Friday, October 19, 2012

T#045 JOHN 17 verses 20-21 KIND OF UNITY and STRATEGY TO ACHIEVING IT!


The Nature and Kind

of WHAT Ought To

Be Our UNITY

"IN THE CHRIST”

  • The Father lives in THE CHRIST
  • as His INSTRUMENT through
  • WHOM He manifests.
  • THE CHRIST ---- His INSTRUMENT to manifest through
  • is THE OBJECT of His affection.

For us to be included
in THE UNITY

of and between
The Father and THE SON

  • we are to be individually IN THE CHRIST
  • as we are to live IN THE CHRIST.

No worldly relationship,
be it by blood or societal

 relations including those out 
of our myriad organizational
and denominational brands

  • is to stand between us and THE LORD JESUS THE CHRIST (>>Luke 14:26).

We are still to become SONS of GOD

  • as we are still to assert that right to become
  • [not instantly!]
  • SONS of GOD
  • per >>John 1:12!!!!
  • We are still to believe and to obey
  • HIS authority particularly (>>Matthew 28:18-20)
  • and in fact still have to grow in THE FAITH and KNOWLEDGE
  • on THE LORDSHIP & CHRISTHOOD of JESUS
  • as we are to be perpetually
  • HIS learning disciples
  • while we live as His SONS growing with and along

THE FIVE COMMITMENTS
as disciples of JESUS!
(>>T#001)

  • ALL of us who were baptized into THE CHRIST
  • (>>Galatians 3:26-27) 
  • have already clothe ourselves with THE CHRIST.
  • And when we are clothe with THE CHRIST

HE covers us and we are
in HIM!!!

  •     We are not to be afraid that we loose our respective individual identities
  • in our UNITY in HIM
  • --- as The Father and THE SON continues to be
  • distinct from & with each other
  • notwithstanding Their UNITY.

That we all MAY BE ONE
 is THE EXPRESSED DESIRE

of THE LORD of lords
and THE KING of kings

in HIS prayer to The Father.
Why should we
continue to ignore
and contradict HIS
expressed desire
in our lifetime?


FOR OUR INDIVIDUAL
REFLECTION:


 1. To be one despite our EXISTENCIAL-TIME DIFFERENCES.
  • We are separated by time with many of our fellow believers in JESUS THE CHRIST;
  • yet, there is actually UNITY AMONG US ALL
  • as we get individually united
  • IN THE CHRIST
  • in our respective lifetimes here on earth.

2. To be one despite our VARYING and CHANGING LOCATIONS and DISTANCES from one another.
  • We are to live the life
  • actually conscious all the time
  • of THE UNITY AMONG US
  • that-we-ought-to-work-for
  • as we get individually united
  • IN THE CHRIST
  • in our obedience to the one commanded baptism
  • ---- no matter where we are.

3. To be one despite our DIFFERENT SITUATIONS IN our LIVING.
  • We are united in THE CHRIST
  • notwithstanding and even considering all these diversities among us
  • as we are indwelt by The Holy Spirit (>>Acts 2:36-38)
  • and living the life bearing the much fruit of The Spirit (>>Galatians 5:22-23)
  • --- as our works of service (>>Ephesians 4:12)
  • become the gifts of The Spirit to THE CHURCH that transcends organizations
  • and differentiated clearly from the denomintions!
FOR OUR INDIVIDUAL
REALIZATION:
    
  • Our individual lives lived in unity with The Father, THE SON, and The Holy Spirit (after He indwells us)
  • as we go through the life with THE ONE HOPE, ONE LORD, ONE FAITH, ONE BAPTISM (>>Ephesians 4:4-5)
  • as we ought to convince the whole world around us of JESUS THE CHRIST!

(This unity is not outward-
observable UNIFORMITY
AMONG THEMSELVES

nor can uniformity produce it

 --- to the dismay of all
DENOMINATIONALISTS.

  • Yet, the effects of this unity
  • [we are to accomplish individually]
  • will be real and visible - observable
  • that the world around us
  • ought to see and inevitably appreciate
  • without fail).

And when unbelievers notice
the effects of this unity

  • individually
  • --- one after another
  • they will each one
  • have increasingly better thoughts
  • of JESUS THE CHRIST
  • and HIS GOSPEL.
  • We all know what inevitably follows after that ---
  • >>Acts 2:47!

FACTS: JESUS - The Way or The Methodology, The Truth, and The Life (>>John 14:6) = That all of us may be one (>>John 17:21)


1. JESUS associated HIMSELF freely
  • with the organized, the unorganized, and the disorganized.
  • HE was repeatedly among and even with
  • the notorious and publicly acclaimed sinners in society.

By this,
NICOLAITANS (>>>T#026)
of today are clearly
contradicting JESUS

in THEIR separatist &
exclusivist
actuations & behaviours,
policies and doctrines

  • --- afraid their organization may stand to be questioned or answerable
  • for such free association in the world of religions
  • we are living.

JESUS did all these
to show us

 HE is THE WAY or
THE METHODOLOGY,
THE TRUTH,
and THE LIFE

 all-in-one

 for us ALL --- the organized,
the unorganized
as well as and more so for
the disorganized!


 2. JESUS established repeated and constant contacts
  • with and in fact worshipped with the people without discrimination
  • inside The Temple and the synagogues
  • despite the glaring control of the unprincipled powers that were
  • and the unspeakable corruption of the priesthood in there.
  • JESUS joined them there!!!
  • Refer to >>Matthew 12:9, >>13:54 and >>Mark 1:38-39.
  • The ATTENDANCE and PREACHING of JESUS in the synagogues did not imply approval of their conducts and beliefs.

JESUS being there served to
manifest to the fullest
HIS determination to get

 WHAT THE TEMPLE &
ITS RITUALS
OUGHT TO BE as

 HE often rebuked
THE PHARISEES
everywhere.


 3. Although JESUS was not in substantial agreement with the leaders in the temple and the synagogues
  • >>Jeremiah 23:1-2
  • HE did not hesitate to join them there
  • just so HE can work HIS ministry to the people therein.
  • No wonder HE said those declarations
  • we all have to be guided with
  • in >>Mark 9:40 and >>Matthew 12:30.
  • HIS being there was not serving those leaders with their ends
  • --- as "little flocks" (>>Luke 12:32) and OVERCOMERS (>>>T#027)

have to laboriously explain to
denominationalists-
separatists
NOW!

  • HIS being there was to serve THE TRUTH
  • to the people these leaders were preaching to in there.

Separatists and
denominationalists

are they who do not gather
WITH JESUS
>>Matthew 12:30

  • they are scattering GOD's people among themselves

Observe how this truth is
repeatedly happening now in
the different denominations,
sects and religions.


 4. JESUS showed the wisdom of questioning the religious authorities
  • yet not accusing any one of them
  • and the institution they stood for as the devil's
  • and to declare that despite the corruptions therein
  • it was (then!) still HIS Father's house
  • (>>Luke 2:46-49)
  • This is why despite the tellingly precarious state of THE CHURCH in the different denominations
  • that we find ourselves among in these our own time
(refer to
JESUS in HIS different
moods and words in
Revelation 2:18 up to 3:22,

 --- >>>T#025, >>>T#089 & 

 >>>P#208 all the way up to P#211A,
8 successive postings all in all) ----

  • ----  it is still THE CHURCH
  • (despite it is already very corrupted!) 
  • AND for THE NICOLAITANS & THEIR members therein
  • it is written so they will OVERCOME those corruptions
  • from within themselves with their extra determination
  • because they constitute and form part of THE CHURCH
  • well on their way to getting unblemished for THE LORD's coming! 
  • IF THEY DO SO!!!!!!!

FACTS: Examples of
JESUS as
followed by, demonstrated
and
taught to us by the apostles
including Paul

  • The Book of Acts and The Epistles
  • are replete with records to show
  • that just like THE LORD JESUS was faithful
  • in HIS visits to The Temple and the synagogues
  • so were HIS apostles
  • (>>Acts 2:46, >>Acts 3:1, >>Acts 5:12)
  • even after HIS death.
  • >>Acts Chapter 5 record for us how
  • that when they had preached the message of THE LORD JESUS then resurrected already 
  • they were imprisoned.
  • And that after an angel had come and opened the prison doors to let them go
  • they were commanded to go into The Temple
  • and there speak to all the people about THE SAVIOR.
  • The apostles very well knew
  • that the religious leaders they were with
  • were violently opposed to their message.
  • Yet, they went again and again to the center of their old religion
  • before their conversion to THE CHRIST
  • until they were forcibly driven out of its premises.

No wonder, Paul said in
>>1st Corinthians 7:17-24: 

 "Nonetheless, each one
should retain the situation in
living that THE LORD found
him and from which GOD
has called him.


THIS IS THE RULE I LAY
DOWN IN ALL
THE CHURCHes ......

Circumcision is nothing and
uncircumcision is nothing.

KEEPING GOD'S COMMANDS
IS WHAT COUNTS.


 Each one should remain in the
situation which he was in
when GOD called him.... You
were bought at a price;
DO NOT BECOME SLAVES
OF MEN. Brothers, each man
as responsible to GOD,
shall remain in the situation
GOD called him from.


After our conversion to
THE CHRIST

  • we should not anymore become slaves of men (>>Acts 5:29) again
  • nor are we to enslave others (>>Matthew 23:8-10)
  • If otherwise
  • our conversion to THE CHRIST has become misdirected
  • and we are to put on the full armor of GOD (>>Ephesians 6:11)
  • to withstand the devil's schemes and strategies
  • one of which is to get us to just shift from one religion to another one.

FACTS: Example of Paul --- as religious leader in his old
religion prior to his conversion

to THE LORDSHIP & THE
CHRISTHOOD of JESUS

  • --- FOR RELIGIOUS LEADERS OF TODAY TO FOLLOW
  • so that they will not end up as well as their members
  • merely converted from their previous religion to a new one
  • as many were and still are today(!)!!!

Right after Paul's conversion

  • he preached in the synagogues
  • that JESUS was THE SON OF GOD (>>Acts 9:20)
  • Wherever he went
  • records show he first visited the synagogue of the place.

As in the time of JESUS,

The Temple and
The Synagogue
AUTHORITIES ---

after JESUS died,
resurrected, and ascended to
 heaven

  • were not in agreement with HIS teachings.
  • Yet, we can clearly read without contradiction
  • Christians then visited and ministered in the synagogues.
  • Paul did not have to go there to learn from these synagogues
  • their doctrinal differences with Christianity.
  • Having been one of them
  • he did not exclude himself from the synagogue worship
  • but used the synagogue for the preaching of
  • JESUS THE CHRIST as everybody’s LORD & THE CHRIST.

Over and above
his declaration in >>1st
Corinthians 7:18-19,
Paul in >>Acts 21:17-26

  • acceeded to the wish of the religious leaders
  • and submitted himself to the formalistic vow of the purification
  • in order to avoid offending them

just to be able to continue
contact with them he
wanted to reach out

 with
THE GOSPEL of THE LORD
JESUS THE CHRIST.

  • This he did even after he had already made clear expositions
  • on the true meaning of the circumcision and had strongly reasoned
  • as recorded in >>Galatians Chapter 5
  • --- that observance of the ritual would place the individual in virtual obligation to the entire law
  • and thereby severing his connection with THE CHRIST.

Yes, JUST TO BE ABLE TO
ESTABLISH CONTINUING
ASSOCIATION AND
CONTACT WITH THEM
HE WANTED TO REACH

 WITH

  THE GOSPEL of
THE LORD JESUS THE CHRIST

  • he appears before men
  • --- inconsistent, contradictory in his stand
  • and therefore shameful, afraid, and coward
  • instead of what he declared to be in >>Romans 1:16!

To all the religionists,
denominationalists,
exclusivists,
separatists,

 ---- NICOLAITANS
among us now(!)

  • Paul's actuation here cannot be a basis for unity
  • in their ministries for THE LORD notwithstanding.
  • They do not realize serving distinction between their for THE LORD and
  • the more important thing of with THE LORD
  • in their own METHODOLOGY in HIS ministry. 

Yes, Paul's inconsistency
to them

  • is actually CONSISTENCY PAR EXCELLENCE with GOD
  • when viewed and understood from THE WORD of GOD
  • in >>1st Corinthians 9:19-23
  • as The Holy Spirit found fit recorded for all of us to be guided with.

HOW CAN WE
INDIVIDUALLY EVER
MAKE JESUS PRAYER
COME TRUE IF WE
DISREGARD ALL
THESE SCRIPTURES

 AND
ENSLAVE MEN WITH
OUR ORGANIZATION’s
DECLARATIONS AND
BELIEFS?

Why should we go on
and continue at
working for unity
among ourselves

 WHEN IN TRUTH OUR
UNITY SHOULD BE

 IN 
THE CHRIST!!!


DECISION, DECISION, DECISION, my brother and sister fellow-believers in THE LORD JESUS THE CHRIST!

(>>John 12: 42-43)                                     

                                               ~~~#~~~
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