We Are Family

The fellowship of the saints is a real, vital, and integral part of our relationship with the Father. We must each have that strong, supporting vertical connection directly from our own heart and mind to the thoughts and feelings of God, held, cherished, protected and renewed in that secret place where we can shut out the world and all distractions.

But we cannot live there. We draw strength and direction, receive forgiveness and health, grow in grace and love when our source comes from that secret inner sanctuary, but we have to direct what we receive to some destination, some outward location. The world is certainly an obvious spot in which great need can be found, but there are only a limited number of things that they can receive until they accept God's gift of salvation and step into the family of God.

God's gift of salvation is open to all who will receive it. But that is only the door to the banquet hall. Only by entering can one partake of the richness of the feast being served. And each person present, using the resources given to them from the Father, prepares and serves the rest of the family a dish that only they have the recipe for.

The same basic ingredients are given by the Father to each of His children, love, joy, peace, long-suffering, sweetness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness and self-restraint. Just as a variety of dishes can be made from meat, grain, vegetables, and fruit, so each of us adds the spices and seasonings of our experiences to what we serve our brothers and sisters in God's banqueting hall.

Just as the micro-nutrients essential to good physical health can be found in the seasonings like black pepper, cumin, basil, turmeric, sage, ginger, rosemary, cardamom, thyme, anise, fenugreek and so on, so too, the unique blends of seasonings we can add in minute quantities into the bread and meat of God's Word when we share it with brethren, is beneficial when minimal.

Even as the savor of our dish is spiced with personal experience with the Father, so too, the tools of preparation affect the result. Our dinner tables bear very different dishes depending on whether a piece of meat is fried, baked, grilled, or stewed. Vegetables can be served whole, chunked, sliced, grated, julienned, or shredded.

The gift of giving wise advice, a message of special knowledge, a gift of courageous faith, the ability to heal, the performing of miracles, the ability to speak what God has revealed, the means to distinguish if a message is from the Spirit of God or another spirit, the ability to speak in different kinds of languages, and the ability to translate what is being said, are all tools which the Father distributes to us by the Spirit in order to prepare what we have received for serving to our family.

Ephesians 4
v.11 And he gave some who are Apostles and some who are Prophets and some who are Evangelists and some who are Pastors and some who are Teachers,
v.12 For the perfecting of The Holy Ones, for the work of the ministry, for the building up of the body of The Messiah,
v.13 Until we all shall be one entity in the faith and in the knowledge of The Son of God and one perfect man with the dimensions of the stature of the maturity of The Messiah

We each have an important part to play in building up each other, sharing the love of the Father to the rest of our family, strengthening each other in prayer and words of encouragement, in listening, in giving time to each other, in being vulnerable with each other. As God guides and the Spirit directs, we will be transformed into a Body that is trained and obedient to the Head as an athlete's body is responsive to his wishes. We will be molded into the Bride that the Son of God has desired for ages.

God, You are gracious beyond measure. You not only provide all we need, but You also involve us in Your providing so we become not only loved and valued, but productive and needed. Thank You for permitting us to handle Your Word and Truth, imparting to those we serve the uniqueness You share with us individually so that together, we gain a larger, grander, more detailed understanding of Your nature. We humbly acknowledge that the Life which comes through the ministry You give us is completely of You, and we honor You in all ways today.

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