Strength in Unity

While watching a wildlife programme recently about big cats and how they stalk and hunt their prey, I was reminded of the scripture in 1 Peter 5v8&9

8¶Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

9Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.

It was the part of the programme about the lions which especially spoke to me.

The lions strength is in the pride or in their numbers and the tactics they use to stalk, hunt and kill their prey. That is why they are able to bring down animals which are much larger than themselves, specifically elephants (which are not fully grown), giraffes and the most remarkable. the Cape Buffalo (which are known for their strength, bad temper and horns which could and do kill lions).

Just a few thoughts about the tactics lions use:

1. They often hunt under the cloak of darkness and take their prey by surprise

2. They deploy tactics to get the prey to disperse and run where the lions want them and then they can spring the trap

3. While the lion's strength is in numbers the prey's weakness is in separation and division

4. Consequently the lions always try to confuse, separate and divide their prey

5. If for example, the buffaloes stand their ground and resist as one united group, protecting the weakest including the young, injured or elderly, then more than often they rebuff the attack

Our enemy is likened to a roaring lion who seeks who he can devour.

I believe his tactics are very similar to that of the lion. He deploys demonic forces (the pride) to confuse, distract, separate and cause division in the Body of Christ and his divide and conquer tactics often work.

He and his minions, stalk their prey, looking for any sign of pride or weakness, before springing an attack.

The key to resisting his attacks, individually and corporately, is submission to God and His ways and unity.

James 4v7 supports what Peter instructs us to do in 5v9

7¶Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

However, we can only resist and be victorious from a position of being totally submitted to God and aligned with his plans, purposes and pattern.

Peter says to be sober and vigilant, in other words, always on our guard against any attacks, so that we may be positioned in readiness to resist.

I would like to focus for a moment on strength through unity.

The Importance of Unity

Now, I truly believe, that we in the Church, have a wrong perception of what unity truly is.

Unity, is not submission too and alignment with, anything that is controlled, fashioned our created by man.

We are told in Ephesians 4, that one of the purposes of the five fold ministry, of the apostles, prophets, evangelists, teachers and pastors/elders. is to bring the Body of Christ to the unity of the faith.

v13

13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;

You see the unity of the faith is inextricably linked to maturity and coming into a deeper experience of knowing Christ intimately.

If the ministries that God has placed in the Body are not operating because they are suppressed and stifled, then, the saints will not be equipped and will not mature and be brought to the unity of the faith.

This is most definitely not speaking of unity behind a particular denomination, creed or sect but it's the unity that God has ordained for His people, a unity that is rooted in knowing Christ.

The unity of the faith is a Christ centred, Christ focused unity and sorry to say, a lot of what we call church, is far removed and even opposes what God ordained the true church (ecclesia) to be.

It is like the fig tree that Jesus cursed in Mark 11v12-14. It says Jesus was hungry and seeing the fig tree from afar. it looked like he may have his hunger satisfied. However. when Jesus and the disciples reached the tree. it soon became apparent. that although it had plenty of leaves. it had no fruit with which to meet their need or satisfy their hunger.

Jesus pronounced a curse on the tree saying in v14

No man eat fruit of you ever again

I believe this passage and Jesus's actions. had deeper prophetic significance. than merely cursing the fig tree. Jesus was declaring a curse upon everything that had the outward appearance but didn't have eternal fruit, to satisfy the need of the hungry and the needy.

Sad to say, much of what we call "church" has the appearance of representing God and offering hope to the needy but it is powerless, compassionless and fruitless.

It may have had fruit in days gone by but what was a movement has become nothing more than a monument. Under the control of man the "Church" has become so detached from God's purpose and His heart, that it has nothing to offer, when the hungry and needy approach it, in hope that it might have the answer.

The pride, superficiality and lack of power, is met with Christ's words, "no man eat fruit of you again".

Detached from the vine. the branches are only fit for the fire, as the life and power of Christ is cut off and no longer flows. John 15

Yes much activity, many words and much rhetoric but its empty and devoid of life.

Lots of man inspired activity but no fruit that brings glory to God.

All the meetings, with lots of preaching, praying, singing etc but how much of it has been Holy Ghost controlled and inspired?

Little is much when God is in it, yet the opposite is also true, much is little when God is not in it!

We wonder why there is no power, life and a manifestation of heaven on earth. How can there be, if Christ is outside His own church, knocking to get in and take His rightful place as Head of the church. Revelation 3v20.

I ask you, how much of what takes place in our churches, is in total submission too and alignment with the plan, purpose and pattern of God for our day.

That's the litmus test. That's the key question.

The reality is, if it is not rooted, grounded in and ordained of God and aligned with His heart, then it is an idol and a pale representation of His Body in the earth.

If it is something that has been fashioned by man and if its controlled by man, I tell you assuredly, it is unacceptable to God and does not represent Him!

Listen to what the Lord said through the prophet Isaiah, to the people of Israel, who had turned the worship of Jehovah into a religious ritual, which was far removed from what He intended it to be:

12“When you come to appear before Me, Who has required this from your hand, To trample My courts?

13Bring no more futile sacrifices; Incense is an abomination to Me. The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies—I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting.

14Your New Moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates; They are a trouble to Me, I am weary of bearing them.

15When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood.

16“Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil,

17Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow.

Meetings, assemblies, lots of activity, lots of religious prayers but none of it was acceptable to God, none of it was aligned to His plan, purpose and pattern. They had turned the holy into the profane and had turned away from the true purpose and spirit that God intended.

I'm sorry, this is a hard pill to swallow but so much of what is done in the name of Christ, is unacceptable and unrecognisable to Him!

We need to come to a place of holy dissatisfaction with the status quo and cry out to God in humility and repentance for revival. For power from on high so that we might rise up as one mighty army and take our nation and the people across the world for Christ.

We need revival and a restoration of everything God has for us so that we may be endued, equipped and energised by power from on high.

The Day of Pentecost

In the Upper Room, on the Day of Pentecost the 120 were in one accord, in complete unity and completely aligned with the purpose, plan and pattern of God.

Tarry in Jerusalem until you are clothed or endued with power from on high was the command. Luke 24v49.

The disciples obeyed and submitted to the plan of God and positioned themselves to receive the promise of the Father.

They didn't go off and do their own thing. Peter didn't start the First Apostolic Church of Jerusalem nor did he take the position of the first pope!

No, he and the rest of the disciples waited in the Upper Room, until the mighty rushing wind came from heaven and filled all the house were they were sitting. Acts 2v1-13.

They had a unity of purpose and that was to do what they were told by Jesus.

You see, true unity is about having one mind, one purpose and one focus on the plan, purpose and pattern of God not on the plan, purpose and pattern of man.

God has a pattern for His end time Church.

He has a purpose and plan and so often it is totally the opposite, to what the church as we know it, is doing.

We need to come into unity in these days but not unified behind the man controlled church system, no matter how good it looks from a distance.

God's Pattern

God said to Moses concerning the tabernacle, which was a type and shadow of what was to come

Hebrews 8v5b

Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, “See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain

It was imperative to make the tabernacle in total accordance with the pattern of God.

Why does much of the church think we can ignore and disregard God's plan, purpose and pattern now?

Do we know better than God?

Are we smarter, more intelligent?

No, we are a proud and adulterous generation, who refuse to submit and adhere to God's ways, as commanded in His word.

Ephesians 4 is the pattern for how Jesus builds His church. Matthew 16v18.

Why then do we ignore and refuse to submit to the revealed pattern?

I've talked to Pastors, who know what the word says but yet refuse to submit to the command.

The reality is, that Jesus said, He would build His church and the gates of hell would not prevail against it. Matthew 16v18

He said it and He will do it.

He will bring those, who submit to His plan, purpose and pattern to the unity of the faith.

Ephesians 2

19¶Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,

20having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,

21in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord,

22in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Praise God, the Holy temple He is building, is not some figment of man's imagination, it's not some man made creation but it's the Church or called out assembly of the Living God not made with man's hands but by the omnipotent and all powerful hands of Jesus Christ Himself.

A building of living stones, compacted together and placed in the building as God purposes. 1 Peter 2v4&5

The challenge is this. Are we going to submit and align with God's plan, purpose and pattern for the ecclesia (Church) or are we going to stubbornly unite behind the plans of men, however we'll intentioned?

When Jesus sayings in John 6 became too challenging, it says many didn't follow Him anymore.

Jesus asked Peter the question, will you join them and leave as well?

Peter's response is one of my favourite verses

John 6v68

68¶But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.

69“Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

You see a separation will come before there is true unity.

I know that sounds like a complete contradiction but it's not.

God's ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts. Isaiah 55v8

He separates those who are called unto Himself to leave behind the religious hypocrisy and facade, in order to bring them into the real and the genuine.

He creates a holy dissatisfaction, in order to bring us out, so that ultimately, He may bring us into the land that is flowing with milk and honey, into the glorious liberty and freedom of the sons of God.

Jesus said, He didn't come to bring peace but a sword, to set at variance a son against the father and daughter against the mother.

The Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, first divides and separates, before the Lord perfects those saints he has separated unto Himself, bringing them into the unity of the faith, spoken of in Ephesians 4.

Psalm 133

It's in that true unity, that God commands the blessing even life forevermore. Psalm 133

The Excellency of Brotherly Unity.

1¶[[A Song of degrees of David.]] Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

2It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments;

3As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.

Three verses that contain amazing truth.

Firstly it is good and pleasant for brethren to dwell in unity.

The Hebrew word for good means agreeable and the word for pleasant means delightful or sweet.

David then describes or likens the pleasantness or delightfulness of unity to:

1. The anointing of the High Priest Aaron

2. The dew of Hermon

We read about the very specific instructions that God gave to Moses in relation to the High Priest's garments and how Aaron was to be anointed and consecrated and set apart to minister in the tabernacle in Exodus 28v1-39 and Exodus 29.

29v7&29

7Then shalt thou take the anointing oil, and pour it upon his head, and anoint him.

29¶And the holy garments of Aaron shall be his sons' after him, to be anointed therein, and to be consecrated in them.

The first thing that stands out is that Aaron as High Priest had to be clothed in the priestly garments before he was anointed.

The anointing was not poured on his flesh, even his head was covered by the mitre.

The High Priest's Garments

The garments had to be made to the exact pattern and specification that was revealed to Moses on the Mount.

Exodus 28v2 calls them holy garments which were for glory and beauty and it was these garments that consecrated Aaron to minister unto the Lord in the office of High Priest. v3

v4 The garments consisted of:

1. The breastplate

2. The ephod

3. The robe

4. The broidered coat

5. The mitre

6. The girdle

v5 The materials were:

1. Gold

2. Blue

3. Purple

4. Scarlet

5. Fine linen

These represented or typified Christ:

1. Gold = Christ's Divinity

2. Blue = The Heavenly Man

3. Purple = Christ as King

4. Scarlet = The precious blood of Jesus as the Lamb of God

5. The Fine Line = Christ as our righteousness

The garments speak to us, as the Royal Priesthood of believers, of being clothed with Christ. Romans 13v14, Galatians 3v27.

We cannot clothe ourselves we must be clothed by God and it is only as we are that the anointing will come upon us.

Secondly notice that the anointing was poured upon the head and then from there it ran down to the body and the skirts of the priestly garments.

This is so significant and of the utmost importance.

The anointing comes from the Head who is Christ and then flows to His Body, the church. See Ephesians 2v22&23, 4v15&16 & Colossians 1v18

He is the source and provider of the anointing but the church must be clothed with the very character and essence of Christ to receive it.

Psalm 133 likens unity to the anointing of Aaron. Think about it when Moses anointed him there must have been such a pleasant and sweet aroma that emanated from the garments.

So it is when we come into the unity of the faith. The sweetness will permeate the very atmosphere and be experienced by those that who come into contact with the people of God. They will see and experience Christ as we are clothed with the priestly garments that He provides and as we receive power from on high.

I may do a separate teaching on the priestly garments and the tabernacle at some stage.

The Dew on Hermon and Zion

Mount Hermon in the North of Israel received such large amounts of water that it was a source of moisture for the surrounding area.

Water is life giving and so unity positions the Body of Christ to receive the life giving Spirit. Cf John 7v37-39.

It is significant that the Psalmist mentions the mountains of Zion. God has chosen Zion as His earthly dwelling place Psalm 132v13-15 which also includes the City of Zion or David.

It is significant that v3 says for there the Lord commands the blessing even life forevermore.

Where - Zion which He has chosen. Of course earthly Zion is a type and figure of heavenly Jerusalem or Church of the firstborn (Christ) .

Hebrews 12v22-24

22¶But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,

23To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

24And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

Unity is a prerequisite for receiving power from on high. Oneness of mind and purpose, a single focus and willingness by the people of God to align with His plan, purpose and pattern.

See Acts 2v41-47, Romans 12v16, 1 Corinthians 1v10, 2 Corinthians 13v10, Ephesians 4v1-7, Philippians 1v27.

John 13v35

35By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

John 17v21

21That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

See also v22&23