April 23, 2022 … Serving As One in Christ

Berry Patch Devotions in 2021 - Day 113 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to take in song and lyrics from Mike Donehey singing  … Unity Hymn … poignantly singing.of how we, as individual’s surrendered to Christ as Lord and Savior should come TOGETHER to serve Him - and one another - in the unity of His Spirit.  

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Highlight Passage [Context]: … Romans 14:19 [NLT] …  

19 So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up.  

… The Apostle Paul was focused on fellow Christians setting aside their (our) differences and coming together to lift one another up in Christian unity.                    

Highlight Passage [Context]: … Romans 14:13-23 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Paul, inspired by God’s Spirit, exhorts fellow Christians to exercise the power found in Christian unity.                                                                        

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

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

… King David recognized and sang of believers coming together to live in harmony with one another.   

Reference Passage: … John 17:21 [NLT] … 

21 I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.    </i>

… Jesus prayed that all who love and follow Him as disciples would live together in unity just as the Holy Trinity lives in unity.   

Reference Passage: … 1Corinthians 1:10, 12:12 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

…Paul pleads with fellow Christians to come together in unity aa the body of Christ.                   

Reference Passage: … Philippians 2:3-5 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

…Paul also pleaded with fellow Christians to come together by taking on the attitude of Christ to look out for the interests of others and go beyond our own individual desires.                                                                        

My Devotional Journal: Today's Our Daily Bread author, Kirsten Holmberg … AT THIS LINK … wrote about a friend who was asked by a fellow Christian what political party to which she was affiliated; … to which the friend responded, promoting Christians unity, …“Since we’re both believers, I’d rather focus on our unity in Christ.”

And the ODB Author’s friend obviously grasped the importance of the Scriptures above where the Apostle Paul, in the New Testament, repeatedly (see Pauline passages above) urged - and even begged - fellow Christians to take on the attitude or Christ and look beyond their own, individual, desires to come together as the Body of Christ to help one another and lift each other up. 

So the ODB entry today asks us to come together in harmony (see photo) and do what we can - even today - to live as Jesus prayed (and still is praying - see John 17:21) for His disciples [and that’s us today as well] … to reach out in the unity of HIs Spirit to help one another.  And that’s what I’m going to try my best to do today.  How about you?                

My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, … for Your call thru Your word to be - or become - one in Christ today.  .          

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray that all reading here will join me, …  to surrender in harmony to serve You, Lord, 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 u can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.