Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Growing in Love for God and Others


They devoted themselves to the Apostles and to the fellowship, truth, breaking of bread and prayer… All believers were together.”  Acts 2:42 (Read Psalm 133:1)

Hey, Gang, I have a couple different devotionals I read in the mornings, as I start my day with Father and Jesus.  The Holy Spirit seems to direct me to what I need to begin my day. 

One of the Devotionals, which I have read several times, is called Amazing Grace by Kenneth Osbeck. It is a collection of 365 Hymns, the story of how the poem came to be written, something about the Author, and a challenge for Christ-followers.  Growing up in church as a Preachers daughter, Hymns were a big part of my life.   One Sunday, one of our grandsons ask if I knew all the verses to all the Hymns.  “No”, I said, “but I know a lot of them.” 

Most of the Hymns were based on Scripture and included Scripture in the poem content.  If I were to be exiled on an Island and could only take one book - and not be a Bible, I would take a hymnbook.

This Devotional has a general theme for each month and February is LOVE! Surprise!  As I read today’s message, I thought, “What a different world this would be if Christ-followers would practice the words of this Hymn or Traditional Spiritual -Let Us Break Bread Together.

In our fast-paced culture filled with electronics, digital, instant gratification culture, many families seldom sit down to a meal together, even weekly. Do you have memories of Sunday Dinners?  At our house we usually had guests and enjoyed friendship and fellowship. Occasionally, we had dinner at someone else’s home.  Now it is hard for us to get someone to join us for dinner at a restaurant!

The Early Believers gathered to together regularly for meals and prayer regardless of color, nationality or status.  it was a times of sharing and developing a bond of love, Unity and fellowship as they had experienced from God Himself.

Unity in Jesus doesn’t mean we can’t disagree about things, but rather listen to others with love, respect and unified Spirit seeking God’s will. God planned, and recorded in Scripture, national feasts to bring people together sharing meals and worship.  Something special when God is the center of conversations!

Growing up, -Let US Break Bread Together – was always sung at Communion, but it certainly applies to daily living. Spending more time on our knees would change hearts.

Osbeck closes with a challenge to Christ Followers:  We should not only value those for whom Christ died, but above all those in whom Christ lives.

            Let us break bread together on our knees. (repeat & add refrain)
            Let us drink the cup together on our knees, (repeat & add refrain)
            Let us praise God together on our knees, (repeat & add refrain)
            refrain: when I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun, O Lord have mercy on me. 

Sooo, join me in prayer: Lord teach me how to live this in my daily life.

Blessings,
Gma J

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