05 March 2008 Devotion for Today “One Body in Christ” Romans 12:3-6

05 March 2008 Devotion for Today “One Body in Christ” Romans 12:3-6

I would like to tell you the story of an event in 1999, when the church where I served- the Friendship Baptist Church of Hanau, Gemany, participated in what they called “the Christian Fest” that was held at the World Outreach Ministries center. In response to that vision, our church, in concert with the World Outreach and another ministry called “Street Church” Christians came together to help with the barbecue, food and clothing distribution, and worship service. It was beautiful to see how so many Christians, many of different denominations and independent churches, came together to feed about 500 refugees and homeless people, as well as citizens of Hanau who just dropped in when they read the flier and the ad in the paper. God blessed in a tremendous way. The greatest blessing was to see the joy on the faces of the people, especially the children that came. Donations poured in from everywhere-not necessarily monetary donations, but other meaningful help such as 500 kilos of spareribs at 1 DM per kilo, a bus company donated the use of their bus and driver to pick up the people from the refugee camps; the Hanau commissary donated all of the soda and chips we could eat and drink. The president of the Traktorverein (Antique Tractor club) housed his tractors near by, and when he heard of the event, he was delighted to bring over his club to help out. It turns out that he is a Christian, and delighted to take the children on wagon rides around the perimeter of the farm. He told me that there are God’s people everywhere who are just looking for an opportunity to serve people in Jesus’ name.

Several of the children that came on the bus attend school with my children. They were amazed to see them there and they played happily together all afternoon. One amusing event was that some of the refugees thought that the food being set up for the barbecue was part of the food distribution. Dozens of Albanian, Turkish, and Roma Gypsy children descended upon the cola, potato chips, and chocolate bunnies like ants on sugar and started carting the stuff away by the armloads. It seemed like Christmas in the middle of May. Concerned that we might not have enough to go around, we asked them to kindly replace it, which they did. But what an opportunity to tell these children about Christmas-most of whom had never heard about Jesus or Christmas.

So many spiritual gifts were employed that day. We had people speaking all different kinds of languages from all walks of life and doing so many things-but not one time did anyone experience a breakdown of communication. That was because they were busy doing what the Holy Spirit directed them to do. Its hard to think how God is going to work everything out when there are so many differences-we had a worship service going in two languages, and no one knew what the other was planning to do or say up until the last moment. But in the end, the people were blessed, and even more, God was glorified!

Romans 12:3-6 teaches us 3For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 4Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. (Romans 12:3-6)

Perhaps God has laid upon your heart people you would like to reach with His love but don’t know what to do or how to accomplish it. This is why He has given us the church, and other churches other than your own, to extend His love to people in need. May you find and participate in such an adventure in faith also!

Have a blessed day!