The power of oneness ~ Mike MacIntosh

"Have you not even read this Scripture: 'The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord's doing, And it is marvelous in our eyes'?" And they sought to lay hands on Him, but feared the multitude, for they knew He had spoken the parable against them. So they left Him and went away. Mark 12:10-12

There is true, supernatural power when the people of God gather together. Look at what happened when Jesus told this parable, referring to Himself as "the stone which the builders rejected," but which has become the "chief cornerstone." He was claiming to be the Messiah, but the Pharisees were upset that someone would make such a claim. In fact, they were so angered, they attempted to take hold of Jesus. But fearing the multitude, they ran away.

Wow, what a statement about the people of God! What the Pharisees experienced was sort of like a loving Christian "mob." You see, the Pharisees were pretty ticked off that Jesus Christ claimed to be who He was. They weren't looking for a Savior to come riding lowly on a donkey; they were looking for the proverbial knight in shining armor, riding a white horse. They weren't looking for the Redeemer to be a humble servant; they wanted a dictator and a ruler to lead them against their enemies. But here, surrounding Jesus, was a multitude of people full of love, kindness, and devotion--and the Pharisees were scared of them. They didn't fear the people because of their physical superiority, though. They were scared because they saw the number of like-minded people who loved Jesus and would do anything for Him.

Let me ask you this: When you walk into your church or home fellowship, do you sense a oneness and a common love for Jesus Christ and for each other? Can you feel it when you just walk in? Is there an overwhelming sense of Christ's love completely permeating your meeting places? As believers, Jesus has called us to love one another (John 13:34) and to "go and make disciples" (Matthew 28:19)--and He has given us the Holy Spirit to empower us to do these amazing tasks. The Holy Spirit empowers us to be the people full of love, kindness, and devotion that the Pharisees feared. No doubt, when we, as a unified body of believers, are tapped into the awesome power of God, there's nothing that we cannot do or handle. We Christians are world-changers!

The Bible says that nothing can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:39), and I think that others can feel that when we gather together. So, as Hebrews says, don't forsake the gathering together (Hebrews 10:25). There is real power in our numbers; we are truly world-changers through the power of Jesus Christ.