Here we go again
Col.3:14 But, besides all these things, [clothe yourselves with] love, for it is a perfect bond of union.
Zeph.3:9 For then I shall give to peoples the change to a pure language, in order for them all to call upon the name of Jehovah, in order to serve him shoulder to shoulder.’
Phil.1:27 Only behave in a manner worthy of the good news about the Christ, in order that, whether I come and see YOU or be absent, I may hear about the things which concern YOU, that YOU are standing firm in one spirit, with one soul striving side by side for the faith of the good news,
1 Cor.1:10 Now I exhort YOU, brothers, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that YOU should all speak in agreement, and that there should not be divisions among YOU, but that YOU may be fitly united in the same mind and in the same line of thought.
I believe that all true Christians should be as united as is presently possible in our imperfect state. There is only one truth and one true faith. (Eph. 4:6)
Again, thank you for baring your history and journey.
Apparently no one was around to provide those references to Paul and Barnabas. Lol. Just having fun.
(Acts 15:35-41)
36 And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brethren in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.” 37 And Barnabas was desirous of taking John, called Mark, along with them also. 38 But Paul kept insisting that they should not take him along who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. 39 And there arose such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus.
I believe all believers could serve God "Shoulder to Shoulder" and they could stand in "one spirit....striving side by side" and could "speak in agreement" if only the believers who think they are smarter than all the others would simply adhere to this principle:
Romans 14: 1Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. 2For instance, one person believes it’s all right to eat anything. But another believer with a sensitive conscience will eat only vegetables. 3Those who feel free to eat anything must not look down on those who don’t. And those who don’t eat certain foods must not condemn those who do, for God has accepted them. 4Who are you to condemn someone else’s servants? Their own master will judge whether they stand or fall. And with the Lord’s help, they will stand and receive his approval.
5In the same way, some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike. You should each be fully convinced that whichever day you choose is acceptable. 6Those who worship the Lord on a special day do it to honor him. Those who eat any kind of food do so to honor the Lord, since they give thanks to God before eating. And those who refuse to eat certain foods also want to please the Lord and give thanks to God. 7For we don’t live for ourselves or die for ourselves. 8If we live, it’s to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9Christ died and rose again for this very purpose—to be Lord both of the living and of the dead.
10So why do you condemn another believers? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. 11For the Scriptures say,
“‘As surely as I live,’ says the LORD,
‘every knee will bend to me,
and every tongue will confess and give praise to God.b’”
12Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God. 13So let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.
Last night I went out on a date with my wife. We went to a Casino (oh no!), listened to a comedian (uh-oh, he may have said some swear words), and had a few drinks (not unlike Jesus, BTW). My wife and I had a great time celebrating our life together alone for the night.
We went there as faithful servants of the Lord. We left as faithful servants of the Lord. We woke up this morning as faithful servants of the Lord. Most things in our lives revolve around trying to live our lives and run our businesses in ways that will please the Lord. Yet many will condemn us for having such a night out on the town. Personally I see nothing wrong whatsoever with the entertainment we chose last night.
And guess what, Paul told us in the reference above that no other believer should be judging us for such a night. We are not drunkards. As a matter of fact that was probably the first drinks we have had since March. We don't even gamble (even though I don't even see anything wrong with that as long as it is in moderation, just like most things)
Yes, there is a way for us all to "be in agreement" - There is only one way - That is for us to follow the reference above from Paul and agree that Jesus is the Son of God, he is our only Savior, give our lives over to him, and live as the Spirit guides our conscience, and stop judging the conscience and the Spirit of others over issues that are ambiguous.
That's my take on it.
Thanks for the references Dan.
