Embrace the Within no. 99

"It’s almost too limiting to say that we “celebrate”… Christmas. We stare dumbstruck, lost in wonder, love, and praise… God being born into our world."

Timothy Keller

Division. I am not concerned about the division between Christ and the world. I should naturally be divided from the ways of the world as I follow the Way of the Lord. What has always and continues to concern my walk is the division Christians have with each other over their own agendas. The division is not over sound doctrine. The division is over personal agendas.

I have to admit. When I came to the Lord, I had a personal agenda. Anyone exiting the way of the world has a lot of baggage that comes with all the concerns the world brings. I had political, philosophical, psychological, social and economic baggage that came from years of walking in the way of the world. And I didn’t drop that baggage overnight and become a totally new creature immediately. Honestly, God is still working on me on a lot of things.

And there are so many divisions in the churches today that it makes my heart sick. And there are many more divisions when folks don’t go to church and ignore the gathering together for fellowship. Fellowship and congregation is extremely important. I can read alone, I can study alone, and I can pray alone, BUT I need other people to keep me grounded in reality. I have to understand that just because I have a thought does not mean that thought is from God no matter how much it agrees with my agenda. I have to check my thoughts against the Word of the Lord and against His Church.

A lot of division comes from ignoring the filter I have for thoughts. And that filter is the Word. I need to pour my thoughts into the Bible rather than pouring them into the world. If the Bible does not support my thought, then I need to let it go. And I know we all have a difficult time with that. But listening to thoughts that divide us from the mission of Christ and separate us from the Church never helps.

When I take my eyes of Jesus and put my eyes on the world, I begin to sink into the world again. And I don’t think any of us really want to sink. BUT I do think we take our eyes off the goals of Christ and put our eyes on our own agenda. And that is the unhealthy type of division. That is the division of Christians against the Way of the Lord. And that is the division we all need to fix.

So, I encourage you and I to not neglect the council of others. If you don’t have a brother or sister to bounce your ideas off, then feel at liberty to bounce them off me. I am lucky enough to have brothers and a sister to bounce ideas off BUT I am always willing to take on more.

“So welcome each other, just as the Messiah has welcomed you into God’s glory. For I say that the Messiah became a servant of the Jewish people in order to show God’s truthfulness by making good his promises to the Patriarchs, and in order to show his mercy by causing the Gentiles to glorify God — as it is written in the Tanakh,

‘Because of this I will acknowledge you among the Gentiles

and sing praise to your name.’

And again it says,

‘Gentiles, rejoice with his people.’

And again,

‘Praise Adonai, all Gentiles!

Let all peoples praise him!’

And again, Yesha‘yahu says,

‘The root of Yishai will come,

he who arises to rule Gentiles;

Gentiles will put their hope in him.’”

Romans 15:7-12 CJB

Grace and Shalom to your week. Shalom to your home. Bless your being. The reign of the Lord is now. Be a blessing to the Lord and others.

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoGodsNoMasters #NoKingButChrist #MyNepheshMyChoice #ChristsLifeMatters #EmbracetheWithin #NotMyWayYHWH #GodKnows