Notes
of Travels: Cambridge, MA - November 2014.
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November 2, 2014 – Visited a local Assembly meeting at Norfolk
St, Cambridge, MA. Small gathering of about
ten. Amongst this small company,
there are some refugees from Nepal,
with whom we had a brief but sweet fellowship.
It appears that this local Assembly has been continuously meeting at
this place for close to a century. But
yet it was sad to witness only a few there --a condition which is increasingly
seen amongst the Assemblies in America. (In slight contrast, Canadian Assemblies seem
to have a few more numbers, and more energetic, from what we witnessed during
our recent trip to New Brunswick and Islands on the eastern side.) A brother from England
who was visiting the local Assemblies in New England
gave the ministry. The subject he took
was from John 10, and also shared thoughts on the characters of our Lord Jesus
as the Good Shepherd (Psalm 22)--the Great Shepherd (Psalm 23)--and the Chief
Shepherd (Psalm 24).
On the following next Lord's day (November 9)--we visited
another local Assembly in Cambridge,
MA. (It appears that there are only two
Assemblies in Cambridge,
meeting on Scriptural principles gathering to the Lord' Name.) Small gathering of about
ten. A young brother from India,
who came to study at a local University is in
fellowship there. The order of worship
and other activities appear to be Scriptural.
Like other Assemblies in New England,
this is also a small gathering. (It is
one of the early Assemblies in Boston,
which began (in late 1800s) to meet on Scriptural principles. J.N. Darby was known to have visited some of
these gatherings during his trips to New England. We met with brethren and sisters who have
gladly received us in the Name of the Lord.
During the worship, the Lord enabled me to share thoughts on the
Lordship of Jesus Christ--the King of glory--as set forth in Psalm 24.
According to the local brethren there, it appears that there
are, at the present day, no known Assemblies in the city of Boston gathering on Scriptural principles--(save
one, but that which was reported to have been compromised by corrupting
influences of denominational systems).
But yet, we ought to take comfort and remind ourselves the solemn
warnings of Lord Christ to the seven Assemblies of Asia Minor as seen in Rev 2
and 3. "Remember therefore from
whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come
unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except
thou repent." (Rev 2:5.)
The golden lamp-stands of Boston have long ago burned out.
The city which once had several Assemblies in 1800s-- a century later show no
glimpse of light. What has happened to them?
Where are the golden lamps today? This low spiritual condition,
that not only of Assemblies, but the Christian testimony in general,
resembles all across America,
and especially the New England states, which
once saw the light of the Gospel during the great revivals of 18th
century. The Assemblies today are very
few and far apart, and spiritually weak.
(Needless to mention of the sad failure across the
Atlantic in England, and
much of Europe.) But yet, we are certain that even in these
places, there will be found some of the Lord's own who continue to hold fast to
the faith in these last days; for which we ought to thank God for His
faithfulness in maintaining the testimony of the Assembly on earth. But as far as local Assemblies are concerned,
if there is no repentance, and if the first works are not seen, then it is
certain that He will come quickly and will remove the candlestick out of the
place (as the history of Boston shows us, or like those 7 Assemblies of Asia
Minor (nearly 2000 years ago), which have long been taken out from their places
in Ephesus, Smyrna &c.
Now, the assemblies may yet claim to be gathering on Scriptural
principles and not discern the Lord's judgment upon them. But this only goes to show the
self-complacent spirit of Laodicea:
Rev 3:17. "Because thou sayest, I am rich, and
increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest
not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and
naked" Is it not this spirit
increasingly seen in the Assemblies all across America? It is a great thing to be gathered unto the
Lord's Name. But a local Assembly
gathered on this divine ground has a solemn responsibility to first recognize
its own failure, and repent, and do the first works. Let us recall the words of Christ to Laodicea: v18 "I
counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that
thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do
not appear, and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest
see." The Lord Jesus alone is all sufficient, and moreover, "He is
the Head over all things to the Church." Eph.1. v19 "As many as I love, I rebuke
and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent." yet shows the long patient
grace of Christ for His Assembly.
"Having loved his own which were in the world, He loved them unto
the end." John13:1.
Thank God, in some parts of the world--especially India, as it appears
from various reports, that the lamp-stands there are burning brightly for
Christ, though none can truly escape corruption and failure in the end, as Rev 2
and 3 show. But where there is true
spiritual discernment, repentance and the exhibition of first works (love to
Christ), there will be seen much blessing even in the midst of present-day
ruin.
P. Luke
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