When Light Flows, III

Prov. 27:¹⁷ “Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend [to show rage or worthy purpose].” (AMPC)

My light flows and shines when I call things that be not as though they were and my light flows when I am engaged in community. There are things that you want to get, there are levels of light and revelation that you need for life that will only come when you do life with other Christians. Believe me! There are things that I have understood only in fellowship. Personal Bible study alone will not cut it. There are levels of light that you want that you cannot have access to. I know a lot of people prefer to be solo Christians – just me, my Bible, and the Holy Spirit. Some, prefer to just sneak in and out of church because they do not want to get into anybody’s business, and they do not want anybody in their business. I wish it works like that, but it does not.

You are grossly limiting your potential and limiting yourself in an amazing way. You must find another iron; you must find community, you must find fellowship you, must have people of like minds that you can rub and make light together. John Morris says, “Light is produced by friction, by numerous chemical reactions as well as the nuclear reaction of atomic fission and fusion.” How come the sun is able to give out light like it does? It is because there is nuclear fission and fusion going on in the sun. The sun is burning itself to give us light. So, all the particles, molecules and atomic reactions in the sun cannot happen with individual atoms standing on their own without interacting. You cannot do life alone, nobody can. God did not create us to be lone rangers. Prov.27:¹⁷ “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.”

The Voice translation puts it this way, “In the same way that iron sharpens iron, a person sharpens the character of his friend. There are character lights and character levels that you cannot attain except you have a brother poke you, or a sister step on your toes. How do you know you have patience if nobody has tried your patience? How do you know? Can you show love alone by yourself? You cannot. Prov.27:¹⁷ “As iron sharpens iron, so people can improve each other… so one person sharpens the wits of another.” (NCV & GW). The mental light that you need is in community. The mental brilliance that needs to flow through your life is in community.

Yes, you go to church, but you need to go beyond that. You need to join a life group (a house fellowship), join a unit (a serving team), you need to make friends. Even if you are a private person, find another private person in church. To be a lone ranger is to limit yourself. Acts 2:^{42, 46-47} “All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.” Their light shone into the community.

Prayer: Father, please help me plug into community with the right heart, in Jesus Name. Amen!