From the late Rev. E. A. Hoffman\u2019s song entitled \u201cLeaning on the Everlasting Arms,\u201d I want to take two lines from the first verse and one line from the chorus:<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat a fellowship, what a joy divine,
\nWhat a blessedness, what a peace of mind.
\nSafe and secure from all alarm.\u201d<\/p>\n
When we consider the words strong and fellowship, let us look at what they entail and represent. Strong is described as \u201cbeing powerful.\u201d Fellowship is defined as \u201cfriendly association, especially with people who share the same interests.\u201d In this connotation, we should be strong in all our fellowship relationships, both physical and spiritual and not allow them to be broken by anything or anyone. Especially, not by anything that is irrelevant to our genuine relationships with man or with God.<\/p>\n
Let us look back to the early church in Acts chapter 2 after the Holy Spirit fell on those in the Upper Room. After Peter\u2019s declaration of God\u2019s truth and power, three thousand accepted Christ. It was with this group that the word fellowship took on a new and strong meaning. They were proof that people who are in fellowship share the same common and sensitive interests.<\/p>\n
In their fellowship, they shared and believed in the truth as it related to Jesus Christ being the Son of God and the Savior of mankind. It would do us well today to faithfully and without compromise share the message with others about the saving power of Jesus Christ, the only one who is able to save to the uttermost.<\/p>\n
Today, we do not need any weak links in our fellowship with Jesus Christ and with other members of the household of faith. We must bind ourselves together in strong fellowship. Regardless of our differences in certain areas of our lives, let us be firm, strong, and steadfast in our fellowship with Jesus Christ and with our fellow man. The closer we get to our Lord, the closer He gets to us. The closer we get to one another, the stronger our relationships are. From that sacred bond of strong fellowship with Christ, the Apostle Paul declares, \u201cNothing or no one shall separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.\u201d Paul knew the real value and the great need of having strong fellowship with Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n
That idea of strong fellowship must also be noticeable and practiced in our relationships with other believers. So much, that those on the outside will not only be looking in but will have a burning desire to experience that same strong fellowship that they see in those around them who profess Jesus Christ in their lives.<\/p>\n
Strong Christian fellowship is seen and is evident in our relationships that we share with those who are of \u201clike precious faith\u201d. For strong fellowship to occur, our interests must be their interests, and their interests must be our interests. However, those interests must always line up with the Word of God.<\/p>\n
The stronger we are in the Word of God, the stronger we will be in our fellowship with others. The sweet psalmist of Israel declared in Psalms 133:1, \u201cBehold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity\u201d. This type of oneness will always produce strong fellowship among those who are of one common bond.
\nIf we are going to remain \u201cSTRONG IN FELLOWSHIP,\u201d we must remain:<\/p>\n
\u2022 STRONG IN THE WORD OF GOD
\n\u2022 STRONG IN OUR FAITH
\n\u2022 STRONG IN OUR TESTIMONY
\n\u2022 STRONG IN OUR PRAYER LIFE
\n\u2022 STRONG IN OUR COMMITMENT TO GOD
\n\u2022 STRONG IN OUR BELIEFS
\n\u2022 STRONG IN OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHERS<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"excerpt","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":4741,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","filesize_raw":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1082,1051,18,1083,74,1022,1081,1045],"class_list":{"0":"post-4740","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-general","8":"tag-boys-ministries","9":"tag-iphc-discipleship-ministries","10":"tag-mens-ministries-2","11":"tag-rev-h-larry-jones","12":"tag-royal-rangers-2","13":"tag-strength","14":"tag-strength-through-unity-with-jesus","15":"tag-strong-in-fellowship","16":"entry"},"title_es":"Fuerza a trav\u00e9s de la unidad con Jes\u00fas","content_es":"
Desde la \u00faltima canci\u00f3n del reverendo EA Hoffman titulada " Apoy\u00e1ndose en los brazos eternos<\/em> ", quiero tomar dos l\u00edneas del primer verso y una l\u00ednea del coro: <\/p> "\u00a1Qu\u00e9 comuni\u00f3n, qu\u00e9 alegr\u00eda divina, <\/p> Cuando consideremos las palabras fuertes<\/em> y la comuni\u00f3n<\/em> , veamos lo que implican y representan. Fuerte se describe como "ser poderoso". La beca se define como "asociaci\u00f3n amistosa, especialmente con personas que comparten los mismos intereses". En esta connotaci\u00f3n, debemos ser fuertes<\/em> en todas nuestras relaciones de compa\u00f1erismo<\/em> , tanto f\u00edsicas como espirituales, y no permitir que nada ni nadie las rompa. Especialmente, no por nada que sea irrelevante para nuestras relaciones genuinas con el hombre o con Dios. <\/p> Miremos hacia atr\u00e1s a la iglesia primitiva en el cap\u00edtulo 2 de Hechos despu\u00e9s de que el Esp\u00edritu Santo cay\u00f3 sobre los que est\u00e1n en el aposento alto. Despu\u00e9s de la declaraci\u00f3n de Pedro de la verdad y el poder de Dios, tres mil aceptaron a Cristo. Fue con este grupo que la palabra comuni\u00f3n<\/em> adquiri\u00f3 un nuevo y fuerte significado. Eran la prueba de que las personas que est\u00e1n en comuni\u00f3n comparten los mismos intereses comunes y sensibles. <\/p> En su comuni\u00f3n, compartieron y creyeron en la verdad relacionada con Jesucristo como el Hijo de Dios y el Salvador de la humanidad. Nos har\u00eda bien hoy compartir con fidelidad y sin compromiso el mensaje con otros sobre el poder salvador de Jesucristo, el \u00fanico que puede salvar al m\u00e1ximo. <\/p> Hoy, no necesitamos ning\u00fan v\u00ednculo d\u00e9bil en nuestra comuni\u00f3n con Jesucristo y con otros miembros de la familia de la fe. Debemos unirnos en una fuerte comuni\u00f3n<\/em> . Independientemente de nuestras diferencias en ciertas \u00e1reas de nuestras vidas, seamos firmes, fuertes y firmes en nuestra comuni\u00f3n con Jesucristo y con nuestro pr\u00f3jimo. Cuanto m\u00e1s nos acercamos a nuestro Se\u00f1or, m\u00e1s se acerca \u00c9l a nosotros. Cuanto m\u00e1s nos acercamos, m\u00e1s fuertes son nuestras relaciones. <\/p> Desde ese v\u00ednculo sagrado de una comuni\u00f3n fuerte<\/em> con Cristo, el ap\u00f3stol Pablo declara: "Nada ni nadie nos separar\u00e1 del amor de Dios, que es en Cristo Jes\u00fas nuestro Se\u00f1or". Pablo conoc\u00eda el verdadero valor y la gran necesidad de tener una fortaleza fuerte. comuni\u00f3n<\/em> con Jesucristo. <\/p> Esa idea de compa\u00f1erismo fuerte<\/em> tambi\u00e9n debe ser notable y practicada en nuestras relaciones con otros creyentes. Tanto, que aquellos en el exterior no solo estar\u00e1n observando, sino que tendr\u00e1n un ardiente deseo de experimentar la misma comuni\u00f3n fuerte<\/em> que ven en aquellos que los rodean y que profesan a Jesucristo en sus vidas. <\/p> Se ve una fuerte comuni\u00f3n cristiana y es evidente en nuestras relaciones que compartimos con aquellos que tienen una "fe preciosa". Para que se produzca una fuerte comuni\u00f3n<\/em> , nuestros intereses deben ser sus intereses, y sus intereses deben ser nuestros intereses. Sin embargo, esos intereses siempre deben alinearse con la Palabra de Dios. <\/p> Cuanto m\u00e1s fuertes seamos en la Palabra de Dios, m\u00e1s fuertes seremos en nuestra comuni\u00f3n con los dem\u00e1s. El dulce salmista de Israel declar\u00f3 en Salmos 133: 1: "Mirad cu\u00e1n bueno y qu\u00e9 agradable es que los hermanos habiten juntos en unidad". Este tipo de unidad siempre producir\u00e1 una fuerte comuni\u00f3n<\/em> entre aquellos que tienen un v\u00ednculo com\u00fan. <\/p> Si vamos a seguir siendo "FUERTES EN LA COMUNIDAD", debemos seguir siendo: <\/p>