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Awesome Hands - part 147 Discussion

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Awesome Hands – part 147

“Tithing as spoken of in Deuteronomy 14”

January 16, 2019

Tithing is a broad topic which has been very abused in the church world today. While the Lord Himself has no use for physical money, this is the focus that most churches and their members focus on when thinking or acting on the topic of tithing.

In our study today, we are going to focus on several old and new testament verses concerning tithing and also on what the overall concept of tithing means to the church of the living God today.

Our verses for consideration, keeping with the main concept of the awesome hands series, are found in Deut 14:22-29.

Deu 14:22  Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year.
Deu 14:23  And thou shalt eat before the LORD thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God always.
Deu 14:24  And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it; or if the place be too far from thee, which the LORD thy God shall choose to set his name there, when the LORD thy God hath blessed thee:
Deu 14:25  Then shalt thou turn it into money, and bind up the money in thine hand, and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose:
Deu 14:26  And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household,
Deu 14:27  And the Levite that is within thy gates; thou shalt not forsake him; for he hath no part nor inheritance with thee.
Deu 14:28  At the end of three years thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of thine increase the same year, and shalt lay it up within thy gates:
Deu 14:29  And the Levite, (because he hath no part nor inheritance with thee,) and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, which are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hand which thou doest.

Tithing today is quite different than what the Lord commanded when He first gave Israel the commandments concerning tithing.

Tithing in its basic form was a way to worship and thank the Lord for all that He had one for you during the year.

This can be seen in Deut 14:22-23.

Deu 14:22  “You shall tithe all the yield of your seed that comes from the field year by year.
Deu 14:23  And before the LORD your God, in the place that he will choose, to make his name dwell there, you shall eat the tithe of your grain, of your wine, and of your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and flock, that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always.

Why is it the Lord tells Israel (and us) to tithe the yield (increase) of your seed “before the Lord your God …… that you may fear the LORD your God always”?

The Lord wants us to know, recognize and acknowledge that He alone is the reason why there is an increase in the first place. He wants us to continually go through the motions of recognizing and acknowledging that it is He who has given us the increase.

Indeed, it all belongs to the Lord!

Psa 24:1  A Psalm of David. The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

Fearing the Lord is much more than just simply “being scared” of what the Lord can or will do to do in an “or else” situation similar to “obey the Lord or else”.

Indeed, fearing the Lord is a form of acknowledgement and contentment in knowing that you are the Lords completely.

When reading, “The EARTH is the LORD’s and the fulness thereof”, we shouldn’t be thinking in physical terms only. After all, you have come from the earth the same as any crop!

Gen 3:19  In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

When we till and toil in this life, it is much more than just trying to live day to day. What are we doing if all we are doing in life if trying to survive? Believe me I know what that feels like and how just surviving is all we can do sometimes.

However, that is NOT what life is all about. It is how we LIVE that makes our lives worth living. How we live is a MINDSET and has NOTHING to do with physical wealth or riches.

How we treat one another is where the “riches” are. In this day and age, you can see a dearth of famine in the way people treat one another.

Yes, fearing the Lord as it pertains to tithing is very important for us to understand.

I know this next set of verses is a lot to take in, but Ecclesiastes really helps  us to understand what tithing is all about.

The first several verses setup the context for the rest of the chapter. This chapter is mainly about the vanity of wealth and honor.

If you need any source other than the man given wisdom as a gift, than this may not be for you For everyone else, listen to the author of Ecclesiastes.

First, we setup the foundation:

Ecc 5:1  Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.

Know the “walk” you live in when representing the Lord as His ambassador.

Ecc 5:2  Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.

Ecc 5:3  For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words.

Think before you speak. Let your words be few. What more needs to be said? I think we all need more of this!

Ecc 5:4  When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.
Ecc 5:5  Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.

Don’t tell the Lord you will do something and then not do it. Before you think you do not promise things to the Lord, etc., please remember who Jesus of Nazareth is.

Act 22:7  And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
Act 22:8  And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

Mat 25:40  And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Ecc 5:6  Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?
Ecc 5:7  For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God.

Don’t say something and then go back on it and say it was a mistake. The Lord will not look kindly on this type of reneging.

The core of this chapter is dedicated to vanity of wealth and honor.

Ecc 5:8  If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they.

Vengeance is the Lord’s!

Ecc 5:9  Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field.

It is so easy to read this verse and think it is only speaking about a physical king residing over a physical kingdom. However, there is a King of kings that also is SERVED by the “field”.

Mat 13:37  He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
Mat 13:38  The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;

Ecc 5:10  He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.
Ecc 5:11  When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes?

Anyone that loves MONEY will never have enough money. Likewise, anyone who loves abundance WITH PROFIT will never have enough profit. It is all vanity.

Ecc 5:12  The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.
Ecc 5:13  There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.
Ecc 5:14  But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand.
Ecc 5:15  As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.

We all know this to be true. “You can’t take it with you when you go” is something we all inherently know to be true; yet, we still go about just trying to accumulate more. That “more” will only end up in someone else’s hands eventually if that is our only goal in life.

However, it is much sweeter to help others, as you are able, because then you are tithing the way it should be….. with your increase. The increase is NOT only in physical increase, but more importantly, it is in SPIRITUAL INCREASE.

The sleep of a laboring man is SWEET is very powerful.

Ecc 5:16  And this also is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind?
Ecc 5:17  All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness.
Ecc 5:18  Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion.
Ecc 5:19  Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.

To enjoy the “GOOD” of all our labor is a GOOD thing. This is the portion that Lord has given everyone. This ability to enjoy what the Lord gives us is a gift. There is much rejoicing in knowing that the Lord alone giveth and taketh away, and while He giveth, there is nothing wrong with enjoying the increase.

This is what the tithe is all about. Sharing the increase with others!

Money has nothing to do with tithing. It really doesn’t. Tithing is all about the increase. The way that money is mentioned as connected to tithing is spoken about in Deuteronomy 14.

Deu 14:24  And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it; or if the place be too far from thee, which the LORD thy God shall choose to set his name there, when the LORD thy God hath blessed thee:
Deu 14:25  Then shalt thou turn it into money (the increase of thy seed found in verse 22), and bind up the money in thine hand, and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose:
Deu 14:26  And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household,
Deu 14:27  And the Levite that is within thy gates; thou shalt not forsake him; for he hath no part nor inheritance with thee.

Did you catch that? The Lord DOES NOT need nor want the increase for Himself. What does the Lord need with PHYSICAL things much less money?

The increase, as it pertains to money, was used to BUY “whatsoever thy soul lusteth after”. Whether it be a certain type of food or alcohol. Rejoicing with your household was also required!

Lastly, the Levite in your city was not to be forgotten. This is what the increase is all about. The increase came about because a tithe is of the abundance of the field.

When thinking about “thine household” please remember that “my words are spirit and they are life”. We aren’t only talking about our physical households. All of these admonitions need to be taken in to consideration as pertaining to physical and spiritual.

Listen to these words in connection to what has been said about tithing in this study.

Gal 6:8  For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
Gal 6:9  And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
Gal 6:10  As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

We need to be “doing good” unto all men especially to those of the household of faith. However, remember what I said before. This is NOT about money. Tithing can be “turned into money” so that you are able to go to a place where the Lord’s name is and where He is to be worshipped, but this is much more about the increases that the Lord gives us spiritually.

It is all important to keep in mind that we cannot say we are spiritually rich while ignoring the basic needs of the flesh in ourselves and in others.

Jas 2:14  What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
Jas 2:15  If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
Jas 2:16  And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
Jas 2:17  Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
Jas 2:18  Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

Tithing is about much more than money. It about faith and acknowledging the Lord is working all things after the counsel of His will. When He works it out that we have an increase in our physical well being and situations, then we need to acknowledge that by sharing the increase.

Deu 14:27  And the Levite that is within thy gates; thou shalt not forsake him; for he hath no part nor inheritance with thee.
Deu 14:28  At the end of three years thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of thine increase the same year, and shalt lay it up within thy gates:
Deu 14:29  And the Levite, (because he hath no part nor inheritance with thee,) and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, which are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hand which thou doest.

“All the work of thine hand” is not only monetarily “turned into money”.

If you are gifted in uplifting people in their time of lowliness, give of your increase.

If you are gifted in patience and understanding when someone needs a shoulder to lean on, give of your increase.

If you happen to be monetarily gifted by the Lord, find one of the many needs in the body, and give of your increase.

I hope this study has been used to scratch the surface of this topic in a way that shows that tithing in Deuteronomy is about praising the Lord for the “fulness” that He gives to the earth by sharing that increase with yourself, your household and the “Levite, stranger, fatherless and widows” among you, but especially those of the household of Faith.

Hi Mike,

Hope you are well and God is blessing you and yours.

I was listening to one of your audios just yesterday (I listen to two or three most days) and you talked about fellowship, the need for a teacher, and the wrong attitude of locking oneself away thinking one can learn everything alone. I wanted to ask you specifically about fellowship. I know all too well I can never understand the things of the spirit without a teacher. I do though have a problem fellowshipping with other Christians. I live in a very remote area. Our nearest nieghbours are miles away, and I’ve never met them, don’t even know their names. I left the Church I was in just about a year ago, and not one of the many friends I had there has spoken to me since. Their services are posted on the web in audio format like yours, and I heard the pastor berate me and mock me in front of the congregation because of what I had come to see. I told him privately that I intended to leave and had no wish to make a big show or anything like that. Well, God obviously laid it on his heart to do what he did. I have no problem with that at all, in fact I rejoice in it because of Matthew 5:11.

Because I’m so isolated, and because practically no one I know shares what I see and know, and because of what you said in your talk, I am now wondering whether not having physical personal fellowship with others is a problem and a hinderance to me. Because I listen in on your bible studies every day, watch your videos regularly and can put a few faces to names and voices, I feel that I am fellowshipping with your group in spirit every day, and I do find comfort in that. I just wondered what your thoughts are and what you would advise. BTW, I know it sounds impatient, but I was wondering when the most recent study meetings will be posted up. I do get a lot of spiritual “meat” from them, and spiritual fellowship and so I always eagerly look forward to new audios and videos.

YBIC
D____

Hi D____,

Thank you for your encouraging words and for your question about fellowship.

What your pastor did to you is just what we should expect from those who are protecting their turf rather than protecting God’s holy things, the truths of His Word. You are indeed blessed to be found worthy to suffer for Christ’s name’s sake.

I am thankful for your question, because you are both physically isolated and feel that you are spiritually isolated and unable to enjoy the fellowship of brothers and sisters of like mind, the mind of Christ.

Your question and your situation afford an example of one who wants to fellowship but cannot. The comments I made in the audio you reference were in no way intended to trouble those who appreciate the need and the functions of all the members of a single body. After all, there are many members of this one body who are not physically isolated, as you are, but they still feel spiritually isolated while living in cities with millions of other people. Fellowship has much more to do with “being of one mind” than it has to do with the physical number of people in a physical room.

It has always struck me that there is no mention of a church of Athens, the largest city Paul visited and in which he also preached. There were very likely some who responded to Paul’s words and yet, as far as history is concerned in the pages of scripture, there is no mention of a church being raised up in Athens. However, physical isolation in no way isolates us from Christ and His body. We are one in Christ whether we are in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe, India, Asia, Africa or Australia, the islands of the Pacific, Central and South America or anywhere on earth. Christ is one, and His body is one.

1Co 12:12 For even as the body is one and has many members, yet all the members of the one body, being many, are one body, thus also is the Christ

If you have not yet done so, be sure to listen to and read the study entitled What is The Christ? and another talk entitled The Revelation of Jesus Christ as The Christ. The doctrine of ‘the Christ’ is throughout the New Testament, but the translators, being totally blinded to the things of the spirit, did not know why the article ‘the’ was there so often. It seemed awkward to have to say “so also is the Christ.” Leaving the article off just seemed to read better, so here in 1 Corinthians 12, and in dozens of other verses, the article was simply ignored, and this revelation that Christ has a christ was hidden from the masses of orthodox Christianity. Nevertheless, it is right there in God’s Word, and what this doctrine reveals is that Christ has sent His christ to do exactly what His Father sent Him to do.

Joh 20:21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

My point was that Christ did not avoid being around people. Christ loved being around people. He actually considered all of His disciples to be his brothers, sisters and mother:

Mar 3:31 There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him, calling him.
Mar 3:32 And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee.
Mar 3:33 And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren?
Mar 3:34 And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
Mar 3:35 For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.

We are Christ’s family, but more than family, we are also His very body, and “no man yet hated his own flesh.”

Eph 5:29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:

Ephesians 5 is the marriage chapter, and Paul is talking about husbands and wives loving each other. Here in the next verse is His point in doing so:

Eph 5:30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

Now if this is truly the case in our hearts, then there is simply no way that a person, who really is part of that body, could possibly not enjoy and appreciate being able to look about him and see His arms, belly and thighs, legs and feet and all the parts of his own body.

There is a wrong spirit which actually tells us Christ died for us and for us alone. Such is not the case. Not one of us has been called or chosen for the sole purpose of securing only our salvation. We are not given this knowledge solely for our own benefit. Far from it! We are called for the specified purpose of becoming Christ’s christ:

Joh 20:21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

Rom 11:30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.

What did Christ’s Father send Him to do? Why was Christ sent into this world? What was His commission?

1Ti 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

What would Christ’s Father have thought if Christ had decided to go out into the wilderness and just stay there, studying God’s word and coming to know His Father better every day, but never coming to the point of sharing with others the blessings he had been given. This is the attitude of a monk or a nun, and it has no foundation in “the doctrine of Jesus Christ.”
Am I saying that there is not a time to study and pray and become familiar with God’s Word? No, I am not. There must be a time of preparation. Christ Himself waited until He was thirty years old before He began His ministry. I have written much on this topic. I have letters in which I have emphasized Joseph’s time in slavery in Egypt and Paul’s time in Tarsus before the holy spirit said “separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Even in those cases, both men were taking advantage of any opportunity to be a witness to those around them.

Gen 41:46 And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.

Luk 3:23 And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,

Act 13:2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.

Paul and Barnabas were not called to be deacons and wait on tables. Am I in any way placing Paul and Barnabas above a deacon? I am doing nothing of the sort. Most Christians cannot share their new found knowledge with others in an articulate and convincing and convicting manner, and yet we are all part of one body which does get the Truth of God’s Word out to those who are being called out of Babylon and which body also witnesses against all the false doctrines of Babylon. God places each of us in that body as He sees fit. I cannot begin to express the gratitude I feel toward every person who simply takes the time to write words of gratitude and words of encouragement for the work God is doing through those of us who make the ministry of iswasandwillbe. com possible. My writings are the result of many brothers and sisters from all around the world, fellowshiping with one another and sharpening one another in the word and doctrine of Christ.

There are several brothers who also have blogs of their own who are being used of God to share the revelation of Christ and His christ with others. We now have Zoom meetings daily which one can access to share fellowship and bible study [see the home page for the complete list].

There are small groups all around the world, many of only two or three, gathered together in the name of the True Christ; and there are even far more who are like you. They have absolutely no one at all with whom to share their new found blessings. That was the case with Christ Himself. Sure, He had disciples who thought they had heard and seen the mysteries of the kingdom of God through Christ’s parables, but not even Christ’s own chosen apostles understood what He was teaching in His parables. Not one was willing to die with Him for His gospel and His doctrine.

Luk 9:43 And they were all amazed at the mighty power of God. But while they wondered every one at all things which Jesus did, he said unto his disciples,
Luk 9:44 Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men.
Luk 9:45 But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not: and they feared to ask him of that saying.

Joh 12:16 These things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him.

Christ was not alone for the same reason you are not alone.

Joh 8:16 And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me.

Joh 16:32 Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.

If what the apostle said is true, and “evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse”, then God’s people are more scattered than ever.

2Ti 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

Christ, at that time just like His christ to this very day, is forsaken by all, and yet He is never alone, simply because “My Father is with me.” As we always do, we have taken God’s spiritual word, which is used of the holy spirit to “teach comparing spiritual things with spiritual,” and we have wrapped that ‘gold’ which was given to us by God, around our own idols of the heart.” In other words, we have taken this verse, and we have compared physical with physical or maybe physical with spiritual, and have tried to force God’s hand, and demand that He give us a person in our lives with whom we can fellowship. Here is that much abused word:

Mat 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Christ knew that these were spiritual words dealing with a spiritual concept. When He was condemned by the Jews for bearing witness of Himself, He denied ever doing so.

Joh 5:31 If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true.
Joh 5:32 There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true.

Joh 8:18 I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me.

How often have I and others like me thought, “Well, it is no wonder Christ was killed. He really didn’t have anyone else to witness for Him.” In so doing I also was denying the witness of the Old Testament that “another prophet,” another reformer like Moses, was witnessed to come and to be rejected of God’s people.

Deu 18:15 The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;
Deu 18:16 According to all that thou desiredst of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.
Deu 18:17 And the LORD said unto me, They have well [spoken that] which they have spoken.
Deu 18:18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.
Deu 18:19 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.

When we compare spiritual with spiritual, we are in the exact same place in which Christ found himself. There is no one around us but God’s own word with whom to claim a second witness, and most of the time there is no one but God and His word with whom to find fellowship.

So I hope this helps you to see that while we should take every opportunity to assemble together physically, it is even more important that we be ‘assembled together spiritually’ being of ‘one mind in one body with one spirit and one Lord and one baptism of the water by the Word.’

God’s Word is more of a “second witness” than are all the multitudes of Babylon.

Rom 3:3 For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?
Rom 3:4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.

When it is, let him also be your fellowship “in spirit.” We really are with one another “in spirit”.

1Co 5:3 For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,
1Co 5:4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,

When you are listening in on our Bible studies, you are with us and we with you, if we both have the mind and spirit of Christ and His doctrines and His Words.

You have friends all around the world who are praying with you and for you. I pray that Christ will give to you the ability to realize that your fellowship is in Him, and not in the physical number of people who are gathered in a physical room. By all means, we should take advantage of any opportunity to fellowship with others who are of the same mind and spirit, but when that is not physically possible, then this is as true today as it every was:

Mar 14:27 And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.

Mat 18:20 For where two or three [Christ and His christ] are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Stay in God’s Word. That Word is Christ, and He will never leave or forsake you:

Mat 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Your brother in Christ,
Mike