Well to start of, I will explain the title by saying that I got lost in the city for around two hours today. I was not alone, don't worry, but we had NO CLUE where we were. Long story short, we asked the bus driver to take us to a blue line (L-train--the only think I understand so far) and we got back to our side of town (the safe side).
Anyways, this weekend getting settled in and such has been awesome. One of our first meetings our staff speaker talked on Acts 4: 32-5:16. Here we can look at how a Christian community is supposed to look like: loving, sharing, having grace, being satisfied, and everyone meeting the needs of everyone together. But also, Peter shows another side of this type of community. He knows that Ananias and his wife Sapphira are being untruthful and not being honest in their community. What would you do in this situation? Ignore it? Say, well they are "out of the circle of trust." Well Peter shows us how to treat our brothers and sisters in Christ if we know they are truly believers. He confronts them and he asks WHY they are doing this in a loving and gracious way (Acts 5:3). This is a characteristic of a Christian community that is hard to go about. No one wants to bring up another's faults to them because they know they are not perfect either. But that is the point of this! Everyone is sinful and we all do not deserve grace but God tells us to be vulnerable with one another so he can be glorified by his COMMUNITY of believers together. --This is something I have learned to do the past 6 months or so being in a believing community at ECU. Everyone confesses their struggles openly, honestly, and with out guilt. They (we) lift each other up and WALK WITH CHIRST TOGETHER. I think this is what Peter is showing us in Acts as he confronts the couple of their faults. We need to rely on other Christians to hold us accountable and help walk with us through this life. God gives us people in our lives for a reason. I already know that this summer I will be challenged with being open and honest with people that I have just met. I have to be honest and vulnerable with them so I can ultimately be held accountable and give God the glory in the end.
I pray that God reveals something to you today that he either wants you to deal with and give up to him or that you simply need to learn to let others help you in your walk with Christ. Other believers- small groups- and churches- are Gods people. We are called to talk, walk, cry, hurt, confront, praise, and worship him as one body in Christ.
<3 DRC
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