Good Morning Friends,
Today we continue to explore phrases in the Apostle’s Creed, an extra Biblical creed, yet rooted in God’s word and of practical use for people in the church today. Much of it sounds like components of the letters attributed to Paul, which included creeds, one of which is included in the scripture verses below from Ephesians. But I like to attribute the words to the Holy Spirit and the Body of Christ. The practical application for us is that Creeds are for the church and for worship, discernment as well as discipleship. Philippians and Ephesians speak to a lot of the components of the Apostles Creed including today’s phrase, a belief in the Communion of Saints. I personally believe in the communion of believers. No not the worship of the dead or even talking to the dead for that is a slippery slope that does not end well. But I do believe in the acknowledgement of the heroes of faith that live on in Jesus. Now, many look up to sports stars and athletes, and others look up to musicians and movie stars. But when you consider how many ended their own lives, we really should be looking elsewhere. Heroes do things most of us cannot do. But God’s heroes were rarely men and women of extraordinary ability or talent, though there were a few. They were more typically men and women of extraordinary faith. The two types of heroes do however have something in common with each other and those whose gaze is fixed upon them….It is a matter of how they focus.. We could ask what united them but I ask a related question. So, What Are The Saints Focusing On?
Scripture: For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many.
1 Corinthians 12:12-14 (KJV)
But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
Hebrews 12:22-24 (KJV)
Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
Colossians 3:14 (NRSV)
Salute every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren which are with me greet you.
Philippians 4:21 (KJV)
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand. John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
Revelation 1: 1-8 (KJV)
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.
Psalm 133 (KJV)
I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.
Ephesians 4:1-6 (NRSV)
Message: Do you know who holds the record as the world’s best free-throw shooter? If you’re thinking Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, or Larry Bird—you’re way off. It’s probably not a fair question really. You’ve almost certainly never heard of the man—unless, that is, you make a habit of reading the Guinness Book of World Records. The guy I came up with in my search is Ted St. Martin, a teacher from Jacksonville, Florida. As I understand it he holds the world record for consecutive free throws made, 5,221, made on April 28, 1996 while giving a shooting clinic to students. It took 7 hours and 20 minutes and was accomplished when he was 71 years of age. What was his secret, you’re wondering? Well it has to be Concentration! The more I read about it and looked into it, the more I realized the only way you do it is—practice. You have to perfect all parts of your technique; then its focus and concentration. You have to put all other thoughts out of your mind. So today, we focus on the men and women of faith from the author of the book of Hebrews and how they help us to concentrate as they instruct our attention in one single direction, sharing in the communion of the saints.. Here focus makes all the difference. It allows us to see. But what we focus on also is so important. When we are driving… focusing on the road ahead is so important. Distractions can kill us. The Bible gives us similar instructions. There are risks and rewards on the journey of life. But it always requires faith and courage to take the next step. Here a focus on Jesus appears risky but a focus on ourselves is actually riskier. If we are to stretch ourselves, we need to have perseverance that is fueled by a focus on something greater than ourselves.
And So, the testimony of the church and its culture is found in the communion of the saints… the visible church is blessed in unity of the elect if we have a focus on Jesus. Here God uses us as who we are in the power of the Holy Spirit and we are saved to walk in the love of Christ and honor the covenant community in the bond of peace….the fruit of the Spirit. The unity is in Christ. With Christ. The Spirit and the Truth of Jesus become the Capstone of the Church in Communion of the Saints. Ministry of upreach in worship, outreach in evangelism, inreach in our sanctification and downreach making disciples. The Communion of Saints empowered by the Spirit and saturated by the Word of God builds the Body in unity through diversity.. Now looking to Jesus in the wisdom of God. Communion joined in sanctification and diversity. Building up the Body of Christ is the task. Here unity is diversity brought together in Christ. That is the nature of a body alive. Friends, we live in a world of hills and valleys in reality and metaphorically speaking as well. We have problems that are referred to as valleys and frankly they are often inevitable and impartial and sometimes unpredictable because we are human and that is just the way life is. But if we discern our reaction to God’s love in our struggles, it can change us, bind us together and build us up collectively while freeing us from the landscape in our own minds on the journey of life. And it is in this universal freeing love that we have hope in Jesus’ prayer we join with a purpose to be one. It is in the Spirit of walking through the valley of the shadow of death and not fearing because we have Christ’s love in us and with us if we have eyes to see our purpose even in the refining fire.
Pray we focus on Jesus, the tie that binds our hearts together in Christian love. Pray we hear the word of God and believe. Pray we recognize the importance of the communion of saints, both living and dead who are united in the body of Christ, beyond the boundaries of time, and space and connect all believers throughout history.. Pray we are committed to God’s will. Pray that Jesus perfects our faith. Pray we be focused with devotion to God’s work. Pray we shoot with arms of faith and work. Pray we hang on focused on Jesus who knows when we need to take the next shot. Pray we take the next shot in faith not fear. Pray that our heroes have a focus on God. Pray for peace and freedom to serve in new ways, as a communion of Saints, as a single body with Christ in this life and the next. Pray we are chosen people belonging to the body of Christ. Pray we are more than disciples. Pray we become living saints extending God’s good to all in the world in Jesus…perfected by the hand of God.Pray we realize that the anointing of the Holy Spirit that blessed Jesus is available to us as Christians today. Pray that like the anointing of Arron it blesses us with unity. Pray that we not be fearful of the future because Jesus has the keys to eternal life. Pray we live sacrificial lives in rememberance of those who have died for our freedom.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 