Article Image

IPFS News Link • Religion: Believers

Sunday Thoughts: There Are No 'Lone Wolves' in the Body of Christ

• https://pjmedia.com, BY CHRIS QUEEN

Our enemy is like that lion. The Apostle Peter reminded his readers (and us today), "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8, ESV). Most often, the Christians whom the devil is likely to devour are the "lone wolves" who aren't tied in with a church family or other Christian community.

These days, too many people try to live their Christian lives as "lone wolves." People have withdrawn from church and Christian community — even faithful believers — in a trend that has accelerated since COVID-19. There are families I know from church who have never come back to church after the pandemic, and they're not going anywhere else.

I can't recall who said it, but I remember hearing somebody not too long ago say that Christianity is a team sport. It makes sense, not just from personal experience, but also because God's Word tells us so.

The idea of community goes all the way back to the beginning of time. In Genesis 2, after God created Adam, He said, "It is not good that the man should be alone." We use that verse to talk about marriage, but it also highlights that we shouldn't live this life by ourselves.

The wise King Solomon discussed how important it is for people to live together in community:

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (ESV)

2 Comments in Response to

Comment by PureTrust
Entered on:

While I totally agree with Solomon in his statement, "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil," etc., you need to be careful with the things that Solomon says. Solomon was wise, and shrewd. He wrote what God wanted him to write for the benefit of God's Kingdom. But go through Proverbs and Ecclesiastes and see how many things you can find that might benefit an earthly king. Solomon was writing much of it for benefits to his kingship, as well.

Comment by PureTrust
Entered on:

Elijah the prophet spent a lot of time living alone in the wilderness. Was he a Christian? It depends on whether or not you have a State Church. That's a 501 (c) (3) church - controlled and limited by the IRS, just to be exempt for money purposes. Read it. A 501 (c) (3) church is a corporation acting as a church. It's a business entity, and all its people are fooled into thinking that it is a church. On the other hand, a 508 (c) (1) (a) is a church with a number to use as a banking tool or wherever an EIN is necessary for operation. The difference? A 501 is exempted, but under IRS authority to remove the exemption if it feels that something was done wrong. A 508 is "EXCEPTED," entirely outside of IRS control. There are ways for a 508 church to use corporations, trusts, LLCs, CORPORATION SOLEs, etc., to get around any problems from not being a 501 corporation. http://www.theultimateinassetprotection.com/?ref=SWC



www.BlackMarketFridays.com