11/8/07 - Life Journal - One Love, One Goal

I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be unite in the same mind and the same judgment.
1 Corinthians 1:10

Now I'm a new kid on the block, no not Donny Wahlberg, just haven't been a testifying Christ follower all that long. Can someone answer me this, has there always been this much dissention between people that supposedly have the same goal in mind? Paul's a little ticked at the church in Corinth. They were arguing over who they were following, was it Paul, Apollos, Cephas (Peter), Christ? Paul shot back with, "Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?" (vs.13) We are just His messengers, if we claim to be anything more will be made foolish, "...so that, as it is written, 'Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.'" (vs.31)

As far as I can tell if we're doing three things, we're in line with Jesus' wishes:

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength (Mark 12:29-30)

Everything else will flow out of this. "Love God and do as you wish"

You shall love your neighbor as yourself. (Mark 12:31)

From the verse above you will naturally flow right into this one. We were all created in the womb by the Father. He loves none above another.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8)

"Faith without works is dead". If we're not glowing with our new found freedom, living out in the community as an example of His love, our faith is dead. We are a waste of His gift if we are not producing fruit.

How we go about witnessing to the ends of the earth is secondary and if we are truly working in the Spirit we will bear fruit. Who am I to say one way is better than another. If I feel something could be done better in my local church, I'm not supposes to run away to another, bad mouthing the whole way. It's my job to address what I feel is being neglected, suggest a solution, possible start a new ministry within the church and then if all else fails maybe I should go elsewhere. Bashing people as I go is not an option, it only hurts His church as a whole, better I rip out my tongue than to lead one of his children astray. If anyone reads this and hears me deriding anyone in the future feel free to deck me.