Competition is the root cause of war, business takeovers, and marital discord. Solomon describes man's rivalry with one another as a striving after wind.

A curious phenomenon ties together several biblical stories: God makes a judgment and divides His people into two groups, often splitting them down the middle!

God instructed the Israelites to divide themselves by tribes on Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal to pronounce blessings and curses, providing lessons for us.

God commanded the Israelites to utter blessings from Mount Gerazim and curses from Mount Ebal, most of which deal with hidden sins that give rise to hypocrisy.

We must not allow ideological differences to overshadow our shared faith, far greater than the lesser issues which currently divide us.

Despite the often wrong-headed propaganda promoted by the mainstream media, voices of common sense and logic occasionally manage to ascend to power.

Among the six things that God hates (Proverbs 6:16) is those who sow discord among the brethren. Discord, though effective, never has a productive purpose.

The sin of pride underlies many of our other sins, and it is often the reason for the contentions we get into as brethren.

The peace that passes all understanding comes from yielding to God's will, asking Him for a soft, pliable heart to replace the hard heart of stubbornness.

John warns Gaius of the treachery of Diotrephes, who had initiated a mutiny against God's true ministers, putting out of the church those who did not follow him.

Because of our lack of self-discipline and willingness to guard the truth, we have allowed our theological base to deteriorate under the persuasion of the world.

Unity comes only through the initiation of God. If we would follow the suggestions in Romans 12, we could do our part in promoting unity in God's church.

Like the symphony orchestra, only as an instrumentalist submits to the leader, working with the other members of the ensemble, can unity be accomplished.

Satan champions self-opinion and mob behavior. God's church has never been immune to division because each member has only part of the truth.

God has placed us all in the body where it has pleased Him. We dare not imitate Satan by letting self-centered goals eclipse God's purpose.

As members of Christ's body, we must function for the good of the whole body, not competing with other parts. We must continually function as a son of God.

Confusion and separation have been man's legacy since Eden. Christ is working to put an end to division, enabling us to be one with the Father and each other.

We must realize we are walking on a razor's edge, with the Kingdom of God on one side and the world with all its sensual magnetic charms on the other side.

In God's vast experience, He knows that war produces hatreds that last for generations and destroys people's lives, reputations and potentials.

Have we convinced ourselves that unity of fellowship within our group, our congregation—our spiritual family—is just too hard?

We will become united as we draw closer to God. If we regard a brother in Christ as a competitor rather than as a trusted ally, unity will be impossible.

It is easy to follow in Satan's footsteps, courting his daughter Envy, reaping the disquiet which accompanies her. Envy comes from pushing God from our thoughts.

Each member of Christ's body must choose to function in the role God has ordained to produce unity, emulating Christ in striving to please the Father

The Bible takes a very dim view of argument, debate, discord, and strife. In all matters of contention, we must strive to put ourselves above the fray.

The epistle of James stresses both faith and works, emphasizing those factors necessary for growth, enabling us to produce a bountiful harvest of fruit.

Considering the events and trends exhibited in the modern church of God, will it follow the disastrous example of early second-century Christianity?

We must separate ourselves from the world, sacrificing ourselves to God's purpose to become at one with God, waiting for Him to unify us to others.

To fulfill one's purpose, one must be singularly focused on what one wants to accomplish. Divided minds result in no productivity or even devastation.

It is foolish and pointless to use the same charm, social skills, and duplicity toward God as we use to deceive others and, sadly, even ourselves.

Pride condemned Satan to a fate of manipulating rather than serving. This presumptuous self-centered trait creates disunity and ultimately destruction.

What does 'all in all' mean in relation to God and Christ? It has great significance to Christians today as they seek the Kingdom of God.

The church of God may have focused too intensely on elusive esoteric principles and neglected the basics, such as developing solid relationships.

God gave His approval for the destruction of the Worldwide Church of God into numerous groups, allowing heresies so He could see who really loves Him.

Every form of government fashioned by carnal human beings, including democracies and constitutional republics, are riddled with fatal flaws.

All unresolved—and that includes hidden—sins occupying the deep, dark recesses of our memory possess the ability to create a gap between us and God.

Our country is divided politically and culturally more than at any other time since the Civil War and the population as a whole has become more callused.

The pressures and conflicts that the church has undergone is part of the spirit of the time that has embroiled religious and political institutions worldwide.

The leavening indicates that the wave loaves speak to this life rather than the resurrection. It is accepted by God only because of the other sacrifices.

Persecution involves a wide spectrum, ranging from torture, physical beating, social excommunication, imprisonment and death. Our boldness should match Paul's.

If we allow the old, carnal man to dictate how we speak or make other decisions, we will trouble the household of God and inherit nothing but the wind.