Archive:
Author: Andrew Mackay

One Mediator

There is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus. – 1 Timothy 2:5 – There is only one way to God and that is through Jesus Christ. All other roads are false. All other means of approaching God and satisfying His justice will only provoke Him to wrath. No good works we do will ever be enough, which is why we...

Supporting Outreach to the Homeless in New Jersey

This Christian homeless shelter in New Jersey offers emergency shelter to the homeless men and women of their community. They also offer a 36-week rehabilitation program designed to assist individuals in the recovery and healing of their lives — spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically. Through spiritual mentorship, life classes, and accountability, those who participate regain what they have lost through substance abuse and poor choices. The Be...

Joints and Bones

“Joined and knit together by what every joint supplies.” – Ephesians 4:16 – I know some brothers who would make splendid people if everyone else were dead, for they are very loving and friendly toward themselves. They would be just the sort of folk to become hermits—shut them up in a cave with a bucket of water and a loaf of bread, and all their virtues...

Teaching Unity in Rome

A staff member at a large church in Rome, Italy, studies one of our Premium Collection books, titled “Peace and Healing.” It was our pleasure to partner with a US church to send a seminary-trained pastor to Italy to teach on the importance of biblical Christian unity and then gift the church leadership with copies of our Premium Collection. We hope that God reveals His passion...

Are We in a Battle?

Among the divisions of Reuben there were great resolves of heart … Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan, and why did Dan remain on ships? Asher continued at the seashore, and stayed by his inlets. – Judges 5:15–17 – When the Lord called His people to fight against the king of Canaan, several tribes refused to come. Their interests lay elsewhere. The tribe of Reuben considered helping the other tribes but...

Supporting Medical Outreach in Mexico

This Christian soup kitchen in Ciudad Victoria, Mexico, meets the needs of indigent families through the supply of food and friendship with local believers. On Saturdays, a medical doctor visits the kitchen, examining those who need medical attention. This service is of great importance to the underprivileged, as there are not any medical clinics nearby and transportation can be difficult to obtain. It is a powerful demonstration...

The Profit of All

There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all. – 1 Corinthians 12:4–7 – The one God exists eternally as three distinct persons: the Father,...

Supporting Christian Orphanages in Uganda

Two girls celebrate a safe place to call home. For many children throughout the nation of Uganda, there is no assurance of safety. Abuse, neglect and abandonment run rampant, and those whose parents have become victims of the growing AIDS epidemic are often dropped off by relatives at local dumps or turned out into the streets to fend for themselves. Not these two! They have been...

Supporting Christian Schools

With the help of the Be United in Christ Outreach Ministry, this Christian school is moving forward with their mission to reach the lost and teach the saved in one of the fastest growing communities in Florida. Almost doubling in size in less than ten years, this community is now home to many new families looking for a place to belong. The school and the overseeing...

Blessed Are the Peacemakers

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. – Matthew 5:9 – The Lord Jesus Christ begins His Sermon on the Mount by outlining the anatomy of a truly blessed soul. He defines real spiritual health. He does not speak as the world speaks, because the blessedness He offers does not fit the world’s pattern. His kingdom is not of this world...

Teaching Christian Unity in the Philippines

Ministry students receive Be United in Christ Outreach Ministry resources to help further their education on the important topic of biblical Christian unity. In the Philippines, just 2% of the population considers themselves to be Protestant/Christian. There is much work to be done here, and these students will now be prepared with training on what the Bible really says about Christian unity so that they can...

Christian Drug Rehabilitation in Mexico

Believers gather to pray over a new Christian rehabilitation center in Mexico. At this center, men will be provided with housing and food at no charge as they go through the program. We’ve been blessed to support the international ministry that oversees the center. They work to take the message of Jesus Christ to the nations by reaching out to all members of society—even those who...

The Pursuit of Peace

Let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. – Romans 14:19 – Peace does not happen by accident. We must pursue the things that make for peace. Human beings naturally quarrel and manipulate to get what they want. However, it takes effort to resist our impulses, rest in the gospel of peace, and pursue...

Partnering to Feed the Homeless

The Be United in Christ Outreach Ministry provides funding for a homeless outreach in Ohio, cared for by Only Believe Ministries Christian Center. Each week, 75 to 100 less fortunate individuals come out to be fed and are taught the Word of God while they are eating. This is another example of two Christian organizations united together to impact the world! “Sell your possessions and...

One in Christ

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. – Galatians 3:28 Throughout church history we have struggled to embrace the truth of this verse. All of us are one in Christ Jesus, which means ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and gender mean nothing when standing before God. All of...

Supporting Christian Schools in Kenya

In Narok, Kenya, children under the age of 14 make up 51% of the total population. Families throughout this region are often large and struggle with poverty. There is not enough money for them to send their children to local private schools, so elementary-aged students like the boys pictured here walk miles to attend a free school. This group of students celebrated the arrival of an...

The Toll of Conflict

But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another. – Galatians 5:15 NLT Conflict takes a heavy toll on our relationships and on our churches. Every careless sentence spoken for the sake of winning an argument disrupts our fellowship with one another. Harsh words are like piranha bites wounding and tearing Christ’s body. If conflict continues, the...

Digging a Well in Uganda

The Be United in Christ Outreach Ministry sponsored the building of this hand-dug well in Kampala, Uganda. Now, more than 50,000 people throughout the region are able to have daily access to clean drinking water. This is an example of how Christian unity impacts the world! “When the poor and needy search for water and there is none, and their tongues are parched from thirst, then...

Called to Something Better

You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world? – 1 Corinthians 3:3 NLT Followers of Jesus Christ are not to live like people of the world. We are not to live in envy, strife, and division. These vices belong to worldly people, not to...

Providing Hands on Help in Rural Mexico

A church worker sponsored by the Be United in Christ Outreach Ministry paints the school compound of a tiny village in rural Mexico. Later on, she and other workers assisted a local pastor who has been struggling to acquire a piece of land upon which to build a permanent location for their church. “The greatest among you must be a servant.” Matthew 23:11

Bear with the Weak

We who are strong must be considerate of those who are sensitive about things like this. We must not just please ourselves. (Romans 15:1 NLT) The strength Paul refers to is a strength of faith, the firm conviction that Jesus Christ paid for sin, fulfilled the Law, and set us free to enjoy the gifts of God for His glory. The conscience of those who...

Teaching Christian Unity in Kasese Uganda

Pastors’ wives in Kasese, Uganda, express their appreciation and excitement over the books we donated to their ministry. The message of Bible-based Christian unity is critically important, and pastors in this region are committed to learning more, teaching accurately, and praying for God to unify believers in their communities.

The Lamb is Worthy

“You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth.” (Revelation 5:9-10, NKJV) Someday these words will be sung in honor of Jesus...

Sharing the good news

By God’s grace, the Be United in Christ Outreach Ministry was honored to partner with Jewish Voice Ministries International to reach the children of Chitsungo, Zimbabwe. During this school outreach, 238 children learned about the Christian faith and the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ. They also received Personal LifeStraw water filters, which will provide them with clean drinking water for an entire year. “Jesus said,...

Love Is a Duty

“Believers have a duty of affectionate, sincere, genuine love in all things towards one another; a love compared to that of Christ for the church.” ~ John Owen* The modern mind finds these kinds of statements quite offensive. Christians tend to find them offensive as well. How dare anyone tell them who to love, and how much! We do not like our affections being commanded....

Supporting a Christian School in Meru, Kenya

It is shocking to think that more than one million children do not attend school in Kenya. For those that do, many walk several miles each way to class and do not eat until they return home each evening. Getting an education takes sacrifice, both personal and familial. This is why the Be United in Christ Outreach Ministry, by God’s grace, makes such an effort...

Spurgeon Answers, “What Is the Unity of the Spirit?”

Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:3) Let us ask ourselves, “Do we have the unity of the Spirit?” No one can have it except those who have the Spirit, and the Spirit only dwells in born again, believing souls. By virtue of having the Spirit, every believer is in unity with every other spiritual person, and...

Supporting Christian Schools

Here you see the first class of a new Christian school established in Paynesville, Liberia. Liberia is Africa’s first republic. The nation has undergone great unrest in the last twenty years, including a violent civil war, which left more than 250,000 dead, and a 3-year outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus, which killed approximately 11,000. The Be United in Christ Outreach Ministry has collaborated with Christian...

The Patience of the Lord Reconciles Us

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9 NKJV) Let us be constantly thankful to the Lord for His marvelous patience toward us. If He was quick-tempered or unwilling to bear with our folly and sin until the day of...

Feeding Hungry Children

Rio Blanco, Honduras is a shanty town, home to 3,000 men, women, and children. Networking with a local church, by God’s grace, the Be United in Christ Outreach Ministry was able to help the church build a new sanctuary and start a feeding program for impoverished children in their community. Today, over 100 children are fed each week by the church! Imagine the opportunities church leaders...

Reintroducing the Be United in Christ Outreach Ministry

In case you’ve missed it, with all the hubbub of the last few months, we want to invite you to explore our website! And, since you’re here, we thought we’d take this opportunity to reintroduce ourselves to you. The Be United in Christ Outreach Ministry was created by more than fifty individuals in ten states, united by a desire to see God’s will for Christian...

A Place to Sleep

These twelve orphan girls in Seeta, Uganda, are so happy to have a brand new dormitory, provided, by God’s grace, in partnership with the Be United in Christ Outreach Ministry. There are more than a thousand orphans in the area of Seeta due to economic crisis and sickness. Many of these children were dropped off by their families in the local dump and left for...

Breaking the Chains of Addiction

The Be United in Christ Outreach Ministry has partnered with Ohio Valley Teen Challenge to provide funding to a 250,000 sq.ft. Teen Challenge facility in Ohio. While attending this program, clients begin to break addictive habits and learn who God is and why they should entrust their lives to His leading. By the time the program ends, clients are ready to reintegrate within their community, engaging...

What Is Our Problem?

Your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear. (Isaiah 59:2) The sin that separates us from God is our deepest and most fundamental problem. Government is not the problem. Our spouse and children are not the problem. Our physical bodies are not the problem. Sin. That’s our deep problem. Our...

Supporting a Christian Orphanage in Russia

The Be United in Christ Outreach Ministry is honored to support missionaries to Russia in the building of Grace House, a Christian home for orphans and single Russian mothers who grew up in orphanages. They also receive and care for single mothers who have been involved in prostitution, a rampant problem across Russia. We were able to assist with the drilling of a well on the...

Truth and Unity

“Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” (John 17:17). Soon after Solomon died, Israel divided into a northern kingdom ruled by Jeroboam and a southern kingdom ruled by Rehoboam. Fearing he would lose his people’s allegiance if they kept returning to the temple in Jerusalem, Jeroboam made two gold idols for his subjects to worship and instituted a new priesthood to keep them...

Partnering with the Rescue Mission of the Mahoning Valley

One way we are impacting the world with Christian unity is through partnering with the Rescue Mission of the Mahoning Valley, a Christian-based homeless shelter in Ohio. Their goal is to serve and glorify God through a Christ-centered outreach of love and compassion that responds to the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of the disadvantaged without regard to color or creed. This mission not only focuses...

The Last Word

Starting a quarrel is like opening a floodgate, so stop before a dispute breaks out. (Proverbs 17:14 NLT) It takes courage and humility to let someone else have the last word in the midst of a disagreement. We want to get the last word in—to have the final say. We should exercise self-control and refrain instead. Such courage, humility, and self-control are necessary for the...

The Hope of Our Unity

And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.” (Revelation 21:3, NKJV) It’s difficult to find motivation for a cause that is doomed to fail. If going to the gym every day and putting ourselves...

The Important Distinction Between Unselfishness and Love

But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love. ~ 1 Corinthians 13:13 In his sermon titled the Weight of Glory, C.S. Lewis observes the significant shift in the understanding of virtue during modern times. “If you asked twenty good men today what they thought the highest of the virtues, nineteen of them would reply, Unselfishness. But if you...

With One Voice: Living in Unity to Glorify God

The ultimate aim of our unity as Christians is the glory of God. That is, to worship, honor, and exalt Him with one voice. Listen to how Paul closes his letter to the Romans: May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the...

Blessed Are the Peacemakers

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. (Matthew 5:9) The Lord Jesus Christ begins His Sermon on the Mount by outlining the anatomy of a truly blessed soul. He defines real spiritual health. He does not speak as the world speaks, because the blessedness He offers does not fit the world’s pattern. His kingdom is not of this world (John...

Unity with Christ Is Essential

[That we] may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ (Ephesians 4:15). Unity with Christ is essential to the life of His church. People sometimes lose a foot or a leg or an arm or an eye or an ear. It is remarkable how a person can continue to exist after they have lost several of their limbs, but they cannot...

Do Not Be a Cause for Stumbling

Let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way. (Romans 14:13) Passing judgment on other Christians is easy. Supporting their freedom in Christ is hard. Yet this is what the Lord requires. Some Christians feel free to wear jeans or shorts to church services. Others feel free to...

The Key to a Peaceful Life

You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. (Isaiah 26:3) The key to a peaceful life is a peaceful heart. We cannot dwell in peace with others if we are loaded down with anxiety and stress. Our minds will be too occupied with personal comfort and preservation to love other people. Unrest on the inside...

I Gave You an Example

He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet. (John 13:5) While Jesus was reclining with His disciples at the last supper, there arose “a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest” (Luke 22:24). So Jesus rose from the table, stripped off His garments, wrapped a towel about Him, and washed His disciples’ feet. Disciple...

We Are One

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (Ephesians 4:4–6 NKJV) As we pray and strive for unity in the church, it helps to remember that the church is already one. There...

Violating the Unity of the Spirit

Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. ~ Ephesians 4:3 Any church that lifts up its head on high and boasts over other churches has violated the unity of the Spirit. If other churches reply, “One is our Master, and we are all brothers,” they do not violate the unity of the Spirit, for they simply claim their rights...

4 Key Questions to Ask Before Helping Others Resolve Conflict

He who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own is like one who takes a dog by the ears. (Proverbs 26:17) Though helping to resolve conflict between fellow believers is an act of love, meddling in disputes is not. Inserting yourself into a conflict that isn’t yours is about as helpful as grabbing a pit bull by the ears. It will not...

The Causes of Conflict

“Stop contention before a quarrel starts.” (Proverbs 17:14) The best way to treat divisions is to avoid them. So to maintain peace we must identify and guard against the external and internal causes of conflict. The chief external threat to unity is God’s chief enemy, Satan. “He seeks to keep his own kingdom free from divisions but seeks nothing more than to cause divisions in the...

Humility

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. (Philippians 2:5–7) Pride is the main source of conflict, which makes humility essential for unity. Only humility...

Called to Something Better

You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world? (1 Corinthians 3:3, NLT) Followers of Jesus Christ are not to live like people of the world. We are not to live in envy, strife, and division. These vices belong to worldly people, not to those...

Pursue Peace

Let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. (Romans 14:19) Peace doesn’t happen by accident. We must pursue the things that make for peace. Human beings naturally quarrel and manipulate to get what they want. However, it takes effort to resist our impulses, rest in the gospel of peace, and pursue the things that produce...

Those Who Are Forgiven Must Love

“Her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.” Luke 7:47 Jesus was dining at a Pharisee’s house when a sinful woman came and washed His feet with her tears, dried them with her hair, and then anointed them with fragrant oil. The Pharisee was upset. If Jesus were truly a prophet, then...

Cultivating Unity

It’s 2020, and we begin our year with some solid, practical advice from the Prince of Preachers. The Be United in Christ Outreach Ministry exists to teach and promote Bible-based Christian unity. We hope to bring about real change in the body of Christ. Listen to Charles Spurgeon, in his sermon “True Unity Promoted”: “Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond...