Once again it is Monday. Embrace the day with knowing that God loves you. My day will be a long one going well into the night. So for me it is a cup of Door County German Chocolate Coffee and a full thermos to carry me through.
This past Saturday evening I spoke in church about what it takes to "fellowship".
I wanted to share with all of you some of the key points and examples.
To be part of the Family of God requires a choice. First we choose to invite Jesus into our lives as Lord and Savior. This means acknowledgement of our sin and accepting His gift of forgiveness that He paid for us by dying on a cross. This entitles us to be "children of God".
John 1:12-13
12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
If we are to the children of God we need to imitate Jesus.
Philippians 2:1-11
New International Version (NIV)
Imitating Christ’s Humility
2 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God,(
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death
even death on a cross!
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death
even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
and gave him the name that is above every name
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
In closing today. Jesus gave us an example of obedience. He stretched out His arms unto death and died for our sins. Look around you today. Stretch out your arms in imitation of Jesus and reach out to someone in friendship or fellowship.
God bless.
Marty
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