1 Corinthians 14:26

 

Each One Has

God Shining Upon His Word in Our Meetings   Reading: 1Cor.14:26 What then, brothers? Whenever you come together, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. Col.3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs... Of course, God will give us individual grace when we read the Bible. However, some portions of the Word cannot be opened up by one person alone. God gives light when we meet, when we assemble ourselves together. In such a meeting, some brothers may be led to open up a particular portion of the Word. There may not be any speaking concerning that particular portion of the Word, yet the fact that everyone is assembled together gives God the opportunity to shed His light. Many brothers and sisters can testify that they understand more of God's Word in the meeting than when they study it individually. Many times in the meeting, God opens up one portion of the word through another portion of the Word. As one person speaks on one passage, light shines on another passage. In this way more light is unveiled, and we receive grace in a corporate way. If we do not meet with others, the most we can have is individual grace; we will miss a great part of the corporate grace. God will only give us corporate grace in the meeting. If we do not meet with others, we will not receive this grace. This is why the Bible charges us not to abandon our assembling together. Prayer: Father God, I want Your living word to dwell richly in me.  Thank You for shedding light on Your word when Your children assemble together. I enjoy the individual grace, but I do not want to miss out on the corporate grace in the meetings.  Amen.

 

The Functioning of the Body Manifested through the Meeting

1Cor.14:26 What then, brothers? Whenever you come together, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. Col.3:16 ...teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs... 1Thes.5:11 Therefore comfort one another, and build up each one the other... Hebr.3:13 But exhort one another each day, as long as it is called "today"... The functioning of the Body is realized specifically through the meeting. The mutual help, mutual influence, and mutual care of the members (e.g., the eyes helping the legs, the ears helping the hands, the hands helping the mouth) are more clearly manifested in the meetings. Through the meeting, we receive many answers to prayer. We often receive no light individually. But when we come to the meeting, we find light. What we see individually through our own pursuit can never match what we see in the meetings. It is a spontaneous thing for God's children to function in mutuality when they come together. We do not know how this mutuality in the Body works in the meeting, but we know that this mutuality is a fact. When one brother stands up, others see the light. When another brother stands up, others feel the Lord's presence. One brother opens his mouth to pray and others touch God. Another brother speaks a few words and others feel the supply of life. This phenomenon cannot be explained by human words; it surpasses human explanation. Only when the Lord comes back will we really know how the Body of Christ functions in mutuality. Today we merely obey the Lord's ordination. Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for the marvelous mutuality that we experience in the Body when we meet together. Mere human friendship can never provide the care, help, and enlightening which come from the functioning of Your members. Amen.

 

A Proper Care for the Meetings

Reading: 1Corinthians 14:26, 29-33 26 What then, brothers?  Whenever you come together, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation.  Let all things be done for building up.  29 And as to prophets, two or three should speak, and the others discern.  30 But if something is revealed to another sitting by, the first should be silent.  31 For you can all prophesy one by one that all may learn and all may be encouraged.  32 And the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets;  33 For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. First Corinthians 14:26 tells us that the Holy Spirit guides us by means of what we have, while verses 27 to 33 tell us that the guidance of the Holy Spirit is also in accord with the circumstances. For instance, the evening meeting in the church ends at nine o'clock. The Holy Spirit will not guide you to stand up and give a long talk when it is nearly nine; He will make you realize that time is running out and that you should not call a long hymn or talk too much. While you supply the church with what you have, you must also learn the lesson that "the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets." If you have something, you can bring it to the meeting, but you must consider what others have. In the meeting there may be more than twenty brothers and each one may have a hymn; you also have a hymn. When you realize that two or three have called their hymns, you no longer need to call yours. There is no need for each of the twenty or more brothers to call a hymn; if this happens, the singing will go on until midnight. This is contrary to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Lord wants us to do all things becomingly and in order (1Cor.14:40). What we have qualifies us to supply others, while the circumstances teach us to be guided by the Spirit. In our meetings we should observe the principle of "two or three" (1Cor.14:29). The Spirit will not guide us to supply what we do not have, nor will He contradict the principle of "two or three." If we have something before the Lord, we can be guided to stand up and speak. However, if other brothers have received the same thing, we should hold our peace.

 

Building Up with What We "Have"

Reading: 1Cor 14:26 What then, brothers?  Whenever you come together, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation.  Let all things be done for building up.   Col 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to God. There are two difficulties in the church. First, those who do not "have" think that they "have". God has never said anything to him or worked in him.  He has nothing within him, yet he likes to talk, and he likes to express himself.  When this happens, the church is not built up. Second, some people are unwilling to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  The Lord may have spoken to a brother or a sister, yet he or she waits and holds back from speaking.  In this way the church is deprived of the supply it deserves. If you find that you are empty inside, you should keep silent. If you know that you "have" something, you should supply the church. The Holy Spirit dispenses life to the meeting through what you have, making it possible for God's children to touch life. God may put a word within you; the same word may be in you while you are at work and while you are walking on the street. You realize that God has spoken to you. You should also realize that this word is not for you alone but also for the church. When you "have" something, you should supply the church with what you have.   At the time the tabernacle was built in the Old Testament times, the people dedicated their gold and silver to God.  The same is true with us today.  We should give what we have. Some have a revelation, some have a teaching, and some have a hymn. Let everyone bring what he has. In our daily walk, we should have constant communion with God and look to Him for His work in us, so that we will "have" something and be able to supply the church with what we have.   We should remember that God guides us in the meeting according to what we already have - a hymn or a revelation. We must first have something that we can share with others.  Since we have learned and accumulated something during our daily walk, we can be guided in the meetings and render a supply to others.   What we give to the church should not be something that we come up with on the spur of the moment or something that is according to our own good idea but something we have in our daily life, that is, something God has given us during our daily life. If we supply the church with what we have, the church will be built up, and the brothers and sisters will receive help. If everyone supplies the church with what they have, the result will be living and rich.

 

.