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- Apr 25, 2006
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7 July 2007
Ephesians 4 v 4-6
There is one body and one Spirit, and God called you to have one hope. There is one Lord, one faith, and one baptism. There is one God and Father of everything. He rules everything and is everywhere and is in everything
The book of Ephesians was one of the final books of the New Testament written around 60 AD. Christianity had taken roots in the Roman world so much that without much of the written Word to guide the churches many new teachings and disunity amongst the churches was emerging. Paul stepped in and wrote many letters to edify the churches of the true faith and to maintain the unity of the Christian faith through the spirit of unity in Christ.
Today we see the churches splintered and disorientated. There are black churches and white churches, Asian churches and African churches, English churches and multilingual churches, music filled churches and "a cappella" churches, all vying to be THE Church. What would it take to create unity as Paul talked about, amongst all these churches? How do you react to those of a different form of worship or language? Satan has created much disunity. We need to pray for true unity and the one body of Christ his bride, the church to be truly united.
As the saying goes "A nation falls not from without, but from within." One of Jesus' last prayers in the garden of Gethsemane was for his disciples to be united (John 17:20-23). Without this unity he knew how fragile his disciples would be and how easily Satan can side track the church from its mission in this world.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy. Amen.
(A prayer of Francis of Assisi)
Written by Douglas Cruz
Ephesians 4 v 4-6
There is one body and one Spirit, and God called you to have one hope. There is one Lord, one faith, and one baptism. There is one God and Father of everything. He rules everything and is everywhere and is in everything
The book of Ephesians was one of the final books of the New Testament written around 60 AD. Christianity had taken roots in the Roman world so much that without much of the written Word to guide the churches many new teachings and disunity amongst the churches was emerging. Paul stepped in and wrote many letters to edify the churches of the true faith and to maintain the unity of the Christian faith through the spirit of unity in Christ.
Today we see the churches splintered and disorientated. There are black churches and white churches, Asian churches and African churches, English churches and multilingual churches, music filled churches and "a cappella" churches, all vying to be THE Church. What would it take to create unity as Paul talked about, amongst all these churches? How do you react to those of a different form of worship or language? Satan has created much disunity. We need to pray for true unity and the one body of Christ his bride, the church to be truly united.
As the saying goes "A nation falls not from without, but from within." One of Jesus' last prayers in the garden of Gethsemane was for his disciples to be united (John 17:20-23). Without this unity he knew how fragile his disciples would be and how easily Satan can side track the church from its mission in this world.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy. Amen.
(A prayer of Francis of Assisi)
Written by Douglas Cruz
