The Evidence of Unity

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”
John 17:20-23


Not far from my home is a village which has a church on each of four corners of the main intersection passing through that town. It is supposed to be one of the only locations in the United States where you can find this. I remember pointing this out to someone some time ago and was, at first, taken aback by their reaction. Essentially they commented on how sad it was that there existed so many ‘divisions’ within the church that such a small town would need four different churches.
Did I mention that this person was not a believer?
They were actually more perceptive than I was at that moment.
We have been talking about ‘unity’ this week.
Please understand that the bible speaks of a ‘…unity of the Spirit…’ and not a ‘unity of doctrine’. As long as we are in the flesh, when you put two different people together in the same room there will always be differences. However, Jesus clearly prayed in the text above that our being “…brought to complete unity…” would be evidence, to the world, of two things – First, that the Father sent the Son; and second that the Father loves us as He loves His Son.
You see; those four churches spoke to my friend of division; but Jesus prayed that when we were brought to complete unity it also would speak volumes to the world.
Unity provides evidence.
Unity provides the evidence of the relationship between the Father and the Son and each one of us. Ask God to help you grow in unity with your brothers and sisters in Christ. Give the world all the evidence they need!

Unity Through Vision

“Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?”
Amos 3:3

A synonym for the word ‘unity’ is the word ‘agreement’. Today’s scripture poses a question concerning the ability of two to walk together only after agreeing to do so. In this short verse we find much concerning unity and vision married together. The man or woman who walks in unity with the leadership of their local church is the one who has said: “Yes, I understand the vision and agree with it.” If we disagree with the vision, it is often only a question of time before we create ‘division’ or ‘divided vision’. In Mark 3:25 Jesus said: “If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” Unity comes when there is agreement with the vision God has given to a church amongst those who are committed to that church. Too often people attend a church, not based on the vision of that house, but because it is a convenient distance from their home, has a dynamic children’s or youth ministry, is the place their parents and grandparents attended or a host of other reasons. While none of these reasons, in and of themselves, may be wrong they can quickly bring division if they are allowed to be a primary motivation for our attendance. Are you committed to the vision of the house? Do you walk in unity and agreement with the leadership God has provided?
Walking together means walking side-by-side, in the same direction and with the same destination in mind.
Walking together requires agreement and that agreement is found through vision. Compare that statement with the definition of unity found in Webster’s dictionary:
the quality of being one in spirit, sentiment, purpose; harmony and agreement. You can see, then, how unity requires me to be a part and to do my part in agreement with the vision of the house.
Are you walking in agreement with the vision of the house? A synonym for the word ‘unity’ is the word ‘agreement’. Today’s scripture poses a question concerning the ability of two to walk together only after agreeing to do so. In this short verse we find much concerning unity and vision married together. The man or woman who walks in unity with the leadership of their local church is the one who has said: “Yes, I understand the vision and agree with it.” If we disagree with the vision, it is often only a question of time before we create ‘division’ or ‘divided vision’. In Mark 3:25 Jesus said: “If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” Unity comes when there is agreement with the vision God has given to a church amongst those who are committed to that church. Too often people attend a church, not based on the vision of that house, but because it is a convenient distance from their home, has a dynamic children’s or youth ministry, is the place their parents and grandparents attended or a host of other reasons. While none of these reasons, in and of themselves, may be wrong they can quickly bring division if they are allowed to be a primary motivation for our attendance. Are you committed to the vision of the house? Do you walk in unity and agreement with the leadership God has provided?
Walking together means walking side-by-side, in the same direction and with the same destination in mind.
Walking together requires agreement and that agreement is found through vision. Compare that statement with the definition of unity found in Webster’s dictionary:
the quality of being one in spirit, sentiment, purpose; harmony and agreement. You can see, then, how unity requires me to be a part and to do my part in agreement with the vision of the house.
Are you walking in agreement with the vision of the house?

No Greater Support System Possible

“Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death……For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest.”
Hebrews 2:14a, 16-17

Suppose you needed some encouragement and support in an area of your life that you had been struggling in or to accomplish the mission and purposes for which you were created? Now suppose you could find words of encouragement from someone who had faced a similar issue but had pressed through it with success and victory or another person who, though they may be willing to help, had never faced anything remotely close to what you were going through.
Given the opportunity most would choose the one who made it through in victory because there is a perspective and wisdom there we desperately need to hear. How much infinitely more so would our advocate and intercessor in heaven, Jesus Christ, be able to offer assistance and encouragement?
Maybe as you read the posts on this blog, they have challenged you and you so much want to accomplish God’s plans and purposes for your life.
Be assured of this, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are on your side to see you through.
If you can top that trio let me know!
So often we approach life as if God is, at worst, an enemy or, at best, indifferent to us. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Those who, by faith, have become Abraham’s descendant’s and made Jesus Christ savior and Lord can be assured that not only the Son, but the Father and the Holy Spirit are cheering us on to victory in accomplishing our mission.

The Unity of The Spirit

“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”
Ephesians 4:3

Yesterday we discussed the importance of unity and how Jesus prayed for his believers to be one in unity.
Jesus understood what unity was.
He was one with the Father and the Holy Spirit throughout eternity; with one momentary brake in that union when your sins and my sins were laid upon Him on the cross. You see sin breaks the union we have with God and it is only through the blood of Jesus Christ that sin is dealt with and that allows us to be one as He and His Father are one.
My sin impacts the rest of the body of Christ too.
We don’t care for that statement because we like to think “our” sin is private and personal. We tell ourselves that sooner or later we will deal with it. The truth is it is never really personal and private because God knows about it.
It is important to repent and to confess our sins to God without delay as we talked about some time ago.
If I really and truly want to see the Kingdom of God advanced in the earth and to see the local church I am a part of carry out the vision God has entrusted to her then I will learn to deal with my sin and not let it master me and hinder God’s work.

Unity

“I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”
John 17:23

What do you suppose would be a key ingredient for a successful business, sports team or even a family?
How about unity?
Stop for just a moment and consider a football team where every player has their own agenda and only plays to bring glory to themselves; how many games do you suppose they would win? Certainly fewer than if each member of the team had a specific role and, for the sake of that teams success, executed their tasks as a member of that team.
How about a business full of ambitious individuals with no thought for the goals of that corporation? While it may produce a superstar or two it certainly could not expect the type of bottom line profits needed for long term success.
Finally what of the family where there is no combined efforts to complete chores but it all falls on the shoulders of just one person? Imagine the resentment that would create instead of fostering cooperation.
Every endeavor in life that is undertaken by more than one individual will have better success when those individuals learn to work in unity. Jesus emphasized its importance for the church as He prayed in John 17.
He prayed, that as His followers, we would be brought to complete unity. Imagine the impact that will have in the world? When we set aside our own purposes and step into His purposes individually and corporately. If you think it is a work of the Holy Spirit you are right; but that does not imply we are free to selfishly move forward in our own plans and wait for the ‘magic wand’ of the Holy Spirit to suddenly bring us into unity.
Lay down your own interests, surrender your will to His and pray for the body of Christ to come together in the unity of the Holy Spirit!

Yogurt Cap Memories

“…remember well what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt.”
Deuteronomy 7:18

Is it ever o.k. to look back on your past?
If so, when is it o.k. and why?
We probably have all heard that old adage that says:
“Those who do not learn from history are condemned to repeat it.”
Certainly there must be some value in our past?
There is. Listen to this admonition from God to the Israelites:
“Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them. Remember the day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, when he said to me, “Assemble the people before me to hear my words so that they may learn to revere me as long as they live in the land and may teach them to their children.”
Deuteronomy 4:9-10
I should recall and remember all of those times when God has delivered me. I should recall and remember all of those times when God has provided for me, when He has forgiven me, when He has healed me, when He has comforted, strengthened and guided me. We are so quick to remember the past when it has been difficult or horrific and too quick to forget when God has been there for us. Certainly the methods God may use in the future may be different from His intervention in our past but God Himself does not change. He is constant in character and nature through our past, in our present and for our future. We can recall those times and teach them to our children and grandchildren to boast of God’s work in our lives.
In our house there is a rather unusual object professionally matted, framed and hanging on our wall. It is a cap from a container of yogurt. It is a long story that I won’t detail here except to say that it is a visual reminder to my wife and I as well as our children of God meeting a very specific need at a crisis moment in our lives. Through it He taught us a valuable lesson which we need to be faithful in remembering at those times of difficulty.
Don’t be afraid to recall the past when it gives glory to God.
He is worth it!

“…Don’t Look Back…”

“As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives!
Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain!
Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!”
Genesis 19:17

The command from the angels to Lot as they brought him, his wife and their two daughters out of the city of Sodom was clear: “…Don’t look back…”
We are told that the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were so wicked that God destroyed them for their wickedness. Lot, Abraham’s nephew, lived in Sodom. There is some speculation among theologians that Lot was a leader, or at least, held a position of influence in that city. However, as they were being rescued Lot received the clear command for him and his family – don’t look back! Lot’s “recent past” was about to be destroyed (so to speak). The temptation and perhaps the pull from that past proved too great for Lot’s wife and when she looked back, we are told, “…she became a pillar of salt…”
Our past can sometimes be very appealing to us. The traditions, the familiarity, the routines of life become our stability. It can become easier to place a greater trust in the knowledge of our past than in the faith required, in God, for our future.
In our minds, the sure thing – our past – beats out the unsure thing – our future.
But any mind, dwelling on the past, pre-occupied with it, looking back to it, is not a mind surrendered to God. Listen to the admonition to each of us given in Isaiah 26:3:
“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.”
Concerning your past and your future – I pray you have that perfect peace that comes from a steadfast mind which has learned to trust God.
Trust Him with your past and let go of it.
Trust Him with your future and walk into it with Him!