The saints who participated in the Lessons for New Believers reading challenge during the month of January would like to share some their enjoyments. This is Part 1 of 2!
If we want to fellowship with God, we must first be clear that God is Spirit. Since God is Spirit, He is in the Spirit. "In the beginning was the Word... and the Word was God" (John 1:1)....But John also says that God is Spirit and that God is the Word, which directly relates to our fellowship with God. (Lesson 25, p. 348)
—L. W.
We may be right in doing something, but we should ask whether it was done in fellowship. We must ask whether we did it independently from God or in fellowship with God.(Lesson 21, p. 297)
I just appreciated from this portion how we must consider everything in fellowship with God! It is not enough to know that a certain action is righteous according to the law of the Bible or by Biblical precedent, but rather we should also be in constant fellowship with God in our human spirit! In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, we are told to "unceasingly pray!" We must unceasingly pray to God the Spirit in our spirit!
—P. S.
[A] characteristic of the life of Christ is serving. The life of Christ is a serving life (Mark 10:45). If this serving life within us is not allowed to serve, we may feel like a bird that is locked in a cage and not allowed to fly. This is truly a suffering to the bird. A characteristic of the bird’s life is to fly. If a bird is released from a cage and allowed to fly freely, it will surely enjoy flying and have a wonderful time. Likewise, the more a Christian serves, the more he feels released inwardly, because a characteristic of the life of Christ is to serve. In 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 the apostle Paul says that as we consider how the Lord died for all, His love will motivate us and cause us to no longer live to ourselves but to Him. This story of love can never be quenched in a Christian, and it always stirs our heart, our desire, so that we cannot help but serve God. (Lesson 19, pp. 271-273)
In chapter 19 on “Serving the Lord,” two important points are presented: the life for service and the desire to serve. The life of Christ within us has a characteristic which is to serve (Mark 10:45). As this life is within us, not serving makes us feel like a bird locked in a cage, not allowed to fly. We can only feel comfortable and released inwardly if we serve. Furthermore, we have a desire to serve because the love of Christ constrains us (2 Cor. 5:14-15); as we consider how the Lord died for all, His love motivates us and causes us to no longer live to ourselves but to Him so that we cannot help but serve God.
—P. L.
To Order:
To order copies of The Prayer Ministry of the Church, sets of the Life-study of Ephesians, or any other ministry books, fill out this form.
The Prayer Ministry of the Church is being offered at a 20% discount. The total cost including tax would be $8.52 per copy.
The Life-Study of Ephesians is being offered at a 40% discount. The total cost including tax is $25 per set.
After you submit your order, you will receive an email from the books service regarding how to pay, how much to pay, and how to pick up your order.