Daily Reading for Sunday, Mar. 2: Community

“Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” Ephesians 2:19-22

There are so many people in the world who are hungering and thirsting to be loved and cared for. There are so many people who are alienated, frustrated, irritated, and decimated. They want to be a part of the house of God but have settled for a shack in the wilderness. How thankful we are that we are no longer in those situations. Jesus has set us free from those things and has brought us into Him. And as He does, He builds us together to be a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. And the most wonderful part of all? This dwelling is not exclusive--but inviting and open. All those who are hungering may come. All those who are thirsting may drink. All those who are oppressed by this world and the enemy of our souls may come and find shelter. We gather in a building as the church—and our gatherings propel us into the world to find those hungering and thirsting souls.

“Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:25 Let us be determined to gather together in one heart and one mind with one purpose—to glorify God and to proclaim Christ. Let us remember that the reason we gather is to celebrate the life that Christ has given us, to purposely take time with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, to worship the Lord and enjoy His fellowship, to grow in the knowledge of the Word, and to gain understanding through the gifts of the Spirit that the Lord placed in us to spur us on to greater works. Then, let us scatter (for a time) so that after we have been filled, we can pour into the lives of those we are in relationship with. And in so doing, those who are living in the shack of despair can enter into and dwell within the house of hope.

Daily Reading for Saturday, Mar. 1: Community

“What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life-- and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us--what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete.” 1 John 1:1-4 NIV

This is missional living. What we have heard, what we have seen, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, we proclaim to those we are in relationship to. We preach our faith every day that we breathe. From when we arise in the morning to when we go to bed at night, we preach our faith. As we engage others in authentic relationships—loving others with the love of Christ—we proclaim Him. Why? So that our joy can be made complete. We experience joy as a Christian by being saved. But that joy in completed when we have enabled others to join us in our faith.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.” John 3:16-17

This is why we build relationships. Because the Father did all He could to build one with us. This is why we join together in faith and fellowship, because God chose to join together with us—to extend faith and fellowship to us. This is why we build community within our church and build relationships with those in our community—so that those who are trapped, who are in distress, who are in debt to sin and self can come and not be judged but be set free. We are those agents of freedom as we build our relationships with those around us—showing them our love for them just as the Father showed His love for us.