As we stand on the threshold of a new year, we must, in short order, look at this year in retrospect; and offer thanks to our loving Savior for his salvation and his sustaining grace. It is also a good time to say thanks to our friends and supporters who constantly receive these writings. Your loving support is vital in keeping these truths on the front line of religious teachings. In our study of the Divine Order of the New Testament Church, we observe several points of interest that are relevant to our time and our day; in the light of what used to be, versus what we are faced with today. As we can discover by looking at church history, and the birth and growth of religious entities that are common to us today, their birth and early growth are usually different from what they came to be. Their growth down through centuries became affected by drastic changes: and in most cases, those changes carried the shades of backslidings. To read the statement of faith by the founders of many of these religions, is to discover how poignant were the original faith and even the doctrinal beliefs espoused by those founders. As time elapsed, seemingly, the steadfastness and purity of what the founders left in place, gradually lost its glitter, its potency, and its power to change lives in realistic and profound ways.

           If His glorious Church is to be seen on the earth, and if His original Divine Order is to be restored, it stands to reason that A VOICE, LIKE A TRUMPET must herald the true message of that which will bring God’s people UNTO PERFECTION—unto the full measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. Someone! A people! A group! Must once again begin to blow the trumpet in Zion—to sound the alarm in his holy hill. If Christ is coming to present to himself a glorious church without spot or wrinkle, there has to be a ministry (a trumpet) that will awaken the masses and stir God’s people out of their sleep, to gravitate to the high calling in Christ Jesus. We said in the previous letter, how Jesus began his earthly ministry; so, let us begin at that point in time, and note how his ministry impacted the religious field. Let us pay attention to the most crucial aspects in what we are about to read! “Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God. But John’s preaching and baptism were one that led to repentance—and pointing to the One that should come after him—and the One who would baptize not only with water, but also with the Holy Ghost and with fire. Jesus came preaching the kingdom of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent and believe the gospel” (of the kingdom.) Mark 1: 14, 15.

          We chose to repeat sentiments that we shared already, to remind ourselves and to apply even more emphasis on the subject that we are studying. It is important that we do not miss the matter of time; when Jesus appeared on the scene with his new gospel (of the kingdom of God). Jesus made his appearance only after John was put in prison, knowing full well that John’s ministry was over for he would not live long enough to get out of prison. But it was important for Christ to appear on the scene, only after the ministry of John came to its end. Let us connect the dots from the scriptures!  “Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses.” Romans 5: 14. We learn from Matthew 11: 13: But all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.” So, death reigned from Adam to John the Baptist. Jesus brought life, and that more abundantly. John 10: 10. He replaced death with life. See: 1^st Corinthians 15: 22. Every time he encountered death, he turned it back by banishing its hold upon the victim and erased its impact with the life he brought to creation at large. As John’s ministry drew to a close, it marked the end of the Old Testament rigors and administration of death. All things Old Testament came to an end when Jesus returned from the mount of temptation, as Luke recorded.

           “And Jesus returned in the Spirit into Galilee; and went out a fame of him through all the region round about. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.” Luke 4:14, 15. It was about this time that Jesus came preaching that the time was fulfilled. It is important for us to understand the ending of the old testament virtues that in all fairness was a ministration of death as expressed in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians –he reasoned the matter this way: “For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.” 2^nd Corinthians 3:9-11. But look at the downside that lingers on and on; in that which should be the vibrant and productive body of Christ: more often than not, it seems to produce a people who profess a form of godliness but denying the powers there of. We can add this exhortation from the Apostle Paul: “But even unto this day, when Moses (the law and the prophets) is read, the vail is still upon their heart. Nevertheless, when it (the heart) is turned unto the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.” 2^nd Corinthians 3: 15, 16.

           From time to time, in other writings, we have taken time to highlight the passage of time and its impact upon what is generally called the Church. We paid careful preponderance to the emergence of Martin Luther and his declaration that “the just shall live by faith.” We lingered long enough to see the birth and development of what became known as “The Reformation”; and after a while we saw the birth of “Protestantism” that ultimately became a huge umbrella under which large numbers of religious entities could hide or with which they became identified. This huge umbrella gave cover to many bearing the name of religion but offered the space and opportunity for each “entity” to be itself, what so ever that meant.

          Very little about the early Church and the dynamics that the early apostles brought to the fore, by the inspiration and power of the Holy Ghost, are being preached about and taught on a regular basis. It is not easy by any measure for man to step aside and give all power and authority back to the Holy Spirit as the sole leader and ruler of the church. Many have a heart to turn their ministry back to the control of the Holy Spirit. However, with so much at stake in personal gain and prestige, it becomes exceedingly painful, and even impossible for them to follow through and do the right thing. Instead of building the kingdom of God, one could justifiably suggest that many ministers are building their own kingdom, upon the goodness of the people. But we do not diminish or argue the blessings that God bestows upon his true ministers. This reminds me of the time I attended a house fellowship in a district just outside Baltimore, Maryland. I recall distinctly, that on Thursday morning while standing at the sink shaving, the Lord spoke to my heart saying: “The Levites of old had no inheritance among the people. They knew that I was their inheritance: but the Levites of today have made the people their inheritance instead of me.” So over the years, it has never entered my mind to make merchandise of God’s people, but as Jesus once said: “Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.” Matthew 20: 7.

           At this point in time, is it important for us to evaluate the importance of having in place the order that Christ did set in the church; and placed the Holy Ghost in the midst to empower, inspire, teach, rebuke, and set in order the divine principles that God requires of his body? Let us remember that Christ so loved the church, that he gave himself for it; “That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” Ephesians 5: 25-27. As we said in another place, much like politics (if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it) as long as the present system works for the well being of the ministry, no one will suggest or initiate any drastic changes.

           Many will see in scripture what the divine order of the church is, as set in place and ordered by Christ himself and is supposed to be; but contrary winds and the careful scheming of men will retard the progress that is intended by the Holy Spirit. Paul sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church to come to him. He warned them saying: “Take heed therefore unto your selves, and to all the flock, over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter among you, not sparing the flock. Also, of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.” Acts 20: 28-30. Putting more emphasis upon the need for the five ministerial gifts, and to highlight the need to have them actively working in the body of Christ, Paul explained that need in more detail. Why were the ministerial gifts given to the church in the first place? “For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. For how long? Till we ALL COME in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.” Ephesians 4: 12-14. One Sunday morning in the City of Baltimore, the late presiding bishop got up to preach the morning sermon. He began by saying: I would like to speak to you this morning from the 29^th chapter of the book of Acts. People all over the sanctuary turned their bibles back and forth, then looked at the podium seemingly, uncertain of what to expect. The bishop asked, what? Can’t you find it? Everyone said NO. He said, we are going to write it, because when Paul laid down his pen, he did not intend for it to be the end of the bible. In fact, Paul did not set out to write a bible: he simply wrote letters to the various churches that people collected and held together, mostly for safe keeping.

           Let us ask a question and try to give an honest answer. Have we all come in the unity of the faith? Have we managed to produce the perfect man? Are we not still like children, being tossed about with every wind of doctrine? Why does the church seem to be maturing so very slowly? What are the flaws and hindrances that seem to frustrate the healthy growth of the church? Unfortunately, the health and wellbeing of the church is assessed by various common denominators, mainly, by church membership and the gross monthly income. The question can be honestly asked: “What demonstrates the wellbeing of the church? Is it the size of the membership, or the quality? Jesus selected 12 men to serve as the main-stay of his ministry. At one time he sent out 70, and in the upper room prior to Pentecost, there were 120 souls waiting for the promise of the Father. But that handful of souls burst upon the scene and 3,000 souls came rushing into the kingdom of God. NO! It was not number, but quality that made the difference. Thank you Jesus!!

           I have heard it said from the pulpit that many are sent, and others simply went. The most important matter for us in this study, is to determine the whereabouts of the gifts that Christ gave to the church. We must believe that as far as Christ is concerned, the gifts were never withdrawn from the church, or suspended by the direct action of the Holy Ghost. I believe that the gifts are still operating in the church, possibly in small groups who will not betray the gifts that God imparted to them.oly Ghost. Holy Ghost In 1951 a group of men came to Kingston, Jamaica, with a ministry that was called “The Latter Rain” in which there was a demonstration of all nine gifts of the Spirit. All kinds of supernatural events occurred in the meetings, in something that was entirely new to us. The men that brought the ministry to the island had previously met at a hotel in Philadelphia.

          All ten men shut themselves away in fasting and prayer, determined that they would not leave that hotel room until there was a break through. One notable minister was Fred Pool, another was Thomas Wyatt, (his wife Evelyn Wyatt had a broadcast in the Los Angeles are called “The Wings of Healing”) and they all were immersed in the showers produced by the falling of latter rain. I got a hold of that experience in 1951, and it has never left me on dry land. I keep the truths that came back then, and it burns within like a lamp that keeps my spirit alive and well. As we look at church history, beginning with Martin Luther, and later the Reformation and the rise of Protestantism, bringing all of that forward to our day and time, it does not take us long to discover that what we are left with does not come close to the function of the Apostolic Church of the first century. I can remember that back in London, England in 1968, the Lord spoke to my heart saying: “The man that I will use today, must be able to  stand where he is, and reach over the top of everything, back to where the apostles left off in A.D. 33: For everything in between is a mixture; and there can be no mixture in my kingdom.” We repeat some of these statements from one letter to another to keep them fresh in our memory!

          The preaching of Paul was not meant to impress the educated and nobles in town. Sure, he was educated in so much, that he could have been the next ruler in Israel. He outlined God’s call to the ministry in the humblest of ways, not including seminarians and openly ordained men and women. He wrote saying: “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound things which are mighty. That no flesh should glory in his presence.” 1^st Corinthians 1:26, 27, 29. When did Paul graduate from college, and which seminary did he attend to obtain his degree? He said: “But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Galatians 1:11, 12.