DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT WEDNESDAY - FELLOWSHIP WITH JESUS. Part 2.

Don’t waste your time waiting and longing for large opportunities which may never come. But faithfully handle the little things that are always claiming your attention. - F.B. Meyer.

God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful. I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. - 1 Cor 1:9-10.

Fellowship in the N.T. basically means sharing and self-sacrifice with other believers. As N.T. scholar J.R. McRay has noted, "Fellowship in the early church was not based on uniformity of thought and practice, except where limits of immorality or rejection of the confession of Christ were involved." - Christianity Today.

In “Fellowship With Jesus” Part 1, we discussed the need to “...walk in the light, as He is in the light,” and understanding that to do this, we need the “…blood of Jesus, his son, purifies us from all sin.”

Here we see that Paul is emphasising the integrity of the Father, as he appeals to the people who were causing division in the Church. He clearly tells them that they were brought into fellowship with Jesus, by the Father, who is FAITHFUL to His PROMISES…

Phil 1:6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus; 1Thes 5:24 The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.

Charles Spurgeon preached to thousands in London each Lord's Day, yet he started his ministry by passing out tracts and teaching a Sunday school class as a teenager. When he began to give short addresses to the Sunday school, God blessed his ministry of the Word. He was invited to preach in obscure places in the country side, and he used every opportunity to honor the Lord. He was faithful in the small things, and God trusted him with the greater things.

"I am perfectly sure," he said, "that, if I had not been willing to preach to those small gatherings of people in obscure country places, I should never have had the privilege of preaching to thousands of men and women in large buildings all over the land. Remember our Lord's rule, "whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." - W. Wiersbe.

On the basis of all this, Paul calls upon the authority of the name of Jesus, and encourages them to be in agreement with His teachings, in order that there would be no division amongst them, and that if they are in obedience to this, they would be PERFECTLY UNITED in their minds, and thoughts...

Life is a matter of building. Each of us has the opportunity to build something -- a secure family, a good reputation, a career, a relationship to God. But some of those things can disappear almost overnight due to financial losses, natural disasters and other unforeseen difficulties.

What are we to do? Daniel Webster offered excellent advice, saying, "If we work on marble it will perish. If we work on brass, time will efface it. If we rear temples, they will crumble to dust. But if we work on men's immortal minds, if we imbue them with high principles, with just fear of God and love of their fellow-men, we engrave on those tablets something which time cannot efface, and which will brighten and brighten to all eternity." - Morning Glory.

What a pattern for the Church of today to follow. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could all be in agreement with the teachings of Christ? Our fellowship with Him would be so much more appealing and wholesome! What an encourager our God is!

Loving Father, help me by the power of the Holy Spirit, to be in agreement with my fellow Christians, in regard to the teachings of Christ, help me to make the effort for unity, and I thank you that my fellowship with Jesus, will be abundantly richer because of it! I ask this in the wonderful Name of Jesus! Amen.

Be encouraged!
GBYAY