September 19th 2021
Is Jesus Your First Choice?
Colossians 3:15 (NIV)
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
Does the church of your choice believe as Paul did that all followers of Christ are in fact “members of one body?” At an ecumenical meeting, I attended (a meeting with several denominations present), the meeting leader said, a new world war may breakout in this meeting, because of the different requirements for membership and salvation, which are so strongly supported and different. So then, at what is this commentary pointed, you may wonder! As I write it, so do I wonder! As “members of one body”, it seems impossible for us to disagree on how salvation and membership are obtained by all the “members of one body!” Jesus came to this earth as the promised Messiah to God’s chosen people, and when the Israelites rejected Him as their Savior, then God opened His salvation plan to the Gentiles. Thus, all those who would accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior were included in “the church of God”, as the writer of Acts termed it. Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. (Acts 20:28)
Jesus Prays for All Believers: (This is part of that prayer, see John 17: 20-26)
My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. (John 17:20-23). Notice this prayer is not just for the people who were living when Jesus walked the earth. As Jesus states, “I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one.” It is obvious that it was Jesus’ desire that all His current and future followers, “will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one.” Jesus wants all His followers to “be one.”
"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. (John 10:14-17). Jesus made it clear, at least it seems clear to me, that although the Israelites were the chosen people, Jesus was including the Gentiles too. Jesus said, “I have other sheep--I must bring them also--and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.” Note there is one shepherd, one flock, which makes up “one body (in which) you were called to peace.”
The world in which we live there are many temptations to sin. When disasters strike there are worldly people who come out to loot and steal everything of value, so they can support their worldly desires without the need of trying to earn what they want. Then there are the true followers of Jesus who come out to help those in need, and sacrifice their time and money to help those in need. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. (1 John 5:5). The Apostle John wrote about overcoming the worldly desires through followers of Jesus who do not cling to worldly possessions, because they have known the mercy shown them by Jesus dying in their place to cover over their sins. Salvation given through grace helps alleviate the fear of death, and it helps reduce the anxiety related to the loss of worldly possessions.
You have likely watched an interview of people who have lost most of their possessions, but have thanked God for protecting them and their loved ones when a disaster struck. They seem to still possess some joy in life and anticipate recovery of lost stuff, it is amazing their resiliency to bounce back, so soon. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. (John 15:10-12). These comments are not meant to make light of suffering when believers lose possessions that God has granted them, and that they worked to obtain. It is just so positive in a great time of loss, and it inspires us to try and place more value on the coming blessings that Jesus’ followers will reap when we join Jesus in heaven after this life ends.
John wrote about the availability of access to God through prayer, and the hope it can help us to respond when life situations may cause us to feel some degree of despair. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. (1 John 5:13-14). In this country, today there are so many factions that are demanding their own rights, even if such rights may cause other people to lose some of their freedom of choice. This is where the “body of Christ’ should be of one voice! There is one God and one son of God, thus there should be an ecumenical movement to bring true believers together as one body.
We need a revival to consolidate what the reformation caused to separate and somehow bring the body of Christ back together, as Jesus believes it should be. Somehow Satan used the Reformation to start a breakup of the one body into many denominations, as we find ourselves today. Please join me in praying for such a revival to come about in this world soon! Such a revival is impossible through mankind, it must be accomplished through the Holy Spirit. The hearts and minds of mankind must be adjusted to allow for loving your brother as yourself. His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. (2Peter 1:3-4). As the angel told Mary the soon to be mother of Jesus, “For nothing is impossible with God." (Luke 1:37)
Please pray for the Holy Spirit to intervene in the churches of the world who claim to follow Jesus Christ!
Dear God of the impossible, please bring the body of Christ back into a oneness, as never seen before in this world! May the followers of Jesus desire this oneness, and thus seek to break down the barriers that separate us today in this world. We pray for this desire to become the one body of Christ in this world, through the precious Name of Jesus Christ! Amen and Amen!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
Colossians 3:15 (NIV)
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
Does the church of your choice believe as Paul did that all followers of Christ are in fact “members of one body?” At an ecumenical meeting, I attended (a meeting with several denominations present), the meeting leader said, a new world war may breakout in this meeting, because of the different requirements for membership and salvation, which are so strongly supported and different. So then, at what is this commentary pointed, you may wonder! As I write it, so do I wonder! As “members of one body”, it seems impossible for us to disagree on how salvation and membership are obtained by all the “members of one body!” Jesus came to this earth as the promised Messiah to God’s chosen people, and when the Israelites rejected Him as their Savior, then God opened His salvation plan to the Gentiles. Thus, all those who would accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior were included in “the church of God”, as the writer of Acts termed it. Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. (Acts 20:28)
Jesus Prays for All Believers: (This is part of that prayer, see John 17: 20-26)
My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. (John 17:20-23). Notice this prayer is not just for the people who were living when Jesus walked the earth. As Jesus states, “I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one.” It is obvious that it was Jesus’ desire that all His current and future followers, “will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one.” Jesus wants all His followers to “be one.”
"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. (John 10:14-17). Jesus made it clear, at least it seems clear to me, that although the Israelites were the chosen people, Jesus was including the Gentiles too. Jesus said, “I have other sheep--I must bring them also--and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.” Note there is one shepherd, one flock, which makes up “one body (in which) you were called to peace.”
The world in which we live there are many temptations to sin. When disasters strike there are worldly people who come out to loot and steal everything of value, so they can support their worldly desires without the need of trying to earn what they want. Then there are the true followers of Jesus who come out to help those in need, and sacrifice their time and money to help those in need. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. (1 John 5:5). The Apostle John wrote about overcoming the worldly desires through followers of Jesus who do not cling to worldly possessions, because they have known the mercy shown them by Jesus dying in their place to cover over their sins. Salvation given through grace helps alleviate the fear of death, and it helps reduce the anxiety related to the loss of worldly possessions.
You have likely watched an interview of people who have lost most of their possessions, but have thanked God for protecting them and their loved ones when a disaster struck. They seem to still possess some joy in life and anticipate recovery of lost stuff, it is amazing their resiliency to bounce back, so soon. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. (John 15:10-12). These comments are not meant to make light of suffering when believers lose possessions that God has granted them, and that they worked to obtain. It is just so positive in a great time of loss, and it inspires us to try and place more value on the coming blessings that Jesus’ followers will reap when we join Jesus in heaven after this life ends.
John wrote about the availability of access to God through prayer, and the hope it can help us to respond when life situations may cause us to feel some degree of despair. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. (1 John 5:13-14). In this country, today there are so many factions that are demanding their own rights, even if such rights may cause other people to lose some of their freedom of choice. This is where the “body of Christ’ should be of one voice! There is one God and one son of God, thus there should be an ecumenical movement to bring true believers together as one body.
We need a revival to consolidate what the reformation caused to separate and somehow bring the body of Christ back together, as Jesus believes it should be. Somehow Satan used the Reformation to start a breakup of the one body into many denominations, as we find ourselves today. Please join me in praying for such a revival to come about in this world soon! Such a revival is impossible through mankind, it must be accomplished through the Holy Spirit. The hearts and minds of mankind must be adjusted to allow for loving your brother as yourself. His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. (2Peter 1:3-4). As the angel told Mary the soon to be mother of Jesus, “For nothing is impossible with God." (Luke 1:37)
Please pray for the Holy Spirit to intervene in the churches of the world who claim to follow Jesus Christ!
Dear God of the impossible, please bring the body of Christ back into a oneness, as never seen before in this world! May the followers of Jesus desire this oneness, and thus seek to break down the barriers that separate us today in this world. We pray for this desire to become the one body of Christ in this world, through the precious Name of Jesus Christ! Amen and Amen!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak