“My prayer is not for them alone. I 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.”
John 17:20-23

It is so inspiring to see Jesus’ prayer coming true before our very eyes. Jesus prayed that those who already believed in him and those who would believe in him through their message would be brought to complete unity. Not the superficial unity we find in the world or even in the religious world, where people attend the same church for years and don’t know each other deeply, but a depth of unity that only exists in God’s Kingdom. Jesus prayed that we would be ONE as he and the Father are ONE. What is the difference between God and Jesus? One is the Father and the other is the Son, but do they think differently? Do they have different spirits or purposes? No, they are perfectly united. Jesus prayed we would be as united as he and his Father are and that when people saw our unity, they would know that Jesus was from God and that God loved them. In Philippians 2:2 Paul begs us to be ONE in spirit and purpose, “contending as one man for the faith of the gospel” (Philippians 1:27). We may be many, but we are called to be ONE as the Father and the Son are ONE.

Even though nine people from our small mission team were out of town last Sunday, God blessed us with an attendance of sixty at church. It was so encouraging to see the fruit of our hard work of planting and watering. Immediately after service, several men and women studied the Bible. Some of the first-time visitors commented on how incredible it was to see blacks and whites worshipping together. I was surprised that, even in a city as diverse as Chicago, people are still amazed by that. It has become so natural for me to worship as ONE with all nations, that I forget how segregated and prejudiced the world and the RELIGIOUS WORLD still is.

At our leaders meeting on Monday night, the good news sharing went on and on. Later, the men had a “HOT” time of sharpening one another (Proverbs 27:17). It is so refreshing to be with men who will talk about what they are feeling no matter how it is going to be received, and then be open to the counsel of other Godly men (Proverbs 27:6). That is the only way to build true unity: to know the thoughts and attitudes of one another.

Olga Sandoval with Alba Williams

Thursday was glorious, as we gathered to see our new sister Olga Sandoval born into the kingdom of God. It was so moving to hear the sharing at her baptism. She was so open and vulnerable about the things she had to change in her life and yet she spoke with great boldness about her decision to follow Christ wholeheartedly. We spoke about our need for one another and the fact that we cannot live a righteous life on our own. WE NEED EACH OTHER. Olga’s daughter and son-in-law are part of the Latino ministry in Portland, and now Olga has become the first baptism of our Chicago Latino ministry.

In this life, WE NEED EACH OTHER. You need somebody and somebody needs you. When you understand this, you will be able to achieve things in your life that you never dreamed possible. To fulfill Jesus’ prayer on this earth, WE NEED EACH OTHER. Jesus says that the world will know because of the believers’ unity. You cannot win the world as a LONE RANGER DISCIPLE. As we become totally surrendered to the head of the body, namely Christ, we will think the way he thinks, and act the way he would act. Anyone else who takes on his lordship will think and act as he did (1 John 2:3-6). Consequently, we will be ONE.

In just a few days twenty of us will be traveling to Portland, Oregon for the 2006 World Missions Jubilee: Follow the Fire. Please pray for our trip. Our prayer is Jesus’ prayer: that we may be ONE… SO THAT THE WORLD WILL KNOW.

Chris Broom

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