UNIFIED - ONE PURPOSE, ONE FAITH

TEXT:

PSALM 133

1   Behold, how good and how pleasant it is

For brothers to live together in unity!

2    It is like the precious oil on the head,

Running down upon the beard,

As on Aaron’s beard,

The oil which ran down upon the edge of his robes.

3   It is like the dew of Hermon

Coming down upon the mountains of Zion;

For the Lord commanded the blessing there—life forever.

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

SEVEN THINGS GOD HATES- #7: DISUNITY IN THE REMNANT

These six things the Lord hates,

Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: 

A proud look,

A lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,

A heart that devises wicked plans,

Feet that are swift in running to evil, 

A false witness who speaks lies,

And one who sows discord among brethren

Proverbs 6:18-19 

There are more divisions in the western world over the Gospel of Jesus Christ than there are plays in the Seattle Seahawks offensive playbook. In fact, the only thing most real Christians ever agree on is that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, Who was born as a baby, nailed to a Cross and everyone (except some liberal dying mainline denominations) believes He rose from the dead, on Resurrection Sunday.

So why is discord sown among the brethren - something which the Lord hates, by the way? The answer can be found in human nature. The seeds of discord were being sowed, believe it or not, while Jesus was still alive! Here were the greatest men who ever lived, after the LORD Himself of course, yet some of them were debating who would be the greatest (see Luke 9:46-47 "46An argument started among them as to which of them might be the greatest. 47But Jesus, knowing what they were thinking in their heart, took a child and stood him by His side). 

These men got over themselves and gave all, including their lives in the cause of spreading the Gospel. They fulfilled the mission Christ gave them. They suffered persecution, hunger, pain and then death. But they stood strong to the end. While they were doing that, the Apostle Paul noticed all kinds of divisions. He was not talking about the Gnostics and others who perverted the pure milk of the word. He was speaking of true believers who were just very incorrect in their thinking. Read this portion of Scripture here in from 1 Corinthians 1:10-17 HERE:

                    10 Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are contentions among you. 12 Now I say this, that each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.” 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
                 14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 lest anyone should say that I had baptized in my own name. 16 Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas. Besides, I do not know whether I baptized any other. 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect. (Courtesy Bible Gateway).

We do the same things today. We have charismatics criticizing baptists criticizing Assembly of God criticizing Campbellites criticizing Calvinists criticizing.....fill in the blank! With the power and freedom of the internet, entire websites are visiting war upon fellow believers for this or that doctrine.  Some are saying (unbiblically and incorrectly) that those who don't speak in tongues are not Christians. Some are saying if you say you heard a word from the Lord, you made it up. Some are saying....actually, I hear so much of it, the entire thing is tuned out!

There IS MAJOR heresy out there. There is the Prosperity Gospel - Name and Claim it heresy. This is leading many in some of the poorest countries of the world away from the True Gospel of Jesus Christ. How dare these so-called "preachers" with their $1000 suits and BMW's tell some poor granma who is a shut-in, an unemployed carpenter in Nigeria or a plumber in Phoenix to "just speak it, send in a seed and checks will show up miraculously in the mail"??!! We are not to fellowship in that. 

There is the emergent church, which is selling a "new Jesus"....because apparently the Jesus Who the Father sent is not good enough. We are not to fellowship with them.
There is the apostate church which supports abortion; unbiblical marriage apart from God's decree of a man and a woman; and even ordains ungodly couples - of those whom God Himself indicated that He gave over to their abominations in Romans 1:18-31. We are not to fellowship with that.

There is the liberal church which does not believe the bible, does not believe the Virgin Birth or even the Resurrection...but in something called "social gospel"...or its synonym "social justice"....neither is the gospel or the justice of God.....and on and on.

This is NOT the discord that the Great God of Heaven despises. We, who are called by His Name, are to have NO part of any of this...all the while praying that they will all come to a knowledge of the True Truth (as Francis Schaeffer said). 

The discord comes in Bible-believing followers of Jesus letting pride, greed and the lost for fame and power cloud their Jesus'-bought hearts and turn on their brothers and sisters in Christ. The discord comes these same people use Scripture or Biblical traditions to their own selfish ends to further their agendas. The discord comes when people branch out on their own, using the ways of the world and appropriating the Name of God unto it....all the while claiming to be "working for Jesus"!

So what does God really desire, to soothe His anger at the abomination of separation? Read the following; search your heart and see if you (or I) have anything against or brother....leave our gifts at the altar...and go make it right! 

Blessed Unity of the People of God

Psalm 133 

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

2 It is like the precious oil upon the head,
Running down on the beard,
The beard of Aaron,
Running down on the edge of his garments.
3 It is like the dew of Hermon,
Descending upon the mountains of Zion;
For there the Lord commanded the blessing— Life forevermore. 

A WALK THROUGH ROMANS 15 (VERSE 5)

CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG?

May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus...(Romans 15:5 ESV)


Euodia and Syntyche are two names you won't find in the Boston phonebook....not even the one in Dublin or Belfast! These two women are not runway models from Greece but two Godly saints who constantly fought each other! No matter how much they tried or how much their friends pleaded with them, the conflict there was too much...and these were Christian women!


Look at what their good brother, the Apostle Paul, says about them here "I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life" ...Philippians 4:2-3 (ESV)


We all know that Paul was Jesus' personal emissary to bring the Gospel out of the Middle East into western Civilization, which he said with stunning success. Yet, here is the man of God pleading for his co-laborers in the mission field to "can't we all just get along"?!


These are leading members of the church at Philippi and hence the reason Paul was spending so much time trying to get the intense disagreement squashed before it damaged the work Christ sent him to do! Sometimes, we Christians can be real stumbling blocks to others seeing the True Love of Christ, by the way we conduct ourselves! If he did not stop this dangerous conflict between Euodia and Syntyche, the vision Christ gave Paul for the model church in Philippi would be in danger!  This may sound like just another Bible story. But here is why the Philippian church is important to us today in 21st Century America - it is the same model we use today!!!!!


1. The Philippian church is the first church to be planted in Europe. 
2. The Philippian church  is the only church in the New Testament that is used as a model for other churches to follow. 
3. The Philippian church is THE main model that gives us an entirely different standard for tithing, giving and free-will offerings! This is how the west got to have generous churches who feed and clothed the homeless and finance missionaries!
4 The Philippian church helps us to define the kind of true fellowship, love and unity we have today....among most believers!


There are some other smaller points but we get the point. If Paul had not buried the bone of contention which Euodia had with Syntyche and vice versa, the western church would be in  heap big trouble and not what Christ intended.


This is what Romans 15:5 is telling us - we have to live in Unity, NOT Kumbayah with EVERY FALSE doctrine, but Unity in the True Body of Believers, so that God will give us ALL the ability to persevere and make it through these worsening times! True Bible believing Christians are the only ones who will make it through to the end and the only way to do so is to have each other's back in prayer, supplication, constant care and checking on each other and true fellowship as a worshipping body and neighbors!


They will know we are Christians by our love...and not by a verse in the New Testament, so the entire world for 2000 years know that you and your fellow saint were women who hated each other!
They will know we are Christians by our long lasting, enduring and magnanimous love we show each other and the Lord. 
They will know we are Christians because we live as in this Psalm:
Behold, how good and pleasant it is
when brothers dwell in unity!
It is like the precious oil on the head,
running down on the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
running down on the collar of his robes!
It is like the dew of Hermon,
which falls on the mountains of Zion!
For there the LORD has commanded the blessing,
life forevermore.

(Psalm 133 ESV)

THINK ON THESE THINGS - SATURDAY

Don’t Ride the Divisive Bandwagon!

Bernie's Note: Yesterday we explored the unity we have as brothers and sisters in the LORD. I used Psalm 133 and its 3 short verses to demonstrate the beautiful image of Unity in the Faith and with each other, which God expects us to live in and with. Visit yesterday's post (Friday December 16) on that. Unfortunately, there is a spirit of divisiveness, even confusion in the Body. My sister LAURIE POPOVICH has written an excellent piece, which is worthy of our understanding....so that we not only "don't go there" but also "don't ride the divisive bandwagon!"

“Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition...”

Titus 3:10

We all crave a sense of belonging.  It is our nature.  BUT division is the enemy of unity.

Laurie Popovich

People have labeled since the beginning of time; religions, races, society, education, families, appearances, etc.   But NOT all labels are good.  Not all lines that are drawn are right. You must discern what is trying to being imposed on you; your own bias or that of another?  Labels on people and lines that are drawn are a result of seeing with your eyes and not your heart.

Don’t be quick to believe what you hear from others instead draw your own conclusions on people from the heart.

• A divisive man/woman acts out of their own pain, hurt.  Hurting people hurt people.
• A divisive man/woman sees themselves as the victim instead of the victor.
• A divisive man/woman is selfish not self-less.
• A divisive man/woman cuts not only with words, but their actions to the heart

A believer doesn’t acknowledge the drawn lines and labels of the world.  They unite the with their sincere words and heart-felt actions.

You reject not the divisive man through hate; but for your own sakes,  for the guarding of your hearts and minds, for the guarding and keeping of peace and love.

 Divisiveness is a cancer that spreads like wildfire and in the end you don’t want to be on its bandwagon. For the label of a divisive man/woman leaves a bad scar that is difficult to erase.

Don’t be known as divisive! Unite, be a light, and ALWAYS find and accentuate the positive!

(Image by Google Images)

THINK ON THESE THINGS - HAPPY FRIDAY!

MOUNT HERMON...mountain of the Bible!

Let Your River Flow!

Mount Hermon is far north of Jerusalem and its rain and snow feed water directly into the Jordan River! While this famous Biblical river is now a mere shadow of itself, the overflow from the Heights of Hermon is still evident.

Psalm 133: 3 calls this flow the "Dew of Hermon"

1. Behold, how good and pleasant it is
when brothers dwell in unity!
2. It is like the precious oil on the head,
running down on the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
running down on the collar of his robes!
3. It is like the dew of Hermon,
which falls on the mountains of Zion!
For there the LORD has commanded the blessing,
life forevermore....(Psalm 133 ESV)


This "dew" is like God's goodness and grace, which flow all over the land to those who receive His blessings and anointing!


The "dew" is a reminder of a fresh new morning as you step out into your world and realize He has gone before you and prepared a path for you.


You step on the fresh grass outside your door, walk over to pick up the newspaper or open to car door to head off to work...sometimes not mindful He has life itself, right under your feet.


Dew..water...life...and then back verse 2, the Lord talks about PRECIOUS OIL! Oil signifies worship, feasting, celebration in unity. 


When God sent His prophet or priest to anoint someone for a job, or call them to service, the confirmation of that calling was evident in the pouring of the oil on the head of that person. In this case, He talks about Aaron - the first priest of God on earth.


We, who are Christians, are called 'a royal priesthood' here: 

1 Peter 2:9 ESV

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

We all know Water and Oil don't mix. HOWEVER, this is only in the natural realm! 

Psalm 133, verses 2 and 3 PROVE that when God supplies - THEY DO MIX!

The oil of joy and the dew of life are liquid gold, which flow from His Throne - together!

Would you let it wash over you today? 

If you do, you are living the Proclamation from Heaven made in verse 1: Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!

When was the last time you looked at a Psalm from the last verse up???!! This short, yet powerful psalm 133, is only 3 verses - yet we see the Supply, Provision, Grace, Wonder, Wish and Wisdom of God Who desires Unity with Him. Not unity with the world's system, but Unity in Christ, for the Glory of His Name.

Amen