Yesterday we finished up a 4-week mini-series on the concept and mandate of biblical, Christ-filled unity. Coming off the Advent and Christmas Season and entering straight into a new year is an encouraging, exciting, and yet, exhausting period of time for many people.
With the holiday celebrations over and with school and work back to some level of normalcy, the cold, wintry January days can seem long. Debt is a little higher, savings are a bit lower, waists may have expanded a tad, and the resolutions for the new year may have already been voided out. Statistically, about 60% of people who list at least one resolution admit that before January closes out – it has been given up on.
With all of this as a pretty consistent history, God delivered to us a focus on unity throughout January, and within our 4-week expedition, He revealed quite a bit. Most importantly, however, is His presence with us. I really sensed all month long, with others who just seemed to confirm it, that His presence was especially close. Yesterday (that being Sunday, January 27), there were scores of comments and confirmations that really collaborated it all. In short, we determined: Our hearts and His house was full of the Holy Spirit.
I sensed that unity, in Him, opened up the opportunity for His presence to saturate in a way that not only welcomed Him but gave Him complete access. Unity does this. Unity accomplishes this. And even in the things where we might have differences of opinion or personal preference, when we lay them down to be unified, it shows that we take His mantles of “unity in the body” and “unity as the bond of love” passionately, seriously, and with zeal.
Encountering this…experiencing this…being a part of this can only happen and will only happen when we, as His Church, intentionally decide to put His will first and follow His purposes. It happens when the Church is the Church, on mission! It happens when we, in spite of ourselves, seek to bring glory and honor to Him.
- We can have differences.
- We should celebrate diversity.
But when it comes to unity, we must lay it down for the sake of love. And out of the love for Christ and for one another, unity will prevail. It is the byproduct of that love.
May the Lord continue to move us, at Bridgeway Church, into unity at deeper levels. I am prayerfully looking forward to what it is He has in store for us into February, and beyond. I believe we are on the threshold of something very enlightening, very engaging, and very eternal. Join us, if you haven’t already. Be in prayer. Seek the Lord. Help us to be unified in love.
Porter
PastorPG's Blog 
The blog is very good and the Series was great. Thanks for following the Lord’s lead.