Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, I just want to let you all know that we're still here, and still working on the new website for the Christian unity prayer group. First, I want to thank you all for being so patient. This Cu list has been very quiet for a long time, and will continue to be so until we finish the website work. Then, God willing, it will get very busy, with lots of new, interested members, and with lots to talk about regarding spiritual Christian unity of all who believe to repentance in Jesus of the Bible. I hope to also then find time to explain some of the difficulties we've had to overcome in this website work, which is an interesting story in itself. Without much comment at this time, I thought you all might like to read the following article about the recent divisive issue that is now disturbing parts of the Anglican church regarding their official approval of homosexual acts. We normally avoid the details of such internal Christian faith group arguments here on this Cu list, simply because other Christians do not usually appreciate outside Christian faiths meddling in their own internal affairs. I do not want to meddle at all, but I want to show here that this issue is already leading some to correctly understand and present issues most important to Christian unity, because in this case, a Christian leader has specifically and correctly referred to some key Christian unity issues that have been mentioned many times here on this Cu email list. You may recall a comment I made in an email from July of this year on this Cu list regarding this same Anglican issue, but as explained in a good article from that time shown in the Presbyterian Layman Online Magazine, pointing out that this issue of sexual morality will never seriously threaten the true church. My past comment on this issue in an email from July of 03: "The article points out the fact that the false Christianity that opposes holiness is shriveling. This whole issue of the church approving homosexual acts is a red herring, and will soon be in the dustbin of heretical, passing fads. It will soon be shown to be wrong both in the church, and to the outside world as well." Link to that Cu list email on this issue as referred to in that July article from Presbyterian Layman Online Magazine: http://tinyurl.com/oe4o To me, this present Anglican article, shown below, just confirms what I said back in July, that this whole issue of approving sexual immorality is a red herring that will soon be shown to be totally false, and totally anti-Christ. In my opinion, this article is a good example of the fact that the truth of unity in Jesus, in repentance, holiness, and love will always win in the end. It is the ultimate truth of the Bible and simply cannot be refuted or ignored forever. To me this article by an Anglican Archbishop shows that we Christians who unite in love and holiness in Jesus, have more in common with each other, and with such Christians as the good Archbishop who wrote this article, than we have in common with anyone who claims to be of our own particular Christian faith group, while denying either the holiness or love for all believers found in Christ. " In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother." (1Jo 3:10 AV) The article shown below is the scriptural rebuttal made by one African, Anglican Archbishop, to refute the assertions made by another African, Anglican Archbishop who is in favor of the church approving homosexual acts. The point is not the details of the debate. The point is that this Archbishop clearly states that Christian unity is a spiritual matter, far more importantly spiritual than physical. Of course, it's quite possible that he may have in mind only Anglicans when he refers to "the Church", but the truth of Christian unity of all believers can easily be seen by us and by others in the words of this Archbishop and in the Bible quotations he uses. This is how, whether we understand it or not, Christian unity will become more and more apparent to all, as God more and more works on us all, to bring us into the full understanding of our true Christian unity with "whosoever believeth in Him". Some of the key Christian unity points made in this article are as follows: Excerpt from the article: "3. Brother Ndungane, you got it all wrong. What you cited as top priorities are in this context clearly misplaced. I ask, are the issues of peace, hunger, sharia, and HIV/AIDS, serious and prevalent, as they are, more important to the Church than faithfulness to the plain truth of Scripture? We remind you dear brother of our Lord's response to a similar situation two thousand years ago as recorded in Luke 13:1-5.(Please take time to read it over and over again). His response was that, tragic as those situations were, the more important priority was repentance. He actually said, "Unless you repent, you too will all perish" It didn't mean that Christ was not compassionate. If anything He demonstrated compassion daily in His miracles and teachings. We are following His footsteps by doing all we can for those caught in these painful conditions as part of our holistic approach to ministry. We place a high priority on caring. For sure, the Archbishop has not forgotten that 'man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from God' (Dt. 8:3; Matt. 4:4; Lk. 4:4). Peace, hunger, sharia and HIV/AIDS are indeed major life and death issues, albeit, they are at the physical level. Unfaithfulness to Scripture is a more major life and death issue because it is spiritual. What shall it profit a man to feed well and live long here on earth only to lose his soul in hell? What then is the Church here for ?" Bible quotation of reference: " There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." (Lu 13:1-5 AV) The Archbishop also states that in Christian unity, the requirement of repentance and holiness of behavior is unquestionably an essential, and not at all a matter of allowable diversity. Excerpts from the article: "1. How correct are you dear brother archbishop Ndungane in judging the cloud of witnesses to biblical truth through the ages whose stand on biblical ethics is only being upheld by those of us who are now branded as arrogant and intolerant? Is there anything in our pronouncements that constitutes a departure from the standard of morality held out in the Bible?" "4. On the question of integrity of ECUSA's decision, again we ask, can one eat his cake and still have it in his hands? And can two walk together unless they be agreed? (Amos 3). If the integrity of a part is so important, what will be said of the whole? And it must be said that this is not a matter of 'unity in diversity' for according to the rule: in the essentials, unity; in the non-essentials, freedom; in all things charity, the issue at stake falls within the orbit of the essentials and thus any deviation means alienation." Please read the whole Anglican article at the following link: http://allafrica.com/stories/200309230348.html Love in Jesus, Tim ****************************************************** Free Christian email groups at Associate.com shows no ads, welcomes new lists http://www.Associate.com Email group for Christian unity in holiness and agape brotherly love: http://associate.com/digests/christianunity/ Statement of beliefs in unity of all Christians, Protestants, Catholics, etc: https://associate.com/digests/christianunity/files/stmt/StmtCU.htm A combined effort on a large, 16,000-word prayer for Christian unity, called the "Christian Unity Prayer Project" (CUP Project): http://pjrcmr.apostolicnetwork.com/prayerparts.html Introduction to the Christian Unity Prophecy: http://home.swbell.net/twarlick/christianunityprophecy/intro.htm ******************************************************