Besides being a popular automobile model, an accord is an agreement, treaty or contract. When nations at war come to terms with one another they create a peace treaty, or peace accord. It is a statement that they agree to certain terms, which, when kept, ensure continued peace. Of course, an accord can be initiated by one party, then ratified, or agreed to, by all parties involved.
An example of this can be found in the Bible; we have the Old and New Testaments, or Covenants, or Accords. God initiated both of them, and Israel (and we) agreed to them. First, He established the law, which detailed the manner in which the Israelites should live to find peace with God. Then God established the New Accord in the blood of Jesus. We were no longer bound to the Old Accord, but found our forgiveness and peace with God through Jesus’ death and resurrection. (If you’re unsure what this means, please message me, and I’ll be happy to help you understand).
Another definition of accord is unity. “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place” (Acts 2:1 KJV emphasis mine). Jesus had told them to “wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now” (Acts 1:4a-5 ESV). So they gathered and waited.
They had seen the risen Lord, and He had given them the instruction to wait. They knew the reason they had gathered; they were filled with expectation. Their thoughts weren’t focused on the next episode of Survivor. Their minds weren’t filled with organizing a movement that would sweep the world. They were waiting on His promise. In unity. One accord.
That brings us to the last definition of accord that we will discuss: to give or grant someone (power, status, or recognition) from Dictionary.com. When the disciples were of one accord, it was accorded to them power from the Holy Spirit. “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:4 ESV). Jesus knew that the disciples were going to need more than mad organizational skills; that just wouldn’t get the job done. He knew that they needed supernatural, divine power if they were to do “greater works than these” (John 14:12 ESV).
The Church, big “C”, is lacking in power. I believe that the lack of the unity that God desires for His people is the biggest reason for this. But we have seen in history that when God’s people are “of one accord” good things happen. The lost are found. The sick are healed. The dead are raised, physically and spiritually. The Gospels and the book of Acts are not just story books; they are history! “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8 ESV).
We have one central mission: to reach the lost for Jesus. Yet we bicker over differences of interpretation which don’t significantly effect that mission. We need to come to a point where we agree on the major issues and accept the relative insignificance of the minor issues. “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes” (Psalm 133:1-2 ESV)!
Skipping Stones 
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