NO MAN IS AN ISLAND

Gen 2:18 (NIV)

18 The LORD God said, "It is NOT GOOD for the man to be alone . . .

God said it, I believe it, that SETTLES it :)

We NEED 4 things in OUR life in order to grow SPIRITUALLY:

Acts 2:41-47 (NIV)

41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' #1)TEACHING and to the #2)FELLOWSHIP, to the #3)BREAKING OF BREAD and to #4)PRAYER.

43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.

44 All the believers were together and had everything in common.

45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.

46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,

47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

GOD’S WORD shows us how things should be:

God created COUPLES . . .

God created FAMILIES . . .

God created the CHURCH . . .

Consider the Apostle’s Creed:

I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth;

And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord: who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from whence he shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. (Amen)

COMMUNION . . . The “communion of the saints” That CANNOT mean communing with “saints” that have died (God’s Word FORBIDS communication with the dead - neromancing):

Deut 18:10-13 (NIV)

10 Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft,

11 or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead.

12 Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you.

13 You must be blameless before the LORD your God.

The Bible calls WE LIVING CHRISTIANS saints:

Acts 9:32 (NIV)

32 As Peter traveled about the country, he went to visit the saints in Lydda.

Acts 26:9-10 (NIV)

9 "I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

10 And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them.

The COMMUNION of the saints is:

WE LIVING CHRISTIANS having such RICH FELLOWSHIP and MEANING of LIVES together that it can only be called COMMUNION :)

Rom 12:4-6 (NIV)

4 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function,

5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and EACH MEMBER BELONGS TO ALL THE OTHERS.

6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us . . .

1 Cor 12:12-27 (NIV)

12 The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.

13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body-- whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free-- and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

14 Now the body is not made up of one part but of many.

15 If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.

16 And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.

17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?

18 But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.

19 If they were all one part, where would the body be?

20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!"

22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,

23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty,

24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it,

25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.

26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

27 NOW YOU ARE THE BODY OF CHRIST, AND EACH ONE OF YOU IS A PART OF IT.

Gal 3:27-28 (KJV)

27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: FOR YE ARE ALL ONE IN CHRIST JESUS.

Eph 4:25 (NIV)

25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for WE ARE ALL MEMBERS OF ONE BODY.

Eph 4:15-16 (KJV)

15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which EVERY JOINT SUPPLIETH, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

John 17:20-23 (NIV)

20 "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message,

21 THAT ALL OF THEM MAY BE ONE, FATHER, JUST AS YOU ARE IN ME AND I AM IN YOU. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one:

23 I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

1 Pet 3:8-10 (NIV)

8 Finally, ALL OF YOU, LIVE IN HARMONY WITH ONE ANOTHER; BE SYMPATHETIC, LOVE AS BROTHERS, BE COMPASSIONATE AND HUMBLE.

9 DO NOT REPAY EVIL WITH EVIL OR INSULT WITH INSULT, BUT WITH BLESSING, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.

10 For, "Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech.

Col 3:12-14 (NIV)

12 Therefore, AS GOD'S CHOSEN PEOPLE, HOLY AND DEARLY LOVED, CLOTHE YOURSELVES WITH COMPASSION, KINDNESS, HUMILITY, GENTLENESS AND PATIENCE.

13 BEAR WITH EACH OTHER AND FORGIVE WHATEVER GRIEVANCES YOU MAY HAVE AGAINST ONE ANOTHER. FORGIVE AS THE LORD FORGAVE YOU.

14 AND OVER ALL THESE VIRTUES PUT ON LOVE, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

John 13:34-35 (NIV)

34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

Phil 2:1-4 (NIV)

1 If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion,

2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.

3 DO NOTHING OUT OF SELFISH AMBITION OR VAIN CONCEIT, BUT IN HUMILITY CONSIDER OTHERS BETTER THAN YOURSELVES.

4 EACH OF YOU SHOULD LOOK NOT ONLY TO YOUR OWN INTERESTS, BUT ALSO TO THE INTERESTS OF OTHERS.

Let me close with a poem I hears in my childhood that BEST describes how WE CHRISTIANS should act:

"He drew a circle that shut me out~

Heretic, rebel a thing to flout,

But love and I had the wit to win:

We drew a circle that drew him in"

~Edwin Markham