S. Michael Houdmann Supporter Got Questions Ministries

Divisions that lead to church splits are a sad and all-too-common occurrence in the body of Christ. The effects of a church split, regardless of the cause, can be devastating. Church splits distres...

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July 01 2013 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Steven Scott Supporter Grader for the Ontario Jail Ministry

{SIGH!} I still remember when I moved to New York after my grandfather had passed away (my mom & I had no relatives left in Las Vegas). A month later, I called my old church to see how everyone was. To my HORROR, I learned that my old church had split. The reason? They wanted to change the color of the carpet, but couldn't decide on the color! WHAT? They had CLEARLY lost the meaning of Church Unity! I WAS DEVASTATED!

April 08 2014 • 2 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Redeemed Soul Supporter

It is true that with humility and repentance, unity can be achieved. But As followers of Christ, we ought to be wise with meekness as He commands us in the gospel. Thus, discernment is key, for this ethics/morality - based approach to unity applies to worldly bodies as well, so in the world it is a known fact that when a group of business entrepreneurs split over certain matters, an individual or a split group of business entrepreneurs can go off original track to establish own company with own set of believes and with good enthusiasm and smashing rhetorical skills winning supporters or followers to join own fantasy is made easy. However in Christianity where the Lord says " I am the Truth", God clearly instructs us not only to test the spirits in order to know if thy are from God and watch for false teachers and prophets, but also to follow the tracks of the sheep as it's written in the song of Solomon, as well as to seek of the old paths of the Lord and walk in them (Jeremiah). 

The truth must be said, ever since the reformation in the 16th century, all Christians who held fast on the reformation dogma and established congregations based on the believes of the reformers (who were known to be former Roman Catholics with individualistic and contradictory believes - e.g. Clavin and Luther, Luther and Anabaptists,...etc. Very conflicting history!) were in the end scattered in thousands and thousands of various denominations, each with its own set of "important" and "less important" believes (or else they wouldn't have chosen a different name). The majority of these denominations are thankfully still hold on some truth, however they greatly disagree on some fundamental truths of the Christian faith, while saying the bible is source of truth and quoting biblical verses back and forth to each other with absolutely no agreement made, let's be honest - how many times did you hear that 2 Protestant/reformed churches have now come together in union to be one church - quite the opposite is normally the case in Protestant or reformed churches isn't it? From the 16th century until our day, there is over 30,000 denominations with conflicting believes within main stream Protestant/ reformed churches with each adamantly confessing to be the right church to join! 

Praying for a Christian in this situation is so vital in order not to be lead in either error by himself or by others or in total despair. Remember the story our Lord talked about regarding this hard - hearted judge in that little village and this poor lady coming to his door asking for food, although she didn't get what she sought, she kept coming back and knocking and finally the judge had to give her her needs for her persistence. Our Lord is humbly putting Himself in this ugly picture of the unjust judge - to show us how! 

Meanwhile read the writings of early Christian witnesses of the FAITH from the early centuries before any Church split. It is an undeniable fact in academia that there was minimum 450 years of ONE Church Christianity in true unity. 
Those were either working with the apostles directly or have lived in their time:
Accounts of Justin the martyr (1st. AD)
Polycarb of Symerna (1st. AD)
Igantius of Antioch
And many more witnesses of the truth in every generation, for it is written that He doesn't leave Himself without a witness.

Those Christians must be the model for our faith today. This one universal and Apostolic Church has been existing through His power (John 14:16) for over 2000 years of "historically proven, legitimate connection to Christ's apostles"

No ONE man - inspired church movement, No ONE man - inspired revival, etc. As witnessed in the book of acts from Jerusalem - " the Holy Spirit and us" since the 1st Church council. (John 14:16) is valid even if some continue to make false claims that the Holy Spirit left the Church, making God a liar! 
"God forbid, let every man be a liar" as the scripture says!

"Seek and you shall find"

April 08 2014 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report