Category: Church

  • A Feeder for All: One Body, One Spirit — A Devotional

    three birds sitting 9n a plant pot

    Just outside our front door, a bird feeder hangs. I’ve identified  two dozen (or more) bird species that use it regularly. Underneath that feeder, on a disused water feature that looks like a log, sits a green plant pot.

    That pot once held a plant. Seeds from the hanging feeder regularly fall into the pot, and now it’s used as another feeder. The soil level is low enough that the birds can duck beneath the pot rim and hide while they eat.

    While any of the birds might stop there, it’s most popular with the smaller birds and more timid species. It’s fun to watch them periodically peek their heads up to check that things are still safe, then disappear again.

    It’s not uncommon to see three or four little birds in it, or sitting on the edge at any given moment. There are two species in today’s image. (My apologies, the picture is a little fuzzy. My camera phone isn’t great for that sort of work.)

    That feeder reminds me of the call of the gospel. It’s for everyone, but has special attractiveness to the timid and broken. It goes out to people of all cultures and ignores barriers such as education, wealth, skin tone, gender, and economic status.

    That call goes out, and when it is answered, the church becomes a place where believers of every sort are unified under the Spirit. 

    One true church, regardless of labels, practice, or language. One body, one Spirit.

    One true church despite doctrinal differences.

    The same Spirit who called “those” people, called you and me. The same Jesus who died for “them” died for us. The same Father oversees it all.

    For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. 1  Corinthians 12:12-13

    That person you’ve never met, from some place you will never go, who speaks a different language and dresses differently, can be your brother or sister in Christ. What an incredible thought.

    What a marvelous moment it will be when all of us, one body one spirit ,regardless of tongue or tribe, celebrate in worship together. I can hardly wait.

    Hallelu Yah (Praise God)

    Be blessed, 

    Kevin

    ___________________________________________ 

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  • Our Quest – A holy calling

    Northern lights - aurora Borealis -they brought to mind tour quest, a holy calling

    Our old friend, the sun, is experiencing a massive  gravitational/magnetic storm. That means the Aurora Borealis, also known as the Northern Lights, are putting on brilliant displays.

    Yesterday evening, my social media pages were awash with pictures of the lights. That included people from Northern Canada, where the borealis is a common sight, to Northern Florida, where they have never been seen before. Today’s image is from a friend in Colorado.

    Many of the lights were pink. Pink is an uncommon color that is only visible during periods of highly intense activity. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve seen pink, where I have seen the blues and greens perhaps thousands of times.

    Kathy and I spontaneously got out of our comfy evening spots, jumped in the car, and went on a quest to see them. Unfortunately, between the urban light pollution and cloud cover, we struck out. Still, it was nice to take a nighttime drive.

    Non-believers are on a quest to find something to fill the void in their lives. They try many things, including material goods, power, substance abuse, sex, and other religions. All of those will fail them. Their only hope is to turn to Jesus.

    Believers are on a quest as well. It is a two-fronted quest. We strive to be more like Jesus, and we take the gospel into a world of lost and hurting people. We will never fully fulfill either in our lifetime, but God is on the throne. He will bring all that are His to himself. We will have finished our journey to become all He created us to be once we reach glory.

    That doesn’t mean that our quest is futile. Every person who comes to Christ causes a celebration in heaven.

    In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. Luke 15:10

    Similarly, God is pleased and glorified when we grow more like the Son.

    “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” – James 1:22

    “In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome.” – 1 John 5:3

    “If you love me, keep my commands.” – John 14:15

    Our quest is challenging. We may have disappointments along the way, but through Him we have the victory.

    Press on, dear friends, press on.

    Be blessed, 

    Kevin

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