god healed the divide

If God desires there be no division between his people, where do denominational groupings within the church fit? What about those who are called believers and unbelievers

Paul appealed people to live in harmony with each other, without divisions in the church. To be of one mind, united in thought and purpose... Some claimed to be a follower of Paul, others Apollos, others Peter, or only Christ. But Christ is not divided into factions. Nor Paul crucified for you? (1 Corinthians 1:10-13)

After all, who is Apollos? Who is Paul? We are only God’s servants through whom you believed the Good News. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us. It’s not important who did what, but rather that God makes the seed grow. (1 Corinthians 3:5-16)

How does this apply when people say “I am a Baptist,” “I am Catholic", or “I adhere to no set denomination”, etc?

Was your minister, pastor, priest, mentor crucified for you?

If Christ is not divided into different groups, what are we doing?

If Jesus ended division by terminating the system of law with its commandments and regulations, then are the requirements we expect of people to belong relevant? If not, what do they do? How?

What are we to make of the promise of Christ in that there is nothing a person needs to do for God to forgive and embrace them? For all people? For all time?

Does placing requirements on people to belong create barriers to what God wants to do?

What are the commandments and regulations the church imposes today to belong? 
Consider things such as attendance of services, how we speak, what we wear, who we interact with, permitted activities, etc. Consider things such as how to pray, worship styles, or what it means to become saved.

What are the alternatives?

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For those of you who sometimes look around and ask if things will ever change, within the structure that is church please remember...

• There was a time when exile was all the Hebrew nation knew
• There was once a time when you could have spent money to ease your way and those of your loved ones into heaven
• There was a time when unless you could understand Latin, God's word was unavailable
• There was a time when no thought was given to slavery to grow the British crops in the americas
• There was a time when hospitals and public schools did not exist
• There was a time when sharing God's word with foreigners was considered worthless
• There was a time when only a priest could speak to God on your behalf and revelation was for them to share as deemed fit
• There was a time when prophesying and speaking in tongues was considered of the devil
• There was a time when only an ordained minister could baptise or marry people
• There was a time when people believed worship was about singing songs and raising hands
• A time when the sunday service was central
• A time when the preacher was central
• A time when denominations existed

A time...

Be encouraged that while we live during times of limits, the end seems impossible, unwarrented, or unseen, depending upon who you are.  But, when we look back, hindsight always shows us breakthrough.

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isaiah 65:11

Saw the head pastor of Fusion City Church Canberra Australia sharing the message of Isaiah 65:11.

• This congregation is where my family has been visiting since late 2010.
• This is the first time I have read this part of Isaiah and fear its strength, my stomach feels knotted.
• Please read the whole chapter, and more as needed

“But because the rest of you have forsaken the Lord and have forgotten his Temple, and because you have prepared feasts to honor the god of Fate and have offered mixed wine to the god of Destiny, now I will ‘destine’ you for the sword.   All of you will bow down before the executioner.  For when I called, you did not answer.  When I spoke, you did not listen  You deliberately sinned—before my very eyes— and chose to do what you know I despise.”

Have not put interpretation, or application on this!

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our islamic brethren

dream

I was within a corporate building upon a floor with lots of rooms and offices.  Within one of these rooms I was speaking with a young lady, of the Islamic faith, who I used to work with in the kitchen of a nursing home.  As we spoke my left arm rested atop her right arm, including our hands.  In knew in this acton great affection was being expressed.

interpretation

According to muslim dream symbolism, limbs represent family amd arms brotherhood.   A muslim to dream of holding a woman represents loving the world and rejecting the afterlife.  However this dream, if of God cannot be viewed this way.

• The dream is not specific to this lady, her image was used because she is one of the few Muslim I personally know.
• Women represent God's people, thus the context here is people of the Islamic sphere.  They are people he is seeking.

Thus, this dream is a parable in nature.  It challenges people who profess Christ to treat Islamic people as God does, as his family regardless of your views on reconciliation.  It also challenges people of the Islamic faith to see God as relational, to reject the world and embrace eternal life.  Both are counter cultural.

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