Stronger Together

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JESUS SPEAKING

     “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18: 19-20.)

FAITHFUL THOUGHTS

     Like so many Christian practices, prayer is meant to be exercised in community, as well as in solitude. In order to experience a complete relationship with God, we must share Him with others. When two or more believers gather to celebrate Christ, His Spirit draws them together as one. In unity, the weak become strong and the empty are made full. In contrast, those who isolate themselves will eventually grow feeble and become vulnerable to attack.

Concerning the benefits of fellowship, we read in Ecclesiastes 4: 10, “But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold chord is not quickly broken.” We also read in Hebrews 10: 24 – 25, “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Simply put, as believers we need to be involved in some form of Christian fellowship. Our experience with Christ must be exercised in community, rather than complete isolation. If we are not actively involved in a fellowship with other believers, we must find a church and get plugged into the body of Christ. As members of God’s family, we can then experience the fullness of His Holy Spirit at work in our lives.

“Lord Heavenly Father, we desire to practice our faith in unity with other believers. May we draw nearer to one another as we draw nearer to You. If we have isolated ourselves, may we encounter new opportunities to gather together with our fellows and grow stronger in our common faith. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You; and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.” God bless all of you!

Avoid Dirty Language

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JESUS SPEAKS

“Hear and understand: Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.” (Matthew 15: 10 – 11) […..] “Are you also still without understanding? Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man.” (Matthew 15: 16 – 18)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

The religious leaders were convinced that ritualistic hand washing was a necessary practice; especially prior to eating. By cleansing their hands, they believed they could avoid accidentally ingesting anything unclean that might defile them spiritually in the sight of God. Jesus corrected this belief however; insisting that the words that come out of a person’s mouth is what defiles them, rather than what goes in.

Many years ago, I made the mistake of believing that a certain professional athlete was a Christian. He outwardly proclaimed his faith and seemed committed to certain Christian causes. I even recall speaking about his faith to others on several occasions. Unfortunately, one evening he tweeted out a disturbing message. He had gone to see an erotic and nearly pornographic movie in the theaters. And then, in reference to the film, he tweeted, “Great Movie.” Almost immediately his Christian followers abandoned him (and rightly so.)

In a somewhat similar way, as Christians we are representing God, and in turn, a single foul word, dirty joke, or perverse association can defile our entire witness; causing others to question our faith. We are called to guard our hearts and mouths, and to speak only what is clean and correct. We read in Ephesians 4: 29, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” May we all avoid using dirty language, and learn to speak only what is good and right.

“Lord Heavenly Father, may all honor and glory be Yours, forevermore. As we go out into the world, may we consider carefully what we say, and avoid using dirty, foul, or crude language. May others notice our commitment to what is right and be drawn to You. Let purity reign in our hearts and minds as we serve others in Your name. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.” God bless all of you!

Confession

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JESUS SPEAKS

“Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And when he had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” (John 20: 21 – 23)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

After the resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples in a room; bestowing upon them the gift of the Holy Spirit (the indwelling of God within their hearts.) Consequently, they were granted great power and authority; including the ability to forgive sins. This practice of confessing our sins and receiving forgiveness, (as well as forgiving the sins of others) is outlined further in James 5: 16;“Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” Thus there is an established foundation for the doctrine of confession that exists within the Church; which also accompanies the exercise of evangelism.

As the story goes, A former Texas Governor named Pat Neff once visited his state penitentiary, where he spoke to the assembly of convicts. After finishing, he announced that he would remain behind, and that if any man wanted to speak with him, he would gladly listen. Additionally, he proclaimed that he would listen in strict confidence, and that nothing a man might say would be used against him. When the meeting was over, a large group of men remained; many were serving life sentences. One by one they passed by, pleading for their freedom; insisting that there had been a frame-up, an injustice, or some kind of judicial blunder. Finally one man came up and said, “Mr. Governor, I just wanted to say that I am guilty. I did what they sent me here for. But I believe I have paid for it, and if I were granted the right to go out, I would do everything I could to be a good citizen and prove myself worthy of your mercy.” This of course, was the man whom the Governor pardoned.

Like Governor Neff, those who follow Jesus Christ have the authority to forgive the sins of any genuinely repentant individuals. Through confession and divine mercy, many can be set free from the crushing weight of guilt and shame. Within the Church, most of these disclosures can be facilitated in small group fellowships, or by interacting with the pastors and ministers who preside over our local congregations. Additionally, as we reach out to others through evangelism, we can use the authority we’ve been given by God to forgive the transgressions of our weary fellows; that they too might experience the purity and joy of salvation.

“Lord Heavenly Father, You alone are the way, the truth, and the life. Help us to avoid any sinful temptations as we spread the gospel message throughout the whole world. May we exercise the authority You have given us to forgive sins and to receive those who are repentant into Your Church. We love you Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.” God bless all of you!