Table of Contents

PRESENTATION...............................................................................................................................5 INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................................................6 CHAPTER 1.......................................................................................................................................8

QUESTION: John 12:32 says that if we lift up the Lord in our meetings all will be

drawn to Him. If we truly have the Lord in our midst, why are so few

drawn? Why is there so little blessing among us in the preaching of the gospel?................................8

God blesses His Word wherever it is preached..........................................................9

There are more people in the denominational churches.............................................................................11 CHAPTER 2.....................................................................................................................................12

QUESTION: If we profess to gather on the ground of the "one body," why do we assume a

position of separation from all the other members of the body and not break bread with them? This

seems totally inconsistent with the truth of the New Testament, which presents the Christian

community as being a happy family with all walking together in love. The Bible teaches that

we should walk together in a happy unity with our brothers and sisters, not in separation from them......12

The second epistles insist on separation in a day of ruin.................................................13

The correct attitude in separation: humiliation..................................................................................14 CHAPTER 3.....................................................................................................................................16

QUESTION: Matthew 18:20 and Luke 22:7-10 indicate that the Spirit of God is the divine

Gatherer, that He guides Christians to the place chosen by God. If the position of the so-

called "gathered saints" is on that ground, why are there so few? Or is it a problem

with the Spirit's power to gather, or perhaps this is not the place to which He is guiding the

people...............................................................................................................................................16

It Is a Remnant Testimony...................................................................................18

Practicing All the Truth Is Unpopular.............................................................................................24

The Hand of God in Governmental Judgment Weighs on Us...........................................................24 CHAPTER 4.....................................................................................................................................26 QUESTION: Why is it so wrong for some among the "gathered saints" to attend the denominations of their Christian friends? After all, they also love the Lord!.................................26

1. It would be hypocrisy to support something we are against..........................................................................26

2. It would be approving the denominational order that has no biblical basis.............................................27

3. We would lose our power as witnesses of the truth of the assembly..................................30

4. We would be associating the Lord's table with the order without biblical basis existing in the churches. .......................................................................................................................................................31

5. There is the danger of ending up being led into the denominational churches...................32

CHAPTER 5.....................................................................................................................................36 QUESTION: How can we say that there is only one group of Christians who are correctly gathered on a divine basis, and that only they have the Lord in their midst, when there are so many groups of pious and devoted Christians who meet with sincere motives? This sounds extremely prejudiced and sectarian............................................................................................36

God desires that His people be a single testimony................................................................36

God has a ground on which He gathers Christians...................................................................38

There is a divine 'Gatherer' who leads believers to the place chosen by God............................40

The logical conclusion of the Scriptures..................................................................................................42

The divisions among those who maintain the truth of the gathering........................................................45

The truth of the one place is not a new doctrine......................................................................48

God's gathering center on earth today..................................................................48 CHAPTER 6.....................................................................................................................................49 QUESTION: How can this be the correct place when all kinds of wrong things are happening? There are disputes, divisions, worldliness, etc. If the Lord were truly in the midst, He would not allow such things to happen.......................................................................49 CHAPTER 7.....................................................................................................................................54 QUESTION: How can a decision be considered an "assembly decision" when many in the assembly do not agree with it?..................................................................................................54 CHAPTER 8.....................................................................................................................................59

QUESTION: What should be done if an assembly makes an unjust and wrong decision?....................59 CHAPTER 9.....................................................................................................................................67

QUESTION: Why in the 19th century did the brothers receive all Christians to break bread,

but today's brothers do not do the same? The impression given is that they have departed from the truth and

have become sectarian......................................................................................................................67

There must be care in reception..................................................................................................68

Who decides who should be in fellowship?..........................................................................68

Would personal testimonies not be enough?.........................................................................69

Putting the person's profession of faith to the test.............................................................................70

James 2:1-4 is not a model for the church...................................................................................72 CHAPTER 10...................................................................................................................................74

QUESTION: Is it worthwhile to be gathered to the Lord's name?................................................74