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Tag Archives: fellowship

The Right Hand of Fellowship

11 Mar

Galatians 2:9
James, Peter and John, those reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the Jews.

The right hand is important in fellowship.  Even left-handed people shake hands with their right hand.  The right side is considered the side of importance and power.  Consider the saying, “He’s my right-hand man.”  It is a position of trust.

Here Paul and Barnabas were given the right hand of fellowship – they were accepted as fellow ministers and believers in the body of Christ.  This was important, because before his salvation, Paul had a reputation as being a deadly enemy of the church.

How were the early believers able to trust him enough to embrace Paul into their spiritual family?  The answer is in this verse.  It happened when they recognized the grace given to him.  They were able to see that he had a calling from God to bring the Gospel of Christ to the Gentiles.

So often Christians find themselves unfulfilled.  This shouldn’t be the case.  We all have a calling from the Father.  Sometimes we blame God and say that He hasn’t spoken to us about our calling.  I think that in many cases it is more a problem of inactivity.  The verse above says that they recognized the grace that Paul was given to minister to Gentiles.  If he had never done anything, there would not have been any recognizing.

Today, don’t just go to church.  Make it your goal to be the church.  Do something for the Lord.  Allow His Spirit and His grace to work through you.  Who knows, maybe you or others will recognize a gift of God’s grace in you.  Then you can be fulfilled as you pass on the blessing of God to others.

 
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Posted by on March 11, 2012 in Daily Thoughts

 

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Devoted to the Fellowship

04 Mar

Acts 2:42
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
(NIV)

This was the description of the early church in the book of Acts.  The church was an exciting place.  They were growing and reaching their world with the Gospel of Christ.  The secret was their devotion to Christ in a number of ways – one of which was the fellowship.

It all come down to what devotion means.  The Greek word for devotion literally means “strong, steadfast, and enduring toward.”  Believers would probably all agree that we need to be strong and enduring toward reading the Bible.  We must continue steadfastly in prayer.  What we have a problem in is the fellowship.

When it comes to meeting together with the body of Christ, many act like it is only a good idea if there is nothing better to do.  Parties, sports activities, and playtime come first in the lives of many Christians.  Then we wonder why the church in America seems to be very ineffective in reaching our culture.

It’s time for us to return to the values that propelled the early church forward.  We must embrace the same spirit of fellowship.  Be a part of what God is doing in these last days.  Devote yourself to the fellowship of believers that God has called you to.  Let this work in you as it did in those who first received the Gospel.

 
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Posted by on March 4, 2012 in Daily Thoughts

 

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Our Common Faith

26 Feb

What is church all about?  Why is it important to attend meetings?

Titus 1:4
To Titus, my true son in our common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.
(NIV)

Many believers have a misconception of what the church is.  They see it in a very self-centered way.

“I go to church because I like the praise and worship.”

“They have a great youth ministry.”

“I get a lot out of the preaching.”

While these are all good things to say about a church, ultimately, they are not the main reason for going.  It is not all about what I get out of it that makes the church important to me.  There is a higher purpose.

The Apostle Paul gives us some insight in his words to Titus.  He calls Titus his son in their common faith.  That speaks volumes to me.  Son.  The church is not just a collection of individuals who happen to meet together to sing some songs and hear a speech.  Because of the blood of Christ imparted to us, we are now a family.  The church is, in fact, a family get-together.

We must see the church as a family unit.  A place where the bonds are more important than the individuals.  Paul calls it their common faith.  It is the family heritage.  Have you ever heard someone say something like, “Everyone in my family has a temper.”  Or maybe, “My family are all very giving people.”  There is a common trait to some families.  To those of us in Christ, it should be our common faith in the Lord.

The church is that place where we pick up and strengthen our family traits.  We start to resemble the Lord as we meet together with His family.  Don’t miss out on the family reunion.  Be a part of the church God has called you to.  Let our common faith be what the world sees in us.

 
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Posted by on February 26, 2012 in Daily Thoughts

 

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The Joy of Fellowship

19 Feb

Everyone wants joy.  Unfortunately many Christians miss out on the joy that God wants them to have.  What is the key to the joy of the Lord?

I John 1:3-4 – We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.  We write this to make our joy complete.
(NIV)

The key to complete joy can be summed up in one word – fellowship.  Because of what Christ did on the cross, we can have fellowship with a holy God.  Then, because we are in fellowship with Him, we are also in fellowship with each other.  According to the Apostle John, that is the foundation for complete joy.

So many believers have no clue what fellowship entails.  The root word of fellowship means together, united, or beside.  It speaks about sharing in one another’s lives, not just sitting next to each other in a church service.  If the church was only about hearing a message about God, we could do that in front of a TV at home.  Fellowship is much more than that.

It is when those who have surrendered to the Holy Spirit meet together to share their lives with each other.  Those who have won a victory can encourage those who are in the middle of a struggle.  Those who have a testimony of praise can help those who are down.  The strong can pray for the weak.

Together, the whole body of Christ can be strengthened and built up.  We can hear the Word together, pray together, and share together.  The church is more than just a good organization, it is an organism.  It is alive and life giving to those who know what true fellowship is about.

Be an active member of the body of Christ.  Participate in the lives of others.  Allow the complete joy of the Holy Spirit to find a place in your heart.

 
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Posted by on February 19, 2012 in Daily Thoughts

 

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