The Politics Of Division Is Not Our Way

I hope you are going to celebrate all things Quebec tomorrow. We have the privilege of living in one of the most unique and incredible parts of Canada. It is unfortunate that we often allow the politics of the day to keep hidden the best part of this province, which is the people. La Fête National is not about the government of this land but about its citizens. It's not even about language, we just made language the focus.

Many years ago the French language came to represent the culture of Quebec and became a cornerstone of identity. There are a number of places in the world that are in the same position, but there are also a few unique places that find their identity in things other than language. One of these places is the Netherlands (Holland), and in a parallel fashion, the people of Flanders. I have had the privilege of knowing some great people from this area of the world.

In Holland/Flanders different languages are not seen as a threat but as a means of communicating, which is the purpose of language. They seemed to take on such a love for language that learning as many languages as possible was celebrated. My great grandmother was originally from Passchendaele in west Flanders. From all accounts she spoke six languages but did not teach them to any of her children.

I might consider this just a story passed down about a well loved lady but my own experience told me how true it was. When I moved to Belgium one of the first young people I met was a 14 year old young lady who offered to act as my interpreter. When I asked how many languages she spoke she told me five and was hoping to learn a couple more. She was Flemish.

My point is that these people did not find their identity in language. Their culture was not defined by language. These people were tied together by a shared history and wonderfully expanding traditions. It was relationships, their way of life and their shared values that defined them. They did not feel threatened by new languages but embraced them.

This is very close to the expression of the Kingdom and the Church that represents Jesus. Paul wrote:

“You are all God’s children through faith in Christ Jesus. All of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek; there is neither slave nor free; nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:26-28)

We have made the mistake like Quebec politicians of trying to rob the Body of the diversity that makes us beautiful and strong. What we have in common is that there is only one way to the Father, who is Christ Jesus. We are united under the same Father and we are joined together by the same Spirit. We share in the gifts and fruit of the Spirit. We have the same mission which is to demonstrate the Kingdom to a lost and dying world. Our vocabulary is that of the Kingdom. Our actions are those of our King. But we are not defined by one of the many diverse languages we use to worship nor one of the many traditions of the culture we were born to. Our identity is found in Jesus.

We are wrong to allow any of these things to separate us from each other or to be a source of division. Just as there is nothing that separates us from the love of Christ there should not be anything that separates us from this same expression of his love in each other. Our goal with each other is to love each other with Father’s extravagant love. Together we stand. Je me souviens.

The Number One Need Of Every Human Being : Connection

I noticed something very interesting as I do my daily walk around my neighbourhood. Every time I am passed by someone else out exercising there is either a nod of the head or a smile that is exchanged. This is true whether it is someone walking, running, or cycling. It seems to be an acknowledgement that we are sharing in something together, that we have something in common. Perhaps it is something that you have noted between bikers, truckers, bus drivers or any group of people that share something in common.

The most common basic need that is shared among us humans is the need for connection. We have this deep seeded need to belong to something that is greater than ourselves, to feel part of something. This is not a need that everyone has found met in their lives and is a real challenge for any community, to ensure that everyone feels like they belong and are valued.

I heard recently that unity does not mean uniformity. In fact, real unity requires diversity in order to be strong. The example I gave of my connection with other exercisers is a good illustration of diversity. I walk and cycle but I spend more time walking. Yet this doesn't seem to make a difference to the jogger who nods his head to acknowledge our unity. The cyclist who passes by does not look down on me as a lesser being but smiles broadly in celebration that he is not alone in his effort.

The community in which my family and I live is large and is beautifully diverse. Each neighbourhood is unique in character, charm and architecture. Where one lives does not make you any more or less part of the community. Neither does the colour of your skin, your place of origin, or your opinion on various matters. Our geography and the challenges within that territory are things we all have in common. The laws apply to everyone in the same way no matter the diversity of thinking concerning them.

If this is true for the things of this world how much more when considering the unity of the Body of Christ. It doesn't matter where we live, what we do, the language we speak, the colour of our skin or even our diversity of thought. What matters is the territory that we belong to, the Kingdom of God, and the one we belong to, our Lord Jesus Christ. We share in the same Spirit and the same love. We come from the same Father.

Unfortunately too many of us see no difference between unity and uniformity. There are believers who think there is no way for unity to exist without uniformity.  Yet, Paul described a beautifully diverse Body in 1 Corinthians 12. The unity was found in what we had in common which is the headship of Jesus and the unifying relationship of the Spirit. I heard it said that unity is not something we make but something that exists wherever the Spirit has influence.

Paul recognized the challenge of people understanding diversity within unity so he said he would show us how it was possible. Then he gave us the great chapter on love in 1 Corinthians 13. So again, unity is not our work but is the work that Jesus completed. We only need to learn surrender in relationship and then to walk in the Spirit. He produces unity where he has influence. It is possible to disagree with someone and still stand united with them when that person is more important to us than the disagreement. It's all about the people.

Perhaps I should focus that by saying what is important is the connection with people, that everyone knows they belong and are valued. If this is not the culture that exists within our various tribes then we are not following the Biblical expression of the Body of Christ. No one should feel undervalued by any believer in Christ because the relationship with Christ by itself defines our value.

The real power of our witness will not be seen until the world can see unity empowered by love in the Body of Christ.

Division In The Body Explained By A Bunch Of Cobras

Recently I heard a great lesson taught that included the event of Aaron's rod turning into a Cobra. As I listened to this great lesson the Spirit suddenly applied it in a different manner. He used it to highlight the growing division in the Body of Christ. Yes, as much as we are seeing strains put on certain societies during these days of pandemic we are seeing strains in the Body. When something is put under pressure the weakest points begin to reveal themselves. 

You recall the "rod to Cobra" sign found in Exodus 7. This was the second time Moses and Aaron were meeting with Pharaoh. In anticipation of Pharaoh not recognizing Moses' authority Yahweh had trained Moses in a couple of signs. The first was to throw down his staff and it would transform into a Cobra and then when he would pick it up again it would transform back to a staff. So Moses had Aaron throw down the staff. I am not sure Moses was prepared for what happened next.

Pharaoh looked at this sign of authority and immediately called for his spiritualists. Each one of them threw down their staffs which also transformed into Cobras. But the Lord demonstrated his authority over all things by having Aaron's Cobra consume all the others.

In our current age we have not done well in developing our relationship with the Lord. We have all the tools. We worship, we study, we fellowship but we fall short in actually understanding relationship. We don't understand that Dad just wants to hang out with us because he enjoys us. We reserve certain times of the day for him never realizing that he is always with us because he wants to be involved in our day. He enjoys ongoing conversation and so do we once we get use to it. But our failure in this means we are not overly familiar with his heart, his ways and his voice.

So, what does this have to do with Cobras?

Jesus said that we would know the Spirit intimately and for the most part we don't.* But we do know that the enemy makes counterfeit moves. The Cobra is only one example. The Lord transformed one staff and the enemy transformed many. Now because we lack the discernment that comes in intimacy with Spirit, we run away from all Cobras. We avoid them at all cost and call them all works of the enemy and are ready to stamp them into the ground.

A portion of the Body has made it their purpose to act as exterminators to rid the land of all the phony Cobras. But they lack the intimacy to have the discernment to know the difference so when they attack the Cobra they have no idea if they are attacking the Lord or the enemy.

Remember when the disciples were complaining about the man who was casting out demons when he was not part of them? And what did Jesus tell them? He said leave him alone because who ever is not against us is for us. Check out the end of Mark 9. We spend far too much time on worrying about the counterfeit to the point that we lump the authentic in the same category. Consider Moses.

Moses didn't freak out and swear off miracles and signs after seeing the counterfeit. In fact it appears that Moses didn't say a word or blink an eye. He simply stood and watched as the authenticity of Yahweh consumed the feeble-minded counterfeit. The enemy came to steal, kill and destroy. Jesus came to give life. If something brings life and gives God the glory then what are we doing attacking it. If it has come to steal, kill and destroy it will become apparent. What are we doing when we set our sights on things we don't agree with or that we don't understand? We are joining the "steal, kill and destroy" column. 

Stop being afraid of snakes. All we are saying to the world is that we don't trust that Dad can take care of his own. Does he need us to steady the cart when the oxen stumble? I don't think so. And by attacking the snakes you could be coming against Dad himself and that never turns out good. Just stand and watch the authentic Cobra consume the counterfeits.

Don't forget that we have been given another test for the authentic besides the discernment of the Spirit : love. Many of the ministries I see being attacked these days have demonstrated authentic love for Jesus and his people. These ministries recognize the source of their blessings and seed huge amounts of money into other ministries. They are consumed with building up and never tearing down. They make it a point never to speak against another ministry and where there is problems they come alongside to help, not to destroy. Can we say the same about those who seem to relish in passing on bad reports that are nothing more than gossip? They will know us by our love not by our doctrines. (Not saying good doctrine is not important only that they have no value without love).

I feel bad for those who see it as their life's purpose to tear down others. All the scripture I read tells us to be occupied with lifting up, building up, encouraging, supporting one another. Looking for counterfeit Cobras under every stone and around every corner can mess you up. If the the Spirit does point something out to you (make sure it is the Spirit) it is so you can pray for the situation or that person, that Jesus will be glorified in it or them.

I know these words won't make much of a difference in the divided and fractured Body but it will share with those I love what I received today and maybe help them see what I see. In writing these words I feel a release of something that was building in me this week. You and I can disagree and still love each other because the Lord is the Lord of us both and he will bring correction wherever it needs to be applied. 

*John 15:16-17 And I will ask the Father and he will give you another Savior, the Holy Spirit of Truth, who will be to you a friend just like me—and he will never leave you. The world won’t receive him because they can’t see him or know him. But you will know him intimately, because he will make his home in you and will live inside you.

United By The Blood

The beauty of the Church is that it is not homogeneous. It can't be. You and I are now family, no matter where we live, what we have done, what we look like. In the same worship center we will find police officers and ex-criminals, politicians and voters, the wealthy and the poor, the elderly and students. In many churches you will find people who speak all kinds of different languages, different skin colours, different origins. But regardless of our differences we have one thing in common: The grace offered through Jesus.

When we live in the Spirit the Church is a thing of great beauty; when we live by the flesh our differences make it an ugly place. It is vital that we understand that the Church cannot exist according to the flesh. It is not a club, a thing of business, something of this world. The Church is not a thing to be managed by a board of elders. It is a living thing that has life through the Spirit. Without the Spirit there is no life and it is an institution like any other institution of man.

As members of this living Body we are united by the Spirit under the headship of Jesus and this one thing must be remembered:

All have sinned and fall short of God’s glory, but all are treated as righteous freely by his grace because of a ransom that was paid by Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:23-24)

That is something else we have in common: We have all been found wanting by Yahweh. We have all fallen short of his standards. None of us can get there because we have all been in rebellion to him; we have all sinned. It doesn't matter about any of our differences, no one is better than anyone else because all sin is in rebellion to Yahweh. However, Jesus changed all that.

Jesus gave us something better to have in common with each other. Jesus paid the price so grace could be applied to all of us and in this grace all of us are treated as righteous, regardless of our past, regardless of our sin. In the Church there is no one better than another, no one great, no one small, no one more privileged than another. There is no male or female. There is no rich and poor. There is no colour. There is only us and our relationship with Jesus. This is the Church, the Body of Christ.

To anyone without Jesus, the Church is a bizarre place, filled with a collage of people. It is not homogeneous in the flesh but it is in what cannot been seen by the eye. In Jesus we are all the same, we are all children of Father and we are all covered by the blood of the Lamb. What was impossible for man was possible for Yahweh. We are family.

Loving Without Compromise In A Divided Home

Things are changing very quickly in the Church's relationship with the world and we are beginning to see large divisions in the Church herself. There is a great spirit of confusion because the enemy is taking advantage of the fact that people do not know their Bible. Even though we have more resources available to us than ever before, biblical illiteracy is incredibly high. When we don't know what Jesus taught it becomes easy for the enemy to change our heart with a changing of the wind as we are seeing in our society of late.

At the end of the Old Testament we find the book of Malachi and at the end of this book we have a warning to not let go of the Word of God. We also find here the promise of what the returning prophet Elijah would do:

And he will turn
The hearts of the fathers to the children,
And the hearts of the children to their fathers,
Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse. (Malachi 4:6)

So many parents hold on to these words as a promise not understanding their significance. This is not speaking of family strife but of generations that had turned away from the patriarchs of Israel, who had left the teaching of the ancients and had rebelled against Yahweh. In other words it was speaking of the nation of Israel. So this is the condition of Israel when John the Baptist began preaching and he was effective. The people turned and repented, receiving a baptism of repentance. Jesus had another warning for parents though:

Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ (Matthew 10:34-36)

Jesus spoke of what is only natural because the flesh cannot be friends with the Spirit nor the Spirit with the flesh because they are contrary. When a son or daughter refuses Christ and the parents stay steadfast then there is division. When the son or daughter belong to Jesus and the parents do not, there will be division. We are going to see much more of it in the days to come as the world sinks deeper into its depravity and the saints continue to stand on the Word. The hatred will grow and we will see greater division. Jesus knew his the cross would not bring peace to the world but would bring peace between those who accepted it and Father. But he warned us:

He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. (v. 37-38)

Many of us will do anything to have peace in the family. We will be willing to compromise the Word, bend some things that Jesus taught, all for the sake of peace in the house. Peace at all cost, but Jesus warned against it. No matter the cost we must pay, we have to keep to the understanding that Jesus is of highest importance and priority. Even if we lose our entire family as a result, we must stand with Jesus; we must love him more than any other.

Yes parents, our hearts will be crushed as the sin of unbelief divides us from our flesh and blood. Yes children, your hearts will yearn for the council of your dear parents, but our love for Jesus must be superior to all of this. It is hard but that is exactly what the enemy is counting on, that our earthly affections will keep us from Jesus. We cannot compromise on the righteousness of Jesus Christ. We cannot compromise on the holiness of our LORD God. We cannot live but the Word of God.

He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. (v. 39) 

We never lose hope nor give up on those whom we are separated from because of unbelief; we love them too much to give up. But neither do we move from the Rock, upon whom we stand, to be with them in their depravity. Every person will have to make their decision and will be held accountable for that decision. We can pray for them and try to persuade them but they have to make and live with their own decision. Do your best to get them in now because it is almost too late but whatever you do, don't go wandering yourself because the curtain is being drawn on this age. Stand fast my friend and pray.

What Are You Grasping?

If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate.

If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing.

If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love. - ! Corinthians 13:1-3 (The Message)

There it is in a nutshell. Love is the foundation of all our motivation. But not any love. It is the love of Jesus that must occupy us. We must envelop ourselves in his love, allow it to become an ocean to us, the very air that we breathe. It is more than just looking to his example. It is more than an outside force influencing an inward change. It must become the inner force that impacts our outward actions. This is only possible when we are possessed by Jesus himself.

We can't stop pursuing greater revelation of his love. We can't stop learning. We cannot set it aside to pursue other aspects of his character because love is at the heart of all of his character. It is what binds it all together:

And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. (Colossians 3:14, NIV)

After Apostle Paul describes the functioning of the Church, the Body of Christ, in 1 Corinthians 12, he said there was only one way, the excellent way, that the many parts of the Body could function as one: Love. In the Church today we try to unite people with the thought of having a common goal. Churches will try to encourage its members in this way. But often we get the goal wrong. The one thing that unites us, binds us altogether, makes us as one, is the love of Jesus Christ.

Some say we spend too much time on this subject which is not true; we don't spend enough. We have the wrong perspective of this love. We continue to treat it as something that is on the outside that we need to get in but we have to see it as something on the inside we need to pour out. This one prayer of Paul's has never left me and remains my desire that I must act on every day:

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:16-19)

Oh to have the power to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge. It is the only way to be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Without love we have nothing, we are nothing.

In all the glitz, glamour, pumped emotions, ecstasy music, mission statements, lofty goals, let's not lose sight of what is the real power. Let's not lose sight of the foundation. Let's not lose sight of our motivation. Let's not lose sight of the purpose of it all. If you are not grasping the love of Jesus what are you grasping? If your desire is not the fullness of God, what is your desire? Love binds it all together in perfect unity.

Our King's Desire

There is nothing that destroys school spirit more than disunity, when there is no unifying force like a well loved sports team or a beloved principal. There is nothing that destroys the strength of an army more than division in the ranks, when there is no unifying leader or, for that matter, enemy. There is nothing that destroys the beauty of a family more than shattered unity, when there is something that divides the mom and dad. Unity is a powerful thing, beautiful in its effectiveness. Yet unity's beauty is as delicate as a flower, easy to crush.

That is the state of unity in the world but it should look much different in the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. We have a much loved King we share in common. We have a common enemy we fight against. Our list of things in common is long and our differences short. We are members of the same family with an awesome Father involved in our daily living. We share the same Spirit. We just don't see the importance of unity and don't understand the glory we are robbing from Jesus by our disunity.

Do you remember this prayer from Jesus?

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me." (John 17:20-23)

We hear about so many other things that Jesus taught but on this prayer of unity we hear very little. It is our King's prayer that you and I would be one, united together so that in our unity this lost and rebellious world would see Jesus and understand his love. It is hard to preach this message of love when we can't manage to love each other.

Most people don't even understand the church doctrines they defend against other believers. We defend them because it is the church we were born in. These walls need to come down and the Church needs to rise up so we can be effective in our purpose. Apostle Paul told us what unites us:

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:3-6)

Paul makes it very simple, giving us a list of the doctrines that keep us united under Jesus. There is one body (Church), one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one Father. That's it. Plain and simple. This is what you and I have in common, the reason we can worship and serve side by side and why our hearts should be filled with love for one another.

It should be enough that our King's desire is for us to be united, to be one as he and the Father are one. Just that alone should give us the desire to set aside any differences and be united. Our purpose is to bring glory to God, to allow his glory to be seen in us. He said to love him and love others; be united with him and united with others; be one with him and one with each other.

So, let us love one another as Jesus has loved us (with great sacrifice) and allow the world to see Jesus.

Are You Adding To Or Taking Away From The Body Of Christ?

The Church certainly looks like she is fractured into many pieces with no hope of unity. It is a shame that one group always seems to think they have the total and complete revelation and understanding of God. It is also a shame when a congregation believes it is self contained and needs no one from the "outside". It is a sad thing that denominations are set up in such a way that if you are a pastor or teacher who does not belong to that denomination you cannot preach there. The diversity of the Church in her revelations, understanding, teaching and manifestation of the Spirit is a beautiful thing but we make it ugly.

The doctrines of the various denominations are basically the same with a slightly different emphasis on some aspects of the teaching so unity should not be a problem. But we allow these simple matters of doctrinal emphasis to become walls where one thinks it is better than another. Can I tell you, with such an attitude these denominations are demonstrating they don't understand the most basic teaching of Jesus. They need to go back to "kindergarten". Read this:

Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. (1 Corinthians 12:12-14)

Diversity in the Body of Christ is a given, as long as it is a diversity produced by the Spirit of God. We know unity is the will of Jesus because it was his final prayer for us, that we would have oneness with each other as we have it with Jesus. Unity is made possible because of the Spirit of God. All that we have comes from the Spirit; all our revelations, gifts, ministries come from him. They did not come from us, they were not our idea, they did not happen by our will. If they did we had better shut it all down and run back to the Spirit quickly because we are off track and nothing we have done will survive.

We have been baptized by and in the same Spirit because he has formed one Body. In that Body we have diversity because the Body needs diversity to function properly. The greatness of the Spirit cannot be contained in one person so he has spread himself out among all believers. Let me remind you of my previous posts:

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. (1 Corinthians 12:4-7)

The diversity of the Body is for the common good of all believers. Instead of attacking the differences we should be celebrating. Instead of trying to copy another person`s ministry or giftings we should be working all that much harder with our own. The fact is I need you and you need me. You have something from the Spirit that will help me in my growth and in my service and what I have you need as well.

We must change our vision and perspective of the Body of Christ. We have to start understanding that we need each other and we must work together. We should be willing to listen to each other knowing that we need each other to be complete. It is the Spirit of God who has done this, who has created such diversity and we need to be celebrators of this diversity. Unity is found in the Holy Spirit, under the authority and headship of Jesus Christ.

I am going to give this out in spoon-sized bits so we can take the time to digest it better. For today just meditate on the understanding that the diversity of the Church has been brought about by the Spirit and that even in this diversity we need unity to work. It may seem impossible but at the end of this chapter we will look at how it is possible to achieve. If you wish to go back and start this from my first posting here they are:

1) Living By The Spirit Of God Is The Only Way To Live In Jesus

2) Why Can't You Do Miracles?

3) To Each One The Manifestation Of The Spirit Is Given