compliment

August 18, 2016

Different, But Not Divided

even-smaller-bug-light1 5 May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus — Romans 14:5 NLT

Romans 13:1-7 NLT

As the years pass, the percentage of people attending church on a regular basis declines.  Instead of growing stronger and influencing the society around us, the body of Christ grows weaker and weaker.  Jesus warned us that a house divided could not stand.  Yet, we have allowed satan to come in and use the differences in our denominations to divide us rather than focusing on our common ground and encouraging each other.  Paul told us over and over how important it is for Christians to stand together as one body, the body of Christ.  We are no longer able to stand because we refuse to stand together.  Instead, the body of Christ is ripped apart from the inside because of our lack of love for Christ and each other.  When we disparage and discourage our brothers and sisters, we violate the two greatest commands.  The commands to love our Lord with all our hearts, mind, and strength and our neighbors as ourselves.  Is it any wonder that the outsiders look at the Church and decide not to become a part of the family?  We must show the world the love of Jesus and the peace and the joy that comes with that love rather than the image of a torn and decaying body.  We get enough of that from the society around us.  As long as the foundation is the name of Jesus, Jesus alone, no other name and no other way, the houses can be different and still compliment each other.

Post 08-17-2016

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March 31, 2014

Doubts and Distractions Will Come

God is waiting to show you the way.

God is waiting to show you the way.

21 One day when the crowds were being baptized, Jesus himself was baptized. As he was praying, the heavens opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit, in bodily form, descended on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.–Luke 3:21,22 (NLT)
18 The disciples of John the Baptist told John about everything Jesus was doing. So John called for two of his disciples, 19 and he sent them to the Lord to ask him, “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?”–Luke 7:18,19 (NLT)
28 I tell you, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John. Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of God is greater than he is!”​–Luke 7​:28 (NLT)
John the baptist baptized Jesus in the Jordan River and saw with his own eyes God’s Holy Spirit come down in bodily form like a dove and He heard the voice from heaven confirming that Jesus was the Son of God. We would think that nothing could make him doubt who Jesus was. Yet, when John was in prison. we can see that he began to have doubts about Jesus being the Messiah and sent two of his disciples to inquire if Jesus was, in fact, the Messiah.​ Notice that Jesus did not criticize or condemn John but rather paid him a great compliment. At that time, the time before Jesus had been crucified and resurrected, Jesus said that John was the greatest man to have ever lived. ​But he qualified His statement saying that “the least person in the Kingdom of God is greater than he” Although, John baptized with water, there was no salvation or baptism in the Spirit until after Jesus was resurrected and ascended. Since Jesus did not condemn John or any of the disciples for having doubt and “little faith”, neither does He condemn us when doubts enter our minds. He draws us to Himself and gives us peace in the middle of the storms.​​
Post 03-31-14