Practicing the "One Anothers"

Did you know that the phrase "one another" is used over 26 times in the New Testament to describe how we are to relate to one another in the Body of Christ? Often times people ask me, "You don't have to go to church to be a Christian do you?" Or they say something like, "I'm a Christian, I just don't see how the church is relevant to me and my life today." Or one other comment, which I'm afraid the church can easily fall into this trap, "Church is so boring, I just don't get anything out of it."

Well, there may be a grain of truth (or maybe a boulder) in each of those statements, but the reality of Church, as the Body of Christ is this: Church life is absolutely essential for us to practice our Christian life as Jesus and the Apostles taught us.

Why do I say that? Well, there are many reasons, but let me just highlight one today. If we are to practice the "One Anothers" of scripture, there is no way of doing that independent of Church Body Life. Let me just list below those one anothers for your perusal and then maybe you can look up the scripture that explains each one.

The "One Anothers" of the New Testament

-Love one another - John 13:34; 1 John 3:11, 24

-Be Devoted to one another - Romans 12:10

-Honor one another - Romans 12:10

-Live in Harmony with one another - Romans 12:16; 1 Peter 3:8

-Do not Judge one another - Romans 14:13

-Accept one another - Romans 15:7

-Instruct one another - Romans 15:14

-Greet one another - Romans 16:16 (and numerous other scrpture)

-Agree with one another - 1 Corinthians 1:10 (that sounds like a hard one, huh?)

-Serve one another - Galatians 5:13 (you can't do that at home alone)

-Be Patient with one another - Ephesians 4:2

-Be Kind to one another - Ephesians 4:32

-Speak to one another in song - Ephesians 5:19

-Submit to one another - Ephesians 5:21 (ouch! That's not popular)

-Bear with one another - Colossians 3:13

-Forgive one another - Colossians 3:13 (not very easy to do, but necessary)

-Teach & Admonish one another - Colossians 3:16 ( we don't like to be admonished)

-Encourage one another - 1 Thessalonians 5:11; Hebrews 3:13; 10:25

-Spur one another on toward love and good deeds - Hebrews 10:24

-Do not slander one another - James 4:11

-Offer Hospitality to one another - 1 Peter 4:9

-Be Humble toward one another - 1 Peter 5:5-6

Make sure and go to church this week and see if you can put some of these into practice. God will be glorified, and unbelievers will have one less reason to criticize the church.

Loving one another,

Roger

MOUNTAIN TOP EXPERIENCE

I recently went on a backpacking trip into the Three Sisters Wilderness with two of my boys (Joshua and Nathan) and two grandsons (Jonas and Maysen). We had a great time and really enjoyed being outdoors in the wilderness.

On one of the days we spent there in the wilderness we decided to climb the South Sister. It is a very rigorous and strenuous climb, although it is not a technical climb at all. So we thought we could take my grandsons up with us (4yrs old and 6 yrs old). It was difficult and there was a lot of tears shed in the attempt to reach the top. They made it a long ways, much further than I expected. In fact they made it almost to the very top, but eventually it was too much for the little ones, so their dads turned back with their boys.

But for Grandpa, it was too tantalizing for me to turn back, since the top of the mountain was within my reach. We had been climbing for about four hours, and I knew that I was only about a half hour from the peak.

So I determined to reach the top while the others turned back. It is always exhilarating to reach the top, but at the same time, terribly disappointing to do it without the rest of the climbing party. I ended up on top of the mountain all alone, so it was bitter/sweet, but it was quite a thrill indeed.

It always reminds me of Jesus' Transfiguration on the mountaintop in Matthew 17. Jesus takes Peter, James and John up on top of a high mountain. "There he was transfigured before them in all the glory of God himself. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes shone as white as light. Also, the prophets Moses and Elijah showed up and began to talk with Jesus."

What an incredible moment, so incredible that Peter suggests that they build some shelters and just stay there forever. He has seen a glimpse of heaven, and he doesn't want to ever leave. But Jesus shows them that no matter how glorious the top of the mountain may be, we must always return to the normal day to day living where our ministry can really make a difference in the lives of people.

Mountain top experiences are awesome, exciting, exhilarating and enjoyable (they also take a lot of hard work, sweat and effort), but you can't stay in a mountaintop experience, you have to come down off the mountain and get back to work, doing the will and purpose of God in "the trenches" of life.

Love you all and God Bless

Roger