THE MESSAGE OF UNITY IN CHRIST THAT THE CHURCH FAILS TO RECOGNIZE

Finding time alone with God is of paramount importance in my life today. I spend a lot of time in prayer each morning and I am trying very hard to prioritize a lot more time in God’s Word. I am truly beginning to realize that my time with God is critical for my Growth, Discernment, and Maturity. Having an intimate relationship with Him frees one up to become more aware of the world and it’s absolute emptiness and chaos without God’s template for Life, Fellowship and UNITY ! There are a lot of different religions out there, but they are quite small in relation to all the multitudes of “Christian” churches and their widely different statements of faith, liturgical practices, doctrine, rules, regulations, vision, and all the things that they believe make them “Complete” and in “Compliance” with God….in their Opinion. It has struck me lately that perhaps one of the reasons that our world is so broken and in disarray is that “Churches” have moved past a Love Of Christ to a point of oneupmanship and judgement of others with whom they should share not only their faith with, but Unity In The One Who Saved Them And Took On Their Sin And Punishment. The very Son Of God who died on a cross to bring them into Eternal Life in His Resurrection and their ReBirth in His Saving Love ! As a church becomes more concerned that its members follow a particular liturgical system or a certain interpretation of Scripture, it is easy to sow seeds of disunity and division. God’s Truth becomes a point to be argued about or interpreted as one’s Emotions and Conscience may suggest and guide. WE ALL HAVE OUR INTERPRETATIONS, but is that where our focus should be ? How true it seems to me that Jesus came to “stir things up” and shake people up to lay down their preconceptions and find UNITY IN HIM AND HIS MESSAGE ‘God’s Kingdom Is Here Right Now ! I came for EVERYONE.’

I HAVE GIVEN THEM THE GLORY THAT YOU GAVE ME, THAT THEY MAY BE ONE AS WE ARE ONE- I IN THEM AND YOU IN ME- SO THAT THEY MAY BE BROUGHT TO COMPLETE UNITY. THEN THE WORLD WILL KNOW THAT YOU SENT ME AND HAVE LOVED THEM EVEN AS YOU HAVE LOVED ME. John 17: 20-24

FOR AS IN ONE BODY WE HAVE MANY MEMBERS, AND THE MEMBERS DO NOT ALL HAVE THE SAME FUNCTION, SO WE, THOUGH MANY, ARE ONE BODY IN CHRIST, AND INDIVIDUALLY MEMBERS OF ONE ANOTHER. Romans 12: 4-5

THERE IS NEITHER JEW NOR GREEK, THERE IS NEITHER SLAVE NOR FREE, THERE IS NO MALE AND FEMALE, FOR YOU ARE ALL ONE IN CHRIST JESUS. Galatians 3:28

SO THEN LET US PURSUE WHAT MAKES FOR PEACE AND FOR MUTUAL UPBUILDING. Romans 14:19

When I read Scripture and meditate upon it I am looking to become Closer To God. I am interested in figuring out how I CAN BE IN RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS; LEARNING HOW TO ABIDE IN HIM AND HAVE HIM ABIDE IN ME; FEEL MORE AND MORE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD MOVING IN ME; UNDERSTANDING THE GIFTS AND UNIQUE NATURE HE HAS GIVEN ME; SEEING AND HEARING HIS PATH AND PURPOSE FOR MY LIFE; UNDERSTANDING HIS CHARACTER AND WAYS THAT I MIGHT WALK IN THEM; SEEKING THE POWER TO BOLDLY SHARE THE GOSPEL WITH OTHERS AND SHARE THE FRUIT AND BLESSINGS I HAVE BEEN CALLED TO BE ONE WITH EACH OTHER IN HIS LOVE FOR US AND THE ETERNAL LIFE AND UNITY WE WILL SHARE IN HIS KINGDOM AS HIS SONS AND DAUGHTERS. ONE NEW MAN IN HIM ! If my focus is on our interpretation of scripture, we will have differences of opinion. If you see your church and it’s way of worship to be the best way or better than most, then we will have friction. If we let our conscience on legalistic differences become a sore point, they will become raw. IF YOU ADD TO OR TAKE AWAY FROM GOD”S WORD OR DISTORT HIS TRUTH, best check yourself and consider if you are really HIS AT ALL. Simply put, there are absolutely churches and people who claim to Follow Him who absolutely DO NOT. They are not my point. I am addressing the Community of Believers who truly see Jesus as their Lord, Savior and King, and view GOD as Truth and put their Faith In Him, not themselves.

AND HE GAVE THE APOSTLES, THE PROPHETS, THE EVANGELISTS, THE SHEPHERDS, THE TEACHERS, TO EQUIP THE SAINTS FOR THE WORK OF MINISTRY, FOR BUILDING UP THE BODY OF CHRIST, UNTIL WE ALL ATTAIN TO THE UNITY OF THE FAITH AND OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE SON OF GOD., TO MATURE MANHOOD, TO THE MEASURE OF THE STATURE OF THE FULLNESS OF CHRIST, SO THAT WE MAY NO LONGER BE CHILDREN, TOSSED TO AND FRO BY THE WAVES AND CARRIED ABOUT BY EVERY WIND OF DOCTRINE, BY HUMAN CUNNING AND CRAFTINESS IN DECEITFUL SCHEMES. RATHER, SPEAKING THE TRUTH IN LOVE, WE ARE TO GROW UP IN EVERY WAY INTO HIM WHO IS THE HEAD, INTO CHRIST. Ephesians 4:11-16

THAT TOGETHER YOU MAY WITH ONE VOICE GLORIFY THE GOD AND FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. Romans 15:6

AS A PLAN FOR THE FULLNESS OF TIME, TO UNITE ALL THINGS IN HIM, THINGS IN HEAVEN AND THINGS ON EARTH. Ephesians 1:10

Try to imagine how pleased Satan must be when he sees Christians belittling each other regarding interpretations or opinions. Christ came and called a group of people to follow HIM that they might see things differently than what their religious leaders told them. He wanted them to SEE THEIR DIFFERENCES AND LET THEM GO ! He wanted them to love one another, forgive one another, and BE AS ONE IN HIM ! ONE IN JESUS. Oh how it must have blown their minds when He told them He had come for Everyone….even the Gentiles. Radical things; Love your enemies; remove the log from your own eye; walk with someone two miles, not one; give up your shirt and your cloak; don’t worry about tomorrow; don’t be anxious; your thoughts take you into sin just as deeply as your actions ! As our world becomes more and more fractured and chaotic, those who follow Christ, including yours truly, me, had best lay down our differences and stand as one. STAND FOR GOD AND HIS TRUTH ! LET HIS LIGHT WITHIN US SHINE UNTO THOSE IN NEED AND INTO THE DARKNESS ! May we find the Grace and Mercy of God to embrace each other in PEACE AND UNITY….IN CHRIST ALONE, OUR CORNERSTONE. In the words of Jesus, that I think about all the time. “Jim, ALL YOU NEED IS ME !” He is all you need as well, and all the church needs also. PRAISE HIM IN UNITY/JAA

FOR THE BELIEVER THERE IS HOPE BEYOND THE GRAVE, BECAUSE JESUS CHRIST HAS OPENED THE DOOR TO HEAVEN FOR US BY HIS DEATH AND RESURRECTION. Billy Graham

AMEN !