Page 130 - The Christian Life and the Church Life_Government of God

The Recovery of the Church as the Israel of God 129

very serious stuff we are talking about. Brother Lee again and again and
again ministered on this. One day, maybe six or seven of us, who were his
co-workers, were having fellowship at his request in his library. He gave us
a charge, not advice, but a charge. He said, “Concerning the truth, you need
to just dive into this your whole life. Then you need to experience this truth.”
Then he said this, “You must be an overcomer, keeping every principle of the
Body.” And I absorbed that. I remember walking and talking with the Lord
after that, of course fully agreeing with Brother Lee, but I told the Lord, “I
do not think I know all the principles of the Body. I want to follow this word
and obey this word, but Lord I need to learn, I need to know, then I need to
learn to keep.”
I mention again the matter of the church, the ministry, and the work. All
three are governed by the principle of the Body. If anyone in the church or
in the ministry or in the work violates principles of the Body, the Body will
sense this. Those in the church who know the Body will sense it; those in the
work or in the ministry, will sense the same. All three – the church, the work,
and the ministry, are inseparable, but they are distinct. To my knowledge, and
to my memory, in our history (I do not claim it is infallible and complete), I
do not recall major problems caused by a church overstepping and trying to
direct the ministry on what should be ministered; or a church trying to govern
the work in their country. But, for some reason, again and again, those who
are workers, whether “co-” or not, they are the ones, I will be frank, that the
enemy uses to bring in darkness, death, division, and chaos among us. So I
bear responsibility, first to the Lord, whose slave I am. I must be faithful to
speak forth according to the sense of the anointing within me. Brothers, when
I sit down on that chair, I will be able to say to the Lord and to myself what I
now say to you, “I am innocent of your blood. I have been faithful to the Lord
and honest to you.” I would not take much more time, but I will take the time
I need to address this matter again.
A number of times I have been asked by those serving with the young
people in the church in Anaheim if I would come to a Saturday night meeting
and share something with the young people. Then the serving ones, with the
young people in Anaheim, contacted some churches and said, “We invite you
to bring your young people to this meeting.” No one had the feeling, “Oh, we
have to get the permission of the workers. One church does something with