“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.
