The Apostle Paul had been discussing in previous verses about the importance of the different gifts that the Holy Spirit imparts and now he is relating the different gifts of the ... Read More »]]> ¹² Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. ¹³ For we were all baptized by^[c] one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. ¹⁴ Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. 1 Corinthians 12:12-14

The Apostle Paul had been discussing in previous verses about the importance of the different gifts that the Holy Spirit imparts and now he is relating the different gifts of the Spirit to the individuals and using the analogy of the body.  As Paul states we all make up the body and each part of the body is equally important to function and to make the body function as it should. Without a particular part of the body the body would not function as intended. So it is with the body of Christ.  Each gift and person within the body of Christ is equally important. Though each gift and individual is different in nature, they all work together to accomplish the same goal.  Because we have a certain gift we should not think of ourselves more highly than someone else. Each one is equally important to the body of Christ.  All gifts are given by the Holy Spirit so that the Body of Christ will function in full capacity. When someone doesn’t operate in their gift the body suffers.

It seems today there are more things to occupy our time like never before.  We are living in a day when everything is virtually at our fingertips we seem to have less “spare” time.  What’s the deal?  Things that used to be import to us seem to have little value in our lives today.  Our lives are consumed with stuff.  Do you ever feel like you have the dog chasing it’s tail syndrome?  Too many things to do and not enough hours in the day to do them.  Maybe it’s time to do an inventory in our lives and check and see just ... Read More »]]> It seems today there are more things to occupy our time like never before.  We are living in a day when everything is virtually at our fingertips we seem to have less “spare” time.  What’s the deal?  Things that used to be import to us seem to have little value in our lives today.  Our lives are consumed with stuff.  Do you ever feel like you have the dog chasing it’s tail syndrome?  Too many things to do and not enough hours in the day to do them.  Maybe it’s time to do an inventory in our lives and check and see just what is occupying our time.  I have always found that no matter what is going on, I seem to have enough time to do what I want to do. So maybe the problem is not the amount of time that I have but maybe my priorities.  Matt. 6:33 tells us to “seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to us.”   What a profound statement, this means that if I want my life to have meaning and purpose,  I must set my priorities.  God comes first, not second, not third, or wherever you may have Him on your list, but first.  He is a jealous God and will have no other God before Him. That means our job, our kids, our spouse, sports, internet, tv, money, or anything else you would put before Him.  And when you put Him first, everything else in your life just seems to work out.  Take some time and inventory those things which occupy your time and see where God ranks on the list.

I was reminded just this week of the good and the bad that comes with the use of social networking. I was able to connect with some friends that I haven’t seen in years, that was the good, and I was able to, once again, view post by some folks, fb friends, who claim to be Christians, that was the bad.  I believe truly we are living in the last days as Paul describes to Timothy where there will be people who are , “ lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—  having a form of godliness but denying its ... Read More »]]> I was reminded just this week of the good and the bad that comes with the use of social networking. I was able to connect with some friends that I haven’t seen in years, that was the good, and I was able to, once again, view post by some folks, fb friends, who claim to be Christians, that was the bad.  I believe truly we are living in the last days as Paul describes to Timothy where there will be people who are , “ lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—  having a form of godliness but denying its power.”  This is what I call Facebook Christianity.  Facebook is all about image. People spend countless hours taking pictures of themselves to make them look better than they actually look, spending hour upon hour developing a profile of who they would like to be rather than who they really are.  Submitting posts and messages declaring the goodness of God one minute, then unloading a plethora of unbridled words that would make a sailor blush the next.  What’s the deal! Do we not understand that the image that others see on the outside is not important unless it lines up with what’s on the inside. God sees everything. Including the stuff we post on FB. We are not fooling anyone but ourselves.  Let’s be real, and let’s have a true friend in the only one who can make a difference in our lives.  Jesus!!  If you claim to be a Christian people are watching how you act and what you say. You may be the reason someone decides to seek after God. Or you could be the reason someone wants nothing to do with Christianity.  Remember going to Church doesn’t make you a Christian anymore than sitting in a garage makes you an automobile.   ²¹ “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²² Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ ²³ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’  Mt 7:21-23