Tuesday, January 12, 2010

One Place

“When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place.” (Acts 2:1)

Who is “they?” It may seem that the “they” Luke refers to is the 12 apostles. There were 12 now, since Matthias had been added. It is more likely that “they” refers to the whole group of 120 who had been meeting in an upper room, in a house. For 10 days they had been in prayer.

They were all together in one place on the day of Pentecost when this phenomenal spiritual event took place. The event could only have happened by their being in one place.

The whole day of Pentecost event marks a wondrous spiritual occurrence, but we should not overlook the significance of the phrase “one place.” This group of believers was in one place physically, of course, but they were also in one place spiritually, emotionally, socially, and volitionally. This fledgling church was united. Just as this event required them to be in one place physically, it also required that they be in one place in terms of their spiritual, emotional, social, and volitional unity.

Maybe the unity of a church, born of concerted prayer, is a pre-requisite for any significant work of the Holy Spirit to take place in the life of a church. That at least seems to be something of what is being said in Acts 2:1. Maybe unity needs to be more of a priority than we really understand.

Lord, Show us the way and lead us to the kind of unity that honors You and invites the unleashing of Your Spirit’s power. Amen.

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