Understanding the Unity for which Christ prayed

Since March 25 Adventist believers around the world are in prayer for the Unity of God’s Remnant church.  In reality I find many people have their own ideas of what unity means and how it should be wrought.   Apostle John records the last prayer of Jesus before crucifixion – Chapter 17 – the Prayer for Unity, especially verses 20-23, where Jesus prays for all His followers through the ages, who will believe through the Word of originally sent apostles,  “that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.”  This is the prayer that is yet to be answered!  I have witnessed how peoples’ personal opinions divide congregations.

Some think that as long as we are “in union,” “united” as one denomination, it will suffice.  Union is not unity.  There are “United” States, “United” Kingdom, without unity J.  There are families who enter into the “union” being disagreeable and are united in fighting one another J.  Others see unity as “uniformity,” expecting all to conform to certain standards.  Mennonites, Amish, some Jewish Hassidic communities strive for uniformity in dress, etc., yet it is not unity!  The example of unity was the early apostolic church in the upper room when the Holy Spirit descended – their unity is described as a harmony, being of one accord, Greek term “homothumadon” (Acts 1:14; 2:1,46; 4:24; 5:15).  This musical term implies unity in diversity – it takes at least three different notes to make an accord and a harmony! The unity is the tune of the spirit, the attitude, being of One Spirit.  I discover the key for Unity promised by Christ (John 17:22) is in verse 5 – the Glory of being in God’s Presence.  When we seek God’s Presence, when God’s Presence is in our lives we cannot help but be in unity, by the Holy Spirit!  When people are not in unity one may wonder if they are of the same spirit J.

As I consider statements made by our pioneers on the subject of unity they indicate that we all need to reform, to change, to align ourselves, and that will follow the revival of the Spirit.  It also comes with a warning that “in every revival satan will bring those who are unsanctified in heart and unbalanced in mind…in all the history of the church no reformation has been carried forward without serious obstacles….there are some who bring heresies, that, if received, would eventually crowd out the love of the truth.”  (Great Controversy, 396, Ellen G. White)  Notice the result of heresies – crowding out the love and “accusing spirit.”  Jesus warned that toward the end the “love of many will grow cold” (Matthew 24:12-13) and we must endure in love to the end in order to be saved.  Loving heart is the evidence of God’s Spirit, of God’s Presence in our lives.  Whatever the issue may be – ordination, spiritual formation, financial management, evangelism, going door-to-door – a telling factor is non-accusatory and loving heart.  First examine yourself, are you moved by non-judgmental loving spirit?  When you listen to people who claim to challenge things – are they being loving, non-accusatory, non-judging?  Only being in tune with Holy Spirit will make us sound in one accord.

Praying for Revival in our church

This past Wednesday we began the 100 days of prayer for unity, for revival, for reconciliation among members, for the Holy Spirit to use our church.  An article by Andy Nash in the review resonated with me this week.  He writes: “In North America too many of us are apathetic, secular. Sabbath schools are sparsely attended. Half of our members don’t study Scripture on their own. Worst of all is the troubling mind-set that being correct about the Sabbath automatically means that we’re spiritual. (Does being right about your spouse’s birthday mean that you’re happily married?) The Sabbath (and everything else) means nothing outside of a personal relationship with Christ: nothing, nothing, nothing.”  And I want to add a few exclamation points at the end, but, then some may interpret it as “screaming” J

I concur with such a diagnosis after a decade of ministering here in London.  Sooooo many “former” or “nominal” “Adventists” who had not set foot in the church, besides coming to the parking lot when the veg-mobile is in town J; so many who may have had set the foot in the church, but have not supported the mission or ministry of our congregation, yet considering themselves “remnant,” saved and ready for heaven.

From a recent conversations I had many were not ready for the long haul, many hoped Jesus would have come by now, and with uncertainty of time ahead, not sure how to prepare for the “marathon” of being peculiar.  The concern about being accepting and tolerant had overtaken the responsibility to help people in need of change.  At times I wonder too if we are heading for the “shaking” time described in following words:  “The Church may appear as about to fall, but it does not fall. It remains, while the sinners in Zion will be sifted out—the chaff separated from the precious wheat. This is a terrible ordeal, but nevertheless it must take place.” (Ellen G. White, Selected Messages Vol. 2, p. 380.)

 How passionate are you about our church?  I am not asking how much you know about the history or institutional story of the movement, not about loyalty to the brand name, but about your passion for the local church family.  Do you care for the Church School, providing faith foundation for the elementary students?  Do you care about Adventurers and Pathfinders ministries, which need adults’ support, funding and mentoring for the growing up generation?  What about coming out to interact with youth and teens on Saturday night vespers?  Or have you become a “nominal” member, just like other denominations, showing up for the “divine” hour once a week and then living a disconnected life the rest of the week?  Have you done anything for the Mission advancement?  Do you care to come out for the door-to-door outreach, surveying needs and prayers of community?

Does it trouble you that the large portion of the young adults in their 30s, who are members of our extended church family, do not bother to come to our fellowship at all? Will your loved be saved?  Consider whether you are firm in the time of shaking.

Praying for Revival, for Christ to Come

On March 25, 2015 Seventh-day Adventists around the world will begin the 100 Days of Prayer for the upcoming 60^th General Conference meeting.

In 1903 Ellen White had a vision, which she recorded entitled “What Might Have Been.”  She said that the breakthrough did not happen because hardhearted participants prevented the unity that God had intended, she said.  “Deeply disappointed, she understood that the Lord could have come back in the lifetime of those members, but His people would not respond to the Holy Spirit’s moving as they should have.”  God was ready to cut the work short by pouring the Holy Spirit, but the delegates would not humble themselves.  Had they in humility of soul led out in the work of confessing and repentance there would have been one of the greatest revivals since the day of Pentecost!  But it never happened…..

The 100 Days of Prayer invites Adventist believers to spend some time every day praying for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, for church leaders, for all delegates, and for the decisions that will be made at the 2015 General Conference session. This prayer initiative will continue through July 11, the end of the 2015 session in San Antonio, Texas.

You can sign up to receive a daily e-mail, starting on March 25, from the Ministerial Association’s 100DaysofPrayer.org website. The e-mail will include practical, real-life devotional messages, a revolving list of names of church leaders to hold up in prayer, and significant needs to remember in prayer as preparations are made for the 2015 General Conference session.

Pray for yourself, your pastors, elders, leaders, schools, Conference leadership, delegates from Ontario, Canadian Union church leaders, North American Division, and for all the world.  Pray that there will be no pride, no envy, no greed, no anger, no strife.  Pray that unity and love will be poured into hearts of all by the Holy Spirit.

Our church leaders’ biggest hope is that the 2015 session will not repeat 1901 — and Jesus will come quickly.  What might have ben can be!

Focus on the Youth in our church

Last Sabbath under Kirmane Allen’s leadership we had a special focus of praying for and with youth.  Today, pastor from Kitchener, Garth Dottin, is speaking to the youth again.  Tonight we are starting a new AY series “Beyond the Search” to facilitate youth, early teens and young adults for spiritual growth.  For the past few years we had been intentionally investing into upcoming teens generation, with a single desire not to lose any more youth.  We admit that a significant number of the previous cohort of youth have left, are not committed to the church mission.  We are thankful to God for the few that remain and are involved in serving as the members of the Body of Christ.

The statistics are daunting. Only 2.5% of the North American Division Seventh-day Adventist church membership is currently made up of young adults. Estimates of our young adult attrition report losing up to 70% of people ages 18-30.  We admit that the culture around us is shifting faster than we can keep up with and the church leaders are finding it increasingly difficult to keep young adults engaged, never mind reach the unchurched with the gospel.

Some are seeing this as “the worst disaster ever experienced,” yet it can be our “finest hour.”  I spoke with a disconnected young adult this week, who has a theological education, had done mission work, had preached in churches, yet choses not to attend to be connected to the church today.  My challenge to him was that we cannot afford to sit idly and wait for church administration and leadership to figure out and fix things. Success will not come from the top down.  Revival begins with me, with you, with each one individually.  When we connect to God and are empowered to reach out in our circles of influence and love those around, when we seek to make a difference in lives of people we care, mission becomes ours! Where is God working? 

My appeal to both young and old of our church – join God at work of mercy and grace in the community all around you, and watch God transforming you in the process.  We need each other.  We must support one another to endure, so that our love would never grow cold, or old J  Model, mentor, pray for and invest in the young generation searching for meaning.

Building Community of Faithfulness

As we continue Wednesday nights praying for the Fruit of the Spirit, last Wednesday we were led to consider faithfulness.  It is a complex word as it is translated by many English words of different roots:  believing and believable, hoping, trusting, trustful and trustworthy,  steadfast, reliable, faithful, loyal.  Consider these timbres and accents of Biblical concept!  When Apostle Paul lists the evidence of the Holy Spirit present in person’s life, when the Love of God is truly poured into our hearts (Romans 5:5) we become reliable, trustworthy, faithful, loyal!

Being a “believer” is often used as a label to someone who belongs to a church, or considers him/herself a part of a religious group.  We refer to ourselves often as “believers’ and those outside as “unbelievers.”  Today I invite you to consider how much a “believer” you are – are you reliable, could you be trusted, are you faithful in small things, are you loyal to God, are you steadfast in your commitments?

As you analyze and examine yourself, consider God’s examples of faithfulness:  He is faithful to forgive us and to cleanse us when we confess our sins (1 John 1:9).  Even when we are faithless, God remains faithful; for He cannot deny Himself, it is Who God is – Faithful! (2 Timothy 2:13).  Psalms abound with praises to God’s faithfulness.  Lamentations of Jeremiah 3:22-23 had been put into song “Great is Thy Faithfulness, O God our Father!”

The desire of God’s heart is that we would be like Him.  That’s why He is willing to deposit Holy Spirit in us, to work a transformation of our character, with which comes also blessing to us.  Proverbs 28:20 teaches that “a faithful man will abound with blessings.”  Luke 16:10 records the words of Jesus “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much.”

Pray as disciples of Jesus did: ““Increase our faith!” (Luke 17:5)  Pray that every church leader around the world holds deeply to a faithful spiritual and evangelistic perspective.   Pray that leaders, elders, deacons of our church would be faithful to their calling.  Pray for me, your pastor, to remain steadfast in serving you God’s word.  As the church is moving closer to the 60^th General Conference session pray that all who call themselves a remnant would be faithful to the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) and mandate of Christ to be witnesses (Acts 1:8).

Elder Bob Reeve’s favorite verse Hebrews 11:6 is “Without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”  Be faithful, to receive the crown of life (Rev.2:10^b)