People.

 In the movie “Funny Girl” Barbara Streisand sang “People who need people, are the luckiest people in the world”.

And surely this must truly within the body of Christ. We are all just people. With our responsibilities. With  our hang-ups. We have worked hard to gain what we have earned and we carry our hardships with whatever dignity we can.

Some people that I have encountered along my Christian journey have been real motivators and inspirations that I still look back fondly on. I remember…..

Colin – An older man who taught me about the unity of all Christians. He was a great example of getting along with other Christians, even when they disagreed strongly. We shared a few coffees and laughs along the way. And ofcourse, there were more than a few bible gems dropped along the way that I could pick up on.

Edward – A man who taught me the value of reading correctly. He gave me several books. These were the sort of books that would lead you on to read other books so that I could build up my knowledge in the Faith. He introduced me to sound authors and sound publishers. A lot of the “doctrinal rabbit holes” that I got myself into and out of came from his example as a bible student all those years ago.

Peter – A quiet family man who loved the Lord. He had a home, a wife, a family and a job. Taught me the preciousness of going on through life day by day. Although he was deeply involved with his family, Jesus was always ever foremost in their minds.

Charlie – This was a guy who was full of life and vivacity. Loved music and the arts. Always had a  proactive mindset. He was a “turn to” guy for a lot of people who needed help with anything. I have enjoyed many moments of jokes and fellowship with him.

Joe – Showed me how to accurately study the Bible in a balanced way. He showed me that things that were taught in the N.T. usually had their compliment or explanation in the O.T. He taught me that the Bible can vouch for itself. “Whatsoever things were written beforehand was written for our learning” – Romans 15:4. But mostly, he taught me how to centralise my thoughts and studies so that I hopefully, couldn’t shoot off at a tangent. It was namely this – Always look for the Christ like figure in the story. He called it being “Christocentric”. He showed me that even though a particular text does not openly speak about God, it does point to Him.

Bill – Another family man who was very quiet and unassuming. He worked quietly at the church and loved nothing more than to have a conversation about Jesus and the Bible. Taught me how to study the Bible using post-it notes. It was this – When you want to study a subject get yourself a large block of stick-it notepaper and a Strong’s Concordance. Write each verse that you’re studying onto a single bit of paper and stick it onto a wall. Then step back and look at all the verses together. It’s not the most perfect of study methods but I learned so much by using this method.

Wee Bobby – Taught me about a guy who loved Jesus but was cast aside by the Church. This man was one of the shining lights in a church I attended. But something happened. I never found out what it was, and I never tried to find out either. But Wee bobby moved on. I see him around the city from time to time and we always take the time to say Hi. Hopefully, someday, I’ll corner him and ask him how things are between him and Jesus.

The Bible tells us to Love one another.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up…

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labour:(10)If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.

Job 6: 14 “Anyone who withholds kindness from a friend forsakes the fear of the Almighty.

1 Peter 4:8-10 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. (9)Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. (10)Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.

And everyone that I have remembered all have people that they remember also. It’s how the Christian body works. We bolster each other up and help each other along the way.

So don’t forget about the people who you have met in the past. You might find that at some point you were the greatest help that they needed in their life at that time.

TheseLivelyOracles@hotmail.com

Location: 6WFJ+72 Braunstone NSW, Australia

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