ONE

¹¹ The people of Judah and the people of Israel will be reunited, and they will appoint one leader…

Hosea 1:11 (NIV)

Blending--ever try to blend things of different natures like oil and water? It may work for a moment then the two again separate. It’s a lot like marriage. Marriage is a blending miracle. You’re taking two people from different backgrounds, different temperaments, different social economic backgrounds, with different traditions, raised in different homes, sometimes from different cities, and you attempt to make them one. Impossible. No wonder marriages struggle.

When merging Calvary Assembly of God (English and Spanish congregations at the time) with Easton Assembly of God to become New Beginnings Church we did this symbolic exercise: I had everyone say their name together at the same time. At the count of three all shouted their names and it sounded like a massive mess. I said that as long as we focus on ourselves NBC will be a massive mess. Then I said, “At the count of three everyone say the name of Jesus…one, two, three…JESUS!” all in perfect unison. I then said that if our collective focus is on Jesus there will be unity. We all must choose Jesus. Jesus will not choose Him for us. We must make that choice ourselves. For without us choosing God, God does nothing through us.

Israel and Judah were going to be reunited when they’d choose themselves one leader. Marriages work when people come together and appoint themselves one Leader, Jesus. Churches work when they unite themselves under the banner of one Leader, Jesus. Then God does great things. As Ecclesiastes tells us: Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. (Ecclesiastes 4:12) Appoint Jesus as that One Leader, the third strand…you’ll never break.

Questions to consider:

Why do marriages struggle?

What connection does this blog entry have with us not being unequally yoked with unbelievers?

Why is unity important? What’s wrong with disunity?

What does appointing Jesus as your leader look like?