Original Blog Date: 03-29-2005
Accord in Webster's means: Agreement; harmony of minds; consent or concurrence of opinions or wills.
I believe being in "Agreement" is a powerful thing with God. Jesus often asked "Do you believe?" before healing someone. On the day of Pentecost, the Bible records, (Acts 1) that many disciples and followers of Christ (about 120) were assembled in an upper room. Acts 1:14 says:
These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.
Again in Acts 2:1 it says:
And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
After many days of believing, agreeing, and having all things common, the Holy Spirit descended "as tongues of fire" which sat upon each of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and things begin to happen. The power of God working in these average people would soon shake the world up for Christ. You can read all through Acts about all that took place, but it's nothing short of miracle after miracle. I believe that agreement and being in One Mind and in Harmony is SO VERY IMPORTANT. The Holy Spirit is not going to fall on a group of believers who aren't in agreement, who aren't waiting anxiously for Him. If we want to see things happen as a body of believers, we need to be in agreement with Christ and each other. Before Jesus was crucified, he had earlier prayed that God would keep his people and Him in agreement. In John 17 he said:
John 17:11b - Holy Father, keep them in thy name which thou hast given me, that they may be one as we.John 17:21 - that they may be all one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us, that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.John 17:22b - that they may be one, as we are one;John 17:23a - I in them and thou in me, that they may be perfected into one and that the world may know that thou hast sent meJohn 17:26b - that the love with which thou hast loved me may be in them and I in them.
Do you see a pattern here? The bottom line is this: Christ wants us to be as ONE in HIM and with each other, as HE is ONE with the FATHER. That is SO awesome to think about. Do you think Christ is going to MOVE upon our behalf when we are all one in Him? You bet He will!
The one sure thing that will stop Christ from moving is doubt. See these scriptures:
Mat 13:58 And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief. (Note: Mark states the same thing, except he was able to heal a few sick folks who did believe.)
Mat 17:18-20 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour. Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
Hebrews 11:6 says without Faith it is impossible to please God.
To get back on track though, the point I'm trying to make is the importance of Belief and an expectation for God and what he's going to do. It takes us being in harmony and agreement. I believe the reason so much has been heard of from the old tent revivals is because of this very thing. People used to gather out under tents in any weather and get together for a common purpose. God would move, people would literally be healed, lives were changed forever. People who would normally be seen drunk around town all the time would be sober finally. I'm sure even today that these Tent revivals take place, but you don't see it like you used to. It was an exciting thing. People dedicated to get out like that and travel miles came with an expectation. I can assure you, that anytime people get together in the name of Jesus Christ and are in agreement together, that God can then move. It takes people who are sold out to Him, who have a great expectation and who will agree with Jesus to get things done. Do you think the disciples and others who loved Jesus had an expectation to stay in that upper room for many days? You bet they did. They were like the woman with the blood disease that would not be denied. She was going to touch the hem of Jesus' garment and she was going to be healed. She would not be refused. That's the way these people were.
Let's pray for ONE MIND and ONE ACCORD. These words are words I was given a few years ago to put to song. I've got the words written down but have never put it to music. I'm currently working on that. It's something I can't escape, so I know the Lord has been constantly putting it back on my mind.
If you have any comments or disagreements on any of this, I'd love to hear from you. Email me at khalsted@conwayharvest.org.
Ken Halsted
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