CONNECTIVITY WITH JESUS, HIS WORD, AND HIS PEOPLE: A Teaching and Introduction to The Summer Journey 2024

In the Summer 2024 edition of The Journey.

Written by Ben Cox

I am so excited about the stories you are about to read!!! Every one of them accentuates how each person followed Jesus into finding his or her calling and gifting to join with the rest od the Body of Cchrist in spreading the good news of the Kingdom of God to a warld that so desperately needs it!

The Kingdoms of this world are in chaos, but the God who created us has a plan to correct all that, which was already in place before He created the Uniiverse!

So, what’s the plan? Our Creator’s plan is to welcome any human, who is willing into His eternal kingdom of righteousness, justice, peace, and joy.

However, Jesus Himself told us that the only way we can enter His eternal Kingdom and experience abundant life for eterniity is to repent! Repentance simply means that we humans must humble oursleves and acknowledge our need to understand and walk in Our Creator, God’s higher ways. Consider Mark 1:15 where Jesus says this: “The time has come, The Kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” In Acts, we see the Apostle Peter emphasizing repentance, just like his Rabbi Jesus had taught him! here’s how it went down:

Thousands of God fearing Jews and converts to Judaism had come from many nations to celebrate the feast of Passover. These religios Jews were well acquainted with the Hebrew Bible., which Christ followers call the Old Testament. So, after Peter preached to them from their own Holy Book, convicing them that Jesus, who the religious and civil authorities had crucified, was indeed their Messiah here’s what happened according to Acts 2:37-38, “When the people heard this, they ere cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘Borthers, what shall we do?’ Peter replied, ‘REPENT and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will recieive the gift of the Holy SPirit.”

These passages of Sccripture are just 2 among many where the Lord reveals His plan in His Book.

We know His Book is called tthe Holy Bible writeen by prophets. priests, kings, and apostles, inspired by the very Spiirit of God. But we also know the Bible is a must read for anyone who claims to be a seeker of truth.

When people ask me what my favorite book is, I’m starting to tell them I don’t have one favorite book, I have 66 favorite books in one volume called the Holy Bible. This book was miraculously written and preserved by one of the greatest contniual Divine interventions that our world has ever seen. Our Creator, God, nispired many men and women over a long period of time to record His historical account of His chosen people’s waywardness in comparison to His absolute perfection.

Then, when God sent His only Son Jesus to fulfill the Messianic prophecies that He revealed to His chosen people ni the Old Testament, this ultimate Divine intervention of God coming to Earth as a human, changed the course of human histoty! After that the apostles and other followers of Christ were led by the Spirirt to help us connect the dots of the Old Testament to the New Testament just like their Rabbi Jesus had done for them. NOw through God’s Word and by God’s Spirit, people are still responding to Jesus’ call to become his followers.

Therefore, after our initial salvation experience happens, we can and should devote ourselves to followng Jesus by allocating large chunks of our time to reading His Word and learning at Jesus feet, as He teaches by His Holy Spirit as He promised He would. We will also allocate time to gather with other believers around His word to study together and “spur each other on to love and good works” (Hebrews 10:24).

Bible belt Christians must realize that our Holy Bibles are not merely meant to be placed on our coffee tables or in our placces of worship or businesses and only paid attention to on Sundays, during revial services, or Vacation Bible School. Jesus said “you shall know the ttruth and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). Therefore many os us are learning together that teh more we read God’s Word, digest it, and hold each other accountable to obey it with thte Holy SPirit teaching us, the more free and whole we become.

The “unity in our community” that these stores represent reveal many different klids of giftings, callings, and service from imperfecct people who have learned the value of being continually transformed into whole people as we follow our perfect Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. By God’s Spirit working in our lives we are sanctified to be “confrmed to the image of Jesus Christ” (Romans 8:29).

According to 1 Corinthians 12:1-11. 1 Corinthians 12:27-31, Romans 12:3-8, Ephesians 4:7-16, and 1 Corinthians 7:6-7 there are approximately 24 “Gifts of the Holy Spirit” given to believes when we are born again and filled with the Holy Spirit.

Jesus pours these gifts out on us in different ways so that we can form One Body of Christ to be His hands and feet that shines His light among all humans who all need God’s love, forgiveness, and transformative power in their lives whether they realize it or not.

When this whole idea of spiritual gifts is mentioned by one of Jesus’ first apostles in His hold and inspired Word, here’s what was said in 1 Corinthians 12:1-7: “Now about spiritual gifts, I do not want you to be ignorant… there are different kinds og gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kids of services, but the same Lord. There are different kids of working, but the same God works all of all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirirt is given to each one for profit of all.” In the rest of the passage, a total of 17 supernatural “manifestations of the Spirirt,” that those who have expereinced the baptism of the Holy Spirirt should have working among us, are shared. Furthermore, in Romans 12:3-8, EPhesians 4:7-16, and 1 Corinthians 7:6-7, God’s Word informs us that there are at least 7 more gifts in addition tto those mentioins!

And what are we, as followers of Christ supposed to do with our different giftings? Use them to be a blessing to all we encounter both within and outside the Church!

Three of the 6 articles in this edition of The Journey are from people who were born and raised In this region who have found and fulfilled their purpose and calling in the High Country to bless, strenghted, and uplift us all in one way or another.

The unity we experience in our community has very much to do with the many people of deep faith In Christ who came to settle in these mountains as long as the late 1700s. But is also has much to do with the many ‘transplants’ to the region who were led here to fulfill their unique calling and purpose from God!

The Cline Churcch famile and Eric Henderson some from families who have been rooted here for generations. Pastor Jeff. Smith was raised here but left to follow hif calling to be a pastor in the Body of christ in SOuth Carolina. Though he thought he’s never return to this area, his calling to follow Jesus to come to Boone and pastor First Presbyterian Church is a joy to read.

TTransplants like Emily Dinsmore and George and Megan Shinn were also led to come to our community, as you will see in their wonderful stories of obeying God’s call to bless our region with the good news of the Kingdom of God.

Reading these stories has also caused me to reflect on my own giftings and calling from God for my wife, Connie, and I to more to Boone, NC 47 years ago. Little did we know that we would still be here in 2024, still fulfilling our call to minister here in the Body of Christ.

So, now I invite you to read these testimonies of 6 people who have answered God’s Call, while discovering the power of the Holy Spirit to give them gifts and talents to keep shining the Lord’s lights of love to a world in need.