As the Church We Must be One

During my time in Hollywood I had the opportunity to work on a few television and film projects. It was always an interesting experience because you always had a different director, and you never quite knew what direction he/she would be heading. On the set, after we had done a scene, and the director announced “cut”. There was usually a call from the A.D. (Assistant Director), exclaiming “back to one!”   Everyone on the set knew what that meant. You were to return to your first position that you were assigned in the beginning. You were to do so quickly and without hesitation. The director did not want to waste a moment when trying to capture that one scene that was crucial to the project. This same principle must apply to those of us in the church today. We must return to our “number one”, or asJohn the Revelator put it, “our first love”.  In the book of the Revelation, there is a stirring message to the various churches as to their mission and place in God. Those churches were representations of the church of today.

They were sort of a prototype. These early churches had many problems and challenges in the beginning, just as we do today. The Church at Ephesus had a zeal for their new life in Christ when they were converted. They were living during the Roman empire,  and they knew all too well about the worship of false gods, false teachers and heresies.  Much like we should be today, the church was on fire with the desire to reach the lost with the gospel.  They understood their conversion was for a purpose, and they lived it. Though the early church did not have all the distractions that we face today with everything so high speed and technologically advanced. They were still pressed with nations that did not revere the true and living God and did everything to make Jesus’ path to the cross at Calvary a sham. They knew they were at the critical point of God’s divine purpose being fulfilled and their presentation of the gospel would make the difference.  At one, they committed themselves to fasting and prayer. They knew they could not overtake these nations with their pagan gods and false worship in their own strength.

They needed the Lord! He had given them the Holy Spirit and endowed them with power from on high. What a marvelous place they were in, and they sustained it. Sadly, the churches became lukewarm and complacent in their evangelism. They became “religious”, and though many were converted, it was almost as if they had lost steam. This was the purpose of the “Spirit speaking to the churches”.  It was crucial that they listened to the Spirit then, just as it is crucial for us to listen to the Spirit today. No matter what is going on in this world, the Spirit is always moving and speaking. It is upon us to find that place and listen. The fervor of the Holy Spirit has been crying out in these last days.

The Church must put on her spiritual ears and listen. There is a cry from the throne of God to a generation that people must repent.  There is also the move of the Spirit towards us being   “the light of Christ”, and to “be that light in a very dark world.”  Getting “back to one” is imperative to the imminent return of our Lord. Our position and purpose in this world must not diminish or become weak. There is a need to get back to prayer, fasting, consecration and re-dedication to the spreading of the gospel. Let us get “back to one”!!