Demonic Division

1 Corinthians 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.

2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?

6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

There will always be problems with race reconciliation because we have not worked out church reconciliation. A person said they might like a church of a different flavor and that indeed is the problem. Church was not called to be a Baskin-Robbins or Burger King. It is not about our favorite flavor or having it our way. I was listening to a man who immigrated here from Brazil where there are no Black churches, White Churches, Latino, Asian etc. Everyone was in church.

I have often jested that if they were to kick me out of where I am now that I was looking for a church when I found this one. I jest, but that is the attitude of many because we have so many churches. I get bored or something does not go my way I will just go to another one or start one.

You note that Paul and Apollos ministered to the church at Corinth, not the 1st Corinthian Church and Temple Road Church. One city, one church and the church had plenty of immature, carnal people. Paul had to do some hard discipline on them and yet only one church was recognized.

We waste far too much money on buildings barely filled and often run down for some sort of pride or power trip. "We can do more together" is a nice thought but we are not together. We can cooperate, but not operate as the one Body Christ created when we are so splintered.

1 Corinthians 14:26 How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.

We have taken this to a new level because churches split and start because someone has a new doctrine, revelation, program, pithy saying, etc.

Why do people seem to be always called where there are vibrant ministries flourishing and not to areas that may have been without a solid Gospel witness in decades?

Romans 15:20 Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man's foundation:

O, that there would be more like Paul. There are still spiritual frontiers in America where no man has gone before or not very recently. If indeed, you have a new perspective on ministry find a good church and work with and through them rather than opening up another wandering sheepfold.

When a church opens that wins a hundred souls to Christ rather then existing by 20-40 disgruntled sheep or those seeking "some new thing" I will believe that man was called to do it. If you left mad without going through Matthew 18, you left in a wrong manner and will leave the new one for similar reasons becoming a spiritual bar hopper.

America will see healing and reconciliation in many ways when split churches reunite and dying ones merge with a living one. We have wounded His testimony with our division and grieved the Holy Spirit. People and the country are going to Hell because of it. Let us repent and be revived! Maranatha!