Fellowship

After starting the Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) course a couple of weeks back, the Swallow had a taste of the second aspect of the course ie the fellowship part.

The Swallow had some contact with Christians from other churches during her school-going years when she was involved with the Christian Fellowship at the school she was attending then.  However, there were few Christians at her work-place when she finally joined the working force, and any time spent with them was usually spent discussing work instead of having fellowship together.

At the fellowship session today, every member of the Bible Study group was given the opportunity to share how each of them came to know and accept the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord.  It was a refreshing time.  The testimonies showed how the Lord God can touch each person's life in different ways.

The time spent together was also a wonderful reminder that although each one of them came from different churches, maybe with a slightly different emphasis in their church teachings, yet they were able to bond because their fundamental belief was the same ie that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and because of their common love for the Lord Jesus Christ, and because of their common desire to study God's word in a systematic way.

The Swallow is reminded of a story that tells of a piece of burning coal.  When the coal is removed from the rest of the burning coals and left on its own, after some time it will get cold and whatever remaining ember there was will die.

Fellowship is important.  Whether with Christians from the same church, or with Christians from other churches, it is good to spend time with like-minded people so that the Christian can be encouraged to press on in a race that is very challenging and demanding, because his focus can easily be drawn away from loving God to loving the many distractions that the world offers in these days.

1 John 1 : 6 - 7 (NIV)
If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.  But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.