New Testament

kind

of affection that makes each one feel safe with each

other

one, if all flow together to the goodness of the Lord,

unanimity is certain. It is not difficult for our Father to
make

His children to be of one mind in an house. . . And we

have

always found that before the ultimate word must be

spoken,

divergent thoughts have vanished, . . The interval is sure

to

be perplexed by a temptation to the futile fuss of talk.

Recognize this for what it is, the influence of the

adversary

(for hurry of spirit confuses) and before long the same

quiet

word will come to all. If the inmost law of such a

company be

holy peace, it must be so.">26 This peace is born out of

the fervent and effectual praying of those who have

consciously cast all their cares and anxieties on the Lord

and

decided to make "everything and anything" known to God

in
prayer that has become an issue or concern in their lives,
with

supplications, and thanksgivings to God (Phil.4).

What is the frame of mind of those who, in a setting that

is

notorious for conflict and jealousy like the average

American

family, are able to rise to such a remarkable and glorious

unity

and harmony that they can move as one to the glory of

God?

Surely they know that their natural nature was crucified

with Christ---

they know that they and their risen Christ will die no
more---

so they reckon themselves to be dead to the sinful

impulses

and inclinations of their natural body and mind. Freed

from

having to obey their natural body and mind they no

longer
offer themselves to the will of their natural body and
mind,

but rather offer themselves to Jesus to be used,

motivated

and worked in His will.>27 "There is no life except by

death--

- . . .Always bearing about in the body the dying of the

Lord

Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest

in

our mortal flesh. . .">28

What about newcomers to the family/fellowship?

Questions

arise. Should newcomers be accepted? Why? How?

Can we

afford yet another mouth? Do we want to share with yet

another? If we believe that whoever is born of God is led

of

God, that if the same God leads one to apply that same
God

would confirm that leading by leading the

family/fellowship

members to accept that one in a peace that passes

understan-

ding, giving them a miraculous peace of mind about it.

God is

not the author of confusion, but of peace and harmony,

His seal.

His work bears His seal. ". . .He granted a certain

assurance

both to her and to us, so that her call should be among

the

things that cannot be shaken.">29

So Amy and the fellowship of the Gold Cord made a

decision.

"'Resolved together to accept all who offer who are

manifestly

called of the Lord to join us, whether they have means or

not.' .

'May you obtain strength and support to walk in paths

unworn,

at the edge of precipices where God alone can keep us in

safety'. . . . Never do we go far on any path of perplexity
or

pain without seeing the footsteps of Him who is invisible,

leading on before. . . 'The steps of faith fall on the

seeming void

and find the rock beneath'; but the rock is hardly ever
seen till

afterwards.">30

"Beloved, should the brook run dry

And should no visible supply

Gladden thine eyes, then wait to see

God work a miracle for thee.

Thou canst not want, for God has said

He will supply His own with bread. . .>30

"The verse which you want more than any other, and
which

you had better make your whole Bible for the present, is
that

wonderful passage in Deuteronomy---I led thee, and

SUFFERED

YOU TO HUNGER, and fed thee with food that thou

knewest not,

to teach thee that man does not live by bread alone---no,

not

by what you and I think a necessary of life, that without

which

we cannot live---love, success, fulfilled desire---BUT by

everything that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Most

High,

whether that word . . . be failure or success, love or heart-

hunger, uselessness or abounding labour---by THAT does

man

live. Our life is distinctly a supernatural life, and we are

always longing for a natural life, and God has let us go

hungry

of the natural life, in order that we may enter into the

supernatural, and our wish be taken up in His.">31

As with the rich young ruler who loved what he had more

than what Jesus had to offer, there comes a time in the

life of

every husband and wife when the Lord tries them to let
them see

where they are in the Lord with their possessions. The

question is,

"Will they be possessed by their possessions?" or "Will

they be wise

and godly stewards of their possessions?" Where our

treasure is,

there is our heart, whatever our treasure may be. The

Lord

calls us to 2 Corinthians 8 and 9; Acts 4:32-37; 2:44-47.

RKJVActs 2: 44 And all who believed were together and

had

all things common. 45 And they sold their possessions

and

goods and distributed them to all, according as anyone

had
need. 46 And continuing with one accord in the temple,
and

breaking bread from house to house, they shared food

with

gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and

having

favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the
church

daily those who were being saved.

RKJVActs 4: 32 ¶ And the multitude of those who believed

were of one heart and one soul. And not one said that any
of

the things which he possessed was his own. But they had
all

things common. 33 And the apostles gave witness of the

resurrection of the Lord Jesus with great power. And great

grace was on them all. 34 For neither was anyone needy

among

them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold

[them] and brought the prices of the [things] that were

sold,

35 and they laid [them] down at the apostles' feet. And

distribution was made to every man according as he had

need.

RKJV 2Corinth.8:7 ¶ But even as you abound in

everything, in

faith, and in word, and in knowledge, and in all

earnestness,

and in your love to us; you should abound in this grace

also.

8 I do not speak according to command, but through the

eagerness of others, and testing the trueness of your

love.

9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that,

though He was rich, for your sakes He became poor, in

order

that you might be made rich through His poverty. 10 And

in

this I give [my] judgment; for this is profitable for you,

who
began before, not only to do, but also to be willing a year
ago.

11 But now also finish the doing [of it], so that, as [there
was]

a readiness to will, so also the finishing, [giving] out of

[what]

you have. 12 For if the eagerness is present, [it is]

acceptable

according to [what] one has, [and] not according to

[what] one

does not have. 13 For [it is] not that others may [have]
ease,

but you trouble; 14 but by equality in the present time;

your

abundance for their need, that their abundance also may

be for

your need; so that there may be equality; 15 as it is

written,

"He [gathering] much, he had nothing left over; and he

[gathering] little did not have less."

RKJV2Corinth.9: 6 ¶ But [I say] this, He who sows

sparingly

shall also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully

shall

also reap bountifully. 7 Each one, as he purposes in his

heart,

[let him give]; not of grief, or of necessity, for God loves a

cheerful giver. 8 And God [is] able to make all grace

abound

toward you, that in everything, always having all self-

sufficiency, you may abound to every good work; 9 As it

is

written, "He scattered; he has given to the poor; his

righteousness remains forever." 10 Now He who supplies

seed

to the sower, and bread for eating, may He supply and

multiply

your seed, and increase the fruits of your righteousness

11 you

being enriched in everything to all generosity, which

works out

thanksgiving to God through us.12 For the ministry of this

service not only supplies the things lacking of the saints,
but

also multiplying through many thanksgivings to God, 13

through the proof of this ministry [they] glorify God for

your freely expressed submission to the gospel of Christ,

and

the generosity of the fellowship toward them and toward

all,

14 and [in] their prayer for you, who long after you,
because

of the exceeding grace of God on you. 15 Thanks [be] to

God for

His unspeakable free gift.

It is not natural or normal for humans to live out in

practice

2 Corinth. 8 and 9 and Acts 4:32-37; 2:44-47. It takes the

enabling, leading and inner working and inner willing of

the

Holy Spirit to be able to live these truths out in daily

practice, and I believe it takes the filling of the Holy Spirit

to

be able live out the Acts 2 and 4 experience of having all

things in common, not claiming anything as our own, in

fellowship with other saints----and for sure for the

members

of a complex family. In fact, any member of a

complex family or of a tight knit Christian fellowship, no

saint should be required to practice the communal

experience of Acts 2 and 4 if they do not have the Lord's

inner peace about it, free from doubts, fears and

misgivings.

The sharing and equality of 2 Corinth. 8 and 9 are

commanded and required, but that communal sharing, I

believe, can only be maintained in practice by those who

are

filled with the Spirit and emptied of self.

Among saints, He established the equality rule, the

precedent for which He established when He provided the

manna in the wilderness for the liberated Israelites. His

equality rule is stated quite clearly in 2 Corinth. 8:8-15

where he states, in part, " For I do not mean that others

should be eased and you burdened; but by an equality,

that

now at this time your abundance may supply their lack,

that

their abundance also may supply your lack---that there

may

be an equality."

That is His rule for the Assembly, for the saints. The

practical application of it is 1 Jn 3:16,17 "By this we know

Love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also

ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever

has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and

shuts up his heart from him, how does the Love of God
abide

in him? "The attitude of Jesus in us in the Body of Christ

is

not "I owe you" or "You owe me". Our attitude is to be

"My

abundance is for your lack, brother, that we may be

equal. I

see your need brother and I share what I have for your

need." Hear this: "Now the multitude of those who

believed

were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say
that

any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had
all

things in common. . .Nor was there anyone among them

who

lacked . . .and they distributed to each as anyone had

need."

(Acts 4:32-37; 2:44-47). That was His model for local

assemblies.

What a shame the local assemblies don't practice this!

What a testimony such a fellowship would have in this

selfish and self-centered society/world! But there is no

excuse for a godly couple in a Christian marriage to fail to

practice both the principal of equality and the principles

of

"not claiming as his own the possessions that he has", of

"having all things in common". The assembly is one

body in

Christ, but a husband and wife are one body in the

assembly

and in the flesh! How great the marital failure of a so-

called Christian couple who each claim as their own their

possessions and refuse to have all things in common"!

Theirs

is a pagan marriage.

Did I hear you think "But what about those in my family

who

don't work, who refuse to work? The Word says "If

anyone

does not wish to work, neither let him eat!" (2Thess3:6-

14).

Read that again! "If anyone does NOT WISH TO work,

neither

let him eat!" Those who are not to eat are those WHO

WONT WORK, WHO DO NOT WISH TO WORK! In practical

reality, in a Godly assembly, that means that any saint

out of

work but seeking work and willing to work would be the

beneficiary of the principles of "not claiming as his own

the

possessions that he has", of "having all things in

common".

He would be eligible for and the recipient of the sharing

and

providing of the saints. In a Godly marriage, if one mate

were unemployed but seeking work and willing to work,

the

principles of equality and "not claiming as his own the

possessions that he has", of "having all things in

common"

would be fully in force.

"When a soul sets out to find God it does not know
whither

it will come and by what path it will be led; but those who

catch the vision are ready to follow the Lamb

whithersoever

He goeth, regardless of what that following may involve

for

them. And it is as they follow, obedient to what they have

seen, in this spirit of joyful adventure, that their path

becomes clear before them, and they are given the

power to

fulfill their high calling. They are those who have the

courage to break through conventionalities, who care not

at

all what the world thinks of them, because they are

entirely

taken up with the tremendous realities of the soul and

God.">70
Am I prepared to count the cost and pay it with my life?

Am I willing to let the following be true of me and my life?

1. Loving Jesus with all my heart, all my strength, all my

mind and all my soul (personality) first and foremost

2. Unselfish and self-denying compassionate cherishing of

all

who I know who Love Jesus

3. Truth, willingness for hard work, a freedom from the

dominance of money, and a very loving heart.

4. Bound together with others in Spirit by a shared vision

5. The desire for personal comfort is my enemy of the

unity in

my family/fellowship.

6. Personally dead to the world and its applause,

To all the customs, fashions, laws,

Of those who hate the humbling Cross

7. I must answer the Spirit's call to build a godly family,

by
Christ's inner working

8. I must be open to the leading and inner working of

Jesus, no matter how "unpractical">3.

9. I must die to myself and my own personal desires so

that

Jesus can birth his Life and desires in me>4.

10. A lack of zeal and commitment to this Loving

harmony is

fatal to the calling of a godly family living in unity and

harmony.

11. I need a Love that is willing to have both dirty hands

and

calloused hands while praying or meditating on the Lord.

12. Loyalty to Jesus, even to the point of being willing to

lay

down and sacrifice my own life for Him and His will

13.The most important expression of the family's Love is

unhindered prayer together for each other. I am praying.

14. There is a rule I carefully follow, "the absent must be

safe with us. Criticism, therefore, [must] be taboo.">14
Not

even "The Essence of But" can be a tolerated.

15. I have died to my own glory, died to my own rights,

and died to my own name (reputation). I have yielded

myself to Jesus as an instrument of His righteousness

for His energizing, His glory, His rights and His Name.

16. As a member of the family/fellowship I"must make

[myself] one with those [members of his family] whom [I]

wish

to serve"

17.We were always, as it were, parts of one another. .

.each

member lives for the good of the household. My

commitment.

18.Those who would live in the blessed unity and

harmony of

the Spirit must diligently "endeavor" to keep it with the

wise

discernment of the Leading of the Spirit. My

commitment.
19. The key "is refusal to be weakened or hardened or
soured

or made hopeless by disappointment. 'His only absorbing

passion was to press on' . . I make it my absorbing

passion.

20. I will learn the lesson of "willing acceptance of daily,

nightly perplexity and disappointment without

explanation."

21. Finding that nothing is too much to ask of one

another is to

know what our gold cord can be, a golden thing right
through.

Make me that golden. Enable me to say "No" lovingly

and gently

when asked to something doubtful or wrong.

22. The enemies' goal is to break the bond between

those

bonded in Love, and to break the bond between He who

is Love

and those who Love. So such a bond must be fought for,

often
on a daily basis, as long as we are on earth in our mortal

bodies. Make me a fighter for such a bond.

23. For this bonded fellowship in a complex family or

fellowship one needs a life of unreserved devotion, a life

without fences between those in the fellowship. This is a

daily walk and discipline which requires "that the line so

often drawn between spiritual and secular has no place."

Make this life a reality in me.

24. Let us be directed as a company so that we can move

together in a harmony of spirit that is restful and very

sure.

Make it so in me, Lord.

25. "'Resolved together to accept all who offer who are

manifestly called of the Lord to join us, whether they

have

means or not.'" . By your almighty grace make this real in

me.

26.RKJVActs 2: 44-47 And all who believed were together

and
had all things common. And they sold their possessions
and

goods and distributed them to all, according as anyone

had

need. And continuing with one accord in the temple, and

breaking bread from house to house, they shared food

with

gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God.

Make me so in my family and fellowship, Holy Father.

27.RKJVActs 4: 32 ¶ And the multitude of those who

believed

were of one heart and one soul. And not one said that any
of

the things which he possessed was his own. But they had
all

things common.

Please, Father, give me this heart, soul, mind and way.

"MY VOW.

Whatsoever Thou sayest unto me, by Thy grace I will" [to]

"do
it.>71

MY CONSTRAINT.

Thy love, O Christ, my Lord.

MY CONFIDENCE.

Thou art able to keep that which I have committed unto

Thee.

MY JOY.

To do Thy will, O God.

MY DISCIPLINE.

That which I would not choose, but which Thy love

appoints.

MY PRAYER

Conform my will to Thine.

MY MOTTO.

Love to live: Live to love

MY PORTION.

The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance.

"Teach us, good Lord, to serve Thee more faithfully; to

give and not to count the cost; to fight and not to heed
the

wounds; to toil and not to seek for rest; to labour and not
to

ask for any reward, save that of knowing that we do Thy

will, O Lord our God.">71

###########################

** RKJV: OnLine Bible computer program of

"Online Bible f ", Ken Hammil 1-908-741-4298; [E-Mail:

khamel@aol.com].

>a Gold Cord The Story of a Fellowship, 1933-57, The

Society

Promoting Christian Knowledge, London; Holy Trinity

Church,
Marylebone Road, N.W.1; New York: Macmillan Company;

Christian Literature Crusade, Fort Washington, Penna. p.

344

>b Gold Cord p. 332

>c Gold Cord p. 278ff

>d Gold Cord p. 280

>e Gold Cord p. 280ff

>f Kahlil Gibran Gold Cord p.336

>g Gold Cord p. 86

>h Gold Cord p. 59

>1 Gold Cord p. 7

>2 Matt. 17:19-21; 18:18-20.

>3 Gold Cord p.8

>4 Gold Cord p.8 the seed falling to the ground, dying

and reborn as a fruitful plant.

>5 Gold Cord p. 10

>6 Gold Cord p.37

>7 Gold Cord p.42

>8 Gold Cord p. 48

>9 Gold Cord p.48ff

>10 Gold Cord p.49

>11 Gold Cord p.50

>12 Gold Cord p. 50

>13 Gold Cord p.50

>14 Gold Cord p.50

>15 Gold Cord p. 51

>16 Gold Cord p.52

>17 Gold Cord p.52

>18 Ephes. 4:1-3; Romans 8:9,14; Phil. 2:12,13,14.

>18a Gold Cord p. 284

>19 Gold Cord p. 75ff

>20 2 Corinth. 1; Gold Cord p. 165

>21 Gold Cord p. 154

>22 Gold Cord p. 156

>23 1 Samuel 20

>24 Gold Cord 158,159

>25 Gold Cord p. 160

>26 Gold Cord p. 183ff

>27 Romans 6 and Phil. 2:12,13

>28 Gold Cord p. 220

>29 Gold Cord p. 252

>30 Gold Cord p. 233

>31 Gold Cord p. 258

>70 Gold Cord p. 161

>71 "I will do it" changed to "I will [to] do it." to be in

harmony

with James 4:13-17, "If the Lord wills, I will do it."

>72 Gold Cord pp. 161,162