ONE:
JESUS PRAYED THAT WE BE ONE:
In John 17:20-23a, Jesus prayed that we be one: “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one--I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity". And Ephesians 4:3-6 (NIV) teaches, "Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."
64,000 IS NOT ONE:
In Mark 16:15 NIV, 'He (Jesus) said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation"'. But today, some have reckoned that there are now 64,000 different Christian church denominations, each with their own unique teachings that separate one from another. Christ did not give the command to go into all the world and preach 64,000 different gospels to all creation. Our denominations, our divisions, and all that divides us is are not from Christ, but from man. Now, Christ wants his church back to the way it began, the way it was given, not divided, but one. We can't choose one of the 64,000 different Christian church denominations, and follow it. Through the Holy Spirit we must "Listen to Him (Jesus)" (Matthew 17:5b NIV), and follow him back to one!
APOSTLE PAUL CORRECTS DIVISIONS IN THE CHURCH:
Apostle Paul corrected and taught against divisions in the Corinthian church, saying, '... One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas"; still another, "I follow Christ." Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?' (1 Corinthians 1:12b-13 NIV). And again Apostle Paul rebukes the Corinthian church, saying, "Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere human beings?" (1 Corinthians 3:1-4 NIV).
UNITY IN AND THROUGH DIVERSITY IS SIN:
Today, what would Apostle Paul have to say about what some have calculated to be 64,000 denominations, divisions? Would he commend us or would he rebuke us? Paul would not commend us, but rebuke us. Would Paul swallow our twisting and watering down of the Scriptures with our lame excuses of unity in and through diversity? No! When we rebel and disobey we sin, and our denominations are evidence of our rebellion and disobedience against God, and are sin. God's season for his patience has ended, and our season for our repentance has come. It's time to repent, to grow up, to mature, to stop being worldly, to live by the Spirit, and to come back to be one. Paul corrected the Corinthians for dividing along the lines of 'I follow or am of Paul', 'I follow or am of Apollos', instead of following and being one in Christ and Christ alone.
CHRIST IN THE VALENTINE PROPHECIES CORRECTS DIVISIONS IN THE CHURCH:
Today, Christ corrects us in THE VALENTINE PROPHECIES because we are divided along the lines of 'I follow or am of the Baptists', or 'I follow or am of the Catholics', or 'I follow or am of the Pentecostals', or 'I follow or am of another'. Our churches did not die for us, Christ did, and Christ is not divided, but one. We must leave the sinful way of our denominations and divisions, and return to the one way of Jesus and Jesus only, back to be one! We have let go of God's commands and are holding to our traditions of men, but now we must let go of our traditions of men, and take hold of God's commands and be one. As Jesus said when he rebuked the Pharisees and teachers of the law, "You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions” (Mark 7:8 NIV). The source of being one is in the one gospel of our one Christ, and all we have to do is live by the Spirit, walk in his counsel, obey God and Christ, and let go of our denominations and all our teachings and traditions of men, and follow Jesus only!
HIRED HANDS HAVE DIVIDED CHRISTENDOM:
The Good Shepherd keeps his flock together as one, but the hired hand abandons the flock to the wolf who attacks, scatters, and separates the sheep (John 10:12). Hired hands have divided Christendom, but now Jesus leads "the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one" (John 11:52 NIV). Follow Jesus! Listen to him!
CHRIST IN HIS LOVE IS WARNING US:
Christ warns in THE VALENTINE PROPHECIES that those who refuse to listen now are at risk of being left behind, and for those who are left behind to the horror of the coming great persecution, denominations count for nothing, because it is only Christ worshippers who are martyred. We have this opportunity, and Christ in his love calls out to us that we all repent now, change now, that we are all caught up to him when he comes, and that none of us are left behind to the coming horror. Listen to him.
JESUS PRAYED THAT WE BE ONE:
In John 17:20-23a, Jesus prayed that we be one: “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one--I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity". And Ephesians 4:3-6 (NIV) teaches, "Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."
64,000 IS NOT ONE:
In Mark 16:15 NIV, 'He (Jesus) said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation"'. But today, some have reckoned that there are now 64,000 different Christian church denominations, each with their own unique teachings that separate one from another. Christ did not give the command to go into all the world and preach 64,000 different gospels to all creation. Our denominations, our divisions, and all that divides us is are not from Christ, but from man. Now, Christ wants his church back to the way it began, the way it was given, not divided, but one. We can't choose one of the 64,000 different Christian church denominations, and follow it. Through the Holy Spirit we must "Listen to Him (Jesus)" (Matthew 17:5b NIV), and follow him back to one!
APOSTLE PAUL CORRECTS DIVISIONS IN THE CHURCH:
Apostle Paul corrected and taught against divisions in the Corinthian church, saying, '... One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas"; still another, "I follow Christ." Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?' (1 Corinthians 1:12b-13 NIV). And again Apostle Paul rebukes the Corinthian church, saying, "Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere human beings?" (1 Corinthians 3:1-4 NIV).
UNITY IN AND THROUGH DIVERSITY IS SIN:
Today, what would Apostle Paul have to say about what some have calculated to be 64,000 denominations, divisions? Would he commend us or would he rebuke us? Paul would not commend us, but rebuke us. Would Paul swallow our twisting and watering down of the Scriptures with our lame excuses of unity in and through diversity? No! When we rebel and disobey we sin, and our denominations are evidence of our rebellion and disobedience against God, and are sin. God's season for his patience has ended, and our season for our repentance has come. It's time to repent, to grow up, to mature, to stop being worldly, to live by the Spirit, and to come back to be one. Paul corrected the Corinthians for dividing along the lines of 'I follow or am of Paul', 'I follow or am of Apollos', instead of following and being one in Christ and Christ alone.
CHRIST IN THE VALENTINE PROPHECIES CORRECTS DIVISIONS IN THE CHURCH:
Today, Christ corrects us in THE VALENTINE PROPHECIES because we are divided along the lines of 'I follow or am of the Baptists', or 'I follow or am of the Catholics', or 'I follow or am of the Pentecostals', or 'I follow or am of another'. Our churches did not die for us, Christ did, and Christ is not divided, but one. We must leave the sinful way of our denominations and divisions, and return to the one way of Jesus and Jesus only, back to be one! We have let go of God's commands and are holding to our traditions of men, but now we must let go of our traditions of men, and take hold of God's commands and be one. As Jesus said when he rebuked the Pharisees and teachers of the law, "You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions” (Mark 7:8 NIV). The source of being one is in the one gospel of our one Christ, and all we have to do is live by the Spirit, walk in his counsel, obey God and Christ, and let go of our denominations and all our teachings and traditions of men, and follow Jesus only!
HIRED HANDS HAVE DIVIDED CHRISTENDOM:
The Good Shepherd keeps his flock together as one, but the hired hand abandons the flock to the wolf who attacks, scatters, and separates the sheep (John 10:12). Hired hands have divided Christendom, but now Jesus leads "the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one" (John 11:52 NIV). Follow Jesus! Listen to him!
CHRIST IN HIS LOVE IS WARNING US:
Christ warns in THE VALENTINE PROPHECIES that those who refuse to listen now are at risk of being left behind, and for those who are left behind to the horror of the coming great persecution, denominations count for nothing, because it is only Christ worshippers who are martyred. We have this opportunity, and Christ in his love calls out to us that we all repent now, change now, that we are all caught up to him when he comes, and that none of us are left behind to the coming horror. Listen to him.