Warfare Wednesday: Church Unity

"these I will bring to my holy mountain
and give them joy in my house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices
will be accepted on my altar;
for my house will be called
a house of prayer for all nations." Isaiah 56:7

It's that day of the week again! As we roll into a holiday weekend here in the US of A, let's take a few minutes and thank God for the leaders of our nation. Let's take a moment and thank God for President Obama and his family. Let's ask that God would bless them with a wonderful holiday weekend- that they would be able to enjoy some time together- which I'm sure they don't get too much of these days. Let's continue to pray for protection over them, and that God would make His Will for America known to this president. A president who has a relationship with God Almighty is a president who really can make a difference.

And we will also pray this week for Vice President Biden and his family. As the second in the chain of command for this country, we don't hear about the vice president as often as we hear about the President. Regardless, may God keep him safe, and may God keep his family safe, and from harm. May God bless their family for Joe's willingness to serve his country all these years, and may he also develop that wonderful relationship with God. With Godly understanding and Godly wisdom, the country could be put back on the track it's supposed to be on- a track that puts God in the pilot seat to be an example to the rest of the world.

I posted the verse above this morning, because something else that has been on my mind as of late is division in the church. It seems to be getting more and more prominent. Every week it seems we hear about a new church starting up as a result of a breakaway from a bigger church. Or I hear a lot about people researching how to start home churches, because they just can't find a house of worship that they agree with. Instead of coming together in unity, we're breaking up into smaller, and smaller pieces. And I just want to pray this selfishness out of the church. Church used to be all about coming together to worship and praise God, and to find out what He has to say to His people on the Sabbath. But now it's all about what I can get out of service. Was it good for me? Did I like it- did enough people say hi to me... things like that.

Regardless of the differences in how services are carried out, a church who preaches the Word of God is a church of God. Our focus should be Him, and that's that. A church that would work together would be a church that really could affect the world around them. If we could all work together, we could work on feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, and healing the sick. Instead we're all fighting against each other, trying to get more memberships to increase the offerings and build bigger buildings. One church, working alone, could feed a handful of hungry people. A whole group of churches, working together, could feed a whole community.

It's time for us to come together! It's time for us to stop fighting, and it's time for us to realize that we could be one church- under God and not hundreds of little churches with our own focus. I want to be a part of the church mentioned here in Isaiah 56- a house of prayer for all nations. I am praying for understanding and for unity in the church community. When we open up our eyes and see that it's not about increasing membership- but about saving the lost, THEN we can come together to BE the gospel for the lost around us. A church united together will give glory to God- and not to man, and that's something we should be after.