Grow in God's Love Each Morning!

Word Of God:

“I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.”- Psalm 138:2

Daily Devotion:

The Cross Combine

"Putting to death hostility by the Cross, thereby reconciling them both as one Body through Christ in God" (Eph 2:16)

We have been pondering over the essential need to experience oneness amongst various Christian denominations and organisations, and the means to achieve it. Let us this day conclude the meditation of this subject by looking at two more steps to bring about unity.

Emphasize the centrality of the Cross.

If Jews and non-Jews could be brought together, unity is possible between any groups of Christians. Jews and non-Jews were so hostile towards each other that the Jews were even capable of calling their non-Jewish neighbours as dogs. The Jew would have thought that the Messiah would call the Gentiles to become Jews. But He put the Cross at the centre and called both the groups to meet there. The enmity was killed by the Cross. The middle wall of division was broken down (Eph 2:14-16).

The Cross is the symbol of reconciliation. The vertical staff speaks of man's reconciliation with God; and the horizontal speaks of man's reconciliation with his fellowmen. One leads to the other and one cannot exist without the other (Prov 16:7; 1 Jn 4:20,21). Let's learn to boast of the Cross only, instead of crowing about our styles and accomplishments. When the Cross is lifted up, everything loses its charm and everyone will run to its shadow. Hero-worshipping of any preacher or leader is out when the Cross is brought to the focus (1 Cor 1:12,13).

Pray for a Holy Spirit revival.

The outcome of the revival portrayed in the vision of dry bones was not just that they became a great army. God performed the miracle of joining the two sticks of Judah & Co. and Joseph & Co. into one. He said, "I will make them ONE nation in the land ... and ONE King shall be King over them all; they shall NO LONGER BE TWO nations, nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again" (Ezek 37:16-22).

The result of Pentecost was just the same. "All who believed were TOGETHER." "They raised their voice to God with ONE ACCORD." "The multitude of those who believed were of ONE HEART and ONE SOUL" (Acts 2:44; 4:24,32). Do it again, O Lord! The Holy Spirit is a spirit of love. Through His fruit of peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and gentleness, He enables God's people to live in harmony (Gal 5:22,23).

Prayer:

Prayer for God's Guidance

We beseech Thee, O Lord, let our hearts be graciously enlightened by Thy holy radiance, that we may serve Thee without fear in holiness and righteousness all the days of our life; that so we may escape the darkness of this world, and by Thy guidance attain the land of eternal brightness; through Thy mercy, O blessed Lord, Who doest live and govern all things, world without end. Amen.