This week I had one of those AHA! moments. I was reading during my devotional time 2nd Peter and these words came flooding at me:
…as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue…But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness…
That’s in 2nd Peter 1:5-9. peter is giving a balanced picture of a believer, balanced picture of a Christian community. Such living offers rewards every moment. Without these virtues – blindness, shortsightedness, cannot see what’s right before you.
The reason I got so excited is that these virtues express the eight quality characteristics that a healthy church must have. We’ve been talking about our church health and improving quality of the eight essential fundamentals:
Loving Relationships, Caring Groups,
Inspiring Worship, Passionate Spirituality,
Evangelism for Needs, Ministry by Gifts,
Empowering Leaders, Functional Structures
The Apostle Peter makes clear that when we grow in these – we become productive, fruitful, we grow!!!
One thing all growing churches have in common – they are Loving Churches! Churches that place highest priority on Loving Relationships improve in every other category. Love is the ultimate goal and destination for every Christian. It is the goal of our church family.
The only way we begin to Tell London, to tell our families, to tell our co-workers, our kids, that Jesus is coming soon – when we love them and wish them to be saved with Jesus. Love will Tell!!!
Traditional Christian churches had entered the Lent season 21st of February reminding each other of the Suffering of Jesus on our behalf, in preparation for his Sacrifice. The secular world tells us that faith in Jesus maybe historical but is pointless. Most recently James Cameron, (Canadian film director of the “Titanic” fame) says he found Jesus’ family tomb. We could laugh just as God laughs at scoffers (Psalm 2:4), knowing the real truth – the Love of Jesus transforming our lives, ever active today, because Jesus is alive.
What we need is the evidence that the world may see Jesus – and that is possible only when we love one another. (John 13;35) May our Loving Relationships become our identity card.
Love will Tell!
