2 It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments;
3 As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.
Key Verse:
1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
Key Observation:
Jesus commanded: “Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15) I note that we stand as shining stars in the heavens when we manage to dwell together in unity.”
Memory Verse:
1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
Devotion:
I lament our breaking apart the church; I see no other way that it might have been done. I deeply admire Luther and Calvin for they corrected the church and brought us back to admire and follow the Bible. What I do lament is the schisms that developed among the many different groups, and the way that they treated each other. I realize those were different times, but weren’t they also times where there was little regard for the love of God? The customs of the times were to burn all dissenters at the stake. Any student of church history knows that many devout Christians were burned, or at least threatened to be burned. For hundreds of years nonbelievers judged Christians as people who would burn each other over disagreements that sometimes were major, but often were minor, at least in the whole scheme of things. As I understand history both Luther and Calvin had to flee spots where their doctrine was not accepted. Luther was afraid of the Catholic church and what might happen to him while Calvin was afraid of the King of France, and the Catholic faith he represented. Calvin assented to burning many on the stake that he did not agree with, in one case evidently foreplanning the execution of someone he disagreed with.
But as the schisms developed, they were soon burning each other at the stake; it seems that every sect sought the Anabaptists to burn, the first sect to return us to believer’s baptism. How even Luther hated what he referred to as “the second baptism”. What a tumultuous time it was! By the time Locke came around things were somewhat better, and by the time Wesley followed more dissension was allowed. We see the dissension even today between the Episcopalians and the Methodists and Calvinists and Armenians and the Baptists and the Presbyterians. Indeed today the churches have so strayed from the Bible that often a new church seems to define a new sect, some of which seem to have little to do with the true Christian church.
What shall I say then? I can only refer you to one of the churches Paul first started in Thessalonica. Paul was only able to stay with them about a month, but what a month it was! Virtually all of the deep doctrines of God were taught, and it is a lesson today for pastors, some of who think their flocks are too immature to understand the deep things of the Bible. When Paul first visited Thessalonica they received the gospel with deep wonder and joy. Says Paul: “You became imitators of us and of the Lord, in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.”
But after Paul left false teachers crept in and people began to believe that Christ had already come. They stopped working, and some even were said to be on the housetops waiting for Jesus. Paul corrected their beliefs, letting them know of the rapture, and also teaching them of the mighty coming of Christ. He taught that the “man of lawlessness” must first be revealed, and that then, and only then, would the Lord return with His saints.
Interestingly to me is the fact that after Paul corrected their error, he urged them to “stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you”. I think the lack of the church being willing to follow this command has lead us into much error. A month ago someone said to me that 2/3 of the church believed in infant baptism and therefore it must be true. What an error that assumption is! I believe that the more traditions are added to the church the further we are away from the Word. If the Reformation should teach us anything, it should teach us that men’s habits are not to be put on a level with the Holy Scripture.
Has not the church invented such unholy things throughout the ages? The Reformation should have taught us to go back to the Bible, and challenge anything that is not scriptural. Have many words and traditions been added to the Bible? Yes, and always to the detriment of Christianity. Rather than bringing us closer to our Lord, they inevitably pull us away. Look at the people who belong to sects that are the furthest from the truth. Have they not added books to the scriptures? Do they not put more credence in the books than the Bible? I believe that men’s additions to the Scriptures is a fundamental reason we stray.
I still recall my naïveté when I first became involved with the Baptist movement. I was fortunate for a short while to be discipled by an outstanding pastor in the Conservative Baptists. I remember talking with him one afternoon just outside his office. I reflected before him that I did not know much about the creed of the Baptists, and asked if he would recommend a good book for me. He smiled and said, “Just a minute, I have the perfect book.” Going into his office He quickly pulled a small tome from his shelves, and handed it to me. The outside cover read, “The Baptist Creed”. I was excited! Opening it I found a copy of the New Testament—a lesson that profoundly taught me that my faith should rest on nothing less than the Word of God. But more importantly, it put everything else I have read since that day to be put on a threshold lots lower than where the Word of God is. Believe me when I say I have read lots of exciting stuff written by admirable saints throughout the ages. But everything I read must be measured by the only yardstick God has given us: His Holy Word. Remember the words of Paul: “Stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you.”
The Bible Stands
1. The Bible stands like a rock undaunted
'Mid the raging storms of time;
Its pages burn with the truth eternal,
And they glow with a light sublime.
2. The Bible stands like a mountain towering
Far above the works of men;
Its truth by none ever was refuted,
And destroy it they never can.
3. The Bible stands and it will forever,
When the world has passed away;
By inspiration it has been given,
All its precepts I will obey.
4. The Bible stands every test we give it,
For its Author is divine;
By grace alone I expect to live it,
And to prove and to make it mine.
Chorus:
The Bible stands though the hills may tumble,
It will firmly stand when the earth shall crumble;
I will plant my feet on its firm foundation,
For the Bible stands.
by Haldor Lillenas
I listened to Charlie Daniels tonight and thought this appropriate to add:
The Business of Love
Way back when the church was young
In the day of Pentecost
There were a few good men
Who ride the land
Preachin' Jesus to the lost
They came from different places
From different walks of life
They didn't have no demonination
They just called themselves the 'Body of Christ'
There's a lot of good people who love the Lord
Even in the world today
They want to bring the oneness in
But somehow we've lost our way
We need to reach out to our brothers
And take our Bibles off the shelf
And put our differences aside
And stop fighting amongst ourselves
We're still sittin' around here
Fussin' with each other
While the lost and dyin' world
Is going to hell
Just put your hand in my hand
We've been fighting long enough
And let's get down to God's business
The business of love
Some like their music quiet
Some like their music loud
Some people sit and listen
Some people dance around
Just look up at the rainbow
That God put in the sky
He uses all of the colors
To make the light of His love shine
We're still sittin' around here
Fussin' with each other
While the lost and dyin' world
Is going to hell
Just put your hand in my hand
We've been fighting long enough
And let's get down to God's business
The business of love
Put your hand in my hand
We've been fighting long enough
And let's get down to God's business
The business of love
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