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Welcome to Our Newly Remodeled Website!

This website has been developed to help you understand the Word of God, the Holy Bible. We believe that the Word of God holds the keys to a peaceful, fruitful, joyful life. Jesus said that the "truth shall make you free." As you walk with Jesus and learn what the Word of God teaches you will find a new found freedom in your life.

Some of the teachings on this website may be unlike any you have ever heard. Let me encourage you to keep an open mind and also to search out what is being taught here to see if it lines up with the Bible or not. If you have problems with any of the lessons and don't agree. Send me scriptures and we can discuss your differences. Many of the lessons contained in this website will step on the toes of traditional Christianity. Jesus said that the "tradition of man makes the commandment of God of no effect." It is time to get rid of tradition and believe what the Word of God really says!

Online Bibles
The Bible Gateway
Online Parallel Bible
Bible.com
Bible Logos.com
Blue Letter Bible

Study Aids
Biblios
GloBible
Kenyon's Gospel Publishing Society
The Dake Annotated Bible and Other Study Material

Information About Cults
Utah Lighthouse Ministry

Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you. 1 Timothy 4:16

 

Our Place in the Body of Christ

The southern and the southeastern United States have a growing problem with feral hogs. Originally brought to North America by Christopher Columbus on his second voyage in 1493, hogs have thrived in this country and now are quickly becoming a hazard to humans.

The route my wife takes to work every day is frequently littered with the carcasses of hogs that have been hit by cars. Most of them are big and they do extreme damage to vehicles that hit them! Some of them probably weigh around two hundred pounds and can get even larger. God created a fascinating animal to clean up the carcasses. Almost as soon as you notice a dead hog on the side of the road, you will see buzzards circling high above. They will come in by the dozens and make short work of cleaning up roadkill. A couple of days after being killed, all that is left are bones and hides.

In my opinion, the buzzard is one of the most repugnant animals alive but they have a job to do and they do it well. Without them, especially in central Florida, there would be carcasses all over the place and the smell would be horrendous. All these animals have their place and we look at some of them more favorably than we do others.

This is the same in the body of Christ. We all have a place in the body where Christ has put us.

1 Corinthians 12:14-31 Contemporary English Version (CEV)

14Our bodies don't have just one part. They have many parts. 15Suppose a foot says, "I'm not a hand, and so I'm not part of the body." Wouldn't the foot still belong to the body? 16Or suppose an ear says, "I'm not an eye, and so I'm not part of the body." Wouldn't the ear still belong to the body? 17If our bodies were only an eye, we couldn't hear a thing. And if they were only an ear, we couldn't smell a thing. 18But God has put all parts of our body together in the way that he decided is best. 19A body isn't really a body, unless there is more than one part. 20It takes many parts to make a single body. 21That's why the eyes cannot say they don't need the hands. That's also why the head cannot say it doesn't need the feet. 22In fact, we cannot get along without the parts of the body that seem to be the weakest. 23We take special care to dress up some parts of our bodies. We are modest about our personal parts, 24but we don't have to be modest about other parts. God put our bodies together in such a way that even the parts that seem the least important are valuable. 25He did this to make all parts of the body work together smoothly, with each part caring about the others. 26If one part of our body hurts, we hurt all over. If one part of our body is honored, the whole body will be happy. 27Together you are the body of Christ. Each one of you is part of his body. 28First, God chose some people to be apostles and prophets and teachers for the church. But he also chose some to work miracles or heal the sick or help others or be leaders or speak different kinds of languages. 29Not everyone is an apostle. Not everyone is a prophet. Not everyone is a teacher. Not everyone can work miracles. 30Not everyone can heal the sick. Not everyone can speak different kinds of languages. Not everyone can tell what these languages mean. 31I want you to desire the best gifts. [a] So I will show you a much better way.

After finishing seminary, before graduation, the school always has a class barbecue. It is the last time for the graduating class to get together with each other and the instructors. After the class barbecue that I went to, my family and I went to some friends’ house. There were two other couples there and one of the men, a friend of mine, always gave me that feeling that he was trying to be something he wasn’t. I have seen some people in the ministry who try to act like they are perfect and never struggle with anything in life. I knew that God had called me to the ministry and I knew that God had led me to this school. But now I felt that if I had to try and be something I’m not, I just couldn’t do it. I could not be in the ministry. I can’t pretend to be something I’m not, I just can’t do it!

After our get together, we were driving away and I began to pray quietly so that my wife and children wouldn’t hear me. “Father, if I have to be something I’m not to be in the ministry, I don’t want it”, I cried out to the Lord. Immediately, the Lord spoke to me, “But I need you. You are the only person that can reach the people I’ve called you to reach.” I began to cry. Imagine the Lord needing me! It still amazes me but let me tell you that God needs you! You are the only person that can reach the people God has called you to reach!

In the body of Christ, God needs all of us. Many times we see pastors of huge mega-churches and the ministry can look so glamorous. Then there are those in the body that go to the parks and deal with people who most people think are undesirable. Or those that go to foreign lands and live in thatch roofed huts.

I have a friend who goes to a local park in Orlando and hands out sack lunches on Wednesdays and then they read from the Bible. His ministry is just as important as the pastor of the mega-church I attend. My pastor may preach to 5,000 each week and as he follows God’s plan for his life, God will bless him. My friend who goes to the park may minister to 50 or 100 each week but his reward from God will be just as great as he follows what God has led him to do!

Not all of us are called to pastor churches, small or large. Not all of us are called to go to the homeless in the parks. We all have our place to which God has called us! As we find our place and do what God has called us to do, people’s lives will be changed you will be blessed!

All articles, graphics, images, photographs and other material are © copyright 2000 to present by Jay S. McMullan and/or his assignees. Do not copy without written, expressed permission.