Commune_nication 1
Voice of Eden (episode 109)
Mon. 4th March. 2019
#Commune_nication
Dear friend,
_ don't just break, feed.
Key scripture : Act 20:7
On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight.
Effective communication sounds like it should be instinctive. But all too often, when we try to communicate with others something goes astray. We say one thing, the other person hears something else, and misunderstandings, frustration, and conflicts ensue. But for us to have an effective communication we need to first commune with that person. See from there view point, listen and understand.
To commune means to contemplate or absorb. To regard with deliberate care, to ponder or consider. *Effective Communication is not possible without communion*
Jesus is the best person who truly understood what it meant to communicate effectively. Before the early church Jesus broke bread with his disciples during the Lord's supper, which we call the "Holy Communion" today. From this, I'd love to explain "Commune_nication" rightly spelt - Communication.
*We have gradually become a church that pays more attention to the practices and less or no attention to the principles.* We make sure we don't miss Sunday services, sit right in front, have family devotion, pay our tithe, feed the poor, dress decent, etc and yet we don't even understand the significance, let alone live by the principles. It's not just enough to do these things. If we don't understand the principles and live by them, we are only religious!
*Breaking of the break is not the same as feeding of the break*
Jesus is pained to see that all we do is break the bread and don't feed on it. Man doesn't live by every bread he breaks but by every bread he feeds on (the word).
It is also sad to see that most of us can't even eat with the people we break bread with. *In other words, as believers and as a church we fail to have effective communication with the very people we take communion with.* Why? Mostly for the fear of being betrayed. The Bible puts it this way, Jesus, on the same night he was #betrayed, took bread, and when he gave thanks, he broke it... (1cor11:23-24)
I totally understand that sometimes we may just be careful with the things we trust the next person with. But should it be so with the people you commune with? The fear of being back stabbed, hurt, looked at as evil, or isolated...
Recently I met a young friend of mine, who gave birth out of wedlock but she never said anything to me about it. After I asked her if what I heard was true, she said yes. Then I asked, "why didn't you tell me?" her reply, "I didn't want you to see me differently from the way you do now, because everybody keeps talking bad about me."
The problem is, no one is listening in the church, we are all talking. Do this! Don't do this! We don't even know how the next person is doing, what he/she is going through, the help they need, and how we can be of help...but we break bread with them in church and drink of the same cup. Of what use is it if we can't see the principle?
Just like Jesus, even if we know the next person will be the one to betray us, still give them bread to eat...
Finally, the early church wasn't only devoted in the breaking of bread, they were also devoted to the apostles teaching and to prayer. If we as a church on the earth do more of the breaking and less of the feeding, we'd end up having a form of godliness but denying the power (a religious body without life).
The breaking of bread is done in remembrance of Christ but the feeding is done for life. We can't remember Him and not live like Him.
To be continued...
Keep growing
#voe #commune_nicate #goodmorning
Mon. 4th March. 2019
#Commune_nication
Dear friend,
_ don't just break, feed.
Key scripture : Act 20:7
On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight.
Effective communication sounds like it should be instinctive. But all too often, when we try to communicate with others something goes astray. We say one thing, the other person hears something else, and misunderstandings, frustration, and conflicts ensue. But for us to have an effective communication we need to first commune with that person. See from there view point, listen and understand.
To commune means to contemplate or absorb. To regard with deliberate care, to ponder or consider. *Effective Communication is not possible without communion*
Jesus is the best person who truly understood what it meant to communicate effectively. Before the early church Jesus broke bread with his disciples during the Lord's supper, which we call the "Holy Communion" today. From this, I'd love to explain "Commune_nication" rightly spelt - Communication.
*We have gradually become a church that pays more attention to the practices and less or no attention to the principles.* We make sure we don't miss Sunday services, sit right in front, have family devotion, pay our tithe, feed the poor, dress decent, etc and yet we don't even understand the significance, let alone live by the principles. It's not just enough to do these things. If we don't understand the principles and live by them, we are only religious!
*Breaking of the break is not the same as feeding of the break*
Jesus is pained to see that all we do is break the bread and don't feed on it. Man doesn't live by every bread he breaks but by every bread he feeds on (the word).
It is also sad to see that most of us can't even eat with the people we break bread with. *In other words, as believers and as a church we fail to have effective communication with the very people we take communion with.* Why? Mostly for the fear of being betrayed. The Bible puts it this way, Jesus, on the same night he was #betrayed, took bread, and when he gave thanks, he broke it... (1cor11:23-24)
I totally understand that sometimes we may just be careful with the things we trust the next person with. But should it be so with the people you commune with? The fear of being back stabbed, hurt, looked at as evil, or isolated...
Recently I met a young friend of mine, who gave birth out of wedlock but she never said anything to me about it. After I asked her if what I heard was true, she said yes. Then I asked, "why didn't you tell me?" her reply, "I didn't want you to see me differently from the way you do now, because everybody keeps talking bad about me."
The problem is, no one is listening in the church, we are all talking. Do this! Don't do this! We don't even know how the next person is doing, what he/she is going through, the help they need, and how we can be of help...but we break bread with them in church and drink of the same cup. Of what use is it if we can't see the principle?
Just like Jesus, even if we know the next person will be the one to betray us, still give them bread to eat...
Finally, the early church wasn't only devoted in the breaking of bread, they were also devoted to the apostles teaching and to prayer. If we as a church on the earth do more of the breaking and less of the feeding, we'd end up having a form of godliness but denying the power (a religious body without life).
The breaking of bread is done in remembrance of Christ but the feeding is done for life. We can't remember Him and not live like Him.
To be continued...
Keep growing
#voe #commune_nicate #goodmorning
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