Christian Unity
Posted by Christian Citizen in Commentary on May 16th, 2009
“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 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. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” – John 17:20-23 NIV
I’ve heard my father speak many times of something that happened when I was a child which I believe is indicative of the body of Christ even to this day. When my sisters and I were younger, we used to attend Sunday School at one church while my parents attended a service at a different church up the street. My father clearly remembers during one of those Sundays the minister referred to his church as the “only light in town” yet we were being taught the same gospel down the street. How could that be?
I, myself, growing up in a different church, have heard the minister there refer to his church being the only one in the area that could reach the community yet there were at least two other churches on the same street and two on a side street within a half mile. How can that be? Does one church have or know something the others don’t?
A minister explained to me one time the need for different churches. He explained there was one body of Christ, the Church, and then there were “local expressions” because it would be physically impossible for the whole body of Christ to assemble in one place. That’s understandable. In the New Testament, however these “local expressions” were distinguished by location (Phillipi, Corinth, Ephesus, etc.) not denomination. We as Christians, are a part of one body even though geographically spread apart. Why then are some Christians trying so hard to separate the bodyeven when geographically they are right next to each other?
As seen in the above text, Jesus prayed for complete unity among believers. Then the world will be able to know Jesus was sent by God. If Jesus prayed for this, it must have been dear to his heart — something that should be dear to every believer’s heart.
We as Christians will not get anywhere by tearing down other churches or denominations because in essence we will be shooting ourselves in the foot. How can we expect the body to grow if we continually cut off our own limbs. It does not make any sense.
We need to build the whole body of Christ, not just one church. Consider this illustration: if you are working out with the purpose of improving your overall physique yet all you do is exercise one set of muscles, you’ll fail. If you think you can improve your muscle tone in your arms by doing leg lifts, you are sadly mistaken. Then why does the church continually want to only build one set of muscles and think she is building up the whole body?
I Corinthians 12:12-31 addresses the idea of one body, many parts. Many times we apply this passage of scripture to individuals in one church congregation, but I would like to look at this from a different perspective. I would like to emphasize all the churches are important to the whole body of Christ. Verse 13 states,
“we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body — whether Jews or Greeks…”
and I’d like to include — whether Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist, Pentecostal, etc.. The body is made up of many parts. One part cannot say to another, “I don’t need you.” Verse 25 states,
“…there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.”
That means the Baptist church on West River Road should care for the Wesleyan church on Rolling Road and the Methodist church in the next town.
“If one part suffers, every part suffers with it, if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.” (verse 26)
This may be asking a lot, but what would be the harm in suggesting unity in the body of Christ? Jesus did. I’m not suggesting at this point that all church denominations should merge into one because I understand different people prefer different manners of worship and different interpretations are drawn from the same Bible. But I am suggesting that we should work together as a Christian force to preach the gospel and see souls saved.
Should not the Methodist church be excited about the souls that were saved in the Baptist Church down the street and vice versa? In the times of the great revivals of the past, it was not just one church that benefited or grew in numbers, the whole body of Christ did — that was true revival. So much more can be done to see souls saved in this country and win this nation back to the Judeo-Christian values it was founded upon if the church would just unite and work together!
“May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”
Shining Our Light In Government
Posted by Christian Citizen in Commentary on May 16th, 2009
I don’t know about you but I am terribly concerned about what’s happening in our country. While last year I started getting politically involved during the Presidential Primary season because I found a candidate I felt very passionate about, my passion for this country has grown tremendously since then.
I learned more about how the political process worked (at least from the Republican perspective), how my local government worked, and I dusted off the US Constitution and dug a little deeper into the story behind the birth of our nation – and I have to tell you, I am so grateful for being an American.
I’ve seen a lot of yuckiness in the political process and I can certainly understand why good-natured, decent folks don’t want to touch it with a ten-foot pole. Politics can be downright dirty. But there’s something that I’ve come to realize – most people are in the dark: they don’t understand how our political process even works; they don’t understand our form of government and why it’s so unique and special; they are not familiar with our Constitution and they have no clue about the principles applied by our founding fathers when they framed the Constitution.
These folks I’m referring to include many Christians, and I think that is why our country is in such shambles. I believe Christians in general have fallen for the lie that we shouldn’t get involved on the political level and that’s the problem. The light has grown dim in our government.
I’d like to see that change. Let us start shining our light in government by getting involved in the political process as a united Christian force.
Repent and Rise Up!
Posted by Christian Citizen in Commentary on August 25th, 2009
I’ve been struggling for months to determine specifically how to get our country back on track. I’ve been studying our US Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Founding Fathers and the Books of the Law. While I still have much more to learn, I keep coming back to the fact that our nation was founded on the premise of God being our Creator, the Supreme Being, and it is He that has given us our rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. This is not only Biblical truth but it is an American fundamental one as well.
So, why are we as a nation removing Him from our way of life? Why don’t we have prayer in school anymore? Why are the Fluvanna County School Board and Board of Supervisors content with “a moment of silence” instead of invocations in their public meetings? Do they honestly fear mortal men more than the Almighty God, Creator of the Universe, Sovereign of all nations? Do we?
Where are all the Christians? Why have we allowed the LORD our God to be dismissed like this? Where are all the Patriots? Why have we allowed the sacrifices of those who fought for our freedoms in this nation to be rendered in vain? Are we mere victims, powerless pawns, wimpy whiners wandering in the wilderness? Or are we the people of God, a holy nation, His treasured possession?
I believe we have lost our way in this country because we don’t recognize who God really is and who we are in Him.
2 Chronicles 7:14 says,
This passage is talking to us, the body of Christ. WE need to humble ourselves, pray, seek His face and turn from our wicked ways.
Deuteronomy 6:5 says,
I’m afraid we’ve grown numb to what this passage is really saying. Do we just love the LORD in church? Or when we need something? When others malign or defy Him, does that affect us at all? Where is the “boy named David” in us? How can we sit idly by when others treat our God this way?
Folks, this is America…we recognize God as our King in this country…He is the One who has given us inalienable rights, not the President, not the Supreme Court, not the US Congress. The First Commandment states,
It is God who freed us from bondage, why do we fear our government or the ACLU over God? Sometimes I think we act like we’re still stuck in Egypt.
Oh, LORD have mercy on us! We need to humble ourselves once again, recognize who God is, repent from our waywardness, then rise up and take our place in this land. I exhort you to delve into the Bible like you’ve never done before, soak it up, meditate on it day and night. Read about our history in the Old Testament…this is the foundation of our nation. Our US Constitution is based on Biblical truth…that is why we have been blessed by God. We need to know it…know what it says, know what it means…and act on that knowledge.
I’m afraid we’ve lost the realization of our role as a citizen of this fine nation. We have allowed our government to step into the role of our Ruler, and for this we must repent and rise up.
bible, christian, humble, patriot, repent, ten commandments
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