Disunity
and Strife = PRIDE = Destruction!
As you read this - you will see that I am
passionate about this topic; I believe that our Heavenly Father is quite
passionate about it also.
Proverbs 13:10 "ONLY
BY PRIDE COMES
CONTENTION…"
Proverbs
16:18 Pride
goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
Proverbs 28:25 He that is of a proud heart stirreth up
strife: but he that putteth his trust in the LORD shall be made fat.
Proverbs 11:2 When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with
the lowly is wisdom.
Proverbs
29:23 A
man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.
Galatians 6:10 "AS WE
HAVE OPPORTUNITY, LET US DO GOOD UNTO ALL MEN, ESPECIALLY UNTO THEM WHO ARE OF
THE HOUSEHOLD OF FAITH."
Ephesians 4:3
"…ENDEAVOURING TO KEEP THE UNITY OF THE SPIRIT IN THE BOND OF PEACE."
When I went to see the movie “The Passion Of The Christ” I expected to be effected by the
reality of the pain and suffering that Jesus experienced in my place, and I
was. One message from the movie that stays with me, and is currently on my
mind, is how Jesus treated those who persecuted and mocked Him. In the middle of all the pain and suffering
He was experiencing, with His last ounce of strength – He prayed for His
enemies: “Father, forgive them – they know not what they do.”
Clearly, Jesus set the example for us - to “love one
another” and even to “Love your enemies.” Isn’t it amazing that we call ourselves "Christians” (definition:
“Christ-like”), and still live our
life in the middle of strife and disunity? Where is Jesus in that
picture?
How CAN this be??
Oh yes I know, and I am so very thankful, that Jesus
became my "Righteousness" – yes, you are right… it is nothing
that we do, or do not do that will take us to heaven. PTL!!! Thank You Father, for Your mercy!! However, how we
live WILL determine how much of the “Kingdom of God” we experience, in
this life – and how many we will take to heaven with us.
Let
me ask you…
… Can we have the freedom to live our life any way we
please, and still experience the blessings of God?
… Why do we have the entire New Testament teaching us how
to live like Jesus?
… Isn't The Bible to teach us? To instruct? To
correct & even rebuke?
… Is the life of JESUS a pattern for us to follow?
… Who was Jesus talking about when He said: “Many will say
‘Lord Lord’
… but I will say ‘I never knew you, depart from me…”? Matthew 7:21-23
Matthew 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall
enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which
is in heaven.
2 Timothy 3:16 "ALL SCRIPTURE
IS GIVEN BY INSPIRATION OF GOD, AND IS PROFITABLE FOR DOCTRINE, FOR REPROOF,
FOR CORRECTION, FOR INSTRUCTION IN RIGHTEOUSNESS:"
Jesus came to "fulfill" the old covenant,
and left here giving us only TWO commandments to live by: “LOVE”
and “LOVE”.
Mark 12:30-31 "THOU
SHALT LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND
WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH; THIS IS THE FIRST
COMMANDMENT. AND THE SECOND IS LIKE IT! LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR AS YOURLSEF. THERE
IS NO OTHER COMMANDMENT GREATER THAN THESE."
John 13:34 "A NEW
COMMANDMENT I GIVE UNTO YOU; LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS I LOVED YOU!"
Also:
John 13:34, 15:12, 15:17; Romans 13:8, 15:7
John 14:15 "IF YOU
LOVE ME, KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS."
John 14:21 "HE THT HAS MY
COMMANDMENTS AND KEEPS THEM - IT IS HE THAT LOVES ME! AND, THE ONE THAT
LOVES ME WILL BE LOVED BY MY FATHER, AND I WILL LOVE HIM AND WILL MANIFEST
MYSELF TO HIM"
1 John 2:4 "HE THAT SAYS
I KNOW HIM, AND DOES NOT KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS IS A LIAR AND THE TRUTH IS
NOT IN HIM."
John 13:35 "YOU WILL KNOW
MY DISCIPLES, BY THEIR LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER."
Disunity is one of the enemy's sharpest tools; a
tool that he especially loves to use against the “Church.” He really doesn't
even have to work hard at this one - we do most of it for him! How SAD!
Funny, isn’t it? When our life falls apart, or we just are
not experiencing the blessings of God as we should... we try to blame God.
He has given us life’s-manual,
the Bible, with clear instructions for a blessed, happy and fruitful,
successful life.
Tell me – where in the Bible does God BLESS strife? Of
course He doesn’t! He couldn’t, even if His great-mercy wanted to; He can not
go against His Word, and He already said that he HATES STRIFE!
Ø God will NOT BLESS disunity & strife!
Ø God will NOT ANOINT disunity & strife!
Ø God will NOT ABIDE in disunity & strife!
Ø God will NOT BUILD ON disunity & strife!
Ø
God will NOT ENDURE
disunity & strife!
He COMMANDS us to LOVE!
We preach love from the pulpit, counsel other's to love and
forgive... tell the sinner that God is a God of LOVE... and then live our
life in strife. How CAN we call ourselves "Christ-like"?!?
Jesus would not even allow his friends to act against
the soldiers who came to take Him to His death! And today MANY who call themselves friends, or
Disciples of Christ - rip each other up with their words every day!! There is something WRONG
with this picture, don’t ya think??!!
I John 4:8 AMP "HE WHO DOES
NOT LOVE HAS NOT BECOME ACQUAINTED WITH GOD - DOES NOT AND NEVER DID KNOW HIM;
FOR GOD IS LOVE" * ouch! *
I Corinthians 13 "LOVE THINKS ONLY THE BEST OF OTHERS"
Maybe we could trade the time we spend ‘in-strife’ for a
time with the Lord, examining our own heart. Maybe, just maybe we need to take
another look at our own life, and how our LOVE measures up to Jesus, and God’s Word.
You
know… work on the “BEAM” before you even consider the “toothpick”! ha!
Looking at the “Church” today… NO WONDER this generation of
youth, even those raised in church, are out there searching for something “REAL!”
Ø What kind of a picture do we paint of the Love of God?
Ø What do unbeliever's see that they would desire?
Ø What kind of SALT are WE??!!
Ø
Where can the world find “LIGHT” and “LOVE”?
I John 4:20 "ANYONE THAT
SAYS 'I love God' BUT KEEPS ON HATING HIS BROTHER - HE IS A LIAR; FOR IF HE
DOESN'T LOVE HIS BROTHER WHO IS RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF HIM, HOW CAN HE LOVE
GOD WHOM HE HAS NEVER SEEN?" AND THIS COMMAND (charge,
order, injunction) WE HAVE FROM
HIM: HE WHO LOVES GOD SHALL LOVE HIS BROTHER (believer) ALSO."
I JOHN 4:20 "BRETHREN, IF YOU SAY THAT YOU LOVE ME, WHO YOU
HAVE NOT SEEN, BUT HATE YOUR BROTHER'S - YOU ARE A LIAR, AND THE TRUTH IS NOT
IN YOU!"
More?
John 3:9 -16; I John 2:12; I John 3:15
If you find this too harsh, I am sorry – and I
appreciate that you are staying with me. Like I said, I am passionate
about this. I have seen disunity ruin wonderful people, and
destroy ministries. The devil is out to “steal kill and destroy” John
10:10 – and he often comes in with “they wronged me!” or “well
they should have…” or “If they would just…” this or that. We have
heard that “Love is a choice.” Do we realize that taking offence is also a choice? When we pick up an
offense it can sometimes keep us in bondage for years; and the devil can take a
vacation – because we are doing his work for him!
I
have been directly involved in the church-ministry for many years, and I’ve had
ample opportunity to take offence. I can tell you from personal experience – it
is a CHOICE! And, making the choice to NOT take an offense is FAR BETTER
than putting yourself into bondage because of something someone else did or
said. It is our own freedom, victorious life and relationship with the Father
that is affected by this choice.
Disunity is like a cancer! When strife & disunity is in
leadership it is especially UGLY and dangerous; because it flows down to
everyone who has submitted themselves to that leadership. LISTEN: If the
leadership of your church is in strife and disunity, that church will not
see a move of God; it will not be blessed financially; it will not grow. You
will see that church come to nothing - if that spirit of strife and disunity is
not stopped. If your church is taking two steps forward and five steps back…
look for the strife. Yes, you can stay above it – if you are filled with the
WORD of God, and are quick to recognize it. It’s always a “CHOICE.”
The Bible says to submit yourself to one another, speaking
of those in Christ - but it does NOT say to come into agreement with SIN!!
God Himself "HATES SIN."
It is easier to 'over-look' when it is a baby
in the Lord I
Tim 3:6; but when it is
the LEADERSHIP
claiming to be of the Kingdom of God who allow strife in their life and in
their church - we have a big problem – and it SHOULD NOT BE THAT WAY!!!
I don't care WHO
the person is! If they tear down others, and
other ministries, they are NOT living according to the commandments of God!
Where IS JESUS – where is the love of God?
JAMES 3:16 "WHERE THERE
IS STRIFE THERE IS CONFUSION AND EVERY EVIL WORK"
ALL STRIFE COMES FROM PRIDE:
Proverbs 13:10 "ONLY
BY PRIDE COMES CONTENTION: BUT WITH THE WELL-ADVISED IS WISDOM"
Proverbd 14:3 "THE
MOUTH OF THE FOOLISH IS A ROD OF PRIDE; BUT THE LIPS OF THE WISE SHALL PRESERVE
THEM"
Proverbs 16:18 "PRIDE
GOETH BEFORE DESTRUCTION, AND A HAUGHTY SPIRIT BEFORE A FALL”
Proverbs
20:3 It is an honour for a man to cease from
strife: but every fool will be meddling.
Proverbs
26:20 Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so
where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.
One Proverbs
translation reads like this: "STRIFE IS
LIKE A TRICKLE IN A DAMN. IF LEFT ALONE, IT WILL DESTROY EVERYTHING IN
IT'S PATH."
More…
Lev 26:19; Job 35:12; Ps 10:4; Pr 8:13; Pr 29:23; Isa 23:9; Zeph 2:9-12
Zeph 2:9-12 Clearly shows how God handles pride:
"...THIS SHALL THEY HAVE FOR THEIR PRIDE, BECAUSE THEY HAVE REPROACHED
AND MAGNIFIED THEMSELVES AGAINST THE PEOPLE OF THE LORD OF HOSTS."
It is PRIDE and DECEPTION that says: "They
are wrong, I am right!" or "I would never do
that!" etc.
Who are YOU to judge? WHAT do you think you are Doing - when you plant seed of
discord among the brethren?? What "gift" or “fruit” is that??!!
James 4:11 "Speak not evil one of another, brethren.
He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of
the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of
the law, but a judge."
James 5:9 "Grudge not one against another, brethren,
lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door."
1 John 3:14 "We know that we have passed from death
unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth
in death."
1John 3:16 "Hereby perceive we the love of God,
because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for
the brethren."
Do you not have understanding of what you are doing - not
only to YOURSELF = but to those around you?
Matthew 7 "JUDGE
NOT, LEST YOU BE JUDGED. FOR WITH WHAT EVER JUDGEMENT YOU GIVE YOU WILL
ALSO BE JUDGED!"
Romans 14:13
"LET US NOT JUDGE ONE ANOTHER ANY MORE: BUT JUDGE THIS: THAT NO MAN PUT A
STUMBLINGBLOCK OR AN OCCASION TO FALL IN HIS BROTHER'S WAY."
Gal 5:6-7 "BE NOT
DECEIVED; GOD IS NOT MOCKED! WHAT EVER A MAN SOWS, HE WILL ALSO
REAP."
Deut 30:19 "I SET
BEFORE YOU BLESSINGS AND CURRINGS...
CHOOSE LIFE!"
Ø People... where is the display of God's love?
Ø
Where is the "living my life like Jesus did?"
Ø
WWJD??
Jesus will come back for a "BRIDE" - ONE
BRIDE - ONE WHOLE BRIDE!
Not a disconnected, disjointed, dismembered dysfunctional Bride. He
will return for a church without spot or wrinkle - a WHOLE Body.
NO WONDER He hasn't taken the church
out of here yet!
Romans 15:7 Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ
also received us to the glory of God.
Romans 15:14
And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of
goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.
Galatians 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto
liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve
one another.
Galatians 5:15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take
heed that ye be not consumed one of another.
Galatians 5:26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another,
envying one another.
Galatians 6:2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill
the law of Christ.
Ephesians 4:2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one
another in love;
Ephesians 4:32: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted,
forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
I
Corinthians 3:1-3 And
I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal,
even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for
hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet
carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are
ye not carnal, and walk as men?
It is no accident that the Word of God speaks of the
church as His "Body." Think about how God designed the
Body. It is intricate, it works perfectly... each part doing just what it
was designed to do.
What kind of FUNNY, STUPID and ridiculous would it be... if my EYE
decided it wanted to be a FOOT? That would leave my foot to be the eye...
how far would I get with that?
THINK on THAT picture for a moment!
hehehe!
God didn't call you to BE "Jan
Crouch" or to JUDGE Jan Crouch! He also did NOT CALL you to judge the
pastor across town - or
the young man who just doesn’t do things YOUR way! I have searched the Scriptures, and I find nowhere that “judging
others” is a GIFT or CALL of God! He called us to be who He designed us to
be; JUST AS HE called them to be what HE designed
THEM to be!!
Where in the Bible does it give us
permission to rip apart another person, if they are not just like us... or
if we don't happen to like their style?? Even if they have wronged
us?!
WHERE is LOVE??!!
I can tell you, from resent experience that when
the smallest part of the body hurts - it affects the ENTIRE
BODY; as God said
it SHOULD! And yet we, the “Body of Christ” - are our own
worst enemy.
LETS GET A GRIP CHURCH!
Recognize the enemy in the camp, and
REPENT! Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to CLEAN UP the MESS we
have allowed - and planted in others! Let’s run this race with
integrity, and live a life-ruled-by-love - like Jesus did. Amen?
Yes... I am upset about this; but only at the enemy. I
HATE IT! I hate that
the enemy can walk right into the camp, deposit his poisonous venom, and
is allowed to stay!
To me the WORST and SADDEST of all: "…whatever you do to the least of these
brethren, you have DONE THAT TO ME." Selah
Philippians
2:3 Let
nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each
esteem other better than themselves.
James 3:16
For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
II Corinthians 13:11 "FINALLY
BRETHREN, FAREWELL. BE PERFECT, BE OF GOOD COMFORT, BE OF ONE MIND, LIVE IN
PEACE; AND THE GOD OF LOVE AND PEACE SHALL BE WITH YOU."
Could we agree together in prayer?
Father-God,
we repent for allowing disunity and strife in our heart and out
of our mouth. Forgive us Father. Put a guard on our lips: Holy Spirit, be
our teacher, teach us to live a life of love - the same love that Jesus
gave us. Teach us to "love one another" according to the Word, and to
display that love to all we know... saint or sinner. Forgive us Father, for
speaking words of judgment and disunity against You and Your children. Teach us
to love, and to reflect that love in all that we say or do. Help us to be quick
to forgive; Teach us to be that
"spotless" and "complete" Body of Christ that You will
return for. We ask these things according to Your Word, and in Jesus
Name. Amen? Amen and AMEN!
And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which
labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; And to esteem
them very highly in love for their work's sake. And be at peace among
yourselves. Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the
feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. See that none render
evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among
yourselves, and to all men. Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every
thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast
that which is good. Abstain from all
appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray
God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming
of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. I Thessalonians 5: 12-24
Father-God,
help Your people to live inside of love and unity. Teach us to be more like
Jesus. Forgive us for being such self-centered creatures, and caring about our
self more than anything or anyone. We want to please You in what we do Father.
Holy Spirit please teach us to guard against strife and disunity – to give You
a “house” of love and unity to dwell in.
Asking according to Your Word and Your will Father, in Jesus Name.
