"And Jonathan Saul's son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God." (1 Samuel 23:16)
The story of David and Jonathan is one of the best examples of a Godly friendship we have in the Bible. You know they had a positive friendship because when they hung out together they enlarged each other's relationship with God. We all need friendships with people that allow room for the Holy Spirit to move when we are connecting. Sometimes friendships can be so full of our humanity that they never take us anywhere in God, or even worse we can be dragged backwards by the people we connect with.
As preached about last Sunday Elisha received his double portion of anointing because he chose to connect deeply with Elijah. Peter and John going up to the temple to pray, Paul and Barnabas praying in the Antioch Church prayer meeting and Paul and Silas in prison, worshipping together are other great examples of this. Let's always seek to discover and develop great Christian friends in our lives. How can we do this?.........
The Bible says Jonathan "arose" and found David, in other words these friendships don't always just happen naturally. Sometimes we need to get pro-active and seek out people whose company causes us to grow in our walk with God. We can find people like this in Church services, prayer meetings, connect groups and other such places.
Let's arise like Jonathan’s Church and be all we can be in God by connecting to people who love Him more than anything else!!
Have a super weekend!
Andrew & Shara McLennan
www.c3indooroopilly.com
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Thursday, June 3, 2010
June 6th
WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE?
"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20)
The Bible constantly talks about life and death. In the beginning God breathed life into the nostrils of man and he became a living being. But he also warned Adam that disobedience to God would result in death to himself, which is what happened when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit.
Moving forward to the New Testament we know that Jesus, who is called the second Adam, died for the world so that we could have life. And Paul teaches Christians in Galatia and elsewhere, that to fully experience the life of God we also have to experience death to ourselves...ouch! Our society talks a lot about self and the empowerment of "I" or "me" in our lives is a characteristic of our culture. But Jesus taught that we Christians are to take up our cross (die to ourselves) and follow Him and that this is the path that leads to true life. This is so counter culture to our modern world. He said:
"Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." (Matthew 10:39)
Let's lose our life for Jesus and discover His love, purpose and power as The Son of God arises in our hearts! John the Baptist said it like this, "I must decrease but He must increase."
Have a great weekend and we are so looking forward to Dr Bob!!
Andrew & Shara
"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20)
The Bible constantly talks about life and death. In the beginning God breathed life into the nostrils of man and he became a living being. But he also warned Adam that disobedience to God would result in death to himself, which is what happened when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit.
Moving forward to the New Testament we know that Jesus, who is called the second Adam, died for the world so that we could have life. And Paul teaches Christians in Galatia and elsewhere, that to fully experience the life of God we also have to experience death to ourselves...ouch! Our society talks a lot about self and the empowerment of "I" or "me" in our lives is a characteristic of our culture. But Jesus taught that we Christians are to take up our cross (die to ourselves) and follow Him and that this is the path that leads to true life. This is so counter culture to our modern world. He said:
"Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." (Matthew 10:39)
Let's lose our life for Jesus and discover His love, purpose and power as The Son of God arises in our hearts! John the Baptist said it like this, "I must decrease but He must increase."
Have a great weekend and we are so looking forward to Dr Bob!!
Andrew & Shara
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