2017-12-15
Good Morning Dear Ones,
The Holy Spirit urges me to keep my promise of last week to write about unity in the church. The reality of unity in the church over the years since its inception doesn’t provide a very good record of following God’s intentions. That is why we have the major Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions divided into many denominations. Usually, it has been due to disputes over polity, but there have also been disputes over theological matters. Christians all believe in the deity and manhood of Jesus Christ. However, Jews reject Christ’s deity. As for Muslims, they may believe Christ is an important religious figure, but certainly not in the same way that Christians do.
Having said this, we must read EPH 4: 11-16 to get the gist of God’s will and point of view. The Lord gave different people different gifts, such as to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and/or teachers. He did this to prepare them for Christian service, to build up the body of Christ. The Lord wants us to come together in the “oneness of our faith and in our knowledge of the Son of God. He wants us to be mature “reaching to the very height of Christ’s full stature.” The idea here is that we should no longer be “carried by the waves and blown about to every shifting word of deceitful teaching.” By “speaking the truth in love, we should grow up in every way to Christ, Who is the Head.” By doing this all parts of the body are held together, i.e. we fit together. This means that as we do our different God-assigned tasks for the body (the church), all service works for the good of the whole. That way “the body grows and builds itself up through love.”
I would like to comment here about my own observations. I’ve belonged to four different denominations and have lived all over North America over my lifetime. What I have seen is that the churches that base everything they do on prayer and the word of God [the OT and NT Scriptures] prosper, while other churches not so much. Yes, there are exceptions to that rule, but they are few and far between. Many of those exceptions are churches that proselytize heavily, make it very easy for people to join, surround them with much attention under the guise of fellowshipping, and later, work to brain wash people into totally different beliefs than the mainstream Christian churches have. In my prayerful opinion, churches that snap people into rapid decisions to join and refrain from sharing all their beliefs up front are deceptive. The laying on of guilt is also a well-worn practice to keep people in a denomination. None of these practices conform with my understanding of the Lord’s will or Who He really is.
When we review EPH 2: 2-3, 6, and 20-22, God really does want us to allow His leadership of our lives. He wants for us to have a healthy/loving vertical relationship with Him and horizontal relationship with other believers and potential believers. Don’t refrain from prayerfully rereading these passages, so that God’s will is clearly understood. My words in the last paragraph were forthright, but they are written with the love of Christ as their foundation.
PRAYER: O Lord, we are often tempted to give in to human desires, rather than godly ones. You are our Father, and Your discipline of us is very necessary at times. PS 103: 13, “The Lord is like a father to His children, tender and compassionate to those who have reverence for Him.” You listen to our prayers, and Your love for us is unparalleled. PS 32: 10, “Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the person who trusts in Him.” Nothing that we think or do is hidden from You; You know it all. However, if we are truly Your children, we will not be afraid. Instead, we will welcome Your leadership of our lives. In addition, we will be attracted to like-minded people who share our faith, or who may come to share our faith. As mature believers, we should feel the desire, put into action, to convey Your word with accuracy and determination to those who will listen. We acknowledge Your superior wisdom and practice our faith, with the love that Christ has shown us. You are a good and generous God, Who daily showers blessings on us. We offer You our praise and thanks for Your intervention in our lives. This prayer we offer with love in the holy/mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: I’m commanded to write about some cultural practices and the Lord’s will concerning them. Some of these will involve physical actions; others involve changes in attitude and approach. Our Lord gives us the ability to discern false from true teachings, if we do not stray from His word. False doctrine leads to many problems for people, whereas the truth never does this. The toughest part of us to control is our tongues. James, in JAS 3: 1-10, the tongue is likened to a small flame that spreads like wildfire when it is evil. How God hates hearing it give thanks and then curse other people also created in His likeness! His desire is that we think first, considering the impact on others of what we’re about to say, and then, we should speak. We must ask ourselves how often we do this. Gossip, lies, cruelty, and malevolence are abhorrent to God. These things are the opposite to the love He wants us to have and convey in Christ’s name. This week, I hope you will join me in appraising with honesty our compliance with God’s will in these matters.
While off topic, I would like to ask for prayer for all the people who have been adversely impacted by the worst hurricane and forest fire season ever this year. The same is true for those impacted by the senseless shootings like that in Las Vegas, NV. The loss of lives, homes, and belongings has been enormous. Pray that these people and their families will recover and turn to the Lord for direction. He is a great, wise, and loving God, Who knows their sorrows and cares about them! Praise and thanks be for His compassion and love!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn
JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2017. All Rights Reserved.
<-- Back to Archives