Do you wonder what can be done to bring unity back into the world? Would you like to rally your church or community after weeks or even months of separation? Then join us below as we discover the importance of unity in this hour and some of the ways YOU can help rebuild unity within your region!
The Importance of Unity:
One of the enemy’s favorite tools is division. When people are divided, things like anger, fear, sadness, loneliness, distrust, and paranoia, have room to flourish…
In the Body of Christ, this is PARTICULARLY dangerous, because division and all the things that flow from it, do not allow us to walk in a Kingdom lifestyle. Unity cannot be overrated in this hour, especially in our faith.
Consider the timing of WHEN the Holy Spirit fell on the disciples of Jesus and the Believers with them. Firstly, they obeyed Jesus by staying in Jerusalem until God’s Holy Spirit fell upon them. They were observing Shavuot/Pentecost as the Word commanded, thus obeying God in a second way. Yet, what is critical for us to understand, so we can implement it in our own lives, is that they were together, in unity. They were not separate or divided, but instead, as the book of Acts, Chapter 2 states, they were in one accord!
When they came together as ONE Body in Yeshua with ONE belief in ONE God, His Spirit FELL upon them. They were suddenly granted a beautiful access to God, and in that unity, a glimpse of the Father’s love!
“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. … And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”—Acts 2:1, 4 (emphasis added)
The enemy, particularly in this hour, wants to divide people. The enemy wants to cause the Body of Christ to crumble, and as a result, the nations of the world. It is his plan to bring confusion, anger, fear, and all that is not of God. It is his plan to have us accept not coming together physically to worship and learn about our God, because the enemy fears corporate fellowship and the assembly spoken of by Jesus and others in God’s Word!
This is why we need to work together as ONE BODY! It is why unity is CRITICAL in this hour!
“…let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”—Hebrews 10:24-25
Ways YOU Can Bring Unity Back to Your Church & Community!
While there is no one way to bring unity back to God’s Church and communities around the world, each of us can do our part!
As the verses in Hebrews 10:24-25 and others say, we can help toward this by engaging in Godly behavior. Building one another up, instead of tearing down. Correcting with love, not with anger or vengeance. Assisting those around us in their callings where we can—and where God says to. Displaying love through both action and word. Creating a deeper relationship with God and His Word so that we become a light to those around us. Coming together as one corporate unit; not removing those things which make each of us unique, but realizing that God’s will trumps all desires and views!
All of these play a role in restoring unity. All of these are important shifts in our own behavior. Yet, what can we do to literally bring people together? To create a common goal that helps others, rather than just ourselves?
Well, we can come together to fill the needs of our communities through food drives, assisting homeless shelters, creating learning programs, care groups, back to school fundraisers, and more.
We can assist small churches which might not be able to open again after weeks or months of closures.
We can work together to fulfill biblical prophecy, such as those found in Isaiah, Amos, and Ezekiel about Gentiles helping the Jewish people restore the land of Israel; the desert blooming like a rose; the waste cities being raised up; etc.
The list of things we can do to not only come together in unity, but make an important difference as we act as a light for Believers and non-Believers alike, well… it is virtually endless.
“I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they shall never hold their peace day or night. You who make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent, and give Him no rest till He establishes and till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.”—Isaiah 62:6-7
“Arise, shine; for your light has come!
And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.
For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth,
and deep darkness the people;
but the Lord will arise over you,
and His glory will be seen upon you.
The Gentiles shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your rising.
Lift up your eyes all around, and see:
they all gather together, they come to you;
your sons shall come from afar,
and your daughters shall be nursed at your side.
Then you shall see and become radiant,
and your heart shall swell with joy;
because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you,
the wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you.”—Isaiah 60:1-5
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: ‘May they prosper who love you. Peace be within your walls, prosperity within your palaces.’”—Psalm 122:6-7
At My Olive Tree, not only do we actively pray for the peace of Jerusalem, but, by supporting Israel, we act as watchmen. We are being fulfillers of prophecy! Yet, it is impossible for us to do so without support…
Individual sponsors are at the heart of all our support, however, the unity of churches standing with Israel has a unique importance! Not simply because of the ability of churches to provide sponsorships, but because of Scripture. Because of what Paul spoke of in Romans 11 about how we, the Gentile Believers, are grafted into Israel—the Jewish people. It is a part of the legacy, heritage, and call of the Body of Christ to be in unity with our Jewish brothers and sisters. To bless Israel and her people, and, in turn, receive biblically promised blessings!
Yet, in this hour it has become even more than that! It is a way to bring a level of unity back into the Church and communities around the world. It is about what the disciples and Believers were doing when the Holy Spirit fell on them; praying together, being in one place, in unity, and in one accord.
It is time for us to rise up as one Church, as unified communities, bringing back God-focused fellowship! It is time for the Church to receive their inheritance of being a part of Israel and the promises God made to the Jewish people—as Paul spoke of in the book of Romans!
It is the hour for our stolen unity to be restored!
How can YOU, through My Olive Tree, restore unity where YOU live?
Church Partnership:
One way is by joining My Olive Tree’s “Church Partnership Program.” Through this program, you place the need before your church regarding the planting of olive trees in Israel. The members of your congregation may donate any amount toward the overall purchase of the trees, OR, individuals may sponsor entire olive trees. Then, those in charge of the collective purchase for your church will place the order to My Olive Tree for as many trees as possible!
The result is that lives are changed… in Israel, and we pray in your church as well, as you open yourselves to those blessings which surround blessing Israel, the poor and needy, the widow and the orphan. We pray that your church will take this as a starting point of restoring unity, in and beyond your church.
Fundraising:
The second way you can join what My Olive Tree is doing in Israel is to hold a fundraiser. This could be led by your church specifically, but it can also be headed by your family, your community, your neighborhood, and so forth.
The possibilities for how you collect for your fundraiser are endless, but a few examples include:
- Craft Fairs
- Item Sales/Garage Sales/Yard Sales
- Walkathons
- Church, Community, or Neighborhood Carnivals
- Bake Sales
(Note: some of the suggestions provided here may require permits or could even currently be disallowed within your community. Be sure to research and ask local officials whether or not your plan requires anything special for your area.)
And for both this and church partnerships, we pray the results are the same for your community. That unity is restored. That blessings fall. And that this serves as a catalyst for furthering God’s Kingdom on earth!
Additional Information:
Lastly, for both programs, when you come together as a group to sponsor trees, you receive discounts, because the cost to grow, care for, transport, and plant olive trees lessens when we can plant in bulk. Simply put, the gas to transport one tree is quite similar to that of transporting ten; the cost to send someone out to water one tree is going to be similar to the cost of watering a dozen…
- For additional information on the “Church Sponsorship Program,” visit https://myolivetree.com/partner-with-us/
- For additional information on fundraising opportunities, visit https://myolivetree.com/church-fundraising-strengthen-your-church-kingdom-work/
No matter which way YOU choose to come together, the unity found and support given are well worth the effort!
