Love and Unity

 

Love and Unity

 

“Behold! How Good and how Pleasant it is for the Brethren to dwell together in Unity. It is like precious ointment upon the head that ran down upon Aaron’s beard. That ran down to the skirts of his garments. As the dew of Herman that descended upon the Mountain Zion; for it was there that The LORD Commanded His Blessing, even Life forevermore.” Psalm 133

“I give you a new Commandment, that you Love one another. Just as I have Loved you, so also you must Love one another. By this all will know that you are My Disciples, if you have Love one for another.” John 13:24-25

 “Now this is His Commandment – that we should believe in The Name of YESHUA The Messiah, and Love one another just as He Commanded us. The one who keeps His Commandments abides in GOD and GOD in him. We know that He abides in us by this – by The SPIRIT He has given us.” 1 John 3:23-24

“If anyone says, ‘I Love GOD,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar. For the one who does not Love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot Love GOD, whom he has not seen. And this Commandment we have from Him: that the one who Loves GOD should also Love his brother.” 1 John 4:20-21

 

GOD asks His Church, “Why do you not keep My Commandments?” If there is no Love there is no Unity and if there is no Unity there is no Life Eternal! The Scriptures above say that if you don’t Love your brothers you do not Love GOD and if you do not Love GOD you do not abide in Him nor He in you and if GOD does not abide in you than you do not have Life Eternal! No Love, no Unity, no Eternity with GOD!

 

I did a google search of Churches within 5 miles of my home, there were 19 and I was surprised. I have seen several as I drive around, but I did not know there were that many. All of them were less than 1.5 miles from my home. I do not have any relationship with any of them, nor do I know anyone who goes to any of them. I do have relationship with 3 local Churches that are outside the 5 mile search area. I know a couple of my neighbors who are Christian but I do not know where they go to Church if they do go, one of them Tele-Churches.

 

I have visited a couple of other Churches in my general area, one of them is within the 5 mile radius, I know that there are groups of Pastors that get together for prayer and fellowship; but I am not aware of Churches getting together or exchanging Pastors occasionally, or doing any other fellowship or ministry together. This is one of the sins of the Church today, our lack of unity and brotherly Love as seen by our lack of involvement and activity together.

 

To seek GOD first we have to have unity, we (the Church) are The Body of CHRIST; Paul, Peter, James and John all teach on the unity of the Body of CHRIST so how can it not be a part of our doctrine and practice? To seek GOD first we must fast and pray, study and teach, praise and worship, fellowship and minister. All of these activities that we are called to do we are called to do them as individuals, families, fellowships, ministries, churches and dominations. We are not called to evangelize people to ourself or our group, we are called to evangelize people to JESUS! We are not called to disciple people to ourself or our denomination, we are called to disciple people to JESUS!

 

Today’s Church in America is in the Build Bigger Ministry because we think we are the Best or for greed and pride, either way it is sin! mega churches are not wrong but they tend to cause isolation rather than fellowship with other smaller churches. Having multiple campuses, all but the main location watching via video is no better, except maybe in parking lot access.

 

Not all Churches, ministries and denominations are isolationists. In San Diego County where I lived for 43 years there has been a unity of churches and ministries movement since the 80’s. There are several groups of pastors, churches and ministries around the County that fellowship and minister together regularly. They organize Church wide events and city or county wide evangelization events throughout the county, state, and into Mexico. Some of the pastors have international ministries and they invite others to go with them. In 1991 I went with a group from our church that joined a group from a lager church to Russia, where we ministered in two different cities. I am sure there are other groups like this all around the country.

 

The point of all this is to call us all too personal accountability before GOD! When we have personal accountability we can have ministry accountability. When we have ministry accountability then we can have unity. It is not about how big can we be, it is about how effectively we are ministering the Gospel in our community and discipling people to JESUS.

 

Every Christian is Called to be an apostle, a prophet, an evangelist, a pastor and a teacher; these are the functions of a discipler.

Seek GOD First!

Word For 02-07-2022

 

Word For 2/7/2022

 

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says The LORD, thoughts of Peace and not evil, to give you a Future and a Hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

 

“And I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls; though the more abundantly I Love you the less I am Loved.” 2 Corinthians 12:15

“The true Saint delights to spend himself for GOD’s interests in other people and does not care what it costs.”

Oswald Chambers

 

To know how GOD thinks toward us is to know how GOD things towards others.

Seek GOD First!

GOD Bless, Bob & Charlene

Word For 2/6/2022

 

Word For 2/6/2022

 

“For, Behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but The LORD shall arise upon you and His Glory shall be seen upon you.” Isaiah 60:2

“At times GOD puts us through the discipline of darkness to teach us to heed Him.”

Oswald Chambers

 

“When Faced with a CHALLENGE, LOOK for A WAY, Not A WAY OUT!”

John 16:33 “I have told You ALL This so that You May HAVE PEACE IN ME. Here on earth You will have MANY Trials and Sorrows. But TAKE HEART because I Have OVERCOME the World.”

“DON’T Defend Your OBSTACLES, ELIMINATE Them!”

Be Encouraged, Pastor Bob Harris

 

There is a divide that is getting bigger in The Church; the divide between those Christians who are looking for the good life and the rapture, and those who believe that the Church is going to go through the Great Tribulation. The problem is not the two separate doctrines, the problem is the division in the Church because of the two different doctrines, like the separation in the Church over other doctrines.

 

The Gospel is the Good News of Salvation through JESUS CHRIST by Faith and Confession (John 1:10-14, 3:13-21; Romans 10:5-10). Everything else (all doctrine) will enhance or denigrate the faith of the Believer, but not keep them out of Heaven; if the believer truly has Faith in JESUS, has confessed their sins and repented of their sinful lifestyle. JESUS was adamant that there is to be no division in His Body (Psalm 133; Ephesians 4:1-16; 1 John 4:1-5:5).

 

Salvation is not about correct doctrine it is about Faith in JESUS and Confession of JESUS as LORD and Savior.

Seek GOD First!

GOD Bless, Bob & Charlene

 

P.S.

I believe that the Church is going to go through the Great Tribulation; because of 1 Corinthians 15, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11 and Revelation 11 and 14-20. 1 Corinthians 15:52 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16 plus a few others are the scriptures used by those who believe that the Church will be raptured before the Tribulation or at least in the middle before things get really bad.

The problem is that in Revelation 11:15 the Last Trumpet (the Seventh Trumpet) sounds, Revelation 14:14-20 is the reaping of the earth’s harvest by Christ and the reaping of the grapes of the earth into the winepress of GOD’s wrath by an angel. Chapters 15 and 16 are the third Woe and the 7 bowl judgments, chapters 17 and 18 are the destruction of Babylon, chapter 19 is the battle of Armageddon and Chapter 20 is the resurrection of the dead in CHRIST who died during the Tribulation and the establishment of JESUS’ 1000 year reign over the nations of the earth from Jerusalem. All of these events happen on the day of the Seventh Trumpet.

 

Don’t take my word for it, “Study to show yourself approved, rightly dividing The Word of GOD!” Romans 12:1-2; 2 Timothy 2:14-16, 3:12-17; Hebrews 5:12-6:3; 1 Peter 2:1-3

JESUS by Anonymous

 

JESUS

by Anonymous

 

I want to say something about the spirituality debate. You don't believe in God? Fine, I'm not one to judge, cause I'm not the judge. Why is it so important for many of you to mock those of us that do? If we're wrong, what have we lost when we die? Nothing! How does our believing in Jesus bring you any harm? You think it makes me stupid? Gullible? Fine. How does that affect you? If you're wrong your consequence is far worse. I would rather live my life believing in God and serving Him, and find out I was right, than not believe in Him and not serve Him, and find out I was wrong. Then it's too late.

There's no shame in my game! I believe in Jesus Christ. He said deny me in front of your friends & I will deny you in front of my Father. HE'S COMING BACK...Greatest man in history, had no servants, yet they called him Master. Had no degree, yet they called him Teacher. Had no medicines, yet they called him Healer. He had no army, yet kings feared Him. He won no military battles, yet He conquered the world. He committed no crime, yet they crucified Him. He was buried in a tomb, yet He lives today. His name is Jesus.

 

Word For 2/5/2022

 

Word For 2/5/2022

 

“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with JESUS.” Acts 4:13

“Complete abandon to the Love of CHRIST is the one thing that bears Fruit in the Life and it will always leave the impression of The Power of GOD, never our personal holiness.”

Oswald Chambers

 

“He who walks with wise men will be wise. But the companion of fools will be destroyed.” Proverbs 13:20

 

We hear the testimony of so many who had such a dynamic and dramatic experience with JESUS that they are compelled to Serve Him and Love everyone! But most of us do not have that kind of salvation experience, like me. On my 23^rd birthday I decided to go to the Church where my aunt’s family went while I was living with them. At the end of the service all I knew was that I belonged there, like I was at home. So I just kept going and without even being aware of it I became a Christian. When I married Charlene 5 months later she was already a Christian who had had a life changing dynamic and dramatic salvation experience. 47 years later we still feel compelled to serve GOD and Love everyone.

Seek GOD First!

GOD Bless, Bob & Charlene

Word For 2/4/2022

 

Word For 2/4/2022

 

“Turn to Me and be Saved, all the ends of the earth! For I Am GOD – there is no other.” Isaiah 45:22

“Rouse yourself up and look to GOD. Build your hope on Him. No matter if there are a hundred and one things that press, resolutely exclude them all and look to Him.”

Oswald Chambers

 

“GOD says in His Word that the anti-christ will come…We Must ALWAYS BE PRAYED UP and FILLED UP with GOD’s Word so we won’t be Deceived.”

2 Thessalonians 2:8-12 “Then the man of lawlessness will be REVEALED, but The LORD JESUS will SLAY him with the Breath of HIS Mouth and Destroy him by the Splendor of HIS Coming. This man will come to do the work of satan with COUNTERFEIT power and signs and miracles. He will use Every Kind of evil DECEPTION to FOOL Those on Their Way to Destruction, because They REFUSE to LOVE and ACCEPT The Truth that would SAVE Them. So GOD Will CAUSE Them to be Greatly DECEIVED, and They will BELIEVE these Lies. Then They will be CONDEMNED for Enjoying evil rather than BELIEVING The Truth.”

“STOP LISTENING to the news and START LISTENING to The “GOOD NEWS” of The Bible!”

Be Encouraged, Pastor Bob Harris

 

“And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.” 1 Corinthians 9:25

There is only one way to be saved and we must strive to maintain it.

Seek GOD First!

GOD Bless, Bob & Charlene

A Word From The LORD To the Prophets!

 

A Word From The LORD To the Prophets!

Jeremiah 23:16-40 NKJV

 

“Thus says The LORD of Hosts: Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They make you worthless; they speak a vision of their own heart, not from the mouth of The LORD.

They continually say to those who despise Me, ‘The LORD has said, you shall have peace’; and to everyone who walks according to the dictates (stubbornness or imagination) of their own heart, they say, ‘No evil shall come upon you.’

For who has stood in the council of The LORD, and has perceived and heard His Word? Who has marked His Word and heard it?

Behold, a whirlwind of The LORD has gone forth in fury–a violent whirlwind! It will fall violently on the head of the wicked.

The anger of The LORD will not turn back until He has executed and preformed the thought of His heart. In the latter days you will understand it perfectly.

I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran. I have not spoken to them yet they prophesied.

But if they had stood in My Counsel, and had caused My People to hear My Words, then they would have turned them from the evil of their doings.

‘Am I a GOD near at hand,’ says The LORD, ‘and not a GOD afar off? Can anyone hide himself in secret places, so I shall not see him?’ says The LORD.

I have heard what the prophets said who prophesy lies in My Name, saying, ‘I have dreamed, I have dreamed!’

How long will this be in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies? Indeed they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart.

Who try to make My People forget My Name by their dreams which everyone tells his neighbor, as their fathers forgot My Name for baal.

The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream; and he who has My Word, let him speak My Word faithfully. ‘What is the chaff to the wheat?’ says The LORD.

‘Is not My Word like a fire?’ says The LORD, ‘And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?’

‘Therefore behold, I Am against the prophets,’ says The LORD, ‘who steal My Words everyone from his neighbor.

‘Behold, I Am against the prophets,’ says The LORD, ‘who use their tongues and say, “He says.”’

‘Behold I Am against those who prophesy false dreams,’ says The LORD, and tell them, and cause My People to err by their lies and by their recklessness. Yet I did not sent them or command them; therefore they shall not profit this People at all, says The LORD.

So when these People or the prophet or the priest ask you, saying, ‘What is The Oracle (Burden) of The LORD?’ you shall then say to them, ‘What Oracle? (You are the burden) I will even forsake you, says The LORD.’

And as for the prophet and the priest and the People who say, ‘The Oracle of The LORD!’ I will even punish that man and his house.

 Thus every one of you shall say to his neighbor, and every one to his brother, ‘What has The LORD Answered?’ and ‘What has The LORD Spoken?’

And the Oracle of The LORD you shall mention no more. For every man’s word will be his oracle, for you have perverted the Words of The Living GOD, The LORD of Hosts, our GOD.

Thus you shall say to the prophet, ‘What has The LORD Answered you?’ and ‘What has The LORD Spoken?’

But since you say, ‘The Oracle of The LORD’ therefore thus says The LORD: ‘Because you say this word, “The Oracle of The LORD!” and I have sent you, saying, ‘Do not say, “The Oracle of The LORD!” therefore behold, I, even I, will utterly forget you and forsake you, and the City that I gave you and your fathers, and will cast you out of My Presence.

And I will bring an everlasting reproach upon you, and a perpetual shame, which shall not be forgotten.’”

 

The first 15 verses of Jeremiah 23 is specifically to the prophets prophesying about Israel and Jerusalem. The rest of the chapter is to the prophets at that time but also to all prophets for every generation. Today especially we see and hear prophets prophesying peace and prosperity to the Church, America and the world. Yet the signs of the time according to the Bible do not say peace and prosperity. The Biblical signs of the time say great darkness and persecution are coming upon the earth and the Church.

With great persecution comes great revival, but the persecution comes first. There will be great darkness upon the earth and the Church because there is much evil in the earth and much deception in the Church. During the darkest hour the brightness of the true Followers of CHRIST will shine so bright that many wishy washy Christians and many non-believers will repent and come to The LORD JESUS before His return. This will cause even more persecution and as the army of darkness move toward Jerusalem, CHRIST will come and judge His enemies and establish His 1000 year reign over the nations from Jerusalem.

A few NT scriptures about prophets and prophesy:

“How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification (building up)…Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge. But if anything is revealed to another who sits by, let the first keep silent. For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. For GOD is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the Churches of the Saints.” 1 Corinthians 14:26-33

“For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, but were eyewitnesses of His Majesty. For He received from GOD The Father Honor and Glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: ‘This is My Beloved Son, in Whom I Am well pleased.’ And we heard this voice which came from Heaven when we were Him on the Holy Mountain. And so we have the prophetic Word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a Light that shines in a dark place, until the Day dawns and The Morning Star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation (or origin), for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of GOD spoke as they were moved by The HOLY SPIRIT.” 2 Peter 1:16-21

“Now he who keeps His Commandments abides in Him and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by The SPIRIT Whom He has given us. Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of GOD; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know The SPIRIT of GOD: Every spirit that confessed that JESUS CHRIST has come in the flesh is of GOD, and every spirit that does not confess that JESUS CHRIST has come in the flesh is not of GOD. And this is the spirit of the anti-christ, which you have heard was coming and is now already in the world.” 1 John 3:24-4:3

“Then he said to me, ‘Write: Blessed are those called to the marriage supper of The Lamb!’ And he said to me, ‘These are the True Sayings of GOD.’ And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, ‘See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant and of your brethren who have the Testimony of JESUS. Worship GOD! For the Testimony of JESUS is the SPIRIT of Prophesy.’” Revelation 19:9-10

 

If you are a born again Christian, a Follower of JESUS then you should be familiar with The Word of GOD, The Bible. We all should be reading it and studying it as often as we can! We will all someday stand at the judgment seat of GOD and be judged for how we lived our life. There are many Christians who do not have a sufficient relationship with GOD, are not familiar with His SPIRIT or His Word and therefore can easily be fooled by good sounding teaching and prophecy that lead them to hell!

“Remind them of these things, charging them before The LORD not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers.  Be diligent to present yourself approved to GOD, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing The Word of Truth. But shun profane and idle babblings (empty chatter), for they will increase (lead) to more ungodliness…All Scripture is given by inspiration of GOD, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness (training, discipline), that the man of GOD may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 2:14-16…3:16-17

Seek GOD First!