True Fellowship: The Next Door of Opportunity
We regularly have mediocre encounters with passersby, acquaintances, even familiar loved ones. Occasionally though, we experience profound, wholehearted, lifegiving interactions. What makes the difference?
It began long before our beginning.
Triune God had existed eternally in unity. The sweet fellowship of Father, Son, and Spirit created humanity in His likeness, allowing human beings to converse and coexist with God in holiness.
Sin abruptly corrupted this communion. One rebellious act birthed a torrent of fleshly lusts and malicious passions that corrode creation. The only way to restore relationship with the Creator is to pay sin’s price—the sacrifice of a perfect man.
“Indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ … if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”
– 1 John 1:3, 7
The church has since been equipped and commissioned. Acts tells us “they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching … fellowship … breaking bread … and prayers” (2:42). Furthermore, “those who believed were of one heart and soul, and … they had everything in common” (4:32).
We share physical resources and possessions because we are recipients of spiritual ones.
“There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”
– Ephesians 4:4-6
The image of a body describes our ministry to one another and others.
“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.”
– 1 Corinthians 12:12-13
We participate together (1 Corinthians 10:16), knit together in love (Colossians 2:2). We love (John 13:34), serve (Galatians 5:13), forgive (Ephesians 4:32), teach (Colossians 3:16), and encourage one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11). We live in harmony with (Romans 12:16), honor (12:10), bear the burdens of (Galatians 6:2), offer hospitality to (1 Peter 4:9), confess our sins to (James 5:16), submit to (Ephesians 5:21), and pray for, one another (6:18).
Christ advocates oneness (John 17:21); the Spirit accomplishes it (1 John 3:24).
It delights God, and us, when we join in Spirit-inspired, God-ordained fellowship!
“Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!”
– Psalm 133:1
God’s Provision: He is there with us!
So,
“Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”
– Hebrews 10:24-25
Word of the Week: Benediction. Closing blessing.
“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”
– 2 Corinthians 13:14
Abby
We go from being scared of the dark, to terrified of not fitting in, to paranoid of the future as we progress through life’s stages. Fear is an ever-present nemesis.
I remember being frightened by a Junior Asparagus toy I had that glowed and sang about not being afraid. How ironic!
God knows we are faint-hearted folk. He takes note of our trembling hands and quaking knees, reaffirming His steadiness.
The Bible is packed with promises of God’s sufficiency in our deficiency. I’ve heard there are three hundred sixty-five messages addressing fearfulness in the Bible … One for every day of the year, although I’ve never counted to be sure.
Jesus kept the momentum going during His earthly ministry. “Take heart,” He would say, “Do not be afraid.”
When four men lowered their paralytic friend through a roof to present him to Jesus, He received their faith and honored their humility. “Take heart” (Matthew 9:2).
When a suffering woman was exhausted of funds and tired of bleeding after twelve years, she stretched out her hand to be changed by Jesus’ power and compassion. “Take heart” (Matthew 9:22).
When wind howled against the disciples’ boat and they thought the approaching Jesus was a ghost, His voice pierced through (Matthew 14:26-27). “Take heart” (Mark 6:50).
When the twelve fretted over the future and misunderstood Jesus’ teaching, He directed and eased them. “Take heart” (John 16:33).
His calm, persistent reminders echo God’s age-old promises.
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
– Isaiah 41:10
“Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the LORD. Work, for I am with you, declares the LORD of hosts, according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not.”
– Haggai 2:4-5
“And as you have been a byword of cursing among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you, and you shall be a blessing. Fear not, but let your hands be strong.”
– Zechariah 8:13
God’s Provision: In times of battle, hardship, disaster, sinfulness, and uncertainty, to name only a few, God inserted His goodness into our distress. His perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18).
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.”
– Psalm 46:1-3
Word of the Week: Healed. Because of this, we can be restored—in strength, spirit, and faith. Hebrews 12:12-13 calls us to! “Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.”
Abby
Your phone needs updated, your clothes are out of style, your technology is outdated, your house is getting too small … Before you know it, you’re buying into the next trend, latest model, and best bargain. It’s easy to do.
This sinful world system insists: what we have is not enough. We need more to be happy, healthy, and successful—a tempting pitch, but terribly misaligned with God’s Word. He demands a higher standard and promises a greater reward.
“Godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.”
– 1 Timothy 6:6-8
“Those who desire to be rich,” though, fall into temptation’s snare, following “senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction … Love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs” (9-10).
Instead of purchasing our way into the prison of discontentment, filling our storehouses with empty pursuits, God asks us to trust Him.
“As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.”
– 17-19
“Less” is more. In fact, we have all we could possibly need to live and serve Him!
God’s Provision:
“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence.”
– 2 Peter 1:3
We must heed Hebrews 13:5: “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for He has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’”
… even finding contentment in “weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities” (2 Corinthians 12:10), because God’s power is perfected in human weakness (9).
The apostle Paul writes for us to consider his experiences:
“Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.”
– Philippians 4:11-12
Word of the Week: Dependence. On God, not ourselves, who provides spiritual riches, even if earthly ones never come.
Proverbs 22 proves true.
“The rich and the poor meet together; the LORD is the Maker of them all … The reward for humility and fear of the LORD is riches and honor and life.”
– 2, 4
Abby
The words you speak, decisions you make, and actions you take paint a picture of what’s important to you. From hobbies to habits, purchases to priorities, the details of our lives reveal the conditions of our hearts.
The Bible talks a lot about this, and I have been especially mindful of it recently.
Jesus preached repeatedly on money and possessions, transcending the physical to unpack spiritual issues of the heart.
One of His sermons is recorded in Matthew.
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
– 6:19-21
He goes on.
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”
– 24
Inevitably, I get bogged down in earthy matters of little importance at the cost of spiritual riches and heavenly treasure. How easy it is to be choked out, as Jesus illustrated in a parable.
“Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed … seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain … They are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.”
– Mark 4:3-4, 7, 18-19
John warns of this trap as well.
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”
– 1 John 2:15-17
The world opposes God, just like the flesh opposes the Spirit (Galatians 5:17).
James confirms, “You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (4:4).
What I find in these Scriptures are warnings to my heart against temptation toward the trivial and temporal. I must fix my eyes heavenward.
Word of the Week: Gaze. Where I look, in that direction I will go. Colossians 3:2 calls us to action: “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”
Why?
God’s Provision: “For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18).
And that is our reward.
Abby
When the best of what you have to offer does not suffice, you must look outside yourself for what you need. Whether that is running to the store for ingredients, finding a tutor for your child, or soliciting help at work, you are forced to maximize resources to compensate for inadequacy.
I have been a lifelong “perfectionist.” Seriously, I was lining up my stuffed animals in size order at two years old! So naturally, it has to be a deliberate effort for me to lay aside my pursuit of righteousness for the cross of Christ.
Since my toddler years, the gospel has been prayed and preached over my life: only by the grace of God are we saved, through faith in the work and righteousness of Jesus Christ.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.
– Ephesians 2:8
“Not a result of works,” it goes on to say, “so that no one may boast” (9). Every moment of every day I must decide to place my faith in the holy perfection of my Savior, who “loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).
Indeed,
“In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him.”
– 1 John 4:9
Still, I have this tendency to work hard, chase godliness, and equate my worth with my performance. Maybe you can relate. Two of those things are good when done properly; I’m sure you know which one isn’t.
God didn’t create us to follow rules; He designed us to fellowship. With Him.
There are commandments and statutes, and they have been from the beginning (Genesis 2:17) — always instituted, implemented, and enforced for God’s glory and our wellbeing. Deuteronomy 28 lays out “all these blessings” that will “come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the LORD your God.”
Guidelines in the garden gave way to decrees in the desert because humanity sinned. Nevertheless, the Law cannot make us right — only magnify our wrong.
“For by works of the law no human being will be justified in His sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.”
– Romans 3:20
But there is hope! God’s Provision:
“Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
– Romans 5:20-21
Word of the Week: Propitiation. Atonement for iniquity paid by Christ on the cross when He once for all vanquished sin and conquered death (Hebrews 7:27, 10:10, 12). Proof of God’s love (1 John 4:10) and our salvation (Romans 3:24-25).
Truly, all my own human efforts toward goodness and godliness are “rubbish” (Philippians 3:8), as a “polluted garment” (Isaiah 64:6), to be trashed in order to gain the treasure of Christ.
Abby
Dear Younger Me,
Be a steward of your money. Remember when you gathered your stuffed animals as a committee to strategize how you could earn more money? You thought maybe doing a garage sale could help you earn more funds to buy a laptop…I don’t think that committee actually led to any results, but you were excited to figure out how to earn money. Since then, you’ve saved and made purchases, some of which you regret, because they weren’t the best uses of your finances. You’re embarrassed to even talk about them. So, there are three things I want you to work on. First, let wisdom speak into your financial decisions. Really consider if this is a smart choice. Second, make the effort to return the items that don’t work so that you get your money back and you aren’t stuck with stuff you won’t use. Third, choose to end the services you don’t use anymore so you aren’t being charged. Again, that’s a matter of effort. How you use your money is a way to honor God, so let your decisions honor Him.
Love,
Megan
From the colors we choose to paint our walls to the posts we publish on social media, you and I relish a plethora of freedoms. A series of legislation governs public and private affairs, ensuring entitlement to speech, religion, privacy, justice, and protection, among others.
Without a doubt, freedom is a sought after and fiercely protected privilege, often defended as a human right.
We may patriotically value freedom in the social sphere, but Christians know freedom in a whole other dimension!
“For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death,” Romans 8:2 says. “Our old self was crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin” (6:6).
Hebrews 2:14-15 similarly describes, “… that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.”
Such precious, costly freedom is not for misuse or abuse. We are instructed against leveraging it as “opportunity for the flesh” (Galatians 5:13) or “cover-up for evil” (1 Peter 2:16). Instead, we are liberated to lovingly serve in God’s honor!
We represent Him wherever we are, for “where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17). God’s Provision: Jesus said the truth will set us free (John 8:32), and “if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (36)!
Jesus Himself is Truth (John 14:6), sent to proclaim good news to the poor, healing to the brokenhearted, and liberty to the captives (Isaiah 61:1, Luke 4:18).
Of course we find freedom in Him who breaks chains, heals disease, and conquers death!
Ironically, this freedom is still slavery—a slavery of freedom!
“What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.” – Romans 6:15-18
Instead of offering ourselves to sin, we are free to become God’s “instruments for righteousness” (13).
And forever remain in that freedom!
“Now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.” – 22
Word of the Week: Yoke. The bondage oppressing us was a heavy burden—now, no longer upon our shoulders!
“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” – Galatians 5:1
Abby
Dear Younger Me,
I think today you need to realize that you need to speak some loving words over yourself. Instead of examining all your brokenness, claim your identity as a daughter of the King. When you fall short, don’t berate yourself, but acknowledge your shortcomings and then choose to remember who you are: a loved and beautiful child of God. See yourself through God’s eyes. You would easily jump to thinking you’re not good enough, or you just don’t deserve the good gifts you’re given, and while it’s true you don’t deserve them, when you sit in those thoughts you begin to let those thoughts shape how you think about yourself. Don’t let them have that power. Daughter of the King, you are loved and forgiven and beautiful in the eyes of God. Speak that over yourself.
Love,
Megan
The simultaneous beauty and danger of raising children is that they quickly learn to copy you. You notice your habits and mannerisms reflected in their words and actions, wondering where they got that from? Small minds are observant and absorbent.
Of course, God designed it that way, and the process is intended to reflect Him. Deuteronomy 11:18-21 shows how His ways are preserved and passed down through the generations:
“You shall lay up these words of Mine in your heart and in your soul … You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land …”
For hundreds of year, God’s people lived that way.
Then, in the most earth-shattering, eternity-changing act of love, God sent His own Son to live as one of us. Anointed as Savior, He became “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) … And a type of older brother in the family of God (Hebrews 2:11).
Romans 8:29 expounds, “For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers.”
To confirm this after His resurrection, Jesus called His disciples “My brothers,” specifying, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God” (John 20:17).
We belong in the same family with the same Father, who sets the perfect example for us to copy in Christ.
“For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in His steps”
– 1 Peter 2:21
That means dying to sin, living to righteousness, suffering submissively, remaining above reproach, and entrusting ourselves to God (22-24).
Paul even said in 1 Corinthians 11, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1).
To live like Jesus is to live in and live out love, for “by this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35).
We must follow every movement, hang on every word, obey every command.
God the Father affirms, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.”
God’s Provision: “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast” (1 Peter 5:10).
Word of the Week: Structure. Jesus Christ is the blueprint and the finished product. Joining and holding everything together, He acts as the cornerstone of the foundation of the household of God (Ephesians 2:20) and the head of the body of believers (4:15-16).
Abby
Dear Younger Me,
I wish I could go back to you and tell you and engrave it on your heart that you were made exactly as God intended for you to be. You don’t need to compare your beauty and your personality to anybody else and allow that to weigh you down because if you saw yourself through God’s eyes, you would see there’s no need for all that. You could stand in the face of comparison and all the garbage of the world knowing exactly who you are in God. You would see through His eyes, not yours. How I long for that for you, because I’ve walked the wrong road and know how much it has hurt to let the world and brokenness affect the way I see myself. So stay on the road of praise – praise Him for His care in designing you, praise Him for His love for you, and every time you are tempted to doubt who you are and His good design of you, press in to Him.
Love,
Megan
