Read your Bible, pray and serve. It is great advice and I think it is necessary to grow in faith. I have heard this taught and have had it drilled into my head since the beginning of my christian walk. As important as I know those things are, I think fellowship is even more important. Yea that's right...I said it! Hanging out with other christian men is more important to me than reading my Bible, praying, or serving. (I can feel the tension)
Think about how Jesus started his ministry. He didn't teach the crowds how to study the scriptures or pray. Instead, he chose 12 men and forced them to hang out together. In fact, the disciples had to ask Jesus, "Teach us to pray." Then he gave them the a brief model to follow. Soon he was back to team building.
When Christ sent 72 men out to minister (Luke 10) he paired them up. Jesus never sent anyone out alone. Similarly, the Apostle Paul's missionary journeys were taken in the company of other men.
Looking back at my spiritual life, I'm most like Jesus when I'm in close proximity to other godly men. My deepest failures have come when I am alone.
I'm really going to climb out on a limb here: I think a Christian life consisting of individual Bible reading, prayer and church attendance is little threat to the kingdom of darkness. But when two or three or twelve gather to pray, the evil one trembles.
Now I am preparing to spend 72 hours straight with God and 60 other men. There is supernatural power in that believe me. At the end of those 72 hours I pray God will add a few more good men to my life and to our Tuesday night meetings. Now I'm gonna go study God's word, pray and serve my wife a cup o'joe!
5 comments:
Just as a finger or toe cannot be separated from the body and still be what it was intended to be, neither is the body of Christ in any capacity meant to be separate from itself.
Sweet post man. Glad to find you.
How awesome!!! Hope your few good men retreat is peaceful, full of friendships, and filled with Christ's love.
Hey bro! I can't agree with you more and you would probably know that. I too am so thankful to our Lord for what He has done in our lives and the way he has blended them together. I feel as though the men that step out take the time to gather and be real, whether with positive or negative things in their life, are those that begin to challenge what the full life is all about. Men who love Jesus should always be a positive influence and encourage one another in love. That is what happens in the Basement. These are the Tuesday night meetings. Men helping men see the full life of Christ. Doing our best to encourage one another. Reminding each other of the important lessons of Jesus, love your wife the way Christ loved the church, love your brother and your neighbor as you love yourself, pray for one another and those who are sick and lost, pray for your church and your extended church family. If you are a man and you read this blog I would encourage you to find men who get together who challenge you to be real. Who ask the hard questions like how are you doing with life, with your prayer life with your bible reading, you looking at porn? Oh know there's the real question you didn't want to hear. Men it is time to step up love one another enough to ask the questions that can free us to be the men God can use. I seen it this weekend as God took 72 broken men and changed every one of their lives forever. Do I know that they are all going to become warriors for the kingdom, no. I do however know that they will have the ability to do it at some point because 72 broken men poured into one another and they now have no excuse not to. The choice is still ours to make! Do I want to fall in love with Jesus and begin to enjoy the tough work of prayer and bible reading and journaling etc, etc, !! Or do I still want to place those things that have NO eternal value in front of them. Men it is time to find your band of christian brothers so that when satan starts spiritual wars in your life there is an army waiting to fight for you. I know my Brother in Christ has my back and I would be his armor bearer any day and I am finding more men then ever that I feel the same way about in the Basement. So men find your place take a chance open your house or get in your car and drive to a place that your can find christian brothers and begin to put on your armor. We need you to fight for every person who is a believer and even harder and more important to fight for those who aren't there yet. God is good he will reward you when you step out in love. He will give you strength you never thought possible. Love you Bro!
My brother Ken Morgan,
I understand that there were 35 new men from this past weekend. Praise to GOD and also to you for steping out of the boat and following his lead. As I told you at send off you have spoke to me more than man I know and keep speaking to me with your actions. Keep it up you are an inspiritation to me and many others that you will never know. Gary Brown
Yes! Yes! Yes! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Love you guys!
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