How to stop strife

Focus on what we have in common instead of our differences. Many people in this community are bound together in their Love for Jesus Christ, and His saviorship.

Now if we start talking about the nitty gritty and docterine then it could be a whole different story. We instead have chosen to focus on our Bond in Christ and Love one another.
 
but also missionary encourage churchs to sepperate not over anger but to spread the word and junk you know
 
Work with your leaders.

Be commited to your local church.

Find your place in 'the kingdom'

When we mature the little things aren't that important. So many people argue about small 'differences' in theology, when they're not doing the basic things like reaching the lost. talk less, do more, conform to the word.

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This sounds more like a deeper issue.

The above is all good advice. Church should do everything to keep the peace of unity.

But, it sounds like you have a specific issue that has occured. It might require more than the answers we can give off hand.
 
There are always "Issues", I would rather not know "the dirt".

One of the largest turn offs people have with churches (and congregations have with each other) is the focus on "What Not To Do!".  People imposing "Man's Law" on one another.

I believe that there should be a greater focus on what is Right, Noble, and Good.  Refuse to be party to Gossip, Slander and Prejudice.  Let GOD judge the heart of a man. Seek a closer relationship with Jesus. Try to become more Christlike in your own actions. Assume others are doing also.

It may be a simplistic answer, but it's what I do
 
Usually what someone else has done isn't the issue.
(there's a contraversial issue)

As far as Jesus is concerned what YOU do is important. So many people get offended. Bottom line is we don't have that luxury. Read 'the bait of satan' by john Bevere. that is one of the best books about this stuff.

the other thing is that gossip is the biggest killer of people's hearts on the planet. It says in the word 'don't even entertain thoughts against your leaders'. in otherwords cut people off, when they start to mouth off. Don't have it, don't hear it, don't let it happen.

If someone has a problem, then before God they need to go to THE PERSON they have an issue with and sort it out. HUMBLY and IN LOVE. without love you are a clanging symbol.

It's amazing how many people have great gifts, to serve God with, but their lousy attitudes cause them to never grow.

God is interested in how WE keep our heart. Don't let people use your heart for a 'dump' for their garbage. But lovingly encourage them to keep their eye's on Jesusm and obey what he says.

'even if someone comes to you 70x7 IN ONE DAY. can you image some idiot coming back to you that many times?? i can't but if God manages to find one, (cos he can do anything) then treat him right.


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Absolutely don't talk about faith. That's a sure heckfire way enough to immediately turn an entire congregation against members.
Don't discuss differences in beliefs than the ones the preacher says. Thinking differently is not encouraged, and generally turns up trouble than it does any intellectual spiritual bantering. Keep your personal beliefs bottled up inside, and if you're of one of a thousand Baptist sub-beliefs, keep it to yourself. Or whatever.

Discussion of anything important, I think, is actually out of the question. I've noticed that when it comes to the big stuff, people just go "Umm...right" and then whip out their Crusader swords and begin slaughtering Jews and Muslims, and then each other.

It's odd. In my school, the most open kids to discussion of their faiths are ones who have no idea what they believe, and are swayed by anything that someone else says, "Yeah, I think so, too." And let it go at that.
Debate class...brr. Beliefs run high and deep, but just the same, no one cares to discuss them one lick. Because we have in our class alone atheists, Catholics, Methodists, Presbyterians, Jeohvah's Witness, Baptists, and unaffiliated Christians.
Makes for a boiling pot, except for the fact that the fire of a want to talk about anything particularly related to that God guy is not turned on. Which I think is good. Anytime we do discuss God it turns into the Inquisition, and I just want everyone to shut up, and I think everyone else feels that way. For the most part we all basically agree on the Jesus guy (the Methodist says God used evolution, and won't see a single argument against it, always going back in a circle to defend himself, interestingly enough, and the JW, I think, sincerely believes that the miniscule passage of the preservation of 144000 (Revelation) specifically means only 144000 out of all the millions who claim to be followers, will wind up on the golden roads. And the atheist doesn't believe a single word of it, clinging to some vague ambiguous utilitarian mask for most of the time).

I think as long as the central tendency of Christ is there, it's all good. If you're a kid among kids, don't open your mouth once. Even among adults, because most adults don't ever grow up from the kids they were, and when it's a spiritual matter, that's all the more true.

Then again, maybe not.
 
Hi.
In spanish we have a word, that you use too: "DIVISION" which means divide, split. The root of our word help us understand what is going on.

If we split it, we get: "DI"= two "VISION"= vision. So it means "TWO VISIONS" We know that the church has it's entire work done around the vision.
The vision is in a sense the "driving force" of a church.
The division exist where there's more than one vision. It does'nt matter if people dont fight, or sing together, or they treat each other correctly... If I dont run along my church vision, I am then following another vision. That's techically a division.

Think on the Corinthians: they were heavily divided according to Paul, but they where in the same building, doing the same things at the same time.

Of course, this doesnt mean UNIFORMITY; UNITY its NOT UNIFORMITY.
Unity stands in the midst of diversity.
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Dios les bendiga.
 
i think there needs to be diversity in who we are, unity in how we work together.

realise to, that the word is our guide. Our compass. It is the truth, so if our opinions vary to it, then it is we who must change.

Some people avoid change. They are taught something once and take that as ulitmate truth. I think it is wise to have a 'hungy' attitude the WORD. I know what the word says in a lot of areas. I also know that some things have changed in practice over the years.

Demons in the music, demons in the light pole, here a demon there a demon. The principle was true, there is an enemy out there. the practice then became to accuse anything and everything of the demonic. Now there the way people apply the principle has changed.

I think the principles are unchanging. I think the way they are applied will change. Evangelism today isn't a guy on a soap box, worship isn't carols. etc

Leave room to grow. Stay hungry for the Lord and he will draw near to you. Hunger keeps you passionate.


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stop differences eh? That seems to be quite the question. I think everyone hit good points of how to obtain "unity", I guess you can call it... I think we all know how to stop strife, and stop diversity in churches. however this isn't a picture perfect world, and we are sinners. So like it or not, there is going to be church splitting. But then I guess that would mean giving up hope... Hm, I'm not one to advocate giving up hope. So I guess all things are possible through God. If the Holy Spirit moves in our churches like it did in Acts, you can guarantee unity. I guess we would have to put all our hope in the Holy Spirit to see any form of unity in the church. Yup more genuine christians with guidance from the Holy Spirit. Not too many around in America. I think we are a bunch of rich blind people. I know I am. you might call me middle class, but I know I'm rich. Everyone in america pretty much is.

From History the times the Church was most united was during persecution. I guess its odd that the "church" was doing the persecution which united the Church... I think I'll form a new conspiracy theory, hehe. Some people actually pray for persecution in America. I'm too scared to pray that prayer myself. However I think persecution would unify the church. I guess thats my answer to the question from my long 19 years of existence(existance?)
 
if you are upset at a church after being there, or you are upset in the church you are in here's a great book.

the tale of three kings, by Gene edwards.

I use this as a leadership tool when i travel, cos it challenges the reader to keep you heart right, cos God is in control!


nuff said



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Here's a little excerpt from a song by K2S, if anyone knows of them (a Christian rap band with some amazing lyrics, for being rap). This pretty much sums up my opinion about strife between Christian churches.

"One body, many parts, get the concept. Different styles, different beliefs...but yet, we're all one church, one under Christ, God's son. So stop tripping up the denominations! It's true, we all have different views, secondary interests. But we're all family if we stick to these views: we're saved by grace alone, Yahweh is 3 in 1, and Christ died and rose again for reconciliation."
 
i think that people forget we are about reconciliation.

that we must practice what we preach.

i'll think i'll pick up the phone now and give someone a call......:blues:


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