Category: Cross Training

Re: Verse reading–Proverbs 17:17; 1 John 4:7-21 (day one)
“This is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His son to be an atoning sacrifice for our sins.  Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”  (1 John 4:10-11)  When all is said and done, the one thing that we will either regret or treasure is love.  “If I have not love, I am nothing” said Paul in 1 Corinthians 13.  Lesson learned by experience.  Paul spent years being “right” with a hard heart.  He found out (and John agreed) that truth without love is ungodly.  With God,  for God, at church, in the world, love is our main task and the standard by which the world identifies us.  Did I love?  Do I?  Will I?  Scripture defines it.  Love is sacrifice made for the welfare of others. (v 10)  The opposite of selfishness. The lesson and example of the cross.  Brothers, love one another!

RE Verse reading–Acts 2:42-47; Romans 12:3-13 (day six) 
“For by the grace given to me I say to every one of you; do not think or yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.”  (Romans 12:3) Humility is a blessing.  To the humble man and to his friends.   “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”  (James 4:6)  It is an important factor in the equation of Christian fellowship.  Proud people compete. Humble people recognize the value of every member and make allowances for the needs of all to be met. They join a team and do so gladly.  Paul was powerfully gifted as a preacher/missionary.  Even so, he knew that the God’s grace gives each of us only “a measure” of the faith that is necessary for the full work of the church.  With grace comes humility.  In theory at least.

Re: Verse reading–Acts 2:42-47; Romans 12:3-13 (day two)
And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. Acts 2:46-47

We were made for community. When we come together around a meal we create a community of sorts that is a picture of the body of Christ. We share our provisions, which nurtures everyone around us. We talk, laugh, and become closer through our fellowship. This picture can extend to our times of worship. One of the functions of corporate worship is to build community. When we come together we join our voices with the saints around us and are strengthened. As you come for worship next week consider getting to know someone you don’t currently know. If they came to your house, you would certainly learn their name, so do the same here. Sit in community with others, gain from the beautiful fellowship of singing, praying, and growing together.

Re: Verse reading–2 Chronicles 20:1-4, 13-15; Matthew 6:16-18; Acts 13:1-3 (day seven)
“He fasted forty days and forty nights.” (Matthew 4:2)  “It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God.”  (Luke 6:12)  “And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping.”  (Matthew 26:40)  God is supernatural.  ABOVE nature in power and worth.  Glorious and good and eternal.  The ancients, therefore, understood that at important moments it is beneficial and wise to place His concerns ABOVE normal (and legitimate) human needs. Not standard practice, but acceptable under certain conditions. Needs like eating or sleeping were subordinated.  Prayer ABOVE food and sleep.  The importance of fasting needs to be recovered in our day.  Remember the disciples in the garden?  They wanted to support, but in their immaturity had not yet learned to seek the spiritual ABOVE the physical.  Only Jesus can make us supernatural.  It is still His desire to do so.