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I always knew that Terence Howard was going to cut it at the highest level some day. He's been great in movies like The Best Man, King Of The World, Four Brothers and most recently Hustle and Flow and Crash.

I,m sure the sky is the limit for him, can't wait to see him with Jodie Forster. "oscar banging soon bro" hang in there. Best of luck... Proud of you...

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Dwelling Together in Unity And Equality A Word for today Acts 2:44,45) Acts 4:32) 2Cor 8:13-15) 2Cor 9:12) John 17:21-23 Psalm 133.
Biblical unity is not an option. It is a condition for the blessing of Almighty God in our lives, homes and churches.
Bishop James R Winfree Sr, Psalm 133

Some people live in homes where there is constant fighting. Others work at jobs that have confrontational employees or bosses. How do you feel living in a state of constant confrontation? How does it effect you? I grow weary of turning on my radio and hearing of conflict between lab our and management. Constant political conflict becomes a drag. We hear of ethnic groups fighting each other. Then we have the spouses who are always at war with one another.

It's in those times that the following words sound sweet and precious. "How wonderful it is, how pleasant, when brothers live in harmony! For harmony is as precious as the fragrant anointing oil that was poured over Aaron's head and ran down onto his beard and onto the border of his robe. Harmony is as refreshing as the dew on Mount Herm on, on the mountains of Israel. And God has pronounced this eternal blessing on Jerusalem, even life forevermore." (Psalm 133:1-3 TLB)

Have you ever said, "Why can't people live in peace with one another?" Please remember, Biblical unity is not an option. It is a condition for the blessing of Almighty God in our lives, homes and churches.

I. God Created us to Live Harmoniously in Communities.
"How wonderful it is, how pleasant, when brothers live in harmony! The Bible speaks of three levels of community, the family, church and country.
1. The first level of community is that of family. Living in families can be difficult.' There is a clue to the nature of the difficulty in the simile "like brothers." Most of us know what it means to live "Like brothers." Brothers and sisters have been known to fight.

The first family story in the Bible is about the brothers Cain and Abel. They had a religious fight over which of them God loved best. A few pages later we have the story of Joseph who because of his brothers envy was sold into Egypt as a slave.

Children are so full of their own needs and wants that they often look at a brother or sister as a competitor. If there is only one cookie on the plate and three of us want it, we become hungry rivals. For many, living together "like brothers" means endless squabbles. David says biblical unity is not an option. It is a condition for the blessing of Almighty God in our lives, homes and churches.

2. The Second level of community is the family of faith. The Bible says, "God sets the lonely in families." (Psalm 68:6 NIV) "But he lifted the needy out of their affliction and increased their families like flocks." (Psalm 107:41 NIV) Our church brothers and sisters are not always nice people. They can be cranky, dull and boring. But the Bible tells us that they are our brothers and sisters in Christ.

In the days of the Jesus Movement the hippies talked about being a part of a "forever family." God is happy when we learn how to function in harmony and maturity , especially around obnoxious people. God's plan is for the church to be a place of acceptance, loving equality, and security for everyone. A place we're accepted even if we mess up big time or are in bondage to harmful addictions or compulsions.

Question. Why do we resist the Biblical call to family life in the church? One reason is the differences in our temperaments and personalities. We've got artistic, creative, thoughtful, reflective people. We also have abrasive, demanding, insecure family members. Some are sports fanatics who live for the competitive moment.

Becoming believers doesn't instantly change us into exciting conversationalists, sensitive listeners or caring companions. The truth is, we can still be cranky, dull, insensitive, and thin-skinned. But we are brothers and sisters in the process of growing up together into a spiritual family!

When some early Christians were dropping out of the community and pursuing their own private interests, the writer of the letter to the Hebrews urged that they nurture their precious gift of community by, "not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another," (Hebrews 10:25.)

Bishop Winfree said, "Our community with one another consists solely in what Christ has done for both of us." That's part of our problem, we leave Jesus out of our social relationships. We meet for what we can get, not for how Christ's name can be honored through the quality of our community. Please remember, biblical unity is not an option. It is a condition for the blessing of Almighty God in our lives, homes and churches.

II. God's Visualizes the Impact of Harmonious Relationships.
"For harmony is as precious as the fragrant anointing oil that was poured over Aaron's head and ran down onto his beard and onto the border of his robe. God gave Moses the recipe for the fragrant anointing oil. In the Bible oil is symbolic of the Holy Spirit. Pouring the oil over the person's head is a picture that they have the anointing of the Holy Spirit. You'll notice that its not a quick spray job with Pam, the oil is poured.

When we see other people in our church as God's anointed, our relationships are positively impacted. We see God accepting, anointing and using imperfect people to bless others. We accept others by making a decision to open our lives to them.

Notice, the second picture of harmony in a community. "Harmony is as refreshing as the dew on Mount Herm on, on the mountains of Israel." Mount Harmon's elevation is 9200 feet, the highest mountain in that part of the world. The picture of heavy alpine dew speaks of morning freshness.

A community of faith flourishes when we view each other with expectancy, wondering what God will do today in each others lives. We are new persons each morning with endless possibilities. It is impossible to feel bored or alienated in such a community. I want New Hope to be a place where each person is taken seriously. "Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!"

The last line of the psalm concludes that the good and delightful life together is where "the LORD has commanded the blessing, life for evermore." "And God has pronounced this eternal blessing on Jerusalem, even life forevermore." (Psalm 133:1-3 TLB) When it says the "blessing of unity is commanded," it means that God has determined it to be.

Today I determine to live in harmonious unity with my New Hope brothers and sisters because I want God's blessing. Because, biblical unity is not an option. It is a condition for the blessing of Almighty God in our lives, homes and churches.

III. If New Hope is a Biblical Community, Why Do I Feel So lonely?
Some people are shy and introverted and never seem to fit in any church. Others still think like little children and come to church for what they can get, not what they can give. Beat up hurting people are welcome to come and get all the TLC that's necessary for health and wholeness. The injured are in no condition to give, but one day you'll be whole and then God wants you to give to other bruised people.

I chose to stay away from the social events because they don't turn me on. We don't stop to think that someone will be there who needs the encouragement of our presence. Someone may also be there to check out the Christian community. Imagine how refreshing the event would be if we came speaking words of acceptance, affection, appreciation, approval and attention. Everyone would go home saying, "WOW!! What a wonderful party."

Second, when I am selective in my relationships I feel isolated. I try to experience community on the basis of my own needs or with those of the same social standing, political sensitivities and age. So the question is, "Why do I resist this call to community?" Part of me wants to be part of the community, but I consistently find ways to separate myself. I'm a walking contradiction.

Philip Slater, a sociologist, wrote a study of the American way of life called, Pursuit of Loneliness, Examining How We Live Together. He says that we all have the wish to live in trust and fraternal cooperation. But our actions contradict those wishes. We seek private houses, transportation, gardens, laundries, self-service stores, and do-it-yourself skills of every kind.

An enormous technology seems to have made it unnecessary to ask anything of another in the course of our daily business. The more privacy we have, the more lonely we are when we get it. We have fewer meetings with our fellow man to share and exchange. More and more we often encounter him as an impediment or a nuisance. We crowd the highways rushing nowhere in particular polluting our air. We are the lonely generation and many of us like it that way."

Philip Slater is describing sinful independence, prideful self-sufficiency and individualism. Satan is the father of isolation and loneliness. Jesus calls us into Christian community so we can encourage one another to live excellent lives.

Paul encourages us to live in the spirit of Psalm 133 for the glory of God. "May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 15:5)

Notice how Paul exhorted the Ephesian and Colossian believers, "Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." (Ephesians 4:3-6) "And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." (Colossians 3:14)

"How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore." Unity is to God's people what water is to a farmer. Take away a congregation's unity, and the church becomes a lifeless desert.

Conclusion:
I sense God calling us to make the following Biblical choices.

I choose to attend church with the attitude of a giver, not a taker.
Today I choose to widen my circle of contacts at New Hope.
I choose to view each person as God's unique gift to me.
I affirm that it's good and pleasant when believers dwell together in unity."
I receive the blessing God promised for those who live in unity.
TLC Discussion Questions
Is harmony an elusive dream or has it characterized your life?
Was your childhood characterized by discord or harmony. To what do you attribute that condition?
Read Psalm 133 and describe your initial reaction to it.
How do Psalm 68:6 and 107:41 enforce Psalm 133:1?
Describe the two word pictures that David gives of harmony. Share a contemporary word picture.
Why is harmony so important to God? John 17:20-23
What is God's reward for unity and how might you expect to experience that reward? Psalm 133:3
Discuss the implications of being our brother's keeper in the church family. Does that restrict our freedom by placing higher demands on our lives. How do we live in balance?
My purpose is to see everyone and everybody in our Lord's Church blessed and their needs met. I believe in unity, equality and the love of God for all people. We all made from one man's blood so this makes us all family here on earth. ( Acts 17:26 ) ( Rom's 4:12 ) ( 1Cor 15:22 )

We thank all of you for your love, prayers and financial gifts and we are here when you need us:

Bishop James & Betty R Winfree Ministries
P.O.Box 5293
Houston, Texas 77262
http://www.freewebs.com/winfreeministries
www.myspace.com/bishopwinfree
bishopwinfree057@aol.com
jawin05@sbcglobal.net
Home office ( 713 ) 791-0913

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I wonder if he can smell her Kunt?

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