BENEFITS OF BELONGING!

Fellowship aka Christian community is the bond of believers! 

It is belonging. Daily. Weekly. Spontaneously. A time to reconnect and rekindle because of "whose" we are.

Believers have taken off the old self, aka corrupt and deceitful life (Ephesians 4:22) and put on the new self which is true righteousness and holiness which is a bond of belonging.(Ephesians 4:24)

According to Taylor Park, those who "take off the old but don't clothe themselves in the new are like a naked Pharisee." Think hypocrite!

True believers who have put on the new self have that incredibly deep bond of fellowship! His love which binds everything together...(Colossians 3:14)

Coming together informally, zooming or in face to face worship is always a celebration because it is done "In His Name!" 

Fellowship is belonging in Christ.....therefore do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:17)

CHOOSE: TO CELBRATE LONGEVITY

Longevity. Our life span is not something we can choose.
"God has appointed the number of our days. He has determined the length of our lives." (Job 14:5)

In the last few weeks I have been to 3 funerals for folks younger than I. Many tried to make the funerals a celebration of life. I understand that but it also made me realize, as Daddy used to say, "I thank the good Lord for every day He gives me." Well said, Daddy. Celebrate life one day at a time.

Celebrate life. Celebrate the years. Use the longevity you are given as a time of service.
As folks retire they are rewarded honors for years (longevity) of service.
Today we honored a lady on her "almost 101st birthday." I don't think I've ever known anyone who has celebrated a birthday with triple digits. She is a woman blessed with "multiplied days and increased years." (Proverbs 9:11)

Almeda Burns will be one hundred and one years old on Thanksgiving day----so we celebrated early.
We ate and ate some more. Two desserts, no less. We sang. She blew out her "1" candle. Others at Town Village stopped by to greet her. But....her favorite part was being able to share memories with others from the King's Daughters and Sons, a Christian service organization.
Several were the daughters of her friends, "now all gone," as she said.

Eavesdropping on all those stories, I realized that she was worthy of the honor of longevity of service. Years of service, "In HIs Name."