May the God of endurance and encouragement
grant you to live in such harmony with one another,
in accord with Christ Jesus, (Romans 15:5 ESV)
And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us,
written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God,
not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. (2 Corinthians 3:3 ESV)
So when they were sent off, they went down to Antioch,
and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter.
And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. (Acts 15:30, 31 ESV)
So if there is any encouragement in Christ,
any comfort from love,
any participation in the Spirit,
any affection and sympathy,
complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love,
being in full accord and of one mind.
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit,
but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
Let each of you look not only to his own interests,
but also to the interests of others.
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,
who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
but emptied himself,
by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
And being found in human form, he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,
so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
(Philippians 2:1-11 ESV)
And we urge you, brothers,
admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.
(1 Thessalonians 5:14 ESV)
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,
not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some,
but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
(Hebrews 10:24, 25 ESV)
Finally,
brothers, rejoice.
Aim for restoration, comfort one another,
agree with one another, live in peace;
and the God of love and peace will be with you.
(2 Corinthians 13:11 ESV)
I especially loved this verse: "...although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He HUMBLED HIMSELF BY BECOMING OBEDIENT TO THE POINT TO F DEATH, EVEN DEATH ON A CROSS..." Philippians2:6-8
ReplyDeleteThese verses are such amazing reminders of God's sacrifice for us sinners. How great is God's love for us that he would send his only son to die on a tree for us?!
Every year I am apart of the Easter musical called No Greater Love. While preparing for this musical, it is such a wonderful time to prepare my heart for Easter. Every year I am awed by what Jesus gave up for us! He humbled himself by becoming a man, and then was further humiliated by dying on a cross as a criminal. The God of the universe did this for me! He did this for you! I still can not fully fathom what He went through for us and how much he loves us. It is always a good reminder for me to live a life worth dying for...
Hannah:)
Beth,
ReplyDeleteThank you for bringing to our minds encouraging words from the Lord to His people. These words blessed my heart today: "Those who give up their lives for me will have true life" (Luke 9:24). In Grace For the Moment Daily Bible With Devotional Writings by Max Lucado, he writes, "When you're full of yourself, God can't fill you. But when you empty yourself, God has a useful vessel. Your Bible overflows with examples of those who did. In his Gospel, Matthew mentions his own name only twice. Both times he calls himself a tax collector. In his list of apostles, he assigns himself the eighth spot. John doesn't even mention his name in his Gospel. The twenty appearances of 'John' all refer to John the Baptist. John the apostle simply calls himself 'the other follower' or the 'follower whom Jesus loved' (John 20:2-3). Luke wrote two of the most important books in the Bible but never once penned his own name" (Lucado 340).
May we be emptied of ourselves, so we can be filled by Him.
In Christ,
Christy :-)
A very wonderful selection of scripture! Very reflective and inspiring! It is amazing to think of the diversity and unity of God's word. His word is without error and is spoken with clarity, authority and punctuality! How else could His power be explained?! I pray that God continues to keep us focused on the tasks at hand for this summer. I pray that He will continue to shape, mold and guide us into a useful and effective team. I pray that He keep each of us in His good and perfect grace as we move day by day throughout this process of preparation. Thank you Beth for taking time to manage this site. Thank you Pastor Dave for diligently overseeing the daunting task list before our departure.
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