Last Saturday Karen was reading the newspaper and read me two feature religious articles. Our local newspaper seems to save the religious articles to print in Saturday's edition, I guess to get the people to start thinking about going to Church on Sunday.

The first article was about how followers of Pentecostal and Charismatic Churches; Assembly of God, Church of God, United Pentecostal Holiness Churches, and such are more willing to bring their values and beliefs into the public discourse thus having more of a global impact in social issues over the more traditional Churches; Catholic, Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, and Baptist. This kind of surprised me, for my experiences in Africa and other countries in the world have been the opposite. I have never seen a Pentecostal guest house or compound, but all over the world I have seen Catholic, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Lutheran guest houses and compounds to share God's love to people of the nations and to weary travelers no matter their religious background. There is a wonderful Presbyterian guest house in Kigali , Rwanda I stayed during my last trip. In Bukoba , Tanzania there is an outstanding Catholic and Lutheran compound were Christians can stay at a reduced price and feel safe. In India there is an unbelievable Catholic Conference Center and compound in Mumbai ( Bombay ), not to mention the 1,000s of medical clinics around the world the Catholic Church sponsors. As Karen read the article I was not sure if this was a good thing or not. There seems to be a greater swell of emotional worship in the Pentecostal Churches of today that really draws people and oddly I have seen the more traditional Churches now starting to offer a more contemporary, more up-beat, and emotional service to get their fair share. Our approach to God MUST never be with our emotions, but in simplicity and lowliness of heart. An approach with our words, desires, and thoughts stilled expecting nothing, but His desire for us. As she finished the article I thought, actions do speak louder then words.

The next article was about the Southern Baptist Church wrestling with the issue of speaking in tongues, an issue that has been festering within the Baptist Church for years. I do commend the Southern Baptist Church for taking on this tough issue. However, doctrinal Church issues seldom resolve anything. If it is about Church laws (the touch not, taste not, handle not) remember, “the law killeth, but it is the spirit that giveth life.” It always boils down to, at the heart of every issue is an issue of our heart. Now Karen and I attend Enon Chapel a wonderful Baptist Church (check them out on the link on our webpage), but we go there not because Pastor Jim Kelley and people are really wonderful or because we are Baptist, we are not. We go there because God said to go there (we take God's word to us very serious), case closed for Karen and I. From the outside looking in at the Baptist Church I would believe coming to grips with all of the different Baptist Churches ; Fundamental Baptist, Southern Baptist, Free Will Baptist, Pentecostal Free Will Baptist, Primitive Baptist, and the other Baptist Churches I have never heard of would be more important then seeking permission from a man to speak in tongues.

When Karen finished the article I thought, what are we doing? Are we all not one body? Are we all not one Spirit? Have we all been called in one hope by our calling? What are we doing to the Body of Christ? Paul shared these words with the Church at Ephesus , “With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body , and one Spirit , even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism , 6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” (Ephesians 4:2-6) Where did we get off track? Where did all of these denominations and doctrines of men come from? Are we not, “one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope?” The sad truth is we are not. This thinking did not come from the Disciples. The testimony and message of the Disciples was; “For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:20 ) All of the Disciples started out on the same foot with the same message of the good news of the wonderful Gospel. What has happened to the message of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ? The absolute things of the Gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-6) have become optional in our believing and the optional things (taste not, touch not, handle not) have become absolutes. “Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, 21 (Touch not; taste not; handle not; 22 Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?” (Colossians 2:20-21) The amazing thing to me is either no one has noticed or no one really cares we are fractured and divided out from our selfishness and ambition for money and power, but we know the answer to that question. Denominations around the world do not want to lose their power and authority they have established. Their focus is the world, but God's focus is the people in the world. It seems no one really cares, if the Body of Christ has many divisions. How could this have happened? Today Churches around the world are singing and dancing their people asleep as they and countless millions die and go to hell. On the radio I hear old-time Gospel preachers (from the 50s, 60s, and 70s) say the same things I am writing about in this article regarding the condition of the Church, things have not gotten better my friend. It is no wonder Paul and the other Disciples spoke strongly against organized religion. Now please do not misunderstand me, I am thankful for the good works (guest houses, compounds, medical clinic, Churches) that are built by the denominations, but I like the Disciples strongly disagree with the division, strife, and wrath the denominations around the world have caused. You can have the good works without the “doctrines of men.” How you may ask? Well as always the Bible gives us the answer. For us to be able to break free of the denominational strangle hold and yoke that holds the Church of today we MUST come into the saving knowledge and truth of, “5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism , 6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” If we are a Believer saved by the precious blood of Jesus Christ and led by the precious Holy Spirit we submit and are under “One Lord” (we all as servants answer to the same Master), “one faith” (a common agreement to God's salvation for our soul), “one baptism” (immersed into the fellowship of the same suffering as Jesus Christ experienced). Then and only then will we be able to say we serve, “One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” Now when the Bible says “all” it means all. There can be no other way and say you are in Christ Jesus. If we come any other way we lie and deceive ourselves, “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another , and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. ” (1 John 1:6-7) Our standard MUST be the word of God and it alone. This is the way we all must go. If not then we lie and deceive ourselves. Instead of death to our selfishness, self-life, and our self-seeking (even in God), physical and spiritual death will reign supreme in many lives around the world. Sadly denominationalism for membership will continue to trump relationship and the work of God around the world. Brethren it is up to us to turn things around before it is too late for us and them.