Tillamook County Wide Prayer Team is getting “OLD”.  We have been working on biblical church unity for as long as we have been doing this.  The Bible is clear that Unity in the Church body is a critical understanding. 1 Corinthians 12: 12-20

12 There is one body, but it has many parts. But all its many parts make up one body. It is the same with Christ. 13 We were all baptized by one Holy Spirit. And so we are formed into one body. It didn’t matter whether we were Jews or Gentiles, slaves or free people. We were all given the same Spirit to drink. 14 So the body is not made up of just one part. It has many parts.

15 Suppose the foot says, “I am not a hand. So I don’t belong to the body.” By saying this, it cannot stop being part of the body. 16 And suppose the ear says, “I am not an eye. So, I don’t belong to the body.” By saying this, it cannot stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, how could it hear? If the whole body were an ear, how could it smell? 18 God has placed each part in the body just as he wanted it to be. 19 If all the parts were the same, how could there be a body? 20 As it is, there are many parts. But there is only one body.

I grew up in a quirky family.  When I was 15, and itching to get my driver’s license, my father told me I could, as soon as I could understand the way a car engine worked, and the only way I could understand is by taking the engine apart, cleaning it and putting it back together.  I was distressed over this because I didn’t like to get messy, but I could see he meant it.  So, one Saturday afternoon, he was going to overhaul a car (that I would use), and he laid a big canvas tarp out beside the car, and we began the process of  dismantling the engine, and he would give me the part to go clean.  Every part was carefully laid out on the canvas after it was dismantled, and the engine block was pulled to have the valves re-ground.  Pop, came and lovingly began to explain and demonstrate what each part of the engine did, how they fit together, and what made them move and have power.  I would like to say I paid complete attention, but I didn’t.  He went on to explain that each part was vital to make the engine work.  The parts were worthless on the canvas, disconnected, but when they were properly fitted together, they became a brand new engine, with fresh oil, helping it to move freely, fueled with gas to give it power to do work.

Ephesians 4:16 Under his  (Jesus’) direction, the whole body is fitted together perfectly, and each part in its own special way helps the other parts, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

We are called to be fitly joined together within the local church model, but also for the greater Church, (includes all the Body of Christ).  We do not want to be like the car parts, spread out on the canvas.  We, the Church want to be filled with fresh oil and powered by the blood of Jesus.  Do you think that we must allow the Lord to put us together, fitly joined, to complete the Body of Christ?   Let us work together on purpose, with power, and be peaceful that each part (church) is not only unique but required to complete a different function.  Under His direction, the whole body is fitted together perfectly, and each part in its own special way helps the other parts, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.  Each church is needed to bring in the harvest. It begins with relationship and establishing a culture of honor, one for another.  We want to bring glory to the Lord! It starts with US!