Fellowship -

Joy Fulfilled

“And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.” John 17:13

“These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.” John 15:11

Is your joy fulfilled? What does it mean to have Jesus’ joy be fulfilled within us? Jesus said to continue in my love and abide in my love [see John 15:8-10]. Jesus said, “Herein is my Father glorified.” The Father is glorified when we stay in the love of Jesus. As we remain in the love of Jesus, we will bear fruit. We will see beyond what we were or how we have begun in Christ. This is to bring the joy of the Lord within our hearts.

The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. Psalms 28:7

Many will go their own selfish ways, but the Lord will be the strength and shield to those who trust in Him. Those who trust in His help every day. Is your heart rejoicing in the Lord every day? You may be going through a dry spell or a purging of your ways, but the Lord is preparing you for a better way to walk in this world. This is what Jesus prayed for in John chapter 17. Take note of the seven petitions that Jesus prayed.

That we may have joy.
To keep us from evil.
Sanctify us through the word of truth.
We are sent into the world.
As Jesus was sanctified, so are we sanctified through the truth.
That we would be one in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The glory that the Father gave to Jesus, Jesus offers to us that we may be one.

This prayer was not only for the twelve disciples, but for all whom the Father gave unto His Son. Those who believed in Jesus as the Son of God, the gift of salvation for all men and women. What about the following verse?

Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places.

Habakkuk 3:18-19

Habakkuk was a man with spiritual character who fulfilled God’s calling upon his life. Habakkuk had a great love for his people, but he could not understand why God used Babylon as a rod of correction. Habakkuk questions God about what is happening to his people. The afflictions they are receiving from the ungodly. What was the reason for the rod? The answer is given in Habakkuk 2:4-5. It is man’s soul that is lifted up when he is not righteous before the Lord. These are men who are proud, who drink too much wine, and who do not come home. A man who goes after his own desires and is not satisfied. A man who has lots of people under him to rule. If you are perplexed at what you are witnessing in the world today, you are not alone.

Despite the significant challenges we may face every day, “count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations,” [James 1:2]. God wants us to grow and mature as followers of Jesus. Our faith must stand on the foundation of Jesus and nothing else. Through faith comes spiritual life. Without faith, it brings spiritual death. The key factor we may miss is Habakkuk’s relationship with God. They had an open dialogue with each other. Plus, God answered Habakkuk’s questions. We do not see any doubt within Habakkuk’s character. Yet, Habakkuk stated, “I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation,” [see Habakkuk 3:18].

Habakkuk had a relationship with the Lord God. He was one with God. The prayer petitions of Jesus are for believers’ lives to stay in fellowship and be one with Him and the Father. Circumstances are not to take them away from the love of the Lord God. We are to have joy no matter what conditions we find ourselves in. We are to resist evil and follow the path of Jesus. We are sanctified through the word of truth. The Holy Spirit will guide us into the truth of our own ways, if they are different from God’s ways. We must repent of our own ways to walk the spiritual life in Christ. If you are standing in faith, rejoice in the Lord. Some Christians are barely making it today. Hold unto faith with a good conscience.

Let us rejoice in the Lord, for “He will make our feet like hinds’ feet, and He will make us walk in high places,” [see Habakkuk 3:19]. Rejoice in the Lord, for you will overcome all obstacles. Joy will be fulfilled as the Lord will enlarge the steps of your feet so you will not fall [see Psalms 18:36]. Do not allow circumstances to take your joy away. Bring out the stringed instrument and sing unto the Lord God. Remember His words and fellowship daily with the Lord God. Your Joy will be fulfilled.

A person stands with arms raised in a victory pose on a mountain peak, overlooking a scenic landscape with mountains in the background. The image includes a biblical verse from Habakkuk 3:19.

Fellowship with the Father

“That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.” 1 John 1:3

The word fellowship in Hebrew means “common.” What do we have in common? What is the apostle John trying to say when he states, “that you also may have fellowship with us and the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.” Fellowship is a form of binding or joining. To what are we joining ourselves? I was somewhat puzzled about how to have fellowship with the Father and His Son, Jesus. When I was a child, I talked to God every night before going to sleep. Somehow, I missed the meaning of fellowship as a shared interest. Belonging to something genuine, and not something you do to get something. Isn’t fellowship friendship? Yes, friendship and this is a relationship, a state of being connected.

Those who are not Jewish are now being grafted into the vine through faith in Jesus. The apostle Paul states that this is to provoke the Jews [see Romans 11:17]. Remember that it was unbelief that cut the Jews from the vine. In John chapter 15:1, Jesus states that “He is the True Vine and His Father is the vinedresser.” We must grow and learn what this fellowship is all about. This fellowship involves communion with the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and fellowship and unity in the Holy Spirit. The apostle John is concerned with the nearness we have through the Spirit of Christ, who made it possible to be brought back into fellowship with the Father.

How do we maintain this fellowship? It seems that we are too detached from the Father even in our prayers. Are your prayers mechanical? Last week, I read the book “The Practice of the Presence of God” by Brother Lawrence, who discussed the staleness of organized prayers. In fact, He said that He had given up on all methods of mechanical written prayers. Jesus instructed us in how to pray in Matthew 6:9-13. The prayer that starts out with “Our Father, who art in heaven.” The prayer goes on to ask for the forgiveness of our debts as well as those of others. Here we have the beginning of fellowship through prayer. Prayer should not be mechanical, but a personal, heartfelt conversation with the Father. Prayer is a conversation with God the Father. Prayer is the beginning of fellowship with God. After prayer comes the word of God. We must know the will of God through the written WORD.

There’s no greater lifestyle and no greeater happiness than that of having a continual conversation with God. Brother Lawrence

Continual conversation with God becomes a way of life for believers in Christ. Our conversation with God encompasses everything: our weaknesses, failures, misunderstandings, as well as our gratitude, praise, worship, and thankfulness for His providence in our lives.

“If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” John 15:7

What are the keywords in this verse? “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you.” The words and always abiding in Christ are the key, for if we understand the word, we can be assured that it shall be done when we ask it in prayer.

“For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.”

When it comes to fellowship, we must know and understand what is the will of the Father God. We must experience the word manifested in our own lives every day. We must expect an end to what we know and pray.

Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long. For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off. Proverbs 23:17-18

Proverbs chapter 23:18 tells us that there is an end, and our expectation shall not be cut off. We can expect God to answer and to give us wisdom in our doings and goings here on earth. There are seasons that each individual. Each individual has a career and a status within the community they live in. Whatever positions they hold, God will bless them. Prayer and keeping his word in our hearts are the key to victory, no matter what situation we are in. We do not have to envy the sinners in our day, but fear the Lord, read the word, and pray daily. This is the key to experiencing his presence. Have a conversation daily with God as Brother Lawrence did. Brother Lawrence worked in the kitchen at a monastery. He feared God and talked to him daily in the kitchen where he worked. He had a heartfelt conversation with God every day. Through the noise of the kitchen came the blessing of God’s presence.

I found Brother Lawrence’s experience amazing and thought Why are Christians not doing this? Of course, I include myself when I question anything. Questioning is the beginning of self-examination, which we should do daily, and become pure in our minds and thoughts. We ask the Father to send us the Holy Spirit, who will guide us into all the truth of the written word. That our reflection is of Christ and not the lust of the world. It is faith and the anointing of the Holy Spirit that provides the way through every situation. Keep your focus on Christ, and walk in the footprints of Christ. Take time to fellowship with God every day, no matter what you are doing, for you will begin to experience his presence in a personal way.

Called unto Fellowship

“God is faithful by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:9

God is faithful in all areas of life. He can be trusted to do what He states in His word. We are called unto fellowship with Jesus Christ our Lord. This fellowship is not just the body of the church, but it is the partnership and communion that we have with the Father God, and His son Jesus Christ. It is Christ that has restored us to fellowship with God. Christ has given us the spiritual connection through the Holy Spirit, yet many Christians ignore the part the Holy Spirit has in their life.

“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you;” John 14:16

Jesus prayer to the Father is that we would have a comforter who abides within each individual who is a follower of Christ. Are you plugged in to the source? Called unto fellowship is to abide in the vine of Christ where the father is the vinedresser [see John 15:4]. The vinedresser is one who cultivates and prunes grapevines. Listen to what Jesus said in the following scripture.

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.” John 15:4

“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” John 15:5

Abiding in the vine is being plugged in to the electrical circuit where the current is flowing for a purpose. If we are not plugged in, we lose the strength that we have in Christ. The connection is broken, and we will die because we have separated ourselves from the vine. The branches are dead and are taken away to be burn. If there is no fruit growing, it is pruned/cut and also taken away for burning. Bearing fruit is a Christian that is growing towards maturity in Christ. He is not doing the works of the Lord by himself. He is plugged into the vine daily and gaining wisdom, experience, and patience to grow into the character of Christ. Being plugged into the vine means daily cleansing of our mistakes, manifestation of the Holy Spirit in our life, and obedience to the word of God.

It is through Jesus that we have been reconciled to God [see Romans 5:10]. We must surrender all to God in order to stay plugged into the vine and have fellowship. The Greek word for fellowship is “koinonia,” which means a shared joint spiritual partnership. It is a oneness of the heart in unity. “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” [see Amos 3:3]. You cannot walk with God or have fellowship with God unless you agree to what is He has written in the Holy Bible. Jesus prayed to the Father that those who believe would be one in the Father and the Son, [see John 17:21].

“I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.” John 17:23

Every day is a day that the Lord has made. Every day we are growing to be a vessel for good works and not evil. Every day we should fellowship with God and be made perfect in the image of His Son. Every day we must realize we cannot live in our own strength but in the strength in the Lord. All things are possible with God. Our fellowship is in the Gospel of Christ in that God will perform it in our life until the day of Jesus Christ. Let us not deny the inner workings of God through the Holy Spirit who manifest the work of divine healing into our physical body to the glory of God.

Those who abide in the vine do not sin, for they have given their body to the Lord. They know him and have placed their life within the hands of the Lord. Through constant prayer all self-will and evil desires are brought before the Father in the name of Jesus and resisted.

““Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7

Withstand evil and do not enter its path, [see proverbs 4:14]. We are not to have fellowship with unfruitful works of darkness, but we can reprove them [see Ephesians 5:11].

“If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth.” 1 John 1:6

We are separated unto the Father in the name of Jesus and therefore have no fellowship with darkness. We walk in the path of light and all sin is under the blood of Jesus Christ.

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” 1 John 1:7

Find a place to be alone with God to pray and submit yourselves to God. Surrender to him and allow him to change your heart and soul. Ask the Father to do the work in changing you and those around you into the image of Christ. Lay all at the foot of Jesus and you will find His peace and rest for your soul.

Jesus our Advocate

My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:”
1 John 2:1

Is Jesus your advocate? This is a question every believer should ask when it comes to everyday living as a Christian. The theme for the epistle of John is fellowship. How do we maintain fellowship with the father God? Who will speak in our defense when something goes wrong in our life? The Greek word for fellowship is “Koinonia.” Koinonia is joint participation in sharing with one another our cares, possessions, and gifts. Is fellowship important? Yes, it is very important, for it speaks to our standing and position in Christ Jesus. It speaks to our walk as a believer. If you are just barely hanging on in your walk as a Christian to where you are not witnessing his manifestation, your fellowship may be weakened or damaged. We have been alienated from God by our trespasses. Do you talk to God every day? It may be time to evaluate our fellowship with God.

We should take a closer look at the word trespass. The Greek word is “hamartano,” which means to commit a fault against someone, or offend someone. If you have gone beyond an individual right in possessions, or injured an individual by causing trouble, this is considered a sin. If your hands or feet are dirty, you would wash them. Have you ever washed another person’s feet? I once provided a service of washing feet at Curves a women’s fitness program, to demonstrate Avon’s foot products. I never realized how a person’s foot can be full of pain by the impact of daily walking in different types of shoes or the imbalances of the body that would impact the foot. Washing the feet was important to Jesus because of where we walk may affect our mind and spirit towards doing something we should not do. The world can soil us towards sin. One may not think this is possible but remember the struggle we have every day between the carnal man and the spiritual man.

Last week’s devotional I stated that “those who walk in the flesh cannot please God. To walk in the Spirit is to walk in the faith, for this is the law of the Spirit in Christ Jesus.” The law of the Spirit in Christ Jesus is the law of love. Jesus is our advocate because He sacrificed himself on the cross to give us the gift of righteousness. Therefore, we can have our sins forgiven when we repent. Repent is confession of the wrong we have done. If you have wronged someone, this will affect your fellowship with God. In John chapter 13, Peter said to Jesus, “thou shalt never wash my feet,” [see John chapter 13 verse 8]. Jesus said to Peter, “If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me,” [John 13:8]. “Thou hast no part in me,” said Jesus. Remember that fellowship is joint participation. By denying your participation, you are denying Christ. We are cleansed through Christ, therefore Christ becomes our advocate, since He is seated at the right hand of God and intercedes for the saints.

Wherefore, he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.”
Hebrews 7:25

Christ is our advocate because he lives forever to intercede for the saints. It takes our participation in confession daily to keep our fellowship with God open. Jesus is our advocate who waits to hear our confession and he intercedes to the Father on our behalf. Just listen to what John said in chapter one of verse 3.

That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and his Son, Jesus Christ.”
1 John 1:3

Our fellowship is with the Father, and his Son, Jesus Christ. The importance of keeping that fellowship is to stay in the light of Jesus who became the light of the world. Our old nature may still become active if we allow it, but through Christ divine provision through the cross, he is able to restore us back into fellowship with God and man. If our fellowship with God is breached, so is our fellowship with man. We must recognize our position, for God is light, and in him is no darkness at all, [see 1 John 1:5]. If you are walking in darkness there will be no light to reveal the truth. There will be no confession, until the light has shone upon our hearts.

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”
1 John 1:7

We can only have fellowship if we walk in the light of the love of Christ. Walk in the light as he is in the light. Wow! This means we are walking in the light together with Jesus. The importance of fellowship is daily confession of our sins so that we may be cleansed from all unrighteousness. We must hear and keep his word in order to walk with Jesus. Remember the words of Jesus, “If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me,” [John 13:8]. Fellowship is participation. Believing is taking part in who Jesus is. Jesus’ righteousness becomes our righteousness when we believe in his sacrifice. We confess our sins, and he is faithful to forgive our sins, [see 1 John 1:9]. Our fellowship with God, will shine the light towards those around us. This fellowship will keep us in his word and the love of God will be perfected in us, [see 1 John 2:5]. The importance of fellowship affects your relationship with others. That is why John stated the following.

He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his bother abideth in the light, and there is no occasion of stumbling in him.”
1 John 2:9-10

You will not stumble if you abide in the light of Jesus in true fellowship by being honest with your confession before God. Remember the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew chapter 6:9-13.

 Our Father which art in heaven, 
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth,
As it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, 
But deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, 
And the power,
And the glory, 
Forever.  Amen

Now take a look at verses 14 and 15 of Matthew chapter 6, “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive you of your trespasses.” Trespasses is committing an offense against another person. This is important to remember and to ask in prayer for forgiveness if anyone has trespass against us, for this will break your fellowship with God. Go to that person and be reconciled with that person, and sin not, for we have an advocate with the Father through Jesus Christ. Jesus is able to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, for He is interceding for you every day.