Something worth Catching

I have been on mission trips and part of community groups and I can say without a shadow of a doubt that I have experienced God and heard Him so much more clearly during those times, more than I have before. In fact that is one of the reasons I wanted to do the race. An eleven month mission trip that has its basis on community. Um, where do I sign up. 

I have often been asking myself, Why is it like this? Why do I hear Him so much better in China, or with a group of brothers who are open with each other? Why is it that it is so hard to hear Him when i’m not in community, or going about my day to day life? What is the difference?

The answer came to me, when I was reading acts recently: 

 

In Acts 2 on the day of Pentecost, all the believers where in one place, then the Holy Spirit came down and Peter preached the first Sermon and 3000 were baptized. 

Acts 2:42 says that “All who believed were together and had all things in common” this lead to Paul and John healing the lame beggar, and another sermon by Peter leading to more to faith in Christ.

In Acts 4 all the believers were together praying for Boldness and they were filled with the Holy Spirit and continue to speak the word of God with boldness.

Again here in Acts 4 it says “The full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common” Immediately after this, it talks about selling possessions and laying it at the apostles feet, leaving no one to be in need.

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Now I know you’re like yeah, Josh thats cool, but what does that have to do with me, and the mission trip and community groups? Well let me ask you this question, what is one thing that all four of those references had in common? If you said they’re from Acts, you’re correct, but not what I was going for, they are all talking about being together and being in one accord. They had the same goals, needs, vision. They were truly one together. 

This is why we experience God so much more fully when we are on a mission trip or with a community group. It is in the those moments that we are one accord with another. We have the same vision, whether its building houses or prayer walking, or reshaping our communities. That is when we can see God move in such tangible ways. 

To contrast this, we don’t experience God in such thick ways away from the trips and when we are not part of a group because we are with one vision with others, we are a lone ranger christian. How can we possibly experience God when, we are trying to do things on our own. If we want to experience God we have to become one with on another. If we are truly one body, then thats what we should be. 

 One Body

One Vision 

How can we be a body of one vision, when so many of us have so many different dreams? People who dream of ending the sex-trafficking, others who want to empower the disfranchised, others who want to lead their parents to Christ, and others who want to see a village be able to be educated and self sustained. Am I asking these people to give up their dreams so that they can become one accord with another persons? Well, yes and no. 

These visions and dreams are wonderful things and I would love to see all of them come to fruition. I believe that Jesus does not want to hear about all the wonderful things that you are wanting to do, even if they are the most spiritual thing ever until you have caught His vision and his mission. The early apostles did, and they flipped the world upside down. When you have caught His vision, He will do miracles through you and would love to give you your dreams. 

So what is the vision of Christ, what vision do you need to catch.