The Propers for today are found
on Page 198-199, with the Collect first:
The
Seventh Sunday after Trinity.
The
Collect.
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ORD of all power and might, who art the author and giver of all good things;
Graft in our hearts the love of thy Name, increase in us true religion, nourish
us with all goodness, and of thy great mercy keep us in the same; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
Dru
Arnold read the Epistle, which was came from the Sixth Chapter of Saint
Paul’s letter to the Romans
beginning at the Nineteenth Verse.
Paul reminds us when we strive above all else for the things of this world, we
gain nothing we can take with us to the next. “For, when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from
righteousness.” Conversely, if we
will be servants of God (righteousness) we can be free from the devil
sin). “… the wages of sin is
death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. If we will follow God, we will live,
not only forever in the next world, but better in this world. We must put aside what we did and do
what He would have us do. Actions
are the key to everything. Talk is
nice. Action is what counts.
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SPEAK after the manner of men because of the infirmity of
your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to
iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness
unto holiness. For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from
righteousness. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now
ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from
sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end
everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal
life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Deacon Striker Jack Arnold read today’s
Holy Gospel which was written in the Eighth Chapter of the Gospel according to
Saint Mark beginning at the First Verse. Jesus had been in the wilderness
teaching a multitude, some four thousand in number. In those pre-restaurant on every corner days, the people had
been without food and were hungry.
Jesus was concerned and inventoried their supplies, seven loaves and a
few small fishes. He gave thanks
to God, and commanded the food to be set out before the people. When they had eaten their fill, the
scraps gathered up from the seven loaves filled seven baskets.
Many speculated over the years as
to just how He did it. The answer
is simple, He did it. He did not
talk about feeding the multitude and sit down to His own meal. He acted and they were fed. Does this story recall the words from
the Last Supper used in Holy Communion at the Consecration? “he took Bread; and
when he had given thanks, he brake it, and gave it to his disciples, saying,
Take, eat, this is my Body, which is given for you; Do this in remembrance of
me.” Those few words produced The
Word, which has satisfied so many over millenniums.
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N those days the multitude being very great, and
having nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples unto him, and saith unto
them, I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me
three days, and have nothing to eat: and if I send them away fasting to their
own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far. And
his disciples answered him, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread
here in the wilderness? And he asked them, How many loaves have ye? And they
said, Seven. And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took
the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set
before them; and they did set them before the people. And they had a few small
fishes: and he blessed, and commanded to set them also before them. So they did
eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven
baskets. And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and he sent them
away.
Sermon
– Time and Action
Today’s sermon tied the Epistle and Gospel together
talked as is oft the case of the need for action, not simply diction, the
general content is in forewords above.
Consider the words from the Collect, … author
and giver of all good things; Graft in our hearts the love of thy Name,
increase in us true religion, nourish us with all goodness, and of thy great
mercy keep us in the same (that is to say keep us in goodness)…
To get anywhere, we must acknowledge in our hearts
that all good is of and comes from God.
Once we acknowledge that, we are in a position to ask God to put in to
our hearts love of Him and all that is His. This will help us to appreciate and act in goodness. Without His love our efforts will
ultimately be of no avail.
So,
pretty clearly we need to be of God.
Thus, when Paul wrote to the people of Rome, he was writing to all of
us; for there truly is nothing new in the world. Before we are of God, we are of this world. Our life is here, our end is here. Once we are of God, then we are merely
sojourners here; our life is not really here and certainly does not end
here. The only way to be of God is
through God, that is His Son, our Lord.
If we will follow God, we will
live, not only forever in the next world, but better in this world. We must put aside what we did and do
what He would have us do. Actions
are the key to everything. Talk is
nice. Action is what counts.
Saint Mark tells us of action. Jesus
had been in the wilderness teaching a multitude, some four thousand in
number. In those pre-restaurant on
every corner days, the people had been without food and were hungry. Jesus was concerned and inventoried
their supplies, seven loaves and a few small fishes. He gave thanks to God, and commanded the food to be set out
before the people. When they had
eaten their fill, the scraps gathered up from the seven loaves filled seven
baskets.
Many speculated over the years as
to just how He did it. The answer
is simple, He did it. He did not
talk about feeding the multitude and then sit down to His own meal. He acted and they were fed. Does this story recall the words from
the Last Supper used in Holy Communion at the Consecration? “he took Bread; and
when he had given thanks, he brake it, and gave it to his disciples, saying,
Take, eat, this is my Body, which is given for you; Do this in remembrance of
me.” Those few words produced The
Word, which has satisfied so many over millenniums.
Be of God - Live of
God - Act of God.
Bishop Ogles’
Sermon
We are oft fortunate to get
copies of Bishop Jerry’s sermon notes.
Today is one of those Sundays.
Today’s sermon starts off with the collect. It will give you a lot to consider in your heart.
Sermon Notes
Seventh
Sunday after Trinity
22 July 2012,
Anno Domini
The
Seventh Sunday after Trinity.
The
Collect.
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ORD of all power and might, who art the author and giver of all good things;
Graft in our hearts the love of thy Name, increase in us true religion, nourish
us with all goodness, and of thy great mercy keep us in the same; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
1 And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt
Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. 2 And
he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee
into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of
the mountains which I will tell thee of. 3 And Abraham rose up
early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with
him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up,
and went unto the place of which God had told him. 4 Then on the
third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. 5 And
Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad
will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. 6 And Abraham
took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he
took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. 7 And
Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am
I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for
a burnt offering? 8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide
himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. 9 And
they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar
there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the
altar upon the wood. 10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and
took the knife to slay his son. 11 And the angel of the Lord called
unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. 12 And
he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him:
for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son,
thine only son from me. 13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and
looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and
Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the
stead of his son. 14 And Abraham called the name of that place
Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be
seen. 15 And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of
heaven the second time, 16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith
the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son,
thine only son: 17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in
multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the
sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his
enemies; 18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be
blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice. (Gen 22:1-18)
There is a Scarlet Thread of Blood Sacrifice
(as Dr. W.A Criswell has rightly spoken) that runs from the Fall of Adam in
Genesis to the events of Good Friday two thousand years ago. You will recall
that the first death on earth occurred immediately after Adam's disobedience
eastward in the Garden at Eden. Unto Adam also and to his wife did the
Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them. (Gen 3:21)
The animal (most likely a lamb) from which these skins were taken, foreshadows
that coming bloody sacrifice of the Lamb of God as a covering for our nakedness
in sins and trespasses. Abel, the first prophet, also died in giving an
acceptable sacrifice of a lamb. The Pascal Lamb of the First Passover
significantly typified, in imperfect form, that perfect sacrifice of our own
Passover – the crucifixion of Christ as a propitiation for our sins.
To the harlot, Rahab, it was spoken: "Thou
shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window" (Joshua
2:18) It was not by her righteousness or good works that a harlot named Rahab
was saved to become the mother of Boaz, and thus a great grandmother to David
and presumed ancestor to Christ, but faith prompted by grace that saved her.
In our text today, we have one of the most
complete and perfect foreshadowing's of the sacrifice of Christ given in the
Old Testament – the voyage of Abraham to Mt. Moriah with the intention of obeying
God by sacrificing his only beloved son. Abraham, in type, prefigures God the
Father who will, indeed, sacrifice His own only Begotten and well-beloved Son
in the fullness of time. Isaac is a type of Christ upon whose shoulders were
laid the burden of the sins of the world as a wooden cross at Calvary. The
Mountain at Moriah happens to be the very same upon which the Temple stands as
well as Calvary – or very near to it and in the same range. Please consider the
great faith of Abraham expressed in these lines as he is commanded to sacrifice
his only son. Consider, too, the great truth that God intends to impart to us
who believe.
1 And it came to pass after these
things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said,
Behold, here I am. 2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac,
whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for
a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.
3 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took
two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the
burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.
It surely DID `come to pass' for it was
decided upon in the Councils of Heaven long before the world, and all its
creatures, was ever created. We know not the date for this momentous decision
for there are no calendars in Heaven. The Great I AM is an eternal Present!
God tempts no man to sin! This reference to
the tempting of Abraham means that God was testing the faith of Abraham. He
could not have chosen a better subject for the trial. That the trial of
your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be
tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the
appearing of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:7) Ah, yes, at the appearing of
Jesus Christ! Your father Abraham rejoiced to
see my day: and he saw it, and was glad (John 8:56) True and
living faith is always rewarded in its glorious fulfillment.
God, who promised Abraham multitudes of sons
and daughters, has tarried in giving even one son until Abraham and Sarah are
advanced in years – beyond the age of childbearing. But the promises of God are
certain in their accomplishment. Even as we speak, the rolls of multitudes of
sons and daughters of Abraham are being increased as the children of the
promised Seed are added moment by moment. Imagine Abraham's relief and
contentment at finally having received a son from the Lord – clearly given by
the miracle of Promise and not by the normal process of childbearing. Just what
Abraham was doing at the moment that the voice of God spoke to him on that
fateful day we are not told. But, whatever it was, Abraham dropped all other pursuits
and listened to God – always!
God spoke crushing words to Abraham: Take
now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into
the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the
mountains which I will tell thee of. That was all! This son
was so much comparable, in circumstance, with Jesus. He was an only son of
miraculous birth (like Christ); he was well-beloved of his father (like
Christ); and he was to be offered up on Moriah (like Christ – carrying the
means of his own death). So how did Abraham respond to this seemingly tragic
news?
3 And Abraham rose
up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men
with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and
rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. Abraham
immediately obeyed God – and COMPLETELY! He never offered a word of questioning
doubt. He simply obeyed! He prepared and carried with him the means required to
complete the command of God. Abraham, by faith, ALWAYS obeyed God. By
faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after
receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he
went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country,
dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same
promise (Heb 11:8-9) May God, by grace, grant us a like faith of
Abraham.
4 Then on the
third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off On
the third day, Christ rose from the Tomb. On this, the third day, would Isaac
be redeemed from the terrible prospects of death by a substitute sacrifice.
5 And Abraham said unto his
young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and
worship, and come again to you. If you have your Bibles open,
please read with deep understanding the great faith demonstrated in this verse.
Abraham tells the young men with him that he and Isaac will go yonder and
worship and "come again to you!" What profound faith!
Abraham loved God. He KNEW the nature of God – that He was loving and kind. He
did not know by what means, but surely he believed that by SOME means, Isaac
would be restored whole to him. Obedience to God, too, is always an act of
worship.
6 And Abraham took
the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he
took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.
God the Father laid the sins of the world upon the shoulders of His only
Begotten Son in the form of a wooden cross which He bare. Now, Abraham does the
same. Isaac climbed the mountain of his own presumed sacrifice bearing, in
type, those sins. But Isaac would not be required of God to pay that penalty –
nor COULD he. There remained only One who could pay that terrible price for us
– the Lord Jesus Christ! Both climbed up the slopes of Moriah!
7 And Isaac spake
unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my
son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb
for a burnt offering? In the innocence of his youth, Isaac never
questioned any motive of his father, but he did ask a reasonable question
arising from factual observation – where is the Lamb? He did not know that the
true Lamb was yet with His Father in Heaven.
8 And Abraham
said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they
went both of them together. Here we read one of the most profound
prophecies in the Old Testament: "God will provide Himself a Lamb"……and
He did! God provided that Lamb in the form of His only Begotten Son!
9 And they came
to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and
laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon
the wood. 10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife
to slay his son. Abraham hesitated not in performing all things
requisite for the sacrifice of his beloved son, Isaac. It might be observed
here that anything placed on an altar is then dedicated fully to God. Isaac,
though not sacrificed, and all his progeny in faith, are dedicated to the
service of God. Are you, friends? Now, with a heart full of sorrow, Abraham
raises the knife for the terrible offering to God – even Isaac his son.
11 And the angel
of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham:
and he said, Here am I. 12 And he said, Lay not thine hand
upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou
fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from
me It is good that Abraham was accustomed, by faith, to hear the
voice of the Lord for this hearing saved his son from certain death. God is
well pleased with Abraham's evidence of faith. God discovered that Abraham
would hold nothing back from His Lord and His God. It is perhaps true that the
trial and test of Abraham was intended to benefit us, the believers of the
Promise, even more than Abraham. Abraham's faith was fixed on God, and God KNEW
it! So God provides the faith of Abraham as an example of that faith that must
lie in the hearts of all who believe.
13 And Abraham
lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a
thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for
a burnt offering in the stead of his son. This ram is a substitute
type of that promised Lamb of God – in this case a substitute for Isaac, but
there would be no such substitute for that Lamb of God which would come in the
fullness of time. The thorn bush was placed upon the fair and innocent brow of
our Lord at Calvary.
14 And Abraham
called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day,
In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen Yes, the name is
symbolic to Mt. Moriah at which the "Lord will see to it"
(the sacrifice).
15 And the angel
of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time
If we are keen to hear the voice of the Lord, He will never cease to speak to
us. 16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord,
for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine
only son In other words, "Abraham, because you have not
held even your only beloved son from me, I know that your heart if filled to
the brim with love and faith of me."
17 That in
blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the
stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and
thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies. This is a far greater
promise than natural descent will allow. It is a promise filled in miraculous
and persevering faith of the saints. God will bring numbers untold into the
family of Abraham, far more by faith than by natural bloodlines. Only those who
are of the family of faith in the Promised Seed shall be called the children of
Abraham and not those of the natural bloodline. It is not who we are, but in
WHOM we place our trust! This is the measure of the Church of Abraham and the
Gospel to which he subscribed while the Promise was held in waiting.
18 And
in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast
obeyed my voice Those nations whose faith and institutions are
centered on God shall never suffer the ravages of war and desolation. How shall
our own nation fare as we cast aside, day by day, every vestige of that abiding
faith that made us a most cherished nation among the nations of the earth? If
America can be saved, that salvation shall not occur through political
measures. It is the common heart of America that must be turned back to her God
and Benefactor. If America can now be retrieved from sure ruin, it must happen
one heart at a time. AMEN
Bishop
Dennis Campbell’s Sunday Sermon
As
is oft the case, we are honored to present Bishop Dennis’ Sunday sermon
presented to his parish. Dennis
has a great sermon for the Seventh Sunday after Trinity, my only comment is
that the unity of which he speaks is unity centered on the Triune God, not a
unity centered on a man made entity:
God of Unity
Psalm 133, Romans 6:19-33, Mark
8:1-9
Seventh Sunday after Trinity
July 22, 2012
Trinity is the season of Christian living. That
doesn't mean we don't live the Christian life at other times; it means that the
subject of the sermons and Scripture readings during Trinity is the Christian
life. On the Seventh Sunday after Trinity we pause to remember again that
even[1]
the Christian life is a gift from God. Thus, we beseech God to form
within our souls, the love of His Name, the increase of true religion, and all
goodness, and to keep us in these things throughout our earthy lives.
The reading from Romans 6 reminds us the wages of sin
is death, but we, being freed from sin, are to bear the fruit of
holiness. The reading from Mark 8 shows Christ, the author and giver of
all good things, supplying the needs of His people. As He fed the
multitude in the wilderness, we can trust Him to "give us this day our
daily bread," especially the Bread of everlasting life. Psalm 133 is
about one of the greatest gifts of God to His people, the gift of unity in His
Church.
Psalm 133. Ecce, quam bonum!
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EHOLD how good and joyful a thing it is, * for
brethren to dwell together in unity!
2 It is like the precious oil upon the head, that ran down unto the beard,
* even unto Aaron’s beard, and went down to the skirts of his clothing.
3 Like as the dew of Hermon, * which fell
upon the hill of Sion.
4 For there the Lord promised his blessing, *
and life for evermore.
In the Apostles' time, the Church was one body,
spiritually and organizationally. It was one organization with Christ as
its Head accomplishing His teaching and government through the Apostles and
other ministers. The Apostles taught and ordained bishops and ministers,
who were to teach others what they had learned. Thus, Christ, the Word of
God, called the Apostles to learn His teachings (Jn. 1:14-18, Lk.
24:27). He then commissioned the Apostles to make disciples of others by
teaching them what Christ had taught them (Mt. 28:19-20). These men were
to teach others, who would teach others (1 Tim. 2:2), and so it will continue
until the Lord's Return.
All of the teacher/ministers answered to the
Apostles. The Apostles sent letters and instructions to them, and even
sent delegations to their churches with authority to correct problems in
doctrine and practice. The Apostle Paul excommunicated Hymenaeus and
Alexander (1 Tim. 1:20) and placed Titus in Crete to establish churches and to
appoint and ordain bishops and ministers as Paul had appointed and ordained him
(Titus 1:5). Even Peter was called to give an account of his activities
to the other Apostles (Acts 11:1-18). So the Church was one connected
body. There were no independent local congregations. Local churches
were part of the larger Church, teaching the Apostles' doctrine and under the
supervision of bishops, who were under the Apostles' supervision. That is
why the picture of the Church as the Body of Christ is so accurate. No
part of the Body is independent of the others. Each is dependent and
organically connected to the whole Body, under the direction of the Head.
The Bible also illustrates this with the analogy of a Kingdom or Empire.
The Church is the Empire of Christ. He is the Emperor, and His Empire is
divided into provinces and counties, but no province or county is
independent. Each province is part of the Empire, and each is connected
to the others
Writing about the unity of the Church, the Apostle
Paul gives the foundation of our unity in Ephesians 4:1-6, and, especially in
the well beloved words of verses 4, 5, and 6:
"There
is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye were called in 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 you all."
We have already looked at the meaning of "one
body," but we should note here that one Spirit, the Holy Spirit, animates
the Body. The Holy Spirit is the soul of the Church. The calling is
our invitation to be a part of the Body. It is the Divine Invitation to
be partakers of all the blessings of God in Christ; the forgiveness of sins,
the communion of saints, the indwelling Spirit, the means of grace, holiness of
life, and the hope of glory are all part of these blessings. There is
much more to your calling, but I will have to talk about that another
time. We are one in Christ, and in His blood. In other words, we
are all sinners saved by grace. He died for our sins, and we are united
in the fact that we are forgiven and made whole by His one offering of Himself
on the cross. Of course our unity is based on the One Lord. There
is one Lord, so there is also one body. There is one Saviour, therefore
there is one Church.
We are united in one faith. That means we are
united in the Apostles' doctrine, the doctrinal content of Christianity,
which we looked at earlier in the sermon. But faith is also belief and
trust. So we are united in our belief in the doctrines, and also one in
our trust in Christ as our Lord and Saviour. We are one because we have
partaken of one baptism, that is, our baptism into Christ, our spiritual
baptism, accomplished by the Holy Spirit, by which we were placed in Christ,
and Christ was placed in us, and of which our water baptism is a sign and seal.
I apologize for the quickness of this discussion of
the basis of our unity. I thought it necessary to mention it, but it is
not the point of this sermon. The point of the sermon is the point of
Psalm 133, that it is a good and joyful thing for the people of God to dwell
together in unity. The Psalm does not give the details of the good and
joyful benefits of Christian unity. It does what poetry often does,
giving images and word pictures rather than concrete examples. It
poetically compares unity to the oil that consecrates the high priest in the
line of Aaron. The oil was costly, and perfumed with sweet and exotic
spices. It was pleasant to see and smell, and it was poured in abundance
over the head of the High Priest so that it ran down to his beard and some even
dripped onto of his robe. In that semi-arid climate, the oil reminded the
people of the soothing and healing effect oil had on their chapped, dry hands
and skin.
Keeping the dry climate of the area in mind, picture
the wonder and appreciation the people would have for the pleasant climate of
Mount Hermon. With an elevation over nine thousand feet, it is often snow
capped through mid summer, and its melting snow and abundant rain are major
sources of the waters of the Jordan River. Nights can be cold there, even
in July and August. The mountain is a cool and refreshing retreat in an
otherwise hot, dry area. The point, of course is that the fellowship, the
belonging, the love, the acceptance, the unity of God's people is a cool,
refreshing refuge from the dessert wilderness of the world.
This unity is both a gift to the people of God, and
the responsibility of the people of God. It is a major part of our
calling to preserve the unity of the Church, especially in our local
congregation. Next to ensuring that we have our unity in the Apostolic
faith recorded in Scripture, being sources of encouragement and edification
rather than strife and sorrow may be our most important task as Christians.
Remember that the world will know we are Christ's people because we love one
another, and our growth in Christ is tied to our belonging to His Body.
So it is imperative that we are able to say from experience, "Behold, how
good and joyful a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in unity."
[1]
Perhaps even is not the right word, for a
Christian Life is the centerpiece of our gifts from God. Without the Holy Ghost entering into our
lives, we cannot live in God, of God and through God.
