TOGETHER

TOGETHER

 

I have recently been writing about relationships and this will touch a little bit on the same subject, but differently. We live in a time with great changes both within and outside the Body of Christ. I know of many people lacking a spiritual home and many feel spiritually homeless. That doesn’t mean that they are spiritually fatherless. Some people say that they are without any spiritual protection if they do not have a membership in a church. I do not believe that is true. I do believe in churches and congregations, but it is not a membership of a church that makes you a child of God. You have to receive Jesus as your Savior and get born again. Jesus is the Way to Heaven. We become a child of God by accepting what Jesus has done. It has very little to do with what we have done. Good deeds do not lead us to Heaven, but His grace.

I see very clearly today that the Lord is getting people together across church boundaries and even from different countries. It is the Lord building His Body now. Some Christian activity is built on men and by men and some churches are therefore not pleasing to God. I will not mention anyone in particular since I am not the one to judge, but the Lord. The Word of God is my highest authority and if something is going on that is not according to the Word, He is not pleased. God cannot go against His own word. I know that the Word can be interpreted differently, but one can ask the Holy Spirit and He knows the answer. Some people leave a church in anger and bitterness because they are wounded and disappointed. That is not right. There are times when God wants us to leave a certain church, but it is important to forgive those causing the hurt. The Bible warns against bitterness. Some people look at the pastor as God, but he is only a human being called to be a pastor. Some pastors are not called, but they are pastors due to wrong motives. I recommend all Christians to have a personal relationship to the Lord, respecting their pastor, but please, do not worship him or her.

What do I mean with the title together? I live in a town where many negative things have happened among the Christians. That has caused a lot of confusion and many do not know where to go. Some have even left the Lord while others seek Him more than ever. I belong to that group. I want to emphasize the word together since I do believe that it is dangerous to be isolated. They gathered in the homes every day in the first church. Those with wealth sold their stuff and shared with those with less. They thought more of the others than themselves. They didn’t think like: I and mine. I believe that this is the secret. We must get away from our egoistic thinking. The Bible says that we will get more egoistic in the last days and we must be aware. The Bible says that if one part is suffering, the whole body is suffering. I do not believe that we can share everybody’s suffering, but God wants us to be part of a spiritual family where we can give and take.

I do not believe that we should live our Christian life alone.

I have a daily relationship with the Lord and read the Word daily. Jesus lives in me and I in Him. God has given us a spiritual family. None of us is without sin and none of us sees everything. We see in part. I do not have all of the gifts of the Spirit either. I know of people living quite isolated with the Lord and they have come on the wrong track. No one can correct them. We are often home-blind and cannot see our own mistakes. Some think that most thoughts come from God. If you want to hurt somebody, most Christians would know that is wrong, but they might not think that we have two more sources, ourselves and the devil. They cannot discern. People who have lived a lot alone, might not understand how others react to them. Some are so used to control themselves that they think they control others.

If you are supposed to live with other people, you must learn how to communicate and we are supposed to live with other people.

Lack of good communication is often a reason for divorce. I would really like to have a seminar in communication. No one thinks exactly like you and no one reacts exactly like you. Each one has his or her background and we all have our own history and no one interprets the world around us the same way. We must be sure that the person we talk to has understood what we have said and we must be sure that we have understood the other person. We all need to become good listeners, but we must also learn to convey our thoughts and messages clearly. Those who have experienced many painful things, might easily misinterpret what we say. They need counselling and healing from the past. They do not only hurt themselves by misinterpreting, but others. I have several times heard wounded people think I said something I didn’t. Some have built so tall walls of defense that it is difficult to come close.

We will find all kinds of people in the Body of Christ and we must learn to be together. We do need each other. I start getting older and I need help to do certain practical things. I believe that a strong brother might come and help me. I can help others by counselling, teaching and praying. God is using me to help others by using the gifts He has given me. Peter and John didn’t have silver and gold, but they used the power Jesus had given them to raise a lame man. Others have money and many people are sowing economically into the Kingdom of God. A lot of Christian activities are based on voluntarily gifts. Nothing is functioning with only one person. A finger is not the body, but a small part of the body. You and I are part of something much bigger. Each part has been given a special function. You might ask: Who am I and what am I supposed to do? It’s of vital importance that you get an answer to this question. Nothing in the Kingdom is based on coincidences. You are borne with a calling and a purpose.

I have written about tough times and I believe that we need each other more than ever. I was once on a mission trip where we easily could have been killed or taken prisoner. It was a traumatic situation, but none of us got seriously hurt or had some problems afterwards. I believe we were protected and a whole congregation prayed, but I also think that it is due to the fact that we were together. We sat very closely together in a bus afterwards, praising God and talked about what had happened. When I go out in ministry, I always have people praying for me.

Some say: It is only I and God. I do not need anybody else. I often detect pride behind such a saying. God is a God of order and He wants order among His children. The Bible describes the five ministries and the nine gifts of the Spirit equipping the saints.

 

NO ONE MANAGE ON HIS OR HER OWN. EVERYBODY IS SUPPOSED TO SERVE SOMEBODY.

Mother Else