Two ways not to walk.

As sinners

Ephesians 4:17 “So I tell you this, and insist on it in the LORD, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, the futility of their thinking.”

The apostle charged the Ephesians in the name and by the authority of the Lord Jesus, that having professed the gospel, they should not be as the unconverted Gentiles, who walked in vain fancies and carnal affections. Do not men, on every side, walk in the vanity of their minds? Must not we then urge the distinction between real and nominal Christians? They were void of all saving knowledge; they sat in darkness, and loved it rather than light. They had a dislike and hatred to a life of holiness, which is not only the way of life God requires and approves, and by which we live to him, but which has some likeness to God himself in his purity, righteousness, truth, and goodness.

The truth of Christ appears in its beauty and power, when it appears as in Jesus. The corrupt nature is called a man; like the human body, it is of diver’s parts, supporting and strengthening one another. Sinful desires are deceitful lusts; they promise men happiness, but render them more miserable; and bring them to destruction, if not subdued and mortified. These therefore must be put off, as an old garment, a filthy garment; they must be subdued and mortified.

But it is not enough to shake off corrupt principles; we must have gracious ones. By the new man, is meant the new nature, the new creature, directed by a new principle, even regenerating grace, enabling a man to lead a new life of righteousness and holiness. This is created, or brought forth by God's almighty power.

Evangelism

The attitude of the average Christian today is relax and be raptured.  But He is coming… and when God gets angry you’ve no idea what it is.  Like a thousand volcanoes exploding.  He has appointed a day in which He is going to judge the world and the poor blind world doesn’t know much about it and the poor blind church doesn’t think much about it now.” – Leonard Ravenhall

Being honest with each other

By Jon Walker

“No more lies, no more pretense. Tell your brother the truth. In Christ’s body we’re all connected to each other. When you lie to others, you end up lying to yourself.” (Ephesians 4:25)

Discipleship — Honesty deepens our relationships, allowing us to be transparent with one another. (Proverbs 24:26) It keeps our fellowship open and authentic, freeing us to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15) as we practice remarkable integrity. (Titus 2:7) It keeps us sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s guidance (John 16:13) and helps us battle deceptions that corrupt our lives in Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5)

Being honest with each other requires us to say what we mean and mean what we say. (Matthew 5:37) It means we show the same honesty in public as we do in private. (Acts 20:20) It calls us to remain committed to the One Truth – God’s truth. (John14:6)

As new creations in Christ, we’ve taken off our old selves, and accordingly we should no longer lie to each other. (Colossians 3:9) In fact, the father of lies is the evil one: “There is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar ....” (John 8:44)

Being honest in Christian community means we no longer use pretense to keep others from seeing who we really are – “We refuse to wear masks and play games. We don’t maneuver and manipulate behind the scenes. And we don’t twist God’s Word to suit ourselves. Rather, we keep everything we do and say out in the open, the whole truth on display, so that those who want to can see and judge for themselves in the presence of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:2)

There should be no need to “read between the lines or look for hidden meanings” because we speak a “plain, unembellished truth.” (2 Corinthians 1:13)

In fact, we’re to “use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5)

So what?

· Dishonesty pollutes – When dishonesty pollutes our lives together, it becomes difficult to develop a deeper trust for one another. (Luke 16:10)

· There are two kinds of lies:

Lies of commission – These are lies where we specifically make false statements.

Lies of omission – These are lies where we fail to tell the whole truth, or we wink at the deceptions of others.

Do you struggle with either of these? Both?

· Practice telling the honest truth – God says that one day “every tongue will tell the honest truth that I and only I am God.” (Romans14:11)

Conditional of eternal life

01. Come to Christ.     John 6:37, 44, 45, 65.

02. Eat His flesh—drink His blood    John 6:51, 53, and 58.

03. Labor         John 6:27

04. Reap          John 4:35-38, 15:4-8.

05. Hate (love less) the life in this world        John 12:25

06. Know God and Christ      John 17: 2-3.

07. Enter right gate     Matthew 7: 13-14.

08. Cause no offense  Matthew 18: 8-9.

09. Keep commandments   Matthew 19: 17.

10. Forsake all Matthew 19: 27-29; Mark 10:28-30; Luke 18: 28-30.

11. Live free from sin Romans 5:21; 6:16-23; 8: 1-13; Titus 2: 11-14.

12. Continue in well doing and seek eternal life        Romans 2:7.

13. Sow to the Spirit   Galatians 6: 7-8.

14. Fight the good fight of faith; lay hold on it         1 Timothy 6: 12, 19.

15. Be sober and hope to the end for it          Titus 1:2; 3: 7; 1 Peter 1: 5, 9,

      13 with Romans 8: 24

16. Endure temptations           James 1:12.

17. Let the promised of it remain in you and continue in God and Christ    

      1 John 2:24-25; 5: 11-20; John 15: 4-6.

18. Love everybody    1 John 3: 14-15.

19. Keep yourself in the love of God, looking for eternal life           Jude 20: 24.

20. Overcome sin             Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 26, 3: 5, 12, 21.

21. Be faithful unto death      Revelation 2:10; Hebrews 12: 14-15

22. Believe and obey the gospel    John 3:15-19, 36; 4:14; 5:24;

      6:40, 47, 54; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 1:5

23. Be born again, hear Christ, and follow Him         John 3; 10: 27-29.

Communication with God

We make the effort to recognize afresh the work of the Holy Spirit within us; we focus our spiritual eyes, tune in our spiritual ears and renew a hunger in our hearts for Him, welcoming anew His work in our lives.

God loves you…

God loves you the way you are, but He refuses to leave you that way. He wants you to be just like Jesus.

Miracles Await

Don’t judge other people or you will be judged.  Matthew 7:1

Rather than see the man born blind as an opportunity for discussion, Jesus saw him as an opportunity for God.  Why was he blind?  “So God’s power could be shown in him” (John 9:3).

What a perspective!  The man wasn’t a victim of fate; he was a miracle waiting to happen.  Jesus didn’t label him.  He helped him.  Jesus was more concerned about the future than the past.

Ambition

The fear of the Lord, that is wisdom.  Job 28:28, NKJV

Ambition is that grit in the soul that creates disenchantment with the ordinary and puts the dare into dreams.

But left unchecked it becomes an insatiable addiction to power and prestige; a roaring hunger for achievement that devours people as a lion devours an animal, leaving behind only the skeletal remains of relationships ...

God won’t tolerate it.

A Holy Gift

Christ carried our sins in his body on the cross.  I Peter 2:24

In an act that broke the heart of the Father, yet honored the holiness of heaven, sin-purging judgment flowed over the sinless Son of the ages.

And heaven gave earth her finest gift.  The Lamb of God who took away the sin of the world.

“My God, my God, why did you abandon me?”  Why did Christ scream those words?

So you’ll never have to.

Saved by Faith

Be a worker who is not ashamed and who uses the true teaching in the right way.  2 Timothy 2:15

Timothy never had another teacher like Paul.  The world has never had another teacher like Paul.  He was convinced of two facts—he was once lost but then saved.  He spent a lifetime telling every person who would listen.

In the end it cost him everything.  For in the end, all he had was his faith.  But in the end, his faith was all he needed.

Encourage One Another

When you talk, do not say harmful things, but say what people need—words that will help others become stronger.  Ephesians 4:29

You have the ability, with your words, to make a person stronger.  Your words are to their soul what a vitamin is to their body.

Do not withhold encouragement from the discouraged.  Do not keep affirmation from the beaten down!  Speak words that make people stronger.  Believe in them as God has believed in you.

                                                                                                                             ….By  Max Lucado

The Bible:

A young man from a famous family was about to graduate from high school. It was the custom in the affluent neighborhood for the parents to give the graduate an automobile. Bill and his father had spent months looking at cars, and the week before graduation they found the perfect car. Bill was certain that the car would be his on graduation night.

Imagine his disappointment when, on the eve of his graduation, Bill’s father handed him a gift-wrapped Bible! Bill was so angry; he threw the Bible down and stormed out of the house. He and his father never saw each other again. It was the news of his father’s death that brought Bill home again.

As he sat one night, going through his father’s possessions that he was to inherit, he came across the Bible his father had given him. He brushed away the dust and opened it to find a cashier’s check, dated the day of his graduation, in the exact amount of the car they had chosen together.

CHURCH:

What the Church is?

All Christians, past, present, and future, make up what is called the Church.

Romans 1:6-7  

6 And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.

7 To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 1:2  

To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours:

Galatians 1:13  

For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it.

Ephesians 5:25  

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her

The Greek word for Church means being called out for a group meeting. It may help to think of the church as a body. Jesus Christ is Head, and all Christians are part of the body.

Colossians 1:18  

And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

CHURCH: 

Quality refers to the kind of disciples a church produces. Quantity refers to the number of disciples a church produces.

Asking for commitment doesn’t turn people off; it is the way many churches ask for it.

For the love of the game

by John Fischer

Last Thursday night, my son, Chandler, and I checked into a hotel near the Los Angeles International Airport in order to meet my wife who was due in late from a business trip. I was surprised to find the lobby bustling with people. It seemed like an odd hour for so many to be checking into a hotel. They were definitely traveling as a group and many of them were toting large duffle bags. When I saw baseball bat handles sticking out of one bag, I assumed they were some kind of team, but they were not a very well-heeled team in that they could not afford team bags.

They were all traveling with their families. Kids were running all over the lobby and it did not take Chandler long to join them. Finally, I caught the red and green colors of Mexico on a laminated ticket pass that one of them was wearing around his neck and I wondered if this was Mexico's team in the World Baseball Classic – the guys that hours earlier had knocked Team USA out of the games with a convincing win. I would have expected much more of a display of color and uniformity from an international team.

“Are you guys on Mexico's baseball team?” I asked two families in the elevator. They nodded. “Are you still in it?” Yes, they shook their heads. “So, you just knocked us out?” They grinned ear to ear with satisfaction. “Well, congratulations!” I said as they spilled out onto their floor – women, children, players, and bats. One guy had signatures all over his jacket. Two others had Team USA hats signed, I assumed, by Major League players.

These were no-names from nowhere who had just knocked off their millionaire heroes and gotten their autographs in the process. These guys were playing only for pride and the love of the game, and they were carrying their own bags. You can bet that USA players never touch their own equipment outside the ball field.

I want to remember that picture: the smiles, the kids, the players, and the equipment bags strewn all over the lobby. Something about it seems true and pure – the kind of thing that will keep this game alive.

Something about this also seems right about our relationship with God. When you serve God, you carry your own stuff. No one is above being a servant. And we're in it for the love of the game, only this game is life. It's the real thing. 

Is it time to take a nap?

By Rick Warren

Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is just go take a nap. That's because when you're physically down, it's hard to be emotionally and spiritually up. The legendary football (U.S.) coach Vince Lombardi said, "Fatigue makes cowards of us all." That's true. It's amazing how much better things look when you're rested.

If you're discouraged right now, it might not mean you have to make a change; it may simply be that you need some rest.

Farmers know that soil needs rest, so they rotate their crops and systematically leave a portion of their land fallow. They do this because land that has rested produces a greater harvest.

About one hundred years ago, a businessman named Frederick W. Taylor did a scientific study on the workplace and productivity. Do you know what his study proved? That people will produce more if they have periodic breaks; and from that, he introduced the coffee break.

Resting is spiritual. The Bible says God "enjoys giving rest to those He loves" (Psalm 127:2 MSG). You may need to put that verse on your refrigerator. The Bible says it's vain for you to rise up early and stay up late.

The Bible also says, "You made my body, Lord; now give me sense to heed Your laws" (Psalm 119:73 LB). What are His laws for the body? Eat right, get your sleep, exercise, and relax.

Rest is so important, in fact, that God put it in the Ten Commandments. In essence, He said, "Every seventh day you are to rest."

Don't ignore what God established. A good night's sleep makes a big difference. And even a quick nap can help you see things clearly.

Biblical Examples and Styles of Prayer.

The Lord’s Prayer, which serves as basic model for us (because it includes several kinds of petitions), and some prayers from scripture give a wealth of methods, or styles for moving your group to deeper levels of praying.

Kinds of Prayer

Opening “Hear our prayer…”

O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man…Nehemiah 1:11

“Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my sighing. Listen to my cry for help, my king and my God, for you I pray. In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation”…Psalm 5:1-3

Adoration “Hallowed be your name…”

He is your praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes…Deuteronomy 10:21

David praised the LORD in the presence of the whole assembly, saying, “Praise be to you, O LORD, God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name”…1 Chronicles 29:10-13

Group Needs “Give us this day…”

O LORD, my God, I take refuge in you; save and deliver me from all who pursue me…Psalm 7:1

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, and door will be opened…Matthew 7:7-8

Confession “Forgive us our debts…”

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness…1 John 1:9

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times? Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy seven times”…Matthew 18:21-22

Renewal (protection) “Lead us not into temptation…”

If you remain in me and my words remain you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete…John 15:7-11

Thanksgiving “Give thanks to the Lord…”

We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign…Revelation `11:17

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever…1 Chronicles 16:34

Blessing “The Lord bless you and keep…”

The LORD said to Moses, Tell Aaron and his sons, this is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: “The LORD bless you and keep you; and LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.” “So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them”…Numbers 6:22-27

Commissioning “Go therefore and make disciples…”

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age”…Matthew 28:18-20 

17 “Better” Things in Proverbs (8:11)

01.     Wisdom better than gold (3:14; 8”19)

02.     Wisdom better than silver (3:14; 8:19)

03.     Wisdom better than rubies (3:15; 8:11)

04.     A despised man better than one who honors himself (12:9)

05.     A little with the fear of God is better than treasures with trouble (15:16)

06.     A dinner of herbs with love is better than a feast where hatred is (15:17)

07.     A man slow to anger is better than a hot tempered mighty man (16:32)

08.     A man who rules  his spirit is better  than an in-temperate hero (16:32

09.     A morsel of bread  with quietness  is better than a fest with strife (17:1)

10.     An honest  poor man is better than fool with perverse lips (19:1)

11.     A poor  man is better than liar (19:22)

12.     It is better  to dwell alone in a small place than in a large one with a brawling woman (21:9; 25:24)

13.     It is better  to dwell in the wilderness than with an angry and contentious woman (21:19)

14.     It is better  to be exalted  than to be  abased before men (25:7)

15.     An open rebuke  is better than secret love (27:5)

16.     A near neighbor is better than a far-off brother (27:10)

17.     A righteous poor man is better than a wicked rich man (28:6)

Names and Attributes of God

·       He is Majestic (Isaiah 45:21)

·       He is All-Knowing (John 33:21)

·       He is All-Wise (Proverbs 3:19-20)

·       He is True (Jeremiah 10:10)

Give, that it may be given unto you … Luke 6:38

By Oral Roberts

One of the many key Scriptures Jesus gives us for this principle of Seed Faith is found in Acts 20:35. He declared, it is more blessed to give than to receive.

I used to wonder what Jesus meant by that Scripture. It seemed to so contrary to real life. To me it seemed more blessed to receive than it was to give. But one day the Lord revealed to me the word “productive.”

I realized He was saying, “It’s more productive to give than to receive.” Then God gave me a revelation as to why it is more productive.

In Jesus’ feeding of the five thousand, there was no way the boy who gave his lunch of five small loaves and two fishes to Jesus could ever have conceived of how the Lord would multiply it and feed so large a crowd of hungry men, besides women and children! (See John 6:1-13.) The small seed-lunch became Seed-Faith when it was given to the Lord. He blessed it and multiplied it, and twelve baskets were filled with the leftovers!

Jesus multiplied not only the boy’s material supply but also his faith. I certainly would think that from that moment on the young boy could remember that his faith was like a seed, and when he used it, it would grow bigger and multiply when Jesus came on the scene!

I cannot estimate the number of times I’ve recalled the giving of my $55 weekly salary and learning through my friend Art Newfield that it wasn’t just money I gave but a seed I sowed. From that one experience, I changed the way I looked at my tithing to God—

                        Not as a debt I owed,

                        But as a seed I sowed.

Using this key of Seed-Faith from that day forward lifted my thinking and believing that as I sowed I’d reap, as I gave I’d receive, and that every successful thing I accomplished started with a seed sown first. The same was true for multiplied thousands of people when the Seed-Faith revelation came to them.

A Mutual Dependency

By Rick Warren

I mean that I want us to help each other with the faith we have. Your faith will help me, and my faith will help you. Romans 1:12)

In authentic Christian fellowship people should experience a mutual dependency. This mutuality is the art of giving and receiving; it’s depending on each other.

The Bible says, “The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part” (1 Corinthians 12:25).

Mutuality is the heart of fellowship: building reciprocal relationships, sharing responsibilities, and helping each other. Paul said, “I want us to help each other with the faith we have. Your faith will help me, and my faith will help you” (Romans 1:12).

All of us are more consistent in our faith when others walk with us and encourage us. The Bible commands mutual accountability, mutual encouragement, mutual serving, and mutual honoring.

Over fifty times in the New Testament we’re commanded to do different tasks for “one another” and “each other.” The Bible says, “Make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification” (Romans 14:19).You are not responsible for everyone in the body of Christ, but you are responsible to them. God expects you do whatever you can to help them.

“DO NOT’S” for Christian Workers

Do not exalt self above the sinner. (1 Corinthians 9: 19-23)

Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became I like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel that I may share in its blessings.

Do not raise unnecessary objections; sinners will do this. (2 Timothy 2:15)

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

Do not overwork the personal pronoun “I”—exalt Christ. (John 16: 13-16)

But when he, will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you. In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.

Do not hurry over any scripture; emphasize what is needful (2 Corinthians 13:1)

This will be my third visit to you. “Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.

Do not insist on going to an altar or any special place of prayer; insist on an immediate surrender. (2 Corinthians 6:2)

For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you. I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.

Here is a joke about Computer Competition:

Jesus and Satan were having an ongoing argument about who managed to get the most out of his computer. This had been going on for days and God was tired of hearing all of the bickering. God said, “Cool it, I am going to set up a test that will run two hours and I will judge who does the better job.” So down they sat at the keyboards and typed away.

They did spreadsheets, they wrote reports, they sent faxes, and they sent out e-mail, they sent out e-mail with attachments, they downloaded, they did some genealogy reports, they made cards, and they did every known job.

But just a few minutes before the two hours up lightening flashed across the sky. The thunder rolled and the rains came down hard. And of course the electricity went off. Satan was upset. He fumed and fussed and he ranted and raved. All to no avail.  The electricity stayed off. But after a bit the rains stopped and the electricity came back on. Satan screamed, “I lost it all when the power went off.

What am I going to do? What happened to Jesus’ work? Jesus just sat and smiled. Again Satan asked about the work that Jesus had done. As Jesus turned his computer back on the screen glowed and when he pushed “print” it was all there.

“How did he do it” Satan asked.

God smiled and said “Jesus Saves.”

POWER WITH GOD

“As a prince hast thou power with God”—Genesis 32:28

In a certain town, says the Rev. Finney, there had been no revival for many years; the church was nearly run out, the youth were all unconverted, and desolation reigned unbroken. There lived in a retired part of the town an aged man, a blacksmith by trade, and of so stammering a tongue that it was painful to hear him speak. On one Friday, as he was at work in his shop alone, his mind became greatly exercised about the state of the church, and of the impenitent.

His agony became so great, that he was induced to lay aside his work, lock the shop door, and spend the afternoon in prayer. He prevailed, and on the Sabbath called in the minister and desired him to appoint a conference meeting. After some hesitation, the minister consented, observing, however, that he feared but few would attend. He appointed it the same evening, at a large private house. When evening came, more assembled than could be accommodated in the house.

All were silent for a time, until one sinner broke out in tears, and said, if anyone could pray, he begged him to pray for him. Another followed, and another, and still another, until it was found that persons from every quarter of the town were under deep convictions. And what was remarkable was that they all dated their conviction at the hour when the old man was praying in his shop. A powerful revival followed. Then this old stammering man prevailed, and as a prince, had power with God.

Five dimensions of church growth:

Churches grow warmer through fellowship.

Churches grow deeper through discipleship.

Churches grow stronger through worship.

Churches grow stronger through ministry.

Churches grow larger through evangelism.

Thinking about my Purpose:

“You, LORD, give perfect peace in those who keep their purpose firm and put their trust in you.”—Isaiah 26:3

"Praying from the Heart"

                                                             By Dr. Billy Hamm

Lord of reality make me real,
not plastic, synthetic, pretend phony,
an actor playing out his part, hypocrite.
I don't want to keep a prayer list
but to pray.
Nor agonize to find Your will
but to obey what I already know,
I don't want to argue theories of inspiration
but submit to Your Word.
I don't want to explain the difference of eros, phileo and agape
but to love.
I don't want to sing as if I mean it
I want to mean it.
I don't want to tell it like it is
but to be like You want it.
I don't want to think another needs me
but I need him else I'm not complete.
I don't want to tell others how to do it
but to do it.
I don't want to have to be always right
but to admit it when I'm wrong.
I don't want to be a census taker
but an obstetrician.
Nor an involved person, a professional,
but a friend.
I don't want to be insensitive
but to hurt where other people hurt,
Nor to say, "I know how you feel"
but to say, "God knows," and
"I'll try if you'll be patient with me,"
and meanwhile I'll be quiet.
I don't want to scorn the clichés of others
but to mean everything I say -- including this.

Don’t Be Reluctant to Show Mercy

by Rick Warren

When people sin, you should forgive and comfort them, so they won’t give up in despair. 2 Corinthians 2:7.

In real fellowship people experience mercy. Fellowship is a place of grace, where mistakes aren’t rubbed in but rubbed out. Fellowship happens when mercy wins over justice.

We all need mercy, because we all stumble and fall and require help getting back on track. We need to offer mercy to each other and be willing to receive it from each other.

You can’t have fellowship without forgiveness because bitterness and resentment always destroy fellowship. Sometimes we hurt each other intentionally and sometimes unintentionally, but either way, it takes massive amounts of mercy and grace to create and maintain fellowship.

The Bible says, “You must make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others” (Colossians 3:13).

The mercy God shows to us is the motivation for us to show mercy to others. Whenever you’re hurt by someone, you have a choice to make: Will I use my energy and emotions for retaliation or for resolution?

You can’t do both.

Many people are reluctant to show mercy because they don’t understand the difference between trust and forgiveness. Forgiveness is letting go of the past. Trust has to do with future behavior.

Forgiveness must be immediate, whether or not a person asks for it. Trust must be rebuilt over time.

Trust requires a track record. If someone hurts you repeatedly, you are commanded by God to forgive them instantly, but you are not expected to trust them immediately, and you are not expected to continue allowing them to hurt you. They must prove they have changed over time. The best place to restore trust is within the supportive context of a small group that offers both encouragement and accountability.