.Just like the Jewish people, who thought their Messiah should be a conquering hero.....we mistake doctrinal agreement as the path to unity rather than love.
Doctrinalism is tribal.......love is universal
Amen...you are 'on a roll ' today.
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.Just like the Jewish people, who thought their Messiah should be a conquering hero.....we mistake doctrinal agreement as the path to unity rather than love.
Doctrinalism is tribal.......love is universal
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the Body is alive and well, we are currently arriving at unity over "me too," and several other concepts
Yes I remember xxxxxCathey..
she was on Nancy's, also on Kerry's as Heartsong. Other names too, but I forget them all. It;s all I can do to remember my own.
Remember she went though some heavy stuff health-wise....so she was off the grid for a bit...
Sorry Cathey, speaking for you!!
It breaks my heart to see the Body of Christ in the state it's in. I hate how brothers and sisters can be so bitter and hateful to one another just because of theological disagreements. Jesus said this is how the world will know we're His disciples:
John 13:35 “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Sure, we're going to have disagreements and differences of opinion. But that doesn't mean we can't love each other and be on the same team. This world has enough evil and bad stuff in it that we who are in the same family don't need to add to it and be at each other's throats. Imagine what God's people could accomplish if we would spend less time trying to prove we're right and other Christians are wrong, and we worked together to see the gospel brought to our communities and to the world. The Bible has this to say about how powerful unity is:
Psalms 133:1 A Song of Ascents, of David. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to dwell together in unity!
Psalms 133:2 It is like the precious oil upon the head, Coming down upon the beard, [Even] Aaron’s beard, Coming down upon the edge of his robes.
Psalms 133:3 It is like the dew of Hermon Coming down upon the mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing–life forever.
So I apologize for promoting division in the name of trying to prove I am right, and I hope others will come alongside of me. This thread is for any discussion that will look past our differences and promote unity in the Body of Christ.
I agree that unity doesn't exist in the whole of Christianity because the divider is very effective. However, there is unity in His Church.Well.........we won't, that's why it always makes me chuckle when someone claims that there is really this thing called the "body of Christ". If such unity exists at all, it doesn't exist to the extent God intended, like it was in its inception. As long as Satan is allowed to go on about his business in creating division, there will never be true "unity" to any meaningful degree. To entertain such notions is a sick joke to me.
ok, i can answer this Burning Question, but i would say examine your question a little first, and the answer flows from it; or iow change your perceptions here, and your question will be revealedAt what point is this "unity" supposed to arrive??? I see a body that's been dismembered into several groups. Some are even at odds with each other over something as petty as Gods name and how to pronounce it, a damn sound in the air. They even claim others are not saved because of it.
I have just read the OP, nothing else, and this was my hope when I came to this site, to get down under and to lift up, and to bring about discussions that strengthen, and edify the Body, not go into who is and who isn't right. It was the Love of God that drew me to the Gift of Salvation, Thank You for your Love for the Body. The book of John responds to this very issue, How do we know we love God, because we love the Breathern!!! Simplify, its just that simple
That doesn't mean that we shouldn't do our part to promote unity, instead of causing division. Your attitude reminds me of when my kids see trash on the floor, rather than cleaning it up, they think it's ok to just throw more trash on the floor. No, we have to all work together to do our part in making things better.Well.........we won't, that's why it always makes me chuckle when someone claims that there is really this thing called the "body of Christ". If such unity exists at all, it doesn't exist to the extent God intended, like it was in its inception. As long as Satan is allowed to go on about his business in creating division, there will never be true "unity" to any meaningful degree. To entertain such notions is a sick joke to me.
I'm actually really happy to hear this. I saw you talking about this situation once before, and you were worried about how to approach her. It does my heart good to hear your follow-up that you did talk to her, and you're satisfied that she is saved!I feel like my girl friend , whom I have know since we were 4 and 5 years of age... is my sister !
We lived one house apart , till we got married....... we stood up to each others wedding !
And now we are 81 and 82........ and we do not see each other any more. But we write letters.... she has no computer any more.
Well,
I asked her if she was saved, since I was the one who brought her to my church, she was not going to any .
That was the Catholic church then..... and I told her to bring some money. She did, and as we walked in , back then 1951? The church had
statues of angles holding the holy water you blessed your self with and she put her money in that, I backed her up and told her no.
and took it out.... So after that we went to church together as a lot of other things.
But when our children were older they started to go to other church's, and got us to go and then we became saved... My family !
my husband and I and our 3 children.
Just the last year or two, it hit me that my girl friend was still going [catholic church ] and I asked her if she was saved ! She said yes, and I asked her how ? and it was not good...... so I sent a track from our church she did not mention any thing about it.
Any way I asked her again to explain and now it sounds to me that she is........ What relief that is.
This thread is for any discussion that will look past our differences and promote unity in the Body of Christ.
shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms,
No, I don't think it's where He wants it to be with the division we're experiencing. There is one big difference between what you're saying and what it should be. The body is made up of many different members that do different things, but they all have one common goal, and are controlled by the thoughts and intents of the same head. In the Body of Christ, Jesus is our head. So even though we have many different local churches that serve different purposes, we should all be unified by the same Head (Christ) who directs all of our paths toward a common goal. You may not look or operate like me, spiritually, and that's ok. Not everyone is an eye or an ear. We all have different purposes, but we're all a part of the same body moving in the same overall direction.Forget what I posted earlier. It may be seriously wrong. God sets up a Kingdom that "shall break in pieces and consume all these Kingdoms". Considering the Lord said His body was broken for us and we admit that in every denomination there are believers...Is this division His Kingdom consuming and subduing all unti Christ? Is the body exactly where He wants it to be, within all?
Everyone that is really connected and subject to the Head is unified in Him no matter where else they are. I believe that anyone who separates himself from another person who loves God and his neighbor because of church affiliation or because anything else has separated himself from the Body of Christ no matter how good or bad he may be doing otherwise. It all does come back to the two greatest commandments. The love of those commandments is explained in detail in I Corinthians chapter 13... rather than in any church doctrines or statements of faith.No, I don't think it's where He wants it to be with the division we're experiencing. There is one big difference between what you're saying and what it should be. The body is made up of many different members that do different things, but they all have one common goal, and are controlled by the thoughts and intents of the same head. In the Body of Christ, Jesus is our head. So even though we have many different local churches that serve different purposes, we should all be unified by the same Head (Christ) who directs all of our paths toward a common goal. You may not look or operate like me, spiritually, and that's ok. Not everyone is an eye or an ear. We all have different purposes, but we're all a part of the same body moving in the same overall direction.
That doesn't mean that we shouldn't do our part to promote unity, instead of causing division. Your attitude reminds me of when my kids see trash on the floor, rather than cleaning it up, they think it's ok to just throw more trash on the floor. No, we have to all work together to do our part in making things better.
“Am I my brother’s keeper?”
(Yes....the answer is yes)
Well, that really was his brother after all, so its kind of out of context. I am not your "brother", so no, I am not your "keeper". Even if you were really my "brother", it still boils down to personal responsibility.
LOL, stating this in a "unity thread" is like presenting a piece of tissue paper and scissors to a 2 year old child. Could go anywhere.persecuting people for disagreeing on doctrine seems antichrist to me.