Tag: brothers and sisters in Christ

Gifts for the Body

I Corinthians 12:7  “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:” (NKJV)

1 Corinthians 12-14

Devotion by Merry Peterson (Canada)

Did you know you are a gift to everyone?  We are all given certain gifts for the common good of all believers.  God by His Spirit enables us to do different things but it is for a purpose – to benefit those whom we are in Christian fellowship with. As Paul was writing to the church body in Corinth he was letting them know that they all had various spiritual gifts.  They were the emerging church at the time, still getting established in the ideas and practices of the Christian faith.  Paul was reminding them of their individual gifts and that those gifts were to be used for the common good, edifying their brothers and sisters in Christ.

 Do you have a certain gift that God has given you?  I have a friend who has a God given gift of artistic ability. She blesses and encourages others with her drawings of Bible scriptures surrounded by scenes from nature.  I find encouragement each time I see one of her illustrations.  Sure, I can draw a stick figure – but I can’t meticulously draw the intricate details of a flower or butterfly that inspires the soul like she can – that is her God-given gift. 

Each one of us has a different gift and we are to use it to benefit our brothers and sisters in Christ.  Some people are empowered with prayer abilities, others give good Godly advice, others are good at teaching.  Some have the gift of evangelism or hospitality, and some are just plain the most helpful people you know.  These are all gifts that are given to us by God’s Spirit and they are all different.  My abilities are different than my friend’s abilities.  God doesn’t skip any one of us in the giving of these gifts – he wants us to use our specific gift for the benefit of everyone.  No one can say that one gift is better than another because all of these gifts were meant to be used together to make a complete picture for how a body of believers should function together building each other up.  Just imagine if your Christian fellowship group didn’t have anyone with a musical gift – the worship service might sound terrible!  We need each person to exercise their spiritual gift so that we all can be enriched and God can be glorified. 

For Reflection:

  1. What gifts has God given you to help enrich the lives of those you are in fellowship with? 
  2. How have you been enriched by the gifts of others recently?         
  3. Have you thanked God for your gifts and the gifts of others?

Merry Peterson pastors the Freedom In Christ Church in Welland, Ontario, Canada.  She has enjoyed being in pastoral ministry for many years and has worked on the side in education in both public and private sectors in various capacities.

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Equal

Old Testament: Job 38-39

Poetry: Psalm 47

*New Testament: Philemon 1


Lots of times it feels like people are just trying to find something that makes them better than others, whether it is the color of their skin, their ethnicity, their gender, etc.  You can always find someone who is trying to prove how much better they are.  They may be trying to use it as a reason for being better at their job, having better opportunities, or anything else.  But, these differences don’t matter, if you are in Christ.


Philemon 15-16 says, “For perhaps he was for this reason separated from you for a while, that you would have him back forever, no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.”  Onesimus was Philemon’s slave.  Philemon could have easily held it over Onesimus as a reason why he was better than him.  But, Paul tells Philemon that he should receive Onesimus not as a slave, but as a brother.  Paul is saying that there is no reason for Philemon to try to prove he is better than Onesimus, anymore.  They should now be equals, as brothers in the family of God.


Galatians 3:26-29 says, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.”  This doesn’t just apply to Philemon’s and Onesimus’ case; it applies to all of us.  Once we are baptized into Christ, there is no one better than another.  We are all part of the family of God and so are equal.


1 Corinthians 12:21-25 says, “And the eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you; or again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.’ On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; and those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable, whereas our more presentable members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.”  Now that we are in Christ, we cannot be arguing over who is better or more needed.  We are all equals and necessary to do God’s work.  As equals, then, work to raise each other up so that others will not feel lesser and will instead feel equal, putting them before yourself.

-Kaitlyn Hamilton

Reflection Questions

  1. Are you a part of the body of Christ? If so, how does that affect how you view yourself and others?
  2. Is there any part of the body that you have been viewing incorrectly – as “less than” yourself?
  3. This week, how can you demonstrate care for others in the body of Christ?
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This Only Do I Seek

Old Testament Reading: Genesis 49 & 50

Psalms Reading: Psalm 27

New Testament Reading: Matthew 26

(Sorry, if you didn’t receive this earlier today – it seems to have appeared on wordpress and facebook this morning, but not to the email list…Or, sorry if you DID receive it earlier this morning and this is now a repeat.)

If you could have anything in the world, what would it be?


For some of you, the answer might be a trip to a neat destination (Ireland seems pretty awesome). For others, it might be to finally marry that person of your dreams. Maybe you would ask to have children one day, or for your current children to have successful lives. If you’re in some financial difficulty, like so many are, maybe you’d wish to just be debt-free. None of those things are bad of course! However, they aren’t the most important thing; and thankfully, you don’t need to have a magic genie in a bottle to acquire the most important thing. It is readily available to each and every believer right now.


In Psalm 27, the author (likely not David due to his references to the Temple) states that the only desire he is seeking after is to be in the presence of YHWH in His holy temple. For the author, God’s presence was the most precious gift one could ask for; it surpassed all the greatness to be found on earth. For in God’s presence, one can finally be at rest and peace (see Psalm 23), and receive the forgiveness of sins that all of us long for (see Psalm 25). Being in God’s presence is everything; and thankfully, it is readily available to us.


In the New Testament, Jesus says that “wherever two or three are gathered in my name, I am there in their midst” (Matthew 18:20), and wherever Jesus is found, God’s presence is found, too (see John 1:14; 14:9). If you truly want to experience God’s presence today, the greatest gift that you could ever experience in this life, it is available with other believers. When we gather together to worship, to serve, or even to eat a meal, the presence of God is there. We feel closest to God when we are surrounded by our brothers and sisters in the faith, gathering together in Jesus’ name. And while you can pray to God in private by yourself, you will never experience His powerful glory if you remain alone; we need to prioritize time together as believers (Hebrews 10:25). We were not designed to be alone (Genesis 2:18), but to enjoy fellowship with each other.

Brothers and sisters, come and join with your fellow Christians today and this week. There is no greater gift on earth than what you can experience there.

-Talon Paul

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

  1. What verse from Psalm 27 would be a good one to have on your refrigerator and in your heart this week? Make it so.
  2. What are the benefits of being together with your Christian brothers and sisters? List as many as you can. In what ways can you make more opportunities and time to do this more and more?
  3. What do you learn of God in your reading today?
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Living for Christ and Each Other

Acts 4

April 22

After the events of the day of Pentecost, the healing of the lame man, and the great response of multitudes in Jerusalem, the church faced life in the world of that day. A world of darkness, and difficulty. And yet met it with a flowing out of the life of Jesus Christ. This is ideal Christianity, true, genuine Christianity. Unfortunately, there is also a counterfeit Christianity. It came in shortly after this in the early church, and evidence of it will be seen throughout the book of Acts. Wherever the true church has gone throughout the world, counterfeit Christianity has gone right along with it. How can you tell true Christianity from counterfeit?

Counterfeit Christianity can be recognized externally as a kind of religious club where people, largely of the same social status or class, and bound together by a mutual interest in some religious project or program, meet to advance that particular cause. That is part of Christianity and let’s face it every group that gets together. But that is a far cry from all that true Christianity is. True fellowship consists of individuals who share the same divine life, who are made up of all ages, backgrounds, classes, and status-levels of society, and who, when meeting together, regard themselves as what they really are, brothers and sisters in one family. With that mutual background of love and fellowship they manifest the life of Jesus Christ.

That is what we have here. The key idea is community, commonness, everything in common. They were of one heart and mind. Here were people who, by the Holy Spirit, had been united into one life. They were of one heart. At the very deepest level of their lives they belonged to each other, and that is only possible by means of the Holy Spirit. They did not need to have met someone before to recognize that if he or she is a believer they belong to each other, they are of the same family and they always have the most important thing in common. This was true of these people.

Not only did they have it, but it also manifested itself in the fact that everyone had a new attitude toward the material life. This is not a forced distribution of goods. It is not an attempt to make everyone give up their material things and redistribute them to others. No, it is a change of attitude, saying, nothing that I possess is mine, but everything that I possess is God’s, and therefore it is available to anyone who needs it. So here were these early Christians, one in heart and mind and body, united together. That is the church as it ought to be.

-Andy Cisneros

Questions for Reflection and Discussion

  1. Don’t point the finger at others – but look at yourself. How authentic, true and genuine is your Christianity? Are there any areas where you slip into a counterfeit Christianity? What would the fix be?
  2. How will you practice unity of the church body this week? And next week?
  3. What do you “possess” that is God’s? (Hint: it should be a pretty long list – but go for it – no one word answers here.). How can you show that these belong to God and make them available to anyone in need?
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The Apostle Paul Refused to Mask Up!


1 Thessalonians 2

If you’ve not read Marcia’s devotion for yesterday, it would be good to give it a quick scan now.  She sets us up well for I & II Thessalonians.  By the way, thank you Marcia, for all the work you do with SeekGrowLove!  These readings and devotions are a great ministry!  It is amazing how often the Old and New Testament readings complement each other.  Isaiah did speak a great deal of judgment, but as always, God never wasted an opportunity to lay out hope for his people.  Isaiah also had much to say about the coming Messiah.  I appreciated Marcia’s suggestion that we note what Paul alludes to at the end of every chapter in I Thessalonians.  If I had known that before, I had forgotten.  


At any rate, let me note just a few highlights in I Thessalonians 2 . . .


Paul was literally driven to preach the gospel, the good news of the Kingdom of God and the Name of Jesus the Christ.  Neither opposition, nor disagreement, nor persecution could dissuade him.  He was a straight shooter, told it like it was.  He would have nothing to do with masking, hiding anything, or any impure motives (See V. 5).  He provided for his own needs, toiling at his own profession, rather than to be a burden in any way upon the church.  Actually, on another occasion he apologized for that very practice, realizing the church needed to understand and meet their responsibility to care for those who provided for their spiritual needs.  The context of the situation would evidently dictate what is right.  


Notice the tenderness of Paul’s love and concern for the brethren.  He was gentle with them, like a mother caring for her little children (V. 7).  Then in Vs. 11,12, he dealt with them as a father deals with his own children – encouraging, comforting, and urging them to live lives worthy of God who calls us into his kingdom and glory.  He was thankful for them, and proud of them as they served and obeyed.  Who are your spiritual mentors, men and women who have taught you, encouraged you, comforted you, and challenged you spiritually?  May we make them proud.  May we walk in their footsteps.  May we build on the foundation others have laid before us!  May we minister to others!  May we be true as we wait and watch for the coming of Jesus!    

-John Railton

Read or listen to today’s Bible reading plan passages at BibleGateway.com here – Isaiah 25-26 and 1 Thessalonians 2

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Strive for FULL Restoration

2 Corinthians 13

Today we are looking at 2 Corinthians 13 and Paul is writing to the people of Corinth, even though he has already visited them twice but still they are unable to perform the will of God and be faithful righteous believers. In verse 11 Paul writes “Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice!…” We see that even though the Corinthians have all of these issues in their lives he calls them “brothers and sisters” because he loves them so very much that they are family to him.

“Strive for full restoration.” Paul wants us to be the best version of ourselves. I was just recently baptized and I have been working on restoring my relationship with God. As Kyle McClain said this past week at General Conference everything takes time, and the longer we go without praying and reading our Bible the farther we stray from God. Love God and trust in him and he will guide you. And closing with verse 14 – “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”

God bless.

Thank you, 

Samuel Turner

This week we will get the pleasure of hearing from some new SeekGrowLove writers – and some not so new, too. Samuel is a high school student I enjoyed spending some time with at FUEL and General Conference. Thank you for writing, Samuel! Congratulations on your recent baptism! It will be fun watching God guide you as you continue seeking Him and striving for full restoration!

Today’s Bible reading passages can be read or listened to at BibleGateway here – 2 Corinthians 13 and Job 23-24

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Perfect Harmony

Psalm 132-138

psalm-133v1

Wednesday,  January 18

A conductor lifts her baton signifying music is only a breath or two away. Violins, violas, cellos, & basses simultaneously make a sound as their players move their bows side to side along each instruments’ strings.  Nothing is as pleasant as hearing the harmonious sound of an orchestra blending pitches, octaves, melodies, parts, becoming one unified thought and expression.  A euphonious sound appreciated by all in attendance: young, old, musically inclined, musically inept, and even those who would not admit they enjoy such things.

 

Unfortunately, the majority of my experience has been on the other side of this equation, having attended close to a dozen novice string concerts of first year players.  The conductor lifts her baton in the same manner,  but soon after comes a cacophony arising from the stage, sharply hitting my ear, and then a small chill goes up my spine.  The disunity and discord momentarily disconnect me; however,  I remain true to my reason for being there:  to support the ones I love, to offer encouragement, and provide helpful insight when the time comes.

How wonderful, how beautiful, when brothers and sisters get along! It’s like costly anointing oil flowing down head and beard, Flowing down Aaron’s beard, flowing down the collar of his priestly robes.  It’s like the dew on Mount Hermon,  flowing down the slopes of Zion. Yes, that’s where God commands the blessing, ordains eternal life. – Psalm 133, The Message

When harmony is mentioned in the Bible, it overwhelmingly speaks of our relationship with our brothers and sisters in Christ.  We are to love, value, encourage, and cherish each individual member. Every member has an ordained purpose.  Every member has a God-given spiritual gift.  Every member has been fearfully and wonderfully made to play their part in His song.  We may know this full and well, but it really only takes a handful of minutes on social media, conversation at a meal after a church service, or a decision made at a board meeting to reveal disunity that still exists in the body.  Our sinful nature wants us to have our way, obtain all power, and to defeat those who oppose us.  God wants us to know His way, utilize His power, and to fight our battles for us.

With a unified purpose in God, we are no longer made to COMPETE with one another, but we are made to COMPLETE one another.  We must never forget we share the same Heavenly Father who has purposefully brought us together (1 Cor 12:12-13).  We must always do our best to love, support, encourage, and train our brothers and sisters to fulfill their vital part in body and song (Romans 14:19).  We must find and repair the discord, and keep from creating more, so we are all on the same page (Matthew 18:15-17). An orchestra filled with musicians trying to be heard, competing sections, or playing different pieces simultaneously, is one that will not be listened to.   The joy and attraction of harmony lives in playing our part, lifting praise as one voice, one song, to our One God.

May our dependably steady and warmly personal God develop maturity in you so that you get along with each other as well as Jesus gets along with us all. Then we’ll be a choir—not our voices only, but our very lives singing in harmony in a stunning anthem to the God and Father of our Master Jesus! – Romans 15:3-6, The Message

-Aaron Winner

(photo credit: http://hiswordinpictures.blogspot.com/2015/03/psalm-1331.html)