WHY FELLOWSHIP IS SO IMPORTANT IN YOUR WALK WITH GOD.

8/28/2019

IF I CAN DEFINE ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSONS THAT GOD HAS TAUGHT ME IN THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS OF MY WALK WITH HIM IS JUST HOW FAULTY THE IDEA OF “DOING IT ON MY OWN” IS IN LIFE. IT IS SO IMPORTANT TO HAVE THE EXPERIENCE, WISDOM, AND SUPPORT OF THOSE AROUND YOU WHO ARE SEEKING AND STRIVING TO BE A PART OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD. IT IS CRITICAL TO BE IN FELLOWSHIP WITH OTHERS SO THAT YOU CAN FIND COMMUNITY AND BELONGING AS YOU GROW IN YOUR FAITH AND IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. I AM BLESSED TO BE IN SEVERAL GROUPS OF MEN WHO MEET REGULARLY TO READ GOD’S WORD AND SEEK ANSWERS AND TRUTH FROM HIM IN ALL AREAS OF OUR LIFE. WE GAIN WISDOM FROM EACH OTHER. WE HOLD EACH OTHER ACCOUNTABLE FOR OUR THOUGHTS AND ACTIONS. WE BECOME STRONGER AND BETTER MEN BY BEING TOGETHER. MY WIFE WOULD SHARE THE SAME TRUTH. HER WOMEN’S GROUPS HELP HER GROW, SHARE HER LIFE, AND GAIN STRENGTH, WISDOM AND FELLOWSHIP AS WELL. OUR CHURCH GIVES US A PLACE OF COMMUNITY ALSO AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORSHIP, LEARN TRUTH, AND PRAY FOR OURSELVES AND OTHERS. A PLACE THAT WE WOULD GROW IN OUR ABILITY TO SEE GOD CLEARLY, AND WALK IN HIS WAYS.

AS IRON SHARPENS IRON, SO ONE MAN SHARPENS ANOTHER. Proverbs 27:17

THE WORLD WOULD SHOW YOU IN MANY WAYS A DIFFERENT VISION OF WHO YOU SHOULD STRIVE TO BE….AND THE MESSAGE IS ALWAYS CHANGING AND EVOLVING. THE MESSAGE MAY SEEM DIFFERENT ACCORDING TO YOUR GENDER, NATIONALITY, OR YOUR COLOR, OR YOUR AGE. THE MANTRA USED TO GO LIKE THIS: YOU ARE STRONG, COUNT ON YOURSELF, BE INDEPENDENT, TRUST IN YOURSELF, WORK HARD, HELP OTHERS….EVERYONE MATTERS, THEIR THOUGHTS MATTER, LET’S WORK TOGETHER EVEN THOUGH WE ARE DIFFERENT IN OUR VIEWPOINTS OR WHERE WE LIVE…WE SHOULD ALWAYS.RESPECT EACH OTHER. BUT SOMETHING HAS SHIFTED. TODAY WE ARE HEARING A LOT OF THE SAME THINGS IN WORDS, ONLY THEY RING HOLLOW AS WE INSTEAD SEE VERY DIFFERENT ACTIONS….ACTIONS THAT SEEM TO SOW DISCORD, SOW A LACK OF RESPECT, EMPHASIZE DIFFERENCES THAT CAN’T BE TOLERATED. A SORDID NEED TO CONTROL EACH OTHER, CREATE DEPENDENCE….DON’T TRUST YOURSELF, AND DON’T TRUST GOD….TRUST US. WE ARE THE NEW, SMART, REAL WORLD THAT YOU HAVE BEEN MISSING…..THIS IS WHY IT IS SO IMPORTANT TO HAVE GOD IN YOUR LIFE EVERY DAY, AND WHY IT IT OH SO IMPORTANT TO HAVE OTHERS WHO ALSO SEEK AND KNOW HIM. WHY ? BECAUSE GOD IS TRUTHFUL, AND HE LOVES YOU FOR WHO YOU ARE, AND HE IS STEADFAST AND UNCHANGING, AND HE IS MERCIFUL AND KIND. AND HIS GREATEST DESIRE IS THAT YOU WOULD BE IN HIS KINGDOM AND IN RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM. AND WE DO IT BEST WHEN WE ARE TOGETHER IN FELLOWSHIP AND TRUST, WITH GOD’S WORD AND PRINCIPLES AS OUR FOUNDATION.

BUT THE WISDOM THAT COMES FROM HEAVEN IS FIRST OF ALL PURE; THEN PEACE-LOVING, CONSIDERATE, SUBMISSIVE, FULL OF MERCY AND GOOD FRUIT; IMPARTIAL AND SINCERE. James 3:17

WHERE IS THE WISE MAN ? WHERE IS THE SCRIBE ? WHERE IS THE DEBATER OF THIS AGE ?HAS NOT GOD MADE FOOLISH THE WISDOM OF THE WORLD ? 1 Corinthians 1:20

TODAY WE ARE ALSO SEEING SOME VERY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN MANY OF THE CHRISTIAN DENOMINATIONS AND CHURCH DOCTRINES AROUND THE WORLD. CULTURE SEEMS TO BE A MORE DIRECT INFLUENCE ON HOW MINISTERS ARE VIEWING THEIR MESSAGES AND LEADING THEIR CONGREGATIONS. IS THEIR THINKING LIKE THIS ? “PERHAPS IN OUR WISDOM, MAYBE WE CAN CHANGE OR BRING A NEW UNDERSTANDING OF WHO GOD IS, OR WHAT HE MEANS”….. BY TWEAKING THINGS A BIT….OR A LOT ? THIS CAN BE REALLY CHALLENGING, BUT THE BEAUTY OF GOD IS THAT HE HAS ALREADY ADDRESSED THESE ISSUES. ALL ONE NEEDS TO DO IS READ HIS INERRANT WORD, AND ASK HIM FOR UNDERSTANDING, CLARITY AND WISDOM. GOD NEVER CHANGES WHO HE IS, AND HE DOESN’T FLIP FLOP ON HIS TRUTH.

“DEAR FRIENDS, DO NOT BELIEVE EVERY SPIRIT, BUT TEST THE SPIRITS TO SEE WHETHER THEY ARE FROM GOD, BECAUSE MANY FALSE PROPHETS HAVE GONE OUT INTO THE WORLD. 1 John 4:1

JESUS CHRIST IS THE SAME YESTERDAY, AND TODAY AND FOREVER. Hebrews 13:8

GOD’S DESIRES FOR US ARE STRAIGHTFORWARD, TRUTHFUL, AND LASTING. AND THERE IS NOTHING BETTER THAN BEING WITH FELLOW MEN AND WOMEN WHO SHARE YOUR FAITH, AND STRIVE TO LIVE IN THE WAY GOD DESIRES. IT IS SO ENCOURAGING AND SUCH A BLESSING WHEN YOU ARE IN THAT SPACE. IT JUST MOVES YOU EVER CLOSER TO OUR LORD, SAVIOR AND KING !

MAY PEACE AND BLESSINGS ALWAYS BE YOURS / JA