Unity Through Fellowship

Eph 4:1  Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, 2  with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, 3  being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.... Eph 4:13  until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. 

During the recent gathering it was evident this matter of unity was (and is) on the Lord's heart for us His people. We were reminded of these verses in John 17 which the Lord prayed just before His death.

THAT THEY MAY BE ONE EVEN AS WE ARE ONE

Joh 17:11  "I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are. 

Joh 17:20  "I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21  that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.  22  "The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one;  23  I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. 

Our brother Daniel pointed out to us that not only is the Lord asking the Father that we would be One but He was also telling us the secret on how to be a testimony and a lamp stand for Him. A few quotes below...

"... His desire is that we would be One, that we would be a testimony to Him..."

"... that as people come and say 'There is something different about them, its like heaven on earth, there is such unity, there is such love, I can't find this anywhere else, that they will be drawn to Him and want to know the Lord."

Wasn't this our experience this past weekend? Was it not like a taste of heaven? Gathered together in His name, with the Lord in our midst. Receiving and imparting Christ to each other in such a rich and free way. Just a taste, a glimpse of what is in the Lord's heart for His people.

Below is the first 10 minutes of our brothers message which seems to convey the Lord's heart on this matter.

There is so much more to express on this topic, which is likely best expressed through His many membered body. As the Lord continues to enlarge our hearts in this area, perhaps each of us can share what the Lord has been revealing to us as it relates to this matter of unity.