Unity In The Body Of Christ!

 

There are many organizations and religions that display unity, community, togetherness and deep friendships, even love for another! 

But when we look at all the denominations, ministries, non-denominational churches, house churches, and individuals all professing Christ and calling themselves Christian, but have no unity of the faith they claim to be a part of!

What's wrong with that picture? Why are those, even in the same household, that say they are Christian, in disagreement with each other? Believing different things, but yet reading the same bible!

In my understanding of this separation of people even in the same denomination and living in the same house, starts with leadership! If your leader, pastor, or overseer, is teaching and preaching doctrinal error without spiritual understanding or anointing from God, how can that person impart the truth of God's word to the congregation?

The 1st century Christians didn't have that problem! Why not you ask?

Acts 2:40-44

"And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need."

The answer key is in the above scriptures! The people were listening to men who had been taught by Jesus Himself and they in turn taught the people all they had learned from Jesus!

But Jesus is not on this earth today to teach and train up true apostles and prophets to deliver the truth to us you say!

But I put you in remembrance of what Jesus said before He ascended into Heaven.

John 14:15-18, 19-21

“If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you."

The Spirit of the Living God living within the soul of men and women today IS Christ IN US, the hope of glory!

"A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest (reveal) Myself to him.”

So you see how we can have Jesus with us and IN us helping us every single day to live on this earth and be unified with other true Spirit-filled believers? 

You can also see from these scriptures that many profess Christ but are not His because they don't have the Spirit of God within them! Even though many THINK they do!

Romans 8:9

"But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His."

You say there are no true apostles or prophets anymore because they had to see Jesus and walk with Him!

Paul didn't walk physically with Jesus, but yet He did see Him and learned from Jesus through the Holy Spirit! No man or woman taught him the gospel he preached because he received it by revelation from Jesus through the Spirit of God in him!

Galatians 1:10-12, 15-17

"Am I now seeking the approval of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ. For I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached was not devised by man. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ."

"But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not rush to consult with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to the apostles who came before me, but I went into Arabia and later returned to Damascus."

Jesus even appeared to Paul in a vision and spoke to Him in the spirit!

Acts 18:9-11

"One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking; do not be silent. For I am with you and no one will lay a hand on you, because I have many people in this city.” So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching the word of God among the Corinthians."

So you see how Jesus is able to call, teach, and speak to those who He appoints as His apostle even though He is not physically present on this earth with us. He IS present with us in Heaven through the Holy Spirit here on earth!! Oh Glory!!!

We cannot have unity in the body of Christ without first being baptized into the body of Christ by God's Spirit! 

We also cannot have unity of the faith without first being taught the truth correctly by God's anointed and appointed apostles and prophets who are sent forth by the Lord to preach His gospel and help those who believe to enter His Kingdom!

Pray for God to pour out His Spirit once more! Pray for the unity of the faith that we need in these last days! If the 1st century Christians had unity, we can have it too!

In Jesus,

Tyrone

A Little Lower Than The Angels!

 

Psalm 8:3-5

"When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor."

Human beings are powerful!! We have the knowledge and technology to put people on the moon! Build Skyscrapers that touch the clouds! And even make nuclear weapons that can destroy the world!

Imagine, like John Lennon said: "Imagine all the people, living together as one", even the Lord Jesus Himself prayed for His chosen people to be one. 

Humans have so much ability to do good, and so much ability to do evil! People can gather together and burn down cities, or they can gather together to build cities!

This is why the devil fights so hard to keep all human beings separated, segregated, and hating one another, because he knows that unity brings power! Especially when humans all think the same way and have the same goals. 

We know that God Himself separated humanity during the time of the Tower of Babel being built, but now with language translation apps easily available on every Smartphone, even language is not a barrier anymore to humans on this earth!

This is also why the disciples in the first century were able to turn the whole world upside down! Because once a human being enters the Kingdom of God, his or her mind and heart begins to be cleansed of sin, corruption, demonic strongholds and filthyness of the flesh. 

A transformation occurs that begins to restore a man or woman to what God created men and women to be, LIKE HIM! This is why God commands us all to be Holy as HE IS HOLY!

So as disciples of Jesus if we come together as He commands us, then there is nothing that we could not accomplish if we set our hearts and minds to get it done!

I do believe the day is coming when we will be unified in the faith, and have all things in common like they had in the first century church. We will need all the mental and spiritual power we have to face the greatest evil that humans have faced since the world began, the man of sin, the Antichrist himself.

Prepare yourself the time is at hand!

In Christ,

Tyrone

Back To The First Century Church (Part 3, One Accord)

Acts 1:12-14, 2:1-4

"Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey. And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James. These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers."

Acts 2:1-4

"When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."

One very important thing to take note of in every instance where the Lord God moved mightily in supernatural manifestations and works, was when the believer's gathered together with ONE ACCORD! One mind, one agenda, one goal, which is to experience the power and presence of God in their midst.

In the tower of babel the people set out with one mind and one language, to build a tower whose top touched the heavens, and they likely would have done it if God would not have stopped them. Pay close attention to what God said about the matter.

Genesis 11:5-6

"But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. And the Lord said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them."

The power of unity is unmatched, the power of one accord and one mind amongst any group of people can bring about great change, but when the people of God come together with one accord, one heart, and one mind, God comes down!

Even with the Azusa street revival, William Seymour joined together with other believers praying for the same thing, for God to pour out His Spirit on them like the day of Pentecost.

"Moving into the home of Edward Lee, a janitor at a local bank, William Seymour began ministry with a prayer group that had been meeting regularly at the home of Richard and Ruth Asbery, at 214 North Bonnie Brae. Asbery was also employed as a janitor. Most of the worshippers were African-American, with occasional visits from European-Americans. As the group sought God for revival, their hunger intensified.

Finally, on April 9, Lee was baptized in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues. When the news of his baptism was shared with the true believers at Bonnie Brae, a powerful outpouring followed. Many received the Holy Spirit baptism as Pentecostal revival arrived on the West Coast. That evening would be hard to describe. People fell to the floor as if unconscious, others shouted and ran through the house. One neighbor, Jennie Evans Moore played the piano, something she did not have the ability to do before." (https://azusastreet.org/)

Acts 2:44-46

"Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart,"

Acts 4:23-31

And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, who by the mouth of Your servant David have said ‘Why did the nations rage, And the people plot vain things? The kings of the earth took their stand, And the rulers were gathered together Against the Lord and against His Christ.’ “For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done. Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

Every single time a group of believers get together with one accord something supernatural happens! God manifests Himself through signs and wonders, pouring out His Spirit, shaking the foundations and sending forth His angels. Truly when two or more are gathered together in the name of Jesus with one accord the Lord is right in the midst!

Acts 12:5-7

"Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands."

Once again while Peter was held in prison, the disciples came together and prayed constantly for him and God answered their prayers by sending down His angel to get Peter out of the prison!

Acts 16:25-27

"But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed."

The unity of the faith and the oneness of heart and mind that the early disciples and the believers of the Azusa Street revival experienced, should be a desire of every 21st century Christian, because that is the best way to see a mighty move of God. When the believers have one accord then nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them!

In His Service,

Tyrone