We Are One

Good Morning!

I spent Friday morning with Norma as she visited Eye Consultants of Atlanta. I has now been a little more than a year and she still doesn’t have clear vision in her eye. So Dr. Mohney and Dr. Frank spent a good bit more time with her than usual. We have to go back March 3rd for a field of vision test … and then go from there. Norma commented that she now has four doctor appointments in March … with Dr. Mohney; with a gastroenterologist; with her primary care physician, and with her oncologist. All points of prayer for us … for which I am quite grateful.

Sitting in the waiting room can be more worrisome than being the patient. I took along a book I had read and studied several (was it eight or ten years) ago written by Charles Colson and Ellen Vaughn. For those who do not remember, Chuck Colson was one of the people convicted in the Watergate Scandal. He went to prison … and while there he received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Now I know some of us think that jailhouse conversions are suspect … but when a person comes out of prison and devotes his life to spreading the Gospel, I don’t think I am going to challenge his conversion. It is not for me to judge anyway.

The title of the book is Being the Body. The subject matter is the 21st century church. Now, when we talk about church, we are not about the physical plant. We are talking about people who have committed to the Lord Jesus Christ. All of us who have made that life commitment are members of the body. We are one – whether we be Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Catholic, Church of Christ, Church of God, and so on. We are joined together in the blood of Jesus Christ. We are not in competition with each other; we are not exclusive of each other. We are one. Here’s what Paul says:

Ephesians 4:1-7 (English Standard Version)
Unity in the Body of Christ
1I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

How do we walk in a manner worth of the calling to which we have been called? We start with love. We have a desire to have oneness in the bond of peace. We care about our brothers and sisters in Christ – regardless of their denomination; regardless of our differences in culture or race or color. We love each other and seek unity in Christ.

So today, let us seek to be one together.

Agape’

Mr. Jim