Isn’t it amazing to watch what is happening in our culture today?  Who would have guessed that what we see today in our nation would ever be considered normal…

Years past, creationism was a catalyst used to expand scientific research, today creationists are accused of hindering scientific progress.  In years past our society would go to extreme measures to protect the life of an unborn baby, but today pro-life advocates are accused of hindering freedom.  We had morning prayers in school, but now you cannot ever say “God bless you” when someone sneezes.  Islam is taught in public schools while Christian talk of any kind is banned in the same setting: amazing!
       And the flip-flopping becomes even more pronounced in our liberal “higher” schools of academia.  Patriotism was once notable, now colleges and universities deplore it.  Learning the required skills of an occupation filled the time of aspiring hopefuls, but today dissention against American and political correctness has been placed on the top of the academic syllabus; amazing! It was reported within the national news that an intelligence test administered to college incoming students and graduating students (the tests were identical) had an unexpected outcome.  The results revealed that incoming students received noticeably higher scores than graduating students; really amazing!
        What are we to do?  We must become more active in pointing out these fruitless social weaknesses.  We do this by speaking the truth “with love” more frequently, in more places, and with greater clarity than ever before.  2 Timothy 2:24-26 gives us an excellent example on how to accomplish this, “A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.”
         As our cultural war approaches the boiling point, we as Christians must address our waning society and yes, some sectors of the church, as to the wrongs they are attracted to.  We must exercise this responsibility in a clear, truthfully, and compassionate manner.
 If we accomplish the goals God has assigned us then all can experience God’s grace.  God’s “amazing grace” it never FLIP-FLOPS!  
 
                                                                                 John

     It was one of those power nap dream‘s, the kind that you experience when all
cares and worries have abandon your thoughts.  So refreshing, the feeling of love flooded all my senses, it almost seem real.  Every one was accepting one another, willing to work together, trying to achieve God’s pleasures and not their own……    
 

     Real unity spread throughout this mystical dream.  Not a superficial form of unity but a real and genuine uniting of efforts and purposes — not a “big I” and a “little you” situation, but a loving and humble “WE”.
 
     Upon awaking I felt so rejuvenated, and wondering what this experience was all about.  Was this just a pleasant dream ooooorrrrrrrr was it a message reflecting  reality?  I had no answer then but I have one today, “God was letting me experience the reality of spiritual unity.”
 
    The word unity has become an unachievable goal within most of today’s congregations.  It’s one of those words that sounds nice and “so” Christian, but can it ever really be achieved.  Yes, unity can be achieved!
 
     Unity blossoms when all are focus upon God.  That sounds great but how can we accomplish this as a congregation; as a pastor?  I wish I could give you some cut and dried bench marks that would let you know if we are on tract to unity but I would only be fooling my and you if I tried.  What I can do is to give you some indicators that will alert us when we are not traveling the path of unity:
 
  1.  Sowing discord
  2.  Careless language
  3.  Untruths
  4.  Non acceptance (of anyone or any changes)
  5.  “My way” or “no way”
  6.  Appeasement (this never works for the good of anything)
 
      When these indicators become predominate within any congregation, unity will never be achieved and church will often develop into a  “killer” atmosphere.  The congregation’s spiritual life will become hostile and adversarial.  God’s unity can not exist in such an environment.
 
       Ok John, just what am I suppose to do with these tidbits of information.  I’m glad you asked J J J   Keep them to yourself and if at any time you feel any of these “un-unifying” attitudes surfacing within you call upon God for help.  If every member of a congregation and every pastor would monitor and restrain their own “killer” thoughts and feelings, successful “unity” can and will be achieved doing the will of God.
 
       Oh, the feeling I had during my power nap dream, I still feel it today, even as I write this article.
 
   IT FEELS SO GOOD!
 
    THANK YOU GOD!!!!!!  
 
     John