What is in a name?

Unity in Jesus 

 

          How sad that the people who look to Jesus as Lord, Master, and Savior, should be divided.  Sad also that any group should blame any other group for cause of any divisions.  It is even more than sad the complacency with which many abandon hope in being united in Jesus the Messiah. 

          Is fellowship possible for all the "churches" "assemblies" "groups" "whatever", who claim Jesus or the holy scriptures as their guide; only,  "He is the STONE WHICH WAS REJECTED by THE BUILDERS, but WHICH BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone. "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved."  by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene?

 

Unity in the words of Jesus

 

          Almost everyone recognizes the authority of the Bible to some degree.  Nikita Kruschev quoted it, the devil quoted it to Jesus.  Every denomination, sect, cult, and school of thought quote it to support their position.  Don't be trapped into doing the same thing. 

          Do not use the Word of God just to win an argument, or to prop-up your opinion. Use it to find the guidance of the Holy Spirit in order to find the truth of God's Word.  Use it to find God's will.  Search the scriptures in order to find the divine intention of the text.  Search for the divine message which would free you from denominational factions and unify the one body of Jesus.

          The apostle Paul appealed to us, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all should agree and that there be no dissensions among us, but that we would be united in the same mind and the same judgment. He said, "What I mean is that each one of you says, "I belong to Paul," or "I belong to Apollos," or "I belong to Cephas," or "I belong to Christ." Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?

          For Christ sent me to preach the good news, and not with eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power."

          Eloquent speaking and fancy talking robs the cross of Christ of its power.

Today Paul could say "each one of you says, 'I belong to Baptist," "I belong to Methodist," "I belong to Christian," "I belong to Church of Christ," "I belong to Anglican," "I belong to Luther," "I belong to Presbyterian," "I belong to Disciples," "I belong to Protestant," "I belong to Catholic," or "I belong to Christ,"  

          Open your Bible and read from Colossians, chapters 1 and 2; 1 Corinthians chapters 1-3.

          Make no mistake about it:  if anyone thinks himself to be wise, in the ordinary sense of the word, then he must learn to be a fool before he really can be wise.  Because the wisdom of the world is foolishness to God.  "The Lord knows wise men's thoughts:  he knows how useless they are".  "God is not convinced by the arguments of the wise."  Humans have nothing to boast about:  Paul, Apollos, Peter, the world, life and death, the present, the future, baptist, methodist, christian, church of christ, anglican, luther, presbyterian, disciples, protestant, catholic. In order to belong to God, you must belong to Jesus.