A Nugget from New Life Network
Scripture for the Day (December 14, 2018)
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)
My mother was raised Baptist. My father was raised Methodist. My wife’s parents went to a Church of Christ. We have ministered in Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Church of God in Christ, Assembly of God, Charismatic, predominantly white, predominantly black, and many more various types of churches. We have close Christian friends that have their roots in the Catholic, Amish, and Jewish religions. We have seen a lot of religion over the last 36 years of ministry.
Believe it or not, there are people that love God in all different types of Christian churches. I think we are going to surprised when we get to Heaven and meet people from various different backgrounds.
One of the last prayers that Jesus prayed was for all of us believers to be one:
Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. (John 17:20-23)
Now, we may look at our present condition in the church world and think that it will really take a miracle for that prayer to be answered. The following is a quote from a book by a very successful Christian business man about his evaluation of our present religious situation with all the different type churches:
“I define religion as man’s attempt to explain communication with our Creator God through some method. That is why the groups are called Methodists, Baptists, Catholics, Pentecostals, Charismatics, and so on. I do not say that despairingly as if it is a diabolical plot. That is not the way it happened. A good experience, a good thought, a good idea became a doctrine, and huge denominations are formed around the experience. The difficulty is to build on the experience without allowing it to be exclusive or divisive and completely non-relational. Our Creator is a God of relationship. He is not religious, nor is He capable of being defined by a single method. Religious people always have difficulty with relationship if they become too entrenched in their method. The religion often defines rules and eliminates the need for relationship.” (Charlie Lewis, The Kingdom System)
Now, let’s look at what the Apostle Paul’s evaluation was of the church environment at Corinth:
Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? (1 Corinthians 1:10-13)
Looks like they had some of the same problems 2000 years ago when the church was first being formed.
We all need to remember that we serve Jesus, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Our relationship is with Him and not with a particular denomination or preacher. If we are walking in the love of God, then where someone goes to church should not bother us. If someone asks you what you are, what is your response? Is your first response a church denomination, or is it a “follower of Jesus”. Actually, the first believers were known as “men and women of the way” (Acts 9:2) before they were ever called Christians. Let’s remember these things during this Christmas period and strive to love everyone and not judge them by a particular church name. If the prayer of Jesus is ever going to be answered it has to start with you and me.
