Today I thought I’d put a shout out to the Okeechobee Ministerial Association. This is a group of church leaders from all denominations, that meet monthly to encourage one another and develop ideas to bring the church to the Okeechobee community.

Mark 16:15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.

If you have ever been to the National Day of Prayer, the Easter sunrise service, or at any community meeting like the school board, city council, county commission, and have heard the opening prayers, or have ever requested a visit by a pastor or reverend at Raulerson hospital, or have been to one of our fifth Sunday services where we take turns doing a service together at one of our church locations, and invite our congregants to put our differences aside and worship Him together.

If you’ve seen or heard or attended any of these, you have witnessed Gods work through the Okeechobee Ministerial Association. What’s my point? We are in a world where the church is in desperate need of Revival and restored power. We need a renewed focus on the triune God.

We need to gather “in Christ” to stand against all of the deceptions and confusion being thrust upon our kids and our society. We need a renewed focus based on a loving outpouring of Gods spirit and truth. And we need to take that power into our fallen world. 2 Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

I believe that there is an innate feeling in each and every human being that knows we are in a time of division, disunity, a time where a statement met with confrontation is commonplace. It happens in our everyday environments and in our churches. But I also know that we live in a country where we still believe (if our studies are correct) that there is a God, and that He desires what’s best for His creation. The Okeechobee Ministerial is a microcosm of what we need to restore our society. People coming together for the greater good of our community. Paul says that we are a body of Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:12-13 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by[c] one Spirit so as to form one body — whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free — and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

The problem is the church body is suffering. I thank the Lord we have a great number of people who are committed functioning parts of the body. But in reality, there are a great number of great people who are part of the body that just aren’t functioning as such.

1 Corinthians 12:15-20 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

I hear some say “I don’t need a church.”To that I have three responses. 1. Paul is writing to the “Corinthian Church” not individuals. 2. If you say that, it’s a clear indication that you need just that. Just because you don’t need a hospital now doesn’t mean you don’t need hospitals. I receive calls almost daily from people who reach out for a need to be met by the church who are not a functioning part of the body. My point is, it’s easy to believe you don’t need a church until you do. 3. Most importantly “the church needs you”

I do need the Okeechobee Ministerial Association. They keep me encouraged in Christ, they remind me despite our difference we get along and love each other in Christ for the sake of our churches, our own well-being, and for our community. We spur each other on, to go out into our community and show the love and light of Christ. We work together to bring all these things to our community because we love Okeechobee.

1 Corinthians 12:25-27 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

Become a part of a functioning body this weekend. It’s vital to our families and communities!

The Okeechobee Ministerial Association meets the third Wednesday of each month at the Golden Corral, 700 S Parrott Ave., at noon.