Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. It gave me great joy to have some brothers come and tell about your faithfulness to the truth and how you continue to walk in the truth. 3 John 2-3. John's heart was filled with joy as he heard the good report of his fellow brothers in the ministry. Gaius, his dear friend, was living in the truth that those who sacrifice their lives for the work of the Lord needed constant encouragement! Diotrephes, a local church leader who loved to be first, mistreated some traveling teachers then gossiped maliciously about John and those with him, refusing to welcome the brothers. He also stopped those who wanted to encourage the leaders to continue to do good in the body of Christ. 3 John 9-10. John would would go on to tell the church body not to imitate such behavior and stay away from those who do so. John exhorted the true believers, that those who do good is from God and encourage others who serve Him. What this says to me is that it is so easy to take those who are walking by faith in the ministry for granted, or to criticise them for what they are not doing! We are not called to this type of insensitive behavior! We are called to sacrificially bless and encourage those who lay their lives on the line for Jesus in the ministry! Send an email, write a note, and speak words of encouragement to that missionary, pastor,nursery servant, janitor, or anyone else who serve in leadership and servant hood in and about the church local and in the body of Christ. "That, my friends, is walking in the truth"!
SEEK THE TRUTH, LISTEN TO THE TRUTH, TEACH THE THUTH, LOVE THE TRUTH, AND DEFEND THE TRUTH UNTO DEATH.
John Huss ( 1370-1415)
No comments:
Post a Comment