Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
This passage of scripture teaches us that our main goal and purpose in life, after being saved by the grace of God, is to share that which we have seen, heard, and felt of Christ, with all who we come in contact with. It is a fact that we come from different backgrounds, from various cultures, where a set way of doing things has been ingrained into our very being. Some of us have come from the Caribbean, where the culture there has emerged from some of the more grueling experiences of slavery in our fore parents, and as a result, our expressions and our interactions with one another have been molded by a deep sense of communal living.
Others have come from a European setting, where many activities are carried out according to the letter of the law, with a rigid and learned form of courtesy being the norm, although in that capacity, the cultural heritage is just as genuine and real as that in the West Indies. These differences of cultural backgrounds are never to be allowed to interfere with that oneness of purpose which is stated in the great commission, for whatever out heritage may be, we are Christians first and foremost. In other words, an English man who has accepted Christ as Lord and Savior, ought to be a Christian first, and then an Englishman, and the same goes for the Caribbean man who has espoused the cause of Christ.
The great commission given us by Christ, together with the unifying agency of The Holy Spirit, is to trump all other concerns in matters of priority, and to this end all of our energies, efforts, and thoughts should be directed. The disciples of Christ came from different backgrounds, but when faced with the challenge of taking the gospel to the entire then known world, they put their differences aside, and on the day of Pentecost they were fully united in heart, mind, and purpose, so that The Holy Ghost could then work effectively through each of them. Let's read:
Acts 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost"...
Thus it should be in our day and in our own experiences, we should be willing to lay aside our personal preferences and cultural heritage if doing so will facilitate that singleness of purpose that is needed to take the everlasting gospel to a dying world. Towards this end we should then focus our efforts, and the non-essentials which often breed divisiveness will fade into nothingness, in the face of the momentous task before our faces. Let us then ask God for His Holy Spirit each day, so that we may work in harmony with God's grand purpose for our lives, for in so doing, we will be able to present to the world a united front upon a platform of truth, which will be a force to be reckoned with in earth's final crisis.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which encourages us to stay united in heart and mind and purpose, so that the will of God in bringing many sons and daughters into glory, can be materialized. Let's read:
1st Corinthians 12:5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit. 11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. 12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His word. "Good night" and God bless!