We All Belong To Each Other
As I come to sit before You this evening, Father, open my heart and mind to Your Word. Enable me to see the treasures before me, maybe even some I’ve never seen before. Amen.
Romans 12:4-8 (<<click here to read the passage)
One thing that I’ve taken the initiative to start doing in latter years is speaking to those whom most people don’t even see. Many of them have important yet thankless jobs. We would be up a creek if they didn’t do what they did.
I’ve started thanking the important, behind-the-scenes people. On one of my last field trips, we went to the Ohio History Museum down in Columbus, I happened to notice a gentleman collecting trash from the bins in the eating area. I didn’t make a big deal about it, but I thanked him. The bus mechanics where I work do a great job. If my bus’s maintenance was in my hands, I would be in a whole heap of trouble! I try to regularly express my appreciation – they deserve it!
I share this because all parts of our society are important and we must not neglect the more menial contributors.
In these verses, the Apostle Paul speaks of the many parts of the body – referring to the body of the believers in Christ – encouraging each part to do their part to the fullest. We – every single one of us – have been given gifts – abilities, talents by God’s grace. They are not all upfront and bombastically “important” gifts as far as the world is concerned but they most definitely are in God’s eyes.
…we all belong to each other.
…if…prophesy, speak out…
If…serving others, serve them well.
If you are a teacher, teach well.
If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging.
If it is giving, give generously.
If…leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously.
…if a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.
That’s a pretty good cross-section and that is by no means all the gifts God gives us, but we must do our part because the Body needs us…God needs us.
In this Sunday’s sermon, I’m sharing the following illustration.
On October 26, 1967, Martin Luther King, Jr. speaking to students at Barratt Jr. High School in Philadelphia had this to say about street sweepers, “If it falls your lot to be a street sweeper, sweep streets like Michelangelo painted pictures, sweep streets like Beethoven composed music, sweep streets like Leontyne Price sings before the Metropolitan Opera. Sweep streets like Shakespeare wrote poetry. Sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will have to pause and say: Here lived a great street sweeper who swept his job well.”
Do your part. Do it well. All the hosts of heaven and earth are watching…and cheering us on!
Aug 3rd, 2023, Thurs, 7:39 pm
An Accurate Self-evaluation
Father, thank You for the mindset for a very productive day. I am grateful for the ability to work through the pieces and parts for our services and for the opportunity to speak with wonderful people!
Romans 12:3 (<<click here to read the passage)
I recently referred to Eugene Peterson as the one that came up with the paraphrase of the Bible that we know as The Message. I can’t even begin to comprehend the huge undertaking it was for him to accomplish that feat.
According to the NavPress website (its publisher), the Message is a reading Bible translated from the original Greek and Hebrew Scriptures by scholar, pastor, author, and poet Eugene Peterson. Thoroughly reviewed and approved by twenty biblical scholars, The Message combines the authority of God’s Word with the cadence and energy of conversational English.
I don’t use it a whole lot but after reading through the three translations I normally use in my writing (the New Living Translation – NLT, the Amplified Bible – AMP, and the New International Version – NIV), I felt the need to read another, and it just so happened that the last one I had referenced on the Bible Gateway website was The Message – MSG. And I found the last portion of Peterson’s paraphrase really spoke to me. It reads,
Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it’s important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him. (emphasis mine)
Everything, absolutely everything, begins and ends with God. He said Himself in Revelation 22:13,
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. NIV
(For those of you who aren’t aware, Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet and Omega is the last.)
The notes of my Life Application Study Bible, referring to Romans 12:3, state,
Evaluating yourself by the worldly standards of success and achievement can cause you to think too much about your worth in the eyes of others and thus miss your true value in God’s eyes.
God is the beginning and the end and everything in between and the only reason we have any value whatsoever, is because He places that value on us. The world’s evaluation is worthless. It is finite. The moment we take our final breath is the end of this earthly life. But with God, we are infinite.
Our identity is not found in what we own, what we do, or who we know… Our identity is found in Christ alone. That’s all that matters. That is the key to an honest and accurate self-evaluation of who we are. That is the basis of our self-worth.
Lord Jesus, help us understand. Amen.
Aug 2nd, 2023, Wed, 8:29 pm
Too Close To the Edge
Well, Father, there were a lot of unexpected things today. We would pray for Your watchcare over us and lay claim to Your generous provision. We are blessed!
Romans 12:2 (<<click here to read the passage)
One of the biggest hurdles in the world – and it’s not a new thing by any means – is the drive to get what everyone else seems to have. It starts with toys in children and in actuality progresses to bigger and more expensive toys in adulthood. Also, we have a very bad habit of falling right in line with the world, as well. For whatever reason, we have this overwhelming urge to be like the world, dress like the world, think like the world, and act like the world.
Right out of the gate, as the Apostle Paul tries to guide and direct us in the ways of Christ, he proclaims,
And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs]…
Now by no means can we say that all the things of the world are in and of themselves evil. But where the problem tends to lie, as my Life Application Study Bible points out, is that the ways of the world are usually selfish and often corrupting.
For sure, certain activities should be avoided. Often a little goes a long way, and we often have a problem putting the brakes on when enough is enough. We easily yield to more than is good for us.
Wise Christians decide that much worldly behavior is off-limits for them – there’s just too much potential for problems that are not easily undone. Our refusal to conform to this world’s values, however, must go even deeper than just behavior and customs: it must be firmly planted in our mind: be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes]… AMP
The New Living Translation puts it this way,
“Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.”
We might be able to say no to most worldly customs, and this is what burns us, we can avoid a lot of that stuff, but we can still be proud, covetous, selfish, stubborn, and arrogant.
If I’ve learned anything in the last 60 years, it is that I am totally inept at handling those kinds of things by myself. It’s too easy to get too close to the edge. I think I’ve got it all under control, and once I start slipping…it’s all downhill.
Only when the Holy Spirit renews, reeducates, and redirects our mind are we truly transformed.
For those who are living according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh [which gratify the body], but those who are living according to the Spirit, [set their minds on] the things of the Spirit [His will and purpose]. Romans 8:5 AMP
Lord Jesus, enable us to keep our eyes and hearts fixed on You. In and of ourselves we are weak. But in You we are strong! Amen!
Aug 1st, 2023, Tues, 11:04 pm
A Living Sacrifice
Mirta Cerra (Cuban, 1904–1986), Plegaria (Prayer), ca. 1946. Oil on canvas, 24 × 17 1/2 in. (60.9 × 44.5 cm). Torna Art Gallery, Havana.
It’s hard to believe that July is almost over! Summer goes by so fast. Father, please help me to cherish the time I have. May I take nothing for granted. Amen.
Romans 12:1 (<<click here to read the passage)
When I sat down to write last night, my mind started to go down a different path, but it was one of those times when I truly believe that the Lord wanted me to go down the path I ended up going down. That message was clear, and it was important that I shared it. …but this other path contains an important message as well.
I’m by no means perfect but I do strive to faithfully follow the Lord’s leading. I am grateful that God can work through me even though I am imperfect…and sometimes probably obstruct His will to a degree, though He is Sovereign and His will is ultimately made known.
The other point that needs to be made here is that it is possible to do all the work of living out what we perceive as God’s will – in our lives and in the church – and we can still leave God out of it. It is far too easy to have Him there in name only.
In the notes of my Life Application Study Bible, it said regarding the sacrifices referred to in this first verse; When sacrificing an animal according to God’s law, a priest would kill the animal, cut it in pieces, and place it on the altar. Sacrifice was important, but even in the Old Testament God made it clear that obedience from the heart was much more important.
Then it referenced several verses and in looking at them, Amos 5:21-24 grabbed my attention. It reads,
“I hate all your show and pretense—
….the hypocrisy of your religious festivals and solemn assemblies.
I will not accept your burnt offerings and grain offerings.
….I won’t even notice all your choice peace offerings.
Away with your noisy hymns of praise!
….I will not listen to the music of your harps.
Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice,
….an endless river of righteous living. NLT
Though I prefer the way I worship, I am not saying that other ways are wrong or are not pleasing to God. We all must be very careful…we are handling the things of God. We are bringing people into the Holy of Holies. Our God is a holy God and yes, we are called His friends, but we absolutely cannot trifle with His holiness. He welcomes us, but we are to respect and honor Him. We are to exude the utmost reverence in all we do. It is not about us. Every bit of it is about Him…
And it doesn’t just stop in our churches. Animals are no longer sacrificed, but the Apostle Paul calls us to be a living and holy sacrifice. And our lives of sacrifice are to be lived out, not just on Sundays or other times of worship but we are to daily lay aside our resources letting Him use us at his disposal and trusting him to guide us…at home, at work, at school, in the grocery, behind our steering wheels…every place we go, our mindset of sacrifice must go with us.
Paul got it right when he said, “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you… This is truly the way to worship him.”
July 31st, 2023, Mon, 7:42 pm
Do All You Can Do and Let God Do the Rest
It was a full day as Sundays always are. Thank You, Father, for the blessings of Your presence in worship and throughout every other aspect of our day together!
Romans 12:1 (<<click here to read the passage)
Today was a wonderful day of worshipping together with fellow believers. We aired our online service, which was recorded at our home. And then I gathered with two of my three congregations – my partner in ministry taking responsibility for the third. They all had similar components, but all were simultaneously unique.
I diligently work every week, to ensure that I have put my very best forward. I strive to make sure the sermon is solid – Scripture is on point, and that thoughts are coherent and applicable. There are times when the hymns don’t perfectly reflect the sermon topic, but I endeavor to make sure that they are impactful.
I do all I can do with what is at my disposal and with the gifts that God has bestowed upon me. I do it all with the core mindset that God will then take the offering that I extend and fill in all the blanks. I cannot make people listen. I cannot make the seed that I spread find a receptive plot of “soil” in the hearts and minds of those who hear my voice and partake of the offering that is placed before God. Only God can do those things and only we can open ourselves for God to do what He desires in our lives.
On occasion, I will refer to The Message paraphrase of the Bible. It was put together by a very well-respected minister, theologian, and author, Eugene Peterson. Here is how he transcribed this verse. The “I” in the first sentence would be the Apostle Paul speaking.
So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. MSG
I do all I can do and let God do the rest, but the thing is, each of us is responsible to take all aspects of our lives – all of our comings and goings, thoughts, and actions – and let God work in us and through us. As my Life Application Study Bible states, “We do this out of gratitude that our sins have been forgiven.”
Lord Jesus, enable us to give You everything You have given us and use it for Your glory. Make us what we need to be. Amen.
July 30th, 2023, Sun, 8:00 pm