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| The orange room in our new Children's building. |
"Community is where humility and glory touch."
Henri
Nouwen[1]
The
Real Jesus called forth a community to dwell in and work through, not a bunch
of isolated, detached individuals. Call this: "church." Ekklesia.
Ek +
kaleo = the called-out-by-Christ people.
Effective,
Jesus-indwelt community requires individual and corporate humility. Every
single person in the totality abandons themselves to the will and ways of God.
This is Real Church. It's a Communal Movement.
I
have met several community rejecting Christians who refuse to assemble with
other believers. In this regard they are biblical and theological apostates, no
matter how bad they were treated. People like this have chosen pride over
humility, bitterness over forgiveness, division over reconciliation.
If community-despising
is in you and you don’t want to let it go, then I suggest you not get a praying
life. Because if you commit to praying God will break your heart. This will be
the initial thing God does for you. This is crucial because his glory refuses
to descend on a proud heart; rather, God's glory graces the humble heart.
We
read: God opposes the proud, but gives
grace to the humble.[2]
And:
How very good
and pleasant it is
when kindred live
together in unity!It is like the precious oil on the head,
running down upon the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
running down over the collar of his robes.
It is like the dew of Hermon,
which falls on the mountains of Zion.
For there the Lord ordained his blessing,
life forevermore.[3]
The humble, unified
Jesus Community can expect to experience God's...
·
blessing· grace
· glory
· presence
· leading
· power
· love
Be praying for your Jesus Community.
[1]
Henri Nouwen, Bread for the Journey: A Daybook of Wisdom and Faith, 130
[2]
James 4:6
[3]
Psalm 133:1-3
