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BUILDING THE CHURCH IN UNITY FOR CHRIST (Dec)
Standing on the scene of time while gazing across at the sun that slowly slips beyond the distant horizon, memories of the past events - perhaps joyful experience to some but not so, for the others and the friendly
and not-so friendly people God has put in our lives – come flooding into our minds.
Our Lord has created each one of us so uniquely and so differently is our attitude in life, speaks volume of His sovereignty. Even though we are many in this universe and with diverse culture, yet we are like the different colors that blend into one resplendent rainbow, especially in the darkest moment of our lives. What are the important elements that contribute to this rainbow of variant colors?
When Paul wrote his epistle to the church in Ephesus, he presented Christ’s church as a body, a family, and a holy temple. Each of these descriptions calls for Christians, from far and near to live
together in love and unity. It is this dominant theme of the book that helps us understand the nature of the devil’s schemes, and the armor God has provided us to use in withstanding them.
Very clearly, the devil’s modus operandi amongst the early Christians and also happening in churches of the 21st century is to disrupt the peace and unity of God’s kingdom. Therefore the armor of God is God’s resource for maintaining the unity of His Body. Living together in love as the living church of Jesus Christ is certainly not optional but essential in today’s hostile world.
“Each of us must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body” (Ephesians 4:25). Openness, honesty and sincerity will ultimately create a climate of trust
and unity. Attempts to conceal our motives or to deceive others will invariably create some degree of misunderstanding and unpleasantness that makes unity impossible. Only a “little white lie” that seems
so innocent and harmless is one of the devil’s deceitful tricks intended to disrupt the close fellowship in Christ’s church.
When Paul stressed in Ephesians 6:15, that “……the readiness to
announce the Good News of peace”, it must be noted that peace is the full and absolute quality which maintains the bond of unity created by the Holy Spirit, which in turn enables the church to move responsively and
in unison to the marching orders of Christ as our Commander.
The Ephesians were then encouraged “at all times to carry their faith as a shield” (Ephesians 6:16) so that Satan’s fiery darts of doubt, mistrust
and resentment toward others will be extinguished. In carrying this faith, we are to keep our eyes on the God who is “able to do immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine, according to His power that is
at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20).
Knowing the fierce spiritual battle that lies ahead and the importance of intercessory prayers among Christ’s followers, the great apostle admonished us to “keep alert and
never give up; pray always for all God’s people” (Ephesians 6:18). It is only when we do not surrender in this battle and to pray constantly for the wellbeing of others, that we no longer take note of the
deficiencies of others but instead capitalize on their God-given potential in such a manner that we can successfully work towards ‘building the Church in unity for Christ’.
In His Service,
MG
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BUILDING THE CHURCH IN UNITY FOR CHRIST (Nov)
We pride ourselves on being independent and self sufficient. But as God’s children, do you and I have a need for spiritual siblings or family? Does Christ want us to “go on our own” or belong to a community of
believer? Our wonderful God does not want us to live out our Christian life alone. Paul explains, “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is part of it.” (1 Corinthians 12:27).
Do you always
interact only with same people you know every Sunday? What are some specific ways that you're actively working to build bridges of reconciliation between yourself and people who come from different backgrounds. Ask
God to help you view all believers as your brothers and sisters in Christ and treat them accordingly. The Bible says: “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love” (Ephesians 4:2).
Do you recognize the hidden heroes in our church?
Remember that people aren't less important just because they're less visible. Ask God to help you recognize hidden heroes in our church, like people who
volunteer in the Sunday school, in the parking lot guiding cars, or in the technical team running the sound, video and light systems or tea fellowship team, and those who prays faithful for the church. Help people
who are in the minority, when they are in a crowd, feel more comfortable by giving them extra attention. “On the contrary those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think
are less honourable we treat with special honour” (1 Corinthians 12:22-23).
Understand that when the majority helps the minority, and the stronger helps the weaker, it prevents division from taking place in
the body of Christ. We need the believers to come together as a church to pray together to show unity. Recognize how much you all depend on Him. Remember that heaven will be a diverse place, filled with people of
every earthly race, culture, and class. Remember that all believers are redeemed by grace, no matter what distinctions exist between you and them. If our goal is God’s glory, we will delight in the ministry He has
given us. And we will work together in unity.
In His Service,
SMH
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BUILDING THE CHURCH IN UNITY FOR CHRIST (Oct)
In every church and in every generation, there is bound to be a great diversity of believers in its composition. Different backgrounds, age groups and walks of life for instance. With such diversities, unity must be
difficult though there may be little evidence of disharmony or division in the many churches we see today.
Perhaps we could take a page from the apostle Paul when he wrote to the Philippians about unity and
humility towards one another in the church (Philippians 2:1-2) “If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and
compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.”
Let me explain: -
1) Being united with Christ – as
believers, it is vital for us to remember that we are in union with our Lord. We shoulder the many responsibilities our Lord has commissioned to us, either directly or through the teachings of his apostles.
2) Comfort from his love – by his love, we should not only comfort and encourage one another but to also desist from divisiveness in any form and to join hands in any common action.
3) Fellowship with the Spirit – the fellowship we have with one another is from the Holy Spirit and this should stimulate our unity for we are made one by the Spirit, thus are
partners with him and with one another.
4) Tenderness and compassion – the existence of tenderness and compassion among us would make our unity Christ like as a whole.
Paul’s letter to the Galatians (Galatians 5:22-23) summarizes very neatly how each of us as believers can be Christ like – “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, faithfulness, (v.23)
gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” These are the character traits that are found in the nature of our Lord Jesus Christ. Believers should also set their minds on oneness “in spirit
and purpose” in “thoughts and actions” possess “a mutual love” for one another, avoid “selfish ambition and vain conceit” and having an attitude that reveals itself in “humility”. This is only but to name a few.
If all of us in our church could have a firm grasp and better understanding of what the apostle Paul wrote to the believers in Philippi and in Galatia, building the church in unity for Christ will be a battle
won, if not the war.
In His Service,
PW
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BUILDING THE CHURCH IN UNITY FOR CHRIST (Sept)
For the very first time since our beloved country achieved independence, the 53rd Merdeka Day parade was held in-door in the comfort and cozy air-conditioned Stadium Putra. In his message in conjunction with the 53rd
National Day, the PM reminded that each Malaysian citizen is crucial to the country’s development and everyone has a role to contribute towards the nation’s prosperity, well-being and unity. If we allow racial and
religious issues to undermine our unity, “everything which we have achieved, everything which we have built, and things which are dear to us, will be destroyed.”
Similarly, the nation’s unity also burden the hearts of Christians throughout the country with many prayer rallies held across 14 states. In the same light, many churches are also praying for the unity within their
respective churches. Only when Christians are united, then only the church can convince people and manifest what only a God can do, that is, unite human beings in love (John 17:20-26).
But very often Christians unity within a church will span across many generational challenges. Multi-generational church ministry and leadership in our day are seeing aging churches everywhere desirous of having more
youths so that the churches won’t cease to exist. Unfortunately, we don’t seem to be doing enough to attract them to our churches. The time is ripe for the older generation to figure out how to pass the faith
meaningfully and faithfully to the younger generation.
In thinking through this process, we must consider three important factors:
1. Relationship building takes place when the young and the old serve together. When that happens, there is no question of control or who is in charge. This is merely secondary.
2. We must learn to embrace and handle conflict constructively, for only then can we come out of the chaos that eventually brings meaningful engagement.
3. God is the God of every generation. God’s plan is not for the church to be of one-generation operating with a 30-year shelf life! His desire is for every generation, with its own uniqueness, to complement the
other for the good of the church and the expansion of His kingdom to His glory.
Exodus 17 is a classic account of how three generations stayed united to defeat the Amalekites. Moses instructed Joshua to choose men who will battle for the Lord while Moses went to the top of the hill to pray for
them. The prayer support that Moses provided, assisted by both Aaron and Hur, gave tremendous encouragement and empowerment for Joshua to know God was on their side and to defeat the enemies. Likewise within a
church, all generations must encourage and complement one another in the task ahead.
In His Service,
WK
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Building the Church in Unity for Christ – Aug 2010
“We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way” wrote Isaiah in the book of Isaiah 53:6. This verse was mentioned in our June
newsletter and back then we looked at “Love” being one of the common factors that all believers of Christ need to have in order to achieve unity. Yet with this same verse we need to look at another ingredient for
unity and that is Leadership.
One of the reasons why the sheep were lost and have gone astray was because there was poor to no leadership of the flock. The shepherd was missing or nowhere to be found said
Jesus in Mark 6:34. So what did Jesus do? He began to teach and guide the flock by first choosing 12 unqualified ordinary lay people and turning them into dynamic leaders of His church. How could mere fishermen be
leaders over well educated bible scholars like for example Peter over Nicodemus? It’s preposterous if this happened during our time but that is what Jesus did. He did the “foolish” things to opened our eyes.
Christ opened our eyes that in order for the church to achieve unity, He first had to establish people centric leaders who are able to come down to the level of the flock and transform them into seekers of God’s
ways, truth and likeness. It took Christ 3 years to carefully train His future leaders and He deemed THIS work as important and MUST be done before He bid His disciples farewell and took on that cold lonely path to
Calvary. Did Christ succeed in His “Unity via Leadership” training program? He sure did. Despite His “departure” in Acts 1:9 it was not the start of the decline of the church. Instead it flourished so rapidly that
the gates of Hades (namely the pagan culture and empire of that day) could not stop it from spreading beyond the cities and right into the jungles of civilizations thousands of kilometers away.
“Are Leaders
born and not made”? Christ’s Great Commission in Matt 28:19 seems to imply that all of us have this God given ability to lead and teach others. Hence in the context of the church, leadership is not a role that is
solely meant for the deacons and elders of the church. It is a role that every member of the church should practice as long as they deemed themselves a follower of Christ (aka a Christian). When we lead we take
ownership of the task that Christ has assigned the church with. We make the Father’s business part of our own personal business (like what the twelve year old Christ did in Luke 2:49). When we do that we begin to
see the needs of others in our church and we try to address them. As we continue doing this we begin to care and show love to our fellow church members so much so that we may treat them as if they are one of our own
family members. And when that happens that “family feeling” is what it means to be a church in unity. Love and Leadership creates “family” and being in a family produces unity.
If you’re one of those sheep
who are lost and astray in your Christian faith, may I suggest that you join one of our church fellowship ministries be it the church Cell Groups (aka CG) or other fellowship ministries such as the Seniors
Fellowship, Agape Fellowship, Brothers and Sisters Fellowship or even the Family Care Group. Church unity is every church member’s responsibility and the only way to achieve it is when we deem each of our church
members as family.
In His Service,
JW
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BUILDING THE CHURCH IN UNITY FOR CHRIST (July)
Just last week the Ampang Cell Group was continuing the study on Revelations and doing chapters 8 and 9.
In one of the questions it asked, “What is your own response to the truth that God will not complete the story of redemption until He has heard the prayers of the whole church?”. And one of the members said, “Isn’t the church already one and praying in unity?” - a poignant question. But truth be told, the church is far from being united. Look at the many denominations we have today. Add to that the fact that even within their own denominations, many Christians can’t get along. In Congregations all across the world, people are bickering, quarreling and backbiting. It seems impossible for church folk to learn how to live together in unity. But the Bible makes it clear that the church is called to UNITY. Look at what Acts 4:32 says about the early church: All the believers were one in heart and mind.
A favorite Psalm of my grandmother is Psalm 133. She understands this all too well as she comes from a family of 13 brothers and sisters and growing up, I’m sure they have their fair share of quibbles and
sibling rivalries. Therefore, the verse, “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1) was very precious to her.
The Psalmist gives us two pictures of what unity in God’s
eyes truly is. Firstly, it is like the precious oil of anointment. The oil is usually mixed with a blend of different spices. The oil is often used as a symbol of the Holy Spirit. And it is only He that can blend
all our different personalities together. The second picture is that of the dew of Mt Hermon. The dew of Mt Hermon comes only after a still, quiet night. Tranquility is needed for this dew to form. Unity descends
like Dew as a gift from God. Our part is to ask and receive this gift. But too often we think we can somehow make it happen by our own human efforts.
But let’s remember that we can’t do it on our own. We
cannot force unity. We cannot create unity. So what can we do? We can PRAY for unity!
Pray first that God will work in our hearts. Then pray that He will work in the hearts of others to bring about the kind
of supernatural unity that will show the world the LOVE of God.
In order to enjoy the good and pleasant unity that God offers, every one of us needs to be covered, even drenched with the OIL of God’s Spirit.
Then the Unity of the Spirit can fall on our church like DEW from Heaven. When we have a united church, we will see growth via a love for God, a love each other, and a love for the lost. Then God will
complete his story of redemption.
In His Service,
AKC
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BUILDING THE CHURCH IN UNITY FOR CHRIST (June)
“We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way” wrote Isaiah in the book of Isaiah 53:6. The above verse was meant to be part of the
prophecy of the coming Messiah that is our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ fulfilled. It is interesting to note, as this verse shows, that the people of God during the time of Isaiah around 700BC and that of Jesus in
30AD shared one thing in common, they were a people in distress due to their lack of unity.
When the Bible talks about unity it is not confined to a common bond between one believer in God with another, but
rather a wider understanding of unity that includes both the vertical (with God) and horizontal (with men/women) relationships. Jesus gives us a definition of that all encompassing unity in His prayer for all
believers in John 17:20-26. If the Trinity is united as one, shouldn’t the Church be united as one as well?
The answer is “Yes”, Christ commands that we be united and rightly so because without unity the
Church is unable to function and fulfill its purpose as God planned. An example of a church in distress due to disunity is the church that Paul wrote a couple of letters to in the Bible that is 1 & 2
Corinthians. The church at Corinth was a divided church and its leaders were too busy arguing over issues with each other rather than check the spiritual decline of the church. It is from these letters that
Paul gives an essential ingredient that is capable to bring unity back to the ailing church at Corinth and that is “Love” as found in 1 Corinthians 13. Even Peter, the apostle that Paul rebuked at the council
of Jerusalem (Gal 2:11) who amazingly kept his pride at check, also agrees that “Love” covers over a multitude of sins especially with regard to the horizontal relationships (1 Peter 4:8). From who did Paul and
Peter learned this essential ingredient to unity from? Did they not learn it from Christ when He told His disciples to “Love” one another in John 13:35?
Christ identifies who are His disciples and who are
not by stating very clearly that believers who practice “Love for one another” are His disciples. This would mean that those who harbor bitterness and create disunity in the church have no place in the kingdom of
God (Gal 5:19). So if you deem yourself a believer of Christ and are unable to display “Love” to members of the church then you need to repent and invite Christ to transform our lives and remove that erroneous
attitude. Unity comes when we “Love” one another. There is simply no other way as indicated in the Bible.
Personally, if I was given the opportunity to write a book of what I think would solve the problems of
humanity whether it concerns wars, corruption, troubled marriages, work related issues and the lot, that book would be titled “It’s All About Love”. And the source of my inspiration would be the Bible. Why? Because
I can find no other book that shows and gives a clear and unadulterated description of what the word “Love” really means. After all, the Bible IS all about love. May the love and oneness of the Godhead
invoke our hearts to love and strive for unity in the church.
In His Service,
YF
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BUILDING THE CHURCH IN UNITY FOR CHRIST (May)
Every morning when we pick up the papers, we read about natural calamities, conflict among nations, civil unrests, murders and stories of frauds and corruptions.
To Christians, we know that these are signs of end times (Mark 13:5-8) but to those unbelievers it is just another of those bad days.
If we are to closely scrutinize the root causes of such behemoth problems
the world over, with the exception of natural calamities such as earthquakes, we will find that greed is usually the culprit. Human beings are by nature, pursuers. The unsettling truth is that more is never enough!
Our conventional wisdom tells us, “A man’s reach should always exceed his grasp.” In lay man’s term, human beings are enslaved by wants and expectations that cannot be satisfied.
That was why the apostle Paul calls us to consider his equation for contentment: “Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.” (1 Timothy 6: 6-8).
It is good to remind one another as believers of what our Lord Jesus Christ taught us, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”(Matthew 6:19-21)
At this point, many will agree that it is easier said than done that we remain steadfast against the temptation of corruption. Sadly, this is the stark truth with human kind. (Mark 14:38) says: “Watch and pray so
that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”
Prayers! That was the weapon that Daniel in the Old Testament used whenever he was at a crossroad of threats (Daniel
6:10). Daniel had a disciplined prayer life praying to God for wisdom and guidance. Though many of us may be pressured by our job, family life or social obligations, we should not let these pressures or obstacles
cut into our prayer time. The power of prayer should not be underestimated (James 5:16-18) “…..The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it
would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.”
“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in
all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
Remember the words of a wise old saint, “You never know Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you’ve got.”
In His Service,
PW
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BUILDING THE CHURCH IN UNITY FOR CHRIST (Apr)
Easter is the central event in the life of the Church. There is nothing more important to a Christian then the sacrificial death and bodily resurrection of Jesus
Christ, the Son of God! Without these historical events, the Christian faith is worthless. As the Apostle Paul tells us, ". . .if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your
faith."(1 Corinthians 15:14)
The resurrection of Christ from the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea is something far more than an isolated event of the ancient past that has no significance or meaning for
today. Far from being a mere historical event removed from us by more than two thousand years, the resurrection of Christ is a present reality in the light of which we must live and act today.
1. The resurrection of Christ explained the meaning of his death on the cross.
We read that following his resurrection, “he opened their minds so that they could understand the Scriptures”
(Luke 24:45). From the law of Moses, and the Prophets, and the Psalms, it was revealed that Jesus’ substitutionary death on the cross had been in the plan of God from the very beginning. His death was the supreme
demonstration of the determination of God to redeem His people from sin by love (Romans 5:8), by substitution (1 Peter 3:18) and by suffering (1 Peter 2:23-24). The resurrection revealed the greatest price paid for
our redemption – sacrificial death.
2.
The resurrection of Christ gave the disciples a companion for the road of life. Jesus did not arise from the dead merely to give us a new doctrine, although believing in his resurrection is at the very heart of our faith. He arose from the dead to assure his disciples that he had not forsaken them and that he would continue to be with them in a very real and wonderful sense through the ministry of the Holy Spirit (John 14:18). We are in need of something more than intellectual, political, or financial power if we are to do God’s work effectively in this world today. Through the Holy Spirit, we have access to the spiritual power that Jesus declared would be available through faith in him and cooperation with the Holy Spirit. We can praise God for the availability of this divine energy for those who are obedient.
Christ Jesus is risen from the dead. He is present here today. He is able to save you from sin’s penalty, which is death. He is able to save you from sin’s power and give you victory. He is able to bring the
spirit of God’s holiness and happiness into your heart and life. It is my hope that all of us will continue to celebrate the victory that is the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, for indeed we know
our Redeemer lives !
In His Service,
WK
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BUILDING THE CHURCH IN UNITY FOR CHRIST (Mar)
Ah! Chinese New Year is done and over with! Not that I did not enjoy the fair share of fattening up with cookies and the scrumptious reunion dinner spread, and the
Ang Pow collection (thank God my cousins got married so the tally looks nicer this year!). But Chinese New Year brings out the best and the worst in people. The rowdy-ness and queue-cutting at the coupon/free-gift
redemption counter in Carrefour speaks for itself (Vulgarities were exchanged over a mere 5 minute wait for a bottle of lemon 100plus!). Back home, there is the fair share of disputes over how things should be
cleaned, cleared, cooked, arranged, kept, placed ... you name it!)
Similarly in the church, in all events or activities, whether yearly ones (choir), monthly ones (FCG), weekly ones (Worship, CGs) we can
expect excitement over the preparation and also the downside of it – the disputes and difference of opinions. But let not such things break us but bring us closer to each other. Everyone has different opinions over
how things ought to be done, but let’s not forget God’s opinion matters the most. Though God’s Word does not tell us whether peanut cookies taste better with roasted or fried peanuts or whether He prefers our
worship to Him to be with or without musical accompaniments, most likely the focus is not to have one winner and one loser in any situation, but more of the materialization of His Command in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 …
“Love is patient, love is kind, it does not envy. It does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in
evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protect, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
If this verse can be a guide to our actions in our preparation for the various events for this year, we
can expect a win-win-win situation (yes, cos God also wins!).
So, as we gear up for various ministries this year, remember that everyone is entitled to an opinion and disputes and differences are bound to
crop up, but the real winner is the one who’s following the above command to a T! God Bless.
In His Service,
YC
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BUILDING THE CHURCH IN UNITY FOR CHRIST (Feb)
We are already in the second month of the new year and with the lunar new year just round the corner. This is the second year since we have
embarked on the church theme of “Building the Church In Unity for Christ”. We read about the important elements required to build up the church. But why do we build up the church? One of the reasons is because we
are family. Paul reminds us that we are bonded together through Christ. We partake of the same loaf (1 Corinthians 10:17). If we look at the example of the early church, it shows us what it means to belong to a
community, a family of God’s people. And what does FAMILY mean?
Focusing on Christ and His Word
- They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to
the breaking of bread and to prayer. (Acts 2:42)
Affirming each other as we grow in grace
- Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. (Acts 2:46)
Magnifying God through lives of worship
- Praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. (Acts 2:47)
Imagining the nations won for Christ
- And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:47)
Loving people
- Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. (Acts 2:45)
Yoked together in love
- All the believers were together and had everything in common. (Acts 2:44)
We are all in this together and we need to support one another. As singer/song writer Michael Card wrote:
There is a joy in the journey, There’s a light we can love on the way
There is a wonder and wildness to life, And freedom for those who obey
And all those who seek it shall find it
A pardon for all who believe
Hope for the hopeless and sight for the blind
To all who've been born in the Spirit, And who share incarnation with Him
Who belong to eternity stranded in time, And weary of struggling with sin
Forget not the hope that's before you
And never stop counting the cost
Remember the hopelessness when you were lost
There is a joy in the journey, There's a light we can love on the way
There is a wonder and wildness to life, And freedom for those who obey
And freedom for those who obey...
Wishing you all a blessed Lunar New Year and joy in your journey.
In His Service,
AKC
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BUILDING THE CHURCH IN UNITY FOR CHRIST (Jan)
Today, as we enter another era while unveiling a new chapter in our lives, it is only appropriate for us to pause for a moment to marvel over the beauty of God’s
creation around us: from the tropical rainforest to the swampy mangroves, from the soaring eagle to the tree-climbing squirrel and from the blue expanse of heaven to a tiny drop of dew on our window sill.
It is this same God who has also sculptured each of us individually and uniquely for the building of the Church in unity for Christ. What are the important elements required to build a united Church?
The Christians in Antioch was a church that cared for the welfare of others.
When a severe famine was predicted for Jerusalem and for the entire Roman world, the Antioch church decided to provide practical help for the fellow Christians in Judea, each according to his ability・(Acts 11:29). The decision to help the Christians was not only important but practical to the need of the believers. Those helpful Christians would have been only showing idealism rather than realism had they only sent messages of sympathy and comfort to the needy. They believed that if one part of the body suffers, all the other parts suffer with it; if one part is praised, all the other parts share its happiness・(1 Corinthians 12:26).
This same church in Antioch had a distinct sense of worth and respect for every person. They believed that in every man and woman, God has created a reservoir of possibilities and potentials,
given the right circumstances and training. As Christians, we are given the infinite possibilities because we come in contact with Christ, the great Stimulus of the universe. As the apostle Paul affirmed in 2
Corinthians 4:7 ・We, like common clay pots have this spiritual treasure, in order to show that the supreme power belongs to God, not to us・
The next important element for us to consider
in building a united Church is that Christ must be central. When there are disagreements in view and action amongst Christians, it is imperative for such situations to be dealt with grace, dignity and without
any partiality.
In Acts 15:39-41, we are told that the church in Antioch displayed a commendable attitude when there was a sharp disagreement between Barnabas and Paul. It did not allow the dispute to cause a rift in the church even though the two great missionary leaders ultimately sailed off in separate directions but with a single objective to strengthen the churches. The church at Antioch knew not only how to act but also to react. The moral lesson for us today is that when we make Jesus Christ our Lord and Master and gather around Him only, we will invariably find our common unity as a family of God’s people. Then, only then will we be able to transcend all of our personal differences and crossing all boundaries of self-centeredness.
Perhaps a new set of circumstances and fresh experiences await for each of us in the year that lies ahead.
Along this same pathway we travel with our fellow Christians, we may encounter difficulties and disappointments with each other, perhaps even a great deal of pain. But let us constantly keep our eyes on Jesus Christ and make Him our main focus of attention, then whatever happens, the Spirit of the Lord will help us like eagles to soar above the winds of adversity and raising us to the heights to achieve our objective of 釘uilding the Church in Unity for Christ・
In His Service,
MG
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