Jesus prayed... "I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one, even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent me" (John 17:20-21). The time has come upon us. The Lord has brought my husband Harvey, daughter (Julia), and me to the decision of saying good-bye to our little church family. It has taken much prayer to finally receive the fact it would not be in the Lord's will to stay another year. Being led by the Spirit is such a sweet gift. But we find ourselves contending with soul-ish hesitation as we accept to fill the need of another church four hours away, from which we first came. In us has been placed a sense of greater outreach and we can only be faithful to His calling. I had recently heard a pastor explain that with every stepping out in the Lord, there is sacrifice. When we first began our ministry nine years ago, with the excitement of going forth in Him, it was not without sacrifice and heartache as we put distance between our two older daughters (Brittany and Jordan), my mom, and many friends. Now we are faced yet again with heartache in saying good-bye. Thanks be to God, our stay has not been without growth. The church had suffered great disappointment from the flesh of the previous leadership and was so convinced the enemy was near. Sadly, an absence of Christ and His power was present. To boast only in the Lord and His truths, these vessels now have a freedom to come together each week, unzipping their fleshly bodies, bringing to an awareness of their spirit within. Replacement has taken place in Christ - His love and enlightenment of being one with Him. "God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all" (1 John 1:5). Last Sunday morning, Harv and I clasped our hands in prayer. We asked it would not be of us, not our words that would reveal the future to our unsuspecting church members. That abiding in Christ, He alone would explain the inevitable truth. Harv had been given the message of 1 Cor. 3:5-7: "What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. I planted Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth." I found myself with the task of preparing the hearts of our young children to what would be later explained by their parents. For days before, I had waited upon the Lord for direction in what Bible story to share, what lesson we could explore to explain what little ones may have difficulty understanding. Separation. I found myself with heaviness of heart. Taking each step, by faith, in the direction of our kitchen, where our Sunday school class met. Confessing to my all-knowing Lord, "I've got nothing...I've got nothing...This is all You!" By experience, I have found that where there is much dependence there is a reward of sweet grace. So full was His presence in that little room. So much excitement each child had sharing their week; and then individually in prayer, their concerns and thanksgivings. Somehow we found ourselves on the subject of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and the Oneness in all. One child pondered out loud and asked, "How can they be three, but one?" Young minds work best with simplicity. I was so blessed when a demonstration came to mind using drops of water. Finding an empty cake pan nearby, I placed it in the middle of the table. All the children clamored up on their chairs to carefully observe. I proceeded to space out three drops of water on the bottom of the pan. Practically in unison, they all exclaimed, "The Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit!" "Now watch," I said. Gently, I rocked the pan and with no evidence of where one drop had begun and another started, we witnessed an immersion of all three into one. I found myself explaining that not only are the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit found in One, but we as believers are also found in that One and nothing can ever, ever separate us. Not time, not distance, nor even death. As I rolled that one drop around in the pan, the air took on a thick sense of understanding. For just as Jesus prayed, "..even as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be in Us" (John 17:21). Thank you Lord, that forever and always...we are One!
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Laurie Penner (Saskatchewan, CANADA) is a contributing writer for IOM America - Transformational Biblical Worldview & Exchange Life Development.
Permission obtained from writer to republish We Are One. Please credit writer of article.
All Scriptures, unless otherwise stated, are taken from the New American Standard Bible, © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright© 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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