Who says there is only one "right" denomination? (A post from Rich's Site)

I like this post. I hope it makes you think on your behaviour towards other denominations. As long as they are lined up with Biblical teachings FULLY, why are we persecuting each other? Just a thought.

Changing the “We” back into “HE”

Kerry S. Doyal

‘Fess up: there are some followers of Jesus that serve Him in ways that bother you. Beyond bothering, they irk, irritate and infuriate us… err, you. For some, we doubt their salvation. For others, we question their sanity.

Maybe it’s “those crazy Charismatics,” or those not as anointed and “Spirit-filled” as you? Liberals or Legalists? How about churches that sing “off the wall,” using a projector with fluffy choruses? Perhaps it’s those dinosaurs singing archaic hymns with lyrics few understand using instruments only old folks like.

Is it Democrats or Republicans that both claim to love Jesus, extreme Calvinists or Arminians, or people who baptize wrong, mess up Communion, pray weird or show up in God’s house improperly dressed? Fanatical home-schoolers, you say, guys with earrings…? How many of these “Christians” do you pity, disdain or despise?

We each have our groups. They don’t follow Jesus with us, our kind. They pursue different means of closeness to and service for our Lord. They are suspect and deficient, and – dare I say it - inferior to us, our ways.

Were we to have an audience with Jesus, we might even humbly boast of trying to keep them from “ministering” their way. “Lord, we told them not to do that. They weren’t getting it right, they were not one of us. We tried to stop them.”

Preposterous, you say? Read this episode from Mark 9 and see if it doesn’t describe our tragically highly divided Christianized region.

“John said to Him, "Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to prevent him because he was not following us." But Jesus said, "Do not hinder him, for there is no one who will perform a miracle in My name, and be able soon afterward to speak evil of Me. "For he who is not against us is for us.

"For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because of your name as followers of Christ, truly I say to you, he will not lose his reward. Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe to stumble, it would be better for him if, with a heavy millstone hung around his neck, he had been cast into the sea.” Mark 9:38-42 - NASV

Arguably, a key word is in this encounter is “us.” John, the Apostle of Love, says “we tried to prevent him because he was not following ‘us’." John’s “He” (Jesus) had become a “we,” our authorized band of believers.

Was John, bragging about a good deed they tried to do? Was he confessing and seeking Jesus’, the Teacher’s, input? Or were they jealous about these outsiders’ success (9:14-18)?

What criteria do we use to curtail or condemn others? Is it that they are not one of us? Or is our standard: are they one of HIS, do they follow Jesus?

Is that enough for us? Or, must they use our methods, stress our emphases, adopt our models and our gurus? How did we get comfortable labeling and limiting others because they are not “one of our group?”

Charismatics may be reaching Africa and South America like no other group, but if it doesn’t show up on our denominational stats, it’s less significant. Liberals may be feeding, clothing and housing hosts in Jesus’ name, fulfilling Matthew 25, acting like sheep, but since they are not one of “us,” it doesn’t count. Legalists may live holy lives, but since it is Law, not love-driven, we are not impressed.

When we hinder people from doing Jesus’ work, or refuse a cup of cold water of support, we are not “making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3).

Hear what Jesus says when we cause His vulnerable disciples to be entrapped in sin: “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe to stumble, it would be better for him if, with a heavy millstone hung around his neck, he had been cast into the sea.” He takes this pretty serious. Shouldn’t we?

Note well Jesus’ response to John’s ignorant zeal: “But Jesus said, "Do not hinder him… for he who is not against us is for us.” Such a simple test. In holy mountain hollow lingo “Air ye fir us or air ye agin’ us?”

Yes, in the Judgment “some will say Lord, Lord,” having done great miracles in His name and He will say, “depart from Me, I never knew you” (Matt 7:21-23). Doctrine matters & it rightfully divides – just not as often as we claim.

Our minute differences become points of schism. Lesser issues become our identity, instead of mere footnotes. We let minor matters throw some off Jesus’ trail, causing them to stumble over “nothings.” Woe unto us.

Here is a text that God has – if I may – smacked me with many times through the years. The context is matters of conscience, nonessentials. “Who are you [Kerry] to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind” (Romans 14:4-5 - NIV).

Chrysostom, an early church Father wrote: “In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, charity. In all things, Jesus Christ." While we will not agree which are the non-essentials, can we not see we share many essentials that make for a oneness that is supernatural, even if it makes us uncomfortable?

How hard did this hit Jesus’ disciples? If people are turned towards Jesus by our love for each other, certainly they are turned away by our lack of love, even enmity towards those Jesus calls family? Do you have any “we’s” that need to include a few more family members?