The Joy of True Fellowship

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"We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make (y)our joy complete." 1 John 1:3,4

True fellowship with one another comes out of the fellowship each one of us has with God.  At the same time, true fellowship with one another is hindered when we don't have true fellowship with God.

"God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But 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, purifies us from all sin." 1 John 1:5-7

The fruit of fellowship with God should be that the believer lives by the truth.

"The man who says, 'I know him,' but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him." 1 John 2:4

When believers don't live by the truth, they will hinder true fellowship with one another. The greatest joy is found when believers walk in the light and together have unhindered fellowship with God.

As much as I believe that God always works despite us, I also believe that God is looking for a people who are committed to fellowship with Him and fellowship with one another.

Unity is a very powerful thing. Where there is true fellowship, God will pour out His Spirit (Psalm 133). Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is inexpressible joy. The joy and love we experience when we are reconciled to those we love will be poured over a people who are committed to living in unity and love.

My prayer is that the Church would receive revelation, would experience and would live according to what Christ has purchased for us by His blood. The truth is that Christ's death has opened the way for man to have true fellowship with God and one another (Ephesians 2:14-22). Through faith in Jesus, the believer is made one with God and with every other believer. This is a divine mystery that could only be accomplished by God. To live "by the truth" is to live according to the reality of our union with God and one another. The question is, "Will we live according to this amazing truth and be devoted to fellowship with God and one another?"

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you." John 15:9-12

Marathon Musings

Tomorrow is the big day! Over 15000 runners will be participating in the Frankfurt Marathon. The place will be mobbed with people, buzzing with excitement and teaming with spectators. 42,195 kilometres is written in a second but will take quite a lot longer to run tomorrow. The fastest will try and crack the world record just over 2 hours whilst I am going to try and not crack anything. I am looking to make it in 4 hours and 20 minutes but just making it would also be just fine.

This will be my first marathon. When I turned 45 last year I decided to go for it. Why? Well, there are several reasons. I am not having a mid-life crisis. I was fed up being overweight and never knowing what feeling fit is really like. I suddenly realised I am getting on. I am not having a mid-life crisis. The apostle Paul often compares one's spiritual walk with running a race. I felt God wanted me to learn some things on the way. Here are some of the things I have learned during this past year that I believe also apply to my spiritual walk. 

Unconditional commitment

My decision to run a marathon was not a flippant idea. I knew it would mean hard work and entering something new and unfamiliar. Once I had counted the cost, I made an unconditional commitment to pull it through, come rain or shine. Only then could I let other people know what I was embarking on.

Following Jesus is the same. It costs us our lives. It is not a decision one can make flippantly. It's an unconditional commitent to follow Jesus despite any circumstances. Only then will one be willing to tell others about one's journey with God.

Support

I have to say that having someone at my side, supporting me, encouraging me and believing in me has helped me immensely not to give up. Frances, my wife, has been right behind me all the time. She has gone out of her way to make room for me to succeed. I am not alone.

The Holy Spirit believes in us. Jesus has not left us alone. The Holy Spirit runs alongside us, supporting, encouraging and believing in us. Jesus went out of His way to make room for us to succeed. We are not alone!

Focus

Once I made up my mind to go for it, I bought books on the subject, gear for running and kept my eyes on the goal. I monitored my running, kept a log of my runs and kept studying ways to improve. I have been extremely focused.

Focus is so important in our walk with God. The apostle Paul repeatedly tells us to keep our minds on things above to ensure that we stay focused on the things of God and our journey with Him. The way we do that is to train ourselves in God-consciousness by spending time in prayer, reading the Bible and meditating on God's truth. When I lose focus I become spiritually lazy!

Discipline

Without discipline I wouldn't be able to overcome my natural tendency to want to remain comfortable. Discipline is a matter of the will that has decided to submit to something outside oneself. I made the decision to run at least 3 times a week regardless of whether I felt like it or not. There were times I would hover in the living room with my running gear on and have to tell myself to get on with it. My running spirit had to overcome my lazy body!  

We cannot expect to grow in our relationship with God without discipline. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak! Getting up early to spend time with God requires discipline. Going to church every Sunday requires discipline. Serving God when you would rather sit at home on the sofa requires discipline. It is a matter of submitting one's will to something outside ourselves - the Spirit of God.

Perseverance

Part of my training involved doing some really long runs of up to 30 kilometres. I built up the length of my runs gradually over the year until I felt my body could handle increasingly longer distances. However, after a while I realised that I needed to decide to run a certain distance regardless of whether I felt up to it before or during the run. If I decided to run 25 kilometres, for example, that is what I would do. Easier said than done! After 20 kilometres the body says, "Stop!" and the mind says, "Keep going" and the will is like a spectator at wimbledon. At this point one is confronted with the meaning of perseverance: continuing regardless!

I am sure most believers have times in their run with God where God seems to be absent, joy has left, circumstances are bleak and one wonders, "What is the point?!" Perseverance continues regardless. Perseverance pushes through the difficult times and overcomes the voice of discouragement and unbelief. The apostle Paul says perseverance produces character. I think that means that as we overcome difficult times and push past our natural selves, we develop a strength that takes us deeper into God and makes us stronger to face even greater challenges!

Enjoyment

After pushing through the initial challenges of being unfit and the body stops complaining, sort of, there comes a time during one's training when running is actually a lot of fun. One feels good, alive and strong and begins to appreciate the gift of life and health. The enjoyment of a warm shower and being allowed to stuff your face without a bad conscience after a good run is a lot of fun. I love it. Maybe I run just so I can eat. In any case, there is even greater joy when one beats one's best time or simply finishes a run after having forced oneself to go and realising how much better one feels after the run.

"Consider it pure joy when you face all kinds of trials," says James. Joy comes when we are suffering for a good cause. As a believer, I live to fulfill God's call for my life. I am called heavenward in Christ Jesus. As I journey with God, I can rejoice in my relationship with Him and also enjoy pushing through and overcomig temptation and any obstacle the enemy throws at me. The sense of achievement and victory having overcome gives great joy. I rejoice in the ability to overcome in the Spirit's power and shower in Christ's righteousness!  Overcoming increases my capacity for more of Christ.

Motivation

On the bottled water we buy, there used to be a picture of one of the fastest German long distance runners, Jan Fitschen. Every time I took a swig from the bottle, I saw his picture and was inspired to go for it - run the marathon! Staying motivated is important. I would read blogs about others who trained for their first marathon and made it. I would remind myself that all my small victories will produce an even larger victory on the day. At times when I really did not feel like it at all, Frances would encourage me. If I was really struggling I would choose to do an easier route and inevitably find that once I was on the road, I felt like doing more after all. Motivation is the encouragement that stirs us to action.

Jesus is my model of one who persevered until the end. He did not give up. His testimony and the testimonies of those God commends in Hebrews chapter 11, motivate me to keep going. The Bible is full of testimonies of normal people not giving up because they saw Him who is invisible. I am motivated to believe until the end when I read the stories of people in the past and today who were and are willing to lay down their lives for their faith. We also need one another to encourage one another to keep going until the end.

I have mixed feelings about tomorrow's marathon. Excitement to be part of the event but also respect for what will happen after 30 kilometres. I have trained and worked hard but I still don't really know how I will do.  I am qualified to paticipate and I will do my best. Isn't that what God wants of us? He qualifies us with Christ's righteousness and simply wants us to do our best. After all we are His workmanship, created in Chrst Jesus to do good works (Eph 2:10). I am running the race to complete it and I look forward to receiving my medal at the end. I am going to feel 10 years younger (I am not going through a mid-lfe crisis) and stuff my face with delight. Sounds like heaven to me!
   

Do you have Eternal Life?

"I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life." 1 John 5:13

Introduction

The purpose of the apostle John's letter is to help believers know whether they have eternal life or not. John looks at the evidence or fruit of the life of one who is truly saved to help us know what the life of a believer should look like. Before we look at some of the fruit of a born again believer we need to understand what it means to be saved.

Salvation

Many Christians think that salvation is about believing in Jesus Christ so that when they die they will not go to hell but will be given eternal life in heaven. Although that is true, it is only a limited understanding of what salvation is all about! What many people don't understand is that through faith or trusting in Jesus Christ, the believer is "born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable" (1 Peter 1:23). That means that the believer receives life that is imperishable - eternal life. This eternal life is not an impersonal force but the very presence of the One who lives forever because He has conquered sin and death - Jesus Christ. The believer therefore receives the indwelling presence of Eternal Life. John writes,

"God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life." 1 John 5:11,12

Eternal Life

So we see that eternal life is not just something believers receive after they die, but it is Jesus living in them, the moment they believe in Him and confess Him as Lord of their lives (Rom. 10:9,10; 1 John 4:15). Those who don't believe in Christ Jesus are separated from Eternal Life, the life of God, but anyone who does believe, "God lives in him and he in God" (Eph. 4:18; 1 John 4:15).

The proof of Eternal Life

The question then is, "How can I know that I am born again and have received Eternal Life?" The apostle John explains that believers can know that they have Eternal Life because,

• the Holy Spirit testifies with their spirit that they are children of God (1 John 3:24; 4:13; 5:10)
• they are walking in the Light and don't keep on sinning (1 John 1:6; 3:6,9; 5:18)
• they don't deny their disobedience when they have sinned (1 John 1:8)
• they obey God's will (1 John 2:3,4; 2:17; 5:2)
• they are like Jesus (1 John 2:6; 3:2)
• they love the children of God (1 John 2:9,10; 3:14; 4:7,11; 5:1)
• they overcome the evil one and the world (1 John 2:13; 4:4; 5:3)
• they don't give in to their sinful desires (1 John 2:15-17)
• they have an anointing from the Holy One (1 John 2:20)
• they know the truth (1 John 2:21)
• they are confident and unashamed (1 John 2:28; 3:21; 4:17; 5:14)
• they do what is right (1 John 2:29; 3:10)
• they have hope (1 John 3:3)
• they love with action and in truth (1 John 3:18)
• they have peace with God (1 John 3:19)
• they please God (1 John 3:22)
• they speak from God's viewpoint (1 John 4:5,6)
• they live in love (1 John 4:16)
• they don't fear punishment (1 John 4:18)
• they receive understanding (1 John 5:20)

The reasons for lack of fruit

The fruit of Eternal Life is simply the revelation of Christ in the believer. The problem, however, is that many believers are not seeing the fruit of Eternal Life in their lives. Does that mean that they are not saved? I believe the lack of evidence is due to three reasons. Clearly there might be the possibility that the person is just a nominal Christian who has not entirely surrendered his life to Jesus as Lord of His life and is therefore not born again. The second reason is that believers don't respond to the Eternal One in them. They simply continue doing their own will and ignore the presence of God in them and with them! The third reason believers don't see more evidence of Eternal Life in their lives, is simply the fact that they don't remain in fellowship with God. 

Fellowship with God

Fellowship with God means I live my daily life with an awareness of God's presence in me and with me all the time. This awareness of God means I include God in every aspect of my life. As I do so I become sensitive to His presence and learn to respond to His leading. I get to know God and learn what grieves Him and what pleases Him. I spend time in the secret place to draw near to Him in worship, to meditate on His Word and to receive from Him. I learn to acknowledge His presence and become sensitive to His every movement as I go into the day. As I become increasingly sensitive to God, I have my mind on what the Spirit desires so that I avoid giving in to the desires of the flesh. Fellowship with God will cause me to produce the fruit of Eternal Life! Those who remain in Christ know that what John describes as the evidence of Eternal Life is possible! (Rom. 8:1-16; Gal. 5:16-25).

Fullness of joy!

Jesus came to give us fullness of life (John 10:10)! Those who truly believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, receive Christ who is Eternal Life itself. Having received fullness in Christ, the believer has received everything he needs for life and godliness and can participate in the Divine nature as he remains in Jesus and continues to have fellowship with Him (Col. 2:10; 2 Peter 1:3,4; John 15:4,5).

I encourage you today, to spend time in God's presence and enjoy fellowship with Him. Practice the presence of God and you will produce the fruit of eternal life as you obey Him. I write these things so your joy will be complete (1 John 1:4).

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Simplify to Glorify!

"Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him." Psalm 126:5,6

Sacrificial Obedience

Those who wholeheartedly live for God and His Kingdom willingly say "no" to this world and "yes" to God. 

"By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead at his reward." Hebrews 11:24-26

Moses said "no" to his worldly status and wealth and "yes" to Christ and His purposes because Moses' focus was not on earthly and temporary things but on the heavenly and eternal fruit that sacrifice would bring.

Jesus sowed His life willingly because He was looking ahead. He saw the joy of fruitfulness that His sacrificial sowing would bring!

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Heb. 12:2 (emphasis mine)

True sacrifice is costly. Jesus sowed His life with tears to return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with Him! We read in the letter to the Hebrews that, 

"During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered" (Heb. 5:7,8).

The suffering spoken of here is not the result of disobedience but the consequence of sacrificial obedience for the sake of God. Jesus chose to lay down His life to please the Father, to benefit others and for the joy of fruitfulness set before Him.

When we say "no" to the things of this world, we make room for God. It costs us and we sow Kingdom seed with tears but we do it because the reward will be far greater than anything this world can offer. 

Living for eternity may bring temporary tears 

but it brings eternal joy!

Sacrifice makes room for God!

Sacrificial obedience is motivated by a desire to see God's Kingdom established on earth as it is in Heaven. God even challenges His people to test Him in this! In Malachi 3:10 - 12, the Lord commands His people to bring the whole tithe to the storehouse so that God can throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that we will not have enough room for it!

For many people tithing is costly. Giving a tenth of one's income can mean saying "no" to many things in this world. However, even if the tithe is sown in tears, it will relase the abundance of heaven! The tithe, sown in sacrificial obedience with tears will bring a harvest with joy!

Sadly many misappropriate these verses and try to coerce God to bless them by giving their tithe. However, those who sacrifice to release God's Kingdom to please the Father, to benefit others and to glorify God are those who will reap a harvest with joy!

Make room for the King!

The Lord is calling His people to make room for Him. The Father wants to manifest His presence, His power and His Kingdom in and through our lives but He needs space. Making room for God means there are some things we enjoy in life that we will need to say "no" to so that His Kingdom can come. God's purpose in getting His chiildren to make room for Him is not to be a spoil sport or for us to be miserable! He wants His people to live for the sake of eternity and to be filled with "inexpressible joy" as we sow our lives sacrificially and receive the abundance of heaven for His glory.  

What is God calling you to say "no" to so that He can manifest His Kingdom in and through your life? How can you simplify your life to live for God? How can you simplify your life to glorify God? Child of God:  

Simplify to Glorify!

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