The church is moving toward unity like I have not seen before in my lifetime. What is happening is more than a reaction to the elections, though that may have contributed to it. The economic shaking is a factor also. Even so, just as the Apostle Paul rejoiced that the gospel was being preached regardless of what the motives were for those doing it, we can rejoice in this tremendous thrust toward unity. There is an increasing revelation that we simply cannot make it in these times without each other. This is true, but once we begin reaching out to others in the body of Christ, it quickly changes from something we have to do to something we get to do. The benefits of unifying are huge and so quickly realized that I am already receiving reports of how fast wounded and unhealthy churches are being healed and are again growing in extraordinary vision, just because they reached out to another church or movement.
Recently, a member of our church shared with me that this was the lesson of the movie, Ghostbusters, or what we might call “Ghostbusters theology.” If you remember that movie, the Ghostbusters kept saying that they must not cross the streams of their weapons because they did not know what would happen if they did. Then, when faced with the evil principality, in ultimate desperation, they said, “Cross the streams!” As soon as they did, the enemy was destroyed.
Likewise, many Christian leaders are fearful of crossing their streams with others because they do not know what will happen. Impending desperation is causing them to do it anyway, and the result is a huge increase of power. We see throughout the Scriptures the principle of how authority and power are multiplied with unity.
We can also expect this unity to be attacked. If it were not attacked, it would likely be because it is not that important, so any attack should encourage us. However, the unity of the church has been the main thing the devil has attacked since the first century. The devil knows probably better than most Christians the power of unity and how a division in the church does far more damage to the church than many heresies.
The Lord allows the devil to attack what He is doing in order to test the quality of a work and to deepen it. Any relationship that has not been tested is likely to be shallow. A relationship that has been through testing will be stronger and much deeper, and we are told the same about our faith. The testing of our faith is basically the testing of our relationship with God.
Let us resolve this year that we will not tolerate any more division, and devote ourselves to unity. Is there a single downside to unity? Are not the benefits substantial and some of the greatest we can find in the promises of God? However, even more than for the benefits, we should do this because it is obviously one of the main things on the Lord’s heart and one of the things that pleases Him the most. Let us resolve that this year we are going to do all that we can to bring pleasure to the Lord. This could be one of the greatest gifts we could ever give to Him.
