why do you teach that it's the best place to be isolated and without fellowship of other believers? Looking at the gospels and the epistles, where do we find this teaching? Isn't the church of Christ a body of believers, united in the Spirit ? Are we not supposed to help each other, and are not the world to know that we are of Christ, when they see that we love each other as Jesus loved us. All the N.T. is about the FELLOWSHIP of the saints in Christ, so why this strong emphasis on ISOLATION ?

Yes fellowship is good and uplifting as long as it is not the prime focus. Jesus should be our focus.

Once we replace Jesus with fellowship then He is no longer the centre of our focus.

The ideal is to Jesus in the centre of our fellowship, but it is so easy to get caught up with fellowship and lose sight of Him.

the fellowship the focus or Jesus the focus....? You should fellowship in Christ. That means the fellowship is supposed to be all about Christ and in his Spirit.

You don't have any warning in the gospels or the epistles, that the fellowship of the saints (meaning the ekklesia, the Church)could be competing with the fellowship with the Lord. The true fellowship is to be in the Spirit, and then the Lord is in the midst. Of course you can have a religious meeting that is not truly fellowship in the Lord, but I guess that the Lord will move his light from apostate church or a fellowship where he is not the head of the body.

This does not mean we should seek for isolation, does it ?

Can you point it to me where Jesus or his apostles teach about the disciples needing to be in isolation from fellowship with other brothers and sisters in Christ ??

Gudbjorg, Paul spent some time in the wilderness in the isolation some years after his conversion. That's where he received his revelation of Christ, not out of men.

Paul didn't spend time in isolation from fellowship of believers. He was traveling and planting churches, preaching the gospel of Christ. Where do you see isolation in his life, and where does he preach and teach that believers in Christ should avoid fellowship of the body, and seek isolation ?

Good comments friends! In one short article you cannot give a complete teaching- we aim to provoke thought and questions.

The point is that many feel that a wilderness experience is wrong when maybe it could be a time to embrace Jesus so that they can come back into relationships with somethig to offer- rather than just being takers.

The wilderness experience is not something we set our will on and decide to do. God puts you there and has a time or times in the wilderness for those he prepares for ministry or a special work. Some examples: Jesus, Moses, John the Baptist, Apostle John, Paul. When God puts you in the wilderness you will find yourself in circumstances where fellowship is impossible. Some people hear a word from God telling them to withdraw from fellowship for a season. When your wilderness time is up then your circumstances change to allow fellowship again. It is not a permanent place to be in and only God can put you in the wilderness.

Truly our fellowship is with the Father

1Jo 1:1-4
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)
That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

The basis of Fellowship is:
Vs.3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

The basis of our fellowship is with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ. In this quality of fellowship; we learn what Jesus Christ has done for us and give him all the Glory through our praise and true worship in the Spirit. We live in the Armour of God, we are filled with the Holy Ghost, we walk as the Sons and Daughters of the Living God. This is the fellowship with the Father, Son and the Holy Ghost, by being in total agreement with his will for our lives. Fellowship and communion are one and the same word in Greek but very often are treated differently in how we act. In Communion we become so solemn and Holy; hardly saying anything lest it displeases God in our reverence and upsets the people. But when it gets to having fellowship for some; it is very often everything except talking about the Lord, gossiping about others; gorging out on food etc.
The reason why some of us seem to be left on the outside having that so-called wilderness experience; is that we, or at least myself get to a point that I just don’t want to hear all the small talk. I don’t want to talk about me; the Lord is just too exciting to not want to. My heart is bursting with the good news of God’s Word and his will; I just get so excited that I learn more about God’s Love as he manifests himself in various ways that his anointing breaks more yokes off my life, and I see clearer as a result. My wilderness experience becomes like a day of feasting in the blessings of God. Truth in itself doesn’t set a person free, it is knowing the truth that sets you free; no more than a good hearty meal can satisfy a hungry person in itself, but it is in the eating of it that does the trick.
Be encouraged; when we feel dried up and exhausted lacking nourishment and thinking if God is really there; that is the time when we take hold of the scriptures and declare what the Word of God says about us; it works every time. God’s Word is his will manifested and if we declare his will we are in agreement and therefore in fellowship; truly our fellowship is with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ our Saviour. Paul the Apostle went through many trials but out of it all he says in one place, who can separate us from the Love of God? Rom.8:31-39.
In the Old Testament there are a number of references to the wilderness and most time there is with it a blossoming of that wilderness; it is not just referring to going to heaven.
Nikao

Your article was actually spot on. It is true that we find our dependence and a deeper faith when we depend on Him alone, AND if that means being without some fellowship for a season this actually shows us whether we are depending on others to boost us or on getting a proper relationship with God. In fact if we DO have this time of being in the wilderness it is GOD who then provides the ones we can fellowship with (or not, if He chooses) and at the time we need it. It changes our focus onto God supplying all our needs, and off others, who we tend to lean on a little, for our strength. In this age we are living in it is ESSENTIAL that we know how to hear from God and be directed by Him without others around....this is GOD'S way of equipping us for the time ahead. HE DOES know our need for others and He WILL supply this in HIS timing. YES the Bible tells us not to neglect fellowshipping together, but we must also recall that many times in the Bible and in places like China, He also wants us to be alone.....this is how our roots will go down very deep.

Hi Wendy- great comments!