Being Thankful for the Church, the Body of Christ

Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.  -I Corinthians 12:27 (NKJV) 

Once again we were blessed last night with some beautiful snow here in southwest Virginia.  It wasn’t enough to create any serious problems, and it left the region blanketed in a layer of white.  After Wednesday night prayer meeting I got home and began to change clothes and our dog, Ada, sensed right away what I was up to.  Any doubt was removed as soon as I began putting on my boots.  A few minutes later we were enjoying our evening walk, breathing in the crisp and cold air and feeling the crunch of the newly fallen snow beneath our feet.  We walked to the field behind the church where I let Ada off her leash for a while.  She ran around in the snow and thoroughly enjoyed herself.  We then made our usual walk around the perimeter of the church grounds.   

During our walk I was again amazed at the beauty of the night.  The outside lights around the church cast a soft glow that reflected off the newly fallen snow.  The night was quiet and still, and the only sounds were the traffic in the distance.  As we circled the church I had to stop and give thanks again for the Lord’s guidance in bringing me and my family to such a blessed ministry.  I am deeply thankful for the blessings we have experienced in nearly fifteen years of ministry here.  Another thought struck me as well, one that we all know, but do well to consider.  East Bristol Baptist Church belongs to God.  Truly it is the Lord’s church.  The church is not composed of brick and mortar, but is made up of the redeemed in Christ. 

My prayer is that we will be good stewards of the wonderful resources with which the Lord has blessed us.  We have talents, spiritual gifts, abilities, and a beautiful building.  Let us be faithful in putting to the best use possible all that the Lord has provided.  If you are serving in a congregation that loves the Lord, honors His Word, and believes and affirms the truth of the gospel, then you also have the same responsibility.  We are not alone and we are not separate entities, but rather we are one in Christ Jesus.  We are the body of Christ composed of believers all over the world. 

Pray that souls will be saved and lives transformed by the power of the gospel.   

Brothers and sisters in Christ, rejoice!  Jesus Christ is Lord.