We Are All Part of the Body, the Church

We are all a part of  the body that makes up the Church. I was inspired to write this blog today after a story that my wife told me today about her jail ministry. No matter how little of an impact we may think we make each of us, as proclaimed Christians, has a part to do in forming the body of Christ. It doesn't even matter what "denomination" we may describe our selves as! In the few verses below you will see that your "denomination" and how big or small your roll is, doesn't matter at all!

These first few verses show us that it doesn't matter what kind of "rules" or "laws" within our "denominations" that any of us follow as believers, we are still all God's children!

1Co 3:4-9 (GNB)  When one of you says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos"---aren't you acting like worldly people?  (5)  After all, who is Apollos? And who is Paul? We are simply God's servants, by whom you were led to believe. Each one of us does the work which the Lord gave him to do:  (6)  I planted the seed, Apollos watered the plant, but it was God who made the plant grow.  (7)  The one who plants and the one who waters really do not matter. It is God who matters, because he makes the plant grow.  (8)  There is no difference between the one who plants and the one who waters; God will reward each one according to the work each has done.  (9)  For we are partners working together for God, and you are God's field. You are also God's building.

Now these last verses show us that no matter how minute the task may be, everything that we do to expand God's kingdom is superior to doing nothing. They also show us that all who believe in Christ and His kingdom are part of the Body, the Church.

Rom 12:1-13 (GNB)  So then, my friends, because of God's great mercy to us I appeal to you: Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to him. This is the true worship that you should offer.  (2)  Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God---what is good and is pleasing to him and is perfect.  (3)  And because of God's gracious gift to me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you should. Instead, be modest in your thinking, and judge yourself according to the amount of faith that God has given you.  (4)  We have many parts in the one body, and all these parts have different functions.  (5)  In the same way, though we are many, we are one body in union with Christ, and we are all joined to each other as different parts of one body.  (6)  So we are to use our different gifts in accordance with the grace that God has given us. If our gift is to speak God's message, we should do it according to the faith that we have;  (7)  if it is to serve, we should serve; if it is to teach, we should teach;  (8)  if it is to encourage others, we should do so. Whoever shares with others should do it generously; whoever has authority should work hard; whoever shows kindness to others should do it cheerfully.  (9)  Love must be completely sincere. Hate what is evil, hold on to what is good.  (10)  Love one another warmly as Christians, and be eager to show respect for one another.  (11)  Work hard and do not be lazy. Serve the Lord with a heart full of devotion.  (12)  Let your hope keep you joyful, be patient in your troubles, and pray at all times.  (13)  Share your belongings with your needy fellow Christians, and open your homes to strangers.

So I leave you with this, we all as Christians need to put our differences and discrepancies aside and come together as one body to gather the lost sheep and bring a massive harvest to our Great Savior's home! God Bless!!

Alone Time.

Alone time, or quiet time, whatever you may refer to it as, is what we need to do to grow in spiritual maturity and in our personal relationships with God! The major thing that we need to be doing during this time is talking to our Savior Jesus and to Abba, PaPa, Father. It doesn't  matter how we go about this, even if it is as simple as sitting alone and having a conversation with God that is as casual as you would have with your youngest child, for scripture says we are to become like children.

Mat 18:2-3 (GNB)  So Jesus called a child to come and stand in front of them,  (3)  and said, "I assure you that unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the Kingdom of heaven.

We know that we need to have this alone time with our PaPa, because His Son, Jesus did this, and we are to, as scripture says, conform to the image of Christ!

Rom 8:29 (LITV)  because whom He foreknew, He also predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son, for Him to be the First-born among many brothers.

Mar 1:35 (GW)  In the morning, long before sunrise, Jesus went to a place where he could be alone to pray.

Luk 18:1 (GNB)  Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to teach them that they should always pray and never become discouraged.

So we need to have this alone time and talk to God. I've been encouraged by my most favorite Pastors that the easiest and best way to grow in my spiritual maturity and for an intimate relationship with the Father, I should be praying and reading the word during my alone time.

When you are talking to God, ask questions and ponder thoughts to Him that you have. When you are doing this, guess what, you are praying! Also take this alone time to engage in a powerful relationship with Him, the Word! For reading His Word, the Bible, is literally engaging yourself with the Lord like He is sitting right in our very laps!! Isn't that just an amazing image, God sitting in our laps!!

Now don't let me fool you. I'm sure you are thinking that I must have an awesome alone time when I am able to have time to post on this blog. Well in all actuality, I struggle with being obedient in finding alone time. I don't like to read, so that discourages my time in the Word. My prayer life is growing but could be a whole lot better.

So if you find yourself overwhelmed with the thought of making and having alone time, just remember become like a child and have fun with it! Just start by having that casual conversation. As for reading the Word, become like a child and start with memorizing some verses, like you did for vacation bible school! God Bless!!

Fear Not Little Ones.

The following few verses are from John chapter 16. This chapter is where Jesus is explaining to His disciples when He will be going home to His Father. I am including the first two verses just so we can see in the last verse some of the things that Jesus has told His disciples. So take in these verses and I shall explain more following them.

John 16:20 (ISV)  Truly, truly I tell you, you will cry and mourn, but the world will rejoice. You will be deeply distressed, but your pain will turn into joy.

John 16:27 (ISV)  For the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.

John 16:33 (ISV)  I have told you this so that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have trouble, but be courageous-I have overcome the world!"

So as I stated my main focus is on this last verse, John 16:33. Here, I go to the title of the blog, Fear Not Little Ones. Jesus is telling His disciples, in a nut shell, that though He may not be with them any longer that they have nothing to fear because Jesus has taken on the world and joyously overcome the world. Thusly the disciples can go out into the world and profess the Kingdom of God and do so without fear or hesitancy.

Now let's relate this to our lives. We can see this as Jesus telling us not to fear for He has overcome the sin of this world and we can then be forgiven from our sins and not fear the wrath of the Lord on judgement day. Once we have come to an understanding that we are forgiven of our sins due to Jesus' overcoming of the world, we can go out, just as the disciples did, and walk in the word to disciple to the broken world that we live in. We can do this and rely on the fact that no matter what this world throws at us, such a death, sickness, etc., we need not fear for Jesus, our God, has overcome all the world can throw!! God Bless!!