UNITY - What God DOES NOT WANT!

These things I command you, so that you will love one another. If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you

Jn.15:17-19

So...our topic is UNITY!  Do you really want to know what it is?  Turn on your TV and you

will see all the time, what it is NOT! The world loves to show you how unified it is doesn't it? War? Crime? Violence? Lying, cheating, stealing, murder, we could go on and on. But what you see on the outside is only the tip of a much larger iceberg beneath the horizon.  This was Jesus' point in the sermon on the mount (Mt.5-7) to the people of His day and ours. You think that Murder is the problem? No...there's plenty underneath the surface that has lead to it, that if it is not dealt with - has not changed you in the slightest. Here are some things to think about from this point of view:

1. There are two things to remember as concerns God's will regarding this and Jesus stated them in one phrase. "And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. (Mt.22:37-39)." 
2. 2.) Where it concerns how I feel about myself, or my arrogance that I feel that because I have not done what the world has done or what this person over here did, bear in mind that before God and outside of Christ, "All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one." Rom 3:12
3. 3.) Be careful that self righteousness doesn't overtake you. It is easy to say that I'm a good person, I haven't done like other people, etc. Remember, you at one time before Jesus, WERE them! (Eph.2:1-3)

What God DOES NOT WANT!

The biggest thing to remember here, is that Jesus said that those who would be part of Him, would NOT be like, act like, or take on the looks of the world at all!  Remember John's teaching, "For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.  And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. (1 Jn.2:16,17). "I'm not a murderer!" you say. God says back, have you hated someone without cause? Have you spoken about someone to the damage or their character behind their back? You say, "I'm not a liar!" God would say, "Have you always spoken the truth?" Have you fudged on something to make your side look better than someone else's but you know it is not? Understand, God doesn't want any part of the world in you, and if you are serious about being godly, you will work to not only eradicate the behaviors on the surface from your life, the hidden ones will need work too.

It is hard work, don't fool yourself. But is eternity with God worth it? You tell me! You want to be like the world? Go right ahead. Just remember that life after this one, has a world in which the things of this world have no part. 

Jim

It takes FAITH to Listen to God!

As it is written, I have made you the father of many nations. [He was appointed our father] in the sight of God in Whom he believed, Who gives life to the dead and speaks of the nonexistent things that [He has foretold and promised] as if they [already] existed.

Rom.4:17

One of the hardest things to realize is that God is in control of things when those things are going south and fast. It is also hard to maintain faith, when things like cancer, divorce, bankruptcy, infertility, and unemployment seem to be invading your life on a regular and persistent basis. These types of things get out of your control and you can’t do anything about it. They leave you feeling helpless, and if you're not careful, evil and evil influences can cause you to think that God has abandoned you. 

Something to remember, is that the situation you are in may be out of your control, but it’s not out of God’s control.  

Romans 4:17 reminds us of that. There are two things God does that you can’t do: 

1. He can give life to the dead
2. He can create something out of nothing.

Those are some very awesome things. If God can give life to a dead man, the God can can give life to a dead career, a dying marriage, a fading dream or a financial dead-end. There is a lot of motivational speakers that talk about the power of positive thinking, and positive thinking is a needed thing in life. However, it wasn't just positive thinking that Abraham believed in. Positive thinking beats negative thinking because negative doesn't work! But understand that positive thinking is not faith in God. They are two very different things. Positive thinking works fine in situations you have control over because you can move within the circumstances to change them. It takes faith in God to be in something totally out of your control, beyond your ability, and outside of your means to do anything to get through those things. You need faith in God, because He can control a situation, when you can’t. In fact, most of life is beyond your control, and there is very little that you can manipulate. 

Jesus reminds us in Lke 18:27, “What is impossible with man is possible with God” Throughout the Bible's history, God has specialized in the impossible. We call them miracles and you need to know that God is ready to turn your dead-end into deliverance.

So, here are some good questions to consider on this subject:

• What issues are you facing today that are straining your faith?
• Do you still believe that God is in control and can work with you to change those things?
• Why is it sometimes difficult to admit that something is out of your control?
• Do you feel evil or evil influence whispering in your ear that God has abandoned you?

Maybe it is time today, to quit struggling with life and its circumstances. Positive thinking not working for you? Maybe it is time to understand that it takes more than a positive attitude and thought to get through the turmoil. Perhaps you should try talking to, listening to, and trusting that God has not abandoned you. He's just waiting for you to stop "Kicking against the pricks (Acts 9:5)."

Jim