Websters definition of Unity is "being one." Without unity there is not body. We are united in Christ with the main goal of making it to heaven and seeing souls get saved through the blood of Jesus.

Unity is not just a New Testament phenomenon. Aaron and Hur holding up Moses' arms (Exodus 17:12) is an example of helping one another.

Judges 20:11 says: "All the men of Israel were gathered against the city, knit together as one."

Isaiah 11:1-7 talks about the Lamb and Lion lying together which is a representative of different people coming to the kingdom of God and dwelling together.

Are we united with the people of God? Where do we stand on unity?

True salvation and sanctification unites us together.

Isaiah 2:1-2 says: "The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall come to pass in the last days,

that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways. and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem".

God's plan is not for division but that God's people are one. The mountain Isaiah is talking about is for God's people that serve Him with their whole heart, mind, soul and strength. It is very important for God's people to strive for oneness.

The definition of the word oneness means being formed in parts that constitute the whole.

There are 2 purposes in this example on God's people being in unity:

1. Live for God
2. Help others find Christ

Romans 12:5 "So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another".

If we are saved we are members one of another. We must consider one another. How is our concern for one another? God put a love on our hearts and it is important to express that to one another.

Galations 3:28 "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus."

This scripture tells us that all these divisions in the religious world is not from God and God is not the author of confusion. (1 Corinthians 14:23)

Ephesians 4:11-13 - God's goal for us is that we all come to the unity of the faith and the fullness of the stature of Christ.

1 Corinthians 1:10 "Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgement".

We have to know what the Word of God says so that we can be in unity to what the Word teaches us.

True unity produces single mindedness. Single mindedness means we have a single purpose to create in us a unity that God can be pleased with.

2 Corinthians 13:11 talks about being of one mind which is the mind of Christ.

Things come against the flesh and we cannot back up. It is important as a christian that we allow God to help us release things of "habit" that are of the flesh and contrary to the Spirit of God.

James 4:7 states that we are to draw nigh to God and even though it may hurt the flesh to change those things that are not pleasing to God it is a good thing to be obediant to the scriptures.

James 1:8 talks about the double minded man. God wants us to be stable and firm. We need to know where we are at, headed and going when it comes to serving God.

The flesh or "self" wants "self satisfaction" but we need to stay focused on the Lord and by doing that we will have the victory over the flesh everyday. Being in submission to God's plan and purpose in our lives is key to spiritual prosperity.

There is a way to have victory over all the power of the enemy. Paul admonished the saints in James Chapter 4 for getting involved in things they shouldn't get involved in and how they can get back on track in their relationship with God.

James 4:1-4 says: "From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whoseoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." These folks were drawing close to the world.

Do you want to have victory over all the power of the enemy? It is there for anyone who wants it. James 4:7 "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."  Humility will cause you to submit to one another. We will not be able to resist the devil if we are not submissive. The enemy doesn't have anything on a christian if the christian is submitting to God.

Things we have to do:

• Submit
• Resist
• Draw Nigh
• Cleanse
• Purify
• Be Afflicted
• Mourn
• Humble ourselves
• Speak not evil of one another

James 4:7-11 Submit yourselves there to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. Speak not evil one of another.

Endeavoring is an action word. It means to strive to achieve or reach, to attempt (as the fulfillment of an obligation) by exertion of effort. Ephesians 4:3 tells us that a christian must "endeavor to keep

When we strive for unity, we have peace not only amongst ourselves but also within us as individuals. Colossians 3:15 says "let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful".  Allowing the peace of God to rule in our hearts is a fruit of the Spirit.

And when we as christians endeavor to have peace we will have unity with one another the way God ordained for us as Christians. Ephesians 4:16 "From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love".

We have to work at unity, by being humble, carrying a burden, and considering others before ourselves. Peace is the factor in the equation that allows us to have unity. When we have peace we don't have envy, strife. With unity we have a common goal and purpose which is to make heaven our home but to also see others make it to heaven. We want to see souls saved.

Jeremiah 6: 15-19 The old Paths ( Hebrew: Olam Natheb - the Eternal Way.)

Everyone stands in the WAYS. God was passing serious judgment on Israel when he gave this council. What way are we going to ask for? That word Ask comes from the Hebrew word Shawal which means to demand or pray for.The World as we know it today including the United States has replied to God that they will not walk in the Old Paths.

We studied about the benefits of Salvation and the corresponding promises of God. When we live for God with victory over sin, God loads us daily with benefits.

We continued our Study on James chapter 4 this week on staying humble (and the trouble that Pride can get us into). The first 6 verses of James Chapter 4 illustrates what happens when we lose the battle against the flesh and verses 7-17 admonishes and teaches us how to keep the victory over the flesh

Pride gets a lot of people in trouble in a lot of ways. In James Chapter 4, The Elder James chastises the Church in General for not being humble before God and resisting the flesh and the Devil.