Spring is Springing
Searcy is coming to life again! The Bradford Pear trees around the campus are robed in white as they begin to bloom. It is quite lovely! In a few weeks, the dogwoods and azaleas will break out, and campus will be just unbelievable. I offer a challenge to show me a more beautiful campus in the spring time! It ain't happening. And I am not in the least biased. :)
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I hope you will check out the blog of a dear and precious friend that many of you know, Lisa Carr. Tommy and Lisa moved back to Searcy a few years ago so that Tommy could take over the administration of "African Christian Hospitals". It has changed names several times, but I hope I got it right. Tommy and I were Galaxy greasers together, and I have loved him a long time. Last fall Lisa was diagnosed with cancer. She has approached it as you might expect she would if you know Lisa.........full of prayer, faith, hope, love and graciousness. Please check out her blog, and please take the time to send her some encouragement from time to time. She will bless you, if you will provide her with the opportunity.
http://www.lisacarolblog.blogspot.com/
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After the first day of NCAA tournament play, I only had missed picking two correct winners. I think my boat got sunk yesterday though. I love the underdog winning, don't you? What is it about Americans that we love the underdog to win? Folks in other parts of the world think we are stupid for being bent that way. My pick for winning it all? THE JAYHAWKS of KANSAS!!!!!! :) I know...........I really went out on a limb on that one, huh?!?
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Can "unity" be reached thru doctrine............or is it a heart issue? I believe it is a heart issue.
What say you? Think about unity in other areas besides church.........like family, sports, on the job, etc. What keeps unity there?
7 Comments:
Truth (doctrine) is very important...otherwise there would be no warnings about false teachers. Check out Acts 2:42; 5:28; 17:19; Eph 4:14; I Tim 1:3, 10; 4:13, 16; Titus 1:9; Heb 9:13 and others. All sports have doctrine (rules), and if players do not abide by those rules, there is no unity in play. Families have rules. Some are God-given (faithfulness); others may be parental-imposed for the good of the family, and when those rules are broken, it often creates heartache which splinters the family...even though there is much love. Doctrine does not eliminate love and grace...but neither do either of them eliminate doctrine.
DD, I don't recall downplaying the importance of doctrine or the role it plays. My question was can unity be based on doctrine. I don't believe that the rules of a game are what keeps the team unified.......nor a family.
DU
Greg Newton agrees with Barton W. Stone, vkls ... unity is a gift of God through His Spirit. But, like so many other gifts from Him, it must be accepted graciously, by living it.
Since the same Spirit inspired God's written word and whatever doctrine we find in it, I'd conclude that doctrine is connected to unity - in the same way that two gifts under a Christmas tree are connected - by having come from the same giver.
If doctrine could be the basis of unity, it seems to me that the American restoration movement would have proven that by now. But, after 200 years of splintering, I think it is safe to conclude that unity through doctrine isn't going to happen. I respect those who think it will, but it reminds me of the line from that cinematic classis Dumb & Dumber":
"So what are our chances of getting together?"
"About 1 in a million"
"So you're saying there is a chance."
I agree with your statement that it doesn't make doctrine unimportant. But something bigger than our interpretation of the Bible is needed to produce true unity.
I like what Tom Olbricht wrote in his book, Hearing God's Voice: "If we interpret the Bible properly we do not come face to face with a sure-fire scheme. We come face to face with the living God, through Jesus his Son and the Holy Spirit."
'false teachers' are defined in scripture as being immoral, lovers of self, greedy for money, etc. In other words, they are "false" not because one or another of their doctrines is not pristine, but because their hearts are evil and self serving.
Unity is not found in perfect doctrine or the Bible would have been written in an entirely different way -- more like a doctrine and procedural manual than a narrative. Jesus would have never said "agree with your enemy while you are on the way" but would have demanded you win the debate. He would never have said "if two of you agree about anything, your Father in heaven will agree with you." He would have said something entirely different if doctrine were the glue that held us together.
When a popular well known crusader wrote one of my college friends (who had written him and asked why he did not teach baptism) and said, "I do not preach baptism, because people would be offended and not come to hear the message I do have," I considered that person a false teacher. This same preacher was in Baylor Hospital in Dallas where my uncle, an elder in one of the congregations, worked, and during one of their visits he told my uncle he would never preach baptism because it would drive the crowds away. I do not believe this man had an evil heart...but his doctrine was incomplete, and millions have been led astray by his teaching to just put their trust in Jesus and accept Him into their hearts...and have thought that is all God required of them.
bmb, that IS truly a sad story! I'm not sure what you point is though. Are you saying you wouldn't want to have unity at some level with this man? Are you only going to have unity with those who are "right" on every doctrine? If so, then you won't be able to have unity with the ministers who preach nothing but baptism to the degree that their audiences come away believing THAT'S ALL God required of them.
I consider both of those men my brothers, just as Priscilla and Aquila considered Apollos theirs. I would love to study with both men, just as they did with Apollos. I am sure both men would be able to encourage me in some area of my walk also.
Thanks for commenting and bringing up an interesting observation! Come back anytime.
DU
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