Many of you, no doubt, are in the fellowship of assemblies of the Lord’s people gathered out of mere human organizations to the name of Christ alone. Others may be exercised as to these organizations, and desire to know God’s mind as to where they should be.
    First, we are not to view it according to our own ideas, or expediency. We must get God’s viewpoint, His thoughts as to the gathering of His people, and, in obedience and faith, take our stand upon it, even though what represents it in days of ruin like the present be subject to men’s derision, and sometimes of open attack. Shall we shun a little reproach for the truth’s sake?
    The religious natural man wants numbers, a ritual, a display _ what pleases the eye, and gratifies the flesh with a religious cloak cast over it, because he loves the things of the world.
    Nearly 100 years ago God, through faithful men, restored a knowledge of the truth as to these things _ truth buried as it were under much rubbish since shortly after apostolic days _ truth which the great reformation of Luther’s time did not bring out. It is that body of truth then given back to God’s people that should be our chief concern to treasure in our hearts, and to "hold fast" as a sacred trust. It is truth bought at a goodly price in those early days referred to, and must not be cheaply sold by us. Let us hold fast this "crown" that no one rob us of it.
    The testimony of God is the matter in question, though it be with but the two or three, compared to the multitude which follows the principles of "man’s day." Should we expect it otherwise in such a world? Does inspired history show it to have been different at any time during man’s course? Consider the days of Seth, of Noah, of Abram, of the Judges, of Elijah, of Ezra and Nehemiah, of Malachi, of John the Baptist, of Revelation, and now our own. All give one consistent witness.
    Let us ask ourselves, Have we understood and rightly valued this testimony, this truth, in identification with which we profess to stand, in which some of us have "grown up," as we say? Are we in any danger, we who are younger, of thinking we have "outgrown" the "old paths" and must seek new ones more in accord with the spirit of the times? Beware, dear young reader! It is the spirit of lawlessness, and to go against its rapidly increasing current means something, and will mean more, if the Lord tarries. The call is to endure hardness as good soldiers of Jesus Christ, not to seek the soft and easy path; faithfulness to our Lord forbids it.
    But what is this testimony, this heritage of truth, which our predecessors have left to us? They began by owning the complete ruin of the Church as set up in this world. Let it be considered as to its organization, government, fellowship, or doctrine, grievous departure from Scripture marks it as a whole. The Reformation only changed this in measure as to doctrine _ not as to God’s thoughts concerning the church. Now this needs to be owned and confessed in the spirit of Daniel and of Nehemiah, as much today as ever before, even by us who form part of the professing Church; and to this we must add the sad fact that the condition is worse than 100 years ago, because of the great inroads of evil teaching and worldly practice. A true confession of all this will go far to strengthen us in the place of separation from the confusion, as to which our assembly position witnesses.
    What is that place of separation? _ for this is of chief importance. It is obedience to the directions God has given in His word for His people.
    1. We should own no name but that of Christ (1 Cor. 1:12,13); we gather to Him alone. We are to refuse membership in any organization of human devising, because Scripture speaks of one only membership in that body of which Christ is the Head (1 Cor. 12:13), which is the true and only Church.
    2. We should recognize that the Lord’s supper is the feast we are to keep holy in character and associations; where the Lord by His word is to rule, therefore separate from what refuses His order, denies the truth, or would link us with such things.
    3. We should recognize the presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit, refuse man-made authority over God’s people, refuse human ordination to office and ministry. By acknowledging these things, we do so in separation from what denies them, and in the simplicity of apostolic days exemplified in the Acts, and taught in the Epistles.
    4. We should recognize that these assemblies are of believers only, gathered to the Lord as our Head and gathering Center, and in obedience to the truths above mentioned, which in practice we are responsible to exhibit amid the general departure and ruin _ not with pretension of being "the people," but in humility and confession of our weakness.
    Such assemblies have the responsibility and authority to act for the Lord within the limits of His word, God’s House is holy, and His people are responsible to maintain God’s holy character in His House _ not that they embrace all in that House, but because they are to represent Him according to their responsibility.
    As to service, we are to engage in it according to the ability which the Lord gives. Gift of whatever kind, is not to make us independent of the assembly, but rather in communion with it, as fellow-members with one another, "endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace;" not occupied with, not thinking of our own gifts and service, but rather with that of others.
    There are valuable books and pamphlets which treat of these things, and we would urge their reading. They are not "out of date," but a God-given ministry for us in these closing days.         Help and Food