Romans 12:3-8 Many Members; One Body

Romans 12:3-8 NIV
Many members; one Body... When I speak to stewardship, I often refer to this concept of Paul's regarding there being many members of the Body in Christ. Each member has gifts given to them by God to serve God and to edify the whole Body. As Christ served humbly, so we are to use our gifts to serve humbly; acknowledging that without the combined gifts of others, our gifts would come to naught. When one member considers their gifts to be greater than another's (due to inflated ego; rather, than service in humility) and starts micro-managing, controlling the gifts of others, lording over others; then I usually get to see division among the members. The Body must serve in unison so that God might be glorified.

May God grant help us to serve with humility, even as Jesus humbled himself in order to save humanity.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Joel 2 - Straight Ahead; Never Swerving

The words of Joel paint a pretty graphic picture of the day of the LORD. On that day every one who lives in the land will tremble, as they ought to be now in preparation for it.

I find the picture of the army advancing all in a straight line is particularly intriguing.
"They all march in line,
    not swerving from their course.
They do not jostle each other;
    each marches straight ahead.
They plunge through defenses
    without breaking ranks." (Joel 2:7b-8 NIV)
I can only begin to imagine what it would be like if we, all who profess Jesus the Christ, could advance straight ahead, doing the LORD's will. Can you imagine? Never swerving from the path... Working in unison?

May God help us to be so faithful.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Ezekiel 10 - In God's Glory

"Then the glory of the Lord departed from over the threshold of the temple and stopped above the cherubim." (Ezekiel 10:18 NIV)

Ezekiel describes the movement of God's glory to the outside of the temple. This movement occurs in concert with the cherubim, the four living creatures, of Ezekiel's visions. These cherubim were amazing creatures. "Each of the cherubim had four faces: One face was that of a cherub, the second the face of a human being, the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle." (Ezekiel 10:15) Four faces, wheels whirring in multitudes of directions beneath the; yet, amazingly, they all move in one direction. They all move in the same direction at the same time. They do not deviate from the course. They leave the temple with the glory of God in unison - together.

They leave the temple in order for the man clothed in linen that sits above them can scatter burning coals over the city. "The Lord said to the man clothed in linen, “Go in among the wheels beneath the cherubim. Fill your hands with burning coals from among the cherubim and scatter them over the city.” And as I watched, he went in." (Ezekiel 10:2)

He went in among the wheels and one of the cherubim handed him the fire. They worked in unison, they went straight ahead, all with one mission, according to God's will, in the glory of God.

May it be so for the church on earth, that whatever God wills for His people, it is done, for His glory.

God's Peace - Pr. J