PERSONAL and INDIVIDUAL

The conversion of an individual, his/her growth and progress in the knowledge of Christ, his/her work and service, worship of God and the Christ of Heaven are all personal and individual in nature. His/her responsibilities cannot be carried out by proxy, nor can anyone be a spectator on the sidelines. As a good soldier of Christ, he/she must be in the thick of the battle, fighting the good fight of faith. The service to the Lord is a 24-7-365 type of a commitment. No vacations, no retreat, no time off for good behavior, no earthly rewards, but the retirement is out of this world. Each body member must do his/her own share of bearing their own burden and carrying their own load!

The worker of the Lord needs no person or institution or organization or any religious machinery between him/her and the God of Heaven in order to carry out his/her responsibilities and mission. God has furnished us completely with everything necessary to accomplish His work. All children of God stand on equal footing with the Lord God.

I plan not to list all the responsibilities and deeds of kindness that I have found, because I feel sure my search through the scriptures has not been complete, but I have found 110 positive statements, that each of us has been assigned by God to do, that no one can do for me. I do have this list along with scripture citations if any one cares to see. When we as members of his organism, his body, carry out these duties and functions, we are doing the work of the "church". It's easy for us to forget that the "kingdom is within", being ruled in our hearts by Heavens' decree. Christ authorizes people, not organizations, to do His will. The "seed" is sown in the hearts of men and there, it is to germinate and bring forth fruit unto the Lords' harvest.

Here is a sample of the list of responsibilities laid upon each of us and we are urged to consider carefully as well as prayerfully:

    (1)  Seek first the Kingdom of God....

    (2)  Take up your cross and follow me....

    (3)  Go work in my vineyard....

    (4)  Let not sin reign in your mortal body....

    (5)  Love God and your fellow man, even your enemy....

    (6)  Abhor evil and cleave to that which is good....

    (7)  Avenge not, for God will repay....

    (8)  Examine self as you partake of the Lords' Supper....

    (9)  Sing and make melody unto the Lord....

  (10)  Give thanks always for all things....

  (11)  Walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit....

  (12)  Be doers of the Word and not hearers only....

  (13)  Contend earnestly for the Faith....

  (14)  Keep yourselves in the love of God....

  (15)  Pray without ceasing....

There are still 95 more that I could have listed, and you can probably think of even more than I. The body of Christ functions properly when each one of us is doing the Lords' will, whether we are separated from each other or working side by side. That God calls His people to come together from time to time, and all are encouraged to do that, no one can, or would deny; but that He calls us together to form some sort of organization or institution to be governed by other human beings is an assumption on our part and not of God!

Brethren something is wrong in the way we go about telling the world about Jesus. We are not getting the work done that our Lord wants. We are not growing, but the "ism's" of the world are gaining multitudes to their numbers daily. We are institutionalizing ourselves to death, starting with our Government and trickling down into our spiritual lives. Institutionalism occurs any and every time Christians allow an organization to do what they, as an individual should be doing. What ever name you call it by, we have become victims of our own folly. We are ensnared by our trappings..... A famous General out of our past once said, "I looked for the enemy, and I found him.... and he was us!"

I am afraid that's been our biggest problem.....US, US AND MORE US!

Yours for Truth and Freedom.....Horace Hooper