Recently I received an e-mail concerning the subject of unity and the ground of unity. I do not know if my reader had heard of the "ground of unity" before or not or where he had received certain impressions but I felt I just had to answer him on this subject. My answer turned out to be a rather lengthy e-mail dealing with this important subject. It turned out my e-mail server timed out when I clicked to send the message and I lost all I wrote!!! Naturally I questioned the Lord about this! The answer came a few days later when I had to build a shed and almost ALL of the building problems related to the ground upon which it was built! This is surely important! What follows below is our correspondence, which the Spirit did bid me make public, as the Lord's real purpose was to make this important truth available to everyone. See next:

A brother's correspondence on August 29th, 2003:

I have been reading your online book. It is quite interesting how the Lord
has led you yet I find your idea and concept of "unity" faulty. I realize
that your teaching comes from Watchman Nee who I greatly admire but I             
believe he was absolutely wrong in his understanding. No place in the Bible
does it refer to the "ground" of unity or the "ground" of the local Church.
This is an unscriptural and inaccurate term. Taking up the "ground" of unity
has in all actuality "separated" you from the body of Christ. I agree that                    
there are many divisions in the Body BUT in your separation to the "ground"
of the local Church you have just added to the confusion that exists. The
Local Church is just, if not more so, sectarian as any other religious body
out there. Whether it be Baptist, Lutheran, Catholic or whatever. The
scriptures instruct us to keep the "unity of the Spirit" which is not based
on locality but on "oneness". The "unity of the faith" is "the" faith that
was once and for all delivered to the saints NOT the "ground' of locality.
All the saints in a locality no matter where they may be found are of the
assembly in that locality. Even if they do not recognize it because unity is
in the Spirit not by outward conformity to prescribed doctrines, or a set of
rules, or even a certain teacher (Witness Lee) and his teachings. To do so is
to be on "sectarian" ground even if you believe that more light exists in
the Local Church than other places it is still sectarian mentality that has
a hold on you. All you really have is another expression of faith within the
context of the whole Body of Christ based on Witness Lee's teachings. Funny
how you can say such things about men who pastor a group of God's people in
a local church setting and yet Witness Lee took that idea to a whole NEW
level by really introducing popery in another form. I totally agree with you
that we must and should fellowship with other believers but Lee's idea that
the Local Church is the only true expression of the ecclesia in a locality
is wrong! How can you limit Christ and be arrogant enough to think that the
expression that the Local Church provides is the only legitimate expression?
and has the only true ground and thus the only place a Christian should be?
Your anti-sectarian views only establish "another" sect. If you want to use
the word "ground" I would submit to you that there is only "one" true ground
for the modern Christian. II Timothy 2:22 says " But youthful lusts flee,
and pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace, with those that call upon the
Lord out of a pure heart.". So in other words we are to pursue righteousness
first, that is what is "right" before God in all the details of our
existence. Faith, which is total trust and dependence on God no matter the
circumstances we find ourselves. Love, which is the "greatest" because that
is a true expression of Christ and how you know that a real work of God has
been done within as one has love for the brethren and love for the lost, but
most of all love for God and His Christ. Peace, which is "our bond" through
which true and lasting unity is maintained. BUT we are to do so "with those"
who call on the name of the Lord from a "pure heart". THAT is the criteria
we are to look for! Are the saints you meet with pure in heart? That is the
pathway and God's mind in a day of ruin as we find ourselves in today. We
live in 'remnant" conditions but wherever we live we will find persons of
such character if we search them out and very likely not in the Local Church
although some of this character do fellowship within that sect. I appreciate
all the time and effort you put into your webpage and have found parts of it
very encouraging especially your view of the Bride which is much how I see
her. I cannot however go along with your sectarian views of the ground of
locality it is sectarianism disguised and actually divides the Body even
further.

Your brother in Christ,
 

First Answer after Building the Shed

>Dear Brother,                                                                        September 2, 2003
>
>Forgive the delay in answering you. Your e-mail is much more serious
>than you can imagine and needs more of a serious answer than even I
>could even imagine till yesterday. And now I understand why. This email
>will not be my answer as I do not have time right now but soon I will
>send the answer. That same night, I will make my answer a permanent web
>page on my site. I will not reveal your name of course, unless you
>should request me to do so later on. It is the content of the truth
>that is important, not other peripherals.
>
>Actually several days ago I wrote you what I thought was a good reply
>and it was rather lengthy but as I tried to send it my email server
>timed out and I lost EVERYTHING I wrote. Naturally I questioned God
>about this! Well, yesterday the answer came as I was building a shed to
>accommodate my overmuch stuff for my new house. The problems I ran into
>in the construction of the shed shed (pun intended!) MUCH light on this
>subject! You will get all this in my next message to you which will be
>posted immediately on my site.
>
>I am actually NOT part of Witness Lee's "group" so to speak. I don't
>know if you have read that far yet. But before you answer this e-mail
>please go back to my site and read the two articles on the #1 foot
>washing and #2 the intriguing cottage because I think maybe you do not
>understand who it is you are dealing with by your e-mail. I may not be
>who you think I am. Anyhow, my book (just like what Watchman Nee said
>about his "Normal Christian Church Life" in the preface) should not be
>judged until you have read ALL the writings therein. So that's all I
>got to say for now. God bless brother.
>
>Agape, Kevin

His reply on September 3rd, 2003:

Dear Kevin,

I had not finished reading your entire book but have read the two chapters
you suggested. I see that I was mistaken in assuming your support of Witness
Lee to mean you are with the Local Church in fellowship. Forgive me this
presumption. I will look forward to reading your reply to me email. You said
that my email was much more serious than I can imagine but when I wrote it I
fully understood how serious a subject matter I had taken in hand or I would
not have even bothered. Your statement about yourself' "I think maybe you do
not understand who it is you are dealing with by your e-mail. I may not be
who you think I am." I think perhaps needs further clarifying. Usually
statements like this imply a threatening posture and I'm sure that was not
your intent at all. Thanks for taking the time to respond.

Your brother in Christ,

Today's final response and post on September 7th, 2003:

Dear Brother .......

By saying you do not understand who you are dealing with, what I'm meaning is not that I'm any kind of authority over anybody or anybody special, but rather that you may be surprised in what ways I agree with you and you also may be surprised in what ways I disagree with you.

This matter of the "ground of unity" as it has been called by some is far more serious than I had imagined on September 1st and 2nd when I built that shed in my backyard and wrote you at that time. This morning and early afternoon I was in a house meeting with those in my city (folks associated with Kevin Sherfey, who resides close to my new home and who is known by some of my readers out there) and the Spirit of God kept shining again and again upon me concerning this matter.

Just recently (on September 1st!!), I have become retired from the U.S. Navy after 20 years active duty and am now a civilian. We just moved to a house in Federal Way, WA (where we decided to finally settle years ago) which is about an hour's car ride from where we formerly lived on the Navy submarine base Bangor, WA located in Silverdale. Anyhow, Navy housing provides a whole lot more storage space than we have now even though we came from a 2 bedroom townhouse to a 3 bedroom house. So I had to buy and erect a shed in the backyard just to accommodate storage. I will come back to this later, but what I discovered was that almost every problem I ran into Monday in erecting the shed was due to the ground underneath it. Surely the Lord does not want us to lay the foundation of Jesus Christ on "Baptist" ground or "Lutheran" ground and expect HIS building up to take place! That would be ridiculous!

But I must, in speaking of this matter, mention what is the NUMBER ONE problem and cause of divisions before somebody gets off on this matter of denominationalism and groups breaking off divisions here and groups breaking off divisions over there. Denominations are NOT the number one root and cause of divisions! The flesh and old man is. And with what you have said about flesh being a problem, I agree with you. That is the root.

But here is something else: the #1 issue proceeding from this root that divides Christians is the clergy-laity system. Hear this: AS LONG AS THE THOUGHT EXISTS THAT THERE IS ANY AUTHORITY IN ANY BROTHER OVER OTHER BROTHERS IN THE BODY OF CHRIST WE ARE GOING TO HAVE DIVISIONS!! This has to be defeated as it is and has been VERY damaging among Christians. When Jesus said "ALL authority is given to ME in heaven and on earth ...", He did not reserve even 1% for anyone else! There is and only ever has been ONLY one Head in the ONE Body of Christ! This has to be stated first or there is no point going on. That being said, I will proceed to answer your first e-mail line by line:

> I have been reading your online book. It is quite interesting how the
>Lord has led you yet I find your idea and concept of "unity" faulty. I
>realize that your teaching comes from Watchman Nee who I greatly admire but I
> believe he was absolutely wrong in his understanding. No place in the Bible
> does it refer to the "ground" of unity or the "ground" of the local Church.
> This is an unscriptural and inaccurate term.

It is true that I have learned much from Watchman Nee and yet if you down him on his teaching of the ground of oneness, then you do not understand what one of the main things was that made him unique. He was a man who at least as far as he saw in his timeframe was uncompromising concerning the truth he saw. This is what brought on such a blessing from the Lord in those days. I left the "group" associated with Witness Lee and Watchman Nee in 1996, although I still continued (and sometimes still do) to visit some of their meetings. The reason I left is because of the Plymouth Brethren paradigm as far as "authority" and leadership goes, which I believe makes their claim to unity void. Because as long as there is the slightest concept of any difference between brethren as far as anyone having ANY authority over anyone other than Christ having authority over us - you have a caste system with different classes of believers. And there is no such thing. I would like to point out in the same breath that is to the guilt of this kind of caste and class system among believers the "local church movement" or whatever you want to call them is sooooo far ahead of other Christians that it's ridiculous for me to even mention it!

However, as to their teaching concerning the ground of unity, you are mistaken, my dear brother as to what it is they really teach concerning this matter and in all actuality it is you who are at fault if you try to point out any errors in their teaching on the matter of unity. Also, here I must mention that when you use the words "I agree with you that there are divisions in the Body...", I have to disagree strongly. The actual Body of the Lord Jesus Christ CANNOT be divided! The only part of us believers that gets divided has nothing to do with that Body. It is the flesh and old man of us Christians that gets divided by our natural thoughts, likes and dislikes and the other habits of our old creation which includes man's traditions, etc. etc. ETC.

You are right in saying that the word "ground of unity" is not found in scripture. And if you read my writings, you'll find I attack many terms used by today's Christianity because the meaning is waaaaay off but it's not about terms, it's about reality and although I DO attack the word "church" and other words that are VERY damaging to Christ's Body, the word "ground" does not fit into that category. "Cigarettes" are not mentioned in scripture either and yet it is an issue today. Cigarettes are KILLING PEOPLE, but you won't find anything in the Bible about it because it was not a first century problem. Well, by the same token, divisions such as we have today were not a first century issue either. Divisions WERE a problem in first century, this is true but it did not take the same form as it does today. Thus, the Lord had to raise up servants such as Watchman Nee to bring up Biblical truths to light that there was no need for in those times. Hence the term "ground" was brought up. Another fact concerning God's ways is that when there is the need for the law (or a manifestation of a legal requirement) as a schoolmaster to come alongside to help, it will be brought in to bring us back to Christ. It is not that it is part of God's economy, but the legal requirement sheds light on our fleshly carnal ways and brings us back to Christ. We are NOT under the law - any kind of law.(I, in recent years have realized my error and am adding this note in the year 2020 where we should be seeing more clearly. I used to believe, like many others, that the term 'not under law' means we are not obligated to the commandments, but are free. This is a false doctrine in my view at this time, however. Paul says the law is spiritual. If you are spiritual minded instead of carnally minded, you will love God's law and keep it. If not you won't and we are still obligated to keep His commandments. The term 'not under law' REALLY means born again believers in Christ are not under the death penalty like other non believers are for our sins and disobediences. Still, although the ordinances which are the ceremonial outward symbolic injunctions HAVE been crucified on the cross, this does not mean the commands, associated statutes and judgments are still enjoined upon us. For the true meaning of 'not under law', see ch 4 of Stephen Jones 1st book on Romans at https://godskingdom.org/studies/books/pauls-epistle-to-the-saints-in-rome-book-1/chapter-4-the-judgments-of-god ... Now there is a difference in how we are supposed to approach the law now. There is an old covenant way which is man's promise to God to keep this which always fails, or there is a new covenant way of God's promise to man to writie it on our hearts and bring us into agreement with himself which ALWAYS will work!! It's not all gonna happen in one day though, alright?) But it is God's sideline to show us how far we are from His ways. This proves we are not walking by the Spirit.

>Taking up the "ground" of unity has in all actuality "separated" you from the body of Christ. I agree
>that  there are many divisions in the Body BUT in your separation to the "ground" of the local >Church you have just added to the confusion that exists.

It is true that after I left the movement as I wrote about in the articles alluded to above, I began to see more and more that the Body was soooo much bigger and all inclusive than the narrow circle I had moved in and I was freer to receive (and still reject of course) much more from my brethren in Christ than ever before.  I just do not resemble your remark at all!

But here I have to speak from yet another angle, brother. You GOT to have DIVISION - ALL KINDS OF DIVISION IN ORDER TO REALLY FOLLOW CHRIST!!! Yes, I DO realize I will be judged for my statements I write down here and yea, for every idle word that ever preceded out of my mouth! Jesus Christ Himself stated: "Do not think that I have come to send peace upon the earth: I have not come to send peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man at variance with his father, and the daughter with her mother, and the daughter-in-law with her mother-in-law; 36 and they of his household shall be a man's enemies. 37 He who loves father or mother above me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter above me is not worthy of me. 38 And he who does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me." (Matt. 10:34-38) To follow Christ we must divide from sin, from the devil, and if we wish to go further we must continue these acts again and again and again. Indeed in II Cor 7: "Wherefore come out from the midst of them, and be separated, saith the Lord, and touch not what is unclean, and *I* will receive you;"  ... of course you will say this is about separating from unbelievers in some ways and I agree BUT does it not contain the thought we must disagree with darkness and agree with light? Here's the BEST statement about unity and division: BE one with God! PERIOD! If in some way you are not one with him, then I mean to divide from you in that issue! Hopefully, that is! If all of us agree with Jesus Christ in everything we will automatically be one! Don't you think? OK, enough of that.

>The Local Church is just, if not more so, sectarian as any other religious body
> out there. Whether it be Baptist, Lutheran, Catholic or whatever.

Not even close. Not even 10%. I will prove it shortly.

>The scriptures instruct us to keep the "unity of the Spirit" which is not based
> on locality but on "oneness". The "unity of the faith" is "the" faith that
> was once and for all delivered to the saints NOT the "ground' of locality.
> All the saints in a locality no matter where they may be found are of the
> assembly in that locality. Even if they do not recognize it because unity is
> in the Spirit not by outward conformity to prescribed doctrines, or a set of
> rules, or even a certain teacher(Witness Lee) and his teachings.

I'm afraid, dear brother; you have changed the subject here. The subject when the term "ground" is used concerns which believers actually belong together in the same assembly according to the scriptures. The "unity of the faith" concerns spiritual matters way above the ground and the foundation and concerns a situation which hardly exists today as you can hardly find believers even built up together and besides all these things it was not written to individuals but rather a corporate built-up entity of believers well established upon the foundation Christ, who were already together on the proper ground. When we talk about the unity of the faith it is a different subject from  the subject of which Christians should belong to which assembly. Anyone who has ever taught about the ground of locality or the local ground to my knowledge at least has been speaking of things on the practical side concerning the physical bodies of Christians physically meeting together. You, my dear brother, have changed the subject. This concerns your statements on the first 3 lines above. However your statement on the fourth and fifth lines above:

> All the saints in a locality no matter where they may be found are of the
> assembly in that locality.

...is something that I ENTIRELY AGREE WITH!!! AMEN! Although I agree with your words, it seemed to me you were saying and implying that Brother Lee did not teach in this way or somehow taught otherwise. Is this true? Is this what you think? If so, I would reply that this brother has never taught anything otherwise than according to the statement of yours I just quoted above! Christians in localities where there have been meetings established IAW Bro. Nee or Lee who met otherwise in the sects be they Baptist, Presbyterian or whatever have never been viewed as 2nd class citizens of the kingdom nor have they been viewed as NOT being members of the one true assembly in that city! There IS only one assembly in each locality of this earth. Jesus Christ does not even SEE anything else. Go read again His words to 7 assemblies in 7 localities!! Other so-called groupings are not even recognized!

> All the saints in a locality no matter where they may be found are of the
> assembly in that locality. Even if they do not recognize it because unity is
> in the Spirit not by outward conformity to prescribed doctrines, or a set of
> rules, or even a certain teacher Witness Lee) and his teachings.

As to the rest of your statement, although it is true that all believers ARE one in Christ and cannot be divided, practically speaking, because they do not see this truth, these divisions of practice will affect them negatively. With this negative practice I cannot agree. If our outward life does not conform to the scriptures, it is because we have not allowed His grace to work in us inwardly to the point of bringing us into conformity with the image of His Son which WILL result in the practical outward unity also.

>because unity is
> in the Spirit not by outward conformity to prescribed doctrines, or a set of
> rules, or even a certain teacher(Witness Lee) and his teachings. To do so is
> to be on "sectarian" ground even if you believe that more light exists in
> the Local Church than other places it is still sectarian mentality that has
> a hold on you. All you really have is another expression of faith within the
> context of the whole Body of Christ based on Witness Lee's teachings. Funny
> how you can say such things about men who pastor a group of God's people in
> a local church setting and yet Witness Lee took that idea to a whole NEW
> level by really introducing popery in another form.

How do you figure? If you read my two articles above, then you realize I got an inside scoop on these things but how did you find this out? "Popery" is a term waaayyy beyond anything brother Witness has ever done in my opinion, although it is true that ground for the clergy-laity concept has been prescribed in their midst. But it HURTS me to even say this because it is so minimal compared with the rest of Christianity. However, I believe I had to be faithful to Lord in pointing this fault out. However, I have to admit that the "clergy-laity evil" is IN ME!! I find it so deep in the sinful evil nature of my flesh. Do you not see that it is true in you also, brother? Indeed if you say it isn't so, then I must be honest with you: you have never been very enlightened by the Holy Spirit concerning what you are as to the fallen life inherited from your first birth. All I can say is when the REAL light of God shines upon the human heart. It is not always a very pleasant experience and oftentimes it causes one to fall on one's face for hours in confession of sin desperately praying the words of Psalm 51. I deeply respect Brother Witness Lee for taking the lead in practicing I John 1:9 and the AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME experience of Christ's riches this leads to!!

Now I will admit that I also agreed with your statement "another expression of faith" in some sense because I found a forced expression instead of allowing the Spirit to make an expression in the context of each local setting. In SOME ways each local expression should be different from others ESPECIALLY in totally different countries and language sets.

> I totally agree with you  that we must and should fellowship with other believers but Lee's
>idea that the Local Church is the only true expression of the ecclesia in a locality
> is wrong! How can you limit Christ and be arrogant enough to think that the
> expression that the Local Church provides is the only legitimate expression?

Again, I don't like the the word "church" as it is an expression translated from only two Greek mentions in the NT and it almost always leaves the wrong impression of a lecture hall type of big building. But you are falsely accusing a dear brother of saying that there is a difference of believers in any city by implying that he's saying that those who meet AS the "church in Los Angeles" or the "church in New York" are better than those who meet as the 1st Korean Baptist or etc. etc., then that is NOT what he ever said!! He taught that ALL believers in any given locality ARE ONLY members of ONE "church" or assembly by virtue of their being born again. Now, I'll admit he also taught, as do I, that no believer HAS ANY RIGHT TO MEET OTHERWISE. Yes, that I'll admit he taught and so do I. But as far as the word legitimate goes: we as Christians are not under the law. (Again, see my note on my false application of the phrase 'not under law in the non italic black colored text above) I would only say that if we allow Christ as grace to make home in our hearts -  the expression of our practices will fulfill all righteousness. As to limiting Christ - there is no need to do so - He chose to limit Himself by becoming flesh and then step after step after step finally leading to being limited by nails onto a cross hardly able to move!! This same Christ asks us to limit ourselves by denying ourselves BECAUSE He knew our fallen nature is contrary to His nature. This is why He spoke such things.

I have found that the matter of believers being one in each locality is not well received among most of them. This is because I have found that the whole matter is fraught with the element of Calvary's cross. There is just too much denial of our likes and dislikes in order to be one with brothers in our same city because we do not like so many weird and different brothers who do not do things the way WE like it done!! This is the REAL reason why this is rejected where the rubber meets the road! There is a LOT of cutting of the flesh to take this stand and believe me - it is not easy -  I have been paying a price for this truth for the last 22 years of my life and I'm STILL not REALLY TOTALLY living up to this truth as this standard is sooo high!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And THAT'S THE TRUTH!! Hmmm .... Do you still think I'm being arrogant??? I just admitted that in this matter I DO fall short!

>How can you limit Christ and be arrogant enough to think that the expression that the Local >Church provides is the only legitimate expression?
> and has the only true ground and thus the only place a Christian should be?
> Your anti-sectarian views only establish "another" sect.

Again, it is not that meeting on the ground of "one assembly per one locality" is merely the only way Christians should meet but essentially I deny that any of the other "so-called" "types" of so-called churches even exist!! They have already been crucified on the cross! God does not even recognize them as valid expressions or ways for believers to get together. BUT .... STILL when two or three are gathered together He still is present - He still loves them - He still pays special visits. One thing I have found though is that rarely does His glory ever manifest in such situations. The exception to the rule is when He has to visit in revival to raise the dead. The denominations are a big history of revivals. This is something, by the way, not even mentioned in the whole NT.

OK, as to the statement "your anti-sectarian views only establish "another" sect.", this statement itself contradicts itself!! Either I'm anti-sectarian or I'm not! Either one is for or against something. Either one is pro or one is con. Even Christ said we are either for or against Him. I have found many who's hearts were so right on with God in this matter within the "local church" groups that they WERE absolutely right with God under His grace and so was I and it was only when I saw into some of the errors of the group, that it was time for me to leave because in MY conscience (and this DOES not count for you or anybody else), I knew better and could not take the stand of oneness and remain with the group. But this is NOT because they are "sectarian" at all. It's because I see too darn much and sometimes wish I didn't see so much! My seeing is no credit to me. Sometimes it seems to be a curse, but then again every coin has two sides - a head and a tails.

Here, though I must especially deal with your statement above more thoroughly because it is not only serious it is DANGEROUS. Again, I must reiterate what I said before: to be one with God you have to divide from the devil. To be one with righteousness, you must divide from sin. To be one with your wife you must divide from whores and all other women. To be one with an assembly that is according to the scripture, you have to leave the sects, denominations and other divisions AND the false oneness of the UNIVERSAL so-called Catholic oneness which is a modern tower of Babel s... etc. etc. Here's a question: was it division for those few Israelites who lived in Babylon who chose to go back to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple, to leave their families, houses, friends, lands and fellow Israelites to leave all this behind and go to Jerusalem? Was it a division? It SURE WAS!!! I have had many brothers many times for many years tell me your argument over and over and over. Do you think you're the only one who ever said this to me? But my answer is the same: God ordained a piece of ground (oops! sorry! there's that word again, sorry if your flesh don't like it) where His temple was to be built and it was NOT anywhere in Babylon -  it was Jerusalem and if you wanted to be a part of rebuilding His house then you got to get up and leave EVERYTHING you know by faith like Abraham and GO there. And the flesh don't want to hear it cause it's NOT goose bump feel good go with the flow sheltered convenient life, but rather it's brick upon brick, out in the hot sun with a trowel in one hand and a sword in the other to fight a daily and even hourly enemy. And it's NOT much fun. If you are for having a blessed good life - if you are for your own spiritual growth and preservation - if you are for the benefit of your life and your family's life then I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS PATH BROTHER, because the main benefit will be for Christ and you may not even reap very many yourself in this lifetime!! This is the REALITY of where the recovery of God's lost house and dwelling place really is in this generation. I will tell you one thing though. There are in the long run far greater percentages of marriages that do not divorce and children that grow up and stay true to Christ till death amongst those that take this path. Also there are possible experiences of Christ you may taste in this life that are far rarer amongst mainstream Christianity. By the way even the majority of "house church" type folks meeting together are still back in Babylon as far as I'm concerned. But what's my main point? You've GOT to DIVIDE from what's wrong in order to join what's right.

But say what? What's the main issue we're talking about here? You can't even define what sinful division between Christians really IS till you define WHAT CHRISTIAN UNITY IS - and this better be Biblical, of course. Do you see my point? So if you're unwilling even after reading all my stuff to agree that Biblical unity is one assembly per one locality and all these assemblies are ONE with each other being ONE AND ONLY ONE BODY, then you are just being unwilling to admit what the scriptures state and stubborn and rebellious - not against me but against Him! Or maybe you are confused and need it stated again so here it is: in the BIBLE, there is NEVER the mention of an ecclesia in plural form in ANY locality. BUT in the BIBLE, whenever there is the mention of ecclesia in an area LARGER than a locality (village town or city) the PLURAL form of the word is ALWAYS used. That's why in Paul's epistle to Galatians the PLURAL form is used because Galatia WAS NOT A CITY, it was a province. In other words the scripturs always prescribes a SEPARATION of ecclesias (ALWAYS plural and different) because of geographical areas that ARE localities BUT always prescribes they are all to fellowship with each other on the basis of the ONE BODY of Christ. This is my definition of unity (oneness being ANOTHER subject). The true Biblical ground of unity is both universal and local -  many local assemblies - all one Body. So... you can take a list of all believers in the world - match them with what locale they live in and that's what assembly they belong to and who they belong with. It's plain as day in the Bible. Either you follow it or you don't.

> Your anti-sectarian views only establish "another" sect. If you want to use
> the word "ground" I would submit to you that there is only "one" true ground
> for the modern Christian. II Timothy 2:22 says " But youthful lusts flee,
> and pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace, with those that call upon the
> Lord out of a pure heart.". So in other words we are to pursue righteousness
> first, that is what is "right" before God in all the details of our 
> existence. Faith, which is total trust and dependence on God no matter the
> circumstances we find ourselves. Love, which is the "greatest" because that
> is a true expression of Christ and how you know that a real work of God has
> been done within as one has love for the brethren and love for the lost, but
> most of all love for God and His Christ. Peace, which is "our bond" through
> which true and lasting unity is maintained. BUT we are to do so "with those"
> who call on the name of the Lord from a "pure heart". THAT is the criteria
> we are to look for! Are the saints you meet with pure in heart? That is the
> pathway and God's mind in a day of ruin as we find ourselves in today.

Again, you are changing the subject from who is supposed to meet with whom to something else. The subject is: what are the names of the Christians whose assembly YOU ARE part of? Again the answer is plain and simple and there is no confusion about it. You are a member with a bunch of Christians who live in your city and THIS IS THE SAME ANSWER FOR ANYBODY ELSE AND GOD NEVER GAVE YOU OR ANYONE ELSE A CHOICE IN THIS MATTER. PERIOD!!!!!! Either you obey Him or you don't!

> We live in 'remnant" conditions but wherever we live we will find
>persons of such character if we search them out and very likely not in the Local
>Church although some of this character do fellowship within that sect.

Again, this is a very dangerous doctrine that you are teaching. The matter of any kind of division contrary to scripture is in a very real sense a matter of fornication. Fornication is departing from the God-ordained oneness prescribed by God for the building blocks and secure propagation and development of the human race and NOTHING is more damaging to our race than fornication, not even murder because much pain is over when there is murder but it's not over in cases of fornication. What do I mean here? OK. Just because your wife may be nice to you and keeps herself pretty and acts sexy to you and gives you a good time and gets the cooking and cleaning done to your specs etc. etc. BUT she also "does it with other men" (hopefully this is NOT your case OK, I'm just illustrating). Anyway, this does not mean she is not maybe nicer to you than my wife may be. But let's say my wife did NOT stay beautiful (again thank God, my statements do NOT reflect reality), never cooked for me and was downright mean to me but she was all the time faithful and did not commit adultery though maybe our relations weren't as boiling as yours? OK, do you see? You would have the right to divorce according to the scriptures whereas I would not. Condition of the wife or niceness has nothing to do with it! Just cause the people who meet according to the God ordained way to meet aren't maybe nice, or boiling or spiritual or fervent DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU CAN DIVIDE FROM THEM!!!!! AGAIN - PERIOD!!!!! GOD DID NOT GIVE YOU A CHOICE! Do you see what I mean? The faithfulness between man and wife is the ground of the marriage NOT the CONDITION or niceness between them. By the same token if the Baptist people are more spiritual and fervent than those who stand as "one assembly per one locality" that does not give me the right to go away to the Baptists or stay Baptist as the case may be. It is spiritual fornication. What you have written is dangerous and gives folks permission to divide contrary to the scriptures..

The Building of My Shed

OK, here is what happened Monday, the 1st day after my retirement from 20 years in the Navy. I spent the whole day building a shed as I've mentioned already. From the first the Holy Spirit began to speak to me and by mid morning I knew I was supposed to write you this e-mail and then place it as an article on the world wide web and that was why I lost the whole thing when I first wrote you.

First of all, I'm pretty ignorant about such things as what the ground is supposed to be like underneath. My wife questioned me about this asking if we're supposed to remove all the grass. She finally suggested putting plastic underneath to shield the bottom from plants. I finally asked somebody at one of these garden kinds of store areas and he suggested to just pulling the weeds and laying a sheet of plastic (this was all probably unnecessary). Well the only plastic we had was painters plastic as we just painted the house before we moved in.

The other issue concerning the ground (and this one IS necessary!) was whether it was level - so we had to choose a site. This was difficult because even though we have a HUGE yard we could hardly find even one area that looked totally level because of the type of terrain we have. Finally we thought we picked the right place, so I began.

So the Spirit began to enlighten me concerning the order of the events of that day. It was hard to get the roots of the weeds out. Of course the dirt was so black you sometimes could not see if you got to the bottom of the root or not. Also they were so ugly. The only thing I was afraid of was of ugly growths of weeds which grow fast maybe penetrating through (of course folks told me later usually everything just dies underneath). Still, even though possibly I was wrong to be concerned, there was a lesson here: men sent of God must first save sinners and hopefully strike the axe at the root and bring people's confidence totally away from anything that proceeds from our first birth and bring forth people into new birth. This needs to develop by the revelation of the Word that the Christian life is to be lived by dependence on another life as we are to WALK BY the Spirit. Also there are a lot of ugly things to deal with in birthing new babies into the kingdom of God and all the diaper changing, etc. etc. that ensues. This is the first thing on the ground which is where the foundation of Jesus Christ is laid. Since man IS ground and we were taken from it this is WHERE Christ must be laid. We are just dust of the wind.

This is not us really.... this picture shows we must follow a blueprint.	The 2nd problem was laying the plastic because there was quite a wind going on and I had to nail the corners down with all my screwdrivers and tools. But the plastic tore and I had to secure it over and over again until I finally in laying the pieces out, put some of the pieces on top of the plastic to help anchor it. The Holy Spirit began to speak to me about winds of doctrines based on systems of errors. Before anything was laid on this ground it was extremely easy for the wind to just blow everything I was doing but, thank God as the day went on and things were placed up in building it became easier and easier to resist the wind and I had less and less problems with it. As I laid out the components in order, my wife came out and said she thought we had not made such a good choice!!!!! (Was God in this thing or what?!!) She asked me to move the whole project forward by three feet!!! AS I stood back (also because I knew this was all of the Holy Spirit), I did not argue with her as usual when I don't want to do something but instead took a second look and yeah, she was right - it was more level if moved forward like she said. In fact, it almost seemed completely level there (but I found out hard reality later on!!). OK, now there was more weed pulling! Then more problems dealing with plastic and wind . Then finally I laid the foundation! No problem laying the foundation!! I began to realize Paul's words "other foundation can no man lay except Jesus Christ! There has NEVER been a problem with Christ! His problems are over! He's absolutely spotless and pure! The problem is with the ground!! US! Where did the sent ones lay Christ as the Foundation Stone? They went to a city and preached Christ to those made from dust. They raised one assembly on this Foundation in each city and they called it the "Assembly in Corinth", the "assembly in Thessalonica" etc. but today we lay it on the Baptist ground or the tongues speaking ground and differentiate from others based on special names or special teachings or special ministers etc. So these things are so problematic. But there's still no problem with the Blessed Foundation!
	Next I began to build upon it. Guess what? I quickly found out pieces were not joined at the top because the ground was not level!! See my poor illustration at the right. (Actually IO have since removed it.) It was a bad illustration because actually the foundation was OK and not crooked as I tried to show in my lousy drawing but I had to put rocks under the corners as I went around joining pieces as the ground underneath was not level. Sometimes it didn't join at the top, and other times the problems appeared at the bottom. Then came lunch. During lunch, I had to go back out there because the wind blew some of the building down. Why? The scripture says we are fitly framed together. SO WHY DO YOU NOT SEE THIS TODAY??? Do you see what I mean??? Nearly every problem (not all of them of course) was because of a problem with the ground!!!! Do you think God is trying to speak to you and me or what??? Anyway before I could finish eating (that's another revelation - to build there must be strength which comes from eating Christ or we cannot finish or go on as it is a lot of WORK) I had to go out add another rock under one of the foundation corners and secure the relationships of the pieces together. Hek, it would have fitly framed easy if the ground was problem free!
	By the time late afternoon came around I was finally trying to fit a roof on the thing and even had problems with that  DUE TO THE GROUND! (Remember how Christ is the topstone? Well because He is born into us HE IS all the stones even you and me are parts or members of Him as the Body parts of the one new man. He is the HEAD of the one new man) Of course since there had been so much securing and screws joining pieces together, the problems were not as bad but in some ways worse. It was not pre-made with screw holes up top so you had to practically crucify the material and create the screw holes as you screwed them in. By this time I was in excruciating pain. This all points to the fact that even though things are such a mess, God is still using this life as a stone query to grind and polish His stones. Sometimes this means some painful crucifixions and things not comfortable or natural to our flesh. This is why we suffer unexplainable things sometimes. Actually I see situations where two or three brothers actually get fitted together and even fitly framed and it's beautiful to see. But there are winds from the enemy to fight all this because you know what happens if building work is ever finished, don't you? Why, the glory falls and flesh cannot even enter that glory!! Do you see why Satan takes up arms against this?!!? Seemingly I have been developing maybe carpel tunnel for months now and with this recent moving and heavy lifting, painting, etc. I have had to do things that cause my right arm more and more pain. That day was the worst. But I kept going , believing God. Now it's all gone! He is my Healer!
Today's Meeting Last night I called somebody I have not talked to in a long time as now I have moved to the area where he lives. His name is also Kevin - same first name as mine - then Sherfey. Anyhow I've driven over here once in a blue moon to meet with them but now I'm in the area. Actually I got him on his cell phone and he was with his wife on vacation in Oregon but one of the other brothers had a meeting at his house real close to me here in Federal Way. There's another thing I left out. I went and fellowshipped with another brother concerning these things after the day the shed was built and he brought up the matter of Ron Wyatt. At wyattmuseum.com you can get this info. He is the only man I know alive who found the ancient ark of the covenant. It is where the Macabees said it was - under the place of the skull where many caves and passages were carved out during the Macabee time frame. It has been said the prophet Jeremiah hid the ark under the polace of Goliath's skull somewhere (which is where Jesus was later crucified? Possibly.) The furnishings of Moses tabernacle were reportedly placed there at that time. Anyhow the Lord told him angels would guard it to confuse others who might try to find it as people like to worship such things. He took Polaroid photos at the time which turned out mostly blurry and could get no other shots. The thing that stuck in my mind that this brother told me and I didn't realize how it related to all this till today was that he found the indent in the place of the skull (where Christ was crucified) which was a hole where the Romans actually dropped crosses into. Except this particular hole had a crack connected to it which had been caused by an earthquake when the Lord passed. Of course, this could mean a breaking of our outer man or a leveling of the ground which man was made from to make a way into the holy of holies which is our inner man where the Christ, the ark of the covenant is so the blood can be applied to the mercy seat and the reconciliation between God and man can take place. Later on in his excavations underneath he had found the ceiling of the place which was directly under the crack the earthquake caused and there was a brown substance found which upon investigation was found to be dried blood. He passed out when he had dug and dug and finally found the ark of the covenant and found this same substance upon the mercy seat, then got a sample and took it to a lab to be tested! It was directly underneath the crack created at the time of the earthquake during our Lord's passing!!!!! Well, blood never dies and if water is added can be checked out under a microscope even though the blood may be centuries or in this case 2 millenniums old, it was found that this was definitely real blood but it had only half of the chromosomes (20-something? I don't remember) that the rest of us have. There has NEVER been blood found ANYWHERE else like this!!! This was because He had only one human parent. His Father was God. There was only one male chromosone and 20 something female chromosones. Anyhow, the point is a couple years later after much digging he came upon a rock after digging straight downward and finally found inside this rock the ark and it was directly below the crack and the same blood was on was on the mercy seat! His blood had LITERALLY fallen upon the mercy seat!!! Hallelujah! So what? Well today, the words of a song we sang was "love found a way .... love led my Lord to a cross of shame. Wow! Of course I just sat there and wept because I was one of those soo deep in sin that I was enslaved for years and years and for so long I saw no way out. I could never have saved myself I was such a sinful helpless horrible mess BUT LOVE FOUND A WAY!!! HIS BLOOD FOUND A WAY! This Christ and the revelation revealed and spoken out is the foundation. He had to go deep. It was not easy, but again there was no problem with Him it was all with me. Later on I began to testify concerning building the shed. Then a brother testified of a sister who had problems with a law suit this last week. Over what? She was suing Coldwell Banker because they sold her a house without info on the soil problem. Well the soil underneath HAD the problem and the foundation cracked!! I could not believe what I was hearing! do you see? The problem, once again was the ground!!!!! Do you see this? We need to admit that we are fallen so far and are deep dark sinners and that the ground IS US but Christ CAN save. He HAS found His way to do it and He will. Later on a brother was speaking this morning and spoke of Jesus not being loud and crying in the streets with fanfare to announce Himself - but then he went on to speak of John the Baptist. The whole message began with the mount of transfiguration and how there were only a select few chosen to go to the mount but that it could have been more than three if more of the disciples had had a closer walk with Christ. Later on we got into a verse in I Cor about eye has not seen nor ear hear but God has revealed the deep things to us by His Spirit. It was then I saw as never before that ALL children of God already HAVE ALL things revealed to US BY His Spirit but WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT TREASURE IT IS WE HAVE WITHIN US AND DO NOT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT!!!!!! WOW!!! Also God used this brother to share that the disciples in their doctrinal brain matter asked the Lord on the way down from the mount about the scripture in Malachi about Elijah preparing the way and coming first. Jesus explained that the spiritual reality of that scripture had already been fulfilled in John the Baptist who had prepared the way. Christ is in us and He is words of the prophet Isaiah came to me concerning his prophecy of John the Baptist: "Every valley shall be raised up, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places a plain." Isaiah 40:4 Do you not see that this concerns ground????!!!!!!???? Do you still think this is not in the Bible? Well, if anyone has been impressed in these days, I think it is obvious God is trying to say something here! The way of Christ for Christ to be revealed or for His revelation to actually come down to earth (which is us as the dust of the ground literally in various places and times) or for His visit where we live to be mad manifest to us needs a preparation of the ground!!! Sounds like a leveling of the ground to me, no? Later on we spoke of the cherubim who guarded the way of the tree of life in the garden of Eden. The Hebrew word used for "cherubim" is "image" or in other words imagination. Our imaginations guard the tree of life. Cherubim were also upon the ark! Why? to keep out the flesh. Revelation has already been granted every child of God but it depends on whether you want to go the way of your mind's imaginations or exercise your human spirit to press into the holy of holies. The way is by the ground where Calvary has forged an earthquake. May God grant you grace and revelation, my dear brother that you may recognize His great love in order to speak to you, my dear brother. And may His mercy be upon you that He grants your eyes His eye salve that you may see! To see the Addendum to this article on re-building the shed (due to ground problems on the original ground)4 years later now and new light on this subject, please click here . Agape, Kevin For the the next article on this series of the ground, please see http://www.lostkeysrevelation.com/ground2.htm. For Part 3 see: http://www.lostkeysrevelation.com/ground3.htm.

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The Revelation of the Lost Keys