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Unity, Equality,Oneness,In the Church
" Bishop James & Betty R Winfree Ministries"

Are we ready to be One in the Christian faith?
This lesson is from the second chapter of Philippians. Let's take a moment and read the first 11 verses of the chapter. There are two main themes that the quarterly writer wishes to bring out in this lesson. One deals with unity and the second deals with Christian humility. Neither are in much evidence in the church today.
Unity,Equality,Oneness
The first four verses of Philippians 2 go to the heart of unity. This is a subject that I have touched on many times before. The problems of the Philippian church that may have caused Paul to write this message are not identified. Dake titles this section as an appeal for Christian living, which is apt. There are a few very basic points that can be brought out.
Be likeminded
Have the same love (as that of Christ)
Be of one accord
Be of one mind
Esteem each other as better than yourselves, doing your work in humility without strife or vanity
Don't glory in your own gifts, but lift up the gifts of others.
I think that if every member of Christ's church, from the highest echelons of the administration down to the oldest Christian in the pews could grasp these few concepts, we would be a long way toward heaven on earth. Surprisingly, the newly minted Christians have a pretty good grasp of it already. It's only when they've been in church for awhile that they start to get confused! Getting back to training up disciples is something that every denomination needs to work on.

The quarterly writer points out that being likeminded and of one accord doesn't mean everyone will be doing the same thing. They point out that each person will have their own ideas about how to accomplish even similar goals.
While this is true, there is a danger in this philosophy. God does have a plan that He wants His global church to carry out. Within that global plan, He has different jobs and different desires for particular parts of the church body. I fully believe that He even has plans for each single individual cell in that huge organism called the church.

For the church to be successful, we need to seek to know His plan for each of us first, then for our immediate group of fellow believers, then for the Christian churches in our community, and finally for the church at a higher level. It starts low and moves up. It is the one-on-one work of individual believers that keeps the church functioning and growing. The upper levels of the church are completely useless in this regard, unless they do something incredibly stupid.
Now, that has been happening a bit too frequently lately in my opinion, but if you want to hear my thoughts on that, read some other lessons I've written.

Each person needs to be filled with the Holy Spirit and find out from God just what He wants him or her to be doing. Hearing that you should do something from your Sunday School Teacher, some committee, or the Pastor himself, just isn't good enough. All too often, people get thrust into positions they either aren't qualified to do or that they have no calling for just to fill an organizational hole.

They may do OK, but often they don't do well at all. The person God had picked out for the job would have done the job well but perhaps they didn't listen to what God was telling them to do or heard and just refused. In either case God's work suffers.
What God wants for you may be just sitting tight and absorbing and being trained in God's word. You need to be well based in Scripture before attempting many jobs in the church organization (but there are also many openings that require little or no scriptural background)

. Maybe what God wants you to do is praying. Now, everyone needs to pray, but there are those who are called to be prayer warriors for Christ. The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Maybe it is praising God (in your mind or vocally). Maybe it is teaching or being a teaching assitant. Maybe it is leading a youth group. Maybe it is reaching out to nursing homes and older shut-ins. Maybe it is working in local or far off missions, helping those less fortunate. Maybe it is talking about God to your co-worker, the person across the street, or the check-out clerk at the local store.

Everyone can witness - it just takes listening for God's right time in each situation to be successful. Maybe it is singing or playing an instrument. Maybe it is going into the ministry full time as an associate pastor or pastor. Maybe it is administration - secretary, treasurer, sunday school superintendent, et cetera. Maybe it is some combination of those. Maybe it is something entirely different. The thing is, being in tune with the Holy Spirit and figuring out just exactly what it is He wants you to do is the very first thing that must happen. Unity with God's purpose is primary.

Once that is clear, then you can figure out how to go about accomplishing that task. Perhaps you can join other people in your local congregation who are doing the same thing. Perhaps you will find support from your own church and denomination to start a new work that isn't already being locally addressed. Perhaps you must go to a different church or denomination because you can't fulfill that task where you are at for whatever reason. But until you know what it is God wants you to do, unity is out of your grasp.

Churches seem to get stuck forever discussing ways to accomplish particular goals and purposes that God has laid on one of their members hearts. Sometimes, some of our ideas may have merit, and sometimes they may not. There are two problems that churches face in this regard. First, people who are uninterested in particular issues are required to have input into the process for whatever good reason - oversight, presenting a united front, whatever or perhaps are the deciding authority for what gets done. Having uninvolved individual give input or listen in on discussions is only useful if the person is filled with the Holy Spirit and in tune with God's wishes. Too often, they are just a drag on the process.

Secondly, we spend too much time listening to each other, to what has worked here and there, what hasn't worked here or there, and too little time listening to what God wants done here and now. God may not get down to the nitty-gritty details in laying out His plan for a church. That is up to Him. When He told Jonah to go to Ninevah, I don't think He said to hop on the ship departing at 4:32 today from pier 9, take the middle bunk in the aft cabin, and don't come out till you get there. He just said go to Ninevah - now. But a lot of the time, I think He does have a plan if we would just listen for it and wait for Him to make it clear.

Often churches get so wrapped up in the petty details that nothing ever gets done or the people who would be willing to just do the work lose interest. The old army idea of getting over there 80% ready but on time versus 100% ready and late applies here as well. Let God uncover the gaps and the holes and show how to fill them as you move forward, but get moving!

That isn't to say that there is absolutely no merit to discussing things (hopefully not to infinity and beyond). There is a minute amount of worth to be gained by studying what has failed in the past and what has worked in the past both in our church and in other churches.

But if the Holy Spirit is strongly impressing on someone how something should be done, then how it has or has not worked elsewhere is of no relevance. That is how God has prepared for the plan to work here and now and that is what is important. Unity with the Holy Spirit, and the gifts of discernment, wisdom, and knowledge at work in any particular endeavor are the keys to success in God's work. Churches forget that and lean on their own understanding at their peril.

Ultimately, if any church member wants to be successful in working for God, that member needs to be united with the mind of Christ first, with its own members second, with other nearby churches of whatever Christian denomination third, and with its own denomination last. This also applies to the work of churches in general. Clear direction from God is paramount

Help from like minded individuals in the congregation is of second importance. Reaching out to other local Christian churches for local unity is third. What the denomination thinks is a distant fourth. The order here is absolutely critical if God's work is to be accomplished at any location these days.

This could be read that I don't think denominations are of any use. That is not correct, so don't go there. Denominations should provide oversight through Spirit filled leaders to ensure that nothing untoward is going on in the churches they oversee. But such oversight is not nearly as effective as the oversight of Spirit filled individuals in the local churches themselves.

Organizationally, they can provide a convenient means to help out churches that are struggling financially and can provide a better directed world-wide missions giving outreach than any single church can.

They also are good at seeing where there isn't a presence for Christ in the world and starting a new church there. Sometimes they are pretty blind in feeling that just because they aren't there, the other Christian churches in town couldn't possibly be doing anything right, but that is just denominational pride talking. They definitely have a good place, and the world is much better off that all churches aren't independent today.
But a denomination, by itself, can do little to improve a particular branch of the work of Christ's church in a particular city at any particular time. That is up to us folks and the church leadership of the Christian churches in that town.


All moves of God that are successful are person to person and church to church in a community. God's objective isn't to make a denomination strong. It is to make His church strong. We can do more reaching out locally to other Christian churches and presenting a united front to the people in our community than going alone. Unity is far further reaching that just unity in a body of believers to show that Christianity is different. Look at the way we view the squabbles between the Sunni's and the Shite's.

Do you honestly thing that the squabbles between the Presbyterians, Episcopals, Methodists, Assembly of God's, Church of Christ's, etc. to say nothing of the whole Protestant vs. Catholic thing looks any different to the world out there? Let's put our differences aside for a change and let God work through all of us.
Let us strive for unity in our body, a clear direction from God, and unity among the Christian churches in our lives from here on out God's family.

Notes from Minister James R Winfree Sr,: Our calling and vision is the building, teaching, and preaching Christ loving Unity, Equality, Oneness and our God given Equality to every Member, Child of God, Believer, Christian, Saint in the Body of Jesus Christ!
God's people pray with me? please?.... Dear Father in Jesus Christ, by Your loving Holy Spirit, Cause us to be single-minded and sure of Your calling and purpose upon our lives.

May Christ Love, Unity, Equality, and Oneness of Body,Mind, Soul and Spirit prevail in everything we say and do in Your Blessed Kingdom and Church. Dear Christ Jesus, By Your loving and powerful Holy Ghost, Break All Barriers that Separate Us from each other, and bind Us together in Your loving grace. Dear Daddy God, raise Up all those who is among Us who are hurting, been left out of Your blessings, and all those who have fallen or given Up in the faith. Loving Holy Spirit cause Your compassion to stir our hearts and souls once again, Holy Spirit impregnate Us with Your True call and Purpose for Christ love, unity, oneness and equality. Daddy God may our Chief and only Loyalty be to You and all who share in The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We in the Body of this flesh and the Body of Christ share the very same bloodline, and as Believers and or Christians we have the responsibility to value all people for whom God gave His Son life for. Daddy God loves all His children Equally and with Unity and Oneness of Spirit. No person no matter what skin color, rich or poor, small or great that we as His light, Church, Kingdom people can't love them and treat them as family.
Their is no fear in God's love. But perfect love drives out fear, Pause to meditate on Daddy's love for all His children. Lord may we hear Your Spirit in the voice of Your Holy Word calling Us to do better.

I have a Certificate of Ordination from Higher Ground Always Abounding Assemblies Inc, By Bishop T.D.Jakes of Dallas, Texas for all those who would like to know some of my back ground in ministry.
When you give, you will receive, your gift and prayers will return to you in full measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. whatever measure you use in giving, large or small it will be used to measure back too you. and what you have to offer this ministry and willing to give or share, your talents, time, work,labor, prayers,giving of support, this will be measure back too you in full.
Thanks again from Bishop James & Betty R Winfree Ministries- P.O.Box 5293- Houston, Texas 77262-5293- Home office ( 713 ) 7910913 Web address http://www.freewebs.com / And Myspace.com/bishopwinfree

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OJ simply hasn't gotten it figured out yet. I was among the few who supported him during his first mishap with the law. But this current situation that he has placed himself in is absolutely ridiculous, to say the least. OJ needs Christ is his life and needs some serious one-on-one counseling in getting his priorities straight. My mother, who passed away shortly after trial, always told me that OJ was an actor and not to be believed. This is just the icing on the cake. I don't have any more respect for the brother, if he can even be called that. He was fortunate enough to escape with his life some years ago because the masses of white people wanted his head on a silver platter and are still angry today that he was walking around. OJ has made their day and what can I say. He is one ignorant man. If it is left up to White America, he will spend many years and possibly lose his life behind bars. I guess aging has done nothing for his brain and perhaps this is what it will take to realize who you are in America. A lot of black people were verbally whiplashed for your sake during your trial some years ago and for what. You've never really done anything for those at the grassroots level. When you got money you got yourself a white woman. I have yet to see you with a sister. Do we intimidate that much? What a foolish way to go. Just goes to show you how some people value material things more than the life that God has given them. He was blessed to have Johnnie Cochran in his corner. Now let's see what happens to you. All of us have made mistakes in our lifetime so I cannot necessarily throw stones at you, but what a waste. You don't even recognize your gifts and the blessings that God has placed upon you in spite of everything. We stood behind you before but now you stand alone or at least you won't have my support.

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