“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in m and I am in you” - John 17:20-21 (NIV)
The growth in the numbers of churches around us today can be a good thing- more places of worship. Yet it could also be a sign of mere divisions in the body of Christ. I happen to recall well when as a young Christian at Makerere university I and other believers would freely attend a mix of churches on Sunday morning- Deliverance, Church of Uganda, Baptist, Redeemed, Presbyterian, Kampala Pentecostal etc. Later in the evening we would all come and meet in St Francis Chapel as members of Christian union because of a common faith in Jesus. Theology did not matter but Christ. What a witness that was!
Unfortunately today believers on many university campuses prefer meeting in their separate "church fellowships" emphasizing more of their theology than common faith in Jesus. Some Christian groups would not allow even their adherents to fellowship with other believers who attend churches different from theirs. It’s the proverbial turf wars.
How sad. If we think of it, is anyone ever going to enter heaven because of membership in a certain church! Are there denominational churches in heaven? Why lift our churches above Christ? May we seek to emphasize our common faith in Christ Jesus and not what divides us.
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Prayer for the day: Lord Father in heaven, as a follower of Chris may our focus be on you – and not what divides the body of believers.
Related upcoming events
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28/04/2024 - 29/04/2024 All day"The Lord is my shepherd!" (Psalm 23:1)
Psalm 23 of David is perhaps one of the best prayers ever written, with nuggets and inspirations, of benefit to us since and
ever before. “The LORD is my shepherd, “David begins.” I lack nothing” (vv 1). What is it that you lack? In his life David had started out as a shepherd, and he knew very well, that a shepherd’s job is to watch over his sheep, feed and water them, and since the Lord is our shepherd, we his sheep shall lack nothing.Verse 2 -3 says, “He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.” This exactly what a good shepherd does; he takes his sheep to the best fodder, ensuring that his sheep are well fed and rested. When the sheep are restless the good shepherd is troubled. Our God desires and is pleased when we are at peace.
Sometimes we may all find ourselves going through a storm. In Verse 4- 5, David says, "Even though I walk through the darkest valley I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” The Christian life is not without difficulties, but here David points us to God as our comforter and deliverer. We always have the staff of prayer to lean on.
In Verse 5, he writes, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” In his tumultuous life, David had to battle with many enemies, ranging from King Saul, to foreigners and members of his own family. He knew a lot about betrayal. And, we too, may face enemies no less, from those that oppose us in our workplace for their ambition’s sake, to those who are not pleased because of the Gospel we preach. Yet here, just as David, we are assured that victory is on our side- this is why our cup overflows.
“Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever” (vv 6). The one who walks with God has a fresh smile ever, for God is with him. The blessings of God are with him wherever he goes.
Prayer for today: Lord Father God of Abraham,
maker of heaven and earth, as David prayed in Psalm 23, may I not be troubled, for you are my shepherd ever watching over me and your goodness goes ahead of me!
