How to Have a Healthy Church
All of us, together, are part of Jesus’ body—the Church. Together we reflect who He is and what He has done. When we accept Jesus as our Savior, we receive His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit enables us to live like Jesus by equipping us with unique gifts we can use to strengthen and encourage the Church. And when we listen to the Holy Spirit, He draws us closer to God and to each other.
And because it is the same Spirit at work within each of us, anyone who belongs to Jesus is part of His body, and has a unique role to play. But just as a physical body will not function unless everything works together, the Church will not function the way it was intended unless we are receptive to the work of the Spirit in us, and committed to putting Jesus first.
The Church is healthy when it works together—united in its desire to love people like Jesus did, and serve others the way Jesus did.
Practically, this could look like serving the people we see at the store, on the street, or at a church service. It could look like inviting someone to your house for a meal, helping someone find a job, being a safe space for a vulnerable family, or financially supporting a non-profit.
If we are Christians, then we are part of Jesus’ body—His Church—and we have a unique role to play in building it up. We are called to use the gifts the Holy Spirit gives us to encourage and sacrificially serve each other, staying united in our love for our Savior. When we do that, Jesus shines through us and touches a broken world in need of hope.
So today, what can you do to serve and support the body of Christ? Jesus’ body is our body—so let’s treat it with care. It is this body that God has chosen to show His love to a hurting world.
Jesus Does The Impossible
Jesus’ statement in Matthew 19:26 is often taken out of context. Many people have taken this verse to mean that they can do anything they want in life because God can do the impossible. Often this can lead to selfish prayers and a small view of God.
In order to understand what Jesus is saying, we should read the preceding verses. In Matthew 19:16-22, a young man comes to Jesus asking for eternal life. Jesus tells him that he must give up all of his earthly possessions—something the young man is not willing to do. Because he failed the test, the young man failed to inherit eternal life.
Jesus says in Matthew 19:23 that it is very difficult for a rich man to enter heaven. The point is that loving Jesus requires everything we are. Our ultimate love cannot be split between Jesus and something else.
The disciples then ask, “Who can be saved?” Jesus responds in Matthew 19:26 that it is impossible for man to save himself—but it is possible with God. God can do the ...