How
many of you have noticed children playing on a playground?
They often play together quite harmoniously, are quite inventive
and imaginary in their play. But quite often they will squabble,
quarrel, ostracize and sometimes even push and shove and hit each
other.
Do we as adults act much better? Don’t we have problems
with others in our everyday life with co-workers, our boss, fellow
Christians and with our spouses? Do we get along with others that
don’t believe exactly as we do?
I have a song that I often listen to that reminds me that we are
all one Body under Christ. Russ Taff, who is a Contemporary
Christian Music Artist, and often sings with the Gaither Homecoming
Artists often performs the song “We Will Stand.” The song
makes two statements that I really love.
1. I don't care what label you may wear,
as long as you belong to Jesus, you belong to me.
2. You're my brother, you're my sister,
take me by the hand. Together we will work until He comes.
There's no foe that can defeat us, when we're walkin' side by
side, as long as there is Love, we will stand.
Often when this song is sung, the audience clasp
hands and raise them to Jesus in song...pledging in song to work
together in unity, as one. Can you imagine what would happen if
all the denominations would unite and sing these words?
Christ would sure have a large smile on His glorious face, and
our hearts would be filled to bursting with a renewed sense of
purpose. To get to work and stand together until He returns
Another one of my favorite inspirational readings is done once
again by the Gaither Homecoming Artists, and read and probably
written by Gloria Gaither. The title of this inspirational
is “Sunday School Picnic.” Once you have meditated upon
the message of this reading, and there are several messages within
these few words that we can learn so much from, so just don’t
read it once. Read it twice or even three times. Each
time you read it, reflect upon the true meaning behind the words
on the surface.
SUNDAY
SCHOOL PICNIC
By Bob Benson
Do
you remember when they had old-fashioned Sunday school picnics?
It was before air-conditioning. They said, "We'll meet at Sycamore
Lodge in Shelby Park at 4:30 Saturday. You bring your supper and
we'll furnish the tea."
But
you came home at the last minute and when you got ready to pack
your lunch, all you could find in the refrigerator was one dried
up piece of baloney and just enough mustard in the bottom of the
jar so that you got it all over your knuckles trying to get to
it. And there were just two stale pieces of bread. So you made
your baloney sandwich and wrapped it in some brown bag and went
to the picnic.
When
it came time to eat you sat at the end of a table and spread out
your sandwich. But the folks next to you--the lady was a good
cook and she had worked all day and she had fried chicken, and
baked beans, and potato salad and homemade rolls and sliced tomatoes,
and pickles, and olives, and celery and topped it off with two
big homemade chocolate pies. And they spread it all out beside
you and there you were with your baloney sandwich.
But
they said to you, "Why don't we put it all together?" "No, I couldn't
do that, I just couldn't even think of it," your murmured embarrassed.
"Oh, come on, there's plenty of chicken and plenty of pie, and
plenty of everything--and we just love baloney sandwiches. Let's
just put it all together." And so you did and there you sat--eating
like a king when you came like a pauper.
And
I get to thinking--
I
think of me "sharing in the very being of God." 2nd Peter 1:4
(NEB) When I think of how little I bring, and how much He brings
and that He invites me to "share," I know I should be shouting
from the housetops, but I am so filled with awe and wonder that
I can hardly be heard.
I
know you don't have enough love and faith, or grace, or mercy
or wisdom. But He has--He has all those things in abundance and
says, "Let's just put it all together. Everything I possess is
available to you. Everything I am and can be to a person, I will
be to you."
When
I think about it like that, it really amuses me to see somebody
running along through life hanging on to their dumb bag with that
stale baloney sandwich saying, "God's not going to get my sandwich!
No
siree, this is mine!" Did you ever see anybody like that--so needy--just
about half-starved to death, hanging on for dear life?
It's
not that He needs your sandwich. The fact is, you need his chicken.
~~~~~~~~~~~
I
often read this inspirational at a combined church meeting of
different denominations, a potluck, or even an introduction for
an offering. It fits all these occasions in such a
wonderful way. You may think of other ways to use this inspiring
story.
John 3:16, as I am sure you all have it memorized
it by now, states: “For God so loved the world that He gave
His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not
perish but have everlasting life.
Beloved, that does not mean just the members of
the Worldwide Church of God, or Baptists, Methodists, Pentecostals,
Presbyterians, non-denominational churches, or the many splinter
groups of the aforementioned churches. It literally means
whosoever believes in Christ. That makes all who believe in Him,
part of His body. Do we want to cut off a toe or an arm?
Not me…I don’t want to hinder the work of Christ in any way.
Matthew
18:10, the words of Jesus Christ reads, “Take heed that you do
not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in
heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in
heaven. And Verse 14 goes on to say: “Even so, it is not
the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little
ones should perish.
We
are all still little ones in so many ways because we are still
growing and learning about the Grace of Jesus Christ, and we should
be careful not of offend any members of the body of Christ.
Romans 10:11-13 reads: “For the scripture says, Whoever
believes on Him will not be put to shame. For there is no
distinction between Jew and Greek (to paraphrase, Baptists, Catholics,
Methodists, Lutherans, Pentecostals, or even members of non-denominational
churches and the Worldwide Church of God, etc.) for the same Lord
over all is rich to all who call upon Him.
So brothers and sisters, I hope that you have been given some
“food” for thought by these messages. I know I have.
Let’s try to act a little better than children on the playground,
and begin to realize that we truly are one body in Christ.
So let’s get to work, put it all together, and labor until He
comes!
