The Holy One calls to me this morning. The blessing of community is on my heart as I recall the hours spent "yesterday" wallowing in a place called "despair".
Conferences with the Holy One who knows my deepest needs often leads to conferences with a beloved brother or sister in Christ who can speak to the human emotions and offer comfort of a different sort.
Conferences with the Holy One also speak to the need for prayers from the Elders in surrender to the directives outlined in God's Word.
James 5:13-20, says, that in obedience to God's Word, we are exhorted to: pray (when in trouble), sing songs of praise (when happy), seek out the elders of the church to pray and anoint (when sick) and to confess our sins to one another (to be healed).
What causes the "infirmity" of the soul? The reasons vary but always seem to boil down to a place of "crooked thinking". For many of us the crooked thinking includes the deception that we can or should be a "Spiritual Lone Ranger".
The enemy of our soul understands better than we do, our power in agreement and unity that comes with community. His effort is to isolate us, especially in our times and places of suffering when the Holy Spirit is most needed, available and wanting to manifest His Presence and power.
The Body of Christ is the organization and unit called to represent the unity that is the Sovereign picture of the Trinity. Jesus said, "They will know you are My disciples by your love for one another".
It is sad that we will not give others the opportunity to share the blessing of compassion intended to be played out through the prayers and anointing by the Elders in the Church. But the even greater sorrow is that we refuse to give the Holy One the opportunity to Glorify the Father and the Son through the supernatural manifestations of His Divine intervention via the Body of Christ as He ordained at the foundation of the world.
We stand at a distance and wring our hands rather than come in unity and community to fold and then lay our hands on each other for healing and deliverance from all the human conditions we experience but may not need to suffer.
Last night was a set of conferences that remind me of the extreme value of community: a unity with others who are called by the same Holy Spirit and serve the same Lord. Having someone reach into your darkness with their hope and faith is a lifeline we all will need at different times in our earthly journey.
Fellowship with and dependency on others in the Body of Christ is important for all to understand the unique relationship of the Trinity in whose image we have been created and called to function. It is also very important for those of us who have taken up the challenge of discipleship. We are first a Disciple of Christ receiving from Him all Truth and wisdom, but then we care called to be His Discipler to others and share what He has so freely given to us.
In the great mosaic of the Lord's plan for humanity, each one of us is to be uniquely dependent on others in the Body of Christ. When the enemy strikes with vengeance (and he will) we know that it is only the Lord who can rescue us completely, but He sends His other servants to speak His words of comfort and to provide the warm hugs of truth until the danger passes.
I praise the Holy One for He knows my every need. I praise the Lord for His Body and the servants whom He sends to lift the burdens that may be too much for us to recognize and then too much for us to bear.
My personal relationship with a beloved human counselor began the lesson that my corporate relationship with the beloved Body of Christ and the Elders sealed. Laying down my pride and seeking out the prayers and anointing by leadership along with the love and compassion of brothers and sisters in Christ is the doorway to a greater understanding of the plans and purposes of Holiness for me.
The Holy Spirit brings hope with the daylight but last evening, I received prayers, wisdom and comfort from the Body to get me through the dark watches of the night. The value of Community is priceless. Have you received the blessing therein?
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Conferences with the Holy One who knows my deepest needs often leads to conferences with a beloved brother or sister in Christ who can speak to the human emotions and offer comfort of a different sort.
Conferences with the Holy One also speak to the need for prayers from the Elders in surrender to the directives outlined in God's Word.
James 5:13-20, says, that in obedience to God's Word, we are exhorted to: pray (when in trouble), sing songs of praise (when happy), seek out the elders of the church to pray and anoint (when sick) and to confess our sins to one another (to be healed).
What causes the "infirmity" of the soul? The reasons vary but always seem to boil down to a place of "crooked thinking". For many of us the crooked thinking includes the deception that we can or should be a "Spiritual Lone Ranger".
The enemy of our soul understands better than we do, our power in agreement and unity that comes with community. His effort is to isolate us, especially in our times and places of suffering when the Holy Spirit is most needed, available and wanting to manifest His Presence and power.
The Body of Christ is the organization and unit called to represent the unity that is the Sovereign picture of the Trinity. Jesus said, "They will know you are My disciples by your love for one another".
It is sad that we will not give others the opportunity to share the blessing of compassion intended to be played out through the prayers and anointing by the Elders in the Church. But the even greater sorrow is that we refuse to give the Holy One the opportunity to Glorify the Father and the Son through the supernatural manifestations of His Divine intervention via the Body of Christ as He ordained at the foundation of the world.
We stand at a distance and wring our hands rather than come in unity and community to fold and then lay our hands on each other for healing and deliverance from all the human conditions we experience but may not need to suffer.
Last night was a set of conferences that remind me of the extreme value of community: a unity with others who are called by the same Holy Spirit and serve the same Lord. Having someone reach into your darkness with their hope and faith is a lifeline we all will need at different times in our earthly journey.
Fellowship with and dependency on others in the Body of Christ is important for all to understand the unique relationship of the Trinity in whose image we have been created and called to function. It is also very important for those of us who have taken up the challenge of discipleship. We are first a Disciple of Christ receiving from Him all Truth and wisdom, but then we care called to be His Discipler to others and share what He has so freely given to us.
In the great mosaic of the Lord's plan for humanity, each one of us is to be uniquely dependent on others in the Body of Christ. When the enemy strikes with vengeance (and he will) we know that it is only the Lord who can rescue us completely, but He sends His other servants to speak His words of comfort and to provide the warm hugs of truth until the danger passes.
I praise the Holy One for He knows my every need. I praise the Lord for His Body and the servants whom He sends to lift the burdens that may be too much for us to recognize and then too much for us to bear.
My personal relationship with a beloved human counselor began the lesson that my corporate relationship with the beloved Body of Christ and the Elders sealed. Laying down my pride and seeking out the prayers and anointing by leadership along with the love and compassion of brothers and sisters in Christ is the doorway to a greater understanding of the plans and purposes of Holiness for me.
The Holy Spirit brings hope with the daylight but last evening, I received prayers, wisdom and comfort from the Body to get me through the dark watches of the night. The value of Community is priceless. Have you received the blessing therein?
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
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