Living to love

Magnificent “love works” abound in the Body of Christ! Just to name a few experiences: When I was raising my sons as a single parent I was in dire need of a car and went up front of the church to be prayed for and right after the warriors prayed a man came up to me and said, “I have a car for you, free!” I am always thrilled to experience the answer of prayer so quickly.

I have shook hands with someone and while doing so, had a 100.00 bill tucked inside of my hand. I have lost jobs, only to have a better one waiting for me.

When we had a street ministry in Toronto, one of the things we placed in bags was homemade bread to give to the homeless. Many women from different churches in our village and in the surrounding villages all baked bread and pastries for the Christmas season. One particular lady was a foster parent and took in only children who no one else wanted. The special needs children. She had a baby that only survived with an attachment on the chest to keep her heart beating.  My special lady drove an old worn out van and had MS and walked with a hobble and bought me 1200 loaves of bread every time she knew we were going to the streets and hostels! Unfortunately I cannot remember her name, but today I call her indispensable and significant.

How can you actually describe the sunshine and love in the Body of Christ? Before I came to the Lord I can remember working with a lady whose zeal bubbled over talking about the works and love of Jesus and his Apostles. I will never forget her passion and my heart captured those seeds to be used for many a mission later on.

The true Body of Christ loves to give!  They live to love!

They give themselves,

They give money for a need,

They give whatever they have,

They give love,

They sacrifice to give give give!

When they give, they always give in Christ. Everything is in Christ. To tend your garden is to do it unto Christ. To love and serve your husband is to do it unto Him. When we love one another, we love unto Him and we forgive unto Him. 

One last thing.

I remember listening to a man talk about his childhood. He was a little boy 7 years old, who went to the bus stop with his mother to catch a bus. After sitting for awhile, the mother got up and told him to stay here and wait for her and that she would be back. The little boy stayed there waiting for his mother for 4 days. She never came back and he was placed in foster care and grew up. After a life of anger, he found release and forgiveness in Jesus Christ.  He developed a giant church bus ministry that increased over the whole nation. His church buses would go where others would not venture to go, in and out of trailer parks, in the back woods and throughout alleys to pick up the children who wanted to go to church. His mission was to make sure all children had the chance to experience the love of Christ.  

Correction. The boy's name was Bill Wilson and was not 7 but 12.  He stayed 3 days on the park bench not 4. He was rescued by a godly man who helped him straighten his life out. Here is his website:

http://www.pawkids.org/blog/ 

The Body of Christ is more than significant or indispensable! They have the love of the blood of Christ running through their veins!

Prayer:

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for opening up our eyes to your love and to your truth. Thank you for being with us when we are in the darkness; when it seems like no one cares. You are always there! Thank you for your protection and constant answer to our prayers. Thank you for showing us that you do not waste a single thing that we go through, for you are the one who turns it all around for your glory.

Thank you for the Body of Christ!

In your son we pray

amen

Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

21The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. 1Co 12:16-26 NIV