THE WHEEL WITHIN A WHEEL
by Rev. T.A. Lanes

   One must understand the construction of "a Wheel" complete with hub, spokes, felloes and the encircling rim, in order to glimpse the message of Ezekiel's vision. Fellowship is a word that has run the gamut of time and still comes out smelling "sweet" even if it appears to have in the past failed to "get all the fellows in the ship." Spiritual advance usually begins with saints who through the agency of the Holy Spirit operate like the "Felloes" of the wagon wheel, "mortised" or "joined" together. "He that is joined to the Lord is One Spirit."

No one, individual "felloe" can take credit for "holding the wheel together", but when they are are ALL TOGETHER they are ready to roll or move. Separate them and the wheel is broken and a stalemate is inevitable. Most conventions are described as providing fellowship sweet and precious, however very little movement results and little if anything is accomplished "in-between fellowship meetings."

The Book of Acts speaks of TWO Fellowships or Communions:
      1. Of Bread and Wine: 2. Breaking of Bread of the Love Feast.
       The first we celebrate to "be at ONE WITH GOD."
       The second we celebrate to "be at ONE WITH EACH OTHER."
       The first united the early Christians in Spiritual things.
       The second united them in material things, but remember, they all belong
       to the society of "One Mind, One Soul, One Blood and One Bread".

Their unity extended from THE ALTAR to the TABLE. It was not "Half-way fellowship", rather ALL OF LIFE was UNIFIED. This is the kind "Wheel Felloe-ship" the whole world is seeking and needing. The outer "Rim" of Gods Wheel is composed of many "felloes", each mortised or joined to each other completing the full "circle of oneness" necessary to be able to roll on Gods Mobile throne of His Presence. What do you suppose would happen if we ALL HAD A SINGLE MIND, ALL WITH A SINGLE PURPOSE..we would literally transform the world.
 
Most of us are guilty of having kept the communion of "THE CUP" but dropped "Communion of Felloe-ship" with one another. I believe the "Fellowship of the Saints" resulted in THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. We cannot be satisfied with "Crumbs of Fellowship" and expect the ultimate of Signs, Wonders and Miracles. (Acts 2:42 - 47) clearly tells the story.." and they continued steadfastly in the APOSTLES DOCTRINE AND FELLOWSHIP, and in breaking of bread and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul: and many Wonders and Signs were done by the Apostles."
   
The quality of New Testament Fellowship was determined by the Quality of the Saints. Could it be that there is an obvious reason for the anemic Fellowship of our day? Never-the-less we see a marked difference between "hot heads" and "hot hearts."
New Testament Saints definitely had BURNING HEARTS! They were intoxicated with the Holy Spirit, their lives were centered in Christ, emulating the image of Christ, becoming channels of God's redemptive, free giving love, helping the needy, the lost, the unfortunate, the unhappy. they volunteered to bear the burdens of their fellow men, thus fulfilling the Spiritual Laws of Christ.

The New Testament saint sees Christianity not only as a theoretical ideal, rather for them it is a  practical way of life with "others" there watchword. They believe the Kingdom of God has come into history and must continue in them as it began in Christ. They realize that they "must purify the springs of history within their own heart." They have true humility, always decreasing while Christ increases.

Ever race, creed, color and nation becomes the object of their  wistful gaze as they search for a brother or sister in whom lies the potentialities of a Christ Saint, thereby enlarging their circle of fellowship. Their devotion dos not become the means of escape from the world of obligations,
rather the result of their Worship stimulates their activity on behalf of others.

They have learned to live heroically in the world, because they have found the SOURCE OF LIFE which is in and through them. Last but not least, they are "Men the light shines through". Give us one such person with God and you have a majority, add another and you have an idea of what constitutes the nucleus of a living, moving, pulsating, vibrant end time Holy Ghost Miracle-working Revival Fellowship.
   
This is "The Felloe-Ship" forming the mobile Throne of God moving as the Spirit moves and which is emanating from the shadows of a disheartened ecclesia...once again God is moving "The Wheel within a Wheel" hovering above the earth and heard to say, "LET MY PEOPLE GO."
   
Once again God's book of Acts brings to the fore, Apostles and Prophets whom he had in preparation. Once again God thunders His answer in response to his fettered saints, who at a midnight hour PRAY AND SING PRAISES. Once again the chains fall off and the prison gates swing open. Once again "the earth without form and void and darkness upon the face of the deep"..is conscious that THE SPIRIT OF GOD is moving upon the face of the waters. "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of the darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give THE LIGHT OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE GLORY OF GOD IN THE FACE OF JESUS CHRIST." 2 Cor. 4:6

    ONCE AGAIN..."The Wheel within a Wheel turns" and Peter on the Day of Pentecost says, "This is That." Pentecost brought a new basis for "FELLOE-SHIP" to the waiting church. "There is a spirit in man, and the breadth of the Almighty giveth understanding." "The Spirit of God made me, and the breath of the Almighty giveth me life."
   
   In and through the Old Testament the Holy Spirit creates, directs and energizes. He came upon Moses, Samson, Samuel and Gideon and in fact all the prophets spake by Him. Ever creative period of history had its gifts of the Holy Ghost, BUT at Pentecost the Holy Ghost came as He had never come before. Except in their combination and intensity THE SIGNS were not new, Wind and Fire and Tongues had been identified with the gift of the Spirit, though NOW greatly intensified and administered through the FELLOE-SHIP of Believers.
   
    No wonder Jesus said, "It is expedient for you that I go away. "The inference is that the Presence of the Spirit is more advantageous than the bodily presence of Jesus. we can better understand, why it is that a Spirit Born Fellowship (not man made or legislated) becomes a Great Works Fellowship. In the promise of a Spiritually dynamic age, Jesus pictured great men (servants) with greater love, greater power and greater works,
the hour of the world's greatest need can never be met by lesser men of lessor deeds and lesser fellowships.
 
   The ATOM MAN seems to have far outrun the ADAM MAN in the race between science and righteousness and in the bringing to earth the kingdom of destructive forces instead of the Kingdom of God.

    God's "Wheel within a Wheel" enables us to draw our circle of FELLOE-SHIP around the world. ":The more excellent way." The indwelling presence makes us "One with Christ" as the Son is ONE with the Father. "I in you and ye in me." God has poured forth His double portion anointing upon His waiting saints, bringing a new dynamic of righteousness. The great miracle of the first Pentecost was the miracle working fellowship of the saints of the first century.
   
   And NOW....in the last half of this century of the Lord's Returning, when the enemy is coming in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord has raised up a standard against him, With the earth in a state of death pangs, chaos, and extinction threating, there is no time to argue, no time for division or speculation. "Now is our redemption nearer than when we first believed." The time is at hand! This is God's last hour of deliverance. This is the Hour of Anointing. God's last call to "Come out and Come together, that they may be one."
   
  To this end, I believe that God has brought into our being our Inter-Faith Felloe-Ship, International in scope and Pentecostal in fervor and nature. For this reason I urge you to join hearts and hands in blazing a trail of revival around the world. "The Lord working with us confirming his Word with Signs Following....Amen!"

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