When we are UNITED – Genesis 11

" 4 Then they said, “Come, let’s build a great city for ourselves with a tower that reaches into the sky. This will make us famous and keep us from being scattered all over the world. ⁵ But the Lord came down to look at the city and the tower the people were building.  ⁶ “Look!” he said. “The people are united, and they all speak the same language. After this, nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them!  ⁷ Come, let’s go down and confuse the people with different languages. Then they won’t be able to understand each other.” ⁸ In that way, the Lord scattered them all over the world, and they stopped building the city. ⁹ That is why the city was called Babel, because that is where the Lord confused the people with different languages. In this way he scattered them all over the world."

I was born and grew up in a place where Spanish was the primary spoken language; speaking Spanish was our common factor.  In fact, only the business associates in the metropolitan city of San Juan and the adjacent areas to the airport people heard other languages, primarily English.  But though I studied English language in school, I never practiced it, much less surrounding myself with English speaking people. 

Now when I started to travel as a military wife, my first big moved was to South Korea, that’s when things started to quickly changed.  Because though I looked for Spanish speakers wherever I went, it was hard to find them, at least at the beginning of the tour.  From the moment, I got out of the plane, Hangeul was the only language I could hear, until I got to the military post where English was common. After sometime, I did found Spanish speakers; and as you can expect, we got together like monkey bread. Why? Because we had a common denominator! We got together in the Recreational Center, and from there, we move to do things together; finding out that we had not one but several common denominators.  We were in a foreign land, we spoke Spanish, we understood and like some of the same music, and food, and getting together was about sharing those common denominators. As also expected, if any of us were in trouble, the others would pull in the rest of the group and together worked to help the “brother or sister” in need.

This is not common thing on bilingual people only, but also in the professional realm, and even with sport fans.  Lawyers mingle and united with other lawyers, because they speak the same language, the common denominator is the law, they talk about it, and work around it.  It’s the same with doctors and health professionals, they mingle with others who share the same passion, the body’s response to illnesses and injuries, their common denominator is what keeps fueling their spirits. These, like other professionals, react with fascination to their common denominators, and get united to share and build each other up, to know more about their common denominator, to get strengthen from each other. I’m not sports inclined at all, but I know that whenever there’s a game in our town, that common denominator pull people to tailgate with others and get pumped for the game.

Verse six gives us the confirmation that the impact of the masses is not to be taken lightly, in fact, it says that the only thing that could get to split, to set them apart is to take that common denominator off.

Can you see where I’m coming to? There are two ways I want you to see this.

     1.      GOD as our personal and only Savior

     2.      GOD as our common denominator with others 

First, when we UNITE to GOD, great things can and will happened! When under HIS command, we sail to do whatever HE says to, the way HE says to, we will succeed.  That’s something HE wants; check out what JESUS promises us in John 15:4-8:

“⁴ REMAIN IN ME, and I will remain in you. For a branch CANNOT produce fruit if it is SEVERED FROM THE VINE, and you cannot be fruitful UNLESS YOU REMAIN IN ME. ⁵ “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those WHO REMAIN IN ME, and I in them, WILL PRODUCE MUCH fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing… ⁷ But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and IT WILL BE GRANTED! ⁸ When you produce much fruit, YOU ARE MY TRUE DISCIPLES. THIS BRINGS GREAT GLORY to MY FATHER.” 

No relationship SHOULD be placed in the same level as your relationship with GOD.  If you dare to place anything or anyone higher than GOD, you’re setting yourself for trouble!  So, DON’T!!!

And second, is for your benefit as well, your life will be much easier and your walk closer to THE LORD, if you do life close to God’s people. Why? Because you become what you’re surrounded by; for BAD company corrupts good character! (1 Corinthians 15:33) 

The body of Christ (us as a church), we are a group of imperfect people, loving a PERFECT GOD, and trying to be like HE says we ought to.  Outsiders that do not care to serve THE GOD who gives them life on a daily basis, do you think will care for you? Please, do not fool yourself; for your own benefit, follow GOD! 

Call upon the name of the Lord, ask HIM to forgive you of your sins, because truly NO ONE can forgive sins but HIM. Recognize that HE sent JESUS to die for your sins, and accept the gift of Salvation by allowing HIM to become the Master of your life.  THEN, you’ll be UNITED in HIM! 

When you ARE NOT united to God it means you DO NOT have a relationship with HIM, and you MUST KNOW, that if you die, your soul which is meant to live forever, will eternally be living in hell. The place called hell is referred in Isaiah 50:11 as a place of pain and torment. Jesus Himself says in Matthew 25:41, that the place call hell WASN’T prepared FOR US, but for those on the left hand, those who do not belong to HIM.  And to those HE will say to them, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels”.

So, see its ESSENTIAL that you get UNITED to God; that you know and accept HIM as your Savior. For this again, call upon His name, ask HIM to forgive you of your sins. Recognize that HE sent JESUS to die for your sins, and accept the gift of Salvation by allowing HIM to become the Master of your life.  Then UNITE yourself with those that are actively trying to follow Him the way HE says, JOIN A CHURCH; and learn to pray and study HIS Word, daily. 

Finally, UNITE to those that are working for THE LORD outside of the church, reaching out to the lost in the world.  I guarantee you, IF you do, your life WILL NEVER BE THE SAME!

BECAUSE when you UNITE your life to GOD, YOU ARE AN OVERCOMER!!!