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"But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. 40For he who is not against us is on our side. 41For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward" Mark 9:39-41 NKJV
John was quite concerned that some people were casting out demons in Jesus' name, yet they didn't belong to their team; therefore they forbade them v38. Jesus' reply above, was that these people were not their enemies, but were also fulfilling the Word of God, albeit, not from their team.
Again, in Philippians there were similar accounts addressed by Paul's followers. There were people preaching Jesus to whoever would listen but, didn't belong to their fold. Paul wrote from his prison cell:
'Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill: 16The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; 17but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defence of the gospel. 18What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice'. Philippians 1:15-18.
These latter people were not against Paul and his apostles, but probably preaching out of selfish ambition. However, Paul said that it was ok. As long as Jesus was preached that's all that mattered.
Not everyone will be in your church, that is obvious. In fact, they may not even belong to a particular fellowship at all. But they belong to Jesus and if they don't belong to a church, this is up to them, not you or I. Many people today, have broken away from their churches and yet, they are on fire for Jesus and, are producing results. You may say that they need fellowship and teaching. They also need to be accountable. Perhaps they had all of this, but from one thing or another, they were hurt, bruised or badly treated by leadership or other people. They may well receive their teaching from reading their bibles, study and fellowshipping with Jesus. And it seems to be working. Therefore, perhaps we need to be open to this and understanding. As long as they are focusing on God and have not backslidden, they should be allowed their choices.
In conclusion, I'm not suggesting that people should leave their church and go it alone. Not at all. If church works for you, that is brilliant. However, we must be aware that many are not attending church and yet have a deep relationship with Jesus and, it suits them.
We must allow choices to made.
If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now:
Lord Jesus, I have sinned
I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today.
In Jesus' Name. Amen'
Copyright 2024 Grahame Howard.
dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com
If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk
Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers
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