Unity in Yeshua

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecumenism#Ancient_apostolic_churches

Efforts to develop unity among believers world wide must struggle with  perceived needs to preserve traditional institutions and existing power structures.  Thus things get bogged down in endless political intrigues, and preservation of self interest.  Cherished institutions prevent a return to the unity of believers that Jesus prayed for in the garden shortly before His death. 

In fact, unity among believers is a difficult proposition, as Paul discovered in his interaction with believers in Corinth.  

Divisions in the Church

1 Cor 3 But I, brothers,[a] could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready,3 for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? 4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human?

5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. 9 For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building.

10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled[b] master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

16 Do you not know that you[c] are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.

Yes, believers are the temple of God, living stones built up into a dwelling for God's presence in the Spirit.  One temple. And we are to build up that edifice on the foundation of Jesus the Christ.

From the beginning there were divisions among the followers of Jesus.  There was a big discussion about whether people of other nations, not Jews, should be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses when they became believers in Jesus.  Finally there was a meeting of the Apostles and Elders, at Jerusalem, and a letter was sent out to the churches with instructions regarding keeping the Law. 

Maybe we need to go back to the beginning.  After 70 AD there were no elders and Apostles at Jerusalem.  The gospel went into all the world, expedited by the Roman legal structures and Roman roads, from England to India. 

Constantine attempted to develop some unity based upon the power of the Roman Empire, with councils of church leaders. But differences produced division, and finally the East and West separated. 

It was never intended that the power of world empire, human politics, should be the source of unity for God's people.  The Holy Roman Empire became a scourge against freedom of conscience.  Those persecuted by the political power centered in Rome are the torch of true faith down through the centuries. The history of the Anabaptist is of interest when we discuss unity. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anabaptism

If we are to have a united community of believers, we must agree on fundamental teaching of the scriptures.  There is no unity in diversity.  A fundamental teaching of the Bible is that one who believes in Jesus as the Son of God must repent and be immersed in water because of the believer's faith.  Jesus commanded immersion for believers.  Infants can not believe and repent. 

We need to go back to Jerusalem and encourage Jews to have faith in Yeshua as the Jewish Messiah.  Believing Jews who have faith in Jesus are to be immersed in water, and be added to the Temple of God.   The Temple is not a new structure built of stone, but the House of God built upon the foundation of Yeshua the Messiah. 

This is the house God promised to build when He had the discussion with David about the temple at Jerusalem, speaking through Nathan the Prophet.  

2 Samuel 7  Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. 12 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, 15 but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. 16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me.[c] Your throne shall be established forever.’”  

Yeshua today is reigning from the throne of David, and He wants us to bring glory to Him by being united in our faith in Him.  On the day of Pentecost, following the resurrection of Jesus, the gospel went forth from Jerusalem into all the world, inviting believers to unite in God's House. Now we believers are returning to Jerusalem, back to the beginning, to be one in Jesus Christ. Join with us as we go back to the beginning. Together we will build up the House of God upon the foundation of Jesus the Christ. And we will find unity in Him, by the power of His Spirit in us. 

World Community

 What should be the attitude of those who believe and follow Jesus Christ toward the world community?

God so loved the people of the world that He gave His one and only Son to die on the Cross as a sacrifice sufficient to pay the price for the sins of the world community.  But that forgiveness is appropriated individually by faith, not by merit, but by obedient faith in what God has revealed, and what He is doing.

Therefore I must recognize the value of all people, and work to lead them to the saving grace of God in Jesus Christ. 

As Jesus told His disciples, 

The Great Commission

Matt 28:16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[b] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

The modern movement to deny revealed moral values while accepting everyone on the basis of human feelings misses the mark. Jesus Christ never taught the acceptance of sin, but rather told people to stop sinning. And the transforming power of the new birth by faith gives the believer resurrection power. We are given God's Spirit and raised to walk in newness of life.

In that new life, we are instructed to walk with Jesus, and to make a distinction between ourselves and the world community of unbelievers. 

Therefore believers are not called to develop a secular humanist world movement based upon human values and human feelings. Such a movement (that encourages rejection of moral values taught in the Bible) belongs to this world which is passing away.  My citizenship is in the Heavenly Kingdom, with eternal life in glory.

There is conflict between the two movements, between the forces of this world and the Eternal Kingdom.  Therefore the believers in Jesus are instructed to put on the whole armor of God, and to fight the Good Fight. 

The Whole Armor of God

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,

Yes, we are called to repent, to change our minds about how we live. We are to give up self will as our master, and to submit our minds and hearts to Jesus Christ, and to His teaching and leading in the Kingdom of Heaven. As Apostle Paul taught King Agrippa, 

Acts 26:19 “Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20 but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance. 

Yes, believers must not participate in the works of darkness promoted by the secular humanist agnostic atheistic world community.  This community spirit leads to destruction.  Giving approval to satanic practices brings harm to society.  Marriage was given for one man to one woman for the purpose of producing children who can become children of God.  The family is the foundation of society.  World movements that destroy the family are not from God. 

Christ Our Advocate

1 John 2 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. 3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

The New Commandment

7 Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. 8 At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because[a] the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. 9 Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. 10 Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him[b] there is no cause for stumbling. 11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

12 I am writing to you, little children,
    because your sins are forgiven for his name's sake.
13 I am writing to you, fathers,
    because you know him who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men,
    because you have overcome the evil one.
I write to you, children,
    because you know the Father.
14 I write to you, fathers,
    because you know him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
    because you are strong,
    and the word of God abides in you,
    and you have overcome the evil one.

Do Not Love the World

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life[c]—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

"Abides forever"!  What a blessed promise.  Human revolutions do not produce eternal value.  God has given us eternal value in Himself, through Jesus Christ, for whosoever will.

The Kingdom of Heaven

 

My Kingdom Is Not of This World

33 So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” 34 Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” 35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” 36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” 37 Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” 38 Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”

Pilate asked a great question.  What is truth??  The answer is that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. 

No one enters the kingdom of Heaven except through Jesus Christ.  As Jesus told Nicodemus-

You Must Be Born Again

3 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus[a] by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again[b] he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?”5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.[c] 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You[d] must be born again.’ 8 The wind[e]blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

9 Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you[f] do not receive our testimony.12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.[g] 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.[h]

For God So Loved the World

16 “For God so loved the world,[i] that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

The nations of the earth have been ruled by human power under the influence of Satan, even when nations claimed to be part of the Holy Roman Empire, or part of the great Anglican British Empire.  Or the German Lutheran Princes who fought against the Roman Catholics.  Eight million of the population of Europe was killed in the Thirty Years war.  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirty_Years%27_War

Many of the immigrants who settled North America had a desire to exercise freedom of conscience in matters of religious faith.  When finally the Bill of Rights was adopted in our constitution, the first amendment attempted to guarantee freedom of conscience.

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

So most of us who support the election of Donald Trump to another term are not promoting him as our religious leader.  He is running for President of the United States, a nation that guarantees religious freedom.  He does not have to pass a religious test, but we are interested in what he proposes to accomplish through another four years of presiding, God willing. He has promised to support the continuation of our Judaeo-Christian heritage, as opposed to the God hating communist movement that has possessed the Democratic Party. 

His promotion of America first is national politics, a recognition that nations are important, and each nation is to look out for their own affairs, while being fair to others. He is getting us out of dangerous world empire meddling which had caused us so much grief and treasure in the last twenty years. 

Yes, the Kingdom of Heaven is about all being united in Jesus Christ, and our showing love and concern to all. But Unitarianism has no place in the Kingdom of Heaven.  All who are faithful in Jesus Christ have membership in the Eternal Kingdom.  All who refuse faith in Jesus are condemning themselves to Hell.  So we persuade all to come to Jesus, and to His Eternal Kingdom.

It would be good for you to personally consider whether a respect for our traditional values is of more value than allowing the imposition of Godless communist revolution. Study history.  Our nation has been the source of many blessings to others because of our Christian heritage.  Godless communism has brought destruction to every people where it has been instituted by revolution.  It should be plain to all that we are faced with making a choice between Christian values and Godless communism.  

Please ask Jesus to help you decide how you should vote in the upcoming Presidential election.

Return to Eden??

The Garden in Eden

Gen 3:5 When no bush of the field[a] was yet in the land[b] and no small plant of the field had yet sprung up—for the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground, 6 and a mist[c] was going up from the land and was watering the whole face of the ground— 7 then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. 

8 And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9 And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Perhaps a return to Eden is in order for us to move forward with developing useful resources for life on planet Earth.  God placed Adam and Eve in a garden, to care for it and eat from its produce.  

I grew up gardening, and have always had a garden except when I was in school at Auburn. Today there is a great interest in gardening because of survival concerns.  Garden seed and canning supplies are scarce.  I think there may be value in finding ways that people stuck in unproductive situations may move to some place where they can have a garden, and live in a productive community.  Can we have a return to Eden?

Since working on the Ezekiel Project, I have been interested in a developing gardening system using sea water.  Sundrop Farms in Australia has built a huge commercial development. 

https://www.sundropfarms.com/

Thankfully there is no shortage of sea water, and there are many desert areas where sea water green house agricultural production could be located in unpopulated areas.  One such area is in southern California, around the Salton Sea east of Los Angeles.  Other areas include the northern Sahara in Africa, and the Namib dessert in Namibia, Africa.  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Namib

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Namibia

The Arava south of the Dead Sea in Israel and Jordan is probably the best possible location for Seawater Greenhouse production, and has already been done experimentally by Jordan with the Sahara Forrest project.  

https://www.saharaforestproject.com/office-2/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3igiVzqjltQ

The Ezekiel Water Project can provide sea water for the Arava, and would be a great blessing to the region, providing strategic electric power reserve and a deep layer of Med Sea water on top of the existing shrinking Dead Sea. 

There are solutions already known and working for our global climate problems.  There is an opportunity to provide useful lives for people who are trapped in non-productive areas and situations.  Instead of moving people into the suburbs with instant ghettos financed by the government, we should shift our focus to providing encouraging opportunities for life changing community.  

Gardening and community can transform lives.  Eden was a garden.  Why don't we recognize and enjoy the joys of gardening?

Instead of destroying existing civilization structures, it would be more useful to build productive communities that meet the challenges of joyful life.  

But one thing is most needed.  Adam and Eve enjoyed a great relationship with their Creator until they lost it by rebellion.  A joyful community today would need the renewed relationship with God that has been made available through faith in Jesus the Messiah.  God made some garments from the skins of animals to provide clothing for Adam and Eve.  This pictured the covering for our shame provided when we place our faith in Jesus Christ. 

https://rgonce.blogspot.com/2013/03/pictures-of-salvation.html

Gal 3:23 Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. 24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave[g] nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.