One Another (Christian Caucus/Devotion) [For loving mutual edification, building up, encouragement]

Knitting a Conundrum: We are coming together in love, and to share the love of Christ, and therefore, even if we disagree, we need to remember to avoid things that are not said kindly and in love. Each of us holds our beliefs because we do it for the love of Christ, and even if you don’t accept the conclusion of a person, honor it by not saying harsh or hurtful things because it’s done to honor Christ.

Kind and respectful discourse. Avoid words that you know will cause a kneejerk reaction. If a person uses terminology that seems wrong to you, ask them to define it the way they use it, and accept the fact that it might be used differently than you use it. Together we can work on ways of discussing our love of Christ in a language we all understand.

We construe that to mean—ABSOLUTELY NOTHING PERSONALLY NEGATIVE will be posted to another FREEPER Christian.

Generic Biblical points, MINOR, essential comments about flaws of generic groups of Christians MIGHT--with hopefully rare exception--MIGHT be allowed but are NOT to be the focus or emphasis of this thread.

We seek the awesome possibility that this thread could be an overwhelmingly positive example of:

We call and challenge ourselves and other BELIEVERS IN CHRIST AS THEIR LORD AND SAVIOR to respond to each ONE ANOTHER as posted for that day as though delivered from the hand or mouth of our Lord and Savior directly that day at the moment of first reading it.

Ask The Lord where in one’s life HE would like to see that expressed more fully, earnestly, Spirit-led-ly, routinely.

Ask The Lord where in the FR Religion Forum network of RELATIONSHIPS it might be better expressed more faithfully as unto The Lord.

< If The Lord reminds one of where one has done well with that ONE ANOTHER to good effect in an individual’s life for The Kingdom and their relationship with God—sharing that in a humble, edifying way could be helpful.

Perhaps most redemptive would be a walking out of that ONE ANOTHER in a growthful, amplified way ON THE THREAD WITH ANOTHER FREEPER BELIEVER(S) with whom one has been less than ideally Christian in threads past.

Above all, let this thread more than any other prior— BE A VIVID EXAMPLE OF THE WORLD KNOWING WE ARE CHRISTIANS BY OUR LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER!

1. Anything which arises out of our flesh nature—especially with a gritch, jab, tweak attached—particularly one designed to leave the other person one down and us one up.

2. Anything designed to/out of any motivation to shove our presumed saintliness and saintly perspective down anyone else’s, everyone else’s throat.

3. Anything which would detract from, sabotage the goal of a mutually supportive; mutually loving, mutually edifying CHRISTIAN CAUCUS thread. Anything UNloving.

1. Show ourselves and the world that we ARE CHRISTIANS by our LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER. If the flesh is weak, ASK GOD for more umph in the love department before finishing typing and hitting POST.

2. Build other posters up; edify; encourage; clarify; support; affirm; BE KIND; be gentle; . . . be CHRISTLIKE in word, tone, deed.

3. Word things as you might during your most fervent courtship--to a young gal/man you were hoping to marry—i.e. attractively, winsomely, invitingly, maturely, responsibly--LOVINGLY.

Romans 15:7
Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God.

Speaking of forgiving one another and the Passion of Christ:

And when they came to the place which is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on the right and one on the left. And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”

Luke 23:33-34

Even as he was pinned to the cross in pain and misery, Jesus forgave. And in dying it was his wish that we be forgiven.

As he has forgiven us, may we in turn pass that forgiveness, forebearance and love to each other.

What matters is not that we win debates or be proven right in our own eyes. What matters is that we imitators of Christ, and become channels of his blessing and light to all whose lives we touch.

And as Jesus demonstrated with his life on earth and death, don’t expect such a tall order to be easy, always safe, or comfortable. There is a price to pay. He himself was a sign of contradiction...we too, if we follow him well, will be lightning rods that people will notice, but the reward with our Father in heaven is worth it. And by being true, we leave the world in a lighter, more blessed place than if we don’t.

7 APRIL 2007
ONE ANOTHER CHRISTIAN CAUCUS DEVOTIONAL

Colossians 3:13
bearing with
one another,
and forgiving
each other,
whoever
has a complaint
against
anyone;
just as the Lord
forgave you,
so also should you
[FORGIVE].

Colossians 3:13 Amplified Bible (AMP)
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation

13Be gentle
and forbearing with
one another
and, if one has
a difference
(a grievance
or complaint)
against another,
readily pardoning
each other;
even as the Lord
has [freely]
forgiven you,
so MUST you
also [forgive].

Colossians 3:13 The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

12-14So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline.
Be even-tempered,
content with second place,
quick to forgive
an offense.
Forgive as quickly
and completely
as the Master
forgave you.
And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.

BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD.

LORD, Please quicken Your Word above at the moment of deciding to act in a given situation; at the moment of old reflexes rising up to be expressed. Give us Your courage; Your Grace; Your will to act as You would in each situation. --In Your Precious Name, Lord, Jesus. Amen.

BEARING WITH ONE ANOTHER; GENTLE AND FOREBEARING WITH ONE ANOTHER; EVEN TEMPERED, CONTENT WITH 2ND PLACE;

Hmmmmm . . . bearing with one another. I wonder if that's the same Greek root word involved with bearing one another's burdens. So, we ought to get to the place where . . . HE'S NOT HEAVY, HE'S MY BROTHER.

Sounds like yet again, it's the perspective, our particular framing, our motivation, our focus, our ATTITUDE, the spirit--that we do a thing in; approach a situation in; respond in. He's not heavy--he's my brother . . . bearing with one another.

When the other person's flaw or gritch lands smack in the middle of our sore spot with the sharpest edge or point . . . will we bear with ONE ANOTHER or respond with equal or escalated gritch, fight, pride, stubbornness. I think it was Winkie Pratney [still fighting for his life in a So Korean hospital in need of prayer BTW--had some of his bowel removed and is in major organ failure on dialysis etc.--DRs say can't handle another major complication].

I think it was Winkie Pratney who taught that we ought to respond in an opposite mode to what we are dealt when dealt a less than saintly hand by others. Someone yells--get softer. Someone strikes out harshly--respond with a gentle gift of kindness in word, tone, and/or deed.

WHOEVER HAS A COMPLAINT AGAINST ANYONE; A DIFFERENCE, A GRIEVANCE, AN OFFENSE . . .

Wow, Lord, COMPLAINT takes in a LOT. Anyone? Including those demonized heathen jerks? Or the Christians who act like such? My mirror? Oh. So, I have to forgive all complaints. Even when they don't admit any fault and aren't willing to do anything to make it right? So, they get off Scott free and I have to kowtow and humble myself. Such a deal, Lord.

Me? Whine? Your complaints against me were considerably more? Oh, Dear. You gave your ALL, can't I surrender a microgram's worth of pride pretending it's Mt Everest--in the interest of loving someone desperately needing loved?

By Your strength and Grace and Blood and Spirit, Lord. Only through You.

A difference. Can't I resent someone who merely has the audacity to be DIFFERENT, LORD? I mean, their DIFFERENT THEOLOGY HAS to be stupid and wholesale error and destructive to The Kingdom while mine is pristine saintly and perfect. Forebear difference. Forgive difference. Treat difference as part of Your diverse Creation. Enjoy difference with YOUR perspective. Hmmmm. Only by Your Grace, sometimes, Lord.

I mean, when they take such a stupidly illogical and UNBIBLICAL DIFFERENT interpretation on YOUR WORD! I want to scream. FORGIVE THEN! Right, Lord. Sigh. Love them THEN! Aaaargh. Yes, Lord. I choose to Love them then. HELP, ME PLEASE, LORD. CHANGE ME WITHIN SUCH THAT IT'S AUTOMATIC AND NOT EVEN A STRUGGLE, PLEASE.

AS THE LORD FORGAVE YOU--YOU FORGIVE; READILY PARDONING EACH OTHER; AS THE LORD [FREELY] FORGAVE YOU, SO !MUST! YOU ALSO FORGIVE; FORGIVE AS QUICKLY AND COMPLETELY AS JESUS FORGAVE ME.

WHEW. No light challenge, there, Lord. You forgave to THE UTTERMOST before I was born. How do I reach UP to the toenails on that! NO way to ever top THAT!

But I CHOOSE that, Lord. And you HAVE SHOWN ME that YOU CAN CHANGE ME to make that usually even easy and delightful. Make it more across the board with ALL people types, please, Lord. There's still 2-3 in some situations that it's still not automatic with. And maybe 2-3 where I'd still much prefer to bean them over the head with a good thick Bible instead of forgive them.

But I don't want beaned, Lord. I want forgiven, too. And I do really choose to be like you. I just can't force myself to be like you, Lord. You have to do the inner surgery. Please do as much while I'm asleep as possible, Lord. Regardless, clean me up and conform me to your image ASAP. The years are racing by.

Thanks, Lord for FORGIVING ME, TO THE UTTERMOST; for taking the Sword of The Spirit with me and cutting me off from reaping so much crud that I've sown; for burying my transgressions in Your Blood, at Your Cross; in the sea of forgetfulness.

Hold me close to your heart, Lord. Somtimes the waywardness left in me scares me. I prefer to Love with Your Love and forgive with Your Forgiveness. And when something else leaks or floods out--it scares me that any such was still left. Please finish the job of conforming me to Your image, Lord. That other nature I still haul around with me is not really much fun. Certainly not any healthy lasting fun.

May all those around me quickly feel my deep and broad and intense and authentic forgiveness. IN Jesus' Name. Amen.

[Note: I was a bit taken aback by the big font when it finally posted. I want to have a much bigger than average so the beginning of each day's new ONE ANOTHER is easy to find. But today's just seemed a bit much. But the more I read the different translations . . . and had to focus on only short phrases of each in the filled screen . . . it forced a kind of phrase by phrase meditation which I have found to be very meaningful for me. I hope it's meaningful for at least a few others. LUB]

Here is a verse that I wrote to Quix about concerning being called a Christian. In the book of Acts it is written that they were first called Christians by other people not by themselves. They did not run around and say they were born again they did not need to profess that they were disciples of Christ. They were seen by others and called little Christ’s by their love for one another.

If you were in a place that no one knew you and you were not wearing a cross or clothing proclaiming some religious idea would the people there know that you were a little Christ by your actions and your words? Would they notice something different about you? Do they carry on like you are just one of the guys or gals telling jokes and using course language? This is a question that each and everyone of us need to ask ourselves. I know I need to do a reality check.

Acts 11:26 26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.

And what others do is in the Lord’s hands.

Paul’s instruction to the Galatians is worth repeating here:

2: Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
3: For if any one thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
4: But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor.
5: For each man will have to bear his own load.
6: Let him who is taught the word share all good things with him who teaches.
7: Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
8: For he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption; but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
9: And let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart.
10: So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Galatians 6: 1-10

Motivation counts. Are we choosing to be Christ-like for love of Christ?

Deeds count, if we are doing them out of love of Christ for Christ because he asked us to. Any other motive for deeds is from our flesh nature and will receive a flesh nature reward.

It’s probably fair to say that even when we are trying to do them for Christ we throw a bit of the flesh nature in anyway, but He knows our real motivation, and will weigh it accordingly.

We are especially called to do good to the household of faith, in other words to other believers...perhaps Paul said that because he knows it’s easier to do good to total strangers than to family sometimes, when feelings get high and frustrations kick in...but when we are mean spirited and biting to our fellow Christians, we are doing something dark.

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