One Body

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Philippians 2:1

 On the day of Pentecost, when the Spirit was poured out God spoke to the visitors in Jerusalem through the sign of speaking in other tongues, where men heard the disciples magnifying God in their own language(acts 2).
1. God knows how to speak to us where we are at
2. In a way that we can personally understand
God reaches across the barriers of culture and distance, and unites us in Christ.  He cuts through our philosophies to reveal a living Christ to our hearts.  Dead religion is dismantled and new life is found as He reveals Himself to us.  We are held together by His all consuming love, as we hold fast to the head(Jesus Christ) and abide in Him.
We can have many calls, a call to pray, to work, to war, to wait, to peace, and even to unity but if we fail to live and move in Christ our work can be in vain.  Christ admonishes us to abide in Him, He places us there, but we need to remain there-and to continue in His love.
We need to be fully persuaded of our position in Christ (what the word says) that we may believe, and enjoy the benefits of walking in the new creation. 
Brothers and Sisters we can be progressively be swallowed up by life.  When we forsake the old and turn towards the Lord, we can be so captivated by His Spirit and His word that we may prove and follow His will for our lives(Rom 12).
If we furnish the vessel he will pour out-His grace, His blessings, His abundant life, His love, and all that we need.
The reason that many cannot and will not receive is because the god of this world has blinded people's minds-There cup is turned upside down or is full. May we pray for their deliverance and our own.
It is important to expose the nature of the fire breathing dragon that can keep us captive and secluded.  That causes us to no longer abide fully in Christ(walk in Him-act as He acts) and to receive His grace, going it alone- PRIDE
God resists the proud but he gives grace to the humble.
PRIDE-can:
Exalt itself
criticize others
self-sufficient
center of attention
trusts in own abilities
knows best
boastful
hard hearted
elitist
harsh
unloving
won't listen
destroys
threatens
manipulates
controls
intimidates
Some of these characteristics can vary and you might be able to add a couple others, but I think you see what I'm saying.  Pride is ugly.  Pride will kill others to promote itself, pride can cause others to be jealous when they see others succeed.  As the body of Christ their shouldn't be competition, but cooperation.  The hand is in need of the foot, but we think too highly of our part and too lowly of others, even though the same blood flows through us all.  We are too great, too smart, too proud, too strong, to glory in our weaknesses.  No wonder the Lord seeks to break us.  God wants us to be strong in the Lord and the power of His might, not our own.  A broken vessel is a usable vessel, power is often manifested in the people with no self-reliance or good leg to stand on(Jacob), but a confidence in Christ and who they are in Him(Israel).
  When we recognize our need and helplessness in our own strenghth, then we can be delivered.  We often hear about the wretched man that we are in Romans 8, may we read the next sentence. "Who will deliver us? Thanks be to God- through Jesus Christ our Lord."  Lets not stay in the old but walk in the spirit and life that is in Christ Jesus;  Or we could say the rivers of Spirit and life in Christ Jesus has freed me from the valleys of sin and death; Or the Body of Jesus Christ full of Spirit and life has freed me from the sin and death in the body of Adam.  Thank God for the cross where our old man hangs, and praise Him for the resurrection where we are risen up with Him in heavenly places.  The veil has been torn.  The blood that flows from His side cleanses and His water gives us life.  We are now children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.  Your position determines your actions- get that in your spirit!
BUT 
Who will slay the dragon of pride, before he slays us?
The other day the roads were iced over but because of my experience I thought I could handle it.  I was humbled as I began to fish tail.  That will make you pray!!!
Like a child we need to turn to the Lord for strength and wisdom in all things and not be deceived by our own past victories, abilities, or even experience.
May we see like He sees, and may we perceive our own condition in His glorious light.
He will hear, when we call and when we worship(Jer 33:3).  I remember one time after I got saved I heard an audible voice say, "kneel before your king!"  I was so self conscious and prideful, the spirit was nudging me to bow, but my pride (flesh) refused.  I don't know whether it was an angel or what, but that voice brought me to me knees.  The reality of God's presence shook me.  Truly one day every knee shall bow.
Another time I was fasting and praying all night in order to meet with God.  I went to bed to be awakened by a powerful presence, God had walked into my room and I was frozen in terror.  May natural mind seemed to have disappeared as I cried out for the Lord to have mercy on me.  When He left, it was as if my natural(or regular way of thinking) snapped back into my head.  God takes out of us a stony hard heart and places within us a heart of flesh, that we may worship Him in spirit and in truth.  He will remove every obstacle between us and Him through the power of the cross.  May we encounter God in a greater way in the beauty of His holiness and truly be humbled...
God Bless you, and I hope that this word was an encouragement and comfort to you.
Brother John Michael