Matthew 26:50
Friend, why have you come?
Already two weeks have passed this year and for me personally the year has started on a high. I considered the first Heart of Worship meeting with me as a youth leader a success and I just accepted my first full-time job after graduating university. Now that is what I call a good start!
The last couple of messages had love and meeting each other as a topic and I think this is an extension of those, or rather it is at the base of those messages. In our church the main focus for the start of the year is 'seeking first the kingdom' (Matthew 6:33), which is great. It is always good to reset the focus to Jesus at the start of a new year. In light of community and friendships, Jesus is the best focus and the best example there is.
One thing that is certain for the coming year, is that we will be offended at some point this year, to varying measures within our community. Maybe one of your best friends will say something that offends you or someone in your connect group does something that hurts you. In Matthew 18:22 Jesus answers Peter when he asks Jesus how many times he should forgive a brother that sins against him. Jesus answers with 'seventy times seven.' Jesus tells us to forgive every time somebody sins against us. It is okay to be angry, as Paul writes to the church in Ephesus in Ephesians 4:26, but don't stay angry. Forgiving someone is as much helpful to the person needing forgiveness as to the person needing to forgive.
As more often, Jesus leads by example. Jesus already knows that Judas will betray him, yet still accepts him. Moreover, Judas was there at the Last Supper. Judas was always welcome. Matthew 26:50 shows the full extent of the largeness of His love. Even at the moment of betrayal, Jesus calls Judas 'friend', and he does not judge Judas at this point. That is what I call extravagant love. That is setting the bar high for us in our relationships. Who do we call friends? Let this be a year where we worship passionately, forgive quickly and love extravagantly.
His love never fails.
Showing posts with label community. Show all posts
Showing posts with label community. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Monday, December 31, 2012
Meeting each other
Hebrews 10:24-25
Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another...
Now 2012 is coming to a close, and what a year it has been. So much has happened and I am very excited for the next year. In the last post I mentioned I have been away on a big trip and since I came back I mainly had something on my heart that might be best described as 'community'. In the broader sense of the word.
Hebrews 10:24-25 is probably one of the most used scriptures when considering community. So there's nothing new here. I do think this is a great scripture to have on your heart when entering the new year, as in my opinion, you can't do life on your own. This has two simple reasons: you need others, and others need you. Do not undervalue that last reason.
Furthermore I think sometimes we take community, or simple social activities with other people/Christians as add-ons in our life. Whilst this translation (NLT) makes this a 'mild suggestion' or an encouragement, the author uses more aggressive language. I don't always check out the Greek, but sometimes I like to know exactly what something means. The word 'motivate' in v24 is paroksysmos in Greek, which translates to provoke or stir up. So it has a much more compulsory or pushing edge to it. The author here is motivating us to push each other to do acts of love and good works.
The next part is my focal point. Again the author uses strong language. The Greek for neglect here is egkataleipo, which is stronger than neglect, it translates into forsaking, or leaving behind. It is not talking about missing a meeting, or not having a coffee with friends in a week. But the author is emphasizing the importance of meeting up with - in this case - Christian friends. You need other people to push you to keep loving and doing good and vice versa.
And to be really honest, we could have worse obligations. To have lunch with some friends and to speak into each others lives is probably one of the best and most fun things to do. I would like to end this final 2012 blogpost with an encouragement for next year:
Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. (Col. 3:13-15)
Have a great New Year's and be blessed in 2013. His love never fails.
Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another...
Now 2012 is coming to a close, and what a year it has been. So much has happened and I am very excited for the next year. In the last post I mentioned I have been away on a big trip and since I came back I mainly had something on my heart that might be best described as 'community'. In the broader sense of the word.
Hebrews 10:24-25 is probably one of the most used scriptures when considering community. So there's nothing new here. I do think this is a great scripture to have on your heart when entering the new year, as in my opinion, you can't do life on your own. This has two simple reasons: you need others, and others need you. Do not undervalue that last reason.
Furthermore I think sometimes we take community, or simple social activities with other people/Christians as add-ons in our life. Whilst this translation (NLT) makes this a 'mild suggestion' or an encouragement, the author uses more aggressive language. I don't always check out the Greek, but sometimes I like to know exactly what something means. The word 'motivate' in v24 is paroksysmos in Greek, which translates to provoke or stir up. So it has a much more compulsory or pushing edge to it. The author here is motivating us to push each other to do acts of love and good works.
The next part is my focal point. Again the author uses strong language. The Greek for neglect here is egkataleipo, which is stronger than neglect, it translates into forsaking, or leaving behind. It is not talking about missing a meeting, or not having a coffee with friends in a week. But the author is emphasizing the importance of meeting up with - in this case - Christian friends. You need other people to push you to keep loving and doing good and vice versa.
And to be really honest, we could have worse obligations. To have lunch with some friends and to speak into each others lives is probably one of the best and most fun things to do. I would like to end this final 2012 blogpost with an encouragement for next year:
Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. (Col. 3:13-15)
Have a great New Year's and be blessed in 2013. His love never fails.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Togetherness
Acts 2:44 And all who believed (who adhered to and trusted in and relied on Jesus Christ) were united and together they had everything in common (Amplified Bible)
I just came back from band practice. It's so great to come together and worship God and play music for him, together as one band with one mind and purpose. For me personally, but I think that it applies to everyone, it's really necessary to gather with other people and share or do something together. In this chapter in Acts in the first verse that they were all assembled in one place. Powerful things happen when we gather and agree on something and pray for it. Besides that, I guess it's just plain comfortable to have people around you, whether life's treating you good or bad.
And I absolutely love what it says between brackets here: who adhered to and trusted in and relied on Jesus Christ. The Greek word that is used here is pisteuo, which means exactly that; trusting in and relying on. We don't just come together for the sake of gathering or having a good time, even though these are really good things. We come together trusting in and relying on Jesus. We know that we are in good hands, in good and bad times.
Love never fails,
L
I just came back from band practice. It's so great to come together and worship God and play music for him, together as one band with one mind and purpose. For me personally, but I think that it applies to everyone, it's really necessary to gather with other people and share or do something together. In this chapter in Acts in the first verse that they were all assembled in one place. Powerful things happen when we gather and agree on something and pray for it. Besides that, I guess it's just plain comfortable to have people around you, whether life's treating you good or bad.
And I absolutely love what it says between brackets here: who adhered to and trusted in and relied on Jesus Christ. The Greek word that is used here is pisteuo, which means exactly that; trusting in and relying on. We don't just come together for the sake of gathering or having a good time, even though these are really good things. We come together trusting in and relying on Jesus. We know that we are in good hands, in good and bad times.
Love never fails,
L
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