Day 9 - Tuesday June 21
Team Players 

ACTIVITY

Materials needed:

·         Ball of wool.

1) Give everyone a length of string. Now using only the string pick up the can of paint.

2) Take one strand of a ball of wool and cut a piece about the length of your arm.  Take the string and break it with your hands, pretty easy hey.  Now take two lengths of string and twist them together and then try to break them, possible, but a little harder. Now take three or more pieces of string and twist them together. Now try to break them. What happens? Really tough isn’t it. The bible talks about this A cord of three strands is not easily broken.  Ecclesiastes 4:12

The lesson is that in coming together or unity, there is greater strength.  We are able to do things together which would be impossible for us if we were alone.  That is, we need one another.  God never intended for us to be alone or to try to do his work alone.   With greater strength there is also greater authority. Jesus prayed that as Christians we would come together with one heart.

When we do so we reflect God’s character and so His glory.

Look up John 17:20-23

 Pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.  I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one:  I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

It is important that we all act on this. This includes people of all ages and from as many churches as possible. Have you ever read the story “Horton hears a WHO?” by Dr Zeus? If not, you can borrow it from the library. It tells the story of how an elephant didn’t believe that there was life on a tiny speck and was going to squish it. It wasn’t’ until the very last little person raised is voice with the rest that they were loud enough to be heard and were spared.

During WW2 there were some awful things happening in Europe concerning the Jewish people. The churches in Canada knew about some of these things but in a talk by Marylyn Nefsky she says:

In the 1930’s Canadian churches…have no unified action. Though several churches spoke out condemning Nazi Germany and, more or less, supporting the admission of Jewish refugees, their efforts were so uncoordinated that some were unaware they were following the example of others.  That there existed a single Christian community held together by a common faith and capable of unified action in Canada at that time is merely an illusion.^[i]

The point she was trying to make was that, yes, there were people upset about what was happening and speaking out, but because they weren’t working together their voice was not heard.

No one church by itself will transform (bring change) a city and no one ministry or denomination will transform a nation.  They would be like one strand of string.  Because the true authority will only be found when people from different places and  kinds of church come together with ONE HEART. This also includes people of all ages, babes, children, teens, adults and grandparents.

When THAT happens the world will look on and be amazed at all these people getting along and focused on the same thing.

 Prayer Focus and Practical Actions

1)      Ask the Lord to search your heart to see if there is anyone in your church that you have a hard time accepting. Maybe someone has hurt you or disappointed you and you Don’t’ want to get near them. Whatever the Lord shows you, decide that you will do your best, during this consecration fast, to forgive that person and reach out to him/her. (Psalm 139:23-24, Matthew 5:21-24).  

2)     Pray for the pastors in your city that they will work together to make a difference in your city. Pray for your pastor specifically.

3)     Father we ask of you this day, to come and heal our land. Knit our hearts together that your glory may be seen in us, then the world will know that Jesus Christ is Lord, Let us be One voice, that glorifies Your name, Let us be One voice declaring You reign, let us be one heart in Love and harmony, and we pray O Lord grant us unity.