This is the 168th letter:
Text for the day: John 17:20-21
Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
Our Series: “HE GAVE GIFTS TO HELP US” Part 2
Our Theme for the day: “Unity and Diversity in the Body of Church”
Our Devotional
We begin part two of this series of “He Gave Gifts to Help Us” by looking at 1 Corinthians 12: 13- 20. “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. For in fact the body is not one member but many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. And if they were all one member, where would the body be? But now indeed there are many members, yet one body.” (New King James Version)
A professor of a University once told the story of his regular visits to Sierra Leone, to speak at a Bible college. Now a short distance from the college, there was a street, with shops, houses and one church. As he passed by the Church, with it’s typically colorful highly embellished style, was written over the Church door ‘The True Church’. A year or so later, the Professor returned to the college, and walking down the same street, and noticed there were now two churches. ‘The first Church and a little further down the road, another Church. The guide told him that the pastor of the second Church was the son of the pastor of the first Church’. Above the door of the second church was a sign which read, “The One, True Church’. Years passed and the Professor returned to the college.
This time walking down the same street, there was ‘The True Church’, a little further on ‘The One True Church’ and now to his surprise; there was another church a little further down the same road. This third church the guide told him is under the leadership of the son of the second church, who is the grandson of the pastor of the first Church. Over the door of this Church were, the words ‘The One and Only True Church’. These churches on that street could sum up the history of the Church through the ages, once a family, but now divided, once one, but now disunited. According to our text today, Paul massage to the people of Corinth and our day is the same, although we are many members; don’t forget we are one body.
As servants of the Most High God, we need to learn how to unite together in a harmonious effort, and stop pulling apart one another. Let us learn how to work together as one today, for this is the will of God.
It may seem to some that the contrast between their gifts and the gifts of a fellow laborer is too great to allow them to unite in harmonious effort; but when they remember that there are varied minds to be reached, and that some will reject the truth as it is presented by one laborer, only to open their hearts to God's truth as it is presented in a different manner by another laborer, they will hopefully endeavor to labor together in unity. Remember the talents, however diverse, may all be under the control of the same Spirit. In every word and act, kindness and love will be revealed; and as each worker fills his appointed place faithfully, the prayer of Christ for the unity of His followers as found in John 17:20-21 will be answered, and the world will know that these are His disciples. In loving sympathy and confidence God's workers are to unite with one another, not work against each other to see who is the greatest. He who says or does anything that tends to separate the members of Christ's church is counterworking the Lord's purpose. May we ask the Lord to make us and our fellow brothers and sisters team players in the closing days of this great controversy.
Join us next time for another ray of sunshine from Garden Ministry.
Our Prayer for today:
Lord help us your people to see the value of build up your kingdom
through the gifts of you’re called out servants..
Prayer Request
Bermuda:
Thank you for your calls and e-mail during this time
In my life. Blessing Elder Kevin Santucci
A person who loves the Bible, will also love to pray, and a person who loves to pray will
delight themselves in the Bible.
Share your prayer needs with our
network of intercessors.
We are into our 56th week since starting Garden Ministry;
it is growing with new people asking to subscribe to it each day.
If you are gaining spiritual muscle mass,
and strength through Garden Ministry, and would like to help
some-one else gain Spiritual muscle mass and strength also.
Then send Garden Ministry your Testimony at,
http://gardenministry.blogspot.com/ . Garden Ministry would love to
share your Testimony with our faithful viewers and readers.
So ask yourselves, which letter or message from Garden Ministry helped
you to hold on to your faith, or helped someone else hold on to theirs?
Remember, you’re the only Jesus some will ever see.
If you are blessed by these “uplifting gems”, share them.
These letters are written by Elder Kevin Santucci
For further information, comment or requests, E-mail Garden Ministry:
http://gardenministry.blogspot.com/
Garden Ministry would love to thank you today for your prayers and continual
faithfulness of sharing these letters with others like your self. Thank you for
your insightful comments to Garden Ministry. If you love to leave a comment,
go to our website at http://gardenministry.blogspot.com/ and then comment,
follow the directions and then you will be finished. Truly I am encouraged how
little can become much when you place it in the master’s hand. To all our
faithful readers on behalf of the Garden Ministry team, we wish you Gods
riches Blessings.
0 comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for leaving your comment. We really appreciate it!
To avoid spam, your comment will not be posted until it has been reviewed.
Thanks for your patience.