From the Preacher’s Pen… One of the questions that we are often asked as Christians is why we don’t fellowship and do more things with other religious people. After all, we could accomplish so much more together! With all the “pastor” (do we actually remember how God uses this term or just cave in to the world’s meaning?) breakfasts and other fellowships, why aren’t we more active in participating?
To help us appreciate the answer, the Scriptural answer, consider a hypothetical letter written in the first century to ask the Apostle Paul to do the same thing.
Fellowship and Prayer Meeting
Dear Apostle Paul,
I am sure that you are aware of the great challenges facing our nation and the problems that religious people are having with our leadership. Our concerns and the needs of the people are not being addressed. Many people of faith are being either ignored or persecuted for their beliefs.
Because of these dangers, it is time for all religions to come together. After all, we are all going to the same place, just with different routes.
It is my pleasure to invite you to prayer breakfast and join in prayer for our great nation. We expect to have a wonderful time of fellowship and encouraging each other in our work. But, above all, we want to add our prayers together for our leaders and nation. Certainly, that will make them more effective and powerful!
For this momentous and important occasion, we are asking everyone to leave their differences aside. After all, we are all serving the same God(s) and everyone that is really spiritually minded will be there.
Hymenaeus and Alexander (1 Timothy 1:20) have already confirmed their attendance as have your fellow pastors from the Acro-Corinth temple of Aphrodite. So you will be in good company with old acquaintances.
Oh, we’ve also requested the Acro-Corinth pastors to help with the worship atmosphere. They have a wonderful spiritual music and performance department that is sure to uplift us all! Think about that. Christian-Pagan rock at its best. Our worship music is just like what the world offers except with “spiritual” lyrics!
Your leadership is especially needed as we appreciate your stand against that sect that thinks they are the only ones going to heaven and their crazy preacher, Stephen (Acts 6 & 7). Fortunately, he is no longer around so perhaps even his followers will join us.
Why, even your old friend and co-worker, Demas (2 Timothy 4:10) will be there. I’m sure you will enjoy having him on your prayer team!
We’ve also invited Diotrephes and the Apostle John and feel sure that they will also be a part of this important spiritual get together.
Looking forward to your reply,
— Philetus (2 Timothy 2:17), your friend in the faith
Yes, it is difficult to not be a part of what your friends and neighbors do when it comes to being religious. Yes, it is hard to be called out by God!
How would Paul respond to such a letter? Let him answer:
Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”