Heaven Day 11
Being real again. Day 11 in the Proverbs 31 ministry study on Heaven is based on Matthew 16:18-19. It's controversial verse as to what it really means. (Relating to Peter being called the "rock.") Because no one is 100% sure, I want to write on the topic of controversy in the church.
There are so many things we do not know this side of Heaven, but what we do know is this: When we leave our bodies, we will be at home with the Lord.
We should be cheerful, because we would rather leave these bodies
and be at home with the Lord.
2 Corinthians 5:8
We also know that the unity of believers is crucial, particularly as the day of Christ's return draws near.
We read clearly in John 10:10: The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.
Satan gets great joy of bringing strife and division to the family and within the church.
So let's "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing and in all things give thanks" and call upon the Holy Spirit to be our teacher and direct our thoughts, as we love one another.
It's going to be so much better in Heaven!
The Song- Don't miss this one!
"One Day When we all get to Heaven" by Matt Redman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGAdaGbmfFs
I wrote this last night and then awakened to a devotional from Senior Ministries in my Inbox.
All believers are valuable and while we may worship differently and even have a varied interpretation of scripture, what's important is that we continue to encourage one another to be taught by God's Word and ask the Holy Spirit to interpret!
Check this out.
The faith grower for me was that God knew exactly the topic I was writing on and sent a side note for all of you today. Start your day with God's Word and make beautiful music for Him.
Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. Colossians 2:16-17
"A while back at a meeting of the American Psychological Association, psychologists Jack Lipton and R. Scott Builione presented a study where they surveyed members of 11 major symphony orchestras and asked how each section perceived each other.
The percussionists were viewed as unintelligent but fun-loving, while the string players were seen as arrogant and stuffy. The brass players were described as loud by many, and woodwinds were viewed as quiet, meticulous, and a bit egotistical
So with such different perceptions of one another, how were these orchestras able to make such wonderful music? Well, quite simply, they were able to put their biases aside and look first to the leadership of the conductor. And when they all did that, they could make beautiful music together as one orchestra.
How effective could the body of Christ be if we were to follow that model? Instead of infighting about personalities and methods in our churches, what if we put those differences aside and looked together at the great Conductor?
The church is a multi-faceted diamond. Don’t try to make it a carbon copy of yourself. Appreciate the beauty in the diversity of the body of Christ and follow Christ together!
Prayer Challenge
Ask God to open your eyes to the beauty of the diversity within the Church
Questions for Thought
Imagine one of the characters from the Bible walking into your church service today. Do you think he or she might be shocked by your style of worship?
If how we worship is different from the very first Christians, yet both can be equally valid, what does that say about the different worship styles among various churches today?
