Tag: <span>fellowship with others</span>

Love Each Other Extravagantly!

There’s something wonderful, righteous, beautiful and winsome when followers of Jesus genuinely love each other and freely extend their love to others. We know, of course, that all people are broken and because of that relationships are messy. However, people need to be loved. We long to be loved and we desperately need to express love for others. In fact, Jesus said, “By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.” (John 14:35)

Consider the ancient church in the city of Corinth (in present day Greece). This was a dysfunctional church family. The church at Corinth was a bickering church. It was fraught with jealousies, quarrels, and divisions (1 Corinthians 1:11; 3:1-4; 11:18). It was proud and boastful (1 Corinthians 5:2 & 6). The members’ disputes with each other were so venomous that they even took each other to court (1 Corinthians 6:1-6)!

The people in this church valued knowledge over character. They wielded their knowledge in a way that heartlessly wounded weaker brothers and sisters in Christ in order to build themselves up (1 Corinthians 8:1-13). Paul denounced their church services and programs as doing more harm than good. In their assemblies they argued, humiliated each other, and even degraded the Lord’s Supper with drunkenness and gluttony (1 Corinthians 11:17-22).

Finally, the church in Corinth even perverted their use of spiritual gifts using them to draw attention to themselves, belittle other’s gifts and behave in a disorderly way (1 Corinthians 14:1-40). Truly this church was in a sorry condition in terms of its church family relationships!

But in the middle of his letter, Paul introduced love as “the most excellent way” to cultivate and build up the family of Christ and to conduct one’s life as a follower of Jesus. And to avoid any misconception about what love is, the Lord provides us with specific relational characteristics of love. These traits of love are healthy relational skills and attitudes for functioning well as a family, church, small group, and as a good neighbor and witness to others. Here they are from 1 Corinthians 13:4-8:

Love is patient
Love is kind
Love does not envy
Love does not boast
Love is not proud
Love is not rude
Love is not self-seeking
Love is not easily angered
Love keeps no record of wrongs (in other words, love forgives)
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth
Love always protects
Love always trusts
Love always hopes
Love always perseveres
Love never fails

Let’s be honest, we find these characteristics of love endearing, quaint, beautiful and poetic. But to put them into action as practical skills for building and maintaining relationships with others is another matter entirely!

Take the first relational skill, “love is patient.” We don’t like to think about this, but the reason love must be patient is because others behave obnoxiously or annoyingly toward us sometimes. Perhaps they’re chronically late, or they talk too much, or… (fill in the blank.) Love requires that we practice patience with them. But don’t we also annoy others with our own particular antics?

Let’s look at another trait, “love is not easily angered.” We need this relational skill specifically because we will encounter situations with others who behave rudely or in a self-centered way. We get angry when we feel that our rights are being violated, but we need to restrain ourselves. (I’m preaching to myself here!)

And the reason love should “keep no record of wrongs” is precisely because others will wrong us and sometimes they’ll do so cruelly, frequently and purposefully! Paul put it like this in Colossians 3:13, “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” These words practically guarantee that in our relationships we will be wronged. We will have conflict. There will be offenses!

The Bible tells us about a Pharisee who came to Jesus and tested him with the question, “Which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Without hesitation Jesus replied, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:36-40)

When Jesus paired these two commandments, He clearly tells us how to relate with God and others. Jesus demonstrates that these two commandments are inseparable. If we want to please God, we must love Him and love others. We simply don’t have the option to love God and not love others, or vice-versa.

Christ’s redemptive, reconciling work on the cross was both vertical (toward God) and horizontal (toward others). Christ died for us, both to reconcile us with the Father and with each other. In the culture of the Bible, no greater relational rift existed among people than between the Jews and Gentiles (non-Jews). And yet Christ put to death on the cross all the hostility harbored between these two groups making them one (Ephesians 2:11-22).

“Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” (1 John 4:11)

How We Hear from God

by Rob Fischer ·

Communication is essential to any relationship. No, let me say it even stronger: Without communication there is no relationship. I had not really thought about how crucial communication is to relationship before reading Helen Keller’s autobiography.

As an infant, Helen Keller lost all ability to hear or see due to an illness. It wasn’t until Anne Sullivan, a teacher for the blind and deaf, came into her life that Helen gained the ability to communicate. In her autobiography, Helen describes communication as “the door through which she should pass from darkness into light, from isolation to friendship, companionship, knowledge, and love.”

But without means of communication Helen experienced “neither sorrow nor regret, neither strong sentiment nor tenderness [love].” Yet, when she captured one simple word that opened the door for communication she exclaimed, “That living word awakened my soul, gave it light, hope, joy, set it free!”

When we first come to Christ and place our faith in Him, the Scriptures explain, “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.” (Romans 10:17) Our faith in Christ is only possible due to communication. “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son.” (Hebrews 1:1-2)

We heard God’s Word about Jesus—His love and offer of forgiveness. Someone communicated God’s message to us, and we responded, repenting of our sin and asking the Lord to save us. In this way, we came into relationship with God. This relationship cannot take place without communication.

But for many Christians, communication with God—speaking with Him and hearing from Him—becomes mysterious. Having forgotten how they came to believe in Christ, some no longer believe it’s possible to personally hear from God. Others grant the possibility, but don’t know how to hear from Him.

But if we accept the premise that without communication there can be no relationship, we recognize how crucial communication with God is to our relationship with Him. That being the case, and knowing that God Himself seeks relationship with us, we must conclude and believe that He wants to and does communicate with us personally.

When we think of communicating with God, two primary modes probably come to mind: God’s Word (the Bible) and prayer. I must confess that for many years, although I read God’s Word daily, I approached it more like an impersonal manual than a love letter. And I assumed that prayer was one-way communication and not very engaging. I don’t think I’m alone in treating God’s Word and prayer in this sterile way.

Today, I always try to go to God’s Word with the intent to meet with Him. I ask Him to speak with me personally through His Word and He does. With prayer, I’ve realized that prayer is meant to be two-way communication, but I was so busy talking that I never used to listen. Now, I spend a lot more time in prayer simply listening.

If that sounds weird or mystical, I encourage you to read 1 Corinthians 2. In that chapter, Paul explains the role of God’s Holy Spirit in our lives. The Holy Spirit “searches all things, even the deep things of God,” and reveals them to us. He gives us the “mind of Christ” that we may know how to speak and act in all situations. This is all communication and it’s highly personal.

Because the Holy Spirit inspired His Word, the Bible, we know that He will never contradict what He has already said. Knowing God’s Word, being steeped in it and letting it permeate every fiber of our being puts us in tune with God. Many Christians don’t hear from God simply because they never listen to Him—i.e., open His Word.

Another key way the Lord speaks to us personally is through other people. This is a primary reason it’s so important that we belong to a fellowship of Christ-followers. Paul explained to Timothy, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

In that passage, God’s Word provides the substance for the human actions of teaching, rebuking, correcting and training others in righteousness. God uses us as His mouthpiece in communicating with each other. This is both a great privilege and responsibility.

If you’d like to read more about hearing from God, I encourage you to read my book Enthralled with God—Cultivating a Joy-filled Relationship with Him. I’m running a free eBook promotion on Enthralled with God from May 5-9. Click here to get your free eBook!

Also, Jack Deere’s book Surprised by the Voice of God is a great book on this topic.

How to Be Salt & Light

by Rob Fischer ·

In speaking to His followers, Jesus called us, “the salt of the earth,” and “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:13-16). Practically, what does it mean to be salt and light?

Salt has at least three key characteristics:

It keeps food from spoiling
It enhances flavor
It makes one thirsty

We can see each of those characteristics playing out in the life of one who is following Jesus. We are to retard the growth of bad influences around us; enhance the enjoyment of life itself; and by example to make others thirst for Christ.

Light too has at least three key qualities:

It dispels darkness
It illumines one’s path through life
It exposes evil

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12 NIV) And Ephesians 5:8-13 explains:

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.” (NIV)

Before we look at how to practically live as salt and light, consider first what renders salt and light useless. Jesus warns us about not letting our “saltiness” diminish or hiding our “light.” Here are a few things that come to mind that render “salt” and “light” useless or powerless. Perhaps you can think of others.

Hypocrisy or having a show of religion without any real substance
Having a judgmental spirit
Living like the world
Pride, bitterness, complaining, loveless, anger, slander, gossip, etc.

Living as Salt & Light

Here’s an important point: When we live as salt and light, we’re not trying to attract attention to ourselves but to Jesus. Our intent is not to show the world how good we are but how good Jesus is. We want to help make others thirsty for Him. In other words, we want people to see Jesus in us.

How do we do that? Through our life and words. Above all, we must spend time in the presence of Jesus. Jesus called this “abiding” or “remaining” in Him in John 15. Paul refers to this as living and walking in the Spirit in Galatians 5.

For us to truly be salt and light in this world, we need to be transformed and we experience Christ’s transforming power in our lives when we live and walk with Him. For in His presence, we cannot remain unchanged!

We get know Jesus through spending time in His Word (the Bible), conversing with Him in prayer, and patterning our lives after those who are following Him. Being salt and light isn’t about rule-keeping but about relationships. We become like those with whom we spend time. When we spend time with Jesus and those who are following Him, we become like Him.

Let me leave you with the following passages. Each passage contains a call to action for us:

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” – Colossians 3:16 NKJV

“For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!” – Ephesians 5:8 NLT

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” – Hebrews 10:24-25 NIV

“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.” – 1 Peter 3:15-16 NIV

fellowship with others

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