Echoes From the Campfire

A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner, so if one’s life is cold and bare he can blame none but himself.”
              –Louis L’Amour (Bendigo Shafter)

    “Holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.”
              –Philippians 2:16(NKJV)
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How to Live in a Pagan, Apostate, and Foolish World

Key Verse:  “We know that we are children of God and that all the rest of the world around us is under Satan’s power and control.”  –1 John 5:19 TLB)

In the last several decades the majority of people have said that the most important thing about going to church is the fellowship.  I wonder if that is true now.  The “pandemic” has put a damper on fellowship, but an important part of the church is fellowship–first with God, then with other believers.  To close church doors when they most need to be open is next to blasphemy.
    True fellowship is broken because of sin.  Sin has put up a barrier and man cannot face God apart from the Cross.  Man was doomed to God’s wrath, but God’s wrath fell upon the head of Jesus Christ.  Now, through Jesus, the barrier is down and man can have fellowship with God.
    To have fellowship there must be a fundamental sameness.  You are no longer of the world so you do not have the sameness of the world, fellowship with the world is broken.

         “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?”
                   –2 Corinthians 6:14 (NKJV)

         “By which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”
                   –2 Peter 1:4 (NKJV)

Yet so many “Christians” want their part with the world and have fellowship with God.  That cannot be!  The Cross put you on one side, so why yearn for where you once were?  We share His life, we share His nature, and we are to produce His fruit.  Christ now lives in us, we are no longer bound by sin and under the sway of the world–the evil one.
    To have fellowship there must also be the love of the same things.  “A man’s own character will necessarily be determined by the character of the god whom he worships,” so stated William Barclay.  You are of God therefore you need to know His character so that yours will begin to look like His.  If you actually seek fellowship (relationship) there are certain things a Christian must believe.  True fellowship (relationship) will bring true doctrine and practice.  Fellowship means that things are shared–do you know enough of God’s Word to input them into your life?  There are shared interests and shared purposes.

         “You cannot have communion, you cannot have conversation with a person without knowing that person–there is nothing distant, there is an intimacy and a knowledge.”
                   –D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

    Take some of the things you do and see if they line up with God’s Word.  When a curse word erupts from your mouth, remember the Lord is there–did you embarrass your Friend?  When you became angry, did you feel the tap of the Holy Spirit on your shoulder?  Saturday comes around, what are your plans?  Did you consult the Lord to see if they are okay with Him?  Remember, if you love Him, you will keep His commandments (John 14:15).