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UNIFIED- ECHAD ( echad is the Hebrew word for unified)
UNIFIED- ECHAD
Do you realize how closely unity and humility are tied together. One breeds the other; neither can exist without the other. Often pride wins out and harmony fades away fast. The words fight and quarrel are not apt descriptions of the way to get ahead in a relationship. That will not ultimately glorify God. Commit yourself to freeing others so they can grow and discover on their own the love of the Lord. It is better to walk away from an argument than to invite one. Become more of a peacemaker, and you will be setting the atmosphere for unity.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Loving One Another
7 Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God.8 But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.9 God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him.10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.11 Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.12 No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.13 And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us.14 Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.15 All who confess that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God.16 We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.17 And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.18 Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.19 We love each other because he loved us first.20 If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?21 And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their Christian brothers and sisters.
1 John 4:7-21 (NLT)
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8 Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude.9 Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will bless you for it.10 For the Scriptures say,
“If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies.11 Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it.12 The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil.”
Suffering for Doing Good
13 Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good?14 But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats.15 Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.16 But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ.17 Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong!
1 Peter 3:8-17 (NLT)
Love One Another
11 This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another.12 We must not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because Cain had been doing what was evil, and his brother had been doing what was righteous.13 So don’t be surprised, dear brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.14 If we love our Christian brothers and sisters, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead.15 Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don’t have eternal life within them.16 We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.17 If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?18 Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.19 Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God.20 Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything.21 Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence.22 And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him.23 And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us.24 Those who obey God’s commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us.
1 John 3:11-24 (NLT)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Do you realize how closely unity and humility are tied together. One breeds the other; neither can exist without the other. Often pride wins out and harmony fades away fast. The words fight and quarrel are not apt descriptions of the way to get ahead in a relationship. That will not ultimately glorify God. Commit yourself to freeing others so they can grow and discover on their own the love of the Lord. It is better to walk away from an argument than to invite one. Become more of a peacemaker, and you will be setting the atmosphere for unity.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Loving One Another
7 Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God.8 But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.9 God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him.10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.11 Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.12 No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.13 And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us.14 Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.15 All who confess that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God.16 We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.17 And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.18 Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.19 We love each other because he loved us first.20 If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?21 And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their Christian brothers and sisters.
1 John 4:7-21 (NLT)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
8 Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude.9 Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will bless you for it.10 For the Scriptures say,
“If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies.11 Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it.12 The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil.”
Suffering for Doing Good
13 Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good?14 But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats.15 Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.16 But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ.17 Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong!
1 Peter 3:8-17 (NLT)
Love One Another
11 This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another.12 We must not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because Cain had been doing what was evil, and his brother had been doing what was righteous.13 So don’t be surprised, dear brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.14 If we love our Christian brothers and sisters, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead.15 Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don’t have eternal life within them.16 We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.17 If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?18 Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.19 Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God.20 Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything.21 Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence.22 And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him.23 And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us.24 Those who obey God’s commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us.
1 John 3:11-24 (NLT)
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How can the people of God please Him? How can Jew and Gentile begin to bring the body, the One New Man, united as one, to a reality? I think the answer will begin with our heart attitude. Listen to a man whom I think has it right. Click the button below.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Living Stones for God’s House
1 So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech.2 Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment,3 now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.4 You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor.5 And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God.6 As the Scriptures say,“I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem, chosen for great honor,and anyone who trusts in himwill never be disgraced.”
7 Yes, you who trust him recognize the honor God has given him. But for those who reject him,“The stone that the builders rejectedhas now become the cornerstone.”
8 And,“He is the stone that makes people stumble,the rock that makes them fall.”
They stumble because they do not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them.9 But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.10 “Once you had no identity as a people;now you are God’s people.Once you received no mercy;now you have received God’s mercy.”
11 Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls.12 Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world. Respecting People in Authority
13 For the Lord’s sake, respect all human authority—whether the king as head of state,14 or the officials he has appointed. For the king has sent them to punish those who do wrong and to honor those who do right.15 It is God’s will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you.16 For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil.17 Respect everyone, and love your Christian brothers and sisters. Fear God, and respect the king. Slaves
18 You who are slaves must accept the authority of your masters with all respect. Do what they tell you—not only if they are kind and reasonable, but even if they are cruel.19 For God is pleased with you when you do what you know is right and patiently endure unfair treatment.20 Of course, you get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong. But if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you.21 For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.22 He never sinned,nor ever deceived anyone. 23 He did not retaliate when he was insulted,nor threaten revenge when he suffered.He left his case in the hands of God,who always judges fairly.24 He personally carried our sinsin his body on the crossso that we can be dead to sinand live for what is right.By his woundsyou are healed.25 Once you were like sheepwho wandered away.But now you have turned to your Shepherd,the Guardian of your souls. 1 Peter 2:1-25 (NLT)
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Christians and Jews-settling some issues
http://us.icej.org/media/christian-zionism-101
http://us.icej.org/media/israel-and-christians
http://us.icej.org/media/root-anti-semitism
http://us.icej.org/media/biblical-stand-zionism-i
http://us.icej.org/media/biblical-stand-zionism-ii
http://us.icej.org/media/history-christian-zionism
http://us.icej.org/media/defense-christian-zionism
http://us.icej.org/media/jerusalem-declaration-christian-zionism
http://us.icej.org/christian-zionism-social-justice
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Christians and Jews-settling some issues
http://us.icej.org/media/christian-zionism-101
http://us.icej.org/media/israel-and-christians
http://us.icej.org/media/root-anti-semitism
http://us.icej.org/media/biblical-stand-zionism-i
http://us.icej.org/media/biblical-stand-zionism-ii
http://us.icej.org/media/history-christian-zionism
http://us.icej.org/media/defense-christian-zionism
http://us.icej.org/media/jerusalem-declaration-christian-zionism
http://us.icej.org/christian-zionism-social-justice
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We all get shaped by outside influences, but we have the power through the Holy Spirit to let God reshape our lives. Spiritual growth happens when we stay connected to the Holy Spirit, and putting intentional practices into place. We need to create the right soil, the right environment, where we can stay connected. Spiritual character is developed by responding to God, which is influenced by habits, which gets formed by practices, which emerge from belief. The key is to interrupt those wrong beliefs, wrong responses, with new ones so we respond to the Spirit and allow God to grow us up in that area. We inherited a sinful nature and so we don't respond the way God intended. Unless we give God access to our hearts and minds, we can't grow. God can't cause growth if we are afraid to open up to Him because He may condemn us.
5 Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.6 So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.7 For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will.8 That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.9 But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)10 And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God.11 The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you. Romans 8:5-11 (NLT)
We have the ability to grow through Christ to be who and what God intended us to be. The heart or willingness, constitutes the center of our being from which we choose either God or self. Our willingness is the beginning, but thoughts and feelings must also be retrained. Let God transform you. Don't just copy the behavior and customs of the world.
I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:1-2 (NLT)
Let God change the way you think. We are to meditate on things above. Our feelings and emotions can lead us astray. Our imagination can work for us or against us in spiritual formation. Thoughts, feelings, and imaginations all work together in the formation of our character. Let's put it all together in spiritual formation to respond to the will of God. By turning our thoughts toward God and not just letting our own thoughts roll around in our mind, we position our minds to receive God's own thoughts.
Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. Philippians 4:8
By choosing to spend time silently in God's presence we set up a spiritual environment to hear God speak. Sometimes we need spiritual excercises that build us up in our personal area of weakness, and our willingness to receive from God.
Have you ever thought about what God's dreams are for you? For the world? Staying connected to God will allow each of us to stay unified in thought, knowing God's desires, doing His will.
Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function,5 so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. Romans 12:4-5 (NLT)
Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. 11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. 12 Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.13 When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.14 Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them.15 Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep.16 Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!17 Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable.18 Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.19 Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say,“I will take revenge;I will pay them back,” says the Lord.20 Instead, “If your enemies are hungry, feed them.If they are thirsty, give them something to drink.In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.”
21 Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good. Romans 12:9-21 (NLT)
God wants nothing less than to represent Himself through you and other believers, to the dying world. God dreams of a functioning body of believers who are responsive to Him and live out His love in a tangible way to show the world what He is like. Ask God to help you see people through His eyes. God wants us to be willing to reach out when He reveals a person who is in need, both physically and spiritually.
4There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all.5 There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord.6 God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.8 To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice ; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. 9 The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing.10 He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said.11 It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have. 1 Cor 12:4-11 (NLT)
All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. 1 Cor 12:27 (NLT)
God has arranged each of us with a unique gift.
God wants us to discover what gift or gifts we have and coordinate them with the body to work together to create God's dream. If we don't stay connected to God, our old sinful nature will cause us to think our dreams are more important than God's. Then we think too highly of our self and cause division in the body. We must value and encourage one another's contribution. We need each other and the world around us needs what God wants to do through all of us together.
Love is the action that measures our spiritual maturity. It doesn't just happen. God has a plan to resource His body of believers to overcome the evils of our world, through willing individuals whose hearts are staying connected. It is the most challenging task on earth. God grieves over the wrongs and injustices of the world. We are to honor Him first. It is a heart issue. God wants us to trust Him-first! Sacrificial love is the heart of following Christ. When we become willing to follow God's Spirit, moment by moment, we will freely, willingly, and cheerfully give.
Everything was created by God and He is the owner. We are to use our money wisely and for the purpose of building up the kingdom. That includes our daily bread, our needs, and others needs. We are to love our neighbor as ourself. If our brother is in need we should freely give out of our abundance. We will remain blinded if we are not willing to humble ourselves and see where we have opportunities to see our own broken strategies. God sometimes leads us to places where we can see them so that we can let them go and follow Him. If we are not willing to seek Him with all our heart, mind, and soul, we will become wayward. We are to walk by faith and not by sight. We argue about many things, and they cause a division. God broke down the wall and we build it back up. We have many issues that Satan uses to keep us apart. Let us make an effort to stay connected. The tie that binds is staying connected to God.
We need to be committed.
We need to count the cost.
Are you willing to pay it?
What is it worth to you?
5 Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.6 So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.7 For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will.8 That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.9 But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)10 And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God.11 The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you. Romans 8:5-11 (NLT)
We have the ability to grow through Christ to be who and what God intended us to be. The heart or willingness, constitutes the center of our being from which we choose either God or self. Our willingness is the beginning, but thoughts and feelings must also be retrained. Let God transform you. Don't just copy the behavior and customs of the world.
I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:1-2 (NLT)
Let God change the way you think. We are to meditate on things above. Our feelings and emotions can lead us astray. Our imagination can work for us or against us in spiritual formation. Thoughts, feelings, and imaginations all work together in the formation of our character. Let's put it all together in spiritual formation to respond to the will of God. By turning our thoughts toward God and not just letting our own thoughts roll around in our mind, we position our minds to receive God's own thoughts.
Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. Philippians 4:8
By choosing to spend time silently in God's presence we set up a spiritual environment to hear God speak. Sometimes we need spiritual excercises that build us up in our personal area of weakness, and our willingness to receive from God.
Have you ever thought about what God's dreams are for you? For the world? Staying connected to God will allow each of us to stay unified in thought, knowing God's desires, doing His will.
Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function,5 so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. Romans 12:4-5 (NLT)
Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. 11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. 12 Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.13 When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.14 Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them.15 Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep.16 Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!17 Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable.18 Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.19 Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say,“I will take revenge;I will pay them back,” says the Lord.20 Instead, “If your enemies are hungry, feed them.If they are thirsty, give them something to drink.In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.”
21 Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good. Romans 12:9-21 (NLT)
God wants nothing less than to represent Himself through you and other believers, to the dying world. God dreams of a functioning body of believers who are responsive to Him and live out His love in a tangible way to show the world what He is like. Ask God to help you see people through His eyes. God wants us to be willing to reach out when He reveals a person who is in need, both physically and spiritually.
4There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all.5 There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord.6 God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.8 To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice ; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. 9 The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing.10 He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said.11 It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have. 1 Cor 12:4-11 (NLT)
All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. 1 Cor 12:27 (NLT)
God has arranged each of us with a unique gift.
God wants us to discover what gift or gifts we have and coordinate them with the body to work together to create God's dream. If we don't stay connected to God, our old sinful nature will cause us to think our dreams are more important than God's. Then we think too highly of our self and cause division in the body. We must value and encourage one another's contribution. We need each other and the world around us needs what God wants to do through all of us together.
Love is the action that measures our spiritual maturity. It doesn't just happen. God has a plan to resource His body of believers to overcome the evils of our world, through willing individuals whose hearts are staying connected. It is the most challenging task on earth. God grieves over the wrongs and injustices of the world. We are to honor Him first. It is a heart issue. God wants us to trust Him-first! Sacrificial love is the heart of following Christ. When we become willing to follow God's Spirit, moment by moment, we will freely, willingly, and cheerfully give.
Everything was created by God and He is the owner. We are to use our money wisely and for the purpose of building up the kingdom. That includes our daily bread, our needs, and others needs. We are to love our neighbor as ourself. If our brother is in need we should freely give out of our abundance. We will remain blinded if we are not willing to humble ourselves and see where we have opportunities to see our own broken strategies. God sometimes leads us to places where we can see them so that we can let them go and follow Him. If we are not willing to seek Him with all our heart, mind, and soul, we will become wayward. We are to walk by faith and not by sight. We argue about many things, and they cause a division. God broke down the wall and we build it back up. We have many issues that Satan uses to keep us apart. Let us make an effort to stay connected. The tie that binds is staying connected to God.
We need to be committed.
We need to count the cost.
Are you willing to pay it?
What is it worth to you?
Essentially, Messianic Jews are part of two entities established by God in the Bible―
Israel and the Church. This is a great privilege. Messianic Jews are born Jewish and are part of the Jewish people, and that does not change when we receive Jesus as our Messiah. On the other hand, because we have received Jesus, we are also part of the Church, which is made up of people who love the Lord and is built upon the chief cornerstone, Jesus the Messiah.
In order for the Church to be the Church, there must be both Jews and Gentiles in the same Body. The Church is described as a mystery in Ephesians chapter five, and part of that mystery is that Jews and Gentiles are part of the same spiritual community, receiving the fit of life from the same Savor and sharing in the common life of the Holy Spirit.
So as Messianic Jews we are part of the Jewish people―and therefore part of the remnant―and also part of the Church, which makes us one with our Gentile brothers and sisters. How we keep all this in balance throughout our lives is a great question!
I believe that the ground is even at the foot of the Cross! In all of the passages in Scripture (such as Galatians 3:28) where we see Jews and Gentiles declared as one, we also learn that true spiritual unity is an even stronger and a more powerful testimony in light of our God-ordained diversity. If we handle our diversity with elitism or arrogance, then that is sin. But if we seek to live as the people God made us to be, we will find how good and pleasant it s to dwell together in unity. (Psalm 133).
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Oneness and Peace in Christ
11 Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts.12 In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope.13 But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.14 For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us.15 He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups.16 Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.17 He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near.18 Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us. A Temple for the Lord
19 So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family.20 Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself.21 We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord.22 Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit. Eph 2:11-22 (NLT)
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Jews and Gentiles in Bible Times
(excerpts from Grace Notes, by Warren Doud)
Here are some insights into some of the difficulties facing local church congregations of the early church as they tried to come to grips with the great cultural differences between Jews and Gentiles.
"To begin with, every Gentile child, so soon as born, was to be regarded as unclean. Those [Gentiles] who actually worshiped mountains, hills, bushes, etc, idolaters, should be cut down with the sword. But as it was impossible to exterminate heathenism, Rabbinic legislation kept certain definite objects in view, which may be summarized:
To prevent Jews from being inadvertently led into idolatry
To avoid all participation in idolatry
Not to do anything which might aid the heathen in their worship; and, beyond all this...
Not to give pleasure, or even help, to heathens. The latter involved a most dangerous principle, capable of almost indefinite application by fanaticism."
The Jew had a low estimate of the Gentile's character. The most vile and unnatural crimes were imputed to Gentiles. They considered it not safe to leave cattle in their charge, to allow their women to nurse infants, or their physicians to attend the sick, nor to walk in their company, without taking precautions against sudden attacks.
The Gentiles should, as far as possible, be altogether avoided, except in cases of necessity or for the sake of business. They and theirs were defiled; their houses unclean, as containing idols or things dedicated to idols. Their feasts and their joyous occasions were polluted by idolatry. You could not leave the room if a Gentile was in it because he might, carelessly or on purpose, defile the wine or food on the table, or the oil and wheat in the cupboard.
Under such circumstances, everything must be regarded as unclean. Three days before a heathen festival, and three days after, all business or contact with heathen was avoided, for fear of giving help or pleasure. Jews were to avoid passing through a city where there was an idolatrous feast - nay, they were not even to sit down within the shadow of a tree dedicated to idol-worship. Such a tree's wood was polluted; if it was used in cooking, the bread was unclean; if a shuttle of a loom had been made from it, all the cloth woven on it was forbidden. In addition, if such cloth had been mixed with other pieces of cloth, or if a garment made with it had been placed with other garments, all of the garments became unclean.
Jewish workmen were not to help in building basilicas, stadiums, or places where judicial sentences were pronounced by the heathen. It was not lawful to rent houses or sell cattle to Gentiles. Milk drawn by a heathen, if a Jew had not been present to watch it, bread and oil prepared by them, were unlawful. Their wine was wholly forbidden; the mere touch of a heathen polluted a whole cask of wine. Even to smell of heathen wine was forbidden! If wine had been dedicated to an idol, it defiled a man to carry on a stick even an olive's weight of it. Other wine, if prepared by a heathen, was prohibited for personal use and for trading. Wine prepared by a Jew, however, which had been deposited in the custody of a Gentile, was prohibited for personal use, but it was permitted to sell it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jews and Gentiles in Bible Times
(excerpts from Grace Notes, by Warren Doud)
Here are some insights into some of the difficulties facing local church congregations of the early church as they tried to come to grips with the great cultural differences between Jews and Gentiles.
"To begin with, every Gentile child, so soon as born, was to be regarded as unclean. Those [Gentiles] who actually worshiped mountains, hills, bushes, etc, idolaters, should be cut down with the sword. But as it was impossible to exterminate heathenism, Rabbinic legislation kept certain definite objects in view, which may be summarized:
To prevent Jews from being inadvertently led into idolatry
To avoid all participation in idolatry
Not to do anything which might aid the heathen in their worship; and, beyond all this...
Not to give pleasure, or even help, to heathens. The latter involved a most dangerous principle, capable of almost indefinite application by fanaticism."
The Jew had a low estimate of the Gentile's character. The most vile and unnatural crimes were imputed to Gentiles. They considered it not safe to leave cattle in their charge, to allow their women to nurse infants, or their physicians to attend the sick, nor to walk in their company, without taking precautions against sudden attacks.
The Gentiles should, as far as possible, be altogether avoided, except in cases of necessity or for the sake of business. They and theirs were defiled; their houses unclean, as containing idols or things dedicated to idols. Their feasts and their joyous occasions were polluted by idolatry. You could not leave the room if a Gentile was in it because he might, carelessly or on purpose, defile the wine or food on the table, or the oil and wheat in the cupboard.
Under such circumstances, everything must be regarded as unclean. Three days before a heathen festival, and three days after, all business or contact with heathen was avoided, for fear of giving help or pleasure. Jews were to avoid passing through a city where there was an idolatrous feast - nay, they were not even to sit down within the shadow of a tree dedicated to idol-worship. Such a tree's wood was polluted; if it was used in cooking, the bread was unclean; if a shuttle of a loom had been made from it, all the cloth woven on it was forbidden. In addition, if such cloth had been mixed with other pieces of cloth, or if a garment made with it had been placed with other garments, all of the garments became unclean.
Jewish workmen were not to help in building basilicas, stadiums, or places where judicial sentences were pronounced by the heathen. It was not lawful to rent houses or sell cattle to Gentiles. Milk drawn by a heathen, if a Jew had not been present to watch it, bread and oil prepared by them, were unlawful. Their wine was wholly forbidden; the mere touch of a heathen polluted a whole cask of wine. Even to smell of heathen wine was forbidden! If wine had been dedicated to an idol, it defiled a man to carry on a stick even an olive's weight of it. Other wine, if prepared by a heathen, was prohibited for personal use and for trading. Wine prepared by a Jew, however, which had been deposited in the custody of a Gentile, was prohibited for personal use, but it was permitted to sell it.
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JESUS AND GENTILES
And as Jesus passed forth from there, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom (Mat 9:9):
Matthew was a tax gatherer. He was a customs official. Capernaum was one of those cities where they had established a customs for those coming from the area of the north down through the valley and in the Golan and around the Sea of Galilee, catching them there as they were bringing their goods and charging custom.
And Jesus said unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed Jesus. And it came to pass, as Jesus was sitting at meat in the house, behold, there were many publicans and sinners and they came and sat down with him and his disciples (Mat 9:9-10).
Open house. A lot of publicans and sinners.
And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to his disciples, Why is your Master eating with publicans and sinners? (Mat 9:11)
In that culture eating with people was extremely significant. They had inculturated with them the concept that to eat with someone is to become one with that person. Because we take a loaf of bread and I hold it out to you and you grab a piece off and you start eating it; I pull off a piece and I start eating it, we are both of us eating from the same loaf of bread. As I am eating from that loaf of bread it is now going in and being assimilated by my body and it's becoming a part of my body. As you are eating your piece of bread, you are assimilating it and it's becoming a part of your body; and thus, in a mystical way we're becoming a part of each other. I'm becoming one with you because the bread that is nourishing me and becoming a part of me is also nourishing you and becoming a part of you.
So you would never eat with anyone unless you wanted to be identified with that person and becoming one with them. That's why they were shocked that Jesus would eat with sinners and with publicans. You mean you would become one with a sinner? You would be identified with a sinner? Yes, he was identified with the sinners in order that they might identify with Him and receive his power and his forgiveness.
And so they came to the disciples and questioned them, how come?
And Jesus when he heard that, said unto them, Those that are whole don't need a physician, but those that are sick. But go and learn what that means, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice (Mat 9:12-13):
Now in the book of Hosea, the Lord talking to Israel said, "Look, I want mercy not sacrifice. I want you to start showing mercy. I'd rather you show mercy than offer sacrifices to me"(Hosea 6:6).
excerpted from:
Smith, Chuck. "Matthew 8-9." The Word for Today. Blue Letter Bible. 1 Jun 2005. 2010. 3 Jun 2010. Connect on link below.
And as Jesus passed forth from there, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom (Mat 9:9):
Matthew was a tax gatherer. He was a customs official. Capernaum was one of those cities where they had established a customs for those coming from the area of the north down through the valley and in the Golan and around the Sea of Galilee, catching them there as they were bringing their goods and charging custom.
And Jesus said unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed Jesus. And it came to pass, as Jesus was sitting at meat in the house, behold, there were many publicans and sinners and they came and sat down with him and his disciples (Mat 9:9-10).
Open house. A lot of publicans and sinners.
And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to his disciples, Why is your Master eating with publicans and sinners? (Mat 9:11)
In that culture eating with people was extremely significant. They had inculturated with them the concept that to eat with someone is to become one with that person. Because we take a loaf of bread and I hold it out to you and you grab a piece off and you start eating it; I pull off a piece and I start eating it, we are both of us eating from the same loaf of bread. As I am eating from that loaf of bread it is now going in and being assimilated by my body and it's becoming a part of my body. As you are eating your piece of bread, you are assimilating it and it's becoming a part of your body; and thus, in a mystical way we're becoming a part of each other. I'm becoming one with you because the bread that is nourishing me and becoming a part of me is also nourishing you and becoming a part of you.
So you would never eat with anyone unless you wanted to be identified with that person and becoming one with them. That's why they were shocked that Jesus would eat with sinners and with publicans. You mean you would become one with a sinner? You would be identified with a sinner? Yes, he was identified with the sinners in order that they might identify with Him and receive his power and his forgiveness.
And so they came to the disciples and questioned them, how come?
And Jesus when he heard that, said unto them, Those that are whole don't need a physician, but those that are sick. But go and learn what that means, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice (Mat 9:12-13):
Now in the book of Hosea, the Lord talking to Israel said, "Look, I want mercy not sacrifice. I want you to start showing mercy. I'd rather you show mercy than offer sacrifices to me"(Hosea 6:6).
excerpted from:
Smith, Chuck. "Matthew 8-9." The Word for Today. Blue Letter Bible. 1 Jun 2005. 2010. 3 Jun 2010. Connect on link below.
Messianic Jewish Music by Congregation Roeh Israel Worship Team
listen to clips online before you buy.
http://www.storesonline.com/site/634305/page/916905
listen to clips online before you buy.
http://www.storesonline.com/site/634305/page/916905
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The Lutheran Church -Missouri Synod -
Jewish Evangelism organization is:
The Apple of His Eye; and exists to declare Y'shua as the Messiah to both Jews and Gentiles alike.
You don’t have to be Jewish to tell someone about Jesus. You don’t have
to be Jewish to believe in Jesus yourself. but for those who are Jewish,
we believe that the most Jewish thing you can do is to follow the Messiah
of Israel, Y’shua!
The Apple of His Eye is an equal opportunity involver: gentiles are
welcome to join in the adventure of telling the world that Jesus is the
Messiah!!!
A Brief History
www.appleofhiseye.org/FAQs/ABriefHistory/tabid/729/language/en-US/Default.aspx
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Follow this link to make a pledge to stand by Israel
http://www.salememail.com/SpecialOffers/CUFIDirectEmail/cufidispaly.asp
http://www.salememail.com/SpecialOffers/CUFIDirectEmail/cufidispaly.asp