Category Archives: Faith and Practice

Six Short Rules for Christians

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This week I came upon the writings of Brownlow North, one of the great evangelists of Scotland in the 19th century.  Born in 1810 into a family known for its history of Parliamentary and Church leaders, Brownlow lived a worldly life, a sportsman, soldier and country gentleman.  A biographical piece from Banner of Truth writes,

as a youth he was sent to Eton where he became known as ‘Gentleman Jack’. Life was one long round of self-indulgence. He grew up as a constant smoker, a heavy drinker and a notorious gambler and admitted, ‘My greatest idea of pleasure was to shoot grouse and catch salmon.’

After 44 years of turning his back on God and defying the Church, Brownlow wholeheartedly “gave his heart to Christ,” after what’s best described as a near death experience.  You can read more of his biography here.

The story goes, after he was saved, he became good friends with his pastor, as was asked on one occasion to preach in the pastor’s absence.  The congregation was so upset that Brownlow would be preaching, they left a letter in the pulpit documenting all of his public sins.  Humbly, Brownlow read the letter to the congregation, and told them there were many more sins that Christ had forgiven as well, and that if Christ could forgive him those great sins, Christ could forgive them also.

As we have been encouraging continued maturity and spiritual development here at Lennox Ebenezer, I thought I’d share with you what are known as Brownlow North’s Six Short Rules For Christians:

  1. Never neglect daily private prayer; and when you pray, remember that God is present, and that He hears your prayers. (Heb 11:6).
  2. Never neglect daily private Bible reading; and when you read remember that God is speaking to you, and that you are to believe and act upon what He says. I believe all backsliding begins with the neglect of these two rules. (John 5:39).
  3. Never let a day pass without trying to do something for Jesus. Every night reflect on what Jesus has done for you, and then ask yourself, “What am I doing for Him”? (Matt 5:13-16).
  4. If you are in doubt as to a thing being right or wrong, go to your room and kneel down and ask God’s blessing on it. (Col 3:17). If you cannot do this, it is wrong. (Rom 14:23).
  5. Never take your Christianity from Christians, or argue that because such and such people do so and so, therefore, you may. (2 Cor 10:12). You are to ask yourself, “How would Christ act in my place”? And strive to follow Him (John 10:27).

  6. Never believe what you feel, if it contradicts God’s Word. Ask yourself, “Can what I feel be true if God’s Word is true”? And if both cannot be true, believe God and make your own heart the liar. (Rom 3:4; 1 John 5:10-11).

One in Christ

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For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body – Jews or Greeks, slaves or free – and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12:12–13

We have our annual congregational meeting tonight, a time to give thanks to God for His grace that has brought us thus far, and a time to recommit ourselves as a church to trusting in that same grace to lead us forward in ministry together.  

As I was preparing for my Pastor’s report for the meeting, I came upon my notes from when I read through Jerry Bridges’ book, True Community: The Biblical Practice of Koinonia.  Bridges does a fantastic job of defining koinonia (a Greek word that is best translated as “fellowship”) to mean more than just the social activities of the church, but has more to do with the idea of community in Christ.

Bridges writes:

It is not the fact that we are united in common goals or purposes that makes us a community. Rather, it is the fact that we share a common life in Christ. There are many organizations, both secular and Christian, whose members work together to pursue common goals. Some of these groups may call themselves communities. But biblical community goes much deeper than sharing common goals, though it ultimately involves that. Biblical community is first of all the sharing of a common life in Christ. It is when we grasp this truth that we are in a position to begin to understand true community.

We share the life of Christ together as the Church.  It is wonderful to have a place that cares for you, that shares in the joys and sorrows of your life; a place where everyone knows your name.

But the Church, the true fellowship of Christ, must go deeper. The Church is one, not because of a shared interest in music, or because of the local projects and activities it offers. The Church is one because it is in Christ, and Christ must be at the center of our fellowship, of our life together. 

Bridges goes on to write:

How different is our present-day concept of fellowship? Take those typical times of “coffee fellowship.” We discuss everything else except the Scriptures. We talk about our jobs, our studies, our favorite sports teams, the weather — almost anything except what God is teaching us from His Word and through His workings in our lives. If we are to regain the New Testament concept of fellowship within the community, we must learn to get beyond the temporal issues of the day and begin to share with each other on a level that will enhance our spiritual relationships with one another and with God.

I am thankful to be able to serve Christ’s Church, and to serve a Church that loves to share in one another’s lives. Let’s be intentional about that this year. As we meet for fellowship, get caught up on the kids and their lives, but also be sure to ask about what the Lord has been teaching them as they’ve been reading Scripture this week, or what they learned from the sermon that morning.  Encourage one another to come to Bible Study or Sunday School, find out how you can be praying for one another.  Let us celebrate the blessing of being one in Christ, and may we grow in our shared life together.

Grace and peace!

Excerpts from: Bridges, Jerry. True Community: The Biblical Practice of Koinonia . Navpress. Kindle Edition.