One of my favorite TV shows is CSI and the big question is usually who are they? What happened? So, that’s my question to you ~ Who are YOU? Do you know? Would others be able to tell us?

Maybe those are tough questions for you to think about. Think about this…

You are a child of God (John 1:12)
You are Christ’s Friend (John 15:15)
You are a joint heir with Christ, sharing His inheritance with Him (Rom 8:17)
You are a temple – a dwelling place – of God. His Spirit and His life dwells in me (1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19)
You are a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17)
You are a saint (Eph. 1:1; 1 Cor. 1:2; Phil. 1:1; Col 1:2)
You are a fellow citizen with the rest of God’s family (Eph. 2:19)
You are righteous and holy (Eph. 4:24)
You are a citizen of heaven, seated in heaven right now (Phil 3:20)
You are chosen of God, holy and dearly loved (Col. 3:12; 1 Thess 1:4)
You are one of God’s living stones, being built up in Christ as a spiritual house (1 Pet. 2:5)

Next time someone wants to know about you or who you are – why don’t you answer with one of the above statements.

LDJ

Last week we considered God’s call for unity within His church. We are
called to live in a community with one heart, one mind, one goal, one
purpose, one Spirit. Oh, sister, can you hear the heartbeat of God? Can
you sense His passion for his Children? For His church?

Unity will require that you and I die to our own agendas, our own
preferences, our own desires. We need to choose to die to self and live for
God. After all, it’s not about you and it’s not about me. It’s about Him.
It’s His church. It’s His glory that needs to shine forth in a dark,
sin-filled world drawing lost sinners to the Light.

Let me encourage you to make this your prayer, “Now may the God of patience
and comfort grant (us) to be like-minded toward one another, according to
Christ Jesus, that (we) may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 15:5. (parenthetical modifications
mine)

I’m going to leave you with this thought: “Behold, how good and how pleasant
it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.” Psalm 133:1

This week we have been thinking about unity among believers in Jesus Christ.
As I consider the things that hinder unity in our churches three things come to mind, gossip, pride and unforgiveness. Let�s consider each separately:
Gossip �I was visiting my sister�s church one Sunday when the pastor asked everyone that had ever been hurt by gossip to please stand up. Many, many people rose to their feet. As we all stood there for a few minutes feeling somewhat vindicated, Pastor Joe paused a few moments before proceeding. His next statement was, �Those of you standing that have never gossiped against another, please sit down.� WOW! Caught! I couldn�t sit down, neither could the others standing there. Gossip is destructive in many ways and it certainly prevents unity. �Where there is no wood, the fire goes out; And where there is no talebearer, strife ceases.� Proverbs 26:20; �A perverse man sows strife, And a whisperer separates the best of friends.� Proverbs 16:28
Your home, relationships and church can be change by your choices. Today, decide to stop gossiping. Don�t gossip personally and refuse to let gossip take place in your presence. As your commitment catches on, it will transform your church. Imagine�a church where gossip does not happen. Our churches should be zero-tolerance zones.
Pride � I have already discussed this in a Victory Call earlier in the week (12.21.05) but let me expand a little more today. Pride is a real hindrance to unity because it sports a �me first� attitude. Unity requires an �others first� attitude. Pride is unbending and self-serving. Unity requires flexibility, willingness to compromise and a body-serving spirit. Pride interferes with the outpouring of God�s grace. Unity requires humility upon which God pours his grace. Pride is about making my name famous. Unity is about making Christ�s name famous. �I� beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.� Ephesians 4:1-3; �Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for �God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.� 1 Peter 5:5.
Unforgiveness — unforgiveness, not repented of, eventually becomes bitterness and resentment, spiritual cancers. �Bitterness shouldn�t be embraced, worked through, or understood�it needs to be repented of.� (Elyse Fitzpatrick � Women Helping Women). Hebrews 12:14-15, �Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled� Unforgiveness and bitterness are devastating to unity. Bitterness isolates, unity, well, unifies.
Your decision and commitment to unity can make a difference. Take God at His word and, �as much as depends on you, live at peace with all men.� Romans 12:18

Romans 12:10-11, “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence…”

This week we have been considering God’s call to unity among believers and within the body of Christ. How different we would be from the world simply by being like-minded and pursuing unity. Unity should be one characteristic of the Church that draws people in. How can we expect people to be drawn to the Gospel of Jesus Christ if it doesn’t appear to make in difference in lives?
Our theme verse this week is Romans 12:4-18. I could write a month’s worth of Victory Call’s on these verses alone. There are a lot of rich practical truths in this section of Scripture. I see twenty practical insights that, if implemented, facilitate unity. I am only pointing out a few so I want to suggest you take a few minutes and read them for your self.
We are encouraged to not lag in diligence. I’m sure there are other applications of this truth but one I think we need to be reminded of is that we need to be women of our word. When we say we are going to do something, let’s do it even when the excitement of the moment has passed.
I have lied to people. It wasn’t my intention to lie to them but I told them I was going to do something that I ended up not doing; so the bottom line is I lied to them.
Being women who do not lag in diligence marks us with the character of Jesus Christ and sets us apart from the world. People of integrity, honesty and reliability are building blocks of a church characterized by unity.

Diane

Unity in the Body
Romans 12: 5, 10, “so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another…giving preference to one another.”
Giving preference to one another is vital to unity in the body. When you really think about it, what is the opposite of giving preference to others? Giving preference to ourselves otherwise known as selfishness or pride. “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.” Philippians 2:3.
Giving preference to one another is going to require that we deny self – “Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.” Matthew 16:24. It will also require humility – “Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for ‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.'”1 Peter 5:5.
We need to be more passionate about God’s agenda than our own. Are you willing to put off self preference and put on giving preference to one another so that God’s name will be glorified in the unity of the body?
From the pastor/elder/deacon to the person that sits in the last pew, body life is not about us, it is about Jesus Christ the Head of the church.

Diane

Romans 12:5, 9, “so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another…Let love be without hypocrisy.”

God commands us to love one another. “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” John 13:34. “And above all things have fervent love for one another…” 1 Peter 4:8.
One of the aspects of body unity is being real. Our love for others is not put on, contrived, or hypocritical. Rather it is the love of Christ flowing FROM us as we overflow with His love FOR us. By faith, we can reach out and love one another. Love is an act of our will. Taking a quick look at 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” Every aspect of Biblical love is active, practical and real. Nowhere does it connect loving others with feelings of love. Love may require we act contrary to our emotions.
Unity requires loving others, in faith, by the power the Holy Spirit despite how we feel.

My challenge for you is, as far as it is up to you, put on unity and put off division for the Name and Glory of Christ.

Diane

This week as we approach Christmas we are going to consider God’s call to live in community within the Church. How do we realistically achieve unity in the Body of Christ? Some people are difficult to warm up to, and frankly sometimes we are difficult to warm up to. Yet we are called to pursue unity,”with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to kept the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” Ephesians 4:2-6
I believe one reason God calls us to unity is because is it so contrary to the world. Left to our own devices we express independent, self-serving attitudes and agendas. How do I know that? Because that is what the world does without Christ. Christ is about unity. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28. Satan is about division. “For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?” 1 Corinthians 3:3.
God wants us to stand apart from the rest of the world making His name famous by doing so. God spoke to His people through Moses, “The Lord will establish you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you,if you keep the commandments of the Lord Your God and walk in His ways. Then all peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord…” Deuteronomy 28:9-10.
We love and serve the One True God, may it be known through our unity.

Diane

So often in life I hear the words… I can’t or I’m not able. To me that is equivalent to being bound and tied. If you want to enjoy life to its fullest and be all that God wants you to be – you need to live with an I CAN Attitude.

If Christ is your Savior… then…

You can do all things. (Phil 4:13)
You have no FEAR (2 Tim. 1:7)
God leads you in Triumph (2 Cor. 2:14)
There is no bondage in the Lord. (2 Cor. 3:17; Gal 5:1)
You are not condemned (Rom. 8:1)
No one can be against you because God is with you (Rom 8:31)
You are more than a conqueror in all things (Rom 8:37)
Jesus give you strength to take action (Ps. 27:1; Dan 11:32)
God will supply all your needs (Phil 4:19)
Greater is He that is in you – than He that is in the world (1 John 4:4)
You never walk alone (Matt. 28:20; Heb 13:5)

Remember who HE is and what he gives to you and you can experience the abundant life. I hope you start right now today.

LDJ

Recently in my preparation for Higher Ground, I was reading the lesson in Jerry Bridges book, The Joy of Fearing God. Chapter 14, titled “He is Worthy” is about fearing God through our worship. Bridges makes the distinction between our Sunday morning corporate worship in church and the worship of our daily lives.
We were encouraged to read and meditate on God through His word with such Scriptures as Isaiah 6:1-8, Isaiah 40, Daniel 4:34-35, Psalm 104 and 1 John 4: 8-10 (pg. 235). Let me encourage you to do the same.

Here is another Scripture of worship:

Therefore David blessed the LORD before all the assembly; and David said:

10″Blessed are You, LORD God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever.
11Yours, O LORD, is the greatness,
The power and the glory,
The victory and the majesty;
For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;
Yours is the kingdom, O LORD,
And You are exalted as head over all.
12 Both riches and honor come from You,
And You reign over all.
In Your hand is power and might;
In Your hand it is to make great
And to give strength to all.
13 “Now therefore, our God,
We thank You
And praise Your glorious name.
14 But who am I, and who are my people,
That we should be able to offer so willingly as this?
For all things come from You,
And of Your own we have given You.
What hinders you from full, free, unabashed, reverent worship of God? Confess it.
What needs to change so that you may worship with all of your life? Change it.
What do you have to be thankful for today? Give thanks.
Join me in a journey to fear God with a life characterized by true worship for HE IS WORTHY.
Diane

What is on your refrigerator? I didn’t ask what is inside. I mean what is on the outside? When I visit a home, I love to look at all the photos, art work of the children (or grandchildren), or anything and everyone that is “special” to the family. I looked at my own refrigerator and noticed how many items we have. A lot! We have our sons and their families, my only sister and her family, my husband’s family, and many children of the friends we love. There are a few missionaries and Bible verses, also. Every photo is held by a magnet of some kind, also special to me. All these photos are of those we love, and we are reminded to pray for each of them by name!

As I was reading the book, “The Glory of Christmas”, by Charles Swindoll, Max Lucado and Chuck Colson, I couldn’t believe what was written for that day by Max Lucado. He said, “God saves you to bring glory to Himself. If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it!” John 3:16 tells us how special we are to Him! Max brought out that God’s Christmas gift was sent to you in Bethlehem – Jesus, His Son – Matthew 2:1. Although He could live anywhere in the universe, He chooses to live in your heart – that’s how special you are! Have you asked Him to come in?

Many Christmas cards come to our house each year, and I love each one. We will receive many new photos in them. I’ll update some old and add the new to our refrigerator, and continue to pray. We need to upgrade our spiritual growth as we allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives. God’s word gives us the fruit of the Spirit to apply to our daily growing – Galatians 5:22-24. He prays for us – Romans 8:26. The Holy Spirit pours God’s love into our hearts – Romans 5:5 and John 14:16-17. When others look as us, not just our refrigerator, but where ever we go and whatever we do, are they seeing us glorify God?
Remember you are special to God, you are His family, His friend, and He loves you and wants others to see that you are His child. Glorify Him today!

May I add – His love is the strong magnet that holds us to Him.

Dottie