After Jesus went home to his Father, he sent the Holy Spirit to give birth to his first church in Jerusalem by his apostles. The spiritual heart of this church is described in:
Acts 2:44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

The first church had a strong spiritual bond to be together because of the common faith they had in wanting to be with Jesus forever. They met daily in the temple court as brothers and sisters of Jesus. And as a family that took care of those in need as others helped financially. They gathered often in their homes to have fellowship meals, communion and worshipped as one with glad and sincere hearts which made them grow united in their faith in Jesus.

What makes a church the body of Christ its being a family in Christ, caring for each other’s needs and to fellowship together as often as possible by having meals, communion, and worship together with the purpose to grow united the same faith in the knowledge and understanding of our Lord Jesus. A church needs to meet in person so that the spiritual gift we receive from the Holy Spirit can be used for the common good of the church.

1 Corinthians 12: 4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. 7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
The Holy Spirit has given every believer a spiritual gift to use for the betterment of the church and not for oneself but to unify the church and not divided.
1 Corinthians 12: 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.
The Holy Spirit determines the spiritual gift we each receive, and no individual can give a spiritual gift to someone or give themselves a spiritual gift. Spiritual gifts are for the common good of the church. So, no gift is greater than any other gift, all gifts are needed to be the one body of Christ.
1 Corinthians 12: 12 The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So, it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
1 Corinthians 12: 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
We all receive a spiritual gift when we meet as the church so that we can use our gift to unite as one body in Christ. We must treat all spiritual gifts with equal importance and necessary to function as the body of Christ because God has arranged the gift we received for his purpose.
So, how do we use our spiritual gift as the body of Christ when we do not gather as his body. It has been 2 years since we met Sundays at KIS and we need to gather together again as one body of Christ.
The Lord has taught me that having Sunday service at a house will be taxing on the homeowner and upon their neighbors which I learned because of our tunnel vision when doing church, we do not think that the noise we generate and parking we take may be bothering the neighbors. This is something Paul said we need to be aware of so that we do not lose the respect of our neighbors.
1 Thessalonians 4: 11 Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, 12 so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

We are thankful to have Kailua Intermediate School for a season but now we are unable to return. We have an opportunity to rent a classroom on Sunday at Kailua Christian Church which many of us once attended. There may be an uncomfortable feeling about going back there. But I see that as opportunity for us to show the spiritual heart of Jesus’ 1st church and then Jesus may send those who were being saved to join us.
Please let me know what the Holy Spirit is discerning in you so we can decide best way to gather again as the body of Christ.
Be safe in Jesus, Ps. Glenn