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PO1 H Gene Lawrence
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Edited >1 y ago
I take great comfort in knowing that I do not and will not walk alone. My Lord and Savior made it abundantly clear to me that He was there walking with me and much of the time carrying me through my battle with Cancer. I found something in donnalcampbell.com that speaks to us not walking alone as long as we have a relationship with Jesus. I pray that y’all will be blessed today as you read the below article.

1 Thessalonians 3 You are not Meant to Walk Alone
8/27/2015
Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17 On photo of Merri and Me by Donna Campbell
Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17 On photo of Merri and Me by Donna Campbell

1 Thessalonians 3

Believer, you are not meant to go it alone. Following Christ and walking in the Spirit is meant to be done with other believers. New Christians especially need to become a member of a faith community. We have a duty to those people who we have led to Jesus to disciple them. We have a responsibility to ourselves and our fellow believers to be together in a community to teach one another, edify one another, and over all love one another.

When Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica, he was torn up about not being able to go to them and disciple them. He understood the need for teaching, guidance, and mentoring of believer to believer. Paul knew it was important to send someone to the churches he had planted. And though he couldn’t go himself, he sent Timothy.

Why do we need fellowship of believers? There are a few reasons. The first is we suffer. Verses 1-4 read,

“Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone, 2 and we sent Timothy, our brother and God's coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, 3 that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this. 4 For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know.”

When we suffer, whether physical illness, oppression, spiritual battle or anything else, fellowship with other Spirit-filled people comforts us and lets us see the bigger picture. Our suffering doesn’t (or at least shouldn’t) bring others down and cause them to suffer as well. Camaraderie lightens our burden helps us get through it, and teaches us and our church.

When you are going it alone and you suffer, there is no one there to give you the wisdom of The Holy Spirit when you can’t hear him through your pain. There is no one to share the load with you. A new believer can become so discouraged that he doesn’t let the Word of God take root in his heart. He can choose to reject Jesus because he doesn’t understand that we all suffer or why he was being attacked. The person led to Christ yesterday but not given a church body is left an orphan who has a slim chance of maturing to the image of Christ. Verse 5 reads,

“For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain.”

The church at Thessalonica needed mentoring and so do every one of us. Paul needed Christian partners and so do we. Paul sent Timothy to the Thessalonians to ensure they were maturing, and probably to set up a system of leadership in the church and ensure they would continue to grow in Christ. When Timothy returned to Paul, he had good news. Verses 6-8 read,

“But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, as we long to see you— 7 for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith. 8 For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord.”

We need each other to teach one another, to get to know God more and more. Verses 9-10 read,

“For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, 10 as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith?”

Proverbs 27:17 says it this way,

“Iron sharpens iron,
and one man sharpens another.”

We need each other because our corporate prayer, worship, and studying blesses The Lord and blesses us. We can see what Jesus is doing in our lives and the lives of one another. Our thanksgiving, worship, praise and prayers increase exponentially. As our love for God increases so does our love for each other. It all multiplies by leaps and bounds when we are in it together. Verses 11-13 read,

“Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, 12 and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, 13 so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.”

We are waiting for Jesus to return, we are waiting for New Jerusalem, but we have eternal life now. One day we will be perfected, but now we walk in increasing glory of Jesus. We do that together, not alone. The Holy Spirit is in us, making us a union that cannot be easily broken. When we are together He is that much more among us.

When a person is walking alone there is no one to comfort, encourage, edify or work with. If he has a question he can ask God but will He recognize the answer? Or will the father of lies answer first and lead the person further away from Jesus. Who will keep him accountable?

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SrA Alvin Cook
SrA Alvin Cook
>1 y
Thanks Gene for this message. Its been a hard day for me today. It is the 3rd anniversary of my oldest son getting killed in a motorcycle accident. Then I come to work and found out I lost a friend from work to cancer last night, a real Brother. He fought the the good fight. Then shortly after I was informed another person I am friendly with at work passed today from cancer.It has me thinking about relationships/friendships. We know not when our last day is so we should be repairing/maintaining our relationships.
Solomon warns that a little quarrel might seem innocent, like a small amount of water spilling over a dam. But what is happening underneath could work up a devastating burst. Have you ever noticed how a trivial squabble can grow into a major conflict? At the time it seemed it would just blow over. But in retrospect, a bit of resolution would have saved the relationship.

Take time to repair friendships. Give attention to discord and maintain harmony as much as possible. If you do, it will stop a torrent of anger that will destroy everything in its pathway. KNOW that I/WE do NOT walk alone. That Christ is beside us even when we can't feel Him. Also we are not alone because our friends and loved ones are also often beside us. If you love someone. If you have a friend you care about TELL THEM TODAY before that opportunity is gone. So today I start with you my friend, my brother in Christ Gene. Thank you for being who you are to me and the other members of Rally Point.
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PO1 H Gene Lawrence
PO1 H Gene Lawrence
>1 y
SrA Alvin Cook - I am so humbled by your very kind words to me tonight. I feel it a privilege to be able to connect with folks such as yourself. I count it a blessing if I may in some small way can be a positive for you. Thank you for being my friend, I cherish that.
Celebrate the lives of your friends and keep them close in your good memories of them. My deepest condolence for your loss. I pray that God will give you His perfect strength and comfort at this time of loss of your friends. Have a blessed night.
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LTC Stephen F.
LTC Stephen F.
>1 y
I pray that you and I are circumspect and discerning as we walk through life and lead others on the path to everlasting life, my friend and brother-in-Christ PO1 H Gene Lawrence and sister-in-Christ Linda Lawrence.
Before we recognize our desperate need for YOU LORD, YOU allow tremendous latitude of behavior, attitude and actions. YOU accept us exactly as we are when we fall on our knees as our eyes become open to YOU.
YOU desire fellowship with each of YOUR own adopted children. YOU are focused on what we do and not on a list of don’ts, praise God.
When we are young in faith YOU keep us close to the sheepfold. As we mature, YOU lead us out to minister to others who are where we have been and learn from others who have been where we are in life situations.
Through sanctification YOU are making us collectively into YOUR image on earth. Use us to YOUR glory on earth and guide us to minister to the weakest among us.
I pray for safe and secure travel for each and every one traveling Thursday through this week and beyond and success for the fundraising and fellowship efforts of Mikel and Billy.
By the power and authority of the Name above all names, Jesus the Christ.
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SrA Alvin Cook
SrA Alvin Cook
>1 y
PO2 David Dunlap - I agree 100 %
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Maj Marty Hogan
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Edited >1 y ago
I like the Einstein quote today. Odd when i learned to step away from the crowd and follow my own path was when my career took off. I just thought it was looking for something new, but it was more about being the person I could be without all the static from those holding me back.

Here is a solid video to go with this thought today:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_owp2adlQk


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LTC Stephen F.
LTC Stephen F.
>1 y
I pray that you and I are circumspect and discerning as we walk through life and lead others on the path to everlasting life, my friend and brother-in-Christ Maj Marty Hogan .
Before we recognize our desperate need for YOU LORD, YOU allow tremendous latitude of behavior, attitude and actions. YOU accept us exactly as we are when we fall on our knees as our eyes become open to YOU.
YOU desire fellowship with each of YOUR own adopted children. YOU are focused on what we do and not on a list of don’ts, praise God.
When we are young in faith YOU keep us close to the sheepfold. As we mature, YOU lead us out to minister to others who are where we have been and learn from others who have been where we are in life situations.
Through sanctification YOU are making us collectively into YOUR image on earth. Use us to YOUR glory on earth and guide us to minister to the weakest among us.
I pray for safe and secure travel for each and every one traveling Thursday through this week and beyond and success for the fundraising and fellowship efforts of Mikel and Billy.
By the power and authority of the Name above all names, Jesus the Christ.
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Lt Col Charlie Brown
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Good Wednesday morning COL Mikel J. Burroughs I hope the rest of your trip goes as planned without any more unplanned maintenance breaks. I know we are all glad you and Billy are safe even if a bit behind schedule yesterday. Those who came out to meet you for breakfast in lieu of dinner enjoyed the camaraderie I am sure.
Walking alone. So many of us are now afraid to spend time with ourselves. We fill all the spaces with noise and often meaningless chatter and tech time and we make it so that we can no longer hear either our own thoughts or the voice of the LORD. We need alone time and silence to appreciate certain things. In fact recent studies show that alone time and silence (no TV, music, computers, etc) is as healing for the brain as sleeping and helps us reset. This may be one of the reasons that great creations come when we work alone.
Can you schedule some time to be alone with your thoughts?

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SSgt Boyd Herrst
SSgt Boyd Herrst
>1 y
I do that on occasion.. go over to the park and watch the ducks n geese for an hour or to and pur some calming music(usually country in instrumental mode).. I turned the notifications on mute
They appear but don’t innterrupt the music...
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LTC Stephen F.
LTC Stephen F.
>1 y
I pray that you and I are circumspect and discerning as we walk through life and lead others on the path to everlasting life, my friend and sister-in-Christ Lt Col Charlie Brown.
Before we recognize our desperate need for YOU LORD, YOU allow tremendous latitude of behavior, attitude and actions. YOU accept us exactly as we are when we fall on our knees as our eyes become open to YOU.
YOU desire fellowship with each of YOUR own adopted children. YOU are focused on what we do and not on a list of don’ts, praise God.
When we are young in faith YOU keep us close to the sheepfold. As we mature, YOU lead us out to minister to others who are where we have been and learn from others who have been where we are in life situations.
Through sanctification YOU are making us collectively into YOUR image on earth. Use us to YOUR glory on earth and guide us to minister to the weakest among us.
I pray for safe and secure travel for each and every one traveling Thursday through this week and beyond and success for the fundraising and fellowship efforts of Mikel and Billy.
By the power and authority of the Name above all names, Jesus the Christ.
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PO3 Rod Arnold
PO3 Rod Arnold
>1 y
Fishing has always been a time to reflect and meditate for me.
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