Denominations = Divisions

This is how to break the curse of the religious spirit and the denominational divisions in the Body of Christ! Read God's WORD! He has the answers!

1 Corinthians 1:10 NET
I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to AGREE TOGETHER, to END your DIVISIONS, and to BE UNITED by the SAME MIND and PURPOSE.

A denomination is defined as
"A large group of religious congregations united under a COMMON FAITH AND NAME and organized under a single administrative and legal hierarchy."

It's purpose is to unite a group of people who share the same faith, under the same name. There shouldn't be Baptists, Methodists, Pentecostals, etc.   We all have the same faith in Jesus Christ. So why, I ask, are there so many denominations in Christianity? Isn't Christianity
a faith? One faith?

The reason there are so many denominations is because of "religiosity," because of divisions. One group wants to worship with music, others without, and others don't worship at all. One group wants to put pews, others want chairs. And if they cannot agree, they split and go their separate ways.

Stop being so fickle!! We are told constantly by the Word of God to be unified: mind, body, and spirit!! Encouraging, comforting, and loving one another, living in peace and harmony, being humble.

Romans 15:5-6 NET
Now may the God of endurance and comfort give you UNITY with one another in accordance WITH CHRIST JESUS, so that TOGETHER you may with ONE voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Philippians 2:1-4 NET
Therefore, if there is any ENCOURAGEMENT in CHRIST, any COMFORT PROVIDED BY LOVE, any FELLOWSHIP IN THE SPIRIT, any AFFECTION or MERCY, complete my joy and be of the SAME MIND, by having the SAME LOVE, being UNITED IN SPIRIT, and having ONE PURPOSE. Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should, in HUMILITY, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself. Each of you should be concerned not only about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well.

There are many other scriptures instructing us to be united under our Lord Jesus Christ! Stop arguing over whether or not to have pews or chairs. Make it simple and have neither! Sit on the floor. In many places, such as China, believers HAVE to sit on the floor, meeting in secret, because they do not have the freedom we have to assemble in the name of Jesus!

We must humble ourselves in order to be unified as ONE! We are to be the BODY (1) of CHRIST who is the HEAD! Make Christ your leader, flow in the Spirit and worship God! Simple! But sadly many, being human, don't like simple. We try to complicate things.

Christianity shouldn't be complicated! Love and worship God, share your testimony of what Jesus has done for you and what he is doing in you, and love your neighbor, which is everyone! It really isn't hard!

Contradictions

Matthew 4:4 NET
But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

For those who think the Old Testament text is irrelevant today, why is it that Jesus quoted it so many times in the New Testament? I read something recently that disregarded the writings of the Old Testament saying that we should ignore what the Old Testament says. While still professing Jesus as Savior, these same people claim that the Bible contradicts itself. When someone says the Bible is a contradiction, then you can't believe what they say, they are false prophets.

The Old Testament sets the stage for Jesus' entrance as our coming savior. To suggest that the Old Testament is a contradiction means these people believe Jesus is a contradiction.

Those who are quick to ignore or throw out the words of the Old Testament, need to reread this next passage a couple of times, perhaps the truth will finally sink in:

Matthew 5:17-19 NET
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have not come to abolish these things but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth pass away not the smallest letter or stroke of a letter will pass from the law until everything takes place. So anyone who breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others to do so[false prophets] will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever obeys them and teaches others to do so will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.