Personal Pronouns: We, Us, Our
I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.
John 17:20-21 (NKJV)
I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, 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. 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 4:1-5 (NKJV)
For then I will restore to the peoples a pure language, that they all may call on the Name of the Lord, to serve Him with one accord.
Zephaniah 3:9 (NKJV)
Consider crime, corruption, violence, idol worship, and human trafficking… on such an enormous scale that Sodom, Gomorrah, Nineveh, and Babylon look like specks of dust by comparison.
Such is our 21st-century earth. Since Christians form earth’s major religion, how did it happen?
Simple! We divided. 'If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand' (Mark 3:25).
2.3 billion Christians split into 45,000 denominations.*
By division, God's people lost the strength in the unity of we, us, and our:
'For where two or three gather in My Name, there am I with them' (Matthew 18:20). Imagine the strength of mega-billions united in love! Earth would be awestruck!
Here's the good news: Unity is coming! God said so in Zephaniah 3:9. Famed Bible Scholar, Albert Barnes, explains:
'Before the dispersion of Babel the world was 'of one lip,' but that, impure, for it was in rebellion against God. Now it shall be again of 'one lip;' and that, 'purified.' The purity is of faith and of life, 'that they may call upon the Name of the Lord,' not as heretofore on idols, but that every tongue should confess the one true God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, in Whose Name they are baptized. This is purity of faith.' (Barnes' Notes on the Bible)**
Actors, models, and talent for Christ: You now lead this movement of unity, because you soar above church walls and roofs, flying on the airwaves of media.
You reach out to a new generation of cool believers, who love fellow saints, but resist the pull to be bound by them… because that rope doesn’t come from your King.
You can light the world like your Savior did, without being in it, as Jesus was.
Because 'The hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and truth' (John 4:23-24).
Personal Pronouns: We, Us, Our (Part 4)
* 45,000+ Christian denominations: https://www.livescience.com/christianity-denominations.html
** See the Bible commentaries on Zephaniah 3:9: http://biblecommenter.com/zephaniah/3-9.htm
NOTE: This is a 2023 update of a 2013 Carey Lewis Devotion. You may see notes to 'Actors, Models & Talent for Christ.' If you think you're not in show business, think again. Shakespeare said, 'All the world's a stage and all its men and women merely players. Mostly true. But you're not merely players. You are messengers and ambassadors for the King of kings.