I will share the following scriptures from NKJV:

Matthew 12:25: “But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.” Mark 3:24; Luke 11:17 (This scripture is taken out of context, but is never-the-less Truth. I encourage you to read the following scriptures in entirety: Matthew 12:22-28; Mark 3:20-26; Luke 11:14-20).

John 17:13-24: “But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of this world, just as I am not of this world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth. I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they ALL may be ONE, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be ONE just as We are ONE: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in ONE, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You have loved Me before the foundation of the world.”

My concern is that we (Christians) are not One.

As a registered nurse, I was admitting a patient and one of the questions was what her religious preference was (We wanted to make sure we didn’t violate anyone’s religious belief). When I asked if she was a Christian, she sneered at me with disgust, saying, “I am a _____.” I was taken aback and I said, “Ma’am, _____ are Christians. Being a _____ is just a denomination of Christianity.” She just crossed her arms and looked away. Until then I did not understand that: 1) Each denomination feel’s that their denomination epitomizes true Christianity and 2) That many people considers a denomination a separate religion.

Another time, at work, I was in the computer room finishing up my documentation for night shift (7pm- 7am). A day nurse came into the room, saying that she needed prayer and she wanted someone who was “religious” to pray for her. I told her that I would be more than willing to pray for her, but she needed to be careful when asking for prayer from someone who was “religious” because there are many religions. You want someone who is a Christian to pray for you. She looked at me, saying that her religion was, _____. She asked me what church I went to. I told her, but then I said, “It is a non denominational church, but that is not my religion. My religion is Christianity. She stared at me for a while in disbelief and turned to the other nurses who were not Christians and had them pray for her. I was speechless.

We have many denominations in this country and though there may be differences, there is one commonality: We all believe John 3:16-21: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. for God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes on Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. and this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come into the light, lest his deeds be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

1 Timothy 3:14-16: “These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly; but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the Truth. And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, Received up in glory.”

What happened to cause division/denominations in the body of believers? I believe God revealed nuggets of truth/revelations to people and instead of taking those truths/revelations and growing deeper in God, furthering the Kingdom of God, they made “an alter unto those revelations and made them the object and focus of worship and praise (i.e. Numbers 21:4-9: When the Israelites spoke against God and Moses, the Lord sent venomous snakes among them and many Israelites died. The people acknowledged their sin and asked Moses to pray that the Lord would take away the snakes The Lord told Moses to make a snake of bronze and put it on a pole, and anyone bitten, who looked at it would live . The people began to worship the bronze snake and King Hezekiah (2Kings 18:1-7) would later cut it to pieces and burn it). They began to build their kingdoms around the truths/revelations from the Holy Spirit instead of furthering the Kingdom of God; not only that, but denouncing and/or questioning other’s salvation if they didn’t line up with their rules and regulations. Have we forgotten that Denominations aren’t the way to God. Jesus is.

I truly believe that if we would put all those true revelations together, we would have a deeper understanding of who God is and what He is calling us to do as His body. We would walk in a level of power and authority of God that we have never known. And believe me when I say this, that satan and his demons know this, and shudders. James2:19 (NIV)

The Pharisees and Sadducees lost sight of God, and rabidly holding onto “their laws” and rituals, were unable to recognize their Lord and Redeemer when they saw Him face to face. Not only that, they murdered our Lord, Savior and Redeemer of our Souls and murdered anyone who chose to follow Him.

Psalm 127:1,2: Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain, Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat- for He grants sleep to those He loves.”

1 Peter 2:1-5: “Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Satan would like us to be divided over anything from the ridiculous to the absurd; he would like us to be divided over everything from miniscule to gravely serious; because he knows that divided we will fall/fail, and it is important to him that the unbelieving see us being “Christians Behaving Badly”. 1 Corinthians 6:1-11. When we are squabbling and fighting, we are not spending time with the Lord. We are not seeking His face. We are not praising and worshipping Him and growing in the faith, we are not sharing the Gospel with a lost and dying world. We are not ushering in the return of our Lord, Jesus Christ. We are not prepared/ready when He returns. Matthew 25:1-11.

Galatians 5:13-15. “For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another.”

Ephesians 4:1-6: “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all who is above all, and through all and in you all.

Note: 2Timothy 3:1-5 states a warning about people in the last days, ending with “…having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away. MORMONS believe that Jesus was a spirit child of Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother. they refer to Jesus as the brother of Lucifer who proposed a better plan of redemption and won the designation “Messiah”, but they do NOT believe in the deity of Jesus. They believe he was rewarded for his good deeds. Please read Hebrews 1. JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES Reject the Trinity, believing Jesus is the archangel Michael and a created being. Read 1John 4:1-6

I end with a song the Lord gave me in the 70’s.

BECAUSE

I love you and you love me because Jesus loved. I love you and you love me because Jesus loved. We love because Jesus loved and sin died because Jesus died and we live because Jesus lives in us.

I’ll serve all and you’ll serve all because Jesus served. I’ll serve all and you’ll serve all because Jesus served. We love because Jesus loved and sin died because Jesus died and we live because Jesus lives in us.

I’ll give all and you’ll give all because Jesus gave. I’ll give all and you’ll give all because Jesus gave. We love because Jesus loved and sin died because Jesus died and we live because Jesus lives in us.

We love because because Jesus loved and sin died because Jesus died and we live because Jesus lives in us. Jesus lives in us.

La-lala-lala-lala-lala-lala-lala-lala-lala-lala-lala.

John 17.