Arizona Bible Conference – notes

The atmosphere was such that would promote liberty, brotherly affection and speaking the truth in love.

The four readings were in Ephesians 3:14 through 4:16 emphasizing Christian unity. We went into the subject in some detail and it was emphasized that if we truly seek to draw nearer to Christ, by allowing His word to direct us, we will also find ourselves nearer to each other.

The discussions after lunch continued on the same subject and proved to be helpful.

Christian love is to be displayed in and guarded by truth as John said to Gaius in 3 John.

As we were instructed to endeavour (make a real effort) to maintain the unity of the Spirit, we had a number of scriptural ways to practically put that into practice. To do good and communicate, to have a love for all the saints if we know them or not, to receive all Christians that are walking uprightly if they regularly attend the local gathering or not as Gaius was commended for doing and as those in the early 1800s did, just to mention a few.

There were two open ministry meetings where two or three could speak as found in 1 Corinthians 14:29.

In the first open ministry meeting:

The first speaker drew our attention to what promotes unity in Philippians 1, closeness in relation to Christ as well as the saints, praying for one another, laboring together in the gospel, proper christian behavior, etc.

The second speaker took up 1 Corinthians 16:13 & 14, - Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. Let all your things be done with charity. - Five links in a chain necessary to maintain unity. Strength and love in the minds of some do not seem to go together but they do in the mind of God.

The third speaker spoke on Ephesians 3:17 “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love”, - Colossians 2:6 & 7 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. - Psalm 144:12 That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace: - Rooted in love, rooted and established in the faith, and how important it is to be done in our youth.

In the second open ministry meeting:

The first speaker drew our attention to Psalm 133, unity connected with priesthood, John 17 the High Priest’s prayer, 2 women that anointed Jesus Luke 7 & John 12, Aaron anointed with oil from his head to the hem of his garment, and the importance of the headship of Christ.

The second speaker drew our attention to Psalm 119 as well as the Psalms of ascension, Esther 2 a bride for the King and her time of cleansing, Revelation 2&3 cleansing of the church, Esther accepted what the servant gave her and did not add her thoughts to it resulting in what was pleasing to the King.

The third speaker drew our attention to John 7:17 and 17:20&21. He that wills to do His will – that they all may be one. Then looking at the epistles of Paul and John to see where they willed to do His will by exposing and attempting to correct what was tending to divide God’s people as well as what was encouraging to promote unity among God’s people. Finishing with the bride no longer focusing on the divisions of Revelation chapters 2 & 3, but focusing on what she knew to be pleasing the Lord by having the same mind as the Spirit. And the Spirit and the bride say COME (Revelation 22:17).

The last meeting was an address on the tabernacle emphasizing unity as seen in detail about the boards, the bars, the coverings, the curtains, the pillars, the court, the cords, the furniture, and much more.

I am sure that I left out a number of items but this may give a little overview as to what the Lord did bless us with at these meetings.