Volume 2022: Edition 13
Food for thought: What is Fellowship and Why is it Important?
Hello everyone, and welcome back. Thank you for your patience and we apologize for the missed Newsletter last week. We appreciate you coming back for the update this week and month as we continue to study His word.
While we have covered the topic of church family and how important it is to love one another and to help one another within a Church, we haven't covered what fellowship is and what it means for our spiritual lives. To have a church family is to be in fellowship, but fellowship means more than just a church family. Fellowship is to be in the company of friends and peers with similar interests. While the term is often used for church, it is also used to synonymously describe companionship, comradery, fraternization, sociability, The bond of the nine men in The Lord of the Rings, guilds, etc. In the bible it is used to describe the relationship we have with God, and, through our relationship with Him, the extension of relationships within the church, family, friends, neighbors and with other fellow Human beings.
"God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."
(1 Corinthians 1:9)
"That which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ."
(1 John 1:3)
Therefore, no fellowship should occur without Him as the head of it. It will ultimately fail or fall short of its potential, and the relationships you have within your fellowship, whether it be with one other person or several, will be unstable without God as the rock and center. We must first each individually have fellowship with God the father, Jesus, and have the holy spirit working in our lives before we can claim that we are a church family in fellowship with Christ as our head. We can have fellowship with one another as we do with friends, groups, or clubs, but it all means nothing if God is not the leading principle of it. You can do all the good in the world with your fellowship, but without the love and guidance God provides us with it means nothing.
"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body [a]to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing."
(1 Corinthians 13: 1-3)
This fact is very important, because without the wisdom, knowledge, peace, love, and many blessings God gives each of us to testify to, we could not help or encourage one another in our spiritual journey to know and become more like Christ. And this doesn't just go for those within our church family but everyone outside of it. We could not reach out to our family, friends, loved ones, neighbors or people on the street and bring them into fellowship with Christ without the guidance and presence of the Lord Himself .
"Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another."
(Proverbs 27:17)
"So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,"
(Philippians 2:1-5)
"Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken"
(Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)
So, the next time you are in fellowship with your family, loved ones, neighbors, friends, church or just strangers off the street, remember to let God guide your interactions so that you are always in fellowship with Him, and so that everyone you are with may also come to be in fellowship with our Lord and savior. Just some food for thought...
We are grateful to have you with us as readers, church members, and interested guests and we are always open to any suggestions and volunteers for our website, newsletter, and future activities. We hope to see you at our Sunday services and stay tuned for our coming newsletters and updates at church, at bible study, on Facebook, on the Wix-App, and on the website weekly!
Upcoming Events:
Special Prayers:
Continue praying for Conrad Sack and the Sack Family for healing and patience
Pray for Gizelle for healing and comfort
Pray for Lynnette and Timmy for Time and comfort
Pray for Billie, her dad, and her family
Pray for the community and the families affected by the tragedy in Texas this week
Pray for the people of Ukraine that the Lord be with them
Pray for the continued healing of our church.
Weekly Devotional: Learn to Relate
Learn to relate to others through God's love rather than yours. Your human love is ever so limited, full of flaws and manipulation. God's loving presence, which always enfolds you, is available to bless others as well as you. Instead of trying harder to help people through your own paltry supplies, become aware of His unlimited supply, which is accessible to you continually. Let God's love envelop your outreach to other people.
Young, S. (2n.d.). Jesus calling: Enjoying peace in his presence: Devotions for every day of the year. Integrity Publishers.
"Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself."
(Philippians 2:1-3)
Verse of the Week:
"But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve...but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord"
(Joshua 24:15)
Communal Outreach:
Please email berthoudfoursquarechurch@gmail.com , call (970)405-3053, or connect with us on the Wix-app if you have any interest in the following...
Float Committee for Berthoud Days and the Berthoud Christmas Parade
Rebooting Youth Group
Questions?
For any questions or suggestions regarding our newsletter please email berthoudfoursquarechurch@gmail.com or call (970)405-3053
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