So, then, how DO we achieve real unity as Christians?  If we’re all different, with different opinions, thoughts, emphases, talents, etc., what IS the one thing that will allow us to have unity as believers?  What is the focus that we should be following to achieve that unity? The answer might be to ask Him whom we all worship and follow what His will for us is as believers in Him, and let Him guide us to the paths of unity and peace with our brothers and sisters.  


Questions for further thought:
1. What are the ways in which we’re putting doctrinal issues over the clear Word of God?

2. What are some ways in which we’re not taking enough TIME to LISTEN to the Holy Spirit to show us how we can be in real unity with our brothers and sisters?  


Challenge: Our Lord is crystal clear about our obligations as Christians with our brothers and sisters: to be unified with them as He is with the Father AND with us.  If we’re confused about how to be so with our fellow believers, it is on us to ask the Holy Spirit –and Him alone – how to dispel that confusion and division in our lives.  Pray that we do so, and with intent to BE in that unity of spirit that He commands us to be in with Him and others.  Thank you, Lord, for your patience with us.  Amen.

Even more striking, when viewing Biblical history, is that the two (arguably) most famous APOSTLES fought each other.  If unfamiliar with this, please read Galatians 2:11-13.  If Peter and Paul themselves were in conflict, what chance can we have of being in unity with other Christians?  Further, how can we be in unity with them AND hold them accountable for things at odds with the Bible and Biblical understanding?


Questions for further thought:
1. Looking up the scripture, what WAS it that Paul fought with Peter about?  Why was it important for Christian unity to have this conflict?

2. IS there a way to reconcile Christian accountability with Christian unity?  How do we appropriately accomplish both of those objectives in a loving way?  


Challenge: By definition, since we’re all different, differences of opinion will arise, even with Biblical topics. Sometimes, others may see things we’re doing or saying as not in accord with the Bible.  If we don’t see it ourselves, others may, sometimes, call us to account, as Paul did with Peter.  There’s a right and wrong way to do this while maintaining the unity Christ wanted.  Please pray that we find the words and tone that allows both to be fulfilled at the same time.  Amen.

In modern Christianity, and with the advent of technology, oftentimes people have confused Christianity with certain national or international religious leaders (Billy Graham, for example).  However, many religious leaders have conducted themselves in an immoral manner (Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, Jim Bakker, Ravi Zacharias, etc.).  Why, then, do so many put stock in sinful human beings more than in the actual message of Christ Himself in the Bible?


Questions for further thought:
1. Why do so many people not “check” what religious leaders say with what the Bible actually reads?

2. How did Paul deal with people who wished to follow him, instead of Jesus?  


Challenge: We all love some of our favorite Christian leaders.  That’s been the case since, at least, Paul.  But, let’s pray to remember that, as much as we can learn some insights from various leaders in our lives, they are sinful human beings just as much as we are.  If in doubt, let’s go straight to our Lord if we have questions about what is right, or if we’re confused.  He is always happy to give us the truth every time, since He IS “the way, the truth, and the life.” Amen.

From the earliest times (i.e. – the Apostles), there’s always been “jostling” as to who is the most “worthy” Christian.  James and John, the “Sons of Thunder,” asked Jesus for seats of honor in His Kingdom (which outraged the other Apostles to no end).  Remember, these are men who spent much of their lives together, and in Jesus’ very presence. Possibly, they may have thought they were “more worthy” than their other co-Apostles.  But, did Jesus ever say ANY of them were “more worthy” or even “good?”


Questions for further thought:
1. Why DO some Christians fight about who is “real,” and who isn’t a “real” Christian, in their minds? 

2. Do we Christians, today, even in our churches, jostle for “position” vis-à-vis public understanding of what a Christian is?    


Challenge: May we pray to follow the Lord Jesus in humility and grace however He calls us to do so.  And, may we pray that we do not care about the “public appearances” of being a Christian (or cultural equivalences therein) as being more important than serving others because of the love of Christ IN us, whether publicly regarded or not.  Amen.

Our Lord taught us to be at peace with each other, all of the way from the first Apostles down to us.  Yet, we often fight each other (often, over who is a “real” Christian, as we define it).  This has been going on since the Apostle Paul began his missionary journeys.  How are we continuing, as Christians, in something that Jesus Himself told us specifically the opposite to do?


Questions for further thought:
1. What would Christ Himself, in your mind, think about the ways in which the church has responded to His command of being in unity with one another?

2. What are some common misconceptions that you think some denominations have about each other that maybe are not accurate?  


Challenge: Jesus Himself prayed to His Father, and ours, that we would all be united in Him.  Please pray that we would make the same prayer, and then allow the Holy Spirit to show us the ways in which we may be judging our own Christian brothers and sisters by non-Biblical standards, and correct our own blindness in certain areas.  

The Bible contains numerous proofs of the deity and identity of Jesus. These testimonies include the statements of supernatural beings. The angel Gabriel proclaimed to Mary that Jesus would be the "Son of the Most High." Even the demons realize that Jesus is the Son of God and Lord of all!


Questions for further thought:
1. Do you believe in things you can't touch or see?

2. How do you develop that kind of faith?  


Challenge: J. Warren Wallace, a former Los Angeles homicide detective turned Christian apologist, author of "Cold Case Christianity" states that his ability to believe in God was dependent on his own ability to grasp the concept of the supernatural. If you will not believe without physical proof, there is a good chance that you will continue to struggle with your faith.  

John, Peter and Thomas, along with the other disciples, were eyewitnesses to the teachings and performance of miracles by Christ. Through these acts, and by living and traveling with Him, they came to know who Jesus really is – the "Son of God." By "witnessing" through God's Word, we can come to know the same truth.


Questions for further thought:
1. Have you "witnessed" Christ through the Scriptures?

2. How do you plan to do that?  


Challenge: Many times the challenge brought before us is to get into the Bible more often. It takes discipline and commitment.
Commit today to find time to spend a few minutes each day to read, study and meditate on God's Word.

Some 800 years before Jesus came to earth as an infant, the prophet Isaiah foretold of John the Baptist "preparing the way for the Lord." Indeed, John was a contemporary of Jesus and pointed to Jesus and the prophecy concerning Him. He also pointed out people's need to prepare their hearts for the Savior, the Son of God, who would come to take away the sins of the world. 


Questions for further thought:
1. Have you studied the Old Testament?

2. Do you have an understanding of the prophecies concerning Jesus?  


Challenge: Some of the best proof of Jesus being who He says He is comes from the Old Testament. Numerous prophets foretold the coming of Jesus. No one else fulfills them all. Jesus truly is the Son of God. Take time to read and meditate on the books of the prophets of the Old Testament.

Much to the displeasure of the religious leaders, Jesus himself proclaimed His "Sonship" and equality with God. While believers are often referred to as "heirs to the kingdom (James 2:5) or children of God (John 1:12-13), Christ alone has a unique "oneness" with God in communion with the Holy Spirit. When He declared this fact, He revealed to the world who He really is.


Questions for further thought:
1. Why did the religious leaders not believe Jesus was the Son of God?

2. How do you know that you would have recognized Jesus given the same circumstances?  


Challenge: The religious leaders of Jesus' time had all the tools to recognize who Jesus was. Pride, arrogance, self-confidence, and a host of other flaws stood in the way of their seeing Jesus for who He is. Don't make the same mistake.

At both Jesus' baptism and at the Transfiguration, God proclaimed Jesus as "His Son." At both events God spoke audibly to eyewitnesses, even to the point of revealing the Trinity in God's audible voice, Jesus' presence and the descending dove, representing the Holy Spirit. These are very important proofs that Jesus truly is the Son of God.


Questions for further thought:
1. Do you believe Jesus is the Son of God?

2. How do you know? 


Challenge: The concept of the Triune God is probably one of the most difficult (and maybe controversial) concepts the world and Jesus followers grapple with. Find trusted authors to study and of course, read your Bible for guidance to better understanding.