Tag Archives: Body of Christ

Pastor David’s Devotional: ‘Encourage Others’ – Reflect on Romans 14:19 and the importance of building each other up in the body of Christ.

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Encourage Others – Pastor David’s Devotional

From:

theword@aboutthebridge.com

Through the Bible…

Morning:        1 Kings 10, 11

Evening: Luke 24:1-35

Proverb: Proverbs 5

Romans 14:19 NKJV

Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.

Have you ever seen two kids building sandcastles together in the sand? Typically, one likes to build while the other one comes by and stomps it, especially if they are siblings. One builds up, and the other takes joy in tearing down. Why? Mostly, it is for the reaction. Christians can do this as well. Worship, music, food, and dress are minor issues that many love to argue about. What does it do? It distracts from the Gospel.

Doing things just to offend or argue is wrong. God is at work in our lives at different speeds and times. “I get it; why don’t you get it?” That is a prideful statement. It is probable that another brother or sister “gets it” in other ways better than you do. That is how it works. We fit together and cause each other to grow. The church is made of individual people with individual gifts, and no one person is the whole church. We should build one another up, and we will be encouraged to do so as well. What if the church, at large, really did Romans 14:19? Let’s start and see.

Life Lesson:  

We should encourage others.

Dear God,

Thank You for loving me and for the many individual gifts that make up the body of Christ. Lord, help me put off disagreements and value others. Forgive me when I have caused division and strife. Give me the spirit to be a blessing to someone else today.

In Jesus Christ Mighty Name! Amen.

Living to tell what Christ died to say,

Pastor David McGee

Senior Pastor

The Bridge

Be a blessing to your friends and family. Encourage them to subscribe for FREE to this daily devotional at https://www.CrossTheBridge.com  – THANK YOU!

Thank You Jesus,

Salvation Prayers

If you don’t Know Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour and would like to accept him into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, Please say this prayer:

Father, I know that I have broken your laws and my sins have separated me from You. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life toward You. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that Your son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send Your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your Will for the rest of my life. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Support Our Ministry,

Good Morning Dear,

It cost a lot of money to maintain a website, Nonetheless a non-profit Christian website,

Please if you have been blessed by this ministry and you are led to support and bless this ministry in return,

Please make your donation to this account,

Chukwuemeka Obiorah Ogwo,

Account Number,0139438409,

Guaranty Trust Bank Plc Nigeria,

To help us continue in the spreading of The GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST to every corner of this world,

Thank You Very Much For Your Support,

May GOD, we Serve Bless You A Million Times in return, Amen,

May God Bless Israel, May God Bless Nigeria, May God Bless America And Take Care Of Us; May God Make His Face Shine Upon Us, And Be Gracious To Us; May The Lord Lift Up His Countenance Upon Us, And Give Us Peace, In Jesus Christ Name, We Pray! Amen!

May The Grace The Lord Jesus Christ, And The Love Of God, And The Fellowship Of The Holy Spirit Be With You All. Amen!

By Chukwuemeka Obiorah Ogwo,

Philippians_3-10: All I want is to know Christ and to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings and become like him in his death
Philippians_3-10: All I want is to know Christ and to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings and become like him in his death

Happy 61st Birthday to Reverend Dr. Chris Oyakhilome!

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We celebrate a visionary leader, a beacon of faith, and a champion of excellence. Your life is a testament to God’s unending grace and favor.

Thank you for your tireless dedication to the Body of Christ and humanity. Your ministry has been a blessing to countless lives.

We pray that God continues to empower you for greater impact, that your relevance in life and ministry never wanes, and that His anointing rests upon you for miraculous signs and wonders.

We honor, love, and celebrate you, Sir. Congratulations on this milestone birthday! May God’s multiplied blessings be upon you.

With love and appreciation,

Thank You Jesus,

Salvation Prayers

If you don’t Know Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour and would like to accept him into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, Please say this prayer:

Father, I know that I have broken your laws and my sins have separated me from You. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life toward You. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that Your son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send Your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your Will for the rest of my life. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Support Our Ministry,

Good Morning Dear,

It cost a lot of money to maintain a website, Nonetheless a non-profit Christian website,

Please if you have been blessed by this ministry and you are led to support and bless this ministry in return,

Please make your donation to this account,

Chukwuemeka Obiorah Ogwo,

Account Number,0139438409,

Guaranty Trust Bank Plc Nigeria,

To help us continue in the spreading of The GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST to every corner of this world,

Thank You Very Much For Your Support,

May GOD, we Serve Bless You A Million Times in return, Amen,

May God Bless Israel, Nigeria, And America And Take Care Of Us; May God Make His Face Shine Upon Us, And Be Gracious To Us; May The Lord Lift Up His Countenance Upon Us, And Give Us Peace, In Jesus Christ Name, We Pray! Amen!

May The Grace The Lord Jesus Christ, And The Love Of God, And The Fellowship Of The Holy Spirit Be With You All. Amen!

Chukwuemeka Obiorah Ogwo.

PUSH – Day 12 House On The Rock, 21 days fasting by Pastor Paul Adefarasin, The Metropolitan, Senior Pastor

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PUSH – Day 12 House On The Rock, 21 days fasting by Pastor Paul Adefarasin, The Metropolitan, Senior Pastor 1. Pray for a deeper walk with God this year, and a willingness to follow His leading without compromise or disobedience. … Continue reading →

Holy Communion. Power From Jesus’ Body To Yours.

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Holy Communion. Power From Jesus’ Body To Yours. Matthew 26:26 …“Take, eat; this is My body.” Can you imagine the Lord sick, nursing a cold or fever while He walked on earth? No, our Lord Jesus was never sick! He … Continue reading →

Ephesians 4. One Church, many parts. The unity of the Body Of Christ

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English: Resurrection of Christ

English: Resurrection of Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ephesians 4. One Church, many parts. The unity of the Body Of Christ

1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. 7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. 8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: 14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: 16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, 18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: 19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. 20 But ye have not so learned Christ; 21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. 25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. 26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: 27 Neither give place to the devil. 28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. 29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. 30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

May GOD bless Nigeria, America and Israel and take care of us; May GOD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the LORD lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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Good Spiritual Food

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Good Spiritual Food

1 Corinthians 2:4-5 says

 

 

 

 

 

“And my teaching and message were not delivered with skilful words of human wisdom, but with convincing proof of the power of God’s Spirit. Your faith, then, does not rest on human wisdom but on God’s power”

The Gospel message is full of the love, grace and power of God.
1 Peter 1:8-9 says, “Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s preaching often ignores sin and its consequences. We still need the food of the Spirit, not secular humanism and denial of the existence of God. If you are what you eat, make sure you receive good spiritual food. 1 Corinthians 10:3-4 says, “They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.”

 

 

 

 

Some “new” thinkers tell us that God is outmoded and irrelevant in today’s highly industrial and scientific world.

It is time now to bring back the salvation message to the Body of Christ. God will never be “out of date.” In these last days, God is calling us to harvest souls for Him. Revival starts within the faithful hearts of individuals who seek Him.

Further Reading

God Bless!

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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The Body Of Christ

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Česky: Kříže - symbol utrpení Ježíše Krista a ...

The Body Of Christ

 

 

 

 

 

READ: 1 Corinthians 12:12-27

 

 

 

 

 

Those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. —1 Corinthians 12:22

The number of people who run a business out of their homes is in the millions. But some have found that working alone can be a little too lonely. To give these lonely ones a community, “co-working” spaces have been designed. Large facilities are rented out where people working by themselves can share space with others. They have their own work area but can exchange ideas with fellow independent workers. It’s for those who feel they can work better together than they do alone.

Sometimes Christians think they work better alone. But we are meant to work together with others in the church. Every Christian has been placed into “The Body Of Christ” (1 Cor. 12:27). And the Lord desires that we take part in fellowship with a local community of believers—using our spiritual gifts and working together in His service.

Yet for various reasons, some aren’t able to join in. Because of health issues, they may be shut in at home or may not know how to fit in at church. Yet they are a needed part of the body (vv.22-25). That’s when others can meet their need for togetherness. Let’s do our part so that others may feel they’re an integral part of the community of faith. We work better together than alone. —Anne Cetas

Thinking It Over

What can you do to help others feel a part of your church
community? Visit, pray with them, read Scripture together,
drop a note, or invite them to join you in serving others.

 

 

 

 

 

Fellowship builds us up and binds us together.

 

 

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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Can God Count on You.

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Can God Count on You?

 

 

 

I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept
my word, and hast not denied my name. Behold, I will make them of
the synagogue of satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do
lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet,
and to know that I have loved thee.
Revelation 3:8-9

The church at Philadelphia is going to have manifestations of God. Man
cannot stop what God is going to do. Those going the wrong way, those
going the false way, are going to come, see and know that God’s hand is
on them. God said, “I am going to put them right at your feet.” This is
an Overcoming Church. This is a Word Church, a Faithful Church, and a
True Church.

Faithfulness is the character quality that ensures that you do the
right thing, whether anyone is watching you or not, whether anyone is
keeping tabs or not. When you are faithful, you do it with the right
motive, and you can be counted on all the time. Everybody in the body
of Christ likes people who are faithful, especially pastors. I know
that I can give the faithful something to do and don’t have to think
about it anymore!

John goes on to say that those who remain faithful will have a crown.
Those who are overcomers will be “pillar[s] in the temple of my God”
(v. 12). They will have all the authority that Jesus has.

Prayer for Today

Father,
I raise my hands in recognition that You alone are worthy! I praise You
and give You glory! Through Your power, I will be faithful to You, no
matter what comes! In Jesus Christ Name, Amen!

Think on These Things

Colossians 4:3

Philippians 4:13

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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Worldly Cares Are Thorns

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Šelpice, Jesus Christ church

Worldly Cares Are Thorns

Luke 8:14, “And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.”

LUKE 8:5-14

This third type of ground is characteristic of a large part of the Body of Christ today. These are people who have received God‘s Word, committed themselves to it to the degree that they are able to remain faithful in persecution, but because of being occupied with the affairs of this life, the Word sown in their heart is choked and no fruit is produced. Just as weeds in a garden will steal all of the nutrients and starve the plant, so the pleasures of this life, if we allow them to dominate our thinking, will stop the fruit that the Word would have produced.

Throughout history, the Church has always grown in size and strength during persecution. This is because during persecution we get our priorities straight. We realize our life is in Jesus (Jn. 14:6) and not in things (Lk. 12:15), and we focus all of our attention on the Lord. However, prosperity has been far more damaging to the Body of Christ for the exact reason stated here in this verse. God wants to bless His children with things (Ps. 35:27; Mt. 6:33), but a preoccupation with these things will choke God’s Word and make it unfruitful. If we would follow God’s formula for prosperity found in Matthew 6:19-34, we would have the Word bringing forth fruit and we’d enjoy the physical blessings of this life, too.

Notice Jesus said that no fruit was brought to perfection. This type of person will exhibit some fruit, but it will always be small and far short of what it should be. Do you feel frustrated because you are just getting by and are not really experiencing the abundant life that Jesus came to give? (Jn. 10:10) Examine your lifestyle and see if the cares of this life, deceitfulness of riches, or pleasures of this life could be choking God’s Word.

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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By their fruits you shall know them

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By their fruits you shall know them

Matthew 7:20,

MATTHEW 7:12-20

The way that you can tell whether a person is genuine or not is by the fruit they produce. This fruit is speaking of lifestyle. Jesus made the point that you don’t get bad fruit from a good tree, and you don’t get good fruit from a bad tree. Many people say one thing, but their actions speak so loudly that you really can’t hear what they are saying. If you are in doubt about whether a person is genuine or not, or whether you should receive from them and follow their teaching, look at the fruit they are producing.

In evaluating ministers and ministries, more attention should be given to the fruit that is being produced. Failure to do this could lead someone to reject and even discredit a minister who simply makes a mistake or is wrong in one area. Every minister has shortcomings, just as every other member of the Body of Christ does. But that doesn’t mean his ministry is bad. Look at the fruit.

Fruit is the true test of ministers and ministries. If people are being saved, if lives are being changed, there is good fruit. Even though the minister may say something bad and make mistakes, the fruit is good.

Therefore, you can say that the tree is good. When a person says all of the right things and may seem sincere, but you see the lives of people around them shattered and torn, and in confusion and distress, then the fruit is bad. You can judge the effectiveness of a person by the fruit that they are producing in their life. In ministry you can judge the effectiveness of a minister by the fruit that his ministry is producing.

Today, make sure that the fruit that comes from your life is positive. Make sure that you are making a positive impact on people’s lives, that you are turning people to the Lord and not leaving them hurt and confused. People are looking at you to see what type of fruit you are bearing.

 

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

 

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