GREAT THINGS ENTERPRISE
CLAUDE BLACK
Mark 9:39
In Jesus’ Name
Like many churches, Bayview Chapel in Kaneohe, Hawaii, shares its facilities with another congregation—a Samoan congregation. A Baptist church in Franklin County, Georgia, also shares its facilities with a Korean congregation. Recently, a story circulated about a church that suffered near-total destruction of its facilities in a tornado, afterwards a neighboring church invited it to use its building during the rebuilding process.
Such cooperation among churches and believers, often with different historical liturgies, is reminiscent of what Jesus faced when his disciples encountered other believers working in Jesus’ name, but who were not part of their small band. John told Jesus that they tried to stop them. “But Jesus said, ‘Do not forbid him, for there is no one who will perform a miracle in my name and be able quickly to speak evil of me. For he who is not against us is for us.’” (Mark 9:39-40)
During this Christmas season, that message of cooperation, friendliness, unity provides a timely lesson.
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