HOW MANY OF THESE "WHAT IFs DO WE SEE TODAY?

What if… we have totally missed God’s heart and design?

What if… the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors/teachers (Eph. 4:11) were intended to be itinerant servants to the body of Christ and not locally limited, determined or ordained?

What if… God set them in the body, not locally, but the body of Christ (universally) to serve, equip and build up the body of Christ UNTIL we ALL become unified in faith and maturity in Christ (Eph. 4:12-14) to the glory of God?

What if… those gifted servants (above), trusted the Lord as their provider and if need be, worked with there own hands to carry out their particular ministry of service to the body (Acts 18:3)?

What if… when saints gathered together in the Lord’s name, there were no apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastor/teachers present that day?  Could all the members function together and build one another up in love as mentioned in Eph. 4:15 & Col. 2:2?

What if… God gave these gifts and callings (Eph. 4:11) to serve the body of Christ in general so the local saints would not become dependent upon just these few gifted servants but rather encourage and build themselves up in love (Eph. 4:16)?

What if… visits of apostles or prophets, evangelists, pastor/teachers were a rare treat and great cause of celebration and thanksgiving to all when they arrived (Acts 21:17, 20)?

What if.. the practice of “laying by in store” (ICor. 16:2) was mainly to meet the needs of the saints in Christ’s body as well as local saints and friends in need within the community (IICor. 8:3-4)?

What if… when these called of God servants moved on, they carried with them the gifts and offerings of the saints to share elsewhere in the body of Christ as needed (II Cor. 8:3-4)?

What if… God intended for ALL members of Christ’s body to function and exercise their individual gifts and love for one another each time they gathered in the Lord’s name where ever and when ever that may be (ICor. 14:23, 24, 26, 31)?

What if... The Spirit of the Lord was at liberty to flow and touch individual saints and each member allowed the Spirit to minister through them?  Would not the unlearned and unbelievers fall on their faces and testify, “surely God is here?!!” (IICor. 3:17; ICor. 14:24-25)

What if… worship was intended to be personal and spontaneous as each is drawn into the Spirit: bringing a psalm, hymn, spiritual song, prophesying, testifying, etc. as the presence of the Lord is manifested in their midst (ICor. 12:7, 14:20; Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16)?

Last but not least, WHAT IF…God loves His children so much that He is willing to allow the testing and purifying fire of persecution to come to America to unite and draw us closer to the desires of His heart so that He might complete that for which He purposed and began (Phil. 1:6)?