The Community of Believers
One of my favorite autobiographies as a teenager was By Searching (Isobel Kuhn). In this, her first of a two-part autobiography, she recounts how she was drawn to Christ through various circumstances in her life. She eventually came to Christ and finally went to China as a missionary. A common thread throughout Kuhn’s story is the unity and love she witnessed in the believers she met along the way. There were individuals and groups, but each one contributed to her life in a unique way. It was this love of among the believers that was instrumental in her conversion.
“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.”
This “love for other believers” is a built-in result of being a child of God. For those of us who truly belong to God, we have a family of believers with whom we are more closely related than we sometimes want to admit.
At the Bible institute I attended, we met each weekday afternoon with a partner to pray for 30-45 minutes. One particular week, I was partnered off with a new student who had just arrived from Brazil. Ruth was Japanese by nationality, but grew up speaking Portuguese. When I met her, she could hardly speak English, and I did not know one word of Portuguese (or Japanese, her second language). Ruth loved the Lord, and I immediately felt a oneness with her. We did our best to communicate prayer requests, and then she asked me I minded if she prayed in Portuguese. For 45 minutes, I prayed with Ruth. She talked to the Lord in Portuguese, and I talked to the Lord in English. It was one of the most delightful prayer times of my Christian life. When we finished praying, I more fully understood “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in midst of them.” (Matthew 18:20). Ruth and I met with our Lord. He knew the circumstances, and His Spirit communicated with our spirits that we were His children. Ruth and I became good friends, and eventually her English improved to where she was comfortable praying in English, but I don’t think either of us will forget that prayer first time.
Christians, the “invisible” church, those who truly belong to Christ, live all over the world. We have a connection with them and love for them, though we may not be able to communicate with them the first time we see them. It will be our joy one day to meet and fellowship with them and our Lord for eternity.
"And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life." Matthew 19:29 (ESV)
“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.”
I John 5:1 (ESV)
This “love for other believers” is a built-in result of being a child of God. For those of us who truly belong to God, we have a family of believers with whom we are more closely related than we sometimes want to admit.
At the Bible institute I attended, we met each weekday afternoon with a partner to pray for 30-45 minutes. One particular week, I was partnered off with a new student who had just arrived from Brazil. Ruth was Japanese by nationality, but grew up speaking Portuguese. When I met her, she could hardly speak English, and I did not know one word of Portuguese (or Japanese, her second language). Ruth loved the Lord, and I immediately felt a oneness with her. We did our best to communicate prayer requests, and then she asked me I minded if she prayed in Portuguese. For 45 minutes, I prayed with Ruth. She talked to the Lord in Portuguese, and I talked to the Lord in English. It was one of the most delightful prayer times of my Christian life. When we finished praying, I more fully understood “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in midst of them.” (Matthew 18:20). Ruth and I met with our Lord. He knew the circumstances, and His Spirit communicated with our spirits that we were His children. Ruth and I became good friends, and eventually her English improved to where she was comfortable praying in English, but I don’t think either of us will forget that prayer first time.
Christians, the “invisible” church, those who truly belong to Christ, live all over the world. We have a connection with them and love for them, though we may not be able to communicate with them the first time we see them. It will be our joy one day to meet and fellowship with them and our Lord for eternity.
"And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life." Matthew 19:29 (ESV)
I am looking forward to the day!
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