Jesus came to seek and save that which was lost; to physically demonstrate righteous living before men; to declare the Kingdom of God. The story of the Cross to many appears simple and to many of our deep thinkers, mundane. It is a truth that the story has been well rehearsed through the ages. But, to those who truly understand the cost (His Blood) of the merchandise (the soul of man and the reconciliation of man and God), the story is still most profound.
The pain and pressure of ministry upon His shoulders must have been horrendous to Jesus the Christ, our Lord and Redeemer. I am sure that knowing the true strength of each apostle, the greatest challenge for them would not be stumbling over the doctrine, stumbling over the reality of His existence or even stumbling over His love for either of them. It was and is the devil’s purpose to divide and conquer all of us who name the name of Jesus. Jesus; prayer for them strongly reveals His greatest and most absolute concern for them: (John 17:9-11) I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which you have given me; for they are yours. And all mine are yours, and yours are mine: and I am glorified in them. And now, I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom you have given me, that they may be one.
During the month of March, we tested the waters of human greatness and concluded that the man who is able to esteem his brother greater than himself, demonstrates attributes of profound greatness. Today, we ask the ancient question: Why can we not become one in Him? What is the root of our oneness in the church? In a recent conversation with Bishop Daryl Jackson, Pastor of Church of the First Born and leader of That They May be One Fellowship of Cottondale, Alabama, he stated: The responsibility of being one is motivated or driven by the quality of every individual’s worship offered unto God. We become connected according to the strength of our worship. The more we please Him in worship, the more we are fulfilled in our own lives. The journey of trying to achieve oneness is a personal victory, many parts becoming one body and one church. Realizing that wholeness can sometimes seem difficult because the humans race is comprised of multiplicities of fears, issues of the heart, walls erected from victimization, damages of yesterday, and barriers of culture and environmental orientations, we must be willing to contend for the love, unity and oneness of the brotherhood in Christ. We must contend to know no one after the flesh, but to know one another according to the Spirit!
Until we meet here on another day! Join me May 7-8th as we feature TBN’s Bishop George G. Bloomer of Durham, North Carolina, guest speaker of our 2014 Holy Convocation. Services will begin nightly at 7 p.m. sharply. 1024 Ethel Lane (35235).
We pray: Father make us one!
