Yesterday night I felt God telling me I should go to this event. I asked a few people to come with me but it was too last minute for them.
Today I was a little unsure. I didn't get off work till 5 and it started @ 7.
I had to go home to eat and I was really tired.
I ended up going. God provided a way and all the little things worked out for me
On the way home from work, the bus got there right as I left.
When I got home my roommate had made food for me already.
On the way there I fell asleep and woke up rested and energized.
I thought I was going to be as least a half hour late since I didn't get home till 5:35 and had to go all the way downtown but somehow I walked into the church right @ 7. The same time a friend of mine happened to show up.
Its weird while on the subway I prayed "God reveal to me a little more of your plan for me this year" I don't even know where it came from but I was soon to find out.
St Paul's Anglican was a super nice church. It was an old church that was modernized but still kept some of the old architecture.
The purpose of the night was to unite churches across the GTA to be one body of Christ
There were 11 different churches gathering to worship.
Each contributed in a different way. It made me happy to see each unique gift that the different churches had to offer.
The message:
There are 41 000 different denominations in the world.
They have split for many different reason two of them being: coulor of carpet and height of pulpit in the church. Isn't that whack?
Why do we split?
Aren't be supposed to Love as Christ loves us?
Then why do we let our differences split us apart?
Isn't love supposed to accept people as they are?
I think that part of what God wants me to do this year is to help bridge the gaps.
To get my culture to understand other cultures and in this way be that much closer to being united as Christ's body.
Its easy to love when you share the same culture and ideals. Maybe thats why there are so many racial churches. Chinese. Korean. Philipine. Irish. Greek. etc.
"but we are only called to reach out to our own people"
I hear that sometimes from the older people, but is that really biblical?
"Love your neighbour as yourself" Well when I look around my neighbours aren't only chinese!
IMAGINE how big of an impact we would have as GOD'S CHILDREN if we learned to accept, love and to come together.
If the world was able to see God's love in this way maybe they would stop calling us hypocrties who preach love but then fight amongst ourselves.
We need each other.
Divide and conquer is the scheme that satan uses.
How do you make a Christian fall? Take him away from the church
How do you make a church fall? You causes fights.
(I've seen this happen, its painful, its sad)
Why do pastors fall to sin?
Being in leadership sometimes they isolate themselves thinking they are "better" or others think that they are the pastors so they don't need anyone to support them.
Think:
God created us with unique gifts
We also have different weaknesses
When we unite we form the church.
The church consists of different fellowships and congregations.
Each of these has a different part to play in the overall working of the church
Each church as a whole also has a different dynamic, strenghts and weaknesses (you can read about this in Revelation with the letters to the different churches)
What if churches came together to look out for each other? To partner and bring out each of their strenghts and support their weaknesses. So that splitting doesn't happen out of fights but rather because of a need to spread MORE LOVE.
For example:
MCBC is a church with a youth fellowship that is growing exponentially but they lack leaders and counselors
ETCBC on the other hand has a small youth group but MANY loving mentors who help their youth to grow on a one to one basis.
The bible speaks of unity more than of Heaven and Hell
I guess it was pretty important!
