Life Talk

Pursuit to Pentecost - Day 3

Scripture: Acts 2:1-4

Devotional:
"They were all with one accord in one place."

Unity is not merely a nice church value designed to get everyone to march in step with the vision of the house, it is a spiritual environment. The disciples did not come together having resolved all their theological differences or healed of all their relational wounds. They came together around a shared hunger: We want what Jesus promised. We cannot go on without it. And we aren’t leaving here until it comes.

There is something powerful that happens when a community lays down personal agendas and personal comfort zones and says with one voice: "Lord, we want You." The enemy knows this. It is why he works so hard to sow division and distraction among believers. He understands that a unified, hungry people is a dangerous people. One that the gates of hell will not prevail against.
 
The Holy Spirit came into one room where one people were of one mind. When believers today pursue that same unity of heart, not uniformity of opinion but unity of hunger, it creates the very atmosphere in which Holy Spirit moves.

A place where cause exists over complaints. His Presence exists over our preferences. Encouragement exist over discouragement. A place where the “jeer” leaders come from the sidelines to put their hand to the plow to offer rest to those laboring. A place where private surrender is on full display within public service.
 
The beautiful portrait in Acts 2 is the unified private pursuit soon became a powerful public movement that changed the world. Don’t soon miss the point, what we do in private will release what He does through us in public. That includes the collective work of a community of believers.

Reflection: Is there anyone in your community you need to be reconciled with? Is there any personal ambition or offense that's preventing you from being "in one accord" with your brothers and sisters?