InDepth Studies With Mamma Lori
Lesson One
Part One
Y THINGS THEN
SEEMED SO SIMPLE
Y As we read the New Testament,
'things then seemed so simple.' The Holy Spirit led the leaders and the small fellowships.The Spirit was active
in the apostles, prophets and their disciples ...as He was in Christ. Today there are vast, competing, religious
organizations. Powerful movements, getting a foothold in the political and social arena. What has happened to
the simplicity of the 'Infant Church' and the leadership of the blessed Holy Spirit? Some have turned aside
from current organizational 'Christianity,' their doctrines, and it's political correctiveness and have determined
to go back to the Scriptures as a guide.
To whom were the early churches devoted to? It was not to an organization, not holding membership in a
certain local church, but their devotion and obedience was to the Lord Jesus. Their whole life centered in Him,
body, soul and spirit. Their loyalty was called 'fanatical!' They did not count their lives dear unto themselves.
They heard the call of the Shepherd! He called them by name; and because they followed Him, the Father
honored them as He did His only begotten Son. "And where I am, there will My servant be also," the Father
will honor your words as He did His Son, Jesus. This is His meaning, but the condition is we must serve Him in
truth and honesty. Then, "God will work with us."
Y John 12:26
After the day of Pentacost, new disciples drank of the same Holy Spirit. They preached, baptized, gathered,
worked miracles and defied in His Name. They kept the "Name" HOLY! They suffered willingly for His
Name. The world named His followers after His Name ... "they were first called Christians at Antioch."
Y Acts 4:12, 18; 10:48; Mt 18:20; Acts 3:6; 5:41: 11:26.
Please note: God did not call them 'Christains' . . . He called them Sons & Daughters. The apostles addressed
themseves as 'saints' and 'believers' and
'brothers' and 'sisters.' We in todays generation need to catch this same 'Anointed One's Name' . . . CHRIST,
and turn away from all ecclesiastical brand names and carry the reality of His Name before the world
enforcing His Word by it, "And whatsoever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus . . .
Y Col 3:17. And, "As you have received Christ, so walk ye in Him." O the simplicity of our Lord!
Y THEN THEY WERE
SUBMITTED TO THE WORD
Y The Old Testament already existed and as the New Testament began to be written; the Lord gave evidence
to His Word through the hands of the apostles, prophets and the disciples with the anointing Spirit. The Old
and the New Covenants carried 'authority.' Each local church contained within itself a "School of Ministry" so
to speak. The Apostles emphasized teaching of the early converts. They made the teachings of Jesus very
clear, they labored night and day stressing the importance of ALL the
Y 2
important points of Christ's teaching. They were fulfilling His command, "teaching them to observe ALL
things whatsoever I have commanded you." Lives which had been lived independently of God were now to be
brought into the image and glory of the Son by the teaching of the 'inspirited' Word. They could be
"transformed by allowing the Spirit to renew the spirit of their mind." The Spirit gave revelation and spoke
directly to leadership. The apostles and prophets, who are the mouths of God, heard His voice! Nothing has
changed! The teaching must be the same today . . . emphatically so! More is revealed to us now!
Y 2 Pet 3:15, 16; Acts 2:42; Mt 28:20; Ro 6:17.
The most prominent, most notable activity in the early church in its meetings was 'teaching' and 'revelation
knowledge.' You see, without 'teaching' the saints could not be equipped for the work of Christ's extended
Ministry. The Word must shed its light on 'every' aspect of life. Those who walked in darkness must now walk
in His light. The Lord gave 'gifts' to the church, these 'gifts' were 'men' and are; apostles, prophets,
evangelists, pastors [shepherd-teachers] and teachers. Every moment of each individual life must be
according to the Spirit of the Word. There was no recourse to a higher authority. This is our blueprint today.
"If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto
you are the commandments of the Lord," said Paul.
Those today who would follow the pattern of the infant church must be able to understand the unchanging
authority of God's Word for all matters of faith and conduct. "Every idle word," said Jesus,
"man will give an account of."Are our words productive? Do they give truth and grace to the hearer? We need
to get 'butt,' 'that sucks,' out of our vocabulary... we have learned that expression from the world. Because we
do not conduct our every day lives, in our home and at our work place, according to His Word, God's promised
blessings are held back, whither it be material or spiritual, until we come into obedience. Our prayers are
hindered and many times the answer is a big silence . . . for disobeying. The Word is, "if I regard iniquity in
my heart the Lord will not hear me," says the Psalmist. Suffering is seen to have value in the person(s) who
are being disciplined. We learn discipleship through the things that we suffer when we "do our own thing,"
when we fail to correct ourself!
Y Acts 2:42; 1 John 1:6, 7; 1 Co 14:37; Ps 66:18.
Y EARLY CHURCHES
WERE LIKE FAMILIES
Y Families of God's people. Some were young in the faith and others more mature in their knowledge of the
Lord and His Word.
In every family there MUST BE LEADERSHIP and this is true in the local church. In todays home the man is
usually not the priest of his home. He does not take the God given authority to protect his castle nor consult
the Father regarding his destiny and that of his family. Many days of loafing are in the spirits of God's sons
and daughters. In God's order a woman looks up with honor and respect to the man who takes his place as a
true image of exactly what the Lord created him to be and will call him lord. A wife is to be a help-mate just as
the Bride of Christ is to be a help-mate to Him and call Him LORD! We must begin to realize each one of us,
man or woman, will give an account of our priest-
hood. In these last days the angel of God is told to measure the Altar and those who worship there. After a
church had been formed and had been meeting for some time
Y 3
missionaries returned and pointed out those who were qualified for leadership.
Later the qualification for such leadership were spelled out in detail for succeeding generations to follow. To
be a leader one must have a good knowledge of the Scriptures, be morally above reproach. If unbelievers
departed from the home ... so be it, because the Lord commanded a Godly, orderly home!
These leaders were called elders or overseers, they were the shepherds of the 'flock.' Theirs was a heavy
responsibility, one day they must give an account for the progress of the work left in their hands. Woe it would
be if they or we are building with wood, hay or straw instead of gems, silver or gold; when the day that dawns
in fire declares what kind of material is being used! We must teach the truth of God's word ... both possitive
and negative! What we sow we will reap! God is not mocked! If it is to our flesh ... don't think you can confess
your way out of it by SOOTHSAYING IT! In every local church there was a group of men who served in this
responsibility, never only one, who was the elder or pastor/shepherd. The early missionaries left each church
in the charge of such overseers. There was no higher authority, no federation of churches, no bishop over a
diocese or superintendent over an area. It was delightfully simple. The Holy Spirit led, made known His will
and the saints were left in the hands of local, spiritual men, who had authority and could best make decisions in
the power of the Spirit governing the work under their care. But big cathedrals and the like squeezed out the
leadership of the Holy Spirit in the early Church. Now the Lord is putting His 'house' in order before He
returns. There is a 'government' of God, dear saints. We need the discipline of holiness if we are to see the
canopy of the glory of God with our own eyes!
Y 1 John2:13,14: Acts 14:21-23: Titus 1:5-9; 1 Tim3:1-7;
Heb 13:17; Prov 11:14.
Y THE HOLY SPIRIT'S
"LIBERTY"
Y God is sovereign in His dealings with man. We are commanded to be yielded to Him, to be a 'habitation,' a
'dwelling,' for Him to walk, move out from the Source where He has His home in us. "I will dwell in them and I
will walk in them." Through us then, the Holy Spirit is able to do the works of our Lord. We are able to
manifest the very nature and character of Christ, displaying the holiness of God and that Jesus is indeed the
same yesterday, today and forever!
We must be the reality of Him, being His body, we are not theory! This is what the True Apostolic Ministry
teaches us, if we will let it, then we can be the fulfilllment of John 14:12. "Greater works will you do than
these" ... this is a work of declaring ... if you understand what Jesus is referring to in it's context. A ministry
of perfection in faith and holiness in His Name is being restored to the church which will prepare her for the
Bridegroom.
The apostles believed Jesus would raise up spiritual gifts among them for the growth of the believers. Each
believer was taught that he/she was needed and had a function to fulfil in the local body. Each realized that
he/she was 'now the temple of the Holy Spirit, and that God lived in him by the Spirit and was to be expressed
IN him/her.'
Y Eph 4:11; 1 Co 12:4-7; 12:12; 6:19.
These early churches encourged the development/growth of each person's
gift(s). Most of their meetings were informal with various ones taking part, with no
Y 4
privileged class. They were free to pray publicly and leadership was strong, yet humble. The saints were
taught to look for those who were 'false wolves' in sheep's clothing and not to follow them [today we have
sheep in wolves clothing trying to win the lost].We see that the believers were
encouraged to be heard and to use their voice. No wonder Paul could speak of the church as a body, with each
member contributing his or her part ...but not
only in their services (in order) but in every aspect of life wherever the Spirit moved them to go, including in
their work place. They were to be led by the Spirit, they were the sons of God! This was the New Covenant
which Jesus bought with His own Blood. Now each member in the body of Christ had within him or herself the
Holy Spirit of God, Deity! "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty, or release;" the Spirit is free to
manifest His glory through whomsoever is truly walking with Him, obedient to His voice! We must understand
that He wants to speak, heal and show mercy in every place where we are sitting or standing! Wherever we
are ... we have the Hand of God, that is, the Kingdom is present ... hopefully we are living in the Spirit in order
that He may freely move. This is the scripture meaning, "Wherever I am, there will My servant be also ... and
My Father will honor him, as He honors the Son." You know money gives people confidence. But that is not
what gave our Lord Jesus confidence. His confidence came from His position of KNOWING and walking and
talking with God the Father. Selah!
Y 1 Tim 2:8; 1 Co 14:34; 14:26, 31; Eph 4:11-16; John 12:26.
Y The Church today has tried to fulfill the great commission by using the 'worlds' natural gifts and man-made
methods. She has failed to operate according to God's plan and purpose ... her's is based upon man's natural
abilities and programs. Our own ability and understanding is limited! What is God to do?
God must, by the Spirit, bring back the appointed 'offices' He first established in the Body of Christ and bring
us up to the full measure or stature of Christ ... so that His body is operating in power and authority,
each member accepting his or her individual place and responsibility in Christ's ministry.
Y Everything is being shaken in todays world. The LORD is shaking the Church!
God is purging us and making us repent and change our ugly ways ... or else. He is bringing His house to order
in the midst of perilous times. We are seeing only the tip of the iceberg in this last shaking. God/Yahweh
will have a building, a holy temple, without blemish, where He dwells in His glory and out of us displays the
holiness of His Name.
Y Lev 23:12 without blemish, Strong's #8549 :
Unblemished, perfect, complete, full, upright,
sincere, spotless, whole, healthy, blameless. This word first appears in Gen 6:9: Noah was 'perfect' in his
generations. In Gen 17:1, God tells Abram to 'walk' before Him and be 'blameless.' Enoch 'walked' with God.
Tamim is also used to discribe animals fit for sacrifice, without blemish. The root verb tamam means "to
finish, use up, accomplish, be spent, be completed." The dominant thought in all 90 references of tamim is of
someone or something complete, unblemished.
Y This is what our Leadership has been teaching us
in Tabernacles. The Feast of Trumpets, The Day of Atonement and Tabernacles proper. We must keep the
Feast without blemish. Our next Lesson: How God Plans For Us To Grow Into The Fullness of Christ.
We do need each other! See you on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights.
Y May the LORD bless and keep you,
May His face shine upon you,
May His angels walk with you
as He has promised and
May He give you peace!
Y SheepShed
Sent
Y
SheepShed
"From Infancy to Full Stature"
Lesson One
Part Two
Y God Plans For Us To
Grow Into The
Fullness of Christ
Y Grains and fruits are harvested when they have ripened. They cannot grow and fully develope without water
and cultiva- tion. No water, no growth! The world in todays method of harvesting is to cut and pick the harvest
before it has fully ripened and then mature it artificially. This is how the Church has altered God's plan for
developing His Body. The Church uses artifical, counterfiet rain and hardly any pruning or cultivating at all to
bring the saints from the cradle, then childhood, and on into the full stature of Christ Jesus Himself! People
are the fruit of the harvest, whether God's or Satan's and the final reapers are God's angels.
The Body of Christ is not an infant church any longer, eventhough many of her members are. Of all things we
need to be petioning for is as God has told us, "ask for the rain in the time of latter rain. He will make
lightining flash, flashing clouds; He will give showers of rain ..." We cannot grow without rain! Hosea gives a
call to repentance in order for Him to come.
"Let us know,
Let us pursue the knowledge
of the Lord.
His going forth is established
as the morning;
He will come to us,
like the rain,
Like the latter and former rain
to the earth."
"Sow for yourselves [you sow]
righteousness;
Reap in mercy;
Break up the 'fallow ground,'
For it is time to seek the Lord,
Till He comes and rains
righteousness on you."
Saints, we are the land that is in need!
We must have this Rain of the Holy Spirit
on our land, our land must soak in it! The Lord wants a well watered garden, a flowing spring, whose waters
never run dry! It is a commandment, not a suggestion! Our land is cracked and dry! The Church is in denial
regarding her condition of repentance.
Y Zech 10:3; Hosea 6:3; 10:12; Isa 58:1-12, conditional.
The Lord told me 'we, His people, would
literally fulfil the Feast of Tabernacles as will Israel natural.' When our pastor, apostle David, said, "we have
not been this way before," the Lord later said to me, "neither has natural Israel!" The Lord revealed that
Israel had to be back in their own land for Him literally to fulfil this last Fall Feast.
I realize there may be some who do not
believe this any longer ... but this is Liberal Theology and the teaching comes from False Prophets. It is much
later than we think! Saints, we know that all God's people are Zion! The trumpet/shofar is to be blown "IN
ZION! And sound an 'alarm' in My holy mountain!" We are Zion and we are His nation [mountain], the
trumpets are to warn
Y 6
and prepare us for the approaching 'day of the Lord' which is completed in the mo'ed [set or appointed time] of
the Feast of Tabernacles. The shofar trumpets blew every day in the month of Elul before Tishri, October, the
beginning of the Feast of Trumpets.This would be the 'dawning of the Day of the Lord.'
Y Within the Church today there is great emphasis upon Church growth. Leadership is preoccupied with the
goal of filling their buildings with people. Many are more concerned with numbers than spiritual growth of their
flock. We need to grow ... because the Kingdom of God has the ability to multiply. But the fact is, we have far
too many motivational preachers, sucking babies and soft food eaters who are up one day and down the next!
God is not impressed with our large attendance if they are still nursing the bottle after several years of
feeding; and constantly in need of attention and diaper changing. God's plan is to bring each member of His
body to completion, which will be accomplished in the Day of Atonement. The 'offices' of the five-fold ministry
will continue, "Til we all come to 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 fullness of Christ." But Jesus tells us that many will fall away
during the 'days of Noah and Lot,' and we are to be alert and watchful!
Y Eph 1:22,23:4:13; 2:19; 4:6-16; Mt 24:37 seq.
Y We must get rid of every sin and weight that hinders our growth and our obtaining full measure of His Spirit
in Glory. Because His body is the fullness of Him, Who fills everything everywhere with Himself [eventually].
His body is the Fathers fixed abode-abiding home! We, precious Saints, limit God from fulfilling, in His
inheritance, what He has in mind. We use our carnal mind which cannot receive His 'revelation!' The cares of
this world and the deception of riches chokes the word in our land and it brings no fruit to completion. Soon our
land is good for nothing, it produces only flesh, it drys up and no fresh water runs through it!
Y Christ's Image will grow as each individual member fulfills his or her own function within the Church. Each
singular person must be responsible for his or her own proper place of service. God has restored His
foundational 'offices' to His Body after many years of absence. Some have beaten this doctrine to death! And,
yes, there are some self-proclaimed apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers who are trying to fill
those positions within the Church who have not been called and anointed by the Father for this work. However,
many have been truly called and anointed. They are paying a high price for such ministries before Father God
... no matter what it costs! Christ is the head, and they are not looking to the arm of flesh nor depending on
man. They are teaching the "flock to do the same." They and we must be examples of our Great Chief
Shepherd's lifestyle and character.
Y Even our leaders can't live the overcoming life for us. Each one MUST sit at the feet of Jesus for himself
and hear what the Spirit is saying! The apostle John said, "the Anointing He gave us teaches us all things! and
remains in you." And, "This is the proof that we are in God, whoever claims that he remains in Christ must
act as He acted."
Y 1 John 2:1-6; 2:27-28.
Our true Leaders are struggling to present us
Y 7
as chaste virgins before Christ, and bring us to a position of knowing Him and experience His resurrection
power. But we must let them and help them to bring us to His full- ness, even "above what we could ask or
think." If we are rebellious and resist their efforts then God Himself will deal with us! Paul said, "some plant,
some water what is planted 'but God gives the increase.' " God will give the increase because of what He sees
in secret! ... "he who has will be given more!" The only way God's anointed ones can accomplish their
ministry is by the supernatural power of God at work in them. By no other means can this be done. Good
Leadership will loose the flock to minister within & without the church. It is Gods order for them AND for
each individual child of God because, "We carry this Treasure in earthen vessels that the ability may be of
Him and not of ourselves," wrote Paul. Gods all time plan has been for His people to live by their 'own
inheritant power' just as Jesus did, who is our example. The time is upon us when we must come face to face
with this reality; the New World Order's eyes are gazing straight into our faces, and we
CAN'T SEE IT!
Y Our final lesson of "The Infant Church" will present to us the Manifesto, which our apostle David spoke of
several Sundays ago. You see, Leadership is trying to equip us for this War that is manifesting now:
We are back to Babel, "And nothing which the 'world' purposes to do will be impossible for them, they all have
one language [in modern technology & English],"
they are unified against the Lamb and His followers. However, all truth is parallel ... Nothing which the Lamb
& His followers purposes to do will be impossible for them! We have His word for it, and the sword of the
Spirit to enforce His purposes! It is the Right Arm of God outstretched, and the angels are performing His
commands spoken through His witnesses as in the 'day of Pharoah' "LET MY PEOPLE GO!" It will be the
final Weapon we will use against Principalities and Powers who say,
"Hath God Said?"
Y Therefore, the ability to live and reveal the Son, Jesus the Christ, is within us, "He is the Treasure and the
Ability that may be of Him and not of ourselves!" Our Jewish Jesus in the flesh was yielded to the Ability
which was in Him ... who was God the Father. He was His God and His Father. Jesus said, "I can do
NOTHING of Myself, it is the Father within Me He does the works." "What I hear and see, that is what I do
and say." How was the Father in Him and yet in Heaven? The Father was in Him BY THE GLORIOUS,
HOLY SPIRIT ... Who was the TREASURE He carried everywhere He went within His 'earthen vessel!' No
other way will we come to the full measure of His stature without our obedience to this Glorious Treasure
within us ... He does the works and we live the life, we do the carrying! He yearns to be released through our
clay pots. But He will not honor anyone through vain living and proclaiming false doctrine thereby profaning
the Name by which we use to work the works of God. He will confirm His own word, however. We must stop
glamorizing christanity!
Y 80% of our Lord's ministry was working miracles. We chant His Name without respect. The Name has
become a by-word attatched to words which we speak having no sincere faith whatsoever in them; sounds
flowing out of mechcanical hearts is the trend just now. Some ministers have become sounding brass and
clanging cymbals as well as singers, there is no evidence of Christ's sacrifical love flowing out of our spirits
anymore! Why? Because we are not living a sacrificial life; and, the increase of 'evil' makes for weariness
then our love grows
Y 8
cold. There are times we can hardly hold ourselves up, much less others. People have stopped carrying their
own burdens and live off of others, calling it faith! Lord Jesus, send a deluge of Rain upon us! WE NEED
CONVICTION AND THE TRUTH OF THE WORD!
Y THE EARTHLY
&
HEAVENLY MATERIALLITY
Y One of the most difficult things to make us understand is that the Spirit of God is a tangible substance; it is
the essence of Gods own substance! We are composed of water and earth. Water is a composition of gases.
But the composition of the personality of God has a personality and a being and is a substance different from
mans.The bodies of angels are of some substance ... not like our own, thank God. Theirs is of the Heavenly
Kingdom's material. Flesh and blood cannot inherit God's Kingdom ... that is why we have His Spirit. The
spirit of man must contact and know the real Spirit of God.
We do not know God with our flesh, with our hands or our brains. We know Him with our spirit and He
releases Himself through our flesh. What our spirit attains to in the knowledge of God is conveyed to us
through the medium of our mind and it effects our body. *
Y THE RADIATING GLORY OF
TRANSFIGURATATION
Y It's True! The tremendous capacity of the human being to receive God is demonstrated by some of the
incidents in the
word of God. The most remarkable in the Scriptures is the transformation of Jesus Himself ... yet in His flesh,
when the Spirit of God pierced the veil of His flesh and radiated from His being until His clothes were effected
becoming white and glistening, and His face shown as the sun.* It is a preliminary glimpse of when
"The Morning Star arises in our hearts at the dawning of the Day-of-the-Lord," said Peter.
Y The human being is the most wonderful and marvelous instrument of all the creation
of God in its capacity to receive and reveal God. Paul received so much of God into his being that
handerchiefs and aprons became impregnated with the living Spirit. In fact, 'any material substance' can
become impregnated with the same living Spirit of God! Jesus Himself was a 'manifestation' of the radiating
glory ... it flowed into His garments.The faith of one poor woman moved it to flow into her plauged body by
thought and touch! God wants us to transmit this life giving stream of Himself to others.*
Y However, the Word to us is: we must learn how to receive His fullness and reveal God the Father in the Son.
By that I mean: we are the Son, in as much as, we are the many members within His body, which makes up the
One New Man, the One New Race of People.
Y How are we to get this needed Rain to keep the River of Life flowing? Seek His Face, Dearest Beloved,
and ask and keep on insisting and asking until the Rains come!
Y * by John G. Lake
Y The Infant Church was established with Christ as the Head, then the Apostle, Prophet. Evangelist,
Pastor/Shepherd and Teacher. Now and for many years, the Church operates with Christ (? sometimes),
Pastor/Teacher and Evangelist. But the Lord is restoring all of His 'offices' and 'functioning gifts' back to His
Body. We must receive hidden revelation and walk according to the structure God has ordained for the
Church ... our minds need to be 'rewired!' We must press forward to the perfection that is ours in Jesus Christ
and lift up Christ crucified, risen again, and stop proclaiming the Gospel of the Church!
Y May His face shine abundantly upon you!
Y SheepShed
Sent
Part One
Y THINGS THEN
SEEMED SO SIMPLE
Y As we read the New Testament,
'things then seemed so simple.' The Holy Spirit led the leaders and the small fellowships.The Spirit was active
in the apostles, prophets and their disciples ...as He was in Christ. Today there are vast, competing, religious
organizations. Powerful movements, getting a foothold in the political and social arena. What has happened to
the simplicity of the 'Infant Church' and the leadership of the blessed Holy Spirit? Some have turned aside
from current organizational 'Christianity,' their doctrines, and it's political correctiveness and have determined
to go back to the Scriptures as a guide.
To whom were the early churches devoted to? It was not to an organization, not holding membership in a
certain local church, but their devotion and obedience was to the Lord Jesus. Their whole life centered in Him,
body, soul and spirit. Their loyalty was called 'fanatical!' They did not count their lives dear unto themselves.
They heard the call of the Shepherd! He called them by name; and because they followed Him, the Father
honored them as He did His only begotten Son. "And where I am, there will My servant be also," the Father
will honor your words as He did His Son, Jesus. This is His meaning, but the condition is we must serve Him in
truth and honesty. Then, "God will work with us."
Y John 12:26
After the day of Pentacost, new disciples drank of the same Holy Spirit. They preached, baptized, gathered,
worked miracles and defied in His Name. They kept the "Name" HOLY! They suffered willingly for His
Name. The world named His followers after His Name ... "they were first called Christians at Antioch."
Y Acts 4:12, 18; 10:48; Mt 18:20; Acts 3:6; 5:41: 11:26.
Please note: God did not call them 'Christains' . . . He called them Sons & Daughters. The apostles addressed
themseves as 'saints' and 'believers' and
'brothers' and 'sisters.' We in todays generation need to catch this same 'Anointed One's Name' . . . CHRIST,
and turn away from all ecclesiastical brand names and carry the reality of His Name before the world
enforcing His Word by it, "And whatsoever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus . . .
Y Col 3:17. And, "As you have received Christ, so walk ye in Him." O the simplicity of our Lord!
Y THEN THEY WERE
SUBMITTED TO THE WORD
Y The Old Testament already existed and as the New Testament began to be written; the Lord gave evidence
to His Word through the hands of the apostles, prophets and the disciples with the anointing Spirit. The Old
and the New Covenants carried 'authority.' Each local church contained within itself a "School of Ministry" so
to speak. The Apostles emphasized teaching of the early converts. They made the teachings of Jesus very
clear, they labored night and day stressing the importance of ALL the
Y 2
important points of Christ's teaching. They were fulfilling His command, "teaching them to observe ALL
things whatsoever I have commanded you." Lives which had been lived independently of God were now to be
brought into the image and glory of the Son by the teaching of the 'inspirited' Word. They could be
"transformed by allowing the Spirit to renew the spirit of their mind." The Spirit gave revelation and spoke
directly to leadership. The apostles and prophets, who are the mouths of God, heard His voice! Nothing has
changed! The teaching must be the same today . . . emphatically so! More is revealed to us now!
Y 2 Pet 3:15, 16; Acts 2:42; Mt 28:20; Ro 6:17.
The most prominent, most notable activity in the early church in its meetings was 'teaching' and 'revelation
knowledge.' You see, without 'teaching' the saints could not be equipped for the work of Christ's extended
Ministry. The Word must shed its light on 'every' aspect of life. Those who walked in darkness must now walk
in His light. The Lord gave 'gifts' to the church, these 'gifts' were 'men' and are; apostles, prophets,
evangelists, pastors [shepherd-teachers] and teachers. Every moment of each individual life must be
according to the Spirit of the Word. There was no recourse to a higher authority. This is our blueprint today.
"If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto
you are the commandments of the Lord," said Paul.
Those today who would follow the pattern of the infant church must be able to understand the unchanging
authority of God's Word for all matters of faith and conduct. "Every idle word," said Jesus,
"man will give an account of."Are our words productive? Do they give truth and grace to the hearer? We need
to get 'butt,' 'that sucks,' out of our vocabulary... we have learned that expression from the world. Because we
do not conduct our every day lives, in our home and at our work place, according to His Word, God's promised
blessings are held back, whither it be material or spiritual, until we come into obedience. Our prayers are
hindered and many times the answer is a big silence . . . for disobeying. The Word is, "if I regard iniquity in
my heart the Lord will not hear me," says the Psalmist. Suffering is seen to have value in the person(s) who
are being disciplined. We learn discipleship through the things that we suffer when we "do our own thing,"
when we fail to correct ourself!
Y Acts 2:42; 1 John 1:6, 7; 1 Co 14:37; Ps 66:18.
Y EARLY CHURCHES
WERE LIKE FAMILIES
Y Families of God's people. Some were young in the faith and others more mature in their knowledge of the
Lord and His Word.
In every family there MUST BE LEADERSHIP and this is true in the local church. In todays home the man is
usually not the priest of his home. He does not take the God given authority to protect his castle nor consult
the Father regarding his destiny and that of his family. Many days of loafing are in the spirits of God's sons
and daughters. In God's order a woman looks up with honor and respect to the man who takes his place as a
true image of exactly what the Lord created him to be and will call him lord. A wife is to be a help-mate just as
the Bride of Christ is to be a help-mate to Him and call Him LORD! We must begin to realize each one of us,
man or woman, will give an account of our priest-
hood. In these last days the angel of God is told to measure the Altar and those who worship there. After a
church had been formed and had been meeting for some time
Y 3
missionaries returned and pointed out those who were qualified for leadership.
Later the qualification for such leadership were spelled out in detail for succeeding generations to follow. To
be a leader one must have a good knowledge of the Scriptures, be morally above reproach. If unbelievers
departed from the home ... so be it, because the Lord commanded a Godly, orderly home!
These leaders were called elders or overseers, they were the shepherds of the 'flock.' Theirs was a heavy
responsibility, one day they must give an account for the progress of the work left in their hands. Woe it would
be if they or we are building with wood, hay or straw instead of gems, silver or gold; when the day that dawns
in fire declares what kind of material is being used! We must teach the truth of God's word ... both possitive
and negative! What we sow we will reap! God is not mocked! If it is to our flesh ... don't think you can confess
your way out of it by SOOTHSAYING IT! In every local church there was a group of men who served in this
responsibility, never only one, who was the elder or pastor/shepherd. The early missionaries left each church
in the charge of such overseers. There was no higher authority, no federation of churches, no bishop over a
diocese or superintendent over an area. It was delightfully simple. The Holy Spirit led, made known His will
and the saints were left in the hands of local, spiritual men, who had authority and could best make decisions in
the power of the Spirit governing the work under their care. But big cathedrals and the like squeezed out the
leadership of the Holy Spirit in the early Church. Now the Lord is putting His 'house' in order before He
returns. There is a 'government' of God, dear saints. We need the discipline of holiness if we are to see the
canopy of the glory of God with our own eyes!
Y 1 John2:13,14: Acts 14:21-23: Titus 1:5-9; 1 Tim3:1-7;
Heb 13:17; Prov 11:14.
Y THE HOLY SPIRIT'S
"LIBERTY"
Y God is sovereign in His dealings with man. We are commanded to be yielded to Him, to be a 'habitation,' a
'dwelling,' for Him to walk, move out from the Source where He has His home in us. "I will dwell in them and I
will walk in them." Through us then, the Holy Spirit is able to do the works of our Lord. We are able to
manifest the very nature and character of Christ, displaying the holiness of God and that Jesus is indeed the
same yesterday, today and forever!
We must be the reality of Him, being His body, we are not theory! This is what the True Apostolic Ministry
teaches us, if we will let it, then we can be the fulfilllment of John 14:12. "Greater works will you do than
these" ... this is a work of declaring ... if you understand what Jesus is referring to in it's context. A ministry
of perfection in faith and holiness in His Name is being restored to the church which will prepare her for the
Bridegroom.
The apostles believed Jesus would raise up spiritual gifts among them for the growth of the believers. Each
believer was taught that he/she was needed and had a function to fulfil in the local body. Each realized that
he/she was 'now the temple of the Holy Spirit, and that God lived in him by the Spirit and was to be expressed
IN him/her.'
Y Eph 4:11; 1 Co 12:4-7; 12:12; 6:19.
These early churches encourged the development/growth of each person's
gift(s). Most of their meetings were informal with various ones taking part, with no
Y 4
privileged class. They were free to pray publicly and leadership was strong, yet humble. The saints were
taught to look for those who were 'false wolves' in sheep's clothing and not to follow them [today we have
sheep in wolves clothing trying to win the lost].We see that the believers were
encouraged to be heard and to use their voice. No wonder Paul could speak of the church as a body, with each
member contributing his or her part ...but not
only in their services (in order) but in every aspect of life wherever the Spirit moved them to go, including in
their work place. They were to be led by the Spirit, they were the sons of God! This was the New Covenant
which Jesus bought with His own Blood. Now each member in the body of Christ had within him or herself the
Holy Spirit of God, Deity! "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty, or release;" the Spirit is free to
manifest His glory through whomsoever is truly walking with Him, obedient to His voice! We must understand
that He wants to speak, heal and show mercy in every place where we are sitting or standing! Wherever we
are ... we have the Hand of God, that is, the Kingdom is present ... hopefully we are living in the Spirit in order
that He may freely move. This is the scripture meaning, "Wherever I am, there will My servant be also ... and
My Father will honor him, as He honors the Son." You know money gives people confidence. But that is not
what gave our Lord Jesus confidence. His confidence came from His position of KNOWING and walking and
talking with God the Father. Selah!
Y 1 Tim 2:8; 1 Co 14:34; 14:26, 31; Eph 4:11-16; John 12:26.
Y The Church today has tried to fulfill the great commission by using the 'worlds' natural gifts and man-made
methods. She has failed to operate according to God's plan and purpose ... her's is based upon man's natural
abilities and programs. Our own ability and understanding is limited! What is God to do?
God must, by the Spirit, bring back the appointed 'offices' He first established in the Body of Christ and bring
us up to the full measure or stature of Christ ... so that His body is operating in power and authority,
each member accepting his or her individual place and responsibility in Christ's ministry.
Y Everything is being shaken in todays world. The LORD is shaking the Church!
God is purging us and making us repent and change our ugly ways ... or else. He is bringing His house to order
in the midst of perilous times. We are seeing only the tip of the iceberg in this last shaking. God/Yahweh
will have a building, a holy temple, without blemish, where He dwells in His glory and out of us displays the
holiness of His Name.
Y Lev 23:12 without blemish, Strong's #8549 :
Unblemished, perfect, complete, full, upright,
sincere, spotless, whole, healthy, blameless. This word first appears in Gen 6:9: Noah was 'perfect' in his
generations. In Gen 17:1, God tells Abram to 'walk' before Him and be 'blameless.' Enoch 'walked' with God.
Tamim is also used to discribe animals fit for sacrifice, without blemish. The root verb tamam means "to
finish, use up, accomplish, be spent, be completed." The dominant thought in all 90 references of tamim is of
someone or something complete, unblemished.
Y This is what our Leadership has been teaching us
in Tabernacles. The Feast of Trumpets, The Day of Atonement and Tabernacles proper. We must keep the
Feast without blemish. Our next Lesson: How God Plans For Us To Grow Into The Fullness of Christ.
We do need each other! See you on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights.
Y May the LORD bless and keep you,
May His face shine upon you,
May His angels walk with you
as He has promised and
May He give you peace!
Y SheepShed
Sent
Y
SheepShed
"From Infancy to Full Stature"
Lesson One
Part Two
Y God Plans For Us To
Grow Into The
Fullness of Christ
Y Grains and fruits are harvested when they have ripened. They cannot grow and fully develope without water
and cultiva- tion. No water, no growth! The world in todays method of harvesting is to cut and pick the harvest
before it has fully ripened and then mature it artificially. This is how the Church has altered God's plan for
developing His Body. The Church uses artifical, counterfiet rain and hardly any pruning or cultivating at all to
bring the saints from the cradle, then childhood, and on into the full stature of Christ Jesus Himself! People
are the fruit of the harvest, whether God's or Satan's and the final reapers are God's angels.
The Body of Christ is not an infant church any longer, eventhough many of her members are. Of all things we
need to be petioning for is as God has told us, "ask for the rain in the time of latter rain. He will make
lightining flash, flashing clouds; He will give showers of rain ..." We cannot grow without rain! Hosea gives a
call to repentance in order for Him to come.
"Let us know,
Let us pursue the knowledge
of the Lord.
His going forth is established
as the morning;
He will come to us,
like the rain,
Like the latter and former rain
to the earth."
"Sow for yourselves [you sow]
righteousness;
Reap in mercy;
Break up the 'fallow ground,'
For it is time to seek the Lord,
Till He comes and rains
righteousness on you."
Saints, we are the land that is in need!
We must have this Rain of the Holy Spirit
on our land, our land must soak in it! The Lord wants a well watered garden, a flowing spring, whose waters
never run dry! It is a commandment, not a suggestion! Our land is cracked and dry! The Church is in denial
regarding her condition of repentance.
Y Zech 10:3; Hosea 6:3; 10:12; Isa 58:1-12, conditional.
The Lord told me 'we, His people, would
literally fulfil the Feast of Tabernacles as will Israel natural.' When our pastor, apostle David, said, "we have
not been this way before," the Lord later said to me, "neither has natural Israel!" The Lord revealed that
Israel had to be back in their own land for Him literally to fulfil this last Fall Feast.
I realize there may be some who do not
believe this any longer ... but this is Liberal Theology and the teaching comes from False Prophets. It is much
later than we think! Saints, we know that all God's people are Zion! The trumpet/shofar is to be blown "IN
ZION! And sound an 'alarm' in My holy mountain!" We are Zion and we are His nation [mountain], the
trumpets are to warn
Y 6
and prepare us for the approaching 'day of the Lord' which is completed in the mo'ed [set or appointed time] of
the Feast of Tabernacles. The shofar trumpets blew every day in the month of Elul before Tishri, October, the
beginning of the Feast of Trumpets.This would be the 'dawning of the Day of the Lord.'
Y Within the Church today there is great emphasis upon Church growth. Leadership is preoccupied with the
goal of filling their buildings with people. Many are more concerned with numbers than spiritual growth of their
flock. We need to grow ... because the Kingdom of God has the ability to multiply. But the fact is, we have far
too many motivational preachers, sucking babies and soft food eaters who are up one day and down the next!
God is not impressed with our large attendance if they are still nursing the bottle after several years of
feeding; and constantly in need of attention and diaper changing. God's plan is to bring each member of His
body to completion, which will be accomplished in the Day of Atonement. The 'offices' of the five-fold ministry
will continue, "Til we all come to 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 fullness of Christ." But Jesus tells us that many will fall away
during the 'days of Noah and Lot,' and we are to be alert and watchful!
Y Eph 1:22,23:4:13; 2:19; 4:6-16; Mt 24:37 seq.
Y We must get rid of every sin and weight that hinders our growth and our obtaining full measure of His Spirit
in Glory. Because His body is the fullness of Him, Who fills everything everywhere with Himself [eventually].
His body is the Fathers fixed abode-abiding home! We, precious Saints, limit God from fulfilling, in His
inheritance, what He has in mind. We use our carnal mind which cannot receive His 'revelation!' The cares of
this world and the deception of riches chokes the word in our land and it brings no fruit to completion. Soon our
land is good for nothing, it produces only flesh, it drys up and no fresh water runs through it!
Y Christ's Image will grow as each individual member fulfills his or her own function within the Church. Each
singular person must be responsible for his or her own proper place of service. God has restored His
foundational 'offices' to His Body after many years of absence. Some have beaten this doctrine to death! And,
yes, there are some self-proclaimed apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers who are trying to fill
those positions within the Church who have not been called and anointed by the Father for this work. However,
many have been truly called and anointed. They are paying a high price for such ministries before Father God
... no matter what it costs! Christ is the head, and they are not looking to the arm of flesh nor depending on
man. They are teaching the "flock to do the same." They and we must be examples of our Great Chief
Shepherd's lifestyle and character.
Y Even our leaders can't live the overcoming life for us. Each one MUST sit at the feet of Jesus for himself
and hear what the Spirit is saying! The apostle John said, "the Anointing He gave us teaches us all things! and
remains in you." And, "This is the proof that we are in God, whoever claims that he remains in Christ must
act as He acted."
Y 1 John 2:1-6; 2:27-28.
Our true Leaders are struggling to present us
Y 7
as chaste virgins before Christ, and bring us to a position of knowing Him and experience His resurrection
power. But we must let them and help them to bring us to His full- ness, even "above what we could ask or
think." If we are rebellious and resist their efforts then God Himself will deal with us! Paul said, "some plant,
some water what is planted 'but God gives the increase.' " God will give the increase because of what He sees
in secret! ... "he who has will be given more!" The only way God's anointed ones can accomplish their
ministry is by the supernatural power of God at work in them. By no other means can this be done. Good
Leadership will loose the flock to minister within & without the church. It is Gods order for them AND for
each individual child of God because, "We carry this Treasure in earthen vessels that the ability may be of
Him and not of ourselves," wrote Paul. Gods all time plan has been for His people to live by their 'own
inheritant power' just as Jesus did, who is our example. The time is upon us when we must come face to face
with this reality; the New World Order's eyes are gazing straight into our faces, and we
CAN'T SEE IT!
Y Our final lesson of "The Infant Church" will present to us the Manifesto, which our apostle David spoke of
several Sundays ago. You see, Leadership is trying to equip us for this War that is manifesting now:
We are back to Babel, "And nothing which the 'world' purposes to do will be impossible for them, they all have
one language [in modern technology & English],"
they are unified against the Lamb and His followers. However, all truth is parallel ... Nothing which the Lamb
& His followers purposes to do will be impossible for them! We have His word for it, and the sword of the
Spirit to enforce His purposes! It is the Right Arm of God outstretched, and the angels are performing His
commands spoken through His witnesses as in the 'day of Pharoah' "LET MY PEOPLE GO!" It will be the
final Weapon we will use against Principalities and Powers who say,
"Hath God Said?"
Y Therefore, the ability to live and reveal the Son, Jesus the Christ, is within us, "He is the Treasure and the
Ability that may be of Him and not of ourselves!" Our Jewish Jesus in the flesh was yielded to the Ability
which was in Him ... who was God the Father. He was His God and His Father. Jesus said, "I can do
NOTHING of Myself, it is the Father within Me He does the works." "What I hear and see, that is what I do
and say." How was the Father in Him and yet in Heaven? The Father was in Him BY THE GLORIOUS,
HOLY SPIRIT ... Who was the TREASURE He carried everywhere He went within His 'earthen vessel!' No
other way will we come to the full measure of His stature without our obedience to this Glorious Treasure
within us ... He does the works and we live the life, we do the carrying! He yearns to be released through our
clay pots. But He will not honor anyone through vain living and proclaiming false doctrine thereby profaning
the Name by which we use to work the works of God. He will confirm His own word, however. We must stop
glamorizing christanity!
Y 80% of our Lord's ministry was working miracles. We chant His Name without respect. The Name has
become a by-word attatched to words which we speak having no sincere faith whatsoever in them; sounds
flowing out of mechcanical hearts is the trend just now. Some ministers have become sounding brass and
clanging cymbals as well as singers, there is no evidence of Christ's sacrifical love flowing out of our spirits
anymore! Why? Because we are not living a sacrificial life; and, the increase of 'evil' makes for weariness
then our love grows
Y 8
cold. There are times we can hardly hold ourselves up, much less others. People have stopped carrying their
own burdens and live off of others, calling it faith! Lord Jesus, send a deluge of Rain upon us! WE NEED
CONVICTION AND THE TRUTH OF THE WORD!
Y THE EARTHLY
&
HEAVENLY MATERIALLITY
Y One of the most difficult things to make us understand is that the Spirit of God is a tangible substance; it is
the essence of Gods own substance! We are composed of water and earth. Water is a composition of gases.
But the composition of the personality of God has a personality and a being and is a substance different from
mans.The bodies of angels are of some substance ... not like our own, thank God. Theirs is of the Heavenly
Kingdom's material. Flesh and blood cannot inherit God's Kingdom ... that is why we have His Spirit. The
spirit of man must contact and know the real Spirit of God.
We do not know God with our flesh, with our hands or our brains. We know Him with our spirit and He
releases Himself through our flesh. What our spirit attains to in the knowledge of God is conveyed to us
through the medium of our mind and it effects our body. *
Y THE RADIATING GLORY OF
TRANSFIGURATATION
Y It's True! The tremendous capacity of the human being to receive God is demonstrated by some of the
incidents in the
word of God. The most remarkable in the Scriptures is the transformation of Jesus Himself ... yet in His flesh,
when the Spirit of God pierced the veil of His flesh and radiated from His being until His clothes were effected
becoming white and glistening, and His face shown as the sun.* It is a preliminary glimpse of when
"The Morning Star arises in our hearts at the dawning of the Day-of-the-Lord," said Peter.
Y The human being is the most wonderful and marvelous instrument of all the creation
of God in its capacity to receive and reveal God. Paul received so much of God into his being that
handerchiefs and aprons became impregnated with the living Spirit. In fact, 'any material substance' can
become impregnated with the same living Spirit of God! Jesus Himself was a 'manifestation' of the radiating
glory ... it flowed into His garments.The faith of one poor woman moved it to flow into her plauged body by
thought and touch! God wants us to transmit this life giving stream of Himself to others.*
Y However, the Word to us is: we must learn how to receive His fullness and reveal God the Father in the Son.
By that I mean: we are the Son, in as much as, we are the many members within His body, which makes up the
One New Man, the One New Race of People.
Y How are we to get this needed Rain to keep the River of Life flowing? Seek His Face, Dearest Beloved,
and ask and keep on insisting and asking until the Rains come!
Y * by John G. Lake
Y The Infant Church was established with Christ as the Head, then the Apostle, Prophet. Evangelist,
Pastor/Shepherd and Teacher. Now and for many years, the Church operates with Christ (? sometimes),
Pastor/Teacher and Evangelist. But the Lord is restoring all of His 'offices' and 'functioning gifts' back to His
Body. We must receive hidden revelation and walk according to the structure God has ordained for the
Church ... our minds need to be 'rewired!' We must press forward to the perfection that is ours in Jesus Christ
and lift up Christ crucified, risen again, and stop proclaiming the Gospel of the Church!
Y May His face shine abundantly upon you!
Y SheepShed
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