Former M.V.C.W.C. - HERALD ARTICLE ARCHIVE

"Philos"
by Kelly Purvis

Just look at the 21st century Church of the Living God! She is becoming as awesome as an army with banners! The Spirit of God has stirred her from slumber and she is arising in strength and power! Globally focused ~ technologically sophisticated ~ serious ~ influential! She is on the move in organized prayer, in strategic spiritual warfare, in well-planned, mapped world evangelism! She has become a "mover and shaker"! She is on the "cutting edge"! She is about "important business". Could there possibly be anything that she lacks?!!?

Acts 2:43 shows us some of the same zeal of the early New Testament Church: "Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many signs and wonders were taking place." Of course their "moving and shaking" was more primitive in nature... I don't know how "organized" and "strategically aligned" they were. They didn't have the technology or sophistication that we have. But if we look closely... we will see something there among them... something that "The Church" today may be lacking... something basic... something simple... something we may deem frivolous... something that was POWERFUL!

Acts 2:46 "Day by day continually with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they took their meals TOGETHER WITH GLADNESS AND SINCERITY OF HEART, praising God and having favor with all people..."

They had simple, basic, unsophisticated, LOVE FOR EACH OTHER... fellowship... joy in the journey... gladness... sincerity of heart... they had FRIENDSHIP. And here is the thing ~ the rest of the verse:

"And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved."

Selah ~ Think about that.

Such a simple thing evidently - this friendship they had with one another. Today it seems in the busy and highly organized working structure of "church"... it has become a most difficult thing. It has been given lowest priority.

It was Jesus' highest priority.

"I have called you friends" "You are My friends if you do what I command you" This IS My commandment... love one another just as I have loved you...

THIS I command you... love one another." John 15:15

His highest priority for our Christian walk was... that we have "phileo" love for each other... that we would be "philos" ~ FRIENDS.

Several terms are used in the Scriptures to describe relationships:

"hetairos" describes comrades, clansmen, fellows. It describes a relationship of "others". It just means "the others". It depicts the majority of relationships in "The Church" today... just "others" in the organization, pieces of a well-oiled machine.

The words Jesus used... HIS DESIRE for our relationships one to another is so much more! It involves phileo ~ real affection ~ a driving emotion that comes from a softened heart. No wonder it is such a difficult thing... no wonder the enemy hinders this "secret weapon" so easily... it is something which requires our own vulnerability!

"Be devoted to one another in brotherly love" Romans 12:10 "Let love of the brethren continue" Hebrews 13:1 "Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart" 1 Peter 1:22 "in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self control, and in your self control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness ~ love" "For he who lacks these... is blind or short sighted" 2 Peter 1 " be... hospitable" 1 Tim 3:2 "Be hospitable to one another without complaint... above all, keep fervent in your love for one another" 1 Peter 4:8 "To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted and humble in spirit....FOR YOU WERE CALLED FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE... that you might inherit a blessing." 1 Peter 3:8

In all of the excitement and zeal and conferences and tapes and revelations and manifestations and prophecies and signs and wonders and world travels and salvations and deliverance and miracles... let us not forget to be "friends", foster friendship, be kind, be courteous, be hospitable.

Such a profoundly powerful thing ~ FRIENDSHIP!

© All articles remain the sole property of the author (s). Do not reprint or copy without permission of the author (s).