Very Dear To My Heart (Part One)

I want to speak to you today about some of the things which are very dear to my heart! Just to make it clear in the beginning, all these things which I want to speak to you today about, all these things shall not be able to save your soul until you shall allow the blood of Christ to cleanse you from all sin! Only the blood of Christ, and nothing else, shall be able to save your soul from sin, death, and hell!
I could speak to you today only about the blood of Christ, and go no further! And in like manner I could speak to you today only about the things which are very dear to my heart, and go no further! Or, best of all by far, I could speak to you today about the blood of Christ, and about the effect which the blood of Christ shall have upon the members of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of New Testament Saints!
As we all know, anyone can join and sing the words of the hymn "Let me see, Jesus only, Jesus only! Only he can satisfy!" Dear ones, these statements of the hymn are indeed true! However, according to Ephesians chapter five, Christ is the head of the church! Therefore, if we have a desire to see our LORD Jesus only, this must then also include his church!
Also, according to Hebrews chapter thirteen, we are to obey and follow the faith of those who have the rule over us, who have spoken to us the word of God! Therefore, again, if we have a desire to obey our LORD Jesus only, this must then also include The Church Of Jesus Christ Of New Testament Saints since, according to Hebrews chapter thirteen, we are to obey and follow the faith of those who have the rule over us, who have spoken to us the word of God!...
Let me now speak to you concerning the church leadership of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of New Testament Saints if I may do so!
Therefore, first of all, let us have that clear that according to Ephesians chapter five, Christ, and no other person, is the head of the church! I am speaking about the same Christ whom Stephen saw standing on the right hand of God in heaven, according to Acts chapter seven! This same Jesus, and no other person, was made flesh and dwelt among us, according to John chapter one!
Therefore we, knowing now that Christ, and no other person, is the head of the church, then what about those men of God who do operate in the church under the authority of Christ?
My answer is that I am not somebody who has all the answers concerning this matter! However, if you shall allow me to humbly speak to you about that which, according to my understanding, and according to my spirit of discernment, does seem to be something that shall be found worthy of consideration at least, then shall I now begin to speak to you about the Quorum of the Twelve, the Quorum of the Seventy, the Stake overseers, bishops, elders, and deacons of the church!
The Quorum of the Twelve of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of New Testament Saints are those who, under Christ, do have the highest authority in the church! These Twelve men are also called The Traveling Presiding High Council, to officiate in the name of the LORD, under the direction of the Holy Spirit!
It is the duty of the Twelve, to ordain and set in order Seventy men who shall work under the direction of The Traveling Presiding High Council, if there are those who shall be found worthy of their calling! And these Seventy men are called the Quorum of the Seventy! It is the duty of the Twelve to call upon the Seventy, and not upon any others, to assist them in the work of the LORD wheresoever a special need shall arise for them to do so!
It is the duty of the Seventy, also, to ordain and set in order the Stake overseers who shall preside over their Stake! Namely, over every bishop within his Stake, if there are those who shall be found worthy of their calling! For whensoever there are many wards within a certain region, all these wards together do form one Stake!
It is the duty of the Stake overseers, also, to ordain and set in order a bishop in every ward within his Stake, if there are those who shall be found worthy of their calling! It is the duty of the bishop, also, to ordain and set in order at least two elders within his ward, if there are those who shall be found worthy of their calling!
It is the duty of the bishop to preside over all the members within his ward! It is the duty of the bishop, along with his elders within his ward, also, to ordain and set in order at least two deacons within their ward, if there are those who shall be found worthy of their calling!
Now concerning all these men of God of whom I have spoken, none of these men shall be ordained into their office, unless there shall be those who shall be found worthy of their calling, according to first Timothy chapter three!