A Community of Grace, what might that mean... ?
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... the more I tried to find a suitable graphic for this page, just so's it matched all the others, the more I was drawn to the cross...
there was a kind of ache in my heart, a longing, a recognition again
of the central place of the cross...
and the outrageousness of Grace anyway...!
a knowingness that He is calling us to follow Him... now I don't know what that means except that to truly become a Community of Grace will call for us to lay down our lives...
unless a seed falls into the ground and dies it remains alone...
alone...!
the very opposite of community...
wow.... it's in John 15 when the Lord talks about the abiding place... and that being the only place where we can bear the fruit that our Father looks for... in that very same chapter he says... "Greater Love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends... and you are my friends if you do what I command you..." wow...
this whole thing begins and ends with God...
only Christ in me is capable of the dyingness...
only Christ in me is capable of the givingness...
but oh Lord, if the world could see your Majesty...
Alan
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"I DON'T COMPARE!"
In a vision I saw Jesus totally identifying with his heavenly Father, with His will for Jesus life and with the sonship he had. I saw his hands as he lifted them to his father, with the nail prints - the evidence of what he did for his father with his hands. I started saying "Look Father, look what Jesus did for you, for us!" To my horror Jesus pointed at the work that my hands have done in obedience to the Holy spirit and He said, "Look Father look what your daughter has done for you , for us!!" I started saying. "No, no Jesus, there is no comparison" but he just ignored me and kept on saying "Look Father, look " and they delighted together over it. As I struggled to accept their delight and gratitude the Holy Spirit said, "You are right, there is no comparison, because I don't compare.!"
Rachel
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The Independent Spirit
A person operating in an independent spirit will tend to encounter difficulties when involved in a community of grace.
Having an independent spirit hinders us in respect of being totally dependent on God, resulting in unbelief, mistrust, double-mindedness, fear of trusting God e.g. what if He doesn't protect me, what if He leads me to a place I don't want to go, what if, what if, what if! We'll repeat a permanent mantra of "I'll do it myself God because I don't trust You to do it!" Unwillingness to truly 'let go', even if underneath we think we have. Ungodly image of God the Father, not really knowing who He is.
The independent spirit will endeavour to 'do' all the right things - attend this meeting, that meeting, worshiping out of duty instead of wanting to worship with the whole heart, quite formulaic in approaching the Lord.
This must surely project also onto our brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ in the way that we approach each other in the community of grace - not wanting to give fully of ourselves, holding back from each other, mistrust and suspicion, "I'll do it myself, because I can't trust them to do it".
Thankfully there is help at hand, if its been revealed, then it can get dealt with.
Lyndsey
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Maturity, Vulnerability and Childlikeness
Community needs us to be very real and very healed. Committed to God and to one another. We love the freedom we are growing into where everybody has a voice. Great BUT we also need to be very mature and very vulnerable ie we accept that our freedom has to be submitted to the Lord and others around us -even when others might say things we do not like. Community is intended to protect us, to bring out our God given potential and ultimately heal us but it takes courage ! Maturity comes when we are able to make way for others and their gifts – we become like children, totally at peace.
Community is hard for those who have been hurt or abused. It takes time to trust and to stop operating in a self protective and independent spirit. Life and the world teach us to take care of ourselves, to develop and improve ourselves and to hide our hurts and weaknesses. Jesus says to come to Him with it all and He places the lonely and isolated in families. Great news in a lonely world !
Anne
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