day twenty-one of the fast, the last day

Day twenty-one of the fast, the last day

Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:3)

Today we pray for unity and focus of mission for The Foursquare Church (that the Lord will speak to us clearly during these days of His will, purpose and plans).

Unity is our prayer today. But I do not limit this prayer to unity and focus for just the Foursquare Church. Part of my problem has always been that I am a kingdom guy. I have always seen things in a larger light than sometimes people in my denominations have. That is why I had to leave the Church of Christ. I could no longer look at the church in such a limited perspective. We are all children of God in Christ Jesus. We all serve him.

That is why the apostle Paul said what he said in 1 Corinthians 12:3 above. You agree with me that Jesus is Lord and we are one. Everything else is commentary.

So many churches cannot realize that. They see themselves as the receptacles of the grace of God and defenders of the faith. All others are holders of false doctrine and out to destroy. Even many Pentecostals see themselves that way, even though God has poured out his Spirit on just about every denomination in the world.

Even Episcopalians – who have no real backbone when it comes to living with the world – and  Catholics – whom many see as the mortal enemy of Protestantism – have received the blessing.

I was reading a history of the Assemblies of God that mentioned their dismay at the outpouring of the Spirit on the Episcopal and Catholic church back in the 1960’s. They knew it was real, just as it had happened to them, but that was not the way they wanted. So many of them resisted it, standing athwart God’s will shouting Stop!

But it happened anyway. Then there was the Jesus People, then the great charismatic move of the early 90’s, of which I was a part.

The church is bigger than her parts. When we realize that, we begin our move towards unity. Unity is not uniting under our idea. Unity is uniting under God’s idea. When we realize that, we attain unity.

I will admit, though, I like the Foursquare Church’s idea of the gospel, that is why I became a part of it. I had been in isolationist church churches too long to join another, and I looked hard before I became a part of it. It is not perfect and there are many flaws, but after all, we are all flawed. And we still serve.

Father God, I ask for unity in the world. I know that it seems presumptuous for one man to ask something that so many have asked, but I do anyway. Give us unity and give us strength in it. Move your sovereign will over  this world and bring them to you. Thank you for the Foursquare Church and for my participation in it. Bless them and keep them. Thank you also for your presence in my fast. I praise you. Amen.