Thanks to both of you brothers, Al and Pete! And thanks, Pete, also for
those excellent scripture choices!
Psalms 133:1 <<A Song of degrees of David.>> Behold, how good and how
pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
You know, it's funny. I hear Christians all the time speak of the power of
their faith in Jesus for all kinds of reasons. But scripture shows that the
real power comes from knowing that each of us has no power at all except
that given equally to all, and that *must* include an equality with, and a
love for, every believer, in every Christian group and
denomination,.worldwide. It is the sure knowledge that we have done nothing
to earn the power of the Holy Spirit, coupled with the knowledge that
nothing more than faith in Christ is required to begin to walk with Jesus,
that gives us the faith to believe that power might truly work through any
one of us, including ourselves.
By Christian unity, faith becomes one of those "whosoever" scriptures.
Mark 11:23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this
mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not
doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall
come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
If we believe Him, we repent. If we stumble, we repent again. If our
brother stumbles, he repents and we forgive him.
But if we continue to walk with Him in His holiness (which He gives us), and
in His love and forgiveness for all believers (which He gives us, and we
give each other), then His power works through us by His Spirit (which He
gives us), and by that same Spirit which He gives freely and equally to all
who believe to repentance in Him, in every Christian denomination or group
there is. That's where the power of His Spirit is. That's how He gives us
confidence and faith through our love for all the brethren.
1 John 3:21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence
toward God. 22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep
his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. 23
And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son
Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. 24 And he
that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we
know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.
If we love all our brethren in Christ, then our heart does not condemn us,
because we know we obey His new commandment, and also we know whatsoever we
ask, we receive of Him, including all good things, and all power of the Holy
Spirit because of His great love for all His obedient children.
Matthew 7:11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your
children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good
things to them that ask him?
Luke 11:13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your
children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to
them that ask him?,
And we also begin to know what it means to have faith, the faith that there
is real, miraculous, Holy Ghost power in that love of God for all believers,
available to all now, *because* it is given to all without earning.
If we each had to believe it was by something we individually did or earned,
most of us could never believe it, because God knows, and each of us who
judge ourselves fairly, knows the imperfection of our own heart.
1 Corinthians 11:31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be
judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we
should not be condemned with the world.
1 Corinthians 2:11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the
spirit of man which is in him? ...
And if we were proud enough to believe we really had found some special,
higher doctrine, or special understanding, just the property of our own
group or denomination, not given freely and equally to the littlest believer
in Jesus, then we know God would never *let* us believe the power of it, and
our faith would be killed by our own pride.
Isaiah 65:5 Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am
holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the
day.
To be in Jesus Christ, the outward things don't count. But inwardly, in
your own heart, you have to be in love with all the believers He loves, all
who believe to repentance in Him, and your faith works by you believing
God's love for every believer to repentance in Jesus Christ, and by you
loving them, too, like He does.
Galatians 5:6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing,
nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.
All faith is powerless without the brotherly love for all believers to make
it work.
1 Corinthians 13:2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand
all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I
could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
But just try to stop God's eternal love for all who believe to repentance in
Christ, which love we participate in only when we love every such believer,
in every Christian denomination and group in the world. That eternal love
can't be stopped. That's the love we're all going home with Him in.
1 Corinthians 13:8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies,
they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there
be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
I am convinced that by the power of the Holy Spirit in all believers in
Christian unity in love, such as you two brothers, Al and Pete, as well as
many others on this list, and in brethren like Bro. Mario the world over,
all in love with all believers to repentance in Christ, the Holy Spirit is
getting ready to bust out all over the place in a latter rain downpour of
His Spirit, the likes of which have not been seen in around 2000 years.
Sisters and brothers in Christ, always remember, that in these days where
the word of God goes over the internet, the Spirit goes, too. You can't
keep them apart. Physical presence in the flesh means nothing compared to
the Spirit that works in the word of God.
John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing:
the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
Zechariah 4:6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word
of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my
spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.
And the God we serve by the power of the Spirit that He gives to live in
each of us, is no prisoner of any time or physical locale. The Spirit is
like Jesus, the servant of love for all the brethren.
John 3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound
thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is
every one that is born of the Spirit.
We all need to be aware on this list, that like it or not, we are the ones
of understanding, who truly know the Father's will for His kingdom in
Christian unity in love.
" According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world,
that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having
predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself,
according to the good pleasure of his will," (Ephesians 1:4-5 AV)
" Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good
pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the
fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both
which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:" (Ephesians 1:9-10
AV)
You've been fairly warned.
Like it or not, on this list we all better be getting our love for all other
believers ready for the fire, because the fire will test all we are, and all
we build together on the foundation of Jesus, to see if it's in His will.
We know what His will is, and we know that the fire is certainly coming.
Excuses are going to be hard to come by.
" And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself,
neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he
that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with
few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much
required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the
more. I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already
kindled? But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened
till it be accomplished!" (Luke 12:47-50 AV)
" For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus
Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious
stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the
day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire
shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which
he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall
be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by
fire." (1 Corinthians 3:11-15 AV)
Having the same love for all believers, as equal brethren in the Lord, is
the key to being in one accord, of one mind; not total agreement and
knowledge of all doctrine.
" If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love,
if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, Fulfil ye my
joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of
one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness
of mind let each esteem other better than themselves." (Philippians 2:1-3
AV)
Once upon a time, God's love for every believer in the world, as shown to
them in the crucified and resurrected Christ, was about all the doctrine
they had to go on. It was enough to get the fire going the first time.
" And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one
accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a
rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon
each of them." (Acts 2:1-3 AV)
And it's enough to get the fire going all over again, as we speak.
Luke 12:49 I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be
already kindled?
Love in Jesus to all,
Tim
**************************************
----- Original Message -----
From: <AbbaWorldWide@...>
To: <christianunity@...>
Sent: Wednesday, November 06, 2002 6:55 PM
Subject: Re: [CU] Re:Prayer group for world wide, spiritual Christian unity
in love
I agree with you completely brother.
Thanks,
Al