Month October 2023

Biblical FELLOWSHIP

The Preacher Leave a comment

The way most use the word “FELLOWSHIP” is in connection to a common meal. While having something in common is the meaning of fellowship, BIBLICAL FELLOWSHIP is far more. To reduce it to a common meal is to miss it altogether.

What does the bible say about FELLOWSHIP? Here are all the words for fellowship, beginning with the English word, then a breakdown of its various Greek forms.

FELLOWSHIP in English.

Le 6:2 If a soul sin, and commit a trespass against the LORD, and lie unto his neighbour in that which was delivered him to keep, or in fellowship, or in a thing taken away by violence, or hath deceived his neighbour;

 Ps 94:20 Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law?

 Ac 2:42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

 1Co 1:9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

 1Co 10:20 But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.

 2Co 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion (same word) hath light with darkness?

 2Co 8:4 Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.

 Ga 2:9 And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.

 Eph 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

 Eph 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

 Php 1:5 For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;

 Php 2:1 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,

 Php 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

 1Jo 1:3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

 1Jo 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

 1Jo 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

KOINONIA. using a different English word than above.

Rom 15:26 For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem.

1Cor 10:16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?

2Co 9:13 Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men;

2Co 13:14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.

Phm 1:6 That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.

Heb 13:16 But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

KOINONOS, koy-no-nos’

Mt 23:30 And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.

Lu 5:10 And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon.

1Co 10:18 Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?

1Co 10:20 But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.

2Co 1:7 And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.

2Co 8:23 Whether any do enquire of Titus, he is my partner and fellowhelper concerning you:

Phm 1:17 If thou count me therefore a partner, receive him as myself.

Heb 10:33 Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used.

1Pe 5:1 ¶ The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:

2Pe 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

KOINOS, koy-nos’ COMMON / UNCLEAN.

Jude 1:3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation,

Titus 1:4 To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.

There are other verses using this root word, all mean common or unclean.

Mark 7:2; Acts 2:42; 4:32; 10:14,28; 11:8; Rom 14:14; Heb 10:29;

A clear picture emerges about SPIRITUAL FELLOWSHIP.

And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

partakers of the sufferings,

the right hands of fellowship;

the fellowship of the mystery,

your fellowship in the gospel

any fellowship of the Spirit

the fellowship of his sufferings,

partaker of the glory that shall be revealed

partakers of the divine nature,

common salvation,

common faith:

contribution for the poor saints

the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.

liberal distribution unto them,

the communication of thy faith

do good and to communicate

communion of the blood of Christ?

communion of the body of Christ?

the communion of the Holy Ghost,

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another

that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

7 Plagues of the mind pt3. GRUMBLING

The Preacher 1 Comment

Do all things without MURMURINGS and ARGUING:

That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

(Phil 2:14-15)

The fourth plague of the mind is complaining, or what the bible calls murmuring. I like to call it grumbling, because much of it sounds like we’re growling like hungry dogs.

Generally speaking, God hates it.

“How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, that murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me.” (Num 14:27)?

However, before we go running off to condemn everyone that ever has a complaint, let’s make sure we know what we’re talking about.

Some complaints are warranted, and not condemned by God. “Now in these days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a murmuring of the Grecian Jews against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration” (Acts 6:1).

Here is an example of a “murmur” that was justified and a remedy was sought for the complaint.

There are some complaints that are warranted and should be expressed. Complaints about a health issue needs to be taken up with our doctors. However, when we complain about our health to every stranger, it becomes less about health and more about attention.

The children of Israel had several complaints in the books of Exodus and Numbers after leaving Egypt. Some of the notable complaints include:

These complaints often led to God’s interventions, and sometimes punishments as part of their journey in the wilderness. You’ll notice that they had 3 main categories of complaint that continue to all generations (Food, Conditions, and Leadership). What was the difference between a complaint that was answered and a complaint that invoked God’s wrath?

The main difference is when they were complaining about the blessing, and having no gratitude toward God for His provisions. Note just one example, the complaint about food. At the beginning of their journey, they had no food so they complained and received food (Ex 16:3). Later, they continued to complain about food, but not that it was lacking, but that they were tired of the Miracle Manna from Heaven. “but now our soul is dried away; there is nothing at all save this manna to look upon” (Num 11).

Even so, constant grumbling and complaining is frowned upon by God for at least another reason. It makes the Christian appear hopeless. Paul looked at the pains of life this way, “Wherefore we faint not; but though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is for the moment, worketh for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2Cor 4:16-18; cf. 2Cor 12:7-10; 1Pet 3:14-16).

What can we do when we feel that urge to complain. First, when faced with the THORNS of life, complain with Grace by being thankful for the good. We can show our gratitude by thinking about what is right amidst all that is wrong. “in everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus to you-ward” (1Thess 5:18).

We can be helpful in the area of complaints about Leadership. Instead of fault finding, we can solution seeking. We can Pray, and we can Participate. Be Helpful instead of Hurtful. “that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you” (Heb 13:17).

When life appears unfair, instead of lamenting what’s wrong, let’s seek out Opportunities to serve our fellow man. When we are left out, go and include someone else in your plans instead of stewing in complaint. “Do ye not make distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts” (Jas 2:1-4)?

We can also Rejoice, like Paul, knowing that pain produces patience and glorifies God in our continuing hope of His return (2Cor 12:10; Jas 1:2-4).

Never complain to someone who can’t fix it or isn’t responsible for our problem. Much damage has been done against one person when we complain about them to another (James 3:10-15). That’s not to say we can’t share with each other about our pains (James 5:13), but let us be careful about hopeless complaining.

Finally, Seek Solutions that Serve. We can all serve in some manner, whether it be encouraging, ministering, giving, teaching, mercy, or cheerfulness (Romans 12). If there is nothing anyone can do, give it to God, and look forward to His return.

Agape,

Spencer

Based on a series “the 7 PLAGUES of the mind / heart”

Test every spirit. 1John 4:1-6

The Preacher 1 Comment

How do we know who is an antichrist?

1Jo 4:6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he who is not of God heareth us not. By this we know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

The spirit of truth HEARS…

HEAR the sayings of Jesus. Matt 7:24; John 12:48
EXAMPLES that match Christ. 1Cor 11:1; Php 3:17; 2Th 3:9; John 13:15; 1Tim 4:12; 1Pet 2:1-6, 21;
APOSTLES Doctrine. Acts 2:42; 1John 1:5; 2:19; John 17:20; 1Thess 2:13; 1Cor 2:9-13
READING is hearing. John 20:30-31; Eph 3:3-4; 1John 2:12-14.

additional outlines from 1John can be found here.

Love CASTS out fear. 1John 4:17

The Preacher 1 Comment

4:17-18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear.

With the Love of God we can have Confidence to approach Christ. Heb 4:16.

God’s love gives us Assurance in knowing when doing His will. John 14:15.

The Love of God makes Salvation is certain when we remain faithful. 1John 1-2:2.

Because of His Love we are Trusting in His working. Col 2:11-12.

His love gave us Scriptural Support. 2Tim 3:15-17.

Additional outlines from 1John can be found here.

James 4; what the Lord WILLS

The Preacher 4 Comments

The Lord WILLS certain things. We ought not use the phrase “Lord willing” like He is a micromanager. Rather, in the context of James 4, the Lord’s will is for us to live life for HIS WILL.

5 Things the Lord WILLS.

Not WILLING that any perish.
2Pet 3:9; 2Cor 7; Acts 8:22.

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness; but is longsuffering to you-ward, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

INCREASE. 1Th 4:1-12; 2Pet 3:18.

Finally then, brethren, we beseech and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that, as ye received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, even as ye do walk, –that ye abound more and more.

LABOR. Eph 4:28.

Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing that is good, that he may have whereof to give to him that hath need.

LOVE. Matt 22:37-39; 1Thess 4:9-10.

But concerning love of the brethren ye have no need that one write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another;
10 for indeed ye do it toward all the brethren that are in all Macedonia. But we exhort you, brethren, that ye abound more and more;

SAVE all men. 1Tim 2:1-8.

3 This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
4 who would have all men to be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth.

Any shortfall in what God is Willing for all is not from an inability. Rather, it must be due to someone’s freewill acting contrary to His Will.

Does God want repentance of all? Yes. Are all repentant? No.

Does God want all to increase in good works? Yes. Do all increase? No.

Does God want all to Labor to provide for their own? Yes. Do they? No.

Does God want all to Love one another? Yes. Do they? No.

Does God want all to be saved? Yes. Are all saved? No.

agape

Spencer

click here for more outlines of the book of James.

James 4; Life is a Vapor

The Preacher 1 Comment

James 4:13 Come now, ye that say, To-day or to-morrow we will go into this city, and spend a year there, and trade, and get gain:
14 whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. What is your life? For ye are a VAPOR, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall both live, and do this or that.
16 But now ye glory in your vauntings: all such glorying is evil.
17 To him therefore that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

click here for more outlines of the book of James.

Take Heed unto the Doctrine

The Preacher Leave a comment

The denominational world is trying to CHANGE the church, which means they’re trying to CHANGE the doctrine of Christ.

DOCTRINE DEFINED. Doctrine is Teaching.

DOCTRINE DIVINE & DOCTRINE DELIVERED.

DOCTRINE that is DIFINITIVE, and DOCTRINE that is DENIED.

DOCTRINE to be DEFENDED, and a DOCTRINE so DEAR.

Why so urgent about the Doctrine of Christ? Because heaven is at stake. Fellowship with God and His Son Christ Jesus demand it.

Agape,

Spencer

Spencer is an evangelist for the church of Christ at Franklin & Juniper st. in Borger Texas. You’re invited to visit one of our services to learn more about the doctrine of Christ.

7 PLAGUES of the mind pt 2

The Preacher 1 Comment

LEERINESS & APATHY.

Before we can exceed our expectations, we must first face our limitations. Attitudes of the mind that interfere with our faith are some of those limitations.

Awareness is a warning. Just as we watch the weather to prepare for a storm, so too should we be aware of those negative PLAGUES of the mind that contribute to the storms of life.

Last article looked at the first in our list called Pessimism. Today we give warning to the second and third; Leeriness (overcaution) and Apathy.

All of the PLAGUES are natural responses to our experiences in life. They are not sin in and of themselves, except as it weakens our faith, and faithfulness.

“And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and took hold of him, and saith unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt” (Matt 14:31)?

Overcaution, being overly leery, is being unnecessarily cautious. We are instructed to be cautious; “Look therefore carefully how ye walk, not as unwise, but as wise” (Eph 5:15), but overcautious can hinder us in helping brethren. “Forget not to show love unto strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares” (Heb 13:2).

Jesus spoke about helping strangers, “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  for I was hungry, and ye gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me” (Matt 25:34-36). These two passages talk about the individual responsibility first toward brethren in Christ, and also toward our fellow man (cf Gal 6:10; Luke 10:33-37)

Life is full of risk. It’s risky to do those things needed to take responsibility for the needs of the family. It’s risky to try to improve our health, & mind. We risk appearing foolish as we learn. It’s risky to serve God (Acts 3-8). It’s risky to keep the faith in a faithless world. “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved” (Matt 10:22).

A few years ago, Overcaution led many away from assembling with the saints. That’s not to say we should take unnecessary risks, being too risky is unwise, but it takes risk to remain faithful. If worshiping together with the saints becomes illegal, will you risk it to worship God? While Paul was ready to risk death (Acts 21:13), he took advantage of an opportunity to avoid dying unnecessarily (Acts 23:11-22). Be ready to die, but avoid it if it doesn’t cause you to lose faith. “For whosoever would save his life shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find it” (Matt 16:25).

To overcome overcaution, we need to remember the instruction to Timothy; “For which cause I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee through the laying on of my hands. For God gave us not a spirit of fearfulness; but of power and love and discipline. Be not ashamed therefore of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but suffer hardship with the gospel according to the power of God” (2Tim 1:6-8)

Apathy is the third in our list of plagues of the mind. The bible describes it as being lukewarm. “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So because thou art lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spew thee out of my mouth” (Rev 3:15-16). Think about coffee. We like it either piping hot or ice cold, but room temperature coffee is not on any Starbucks menu. Room temperature is the temperature of inactivity.

Apathy takes the “I don’t care” or “It doesn’t matter” approach to service rendered toward God. While there are some things that have no affect on maintaining fellowship, there are other things that are absolute. Baptism, instrumental music in worship, faith in Christ, preaching the gospel, etc are doctrines that cannot be changed.

Paul wrote to Timothy, “Take heed to thyself, and to thy teaching. Continue in these things; for in doing this thou shalt save both thyself and them that hear thee” (1Tim 4:16). There are teachings (doctrines) that are absolute. The ecumenical world takes a casual approach to the doctrine of Christ. “If any one cometh unto you, and bringeth not this teaching, receive him not into your house, and give him no greeting” (2John 10).

Pour it on is the opposite attitude of apathy. Paul found contentment in whatever state he was in; “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therein to be content.” (Phil 4:11). Paul pressed all the buttons, turned all the knobs, and flipped all the switches. “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil 3:14).

Paul wrote quite a bit about being on fire for the Lord:

Apathy is the drift approach to faithfulness. “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things that were heard, lest haply we drift away from them. For if the word spoken through angels proved stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward; how shall we escape, if we neglect so great a salvation? which having at the first been spoken through the Lord, was confirmed unto us by them that heard;” (Heb 2:1-3; emph mine seb).

The Leeriness and Apathetic approach to faith is no faith at all. These two plagues need to be fought like we fight any physical disease.

Agape,

Spencer

the 7 PLAGUES of the mind is a series of articles about attitudes.

the 7 PLAGUES of the heart.

The Preacher 5 Comments

Staying Positive in a Negative world.

These series of articles are about coming face to face with our doubts, fears, and worries. To combat these, we must be aware they exist and they can come upon us suddenly.

As a continuation, this next series of articles will alert us to the 7 plagues of the mind that can hinder our walk with Christ, and make our evangelism impotent. Negative attitudes can add to doubt. There will be some overlap with the previous series, but there will be some strategies to overcome the doubt that will come from negative thinking.

The seven plagues of the mind are these:

  1. Pessimism, fault finding.
  2. Leeriness, overcautious & fear.
  3. Apathy & Lukewarm.
  4. Grumbling Murmuring & complaining.
  5. Uncertainty.
  6. Exasperation & Anxiety.
  7. Sea Tossed with the waves.

Negative attitudes have a negative effect on our faith. Life is hard, and it’s even harder with a negative outlook.

Agape,

Spencer

7 PLAGUES of the mind pt1; Pessimism

The Preacher 1 Comment

Staying Positive in a Negative world.

Negative attitudes have a negative effect on our faith. Life is hard, and it’s even harder with a negative outlook.

The troubles and the sins of this life are troubling for all of us; remember Lot? “For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds” (2Peter 2:8). None of us are immune from the constant barrage of evil, but we must not let it infiltrate our minds and hearts to shipwreck our faith.

Negativity is Normal, and is the default setting of our minds, but we must overcome normal. In the absence of light, darkness prevails. Attitude diseases are just as bad as, and contribute to, the physical diseases of the body. Negativity weakens our faith not strengthen it.

Dealing with negative thoughts is like a WAR for keeping our heart and mind. Negative thoughts are like enemy weeds that creep into the beautiful garden. The gardener must be as a vigilant soldier watching on the wall. How far the weeds come in depends on how well he is watching.

EVIL is no match for good, but good must be ACTIVE. We must take action to keep out the negative. We must face it, not ignore it. Facing it doesn’t mean we have to keep it, nor dwell on it, but we do have to handle it. When the gardener sleeps, the tares keep growing. The negative only needs one chance, being positive must be successful continually. Maybe this is why our Lord told us to be mindful of the current day. “Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof” (Matt 6:34b; see John 11:9). Spiritual warfare requires spiritual weapons (2Cor 10:3-5; Eph 6:11-17). Growing in the Grace and KNOWLEDGE is our strength to ward off these plagues of the mind.

The first of the 7 PLAGUES is PESSIMISM. This is the deadly plague of always looking on the bad side, the difficult side, the listing of all the reasons something can’t be done side. He’s not trying to figure out what is good or right, he’s searching for what’s wrong or how it will go wrong.

The pessimist says, “I can list ten reasons why this is a bad idea.” Why look for ten when one will do? LOL. These folks are on a mission to find fault over virtue. These are the “cup is half empty” people. The “cup is half full” is not the antitheses to this negative idea.

Remembering the overflowing quality of God’s cup is; “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again” (Luke 6:38). As the proverb says, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Prov 23:7a).

Pessimism, defeatism, and the like are often self-fulfilling prophecies. When the pessimist’s forecast comes true, he seems to find joy. The pessimist can’t enjoy the beauty right outside his house because of the specs on the glass.

While this life may be filled with all kind of reasons to give in, and give up, we need to remember the words of our Lord, “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth” (Mark 9:23). The way we think things are affect us more than the way things actually are. “There’s a lion in the street” saith the sluggard, (Prov 22:13; 26:13). Maybe there is, but we won’t know till we try.

Here are four strategies when pessimism attacks:

Instead of listing the reasons something can’t be done, direct your mind to the things that can be done. There is always a way. “but will with the temptation make also the way of escape, that ye may be able to endure it” (1Cor 10:13b).

Redirect pessimism toward appreciation and gratitude. Remembering the great things God has done is how we ward off pessimism. “Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered” (Psalm 40:5). “My mouth shall tell of thy righteousness, And of thy salvation all the day; For I know not the numbers thereof” (Psalm 71:15).

Reframing the issue may also help with pessimism. Faced with the problem of those preaching to add to his chains, Paul reframed the issue; “but the other proclaim Christ of faction, not sincerely, thinking to raise up affliction for me in my bonds. What then? only that in every way, whether in pretence or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and therein I rejoice, yea, and will rejoice” (Phil 1:17-18).

Finally, keeping your eye on the goal is a great way to stave off pessimism. “Brethren, I could not myself yet to have laid hold: but one thing I do, forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before, I press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil 3:13-14). Regardless of the negative things pressing around us, it won’t change what we ought to do nor where we desire to be, unless we allow it.

The world is a painful place, but “Count it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into manifold temptations; Knowing that the proving of your faith worketh patience” (James 1:2-3).

Agape,

Spencer

This is part one of a series called the 7 PLAGUES of the heart / mind.