CHRIST'S BODY

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

1-3The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

"Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success." --Henry Ford

I had the distinct pleasure yesterday while in Elyria Ohio to meet up with Don, Tom and Martin.  All three are “co-collaborators” in helping people in addiction.

Tom is President/CEO of the Lorain County Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services.  Martin, Executive Director of “Timothy House” and Don a mission-emphasis Pastor from Open Door in Elyria.

So we “came together” yesterday to share vision, share “experience” and begin our work together to help those struggling in addiction in their neck of the woods.  

I am confident we will KEEP together and WORK together!

It is truly a blessing for me when the body of Christ “finds” one another and begins to function together to SHARE CHRIST and meet the needs of others.

…we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ’s body, let’s ...go ahead and be what we were made to be Romans 12:5-6(MSG)

But, I share this little encounter for a reason today.

Don, Martin, Tom and Greg are all quite different.  

Different backgrounds, education and YES, denominations! 

Yikes!

And too many times Christians allow our differences to hinder our abilities to “function” as Christ’s body.

We can’t do that.  Don, Martin, Tom and Greg can't.  None of us really can.

As CHRIST’S representatives we must get along, learn from one another and function “together”!  We must START individually to take up the call but WORK together to ADVANCE the HOPE!

Why?

Christ has no body but yours,

No hands, no feet on earth but yours,

Yours are the eyes with which he looks

Compassion on this world,

Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,

Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.

Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,

Yours are the eyes, you are his body.

Christ has no body now but yours,

No hands, no feet on earth but yours,

Yours are the eyes with which he looks

compassion on this world.

Christ has no body now on earth but yours. – Teresa of Avila

Therefore we must work together to bring compassion to the addicted, broken, hopeless and lost.  Ours are the feet that must bring the good news!

How beautiful on the mountains are the FEET of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, Isaiah 52:7 (NLT)

My friends we are all part of the body, we have been equipped with the message, and Jesus Himself desires that we “be one” in a COMMUNITY of COLLABORATION as we reach the lost and dying!

"I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you – John 17:20-21 (NIV)

So are you willing to put aside the “differences” for the cause of CHRIST?  Are you willing to be THANKFUL for what GOD has given to you for the greater impact to the community?

The more thankfully we daily receive what is given to us, the more assuredly and consistently will community increase and grow from day to day as God pleases” ― Dietrich Bonhoeffer

I pray we will!

GOD will be pleased!

Lives will be changed! 

Have a GREAT weekend!

I love you ALL!

FREEDOM CHURCH (CHAMPIONS NETWORK)