God's Gift of Fellowship: Our Church Family
Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth...and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do what pleases Him. And this is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as He has commanded us. Whoever keeps His commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.
~ 1 John 3:18, 22-24
How can we ever thank God enough for Jesus? How can we ever thank God enough for the fellowship in His Holy Spirit? How can we ever thank God enough for godly husbands, children who walk in truth, brothers and sisters in the Lord who demonstrate every aspect of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)? I mean, is it even possible? I don't believe so.
God is worthy to be praised, to have His name exalted above all names and He is so exceedingly good to us, I don't believe that we could ever give Him all the praise that is due Him.
Today's meditation from my hospital bed is this: thanksgiving for my church family. After years of searching, some bad church experiences due to living in a fallen world and grief that a true church of Jesus Christ no longer exists; the LORD, in His perfect timing brought us to our beautiful church family. Is our church perfect? By all means no...after all, they allow me to be a member. :-) But our hearts are full of reverence and love for God our Father, utter gratitude for His gift of salvation through Christ Jesus, His Son and the bond of fellowship He provides us in His Spirit. Our church is elder-led (as Scripture commands 1 Timothy 3:1-7) with men who are not only generously graced with God's wisdom from heaven (James 3:13, 17), but also demonstrate the humility of Christ (Philippians 2:3-7); which is key.
I think one of the saddest things that I've witnessed in drawing a body of believers away from the cause of Christ is prideful leaders who begin to run the church more like a business, being more concerned about numbers, rather than a "hospital" for sinners who are in desperate need of The Savior and the gift of fellowship in His Spirit.
During my stay in the hospital (going on 5 days now), our family has received faithful and fervent prayers (not only for my healing, but for my darling husband and sons), visits, gifts, cards, phone calls to share Christ's love, videos to watch and wonderful care for our sons so my Favorite can spend most of his time taking care of home, visiting me and bringing more and more things for me to the hospital.
Then there is my husband, with whom I also share in the fellowship of Christ Jesus our Lord. I don't believe I can ever say enough about him. He has exemplified what it means to serve me as Christ. There are days he goes to and from the hospital several times to bring me things. Most of this happened because initially, we had no idea that I would be here this long and wasn't sure what I would need. My Favorite takes care of the boys, is managing house duties (both his and mine), is working diligently on a new website for our church and so much more. He continues to be the strong and compassionate vessel of God's love for me. He's put up with my pity parties, bad attitudes and unkind mouth. He comforts me in my sorrows and rebukes me when I'm sinning; he does all this, with the love and strength of Christ through the word of God. In all this, he has not sinned and continues to be the epitome of what it means to be a husband who loves his wife as Christ has loved the Church (Ephesians 5:25-27). I am truly a woman blessed beyond measure.
God is worthy to be praised, to have His name exalted above all names and He is so exceedingly good to us, I don't believe that we could ever give Him all the praise that is due Him.
Today's meditation from my hospital bed is this: thanksgiving for my church family. After years of searching, some bad church experiences due to living in a fallen world and grief that a true church of Jesus Christ no longer exists; the LORD, in His perfect timing brought us to our beautiful church family. Is our church perfect? By all means no...after all, they allow me to be a member. :-) But our hearts are full of reverence and love for God our Father, utter gratitude for His gift of salvation through Christ Jesus, His Son and the bond of fellowship He provides us in His Spirit. Our church is elder-led (as Scripture commands 1 Timothy 3:1-7) with men who are not only generously graced with God's wisdom from heaven (James 3:13, 17), but also demonstrate the humility of Christ (Philippians 2:3-7); which is key.
I think one of the saddest things that I've witnessed in drawing a body of believers away from the cause of Christ is prideful leaders who begin to run the church more like a business, being more concerned about numbers, rather than a "hospital" for sinners who are in desperate need of The Savior and the gift of fellowship in His Spirit.
During my stay in the hospital (going on 5 days now), our family has received faithful and fervent prayers (not only for my healing, but for my darling husband and sons), visits, gifts, cards, phone calls to share Christ's love, videos to watch and wonderful care for our sons so my Favorite can spend most of his time taking care of home, visiting me and bringing more and more things for me to the hospital.
Then there is my husband, with whom I also share in the fellowship of Christ Jesus our Lord. I don't believe I can ever say enough about him. He has exemplified what it means to serve me as Christ. There are days he goes to and from the hospital several times to bring me things. Most of this happened because initially, we had no idea that I would be here this long and wasn't sure what I would need. My Favorite takes care of the boys, is managing house duties (both his and mine), is working diligently on a new website for our church and so much more. He continues to be the strong and compassionate vessel of God's love for me. He's put up with my pity parties, bad attitudes and unkind mouth. He comforts me in my sorrows and rebukes me when I'm sinning; he does all this, with the love and strength of Christ through the word of God. In all this, he has not sinned and continues to be the epitome of what it means to be a husband who loves his wife as Christ has loved the Church (Ephesians 5:25-27). I am truly a woman blessed beyond measure.
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