CULTIVATING COMMUNITY!

"Cultivating Community" communicates relational identity that requires deposits from participants. Plural. Think reciprocity.

A continual devotion to apostles' teaching and fellowship of believers.

Cultivating Community in no way negates getting alone to spend time in prayer or meditating on God's Word.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 states that the "Lord has placed eternity in our hearts." Embedded in each of us is a sense of something more..... a longing.

Two needs of life resonate with each of us....to belong and to matter. Fellowship supports those truths. Longing for belonging.

Long to belong--a bedrock for Christian fellowship

Theology of Togetherness. Made to be known. Knowing we matter to God. 

NO "I"-dentity.

"We"-dentity. In Christ together.

Sounds like fellowship at its best.....aligned with awe and one purpose.

Single-mindedness in worship; yet, unity in diversity. Practicing/preserving that diversity without slamming another's politics or opinions on social media. Do unto others....for their benefit. (John 13:34)

You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you. (John Bunyan)

A community coming together to know Him and make Him known not in words alone but in our actions. 

Cultivation that bears fruit of awe and purpose that blesses community.

IMPORTANT EXERCISE

Exercise is important! 

Exercise can be difficult to incorporate into one's daily schedule.

Exercise with another can be an encouragement.

Exercising with another, aka fellowship, is essential for growth, from physical to spiritual! 

Fellowship, sharing time in God's word laced with prayer and physically coming alongside others in their struggles of life is an important earthly exercise with an eternal result. (Acts 2:42, 44)

WINSLOW'S WARRIORS!

What is a warrior? Warriors in the faith come along side each other to encourage and build one another up. (1 Thessalonians 5:11) Maybe being a warrior entails pushing that wheelchair so that she can sit outside the "facility" for the first time since July 2.

Warriors are there day and night, either physically or spiritually or sometimes both.
Warriors are the watchmen, appointed by God, to pray day and night and to take no rest for themselves & continually cry out to God until God makes wherever his people minister a praise in the earth (Isaiah 62:6-7), ie a place of sanctuary, a happy place, of sorts.
With dear high school, Winslow, the call to be her warrior has brought us all together again on her behalf.

Since we love one another as God has loved us (John 13:34), and are called to prayer, fellowship & breaking bread together, even if it was benedictine on a cracker,  (Acts 1:14 & Acts 2:42).  There was "light" from the fellowship (1 John 1:7), & speaking aloud in psalms & hymns, making melody with with our heart unto the Lord, in oneness inside room 111.

From ICU to rehab to the hospital and back again there has been a cadre of folks, armed with "Winslow Will Win" purple bracelets ready to pitch in on her behalf!!! Note Dotsy's right wrist.

Now you know what a warrior is in the deepest sense of the words. Among believers, it's the ones who stand on your side---lift you when your down, kneel in prayer when you can't, and some times "bust you out" of a "facility" so that you can see the outside world again and even do a little shopping!!!

What a thrill to end the day encircling her chair, holding hands and praising the Lord who had "strengthened (Winslow's) weak hands" and answered prayers from "His Word which help the tottering to stand and to have strengthened her feeble (left) knee." Job 4:4)

MEDITATION “MUSTS”

9/17/12 “Life is at its richest when we are living in close communion with God and loving our neighbors at the same time.” (Loritts, p. 10) A-men!

In his book, a CROSS-SHAPED Gospel, Bryan Loritts states so well the “musings” of my own heart. The vertical relationship with the Lord is all about loving and serving Him---with prayer, Bible study and intimate times in His presence. Yet, the horizontal relationship with others occurs as love for the Lord overflows into love and service for others---neighbors here, in Ukraine or wherever God gives a sphere of influence. Focusing on one aspect to the exclusion of the other is an "off kilter" message of good news. It takes both to have that complete God-centered relationship.

So…..today’s meditation will be on 2 verses to allow for the complete truth to “sink in.”

And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. (Deuteronomy 6:5)

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. (John 13:34)

2 “Musts” for meditation that MUST not be overlooked or missed.