With one accord!

The book of acts mentions the phrase 'with one accord' 11 times in the NKJ, 11 times when describing the actions of the Christians in the early church. People ask me why don't we see miracles and sign and wonders like there was in Acts? Are we doing something different to them? For me one of the answer's to that question is because we do not, as Christians, live in 'one accord' with each other, the sacrificial attitudes of the early church was phenomenal, we cannot expect to experience what they experienced if we don't live as they lived. We tend to have our own agenda's hidden safely behind our perfectly constructed 'white picket fences' and our beautifully pruned rose gardens, which hides what's really going on behind the front door.

We live for ourselves and find ways of justifying our actions as 'for the gospel'. I know this because I am guilty of this very thing, I say I'm living for Christ but actually the 'life I live for Jesus' is at best, mediocre. I choose the most comfortable path possible, if my actions and attitudes had words it would say something like this: "I'll lay down my life for my brothers and sisters but only where it's comfortable for me. I'll come visit with you and support you but I can't miss Grey's at 7pm or, I'm here for you but don't inconvenience me..." This is an abomination before Jesus, 'Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!' (Phil 2:6-8)

Being 'in one accord' is being unanimous, having mutual consent, being in agreement, having group unity and having one mind and purpose. ONE MIND and PURPOSE!! What is the one mind and purpose we should be in full agreement with but the mind and purposes of Christ?

If we want to see God moving in our midst with great power and if we want to see Him adding to our numbers daily then we need to live 'with one accord', with one heart, and one mind as the early Christians did. Only then will we see the power of God moving in our lives as it did in Acts. Their sole goal was to glorify God by taking the testimony of Christ's resurrection and life to all the peoples of the world. They didn't need fancy 'stuff', they were sold out for the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

How can we expect the power without the sacrifice, the gifts without losing our 'agenda'? If we truly desire for others to know the freedom that we know we will stop this petty in-fighting and live 'with one accord'. Consider this quote from Gandhi, he said "I like your Christ, but I don't like you Christians. You are so different from your Christ." THis cut me when I read it, there are many people in this world that can say that same thing in all truth. The world won't believe in Christ if we are so different from each other and from Christ, if we truly live with one mind and purpose we will see Christ glorified on this earth through the lives of the people we would never have expected it to. I can't help but wonder if the Christians Gandhi was talking about had got it right, how different would history and the testimony of Gandhi be? There is no righteousness outside of Christ, good deeds don't save us, we are saved by Grace alone.

Consider this prayer of Jesus before His crucifixion, this was one of the last times that Jesus could be alone with His Father knowing what was awaiting Him, "My prayer is not for them alone (His disciples). 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 Can you see how desperate His heart was for us to live as one as He is one with the Father, where there is unity the Lord commands a blessing!

May we, the Bride of Christ in every nation of the world, live 'with one accord' for then we shall surely see the power of God in our midst, the power that sets the captives free and proves to all who choose to see that while we were and still are sinners, Christ died for our sins. Not only do we preach His death but also His resurrection, that God raised Him from the dead on the 3rd day, 'therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.' (Phil 2:9-11)

As I said earlier my life is not lived 'with one accord', it's not easy, it's actually very difficult! It's much more 'fun' to come home early and play computer games or whatever it is that we like to do. I don't know about you but I'm not satisfied with that way of living anymore, there is no space for mediocrity in the Kingdom of God! It won't be easy but we have the Spirit of God in us who promised to lead us in all truth. It is God who works in us to will and to act according to His good purpose. So come brothers and sisters in Christ, begin to trust with me that God can change our attitudes and our agenda's. Let us trust in Him to live with one accord and we WILL see the power of God moving in our generation like none that has been seen before!!