So in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to
all the others. - Romans 12:5
In the post “Communication for the Lord’s Work”, brought
out is the idea of each member of the church being connected and the importance
of having those behind the scenes making a ministry work.
There is no better time to put
this idea to work with the latest technology that allows us to study God’s Word
and share thoughts. We can worship from any place or anytime with songs like
this one: How Great is Our God by Chris
Tomlin.
In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must
help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said,
'It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ - Acts 20:35
Generosity is the best way to
find joy and meaning. Paul gave his time to proclaim the gospel of Christ.
Jesus gave everything; even His life. Receive inspiration from today’s song When Love Sees You by Mac Powell.
His word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was
weary of holding it back, and I could not. - Jeremiah 20:9
We face difficulties and tensions
in life but that’s when the Holy Spirit fills us up on the inside so we can
handle the pressure. God can provide a passion inside like a burning fire to
get us going and do amazing things for His glory. As explained in the post
“Power to Build an Amazing Day”, scriptures encourage, difficulties teach us
endurance, and hope overflows.
God can take these pressures we
face and turn them into something amazing. Diamonds are formed from small dust
like minerals that are exposed to high temperature and pressure at depths of
over 100 miles below the Earth’s surface. This occurs over a long period of
time. In a similar way that God’s Creation forms a very valuable diamond out of
dust, He can also forms diamonds out of us.
Receive inspiration from today’s
song Diamonds by Hawk Nelsonand get started on building an amazing day.
We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will
not be discredited. – 2 Corinthians 6:3
The post “Accepting Others and Working Together”
brought out the thought that we are bound together by the peace and joy of the
Holy Spirit. The idea is to have an attitude of kindness by focusing on the big
issues that bring us together rather than the small things that divide us.
What we make happen for others
will be given back to us so when we give a smile, a smile will be given back.
When we act kind, we receive kindness from others. Be inspired by today’s song Humble and Kind by Tim McGraw and have
a day filled with peace and joy.
Why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your
brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. - Romans
14:10
Getting along with each other is
one of the toughest things. Every person thinks a little differently and has
their own way of going forward but as in the post “One Common Thread that Binds”, we gain
victory by being one in Christ
Christ is the one common thread
that binds us. Be inspired by today’s song Losing by Tenth Avenue North and
remember that it is the power of Christ that unifies us in what we believe,
what we do, and how we live.
So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for
this sums up the Law and the Prophets. – Matthew 7:12
In the post “Loving Our
Neighbor”, some ideas were discussed and the thought came out that if these
ideas were applied in each person’s life, there would be no need for laws
because no commandment would ever be broken.
For most of us the concept is
easily understood but the application of it is extremely difficult. The key is
to use the lessons from the Bible and follow the “Golden Rule” by letting love
from the Father overflow from our heart to those we meet.*
Show me Your ways, Lord, teach me Your paths. Guide me in Your truth
and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long. - Psalm
25:4-5
Written about in the post “Obligations and Duties” are some thoughts
about conforming to the authority of those in leadership positions. Many of the
ideas written in the U. S. constitution came from the principles found in the
Bible and are an extension of God’s authority in a free society.
Players on sports teams have
certain duties and obligations to their coach. A quarterback runs the play the
coach wants even when pride tells them to run their own team. They must face up
to the issue of obedience and accept that a coach high above in the press box
can see things the quarterback does not see and has detailed information that
the quarterback cannot possibly have access to at that moment in time. Instead,
the quarterback is obedient and works together as a team to bring victory.
It’s not that much different in
our Christian faith. Just as brought out in the song Solid As The Rock by Avalon, our
Christian faith is built on a firm foundation with a game plan that can guide
the way to a victorious finish in life.
For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that
has overcome the world, even our faith. - 1 John 5:4
Brought out in the post Overcome Evil with Good, were some main
ideas expressed and emphasized within Romans
12:9-21. Imagine a society that obeyed these ideas. There would be much
less crime, greater health, and much more productivity in the economy.
The game plan to obeying these
ideas is to overcome evil with good by being faithful in prayer, being joyful
in hope, and devoted to one another in brotherly love. If wronged, understand
that God will take care of the injustice.
The key then is to focus on
being on God’s side. My pastor Steve Ramsdell brought out in a sermon one time
that our plans do not always work out but God’s plan for usalways brings victoryin life.
So this day with God, let Him in
your life and allow for His power to bring hope to your future. Many of us hate
losing. We may watch our favorite sports team and at some point they lose. We
can be down for several days but with God, we never lose. There is always
victory.
Just as brought out in the song My Victory by Crowder, we gain victory
through Jesus Christ. His death on the cross was hell’s defeat. A cross meant
to kill became the secret weapon to victory.
So in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to
all the others – Romans 12:5
As explained in the post “Finding My Place in this World”, Paul’s
appeal in Romans
12:1-8 relates to the status we have in Christ. As Christians, we are a
diverse group forming one body.
To show today that we are a
member of the body of Christ and to one another, let us use our individual God
given strengths to fulfill His purposes.
