Days of Extremes

We’re living in a new era; the nebulous grey zone in the middle is disappearing. Lines are being drawn. People can no longer sit on the fence but rather they’re falling off on either the side of light or darkness. Some, feeling increasingly uncomfortable with where they landed, are finding they want to switch sides. Many are beginning to look to God for answers, for hope, for freedom and for life; some for the first time. Hunger to escape darkness is more and more propelling seekers of light into churches.  Will they find what they’re looking for? Will they be drawn by an adequate witness, seeing how good God is and how much He loves them?

Oneness is Lacking

Will there be an adequate witness within churches as gazillions of denominations and non-denominations argue over points of doctrine, faith, and practice; with believers criticizing other believers? That’s not impressive or strikingly different from the world’s ways. What will cause God’s people to become one; to focus on what we have in common rather than obsess over our differences? Only the body of Christ moving

as One, mature in Christ, showing the love and power of God can present an adequate witness to a lost world.  How will we become ONE? Not by human effort but by the Spirit of God.

Small Scale Oneness Already Happened

The Bible has already foreshadowed, in the story of Peter and Cornelius, how this can happen. After the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, when only Jews were part of the church, God had his eyes on all of humanity. Holy Spirit was able to bring about change. He gave the Jewish Apostle Peter a vision, telling him not to call unclean anything God calls clean. Holy Spirit also gave a God-fearing outsider named Cornelius a vision; to send for Peter. Each obeyed. Once Peter arrived at Cornelius’ home, he found a whole group of outsiders gathered to hear what he had to say. Peter opened his mouth and shared the gospel. While Peter was still speaking, Holy Spirit fell on all the non-Jews who had believed Peter’s words (See Acts 10 & 11).

Large Scale Oneness is Ahead of Us

God didn’t wait for Peter’s permission, or for any laying on of hands ceremony! Holy Spirit came upon the crowd, making it clear He’d accepted these outsiders into His family. It was undeniable. The Jewish Christians dropped their former attitudes as best they could and received the new believers as brothers and sisters. Outsiders suddenly became insiders by faith, not by hammering through their differences in discussions or any sort of mutual agreement. It was a mind-blowing divine act of God that redrew the lines between who was in and outside the fellowship. Two peoples reconciled and became ONE to a greater degree than ever before on God’s initiative by their humility and loving obedience.

What happened then on a small scale, I believe, will happen again, on a larger scale in a greater way as God’s glory intensifies. We too shall experience the redrawing of lines and learn to recognize spiritual family by the Spirit that indwells those who worship Jesus. God’s glory will accelerate our maturation, sharpen our discernment, and deepen our love for one another. His mature sons and daughters will set aside childish ways and receive each other with open hearts.

It will be like what happened when unborn John the Baptist met Mary with baby Jesus nestled her womb. Unborn prophet John leapt in delight at the presence of unborn Messiah. Baby John recognized Jesus by the Spirit (See Luke 1:44). Amazing! Spirit to Spirit recognition without the help of any of the five senses.

Spirit recognition, I believe, will become more commonplace as people grow up in Christ surrounded by the increasing glory to come. Have you ever met someone for the first time and felt you clicked with them though you did not know them? If you’ve experienced that, you have an inkling of how the gift of discerning of spirits works. Magnify that. Imagine it on a grander scale as believers around the globe exercise their spiritual senses, develop them, and learn to discern who are their brothers and sisters in Christ. Because of inner transformation, maturity in Christ, and humble loving-obedience, believers realize they cannot reject those whom God has already accepted. Let’s pray for this day where love and oneness prevails. Jesus did.

Jesus Gets What He Prays For

The night Jesus was betrayed he prayed:

“The glory that You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one even as We are one,  I in them and You in Me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that You sent Me and loved them even as You loved Me.” John 17:22-23

I believe Jesus’ prayer is about to be answered in a greater way than ever before in this new era; not because of greater human effort but because of a greater glory that’ll transform his squabbling children into a glorious bride. Jesus gets what He prays for and this prayer has not yet been answered in fullness. Will you join me in praying the prayer of Jesus? Father, make us one that the world may know your Son for who He is and know your love also. May the Lamb receive His reward for His suffering. Amen.