Word for Today, Tue, 8 Jun 2004: Real Communion!
Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>
Dear friends,
What do you think about churches that are vastly different
getting together? I have mixed feelings about it, to be honest
with you. On one hand, it is always great to share fellowship
with others. On the other hand, sometimes when you have
differing views, when you get together, in order to get along,
you end up compromising your viewpoint. The United States of
America is full of churches that have compromised the Word of God
just to make peace with one another.
However, by God's grace, and with His Word, it IS possible for
people to cross denominational, cultural, racial, and any other
boundaries to gather to worship the One True God.
This week, Larry Davies shares a story about his local church
and another nearby church. The gatherings and the meetings are a
most unusual meeting, but the Name of our God is exalted through
such events.
I pray that wherever we are, we will never ever compromise our
faith or what we believe in, yet at the same time, I pray for
real, true, genuine caring and sharing for the lost. Our aim as
believers ought to be to encourage one another, and our aim
ought to be to get outside of our comfort zone and reach people
for Christ, inside our own churches, in our community, and in
our places of family, work, and recreation. We ought to not
ever assume that a person really has a personal relationship
with Jesus Christ. I've heard of Deacons in Bible preaching
Evangelical churches, who after as long as seventeen years of
knowing the Bible in their head and following it with their
lips, had a personal encounter with the Living God, realized the
sacrifice and love that Jesus demonstrated to us, and finally
personalized that relationship.
It is good for us to reach out to others. As we do so, let's
remember why we do it, and let's always keep our eyes on the
Cross. When we do so, we can really go out into the world and
make disciples of all people. When people see that we are the
real thing, genuine people, with faults, a personal need of a
Savior, and changed lives, that shows what the Spirit of God has
done in our lives.
We are deeply loved, fully accepted, and completely forgiven. We
have been bought with a price. The price was HUGE. It cost
God's Son fellowship with His Father, it cost God's Son His
dignity, it cost God's Son His position, and it cost God's Son
His life.
Jesus, though, was and is the One person who can and has overcome
both sin and death. His gift to us is that He personally paid
the cost of our misdeeds, our sin. He freed us from the penalty
of sin and death. That is something to rejoice about! That is
something, not to hold to ourselves, but to share with everyone!
That's something that transcends denomination, age, race, color,
creed, appearance, where we are from or what we've done.
Larry's church and the neighboring church put aside their
differences and even worshipped in the most sacred way. They all
were looking to the Cross. Can we learn something from them
today?
Yours in Christ,
Brian
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Sowing Seeds of Faith...
To see the before and after pictures of Lawyers Missionary
Baptist Church you can click here:
http://www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/LawyersNewChurch.htm
"Two Churches, One Building Serving One Lord" Larry Davies
Recently, two churches joined together in a worship service to
celebrate a new church building.... but this was about much more
than just a building. Two congregations bonded by a devastating
tornado were meeting together to celebrate our friendship and in
a wonderful way... to say good-bye.
Two and half years ago a tornado ripped through our community
and completely destroyed Lawyers Missionary Baptist Church. The
picture in the newspaper showed a damaged church with both side
walls and the roof completely blown away. Yet, you could plainly
see exposed pews with bibles and hymnals still in the racks. I
will never forget the overwhelming destruction shown by that
photograph.
Within days, leaders at Timberlake United Methodist made
arrangements for Lawyers Missionary Baptist to share our
building for as long as necessary. For over two years each
church worked side by side sharing dinners, youth ministry,
Vacation Bible School and occasional worship services.
Now, in a special worship service the same photo showing the
devastation and destruction of Lawyers Missionary Baptist Church
is enclosed in a picture frame alongside another: This
photograph shows a newly finished church building sitting
proudly on a hill as if inviting all of nature itself to come
and join in the celebration. In between the two pictures are the
words: "God' Love in Action.
"God's Love in Action" beautifully describes the efforts of two
churches, two leaders; Jim Adams and Charlie Droog and dozens of
other businesses and volunteers who selflessly gave of
themselves to enable Lawyers Missionary Baptist Church to occupy
their beautiful new building.
A local company donated a beautiful stained glass window.
Another company installed heating and air-conditioning free. One
church donated a baptismal pool. Another donated pews and raised
money to buy a steeple. Hundreds of volunteers worked on the
building or supplied food for the workers. Now the church stands
finished, ready to be used and best of all, fully paid for...
with no mortgage... none!
Darrell Laurant, a local columnist wrote: "As movie reviewers
love to say, this is the 'feel-good story of the year.' The
crisis-enforced partnership between Timberlake United Methodist
Church and Lawyers Missionary Baptist Church says so much about
the true New Testament message and the evolving relationship
between races in this part of the world that it almost makes my
hair stand on end."
Could this be why God brought both of our congregations
together? The Apostle Paul wrote: "For the whole law can be
summed up in this one command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'
But if instead of showing love among yourselves you are always
biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of
destroying one another.' (Galatians 5:14-15) Two churches once
separated by denomination and race learned to work together and
discovered the real meaning of loving our neighbor as ourselves.
Yet amidst all the celebration of the new building, another
miracle of God occurred during our church service and the best
part of all is virtually no one even noticed.
During worship, we shared the sacrament of Holy Communion which
is a sacred moment in the life of any Christian congregation:
Rev. Carlton Johnson, the black pastor of Lawyers Missionary
Baptist Church served the juice and stood beside me, a white
United Methodist pastor as I served the bread while on the other
side of the sanctuary, the lay leaders from each of our churches
stood together and also served communion as two churches came
forward together as one united congregation.
What I just described would simply be unheard of as recently as
thirty or forty years ago yet no one even considered challenging
this hallowed moment. In fact... quite the opposite judging from
an email:
"Larry, we thought the worship service was one of the best. From
using the book, "Who Moved My Cheese" to Communion was very
moving for us. All the different denominations and races
pointing to one goal: Worshiping our Father together. That is
the way it should be. We all felt the same way. Also, you had a
very good lesson from the big pile of cheese... it certainly
made us think. It made us feel good to be members of Timberlake
United Methodist Church." God Bless, Frank and Betty.
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Two prayer needs from the hundreds received over our Internet
site this week:
Name: Shereel Yoseph Ranbhise Email:
mailto:pink_sp@rediffmail.com I really don't know in which words
should I thank the Lord. I was very depressed. I even
considered taking my life, but I thought better of it. Reading
"Suicide and Janice" was very helpful. I just don't want to
live a life for myself and then die one day. I want to do
something, but I am finding no direction. I wanted to work in
some social institution, but some people have discouraged me
from pursuing that interest. I really feel aimless in life, I
feel my each day goes waste. I don't want to live such a
miserable life, I feel ashamed of myself. I'd appreciate
constructive comments and most of all, please pray for me.
Name: Grace Miller, Email: mailto:Sunny777@stny.rr.com God Bless
you all for what you do for the Kingdom of God. May He bless
you, protect you, give you wisdom, guidance and knowledge of
what to do and what not to do. May He bless your coming and
going. May He answer your personal prayers. May He heal you
physically, Mentally, Emotionally, Financially and supply ALL
your needs. You will always be in prayers and sisters and
brothers in Christ. I love you all. I am thankful to God that
we know each other through Christ and when that He comes to take
ALL His children home. May we meet and Embrace in the Name Of
Jesus. Amen.
Today, Sowing Seeds Ministry has over 9,000 prayer partners who
regularly give their time to pray for the hundreds of prayer
requests that come through our website. You can ask for prayer
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http://www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/feedback.htm
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Jesus said: "You are the light of the world...like a city on
a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don't hide
your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it
shine for all." (Matthew 5:14-15)
"Breaking the Peanut Butter Habit: Following God's
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Brian Masinick, mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: http://www.geocities.com/masinick/
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