9/12/01
As I
sat here splitting hairs as to whether some obscure Hebrew root-word meant
this or that with the same person I've been debating scripture with for years,
two jet planes passed over my home. Nothing spectacular about that, I live
near an airport and hardly even notice the sound of planes anymore. Minutes
later these same two jets crashed into the World Trade Center Towers in New
York City.
In the wake of that terrorist attacks, I now see that the things we bicker
like children about day & night are of absolutely no matter. The sum of
what we are really saying is "Im right & your wrong", or "our
denomination is right & yours is wrong.", and "If you don't
belong to our church you don't belong to the 'true' church",....on and on
it goes.
It's satan who causes denominations, better said demoninations!
Divisions!
Every denomination is a division in the Body of Christ! satan
delights in them! satan uses our own self-righteousness to cause well-meaning
Christians to put their faith in one particular doctrine over another, even to
the point of killing fellow Christians in defense of that doctrine. Consider
Ireland's
divisions even now!
We have missed the entire point!
Unity !!!
Ephesians 4:12For the perfecting of the saints,
for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of
the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the
fulness of Christ:
14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried
about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning
craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
The Bible tells us it's unity that 'perfects' the saints, unity that edifies the body of Christ!
In unity "we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine"...
...not vise-versa!
There will be no
denominations in the body of Christ.
There will be no individuals in the body of Christ that love a doctrine
above their fellow Christian.
Psalm
133:1 Behold, how good
and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
" no more children, tossed to and
fro,".... How long will we remain divided
over such foolish issues such as when is the rapture, pre-trib, mid-trib, post
trib, or a certain groups favorite buzz-line, "no Rapture" ?
How long will we debate if hell is eternal damnation or instant annihilation?
Can you see this stuff doesn't matter?
First, only those worthy will be gathered to Christ anyway, so unless one is, when it happens doesn't
matter! If your at odds with your Christian brother over such nonsense,
your not going to be acceptable to Christ at his coming anyway! Work to unify
the body, to become a 'perfect man'!...acceptable to Jesus! Then
whenever He comes, He will find you acceptable.
The Bible interprets itself, why cant we accept this interpretation &
focus more on the Unity of the Body?
And that's just one example, look at the way we squabble, not just in this forum, but all over the net. We prefer to dwell more on the differences than on the similarities. We're driven by a need to be 'right', "Im right & your wrong, better believe like us or your going to hell!" I've been guilty of this sin of self-righteousness and so have most of you, whether you care to admit it or not.
My Brothers & Sisters, yesterday 9-11-2001
was the 'beginning of sorrows', the coming of King Jesus is
near. Will he find us squabbling amongst ourselves like spoiled children, or
standing together like the Body of Christ should? The world is going to
splinter, nation shall rise against nation. Will we as Christians splinter?
Even now we already are!
Now is the time for us to stand closer together then we ever have before. I'm
not promoting a unity of religions, or even denominations, I'm speaking of a unity
of the heart !, for Christians to walk "in agreement". To
stop bearing a false witness against any group or individual because we simply
disagree with what they might believe. And to stop following those who would
manipulate scripture to make it divisive!
Is this impossible?
I don't know, but I'm willing to try.
Anyone else?
Anyone?
