The Anointing Oil of Harmony

How wonderful it is, how pleasant, when brothers live together in harmony!  For harmony is as precious as the fragrant anointing oil that was poured over Aaron’s head, that ran down his beard. (Psa. 133:1-2 NLT)

In many years of living, (don’t laugh, some of you are older than me) I have been fortunate enough to learn a few things.  Even as an old dog, I find that, if I do not close my mind, I can still learn. As we get older, we discover that it doesn’t always have to be our way.  We find that other people’s opinions are of value and maybe we should listen more, and speak less.  We realize, sometimes too late, that holding a grudge doesn’t benefit anyone, regardless of how we might have been wronged, or feel slandered.  I suppose that you could say we mellow as we get older, but I would like to think that we simply become more responsive to the Holy Spirit.  Things in the word of God that we couldn’t quite wrap our brain around suddenly become clear and revealed.

Over the years I have had many instances where I felt that I or a member of my family weren’t treated right.  My personality is such, that my first impulse is to physically or verbally attack someone in an effort to make things right.  I come from a long line of grudge holders.

Many of us, even after accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior or our lives, hold on to things that we should have long ago, left behind.  Something that someone said or did to us, or something they did to a friend or family member.   We forget, that in Philippians, Paul said to “forget those things which are behind” and look to the future.

We have all been subjected to those types of things in our lives.  As president of the local CMA chapter, I felt betrayed and hurt when someone pulled out of the chapter to start another ministry and took half of our chapter with them.  I was ready to throw up my hands and quit.  I felt pain, mental anguish, and could not understand what I had done wrong.

I have attended church where members would jump on Libby and I when we missed a service because we had been at a rally trying to win someone to Jesus.  We all have had friends all but shun us because we wouldn’t join their denomination or pulled out of the church when their teaching conflicted with what we felt like the Word of God taught.  We have all felt the mental and emotional distress when we wanted everyone to join us at a particular rally or event and they never showed up to participate.

In most of these incidents in our lives, the parties involved have all been what we considered brothers and sisters in the Lord.  Nothing hurts like the feeling of pain that comes when we feel like we have been betrayed by a member of our spiritual family. That brings me to the nuts and bolts of this discourse.  I have discovered, in these years of living that we are never all going to agree on some things in life.  That’s why there are different political parties.  There are over 2000 different Christian denominations because folks just don’t agree over an interpretation of the Word.  There are hundreds of ministries, because folks have different opinions as to where they should minister.  Some feel Bike Rallies are more important than Prison Ministry.  Some even feel that a particular type of bikers are more important that another.  Or it may even be a brand of motorcycle that someone feels different about.  Bottom line, we are all different.

Over the last year or two, we have seen members of our organization pull away and start their own ministry.  There is any number of reasons, but the primary reason is that they felt God had called them into that ministry.  Because of the hurt and betrayal we feel, too often the Devil rises up and uses that to create diversity in the Body of Christ.  We play right into his hands, and he has had thousands of years of experience in manipulating the mind of man, to turn him against his brother.

My goal  is that once again there will be harmony among brothers and sisters, regardless of ministry affiliation, denomination, race or ethnic back ground.  I am tired of the Devil pitting us one against the other. David says in Psalms 133, that brothers living (ministering) together is like the anointing oil that set the priest’s apart for the work of God.

We are all, whether we are CMA, Highways and Hedges, Tribe of Judah, Endtime Warriors, Heavenly Riders or whatever, all working for the same Jesus.  It is time to extend a hand of fellowship and look toward the future.  Yes, all of us have at times been hurt.  Members of other ministries may have said or done things that caused us hurt.  Don’t judge a ministry, club or church by the actions of one or two members.  Some of our own folks have said or done things that I am ashamed of, and wondered, “what the heck were they thinking”.   Not everyone is going to agree with me, and this old dog can accept that.  But my responsibility is not to please man.  My responsibility is to please my Jesus, and win souls for the kingdom.

In the Wind,

Double D