The body of Christ is the entire family of God on earth today. Every living soul, around the world, who is a born-again believer in Christ is a member of His body. Christ is the Head of this body, and the rest of us, as Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 12, are fingers, arms, knees, toes, or even tiny organs that are rarely seen. However, instead of being content to be the parts God has designed us to be, we invite inferiority to creep in as we compare ourselves to each other.
14 The human body has many parts.15 The foot might say, "Because I am not a hand, I am not part of the body." But saying this would not stop the foot from being a part of the body.16 The ear might say, "Because I am not an eye, I am not part of the body." But saying this would not stop the ear from being a part of the body.17 If the whole body were an eye, it would not be able to hear. If the whole body were an ear, it would not be able to smell.
When the eye wants to become an ear, when the foot decides that what it really want to be is a nose, when the thumb wants to become an elbow; we put more value on who we think we should be and less on who God wants us to be, and the body cannot function. But in verses 18-25, God tells us that He has placed each of us where He wants us--that all the parts of the body seen or unseen, are essential and share an equal value.
18-19 If each part of the body were the same part, there would be no body. But truly God put all the parts, each one of them, in the body as he wanted them.20 So then there are many parts, but only one body.
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the foot, "I don't need you!"22 No! Those parts of the body that seem to be the weaker are really necessary.23 And the parts of the body we think are less deserving are the parts to which we give the most honor. We give special respect to the parts we want to hide.24 The more respectable parts of our body need no special care. But God put the body together and gave more honor to the parts that need it 25 so our body would not be divided. God wanted the different parts to care the same for each other. by Charles Swindoll
Because of our relationship with the Son of God, we can know feelings of worth.
John 1:12-13
12 But to all who did accept him and believe in him he gave the right to become children of God.13 They did not become his children in any human way—by any human parents or human desire. They were born of God.
John 10:27-30
27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.28 I give them eternal life, and they will never die, and no one can steal them out of my hand.29 My Father gave my sheep to me. He is greater than all, and no person can steal my sheep out of my Father's hand. 30 The Father and I are one."
Romans 5:6-8
6 When we were unable to help ourselves, at the right time, Christ died for us, although we were living against God. 7 Very few people will die to save the life of someone else. Although perhaps for a good person someone might possibly die.8 But God shows his great love for us in this way: Christ died for us while we were still sinners.
Romans 8:35-39
35 Can anything separate us from the love Christ has for us? Can troubles or problems or sufferings or hunger or nakedness or danger or violent death? 36 As it is written in the Scriptures:
"For you we are in danger of death all the time.
People think we are worth no more than sheep to be killed." Ps 44:22
37 But in all these things we are completely victorious through God who showed his love for us. 38 Yes, I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor ruling spirits, nothing now, nothing in the future, no powers,39 nothing above us, nothing below us, nor anything else in the whole world will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
FRIENDS:
Father, we have learned that in the world we must show ourselves lovable in order to be loved and when we fail to do this, we discover that we are cut off. How amazing and incredible that your love is not like this. I love the simple truth that your love for me does not in any way depend on my worthiness of it. Your love restores, redeems and remakes us and we thank you for that love. In Jesus' name, Amen
DAILY BIBLE CHALLENGE
May 23
Mark 15:33-41; Galatians 5:1-12; Psalms 116; 2 Samuel 20-21
May 24
Mark15:42-47; Galatians 5:13-26; Psalms 117; 2 Samuel 22
May 25
Mark 16; Galatians 6; Psalms 118; 2 Samuel 23-24
And that is the end of the readings for the month of May.
10 Things To Be Thankful For
1. A bad situation that turns out better
2. A Grandchild's graduation from High School
3. Cherry season
4. Having your spirit fortified
5. Friendship
6. The noon bell in a small town
7. Simple great truths
8. Sharing plates in a restaurant
9. Roads that lead to the ocean
10. Celebrating the differences in a friendship
FOOD:
Starbucks Lemon Loaf
1-1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. softened butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. lemon extract
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Lemon Icing
1 cup plus 1 Tbsp. powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. milk
1/2 tsp. lemon extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
In a separate bowl, blend eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla, lemon extract and lemon juice with an electric mixer.
Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix until smooth.
Pour into a well-greased 9 x 5 loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes.
When loaf is cool, remove from pan and ice with icing.
Slice into 1" slices.
Makes 1 loaf
FUN:
1 comment:
Oh how I love the body of Christ! These are my people and family and it so good for the brethren to dwell together and sing praises to our God. Even the ordinary and outcast can make the cut to follow Jesus...
As followers of Jesus who love Him from the heart.
We may be ordinary, but we've been set apart.
That was our friend CC's favorite scripture about never being able to be separated from the love of Christ. People may let us down and dissapoint us but Jesus never does.
Kathy
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