Mentoring Minutes – Love and Lordship

Wait Patiently for One Another

“So then, my brothers and sisters, when you come together to eat, wait for one another.” The Apostle Paul

Love and Lordship in Focus…Waiting for, or showing deference to, others is a sign of love and humility. No wonder The Holy Spirit directed us to wait for one another even as we gather together as believers to eat…but it’s about much more than just eating.

Wait Patiently for One Another (1 Corinthians 11:33)

Our next “one another” is somewhat interesting in that it is very simple to understand but evidently not always easy to follow through (maybe that’s true of all of the “one anothers” and certainly true apart from Christ). We find it in 1 Corinthians 11:33 where we are told to “wait for each other” when we come together to eat.

In the context it strongly appears to point to those who were giving into their hunger pangs and coming just to fulfill those with no regard to other believers. This caused them to fall or fail in two ways: 1) to wrongly partake of the Lord’s Supper (Communion or Eucharist) because they were more concerned with filling their bellies and flesh rather than acknowledging The Lord’s sacrifice, death and payment on our behalf, and therefore bringing condemnation on themselves (1 Corinthians 11:27); 2) they ate impatiently and indulgently or selfishly (see vv. 17-22) and without thought, care of deference for others, i.e., waiting respectfully on all those who would gather to partake.

Both of these point to a heart that is hardened and not open to humility, generosity and fellowship as it places self above others. It hinders and/or destroys the loving fellowship of believers, which is the desire of Christ for His Bride, The Church.

Seems simple but when we move in our flesh there is a need for the command, not just about eating and partaking properly, but this is only accomplished with hearts of love…loving one another as we wait for and, defer to, one another.

Only Jesus can give you the latter and that’s why all the “one anothers” of love and loving are found only in Him!

As we continue with the “one anothers” in Scripture I need to remind myself and if needed you will receive this reminder…the “one anothers” are included in Scripture to literally help us love others as we love ourselves (Mark 12:31)…and as Christ has loved us (John 14:15).

However as we spent time sharing previously in these posts we can do neither without first knowing and learning to love God with all we are (Mark 12:29-30) as we prayerfully attempt to do through better knowing His Names. Then we must learn to love who we are in Christ (Ephesians 2:10) as we find our Identity in Christ.

Food for Thought… What guides and drives your heart, mind and body (flesh, hunger, lust, selfish desires)…OR humility, graciousness, gratitude, generosity, others above self? The former is always done in the flesh and the latter can only be done in The Spirit!

Love in Action –

Spend time with Him in His Word and prayer daily – read and study the Scriptures in this post as a way to start
Ask The Holy Spirit to teach you
What is your motive, impetus and focus when it comes to sharing time and breaking bread with others?
What does your focus…and words and actions…reveal about where you are in Christ?

Love and Lordship Prayer Focus…Heavenly Father, help me to understand that living out these one anothers always and must begin with my relationship with and love for You. Only as I grow in that relationship by grace through faith in Christ can I ever truly hope to wait patiently for others as I place them above myself. Thank You for forgiving me and making this possible in the salvation I have in Christ. In His Name. Amen.

Greet One Another…With a Kiss?

“Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.” Paul (Romans 16:16)

Love and Lordship in Focus…There is great significance in how we greet one another…but do we have to do it with a kiss? Well, maybe. Let’s take a look at how we can be obedient to the “one another” that is “greet one another” and show Christ’s Love to them.

Our next “one another” may be difficult to grasp in today’s licentious culture but it is powerful as we see it in the context of God’s Word.

This “one another” is found five times with four of them in Paul’s letters to the Romans (16:16) and in both of the Corinthian letters in Scripture (1 Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:12), his first letter to the Thessalonian church (1 Thessalonians 5:26), and finally, in Peter’s first letter to the churches (5:14)! Each of these confirms that there was a significance in this command that we need to seek more deeply to understand what God is calling us to.

This command is “greet one another with a holy kiss.” It is the same exact phrase in our English language in each of these commands by Paul and Peter…two pillars of our faith and of Christ’s Church (except where Paul to the Thessalonians tells them to greet all the brothers and sisters with a holy kiss).

In our culture this becomes difficult to embrace because of our sexualized, pornified society that may either ignore it or carry it too far. Simply explained, most scholars believe that this command was a form of salutation to do one or both of the following: 1) share a blessing of loving fellowship with each other by passing on the pneuma (breath of life and blessing) in The Spirit, and/or; 2) this kiss represented the symbol and a bonding of family…the Family of Christ!

We must never separate this act of a greeting and affection from the descriptor of “holy,” meaning pure and sacred. Many cultures still practice the literal kiss of some kind and in Christ’s Church it must be rooted in the holiness aspect above all else to express the affection, blessing and encouragement it is meant to share.

Probably the greatest example of this becoming perverted and twisted was in Judas’s kiss of betrayal with Christ, as he greeted Him, in pointing out to the authorities that He was the one they were to arrest (Matthew 26:49; Luke 22:48).

While we may not literally kiss one another, we offer other exchanges that represent this command as we shake hands, embrace, speak blessings in The Spirit and other cordial connections of fellowship and love.

Don’t allow your insecurities to keep you from genuinely connecting with those in the Body of Christ. In this way we show each other that we care just as Christ cares for us. In this way we show each other that we care.

Food for Thought…I want to have the heart of Christ for others. Evidently how I greet them is important when it comes to expressing His Love in and through me. May we take to heart how we are to greet and welcome others with the affection of the early church who learned from those who had been with Christ!

Love in Action –

Spend time with Him in His Word and prayer daily – read and study the Scriptures in this post as a way to start
Ask The Holy Spirit to teach you
What do your welcome or greetings to others state as to what they mean to you?
In what ways can you greet others to show them the Love of Christ?

Love and Lordship Prayer Focus…Heavenly Father, as I grow in Your Love for me and mine for You may I learn to greet, welcome and engage with others in a way that expresses Your pure and Godly Love so they can see and know Jesus. In His Name. Amen.

Instruct One Another

“I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and competent to instruct one another.” Paul (Romans 15:14)

Love and Lordship in Focus…Paul’s command from The Lord to “instruct one another” means that we are not only studied and prepared to help guide others but that we humbly accept instruction for them as well.

As we continue with how we are to love “one another” we find Paul charging us, just a few verses beyond the command to “accept one another is another command to “instruct one another” in Romans 15:14.

Not only does this mean that loving others in Christ’s family includes that we are to teach and guide them but that we are to receive instruction and teaching from others as well. We are to be maturing and found competent to both give and receive Godly instruction! The latter is usually more difficult than the former.

This is a major part of how we grow in Christ and as His Body, The Church. We do this only in the goodness and knowledge of Christ!

In the original Greek the word is also translated as “instruct, admonish, or warn” and Paul states this after telling us to learn to bear with those who are weaker (just as those who are stronger than us do the same for us) by denying self and as we quit living just to please ourselves. This teaching is obviously in line with Christ teaching His disciples (then and now) to die to self, deny self and live for Him and others above self.

WOW! This loving one another thing is tough. Why? Because apart from Christ our flesh is selfish so we can only do each of these “one anothers” consistently and truthfully as we grow in our surrender to Him and His Spirit lives in and empowers us to do so.

How are you doing when it comes to admonishing, warning and instructing others in humility and love? Are you growing and maturing in Christ, The Holy Spirit and His Word to be able to lovingly and truthfully instruct…and receive instructions with discernment and wisdom?

Remember that in all things that we are to speak the truth in love in order that we may grow as disciples and as His Church (Ephesians 4:14-16).

Food for Thought…Instruction in discipleship in Christ’s Church and among fellow believers is maturing in the ability to both share and teach as well as being humbly willing to be instructed.

Love in Action –

Spend time with Him in His Word and prayer daily – read and study the Scriptures in this post as a way to start
Ask The Holy Spirit to teach you
What do your opportunities to instruct others look like? Are you gracious?
What do your opportunities to be instructed by others look like? Are you humble?

Love and Lordship Prayer Focus…Heavenly Father, help me to be willing to study to show myself approved as a disciple of Christ who can graciously teach others. Help me also to humble myself and be willing to be taught by others in line with Your Word. Forgive me when it teach without grace and fail to humbly be taught. In Jesus Name. Amen.