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Unity and Chaos
Commentary by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)The aim of what we are witnessing in this nation and this world is unity, a modern global unity being created with a diabolical power behind it. This unity, sought through education in theology, sociology, economics, and governments, strives to make most of us think alike, as commonality is the foundation of unity. When this nation was founded, it had a solid, God-fearing biblical foundation, and order and prosperity hinged on the population adhering to biblical character standards, achieving unity through fear of God and respect for His word. However, changes in theology and the removal of God and godly principles from schools have led to a waning of this fear and respect, weakening ties to the past and fostering confusion. The current radical administration is racing to change America into a form disconnected from its history and Constitution, leading toward socialism and a global vision that destroys the sovereignty of individual nations. This push for global unity, evident in economic alliances like the G20, creates consternation and chaos, contrary to God's desire for individual sovereign nations as best for His purposes.
Understanding Unity
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. RitenbaughDisunity pervades the modern world, appearing in radical Islam's fracturing of nations, rising divorce rates, political bickering, shifting national coalitions, illegal immigration diluting cultural cohesion, and even hundreds of splintered groups claiming to be the true church. This disunity is described as a way of life since Adam and Eve's separation from God and Cain's murder of Abel, revealing that carnal unity is almost always short-lived, existing only when people perceive immediate personal advantage. A key principle emerges: sin can temporarily unite people, but it always ultimately separates them. The Garden of Eden illustrates this—Adam and Eve's disobedience created division from God and from life itself, even though they never intended such an outcome. This shows that carnal unity, forged through wrongdoing, carries within it the seed of eventual disintegration. The account of Cain's jealousy-driven murder of Abel further demonstrates how negative qualities—anger, envy, rivalry—inevitably fracture relationships that might otherwise unite. Proverbs 1 vividly portrays carnal unity in the form of criminal conspiracy: sinners inviting others to "cast in your lot among us; let us all have one purse," binding themselves together through shared wrongdoing. Yet this cooperation is doomed, for "they lay wait for their own blood." The narratives of David and Bathsheba, and later Amnon, Tamar, and Absalom, confirm that sin's leavening effect spreads destruction beyond the original participants, proving there is no such thing as a victimless sin even when God forgives. The Tower of Babel offers perhaps the clearest picture of carnal unity's power and peril. The people achieved a threefold unity—under Nimrod's leadership, through common language, and through common purpose—demonstrating how much more can be accomplished through cooperation than through isolated effort, as Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 also affirms. Yet this unity was directed toward evil, prompting God to confound their language and scatter them. This reveals that unity itself is not inherently good; its moral value depends entirely on the purpose it serves. Sometimes division—like the destruction of Babel's carnal unity—is itself a good and necessary outcome. Even within the early church, the God-given gift of tongues, initially intended to unify, was later abused in ways that created confusion and division, showing that even sacred things, when handled carnally, produce disunity rather than harmony. This pattern of carnal unity stands in direct contrast to the unity Christ sought in His prayer of John 17, where He asked five times that His followers be one, even as He and the Father are one. That spiritual oneness requires sanctification—being separated by truth—rather than mere cooperation for worldly advantage. Obedience to God unifies believers with Him while separating them from the world, whereas carnal unity, however strong or productive in the short term, ultimately fails because it is not rooted in righteousness. The overarching lesson is that only unity built upon truth, self-sacrifice, and submission to God's governance can endure, while unity built upon shared sin or worldly advantage inevitably collapses.
Unity (2006)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughLike the symphony orchestra, only as an instrumentalist submits to the leader, working with the other members of the ensemble, can unity be accomplished.
Babel: Man's Way vs. God's Way
Sermonette by Christian D. HunterAt Babel, the people were of one mind but in total rebellion to God. The events at Babel and the events at Pentecost differentiate God's way and man's way.
Conspiracy Theory (Part Seven)
Commentary by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)Satan has done a good job of sabotaging the educational system of this nation, a deliberate effort by those motivated by a desire for wealth and power.
Purpose-Driven Churches (Part 6)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe Purpose-driven churches at the end time will have joined in the effort of a one-world government and making no attempt to come out of the world.
The March Toward Globalism (Part One)
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)The cat has been let out of the bag in terms of plans to establish a New World Order, possibly the precursor or foundation for the Beast of Revelation.
Purpose-Driven Churches (Part 5)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughPurpose-driven churches experience exponential growth through tolerating any belief. These churches would sacrifice any doctrine if it stands in the way of growth.
What I Believe About Conspiracy Theories
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe drive toward one world government is a transparent reality having several biblical prototypes, all inspired by demonic opposition to God's rule.
The Handwriting is on the Wall: Conspiracies
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)Conspiracies by political actors have led to grasping at power. We must not worry about conspiracies, but instead align ourselves with God's Kingdom.
Purpose-Driven Churches (Part 8)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughGod has to know whether we will be loyal and our convictions are anchored in His law. The tests we are going through now are preparing us for His kingdom.
Purpose-Driven Churches (Part 4)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughOutcome-based religion holds large membership as its measure of success, believing that the ends justify the means. It avoids doctrine that might divide.
What's So Bad About Babylon? (2003) (Part 1)
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. RitenbaughAt the foundation of Babylon, as seen in Genesis 11, the people were unified in their carnal ambition to build a city and a tower reaching to heaven, driven by a desire for self-glory and rebellion against God's command to spread across the earth. This unity was not rooted in trust in God but in human pride and the pursuit of achievement through their own reasoning, setting a precedent for a system opposed to God's will. Their single language facilitated this unified effort, enabling them to imagine and pursue unrestrained ambitions, which prompted God to intervene by confounding their speech and scattering them to halt the rapid development of this evil system. This carnal unity, initially thwarted by God, reveals the inherent danger of Babylon as a system built on human self-reliance and idolatry. It stands as a vivid lesson of humanity's misguided attempts at oneness without God, resulting in confusion and judgment. In the end-time, as Babylon re-emerges as a worldwide influence, this same carnal spirit of pride and self-sufficiency persists, seducing through physical gratification and appealing to ambition, posing a spiritual threat to God's people by fostering complacency and distraction from His purpose.