Pentecost
"They were all with one
accord in one place" (Acts 2:1).
Jesus prayed for us in John 17, that we might be "one".
Even as the Father and the Son are one, you and I are supposed be
one – in Him. We are taught in Scripture that we are to be "one
body" in Christ. How do we do that? How do I become somehow
so INVOLVED with your needs, that helping you is like helping my own
hand, when it has a splinter? How do YOUR needs become as important
to me as mine? How do mine become important to you?
We listen to our bodies, don't we? If you think about it,
we go places our bodies tell us to go, and we probably would not go
there, except we listen to our bodies. A good example is kitchens,
dining rooms, and restaurants. I'm sorry if this offends any
restaurant owners or workers, but why would we go to such places if
we did not have to? My body says "I'm hungry" and we reply to our
body, "Oh, yes, I hear you; I know about your need, and I respect
that which is important to you. I care about you and I will feed
you." And off you go into the kitchen or restaurant and relate to
the needs of your body.
And so should we care for one another. You are just important, in
the sight of God, as I am, and if you have needs that distract and
trouble you, I should be just as concerned about you as I am about
me. The "hunger" you have in your heart, should actually impel me to
put aside my "hunger" for the moment, and respond to you.
There is a qualification here. You and I should related to the
needs of our body AS GOD LEADS us. If the restaurant has posted a
sign that says "Danger - Poisoned Food!", I should not go there,
even though my body is insisting that I eat. And so it is with
helping one another. Not only should we respond to the need, but we
also must first pray about what needs to be done for that other
person. I should care for you – AS THE LORD LEADS.
I think "as the Lord leads" should be the "norm" in our dealings
with one another. I need to see you with His "eyes" and not with my
own. And I need to respond to you with His "heart", for mine will
fail you, when you need me the most. Trusting in Him, translates
into caring for you.
You've possibly noticed that marriage, which brings people into a
relationship where they are (from the vantage point of God) "one
body" can bring irritation, even resentment toward that other
person. That which should merge them into a place of love and
lasting bliss, ends up as an irritant which they want to remove, not
so different from that splinter in our finger.
This is quite natural, because the bringing of two people
together produces friction. It is much like the process which gives
us the light, cooling, and heat we consider necessary for life on
earth. Turbines bring together forces which don't want to go
together, producing the friction necessary to make the electricity
that lights a room or heats a building.
As Dr. A. B. Simpson said about this process, many decades ago,
"it is not enough to have an impelling force, we need just as much a
repelling force, and so He, by the testing, the ordeals of life, by
the pressure of temptations, of trial, by the things that seem
against us, but really are furthering our way and establishing our
goings...." The friction of marriage will teach you to love.
We resist being truly close to one another. We hold back in
marriage. We struggle against the very closeness which would allow
us to become truly "one" with one another; to grow into the love
that Christ intends for us. We often approach marriage like we would
a poker game. We might show some cards, but we keep others hidden,
for our intention is to win; which, of course, requires the other
"player" to lose.
Marriage is not a game, but if it was, it should be one where all
your cards are on the table, face up, and the game is never over
until BOTH of you win the game.
And so should it be with all persons we meet, because we are all
supposed to be "one" in the Body of
Christ. Are you in Christ? Why do you feel that you are? If it is
because you trust Him, love Him, and love one another, you have
satisfied all His requirements for entry into His kingdom. And if I
have satisfied the same "entrance requirements", then we are much
more than brothers and sisters in His kingdom; and we owe one
another - everything!
You may find me to be irritating, or I you. But the irritated
person is at fault when we are "one" in
Christ. No matter what I may think you have done, I am obligated; no
- I am impelled by love to meet your need (and to delight your
heart), subject to the agreement of the Holy Spirit in the meeting
of that need. If Christ is in you, then for me to remain annoyed
with you is to be angry at Him.
If you are in Christ, you are "fearfully
and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139:14) – twice. Once in
creation, and again when you were re-created in Christ Jesus. By
disliking your brother or sister in Christ, you are not only
improperly judging them, but you are also casting judgment on the
God who made them and re-made them – just the way they are.
My children are like mirrors. I see myself in them, which is a
real benefit, because it is always easier to recognize my character
flaws (for instance, impatience) in someone else, than it is in
myself. I have all sorts of defenses against seeing my own flaws (we
all do that), but, when my children were little, they not only
manifested my shortcomings, but they were also exaggerated in them,
so I couldn’t miss the point. God is good to us – in our children,
in marriage, in friendships, in the Body of Christ, He not only
gives us love, but He also shows us our need.
Notice that on Pentecost, "they were all
with one accord in one place" (Acts 2:1). Now, this is
unusual, because in our modern Churches, we may be in one place, but
I’m not so sure we’re ever in "one accord."
Every once in awhile (probably more often than I know) someone
doesn’t like me. I think of one guy in particular, who turns away
when he sees me, and the smile he had for someone else, turns into a
frown, as soon as I come into view.
My job is to love this man. This is possibly a lifetime
assignment, for every time I smile at him and attempt to greet him,
his body stiffens and he becomes visibly distressed. My method
doesn’t work. How the disciples were "with
one accord" is interesting – they were in prayer, waiting on
the Lord. They sought Him, He came to them, and changed them,
enabling them to love one another. Let’s seek Him, now, for we can
only be "one" – in Him.
Father, we resist loving others. Some we like but others we
don’t. We think they are not right, but when we feel that way, it is
probably ME who has gone wrong. Heal us, Lord, and forgive us, that
we may learn to love one another – as they did at Pentecost. In
Jesus Name. Amen.
Ron Beckham, Pastor
Friday Study Ministries
www.fridaystudy.org
Ron@fridaystudy.org
