Be Hospitable one to another- by Mark and Sara

What is hospitality?

In recent years, we have taken a good hard look at our own lives, searching God's Word for examples, and then put into practice those things we found one by one. We still have a long ways to go, but here are some of our thoughts on the subject.

I would like to preface this study with a thought: many are on limited budgets, and have homes that they consider "not good enough to entertain in" We have never been to a home that we didn't find the accomodations or food to be adequate. If you can only afford a bowl of rice and water, then serve that. It is not about the food, but the time spent together, and the fellowship of sharing what we have with others in the Lord.

Our family has had many folks to our home(a camper trailer of about 275 square feet) with families as large as 7 plus our family of 5(soon to be 6), so don't think the size or condition of your home is not good enough. Honesty and transparency in our dealing with one another is a necessary first step to getting to truly know each other and be able to help. We are family, as believers in Christ, united in spirit, and we desire to see the body of Christ worldwide unified, caring for one another, and glorifying God in every area of our lives.

I pray that the intent of this teaching is evident, not to judge or point fingers, nor to boast in anything. We are all in this together, and we all have much to change in our lives to please the Lord. May we all be unified in the love of God, and the fellowship we have in Christ Jesus our Savior and Lord, giving all thanks and praise where it is due, to Him alone who is worthy.

Dictionary definition-

HOS'PITABLE, a. [L. hospitalis, from hospes, a guest.]

1. Receiving and entertaining strangers,with kindness and without reward; kind to strangers and guests; disposed to treat guests with generous kindness; as a hospitable man.

2. Proceeding from or indicating kindness to guests; manifesting generosity; as a hospitable table; hospitable rites.

3. Inviting to strangers; offering kind reception; indicating hospitality.

Biblical references -

Romans. 12:13- (in regards to one another)Contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.

Practically, this speaks to serving a need inside the body. Maybe inviting someone to your home(someone who does not have the means to eat well, or prepare food due to loss of home), taking a meal to a family in need(injury, death in family, baby born, etc). This is based on filling a practical need, and also of meals being a great time to talk, fellowship, and after eating to pray and read God's Word together. This type of encouragement is seriously lacking in most of our lives. True fellowship is not about the regular meetings of the church body, but also in our daily lives. The 1^st century church shows this pattern, and I believe is both described and prescribed for the body to function as it should.

1Timothy 5:10- (speaking of widows, receiving them)Having a reputation for good works, and if she has brought up children, if she has shown hospitality to strangers, if she has washed the saints feet, if she has assisted those in distress, and if she has devoted herself to every good work.

The example here is not meant to shun those who are not known for these character traits, but to show the example of what would be expected of a lady in fellowship(the example is specific, but applies to men also), these traits being exhibited over the course of time while her husband was alive, and if she had children, that the expectation is not neglected. We all should strive to take up these roles, to follow the Christian model of hospitality and care for one another.

Hebrews 13:2- (strangers and visitors)Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.

When you invite into your home the poor, destitute, single moms, young men and women, and so many other people in various situations, our heart to please the Lord is evident by our desire to serve others, and in so doing, to serve God. Visiting Christians to your church, missionaries and the Lord's workers as they travel through are a blessing to the home, and it is such a blessing to know that no matter where you go, the body of Christ is there to love and care for you. If we are to be a family, we must act like family. We must be proactive in seeking out ways to serve, not taking this up only when no one else is doing this vital work in the body. We ought all to be known for our hospitality.

1Peter 4:9- be hospitable to one another without complaint.

This is not a burden, nor a difficulty, but a blessing to our own hearts to serve the saints, and bless the Lord's heart in loving His church. Not a chore or a necessary task to dread, but a wonderful blessing to be able to show practical love to one another.

Examples from the early church, a pattern we look to so often-

Acts 2:44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common.

Acts 2:45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.

Acts 2:46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,

Acts 2:47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

The pattern of the early church is that of sharing, caring, spending time together both in prayer and study. This is for edifying the saints, and if we love each other as we ought to, this type of living will be the natural result. Make no mistake about it, if we know something to be good, and don't do it, it is sin!

Disruption and Destruction- by Kevan Fortier

This post was submitted by Kevan Fortier, a brother in Maine who meets at Lincoln County Assembly of God in Damariscotta, Maine. Kevan labors for the Lord in the Gospel through jail ministry in Knox County, Maine Feel free to post comments here, or email oneanothering@gmail.com and I will forward mail on to Kevan. Thanks to Kevan for this teaching, one that reminds us to follow the path the Lord leads us on, and not veer to the left or the right, simply focusing on the Lord Jesus and God's Holy Word to guide us.

Disruptive and Destructive / Matthew 7:13-14

You are walking down a path. A straight and narrow path, you are focused on the trail in front of you. All of a sudden, something takes your focus and attention away from what you are doing, and you change course. You walk out into the woods where something distracted your attention and focus.

Let’s consider Peter for a moment from the account in Matthew 14:22-33. Peter was focused on the Lord, his eyes were very clearly fixed on Jesus Christ; BUT the moment Peter looked away, what happened? Destruction was at hand. Peter would have died a certain death without the Lord Jesus Christ (as will all who do not now know Him if they should die apart from Him who alone is worthy and He alone is the only One who can save us).

Peter however; instantly recognizes that Jesus (alone) can save him from this, and he cries out ‘Lord, save me!’ (verse 30). Why didn’t he call out to the others who were in the boat? Peter knew that they could not help him, only (I will say it again) ONLY Jesus Christ can!!!

As you are walking into the woods after (I don’t know) whatever it is that took away from your attention, call it a squirrel; you catch your foot on a root, a branch, an uneven part of the earth, and break your ankle.

You were disrupted from the course, you lost your focus and drive, you deviated from the path and destruction was there. This is not the worst kind of destruction, but you sure did not plan on this happening.

Jesus said; “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Matthew 7:13-14 NIV).

Let’s change the scenario just a little tiny bit; the same path, with signs, or arrows pointing which way it veers. You maintain a steady direction according to the arrows until you are distracted (again) something takes your attention off the path. You walk out into the woods after that same squirrel (or whatever it is that distracts you).

This time however you slip on a slippery slope. When you slip, you actually fall, but you notice that you do not just fall and stop; you continue to fall. The reason for this is because those arrows that were guiding you, keeping you on the path were actually also keeping you from harm. This path is along side a drop-off, and you are sliding down it to your doom. You will die.

What path are you on today? Where is your focus, attention, and drive? What does God desire for your life? Do you know that God has a plan and a purpose for you, and it does not include things that will harm you? (Jeremiah 29:11-14) His paths are straight (Proverbs 3:5-6) and narrow, we must not think that we can go off on our own and survive. His (God) ways are perfect. His guiding arrows along the path (of life) are His Word, the Bible, the Holy Spirit, which lives in all of us who are born again (John 3:1-9); these keep us on the right path, not to mention the gathering and fellowshipping with other believers in Jesus Christ! (Hebrews 10:25-25)

Consider this; A fly goes about his business all throughout the day looking for another piece of disgusting food from your trashcan, or whatever. Suddenly the fly observes a really neat and beautiful light; PURPLE light. He says to himself; “self, I will come right back to this path, but only after I go to that purple light and check it out for it is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen and something tasty must come from it”. So the fly goes to it and he DIES.

It is the same with us. Do not be deceived brothers and sisters, the devil does not put things in front of us that are repelling and vile and disgusting (by sight) to us. NO, he puts things on the path that entice us, and will ultimately destroy our souls if we are left to our own devices (1 Peter 5:8).

Let me offer this thought; there is a man who is married to a woman and has a family with her. One day they are out and about, and he notices another woman (who is not his wife), and he looks upon her in a lustful manner. Has he become disrupted from his course? I submit to you that he has; and is destruction awaiting him?

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:28 NKJV), this is Jesus telling us this. In the Old Testament Job also says this; ‘I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl. For what is man’s lot from God above, his heritage from the Almighty on high? Is it not ruin for the wicked, disaster for those who do wrong? Does He not see my ways and count my every step? (Job 31:1-4 NIV).’ Sin is SIN is SIN, and it will disrupt you and destroy you! Make no mistake about it.

I am not writing to cast stones at anyone. I am a sinful man, how can I remove the speck from your eye, when there is a log in my own (Matthew 7:5)? I am not writing or saying these things to anyone specifically. The Lord Jesus Christ through His Holy Spirit and Sovereign Will is the One who will convict hearts, minds and souls and He will bring you to Himself. The Word of God and of all truth is convicting, consuming and will teach you the truth if you are willing to hear it and put it into your heart and live according to what it says.

These things I am talking about are to convict and convince you that we cannot be disrupted, by anything, for this will bring about our swift destruction. We must stay on the path that God sets us on!

The truth is, is that we (all of us) allow disruptions to continue to occur and take place; in our homes, our place of work, within our communities and elsewhere, we are all guilty of being disrupted and deviating from the straight and narrow path that God through His Son Jesus Christ has called us to; ALL of us.

Sadly, in this world today, we will have troubles (Jesus says be glad, for I have overcome the world – John 16:33). We allow (continuously) for disruptions to happen. However, if allowed to continue in this pattern of behavior, it will cost us.

Let’s look at it this way.

Can you see that God gave his Son to die for you, for all of us? For all who would call on Him by faith (Romans 10:9-13)- Jesus takes on the role of our redeemer. He took our (my) place of shame. Jesus took our (my) SIN and Disruption upon himself to save us (me) from it. Nobody else has that authority.

‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.’ (John 3:16-19 NKJV)

JESUS CHRIST HAS THE SUPREME AUTHORITY!! Praise God! Jesus has taken away all of our sin and disruption through His sacrifice and death upon the cross, my cross, and your cross. He took my shame and forgave me when I accepted Him, and He will forgive and accept you as HIS own when you receive Him (John 1:12-13).

If we will only do away with the disruptions (sin) in our lives and live fully the way God intended, we shall not see destruction come upon us. There will be times of forgetfulness on our part; forgetting to do what God says; forgetting or failing to recognize God as the Supreme author and authority over our lives; forgetting to see the truth of His word and promises; however, if we submit ourselves to Him, and confess our sin before Him, He will forgive us our sin and cleanse us from our unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). This is one of His many wonderful promises to us.

There are some promises that we do not want to see however. God promises that all the vile, immoral, sexually impure, will not see life (eternal) but only see and taste death everlasting and eternal (Galatians 5:19-21 / Colossians 3:5-10,). Those who believe in the name of Jesus and confess Him as Lord and Savior (Romans 10:9) will live forever in heaven to the glory of God the Father through Jesus. Amen.

Let us not be slow in our obedience. The Living Word of God says this; “So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion” (Hebrews 3:7-8). Let us not be slow in our understanding of what is required of us by God the Father. Let us not be disrupted by the things of this life or of this world.

‘Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever’ (1 John 2:15-17 NKJV).

Let us not be slow in our response to the invitation of eternal life through Jesus Christ. Let us be diligent to walk on the straight and narrow path that leads to eternal and everlasting life that is only through Jesus Christ.

Let us avoid any and all disruptions that will lead us astray and into destruction, even the eternal destruction.

And the God of our Lord Jesus Christ will be with you and strengthen you for all things and all times in your life if you will only place your entire trust in Him, and His finished work on the cross for you. He died for us we should live for Him.

In Christ,
Kevan Fortier