First off let me make it clear that I'm not a "universalist" and I'm only referring to Lovers of Christ as the Body :-)
So I was praying about how the body of Christ is so separated and how often we are offended by other's revelations.....why is that? SOOOO I heard God say this...
"I (God) will always be offensive.....even to devout believers because I will never fit in their theological box."
Rick Joyner wrote a book called the final quest. In this book He describes a vision where he saw a war going on. The soldiers in the war had demons riding on their backs....notice that these demons where not in possession of the person rather they were oppressing them.....not actually on the inside of the person but close enough to influence direction and blur the truth. Later in the vision he realizes that these soldiers are Christians. The Body of Christ fighting against each other!
How true is this! I've seen it......I've done it........a zillion times!
Satan has been doing this since the beginning of the body of christ.
Can you imagine how effective we would be if we were unified?!
Instead we separate into different churches.....different denominations yet serve the same God. God gives us all pieces of knowledge and different gifts.....its like one of those huge puzzles with a million tiny pieces......we get one or two tiny pieces and look at it like its the entire puzzle. In reality it all fits together because its a REALLY BIG puzzle and not one of us has all the pieces nor the ability to put it together alone. So here we are with our puzzle piece ( revelation and gift ) and it doesn't look like our brother's........its not the same color.....its not the same shape and it doesn't seem to fit together so we turn up our noses at our brothers/sisters because they don't hold the same piece and clearly mine is the correct one.....right? haha.
I remember when I was little puzzles were so confusing to me.....how the pieces looked so different surely they didn't go together but in the end they formed the final masterpiece.......it took every piece to complete that puzzle.
So here we are in the battle.....all holding our puzzle pieces thinking our way is the best way. Think of what members of different churches say about one another.....
" They don't let the Holy Spirit move enough"
" They have no order"
" They are so emotional....its a high"
"They have no fire"
"Their worship is out of control"
"Their worship is too restricted"
"They focus too much on Love and Grace"
"They focus too much on holiness and judgement"
Some say " Go and sell all your possessions" and others say "God wants us to live as Kings and Queens on this earth"
How many times have I said these things.....now I see that I'm a fool for thinking my way is better than my brothers's. We are all the body and we all know small bits....
12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.-1 Corinthians 13:12
One day we will fully know....just how balanced and perfect he really is and how all these tiny pieces are all from the very same.....REALLY BIG God. Who has adopted all of us.....Evangelical, Charismatic, Pentecostal, Baptist...etc.......whether you are John Bevere, Paul Washer, Bill Johnson, TD Jakes, CS Lewis, Tommy Barnett, Donnie McClurkin, Heidi Baker, Joyce Meyer, Rob Bell, John Piper, Smith Wigglesworth or Kenneth Hagin.........you are all sons and daughters of Abba Father
1 Corinthians 12
Spiritual Gifts
1Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. 2You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. 3Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.
4There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.
7Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,[a] and to still another the interpretation of tongues.[b] 11All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.
12The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. 13For we were all baptized by[c] one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
14Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 16And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 17If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
21The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" 22On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
27Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. 29Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues[d]? Do all interpret? 31But eagerly desire[e] the greater gifts.
And now I will show you the most excellent way.
1 Corinthians 13
Love
1If I speak in the tongues[f] of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,[g] but have not love, I gain nothing.
4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
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