Monday September 27, 2010
John 4:23,24
But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. GOD is a spirit; and they that worship Him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
We commented last week on fellowship as one of the practices of Truth, but there is still more depth to this very important practice. The fellowship of the table of the common meal is one part of the practice. We share our lives with each other and receive from each other the gift of love and understanding or just hearing and listening. This is the horizontal form of fellowship, people with people. There is a second form of fellowship which must happen at the same time as the horizontal; fellowship with GOD in unity by the Holy Spirit.
JESUS says very clearly in this Gospel passage that NOW is the time for union and fellowship with the Father in the spirit. This is the vertical form of fellowship. When you put together the two parts of this practice, vertical and horizontal, it forms a cross. We, as the Church must "take up that cross" and follow Him in fellowship.
The Church that practices fellowship with the Father in spirit and in truth, and practices fellowship with one another, is in true worship.
JESUS said, in John 15: 5: I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing. The Church must practice the vertical fellowship in order to accomplish anything substantial. Ideas are great, but for those ideas to succeed, they must have come from the Father first. We, as individuals, have the obligation to nurture our spiritual life, so that when we come together in horizontal fellowship, we will be in agreement with GOD. It is true that the cross beam without the verticle, falls to the ground and can not stand on its own. So, without the virtical relationship with the Father, the horizontal relationship with others will not succeed.
JESUS SAID SO
John 4:23,24
But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. GOD is a spirit; and they that worship Him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
We commented last week on fellowship as one of the practices of Truth, but there is still more depth to this very important practice. The fellowship of the table of the common meal is one part of the practice. We share our lives with each other and receive from each other the gift of love and understanding or just hearing and listening. This is the horizontal form of fellowship, people with people. There is a second form of fellowship which must happen at the same time as the horizontal; fellowship with GOD in unity by the Holy Spirit.
JESUS says very clearly in this Gospel passage that NOW is the time for union and fellowship with the Father in the spirit. This is the vertical form of fellowship. When you put together the two parts of this practice, vertical and horizontal, it forms a cross. We, as the Church must "take up that cross" and follow Him in fellowship.
The Church that practices fellowship with the Father in spirit and in truth, and practices fellowship with one another, is in true worship.
JESUS said, in John 15: 5: I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing. The Church must practice the vertical fellowship in order to accomplish anything substantial. Ideas are great, but for those ideas to succeed, they must have come from the Father first. We, as individuals, have the obligation to nurture our spiritual life, so that when we come together in horizontal fellowship, we will be in agreement with GOD. It is true that the cross beam without the verticle, falls to the ground and can not stand on its own. So, without the virtical relationship with the Father, the horizontal relationship with others will not succeed.
JESUS SAID SO
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