Passage of the Day: Ephesians 4: 11 – 12 [see underlined and in bold below with explanation added in parentheses] … 11 It was He [the Holy Spirit] Who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
My Journal for Today: John MacArthur, in his Strength for Today devotional on this date, states truth when he declares that God desires to reach the world with His Church declaring and sending out His Gospel (as we read in today’s passage and also in a verse I hope you have memorized, Acts 1: 8). To do this the Holy Spirit is given to individual believers so that we are energized, edified, enabled, and empowered to become the collective Body of Christ in order that this unified Body may carry out God’s Great Commission (see Matt. 28: 19 – 20).
Therefore, it is ultimately the Church who becomes the unified and equipped representation of Jesus Christ in the world, … ALL of us individually and collectively using our Spirit-given gifts to reach out with God’s mission/ministry of witness to a lost and dying world (see Christ’s mission/ministry in Luke 4: 18).
So, if we try to be “lone ranger” Christians, we deter or impede the effectiveness of God’s outreach, not using our individual gifts within the collective power that is Christ’s Body, the Church. God, the Holy Spirit, imparts His gifts with the purpose that my gifts will be joined with others, like you, in the unified Church to shine a much brighter, Spirit-enabled, light into this darkened and sin-ridden world, thereby glorifying God, The Father and drawing the lost to His Son (see Matt. 5: 16 in the context of The Great Commission).
{BTW, if you want to hear a great sermon on this subject which my own Pastor delivered to his flock on Sunday, Sept. 25th, go to this link. However, when I went to that site as I’m writing this, the sermon had not yet been posted. Be patient, though; I know it will be posted in the next day or so; and it will be well worth your time to listen to our Pastor passionately preach about “the church” being empowered by God’s Spirit to do God’s will in the world.}
I don’t know about you; but I’m convicted that I don’t use my gifts enough, with Spirit-lifted enablement, for God’s Great Commission and/or His mission for my life. And it doesn’t take a theologian or rocket-scientist to see that the Church is not what it could be in this world because of disunity and division and too many lone ranger Christians trying to do their own thing rather than working in well-equipped unity for God’s Glory. I’ll leave it to God’s Spirit to convict any who might read this of whether we, as God’s Body, are doing enough for our Lord or whether we, as individual Christians are doing enough to promote unity and power in the Church.
My Prayer Today: Lord, use my gifts in Your Church to shine Your Light in this dark world. Amen
Showing posts with label body of Christ. Show all posts
Showing posts with label body of Christ. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Friday, September 09, 2011
September 9, 2011 … We Need One Another
Passage of the Day: 1st Corinthians 12: 7 … Now to each one [i.e., Christian] the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
Hebrews 10: 23 – 25 … 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
My Journal for Today: One of the most important aspects of the ministry of the Holy Spirit is found in the dovetail of these two verses. When one becomes a Christian he/she is given Spiritual Gifts (see the discussion of spiritual gifts in 1st Cor. 12, Rom. 12, and Eph. 4) so that Christians individually and collectively (in the Church) can reach out and minister to other believers and to witness to the lost. And as we read in the passage from Hebrews above, these Spirit-driven, Spirit-given functions are most effectively carried out from a unified body of believers.
As individual Christians, endowed by God’s Spirit with at least one spiritual gift (and maybe more than one), each of us can use those gifts individually for God’s glory (above see 1st Cor. 12: 7). But there are times when my spiritual gift of teaching does not match the needs of a person who might best be served by someone with the gift of mercy. It’s not that I can’t be merciful; but those who have the gift of mercy could more easily and more effectively come along side me from the Body of Christ to provide the mercy needed by a needy one if that one were being served by God’s Spirit through His Church. All of God’s gifts, as provided by God’s Spirit, are evident and available in God’s Church. Hence, when the Body of Christ is working in unity, all of the needs of His Body can be met by His Body when the Church is functioning as indicated in Heb. 10: 23 – 25.
Everyday, through my home church, I see people being helped, encouraged, directed, and/or ministered to by the brothers/sisters in Christ with gifts that perfectly match the circumstances and/or needs of those in need. Sometimes I can use my spiritual gifts of teaching or encouragement; …but then again, sometimes it takes the gifts of others to effectively be Christ in a given set of circumstances. But when the Body of Christ comes together for the Body of Christ, there is not a need that cannot be met in that Body. That’s God’s church doing God’s work, i.e., shining His Light, by the administration of His Spirit in His Name for the Father’s glory [see Matt. 5: 16].
I pray that you’re a vital part of a vital church, using your gifts, along side your brothers/sisters in Christ for God’s glory.
My Prayer Today: Use me, Lord, in Your Body. Amen
Hebrews 10: 23 – 25 … 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
My Journal for Today: One of the most important aspects of the ministry of the Holy Spirit is found in the dovetail of these two verses. When one becomes a Christian he/she is given Spiritual Gifts (see the discussion of spiritual gifts in 1st Cor. 12, Rom. 12, and Eph. 4) so that Christians individually and collectively (in the Church) can reach out and minister to other believers and to witness to the lost. And as we read in the passage from Hebrews above, these Spirit-driven, Spirit-given functions are most effectively carried out from a unified body of believers.
As individual Christians, endowed by God’s Spirit with at least one spiritual gift (and maybe more than one), each of us can use those gifts individually for God’s glory (above see 1st Cor. 12: 7). But there are times when my spiritual gift of teaching does not match the needs of a person who might best be served by someone with the gift of mercy. It’s not that I can’t be merciful; but those who have the gift of mercy could more easily and more effectively come along side me from the Body of Christ to provide the mercy needed by a needy one if that one were being served by God’s Spirit through His Church. All of God’s gifts, as provided by God’s Spirit, are evident and available in God’s Church. Hence, when the Body of Christ is working in unity, all of the needs of His Body can be met by His Body when the Church is functioning as indicated in Heb. 10: 23 – 25.
Everyday, through my home church, I see people being helped, encouraged, directed, and/or ministered to by the brothers/sisters in Christ with gifts that perfectly match the circumstances and/or needs of those in need. Sometimes I can use my spiritual gifts of teaching or encouragement; …but then again, sometimes it takes the gifts of others to effectively be Christ in a given set of circumstances. But when the Body of Christ comes together for the Body of Christ, there is not a need that cannot be met in that Body. That’s God’s church doing God’s work, i.e., shining His Light, by the administration of His Spirit in His Name for the Father’s glory [see Matt. 5: 16].
I pray that you’re a vital part of a vital church, using your gifts, along side your brothers/sisters in Christ for God’s glory.
My Prayer Today: Use me, Lord, in Your Body. Amen
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
July 27, 2011 … And Finally, Add Agape Love
Passage of the Day: 2nd Peter 1: 7b [NIV – see bold verse] … 5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.
My Journal for Today: This has been quite a series of devotionals in the last few days of my journaling from Peter’s exhortations in his second epistle (1st Chapter). He has built for us, as Christians, a house of love (“agape” – the highest form of love in the Greek language). This “agape” house has faith as its foundation with building beams, walls, and a roof of Christlike goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, and godliness. And Peter’s contention would be that such a home of Christian love will never be blown down by the storms of this world and the oppression of the enemy.
John MacArthur, from his Strength for Today devotional, gives us a scriptural building list which will be seen in Christians who have built their lives on “agape” in this way. He says that loving Christians …
-------------------
Edify one another (Gal. 6: 9-10)
Serve one another (Gal. 5: 13)
Bear one another’s burdens (Gal. 6: 2)
Submit to one another (Eph. 5: 21)
Forgive one another (Col. 3: 13)
Instruct one another (Col. 3: 16)
Comfort one another (1st Thes. 4: 18)
Rebuke one another lovingly (Titus 1: 3)
Are hospitable to one another (1st Pet. 4: 9 – 10)
Confess to and pray for one another (James 5: 16)
And encourage one another in the body of Christ (Heb. 10: 24 – 25)
{Each verse linked for your meditation}
--------------------
So, I think you’d agree with me (and MacArthur) that when you see all of these character qualities and patterns being lived out in the life of one who claims to be a Christian, you would expect that one to exude “agape” and shine God’s light for others to see. In doing so, he/she would most certainly glorify God (see Matt. 5: 16). And I would add to Christ’s words in that verse, since we’ve been focusing on the assurance of our salvation, that such a person would likely also exude confidence in their salvation. Now it’s time for anyone reading this, along with yours truly, to do a personal inventory, meditating on the verses listed above and see where we stand in our witness of faith as a Christian.
My Prayer Today: I praise You, Lord, for living in me and loving through me! Amen
My Journal for Today: This has been quite a series of devotionals in the last few days of my journaling from Peter’s exhortations in his second epistle (1st Chapter). He has built for us, as Christians, a house of love (“agape” – the highest form of love in the Greek language). This “agape” house has faith as its foundation with building beams, walls, and a roof of Christlike goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, and godliness. And Peter’s contention would be that such a home of Christian love will never be blown down by the storms of this world and the oppression of the enemy.
John MacArthur, from his Strength for Today devotional, gives us a scriptural building list which will be seen in Christians who have built their lives on “agape” in this way. He says that loving Christians …
-------------------
Edify one another (Gal. 6: 9-10)
Serve one another (Gal. 5: 13)
Bear one another’s burdens (Gal. 6: 2)
Submit to one another (Eph. 5: 21)
Forgive one another (Col. 3: 13)
Instruct one another (Col. 3: 16)
Comfort one another (1st Thes. 4: 18)
Rebuke one another lovingly (Titus 1: 3)
Are hospitable to one another (1st Pet. 4: 9 – 10)
Confess to and pray for one another (James 5: 16)
And encourage one another in the body of Christ (Heb. 10: 24 – 25)
{Each verse linked for your meditation}
--------------------
So, I think you’d agree with me (and MacArthur) that when you see all of these character qualities and patterns being lived out in the life of one who claims to be a Christian, you would expect that one to exude “agape” and shine God’s light for others to see. In doing so, he/she would most certainly glorify God (see Matt. 5: 16). And I would add to Christ’s words in that verse, since we’ve been focusing on the assurance of our salvation, that such a person would likely also exude confidence in their salvation. Now it’s time for anyone reading this, along with yours truly, to do a personal inventory, meditating on the verses listed above and see where we stand in our witness of faith as a Christian.
My Prayer Today: I praise You, Lord, for living in me and loving through me! Amen
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