2-26-21 Today in the Word

THE SPIRIT OF UNITY The church today is divided over many things. Race and politics, in particular, have become a flashpoint in recent days. But there are also many other, less volatile matters over which we disagree. We may have different preferences in the style of the church building, length of service, or musical instruments. Knowing how prone we are to division, it is no accident that the Bible says we need to make an effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph. 4:3). Today’s passage teaches the hard lesson that the burden for maintaining this peace is not equally shared: “We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves” (v. 1). In this context, the weak are those whose conscience does not allow them the same freedom as the strong. Paul’s command may seem hard to accept because it feels like an infringement on our individual rights. And...it is (v. 2)! But when God expects this of us, He is treating us no differently than He did His own Son who humbled Himself for us. Paul did not say these things lightly. He understood the challenge and prayed that God would enable the believers in Rome to have “the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had” (v. 5). This attitude was: “Christ did not please himself” (v. 3). Paul focused on the root of their division by showing that Jesus came as a servant to both Jews and Gentiles (vv. 7–12). >> Sometimes we make allowances for our differences but still view others with contempt. We tolerate others without truly accepting them. Such treatment is not true acceptance. Remember that Christ has not treated us this way. How should you treat those people with whom you differ? Accept one another as Christ has accepted you. PRAY WITH US Forgive us for our contempt of others and teach us to respect all members of the body of Christ, even those whom we don’t understand. Draw us ever closer to you, Lord.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

9-18-23 Rage Against Jesus And His People — The Ominous Trend Of 2022

Rage Against Jesus And His People — The Ominous Trend Of 2022 – By Hal Lindsey - https://harbingersdaily.com/rage-against-jesus-and-his-people-the-ominous-trend-of-2022/ By the end of 2022, eight billion people lived on the earth. They were besieged by a series of plagues, droughts, false prophets, war, the threat of greater war, hatred, rage, theft, and violence. The eight billion were fragmented in a variety of ways — according to their nations, level of income, race, gender, various understandings of gender and human sexuality, along with religion or the lack thereof. Change became overwhelming to most of the eight billion. For those over 40, it was almost unfathomable that by the end of 2022, not even half the students at Cambridge University identified as heterosexual. In 2022, deception ruled the day. Trust in government, educational institutions, and the news media had been largely obliterated. Trust in health officials and doctors had become severely damaged. In suc
Read more

9-18-23 Power of God’s Control

Power of God’s Control – Terry James - https://terryjamesprophecyline.com/2022/12/25/power-of-gods-control/ Going back just a way in my personal history, I’ll divulge my one-time wanting more than anything to be a cape-wearing, soaring superhero. In that regard, there’s a photograph somewhere in the family archive of myself, Pappy, and David all wearing capes (towels). All three of us were about 6, I think—the age when I was saved in the Seventh Street Tabernacle Church on the corner of Seventh and Derby in Pekin, Illinois. Superman was the rage in the “funny books” (my sons mock me now for using that term for comic books). We studied the Man of Steel and wanted more than anything to fly and perform super feats of strength. Sometimes it got us in trouble –like when we jumped from places higher than were safe for mere mortals with towels affixed around necks. So Pappy, David, and I proved that human beings’ desire for supernatural powers must begin early in life. But what we
Read more

9-16-23 Little-Known Prophecies of Christmas, Pt 3: Genesis 17:19

Little-Known Prophecies of Christmas, Pt 3: Genesis 17:19 :: By Paul J. Scharf Published on: December 24, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles The Messiah was a descendant of Abraham. More than that, we considered last time how He was, in fact, promised within the covenant that God made with Abram (Gen. 12:1-3). According to the Apostle Paul in Gal. 3:16 and 19, He is the ultimate recipient of that covenant! Our Savior Jesus Christ is finally the One through whom “all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen. 12:3). Paul also quoted and discussed that portion of the covenant in Gal. 3:8-9. We ended last time with the realization that the promised Messiah would be the final Davidic king over Israel. As declared then, however, there are several intermediate steps, with accompanying prophecies, which are given between the times of Abraham and David and speak about His coming and the offices He would hold as the greatest prophet, priest, and king. And there are also more ance
Read more