Being Christ Followers

Speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.  From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.  - Ephesians 4:15-16

There is no one thing that happened this past week to make me feel so passionate about the following subject, but God has been giving me various scripture, blogs, and even sermons lately having to do with the Body of Christ.  I think about my time before leaving to move here -- how for the first time in my life I began to understand what the Body of Christ was -- a body of believers coming together to complete God's work.  I remember how overwhelmed I was because of everything I had to do before moving.  I remember meeting and the group of 8 who prayed for me and God's will on my life.  I remember that God  touched each and every one of those people to have a different part in helping me be able to leave my native country to share Jesus with the people here.

It's interesting being in another country, where some beliefs are different, worship is different, and denominations are different.  And somehow all of those "differences" seem to separate the Body.  We judge, offend, tear down or forget the main goal.  And those who are not yet believers, they are watching.  They notice how much "like" the world we are... even though our claims are that we are One Church.  One Body.  One Spirit.

Speaking these words are easy of course.  Sharing that we are One is easy.  But living as One, that is different.   Jesus himself said that His followers are the light of the world.  We are to shine Jesus' compassion, patience, love, humility, service, and gentleness to those who look like us and those who are nothing like us.  We are to extend His grace and mercy to those whose eyes are still closed to His love and to those who are new in their faith.  We must build each other up and love unconditionally.

Philippians 2:1-5 talks about us as a body.  We should be encouraged by being united in Christ.  We should be comforted by His love for us.  We should have fellowship with the Spirit.  We should have tenderness and compassion.  Our joy should be complete.  We should have the same love.  We should be one in spirit and in purpose by

Being humble

Considering others better than ourselves

Having an attitude like that of Christ.

I am struck over and over again while I live here by the separation based on tradition, rules or rituals.  It does not matter what we call ourselves.  What matters is that we recognize that we have a need for Him, that we cannot do this life alone, that we are sinners, that we need Him to forgive our sins, and that without Him, we are separated from the one true God

What matters is that in the midst of everything in this world, we follow Christ.  It does not matter where we work, what we are doing, where we live or who we are talking to. No matter what we remain Christ-followers first.  We are not a denomination nor a tradition.  We are His body.

During last Tuesday's Bible Study we read about the clearing of the temple.  Jesus was mad because of the way that people were treating the Holy temple, which was meant to be a place of worship and praise to the Lord.  Instead, it was turned into a place to cheat people and to sell things.  And then, He  talked about His body, the Temple that would be destroyed and in 3 days raised up.  And somehow during our talk, the likeness was made to our temple.  Our bodies.  His Body.  We are His Body.  His followers.  And, I think we make a mess of it many times.  I imagine God's righteous anger to be similar to that of Jesus' that day.

As His body, we should:

encourage.
love.
be patient.
show compassion.
speak truth in love.

And yet, we are separated.

We get distracted.

I know how these traditions, rules or rituals have defined me in the past.  But the truth is that in the States, I am a part of an Anglican Mission congregation. Here I attend a Baptist church. Every day, I work and live with a pentecostals.  And, whereas I know that Jesus is the center, I fear that many (both Christ followers and not) see more differences than likenesses.  I come from, work with, worship alongside, and am supported by people who love the Lord, Jesus Christ.  None of us have doctrine completely right, I'm sure.  But, what matters is that Jesus is at the center and being in relationship with Him, reading His Word, and communing with Him through prayer makes our relationship with Him continue to grow.

I want people to see our United Body.

I want people to know us as Lovers of Christ.

I want people to want to be a part of the Body of Christ.

No matter where we are, what we do, or what traditions we believe in.  Not because it's what saves us, but because we have believed, we strive to shine His light.  We are a part of something greater than ourselves because at some point we began to understand His love for us.  We understand it so much, in fact, that we want nothing more than others to hear about it, see it, and experience it.

Prayer Requests:

• Three moms who are a part of the Bible study.  They see being Christians not as following Christ but rather as following the traditions and cultural norms.  They see Christians as people who judge their current life style instead of correcting it in a loving way. One believes that she must change first and then God will except her.  May they all three come to understand the Gospel, that while we were still sinners, He died for us.  May they understand the great love He has for us and may they recognize the freedom, peace and hope that comes into the lives of those who believe in Jesus as their Savior.

• Toni, a grandmother of an Emanuel House Child.  Please pray for the Body to come together to provide for her in her everyday needs.  She is 86 and begs each day to have food.  Praying that the Body of Christ would recognize her need and come together as a community to serve this woman in need.  Praying for safety as she is seen walking the streets most days.

• Elpidia, the mother of 5 little girls who has terminal cancer.  Please pray for her health.  She is in lots of pain and her body is still deteriorating.  Please pray for us to find someone to take care of her, bathe her, give her medicine and feed her as she is fighting and living in really bad conditions.  Please pray for her girls as they are witnessing her mom die.  Pray for patience, kind words to each other, and a loving environment.  Pray for comfort and the provision of strong enough medicine for her pain.

• Yumercy, the little girl with Leukemia.  Please pray for her and for her family.  She has had a turn for the worse and was recently put into intensive care.  Please pray for her mother and grandmother and brothers during this time.  

Lastly, please pray for the Body of Christ to come together all over the world... 

United in Prayer.  

United in Spirit.  

United in Christ. 

United in Purpose...  

Following Christ and Sharing Him with others.

Mirqueya and I have enjoyed spending time with these girls, EH interns.  Praying for Ellie as she heads home tomorrow early.  So appreciative of all of the laughter!

Woman's Bible Study with their kids who often join in as well.  They threw a going away party and made a coconut sweet, a treat with salami and cheese, and tamarind juice.

The ladies sang and bid a wonderful farewell for Ellie's return.

This past Saturday, there were 40 kids at Kids Club.  We learned about  Philip and the Ethiopian and his boldness in following the Holy Spirit to share with him about Jesus.  Here we are playing a game of "musical chairs."  The kids want to get as close to the Ethiopian as possible.

  

Thanks to sponsors who donated a birthday gift, these two EH kids participated in their first trip to the zoo.  They saw lions, and tigers and bears for the first time.  Burger King was fun too.