IN ESSENTIALS UNITY, IN NON-ESSENTIALS LIBERTY, IN ALL THINGS CHARITY RUPERTUS MELDENIUS “the watchword of Christian peacemakers” (History of the Christian Church, vol. 7, p. 650). Often attributed to great theologians such as Augustine, it comes from an otherwise undistinguished German Lutheran theologian of the early seventeenth century, Rupertus Meldenius. The phrase occurs in a tract on Christian unity written (circa 1627) during the Thirty Years War (1618–1648), a bloody time in European history in which religious tensions played a significant role.
What are the essentials? IN ESSENTIALS UNITY ... The Doctrines are the essentials. ... 1. Theology or the Doctrine of God. There is a God. 2. The Doctrine of The Bible, The bible is our authority, inspired, every word, 3. The Doctrine of Sin ... man has a sin nature, 4. The Doctrine of Salvation ... man can not save himself by being good he needs to accept the gift of Salvation given to us by Christ's death on the cross our Lamb of God. 5. The Doctrine of the Spirit. The Spirit proceeds from the Father and indwells, fills, controls, gifts the believer to build up the body of Christ. 6. The Doctrine of Christ... Jesus is the one true son of God, the only begotten without sin, tested, tempted in all ways yet without sin. 7. The Doctrine of the Church... The church is Christ's bride, a community and fellowship united for the purpose of loving God, and being His witnesses. 8. The Doctrine of End Times Jesus is coming again. He has ascended and we the church must live with this reality as we wait. These include the Scriptures the olivet discourse by Jesus, the books of Ezekiel, Daniel, and Revelation, and proclaim to us the Victorious Jesus! THESE ARE THE ESSENTIALS.
IN NON-ESSENTIALS LIBERTY .... NON ESSENTIALS are our practice and the forms of worship, discipleship, and systems for making disciples. So one person is a vegan, another eats and drinks beer, both love God and have been saved and baptized. One dresses up in a suit, their Sunday best, and another comes relaxed in jeans and sandles. One prefers hymns, and still others prefer modern forms of worship. One wants to experience church and others want traditions to be upheld. In these things you have liberty.
IN ALL THINGS CHARITY. Here we work to maintain unity in the Body of Christ. I give grace to those who worship differently, and I give grace to those who eat differently, and I give grace to those who do not live as I do but are brothers and sisters in Christ. I receive love from those who worship differently. So I give preference to the other... meaning I am willing to see my preference as the weaker of the two positions, and love my brother and do life with them. Protecting the unity of the body verifies to the world that Jesus exists. He exists because people can disagree and continue to love each other. Am I loving my brothers and sisters?
Friday, July 3, 2020
Wednesday, July 1, 2020
The Shepherd's Prayer for His Church
The Shepherd's Prayer for His Church
Lord, I lift up my eyes to Heaven. “Father, the hour is coming. Glorify me and let others see Jesus in me, not me. I want to bring Glory to You. Lord evan as You gave Jesus authority over all humanity so that He might give eternal life and salvation to those far from Him. Grant us authority and influence in the community with seekers, new believers, new families, and new members, and give us a greater anointing of Your Spirit that these others might be drawn into your family. Lord, let the teaching of Cornerstone be clear that eternal life is in Jesus Christ alone, that these far afar may know You, the Only True God, and Jesus Christ whom you sent Father and let them see Him in Cornerstone. May Cornerstone be committed to glorifying you here on Earth. May Cornerstone be committed to accomplishing the work which you have given Cornerstone to do. Now, Father, allow me to be seen like Christ the Shepherd together with You. Let Jesus be seen as I humble myself and He leads Cornerstone.
I am making known Your name to the men whom you gave Me. These men are Yours and You have given them to me. These are keeping your word. Lord let them know that everything You have given me is from You. Let the words which you gave me and I have given to them be received and truly understood. Lord You have brought me to this Church. You have established me and confirmed me as the Shepherd of Cornerstone. They believed in You, and You sent me. I have come Here from the Father. I ask on these men’s behalf, on Cornerstone’s behalf not on the world’s behalf, but for Cornerstone and its members for They are Yours, all that I have is Yours, and I also know that all that you have is mine. I AM TRUSTING. I ask that you heal our Church, that you keep Cornerstone in Your name, The name which is above every name… JESUS MY LORD! I ASK THAT CORNERSTONE WOULD BE ONE EVEN AS JESUS YOU AND I AND THE FATHER ARE ONE WALKING. Lord empower me to guard them and so that not one of them will perish save those who are opposed to Your leading. Let the Scripture be fulfilled, “The Gates of Hell will not prevail” against the church. We cast the division to the foot of the Cross, in the name of Jesus.
Lord, I am asking that Cornerstone will receive “a new” the joy of walking together and be made full in it. Lord as I am allowed to teach them the Word. Let our hearts unite because the world will hate us because they hate You Lord Jesus. Let us be in the World, a powerful witness. Let us not be removed from the world, but keep us safe, true in our walk, joyful, praising, full of the Spirit and safe from the evil one. We commit to be like Jesus and to not be of the world. Lord, let the truth of who You are, and truth of the Word of God make us holy and true and consistent in our lives, and in my life also let this be true. Lord, we commit to go into the world, and to be sent into our communities to tell the Gospel boldly. Lord, I humbly submit and surrender myself as Your shepherd under Jesus the Shepherd so that they will become sanctified by the teaching you give me.
Lord, I do not ask for those who are belongers of Cornerstone alone, but also for those who will believe in you through the mission, and the message You have given to Cornerstone, The Haven of the Valley! Let Cornerstone be united, healed from its past, free to receive your Spirit. Let us BE ONE, even as Lord Jesus, The Father, and I are one in mission and heart beat. Let Cornerstone Hide in You and let others become One with You God the Father, Lord Jesus. Then our community will know that You have sent me the shepherd under The Shepherd.
How glorious are You. Let us be one with You, just as You and the Father are one. Grant us the anointing and filling of the Spirit as in the past (in the gym). So the world will know that You loved them, let Cornerstone love those far off. Lord you loved us before the world began let us be together in Harmony as we long to be with You in Heaven.
Lord let us be able to say, “The world, Lewisburg, Buchnell, Milton, Northumberland, Union, and Synder county know You because they know Cornerstone, and me the shepherd under The Shepherd.” I have made known to them the Love which you love me with. May that love be in Cornerstone, and may I be confirmed by my love for them.
In Jesus name Amen
I am making known Your name to the men whom you gave Me. These men are Yours and You have given them to me. These are keeping your word. Lord let them know that everything You have given me is from You. Let the words which you gave me and I have given to them be received and truly understood. Lord You have brought me to this Church. You have established me and confirmed me as the Shepherd of Cornerstone. They believed in You, and You sent me. I have come Here from the Father. I ask on these men’s behalf, on Cornerstone’s behalf not on the world’s behalf, but for Cornerstone and its members for They are Yours, all that I have is Yours, and I also know that all that you have is mine. I AM TRUSTING. I ask that you heal our Church, that you keep Cornerstone in Your name, The name which is above every name… JESUS MY LORD! I ASK THAT CORNERSTONE WOULD BE ONE EVEN AS JESUS YOU AND I AND THE FATHER ARE ONE WALKING. Lord empower me to guard them and so that not one of them will perish save those who are opposed to Your leading. Let the Scripture be fulfilled, “The Gates of Hell will not prevail” against the church. We cast the division to the foot of the Cross, in the name of Jesus.
Lord, I am asking that Cornerstone will receive “a new” the joy of walking together and be made full in it. Lord as I am allowed to teach them the Word. Let our hearts unite because the world will hate us because they hate You Lord Jesus. Let us be in the World, a powerful witness. Let us not be removed from the world, but keep us safe, true in our walk, joyful, praising, full of the Spirit and safe from the evil one. We commit to be like Jesus and to not be of the world. Lord, let the truth of who You are, and truth of the Word of God make us holy and true and consistent in our lives, and in my life also let this be true. Lord, we commit to go into the world, and to be sent into our communities to tell the Gospel boldly. Lord, I humbly submit and surrender myself as Your shepherd under Jesus the Shepherd so that they will become sanctified by the teaching you give me.
Lord, I do not ask for those who are belongers of Cornerstone alone, but also for those who will believe in you through the mission, and the message You have given to Cornerstone, The Haven of the Valley! Let Cornerstone be united, healed from its past, free to receive your Spirit. Let us BE ONE, even as Lord Jesus, The Father, and I are one in mission and heart beat. Let Cornerstone Hide in You and let others become One with You God the Father, Lord Jesus. Then our community will know that You have sent me the shepherd under The Shepherd.
How glorious are You. Let us be one with You, just as You and the Father are one. Grant us the anointing and filling of the Spirit as in the past (in the gym). So the world will know that You loved them, let Cornerstone love those far off. Lord you loved us before the world began let us be together in Harmony as we long to be with You in Heaven.
Lord let us be able to say, “The world, Lewisburg, Buchnell, Milton, Northumberland, Union, and Synder county know You because they know Cornerstone, and me the shepherd under The Shepherd.” I have made known to them the Love which you love me with. May that love be in Cornerstone, and may I be confirmed by my love for them.
In Jesus name Amen
Pastor Rob
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