April 24, 2024 … Unity From Diversity …

April 24, 2024 …  Unity From Diversity …     

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in this song with lyrics from Erik Dewar singing … Male Us One …  Poignantly singing of how God provides us with His enabling grace to make us ONE in His church.     

Unity in Christ's Church ... 

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Highlight Passage: … 1Corinthians 12:18 [NLT] … 

18 But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where He wants it.              

… The Apostle Paul uses the picture of the human body, picturing the unity of His body out of the diversity of my parts, put together by God for his purposes.                                            

Highlight Passage (in context): … 1Corinthians 12:12-27 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Paul teaches about God creating His church to be unified as one body which is put together to be Christ’s body.                                                  

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Reference Passage: … Psalms 133:1 [NLT] …  

1  How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony.   

… King David sings of God’s desire and will is for His chosen to live and work together in unity.  

Reference Passage: …  John 17:21-23 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK …  

… Jesus’ prayer that all born again Christians be bonded to one another in His church.   

Reference Passage: … Ephesians 4:1-6 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK  … 

… The Apostle Paul exhorts fellow Christians to unify and become one body, coming together and being unified in the bond of Christlikeness.  

Reference Passage: … Colossians 3:14 [NLT] …  

14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony..  

… The Apostle Paul calls on fellow Christians to let the love of Christ bind them together in harmony.                    

Reference Passage: … 1Peter 3:8 [NLT] … 

8 Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters.  Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude.   

… The Apostle Peter calls on fellow Christians to humbly come together, love each other, and treat each other as one family.

My Devotional Journal: Today’s Our Daily Bread  Author, Monica La Rose -  AT THIS LINK  -   quotes and teaches from an essay by Professor Daniel Bowman Jr,, who writes about how difficult it is for autistic individuals to fit into the Christian community.  It really takes Christ’s body of faithful servants, humbly reaching out to bring in those who have unique qualities which the Lord values in His body, … the Church. 

And today’s ODB entry challenged me - maybe you too - to do all we can, as unique members of Christ’s body, to reach out and include others who have individual needs; … but Christ, thru His Spirit, is calling us to include in His body, …The Church.   May we all be alert to that calling in our lives as members of Christ’s body, … HIS CHURCH.                                                    

My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, …giving me the discernment to reach out and invite others with special needs into Your body, Lord.  

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray. again today, that all reading here will join me today, … to reach out and bring those with unique qualities into Your Church, … maybe today!    … Amen

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Blogger Note:  Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled “Our Daily Bread,” distributed online via email by RBC Ministries.  If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.