In Thailand, there was a period of growing political
and social tension which reached a point which threaten to become a civil war
in that nation. The Prime Minister of Thailand and the opposition leader held diametric
opposite views about, political, social, economics and a host of other matters
relating to the day to day life of a nation…the tension between the groups came
to shooting. The unrest threaten to rend the nation.
King Budipaulla seeing
what was taking place in his Kingdom, and wishing to avoid further strife,
therefore the King summoned the two opposing leaders to the Royal palace.
The two men came and knelt before the throne of their
king, and it there that King Budipaulla commanded that the two men put aside their differences and work the
problems out peacefully and learn to co-exist for the good of Thailand.
These two men, could agree on very little, but,
the one thing on which they did agree on was, who their King was…They
heard the command of their king and they obeyed, peace was preserved and
Thailand was speared a bloody civil war.
This
peace could take place only because they valued their king over their own
political and social views.
The
Lesson for Christians
What is the lesson for we Christians today when we see
disagreements between the different Christian groups? It is unfortunate, but
even after more than two thousand years, there can still be sharp differences
among and between Christians, between Armenians, Calvinist, Dispensationalist, Reform,
Evangelicals and Pentecostals.
There can contentions between and with Christians who
hold different theologies and doctrines, practices and liturgical preferences.
These differences among Christians which arise can give the world around us the
ammunition to bring critical charges of inconsistencies and hypocrisy against the
Christian Church as a whole.
Unity
We Christians need something above philosophies and
doctrines or theologies and liturgy to look to for our unity with and among us
and to bind us together; we need a king to bring us unity, and that King on
which we all agree on, and on whom we all can look to, and bring Christians
together in unity is Jesus Christ.
In our King Jesus we can and will find unity. If
Christians attempt to find unity in and by any other means we will fail to find
it. All else will fail us. If unity is derived from anything other than Jesus,
then when disagreements arise among us our unity is broken, but if our unity is
founded on Jesus alone then we can disagree on varies issues and still keep unbroken
fellowship. Jesus unites us and preserves us in unity and love.
Nothing or no one else can bring together and
keep us together but Jesus.
St. Paul wrote about the divine identity of Jesus, that
it is he and he alone who ultimately has power and authority over all things. It
is in Jesus, we see the great God revealed to us in the most perfect and
complete way.
“The Son is the
image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him
all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible,
whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been
created through him and for him” Col: 1:15-16
St. Paul is telling us that Jesus has that unique place
of divine prominence over all things having all power and all authority.
“For in him all things
were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether
thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created
through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things
hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the
beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might
have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in
him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things
on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the
cross”.(16-20)
We are told by the Apostle, that it is Jesus who holds
the whole created order together, all things are sustained and held together (even we Christians) in and by our King
Jesus and it is he, and he, alone who has the supremacy over all.
Proclaim
Christ
Jesus is the purpose of God, it is Jesus who all things
revolve. Jesus is the pivotal person in all time and eternity. It is Jesus who
should have that place of divine prominence and focus in the life of all
Christians individually and collectively.
It is Jesus who is the point of the work of the Church
and the object of our lives, devotion, worship and the source of our unity.
St. Paul tells us that Jesus was the reason and the
subject of his proclamation of the Gospel and should be the mission of the
Church Universal and Christians of all background, denominations ministries
associated and unassociated, to tell others about Jesus.
“He is the one we
proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may
present everyone fully mature in Christ. To this end I strenuously
contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.” (28-29)
Jesus should be the center of our lives and worship and
the true source of unity among all Christians, when we have him so, then we can
look upon one another as brethren, having in common a faith founded upon our
King Jesus Christ alone, above all else, this will bring to us unity and bind
us each and all ,one with another, this common unity in Christ and the common
recognition as members of his body the Church will give us a unity which
surmounts all difference which might arise among and between us.
We Christians can come and can kneel together before
the throne of our King Jesus Christ and in him we find unity.
Benediction:
May we each and all in humble recognition kneel in unity before the Throne of
our Lord Jesus, today, tomorrow and forevermore. Amen.
Rev. Todd Crouch, Pastor
The Fountain of life Church a Congregation of Grace Communion
2101 Old National Pike, Washington,
Pennsylvania, 15301 www.gcfountainoflife.org
The Fountain of Life is heard on the RKP Radio Network 1710
and 1670 AM in Washington and North Franklin, and 1790 AM in the Arden
Fair Grounds area of Washington Pennsylvania, and on 1710 AM in Bentleyville
and Monongahela, Pennsylvania. And online around the world at www.rkpradio.com
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" If
It Is Not About Jesus, It Is Not About Anything"
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