LET US PURSUE UNITY (Lenten 43)
When our eldest son was 2+ we moved to the Blue Mountains in N.S.W. to Pastor a church there. The church Manse was literally just around the corner from the shopping centre, so we would walk to the shops to do our weekly shopping. The whole time we were out I would have to hold his hand very firmly as he would want to rush here and there and look at things and literally do his own thing. This has reminded me of God’s question spoken through the Prophet Amos in his prophecy in 3:3 Can two walk together, unless they are AGREED?
N.L.T. Can two people walk together without AGREEING on the direction.
MESSAGE Do two people walk hand in hand if they aren’t going to the same place?
N.A.S.B Do two men walk together unless they have made an appointment?
THERE MUST BE UNITY ON THE HORIZONTAL & THE VERTICAL
Not only as we continue on our Lenten Journey, but in the midst of this COVID-19 pandemic, if ever there was a time for unity IT IS NOW.
Let us look first at the vertical, both personally, and as the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. When it comes to our relationship and walk with the Lord there is only one way and that is HIS WAY. This is the lesson and decision we have to face every day, many times our way would not be the Lord’s way, but every day we must decide NOT MY WILL BUT THINE BE DONE.
Every time we roll off the altar of surrender, (Rom.12:1) we have said “I want to do my thing”!!!!!!! To maintain God’s blessing on our lives, we must learn to maker the GOD CHOICE EVERY DAY.
I have said in a recent blog that I believe God was not surprised by the pandemic, He has permitted it for a purpose, and Rom.8>28 indicates that that purpose is for our eternal good.
David Wilkerson’s prophecy that he gave in 1986 about a world plague said the result would be PRAYERLESS CHRISTIANS OPENING THEIR BIBLES. I believe God wants to send an end time revival, if we can have true unity on this in the Body of Christ, and do what is commanded in 2 Chron. 7:14
NKJV f My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land
MESSAGE and my people, my God-defined people, respond by humbling themselves, praying, seeking my presence, and turning their backs on their wicked lives, I’ll be there ready for you: I’ll listen from heaven, forgive their sins, and restore their land to health.
WE WILL SEE A GREAT END TIME REVIVAL
NOW LET’S LOOK AT UNITY ON THE HORIZONTAL
Psalm 133:1 NKJV Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. (HARMONY)
MESSAGE How wonderful, how beautiful, when brothers and sisters get along.
Paul writing to the Ephesian church says in 4:3 NLT Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.
MESSAGE alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences.
I wrote a blog recently about “The little foxes that spoil the vines” (stop the flow of the Spirit). The enemy loves to cause disunity often on simple little things especially it seems to me on matters of “doctrine” Some people are suggesting because of the virus, we are now in the tribulation, or it is the Mark of the beast!! Here is a simple key to maintain unity.
COMMITMENT ON THE ESSENTIALS AND LIBERTY ON THE NON-ESSENTIALS.
This needs to be our goal Eph. 4:13 MESSAGE until we’re all moving rhythmically and easily with each other, efficient and graceful in response to God’s Son, fully mature adults, fully developed within and without, fully alive like Christ.
So let this be our prayer and commitment that we will seek to do everything to promote unity personally between us and the Lord and the Body of Christ, and co-operate with the Lord to see an awesome move of God across the earth amen.
