Another full and blessed year . Marked out with several Trips : Oregon ,
Gulf Coast , Texas , Oklahoma , and Indiana with stops in Arkansas , Washington
, Kentucky , Ohio , Alabama and New York . Favorite Memories watching my
Lori giggle and beam doing face time with her niece , enjoying my daughters
videos , A new job with an amazing company , new friendships in the theater
world . A bucket list trip to New York that included two Broadway shows watching
the joy in Lori as she contemplated the Rockefeller Christmas tree ..and a ten
mile walk from Ground Zero to Times Square for me .
It was also one of the worse years for me as well ...perhaps its simply age
catching up with me , nostalgia for Camelot I do not know ..but to be sincere
this was an incredibly disappointing year for me ...So disappointing that my
wanting to say something about it without offending friends and family has been
a major stumbling block ....As believers we are to seek " unity " ..and yet
...when even the idea of commenting on how disparate we are in these troubling
times ...has the appearance of divisiveness ?
I have been praying and meditating about this for some time ....this
morning I found this post on my wall from our Worship Pastor at Springhouse .
And this was the answer to prayer .
THE IRONY OF DISUNITY
I’m posting this up to Christians – “born again” believers. It is not meant for or directed toward those who aren’t “in Christ”.
Please direct your attention to 3 key verses that deal with our calling as children of the Most High God:
Ps.133:1 says, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for believers to dwell together in unity!”
Jn. 17: 21 says (of Jesus praying), “that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.”
Eph.4: says, …”being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
Now, consider this: In 2 Cor.5:18-21, Paul addresses the church-at-large by pointing out two things which are major aspects of biblical unity:
He states that (as believers) we have been given the “ministry of reconciliation” as a charge in our service to our Lord (v.19c). Then he goes on to get very specific regarding the job description that we’re ALL given when he says, “Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ…” (v.20a)
Here’s my point: We are charged with offering the lost and dying world “beauty for ashes; the oil of joy for mourning; and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness (Isa.61:3). Those things incorporate the plan of redemption instead of rejection; healing instead of sickness; hope instead of despair; inclusion instead of exclusion; freedom instead of slavery; love instead of hate; righteousness instead of evil; forgiveness instead of condemnation; light instead of darkness; and unity instead of factiousness. The ironic thing is that we Christians are currently modeling the exact opposite of what we say we believe. We have become as dis-unified as those who have no citizenship in God’s kingdom. We have allowed ourselves to become re-culturated by the dynamics of a fallen world instead of upholding core biblical values in our day-to-day lives. (See Rom.12:1&2 / MSG)
In the chaotic daze of confusion ahead of humankind in this coming New Year, we should perhaps give a little more attention to how we practice the so called “Golden Rule”:
“Do unto others as you’d have them do unto you” (Mat.7:12).
Selah (pause & ponder) Pastor Wayne Berry
For me simply put our Unity must be in Christ ...not the world .
Praying for peace and reconciliation , that in 2017 we move closer to the Kingdom , by leaving the world behind ..as a boat on the ocean we float not by letting the water into the boat but by keeping the water out of the boat ..let us embrace all people as if in His time they may come to be our Brothers and Sisters .
I’m posting this up to Christians – “born again” believers. It is not meant for or directed toward those who aren’t “in Christ”.
Please direct your attention to 3 key verses that deal with our calling as children of the Most High God:
Ps.133:1 says, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for believers to dwell together in unity!”
Jn. 17: 21 says (of Jesus praying), “that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.”
Eph.4: says, …”being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
Now, consider this: In 2 Cor.5:18-21, Paul addresses the church-at-large by pointing out two things which are major aspects of biblical unity:
He states that (as believers) we have been given the “ministry of reconciliation” as a charge in our service to our Lord (v.19c). Then he goes on to get very specific regarding the job description that we’re ALL given when he says, “Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ…” (v.20a)
Here’s my point: We are charged with offering the lost and dying world “beauty for ashes; the oil of joy for mourning; and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness (Isa.61:3). Those things incorporate the plan of redemption instead of rejection; healing instead of sickness; hope instead of despair; inclusion instead of exclusion; freedom instead of slavery; love instead of hate; righteousness instead of evil; forgiveness instead of condemnation; light instead of darkness; and unity instead of factiousness. The ironic thing is that we Christians are currently modeling the exact opposite of what we say we believe. We have become as dis-unified as those who have no citizenship in God’s kingdom. We have allowed ourselves to become re-culturated by the dynamics of a fallen world instead of upholding core biblical values in our day-to-day lives. (See Rom.12:1&2 / MSG)
In the chaotic daze of confusion ahead of humankind in this coming New Year, we should perhaps give a little more attention to how we practice the so called “Golden Rule”:
“Do unto others as you’d have them do unto you” (Mat.7:12).
Selah (pause & ponder) Pastor Wayne Berry
For me simply put our Unity must be in Christ ...not the world .
Praying for peace and reconciliation , that in 2017 we move closer to the Kingdom , by leaving the world behind ..as a boat on the ocean we float not by letting the water into the boat but by keeping the water out of the boat ..let us embrace all people as if in His time they may come to be our Brothers and Sisters .
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