Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Together
Last night my wife and I went out to a late dinner, which is unusual for us because we enjoy cooking and eating at home. It did give us opportunity to talk about some scriptures she had been reading, and about the community of believers in general. One of the topics we discussed was how we enjoy being around like-minded believers. There is just something about being with a group of people with shared values. This is spoken of often in scripture.
Psalms 133:1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
2 It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments;
3 As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.
In this psalm we see that unity leads to a blessing of life for evermore. It truly is good and pleasant. My wife mentioned that she was seeing some things anew in the Proverbs, even though Proverbs and Psalms are frequent reading for her. One thing stood out. We are not all the same – we have differences. These differences are not only good, but they bind us together because each has something to contribute. Again, this message is a repetitive one in the scriptures.
Ephesians 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
Many who quote this scripture speak of the five-fold ministry. While I do agree they are for today, it is verses 12 and 13 I want to point to here. It can be read that the five-fold ministers are to to help the saints (believers) be perfected so that the saints can do the work of the ministry which is building up the body of Christ.
In the end, the message we came away with was a simple one. We believers all need each other. We can make a difference, we can change the world by advancing the kingdom, if we do it the way God planned… together.
Prayer
Father, we exalt You today. Send Your kingdom amongst us. Let us be Your ambassadors for life. Forgive us when we act alone or for ourselves only. Please help us to help others see You for who You truly are – the One and Only Living God. Please send today Your healing, deliverance, and abundant provision. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.