Actual Site of Upper Room While preaching through the initial chapters of the Acts of the Apostles, it has hit me pretty hard that Harmony is a very important part of a life that makes a positive impact on people and thus spreads to the family, home, town and perhaps the entire world. Inside the dust cover on his book, Fascinating Stories of Forgotten Lives, Chuck Swindoll shares four similar traits of high impact people. I’m using just one today. It’s number 3 on Chuck’s list.
“Harmonious mannered High-impact people set aside petty differences and nurture harmony with others to achieve the greater good.”
The infant actions of the New Testament Church demonstrated harmony that has seldom been seen in the ensuing two millennia. While waiting on the promise of the Holy Spirit for ten days in the upper room. The upper room was filled with people of different political leaning, such as Simon Zelotes, in other places called “Cannanite,” referring to his ethnic heritage. The women were present in the room including Mary the mother of Jesus and there does not appear any hint of racial or gender inequality. WOW! They all prayed! Continually. In one Accord. (Japanese cars were bigger back then).
I’m certain the “one accord” refers to a harmony of purpose. Paul wrote in Philippians 1:27 “Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;”
Again in Philippians 2:2 “Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.”
You see the words, one spirit, one mind, striving together, likeminded, the same love, of one accord, and of one mind. It seems that one of the necessities of effective church is to get and maintain this kind of harmony among those who are attempting to obey and please the Lord Jesus.
The people in the upper room were facing many unknowns and what was known was not all that comforting. I don’t think they completely understood the meaning and power of the Holy Spirit coming to them. (Do we even now fully understand this)?
The upper room disciples had something to keep them going in harmonious faith. Here’s a few: They had a promise from Jesus. Acts 2:4. Direction from the Lord. Verse 2. Patience. Vs 2. They knew that everyone in the room was equally lost in Adam and that everyone in the room was equally saved in Jesus Christ. They knew they were there for God’s purpose which would be more fully revealed on the Day of Pentecost. These are some nice fuzzy toys to cling to in uncertain times.
You may, at this moment be in your version of the upper room. You expose yourself to the constant barrage of the media and you think and feel, “there is no hope,” and thus you sink ever deeper into whatever malfunction to which you are prone. Some of us want to dig a hole, crawl in and pull the hole in behind us. This is a real position of the victory that overcomes the world!
May I ask you what I asked our congregation Sunday past?
1. Do you have Promises from God? There are over 7,000 in the Word
2. Do you have directions from God for meaningful living?
3. Do you need patience?
4. Do you accept Equality of all believers at Calvary?
5. Do you pray and strive for harmony/one mind/one heart?
Jesus prayed in John 17:11 “And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.”
Notice that He prayed for us to be in harmony!
In The Upper Room
There's a place for all the weak and weary
A place where all may find real peace
In the upper room with Jesus
All our cares and heartaches cease
There is cooling water for the weary
There's a balm for ev'ry broken heart
There is rest for all the heavy laden
His peace to you He will impart
In the upper room with Jesus
Sitting at his nail-scarred feet
Oh, Oh what rich and full communion
Fellowship divine and sweet
Unknown
Copyright © 2014 Larry Lilly
Contact Oral Deckard for any computer work. He is an honest professional with a heart for helping with your IT needs. Click
Development-Resourceshttp://development-resources.com/index.html
“Harmonious mannered High-impact people set aside petty differences and nurture harmony with others to achieve the greater good.”
The infant actions of the New Testament Church demonstrated harmony that has seldom been seen in the ensuing two millennia. While waiting on the promise of the Holy Spirit for ten days in the upper room. The upper room was filled with people of different political leaning, such as Simon Zelotes, in other places called “Cannanite,” referring to his ethnic heritage. The women were present in the room including Mary the mother of Jesus and there does not appear any hint of racial or gender inequality. WOW! They all prayed! Continually. In one Accord. (Japanese cars were bigger back then).
I’m certain the “one accord” refers to a harmony of purpose. Paul wrote in Philippians 1:27 “Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;”
Again in Philippians 2:2 “Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.”
You see the words, one spirit, one mind, striving together, likeminded, the same love, of one accord, and of one mind. It seems that one of the necessities of effective church is to get and maintain this kind of harmony among those who are attempting to obey and please the Lord Jesus.
The people in the upper room were facing many unknowns and what was known was not all that comforting. I don’t think they completely understood the meaning and power of the Holy Spirit coming to them. (Do we even now fully understand this)?
The upper room disciples had something to keep them going in harmonious faith. Here’s a few: They had a promise from Jesus. Acts 2:4. Direction from the Lord. Verse 2. Patience. Vs 2. They knew that everyone in the room was equally lost in Adam and that everyone in the room was equally saved in Jesus Christ. They knew they were there for God’s purpose which would be more fully revealed on the Day of Pentecost. These are some nice fuzzy toys to cling to in uncertain times.
You may, at this moment be in your version of the upper room. You expose yourself to the constant barrage of the media and you think and feel, “there is no hope,” and thus you sink ever deeper into whatever malfunction to which you are prone. Some of us want to dig a hole, crawl in and pull the hole in behind us. This is a real position of the victory that overcomes the world!
May I ask you what I asked our congregation Sunday past?
1. Do you have Promises from God? There are over 7,000 in the Word
2. Do you have directions from God for meaningful living?
3. Do you need patience?
4. Do you accept Equality of all believers at Calvary?
5. Do you pray and strive for harmony/one mind/one heart?
Jesus prayed in John 17:11 “And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.”
Notice that He prayed for us to be in harmony!
In The Upper Room
There's a place for all the weak and weary
A place where all may find real peace
In the upper room with Jesus
All our cares and heartaches cease
There is cooling water for the weary
There's a balm for ev'ry broken heart
There is rest for all the heavy laden
His peace to you He will impart
In the upper room with Jesus
Sitting at his nail-scarred feet
Oh, Oh what rich and full communion
Fellowship divine and sweet
Unknown
Copyright © 2014 Larry Lilly
Contact Oral Deckard for any computer work. He is an honest professional with a heart for helping with your IT needs. Click
Development-Resourceshttp://development-resources.com/index.html
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