There are many types of Christians wrestling against the world, the flesh, and the devil in the Body of Christ. 

There are those who seem to be barely "hanging on", those who wait and patiently "hold on", those who want to be stable and hopefully are "calling for help" unto God and others. The fourth kind are those who "stand on" God's word and are able to "carry on" in His will. These may be buffeted and tested almost beyond measure at times. If these stand they will be the Hebrews 11 type Saints who have been in "Satan's "hall" of blame" but will be written in "God's hall of fame". 

Those who may be just "hanging on" need the help of those who are "holding on", those "calling for help", "those carrying on" and "those standing". Those "hanging on" may have already gone through the holding on, calling for help, and carrying on stages and slipped from one of these levels. It is like the thread of truth which once secured them has been allowed to be frayed and worn by the trials & tests of time which the enemy has been allowed to enter and give them. 

Those holding on still have the Word of God hidden in their hearts but find it harder to stand when they look around and see confusion, distrust, bitterness and lack of love and reconciliation within the Body of Christ. These feel they have done all they can do. They still have the Saviour but also need the support of the Body which is to be fitly joined together in love lest one member became so detached it becomes "disjointed" , loses the flow of love and dies. Love is to the Body of Christ what blood is to the human body. Love keeps it functioning and flowing as it should while supplying each part with life giving power. Our body cannot function without blood and the Body of Christ cannot function without "love" and the blood of Jesus. 

Those holding on have stood on the solid rock Christ Jesus but the storms have them "weather beaten" and worn. As long as their eyes are on the "lighthouse" they are able to go on. Satan may have been allowed to temporarily "hide the light" by blinding some to the needs in the Body and the schemes of Satan. This results in one member working against another member in the body. 

Those calling for help have cried out unto the Lord and also at times unto his Body. God wants to use us to help. The Lord is one with his true body and is the Head of the Body on earth. These calling for help may have heard his voice and seen his spiritual face revealed in the Word but now need the effectual working of Christ's body on earth. 

Some are in need of the hand of his body on earth which is to be extended to them. Some need words from those who are to be the mouthpiece God wants to use. Christians on earth are to bring peace and help destroy the works of darkness. Some need to see the "gospel shoes of peace" worn by others instead of the combat boots of the enemy. Some do not even realize Satan has been allowed to strip them of the gospel 'shoes of brass and iron' and they have become spiritually "unshod". Their nakedness is evident to others who may try to cover them by the type shoes they may wear spiritually. 

Paul the apostle "kicked against the pricks" but God touched his heart and gave him compassion and love as a Father would have for his children or a nurse for the sick. We need to love one another with a godly love as Christ loved the Church and gave his life for it. 

A cry of help should never go unheeded. God wants to use each member in the body to help lift up and edify another member. We are to be lively stones which are fitly joined together with the cement of his love. When Satan has been allowed to loosen the mortar holding these stones together we find the building will begin to crumble. There will be a need for repair and love is the only "holding agent" that is able to put back all the pieces. 

If the enemy has planted an accusing spirit through anger, jealousy, suspicion, or distrust; we are to recognize this. If it be in another brother or sister, we are to help to bring reconciliation and bring the "stones" which may have come "unglued" back together again. Can we do this? We are called to be "ministers of reconciliation". We can only do this correctly the Bible way. If there are divisions and sects with the Body of Christ, they are to be torn down by confronting the root of the problem with truth and in love. Only truth is able to put back together the lively stones which have been separated and are crumbling. 

If there are those who refuse to be reconciled one with another and will not confront a brother or sister with whom they have ought, they are in sin and biblical error. These are to be instructed to obey the Bible way and go to those whom they feel have wronged them for the purpose of bringing reconciliation into the Body of Christ. Many will not do this for they do not want reconciliation and are being used of Satan to destroy the work God wants to do in the midst. Many have fear of the works of darkness being brought to light which is God's intent. When "light shines into the darkness" the darkness has to flee. This is the only way to rid the body of darkness is to bring it into God's light. 

Many fear the feelings of relatives, friends, leaders or others if their words and actions are brought into the light. Fear of man is of Satan but fear of God is brought by the Holy Ghost. 

How can we help as members of the Body of Christ? We can try and make sure there are no areas between us and another stone that have become jagged and rough. We must let the hand of God help us by taking the Word of God and applying it to these situations. God will put back together and fill in the gaps with his love, life, and liberty if we will only obey. 

We cannot afford to let unsettled differences, hurts, anger, or jealousy go unnoticed as it is like a canker and will eat away at the once lively stones in the Body of Christ. We must obey the Word and see things through the all-seeing, all-knowing eyes of God. 

What has been spoken in darkness is being brought to light in these last hours. God's Church is built on a rock and the gates of hell shall not prevail against the one true Church. We are all members of this one true Church as Christians. Each Assembly or denomination is only one stone in the one true Body of Christ which is part of the whole universal Body. This body will stand and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Individual Churches can fall or depart from God but the stones who are part of the one true body will remain "in Christ" and will never fail if they obey his will and word. 

There are many things which God desires for his Body to help bring peace. We are to be peacemakers and we will be blessed. Many have "locked God out" and 'refused his knock' on their heart's door because they did not listen to His Spirit and words of life. These have taken on prideful attitudes and pride goes before a fall. We are to pray one for another and keep the gates of our ears open which lead to our heart. We are to "let His sayings sink down into our ears" so they can take root into our hearts. 
God will speak to us and show us the things He would have us to do. He will guide us in right ways to bring harmony into the midst of the Body and guard against the schemes of the enemy. Will we have ears to hear? Will we have a heart to receive? Will we be one who holds on, stands, hangs on or calls for help? Will we work together one with another? Our answers should be "yes" unto the Lord. 

Let us move upward in whatever level we may be and seek to be a "lively stone" which is founded on the Solid Rock Christ Jesus, securely fastened one to another. Let us desire to help one another and be reconciled one with another. We will be blessed and multiply when we obey the words of the Lord which are spirit and life. 

God bless, 

Jo Ann 

J.P's Inspirations (c) 2001