Together Power

Together Power

Acts 2: When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. ² And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³ Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. ⁴ And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

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Writing ideas as fast as I could, I could feel the energy in the room. Each of us had a different way of looking at the problem and contributed wholeheartedly to the project. We spent months building the idea into a working prototype. Those who saw it embraced our solution. It worked!

• Working together felt different than tolerance.
• Working together felt different than being part of a forced crowd where people do not really listen to one another.
• Working together felt different than working with those who posture to steal credit or hold people down.

A crowd of JESUS followers were gathered together in one place for the same reason. They all believe in the power of GOD and were not expecting anything but to talk about HIS greatness. As they marveled over the many thing JESUS did for them, GOD filled them with the HOLY SPIRIT.

• GOD wants me to praise HIM without expectation.
• GOD has already filled me with the HOLY SPIRIT.
• GOD needs me to live my life with HIS purpose.

Being together on “one accord” led to something wildly unexpected. The crowd was filled with GOD’s power to do something they had never dreamed of. GOD saw their togetherness and said “I can see their love and they are now ready.”

Being together to marvel over JESUS is all GOD wants. Unfortunately group gatherings quickly turn into posturing over who is right or wrong. JESUS simply wants love and praise. I owe my life to JESUS.

• Are you posturing to be heard or seen?
• Do you feel better alone because people fight?
• Will you examine what makes you want to get away from “those” people and bring GOD’s love to wherever you are or are going?

Perfect Couple

Matthew 19: When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan. ² Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.

³ Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”

⁴ “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ ⁵ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? ⁶ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

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It is quite amazing how the Pharisees ignored the miracles happening before their very eyes. Instead they brought questions about something that was on their heart in the first place, namely divorce.

• JESUS says “In the beginning I made male and female.”
• JESUS says “A man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”
• JESUS says “So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

What happened to the miracles? Didn’t someone get healed from a terminal illness moments before? The mere mention of the word “divorce” distracted me as I have seen the disintegration of this institution with not much help to keep it successful.

• JESUS took me back to HIS creation to show me how HE meant things to be.
• JESUS took me back to HIS creation to show me what perfection looked like.
• JESUS took me back to HIS creation to show me HIS structure, not mine.

There is an important observation in this passage. “GOD has joined together” is the thing that I noticed the most. This means there is more of a purpose than my pleasure in this union. Without JESUS being the purpose of the marriage, two will remain two.

• Are you divorced or getting divorced?
• Are you married but are two instead of one?
• Can you unite for the purpose of JESUS so you can see HIS miracles?