Bruce Collins, Evangelist

The personal website of Bruce Collins

Of One Accord

When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. (Acts 2:1 NKJV)

Forty Days

In Acts 1 verse 3 we read that the Lord presented Himself alive (to his apostles) after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them for forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. That forty days must have been memorable.  The sorrow of the cross had been turned into the joy of the resurrection.  He spoke to them of the things concerning the kingdom. He prepared breakfast for some of them who had gone fishing. He spoke to two disciples on the way to Emmaus about the prophetic old testament scriptures dealing with His suffering and glorification. 

There are periods of time in our lives that we don’t forget.  I don’t ever expect to forget the trouble and sorrow that I found when I wanted to know what it meant to be born again.  I will never forget the relief associated with finding out that I didn’t need to wait to be saved because Christ had already died to save me.  I remember that I had asked the Lord to save me and while the Lord answered that prayer, I got no immediate relief from praying.  I prayed after I was saved, but I called on the name of the Lord because I was saved and not to get saved. (See Romans 10:13 AND 14.)   I believed what God said that afternoon.  After I was saved, I had the word of God to assure me of the truth that Christ had died to save me. 

I will never forget the joy of finding out that my brother had also found peace with God after I told him that I knew I was saved.  I will never forget my wedding day.  I will never forget time spent in Belize and time spent in Nassau as well as one cruise that we have taken. I will never forget some of the gospel meetings held in rented buildings and tents.  I will never forget the storms that we experienced in some of those tent meetings.  I will never forget the birth of my children.  And I could go on and on.  Some of these experiences are shared experiences that have created bonds with those who were there at the time.

I suspect the apostles never forgot those forty days between the resurrection and the ascension of the Lord.  That time had to be precious.  It was a shared experience that must have drawn them together.  They had a teacher that they trusted.  Before the cross, they seemed unable to accept His crucifixion, but now they understood.  This common experience and the wonder of all that had happened must have caused them to bond,  and that is likely one of the reasons why they were with one accord in one place on the day of Pentecost.  They likely were also together and of one accord because of their fear of the Jews.  One of the things the Lord had taught them was to expect the same rejection and persecution that He had experienced.

One Accord in One Place

What does it mean to be in one accord?  Apparently, it means to do things together, to do things in unison.  There are at least six times in the Acts of the Apostles that the early church was in one accord.  In addition, there are several things that they did together.  They prayed together; they remembered the Lord together.  The early church was “together” in helping one another (see Acts 2:44). They were together to hear missionary reports.  They gathered together to deal with gross sin in the church.

In Hebrews 10:25, the “togetherness” must have been waning since the writer had to admonish the Jewish Christians to not forsake the assembling of themselves together.  The prayed that the church would be “one” even as the Father and Christ were one.  But Christians are more known for division than for unity.  Being of one accord and doing things together obviously requires agreement on how to be saved and how to please the Lord after we are saved.  Being of one accord, doing things together and agreeing would lead to sweet fellowship (or partnership).    I suspect that our only hope for that happening in our lifetime as it did in the early church is if the Lord comes soon.  Because then we will all be “together” as the Lord intended. 

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.(1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 NKJV)

I am looking forward to the day when we who have trusted Christ for salvation will all be together and with one accord will worship the Lord in heaven.

Bruce Collins

Meditation for the week of June 16, 2019

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