Don't Be afraid of Impossible Things

The Holy One calls to me this morning.  His voice over-rules the challenges the darkness has made to my first thoughts of the day.  "Don't run away from impossible things".

My constant companion and ever present Counselor knows the giants I face in this land of exile.  He has taken me back to the account of Elijah and the great contest with Jezebel's Priests of Baal in I Kings 18.

Ahab was King over Israel and scripture tells us that he, "did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those before him".  Of all the evil King Ahab committed, it was stated that he married Jezebel, the daughter of the Sidonians to seal an unholy alliance.  With Jezebel as his queen, Ahab built a temple for Baal and an altar and an asherol pole for the worship of her foreign, pagan gods.  Jezebel was killing off the Lord's prophets and replacing the "Holy Men" with her priests of Baal.

Looking back at history, the strategy of evil against the truth has always been to silence the voices that are sent to bring conviction.   Under Jezebel's influence, the hearts of the people of Israel turned away from the One True God and forbidden idolatry ensued.

Elijah had gone into seclusion for a season.  His previous "word" to Ahab on instruction from the Lord was that the land and the people would be chastised by a drought.  Elijah declared, "There will be neither dew nor rain for the next few years except at my word".

Chapter 18 of I Kings, begins with the Lord's directive to Elijah:  He was to go present himself to King Ahab and the Lord would send rain on the land.

Being a servant of the Almighty can be a very tough assignment in and among the world of evil doers.  Many lessons in courage can be gleaned from the lives of the Spiritual giants we read about in Biblical history.  I marvel at the faith of Elijah.  Can end times for us be that much different than what Elijah was facing so long ago? 

The whole land was in a drought and that means it was also suffering a famine. Times were very tough. People were dying.  People were looking for relief from any where.  Baal worship was one of those places the people turned to for hope.  "Baal" was after all a "pagan" god of rain and crops and livestock.  The fact is that polytheism was a common practice in the Old Testament days. (The Golden Calf ring a bell?) Interesting that the first commandment given to the people was, "You shall have no other gods before Me" suggesting that "other gods" had been part of the nation's life. 

The prophets of the one True God, were hiding in fear of Jezebel's murderous agenda.  But Elijah. whose presence and voice was despised by Ahab and Jezebel was called out of his seclusion and sent back to the people as the representative of the God of their fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  Elijah was sent to represent the One True God and yet again turn the hearts of the people back to Him.

God was prepared to end the drought but not without a dramatic display of His power and authority.  Elijah's commission was to set up a contest between the pagan gods of Jezebel and the One True God of all Creation.  Israel had been chosen out of all the nations on earth to represent Him to the world and here they were in idolatrous compromise serving up worship to pagan deities. 

When God says "Enough", He means it!

Elijah had Ahab call together the people and the Priests of Baal and put forth a challenge for all the people to hear.  He called for a sacrifice to be chosen and placed on an altar.  The priests would place their sacrifice on their altar and Elijah would place his sacrifice on the altar of the Lord God of Israel.  Normally the altar would be set on fire by the priests, but today Elijah called them to challenge the power of their god and have Baal set fire to the altar if he truly was a god.  He would do the same.  Elijah said to the priests and the people, "The God who answers by fire, He is God".

Elijah also challenged the people in his address saying, "How long will you waver between 2 opinions.  If the Lord is God follow Him.  If Baal is god, follow him.   The point being they must choose one or the other and end this duality of worship.  This referenced them  back to the commandments Moses brought down from the mountain which forbid such duality and idolatry.

This exhortation by Elijah is just like the one given by Joshua after bringing God's people into the Promised Land generations before.  In Joshua 24:14, he said to the people, "Now serve the Lord with all faithfulness.  Throw away the gods your forefathers worshipped beyond the river and in Egypt and serve the Lord.  But if serving the Lord is undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day who you will serve....but as for me and my household we will serve the Lord."

Following and worshipping God is always our choice.  At this moment the prophet was fearless. He set up this contest and challenged the pagan priests and their gods to show up.  And, as for Elijah, as if asking God to send fire from Heaven wasn't bold enough,  he poured water on the altar to quench any possibility that human "magic" could torch the sacrifice.

How awesome would it be if we were more like Elijah, willing to set up a contest where the Lord can make manifest His great power and Presence.

Elijah's simple prayer, in contrast to the crazy ritual of the pagan priests, reflected his loyalty and humility:

"Let it be known today that You are God in Israel, and that I am your servant and have done these all things at your command.  Answer me, Oh Lord, answer me so that these people will know that you are God and that you are turning their hearts back again."

In case you don't know the rest of the story, God answered in a big way.  Fire came down from Heaven, torched the sacrifice, the altar and licked up the water that had been poured all over it.  The people responded with, "The Lord, He is God!  The Lord He is God!"  Not only were the Priests of Baal humiliated, they were killed for their part in leading the Children of Israel astray.

The drought ended as the people returned to their first love, the God of Israel was Glorified, and we were given a picture and a precedent of a supernatural answer to prayer.

When the Holy One tells me, "Don't be afraid of impossible things", I understand He wants me to face my circumstances with the faith and confidence that Elijah modelled.  When Elijah called the people to make a choice, it was not between two equal but opposing "gods".  There came with the choice a dramatic and undeniable display of God's Sovereignty and powerful Presence.

We are told in Heb 13:8 that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever.  He was the source of Elijah's fire and He will be the source of ours. 

With this incredible reminder that God is willing to show His hand beyond the limit of our human imagination, may we all be filled with the faith like Elijah who not only laid out the challenge but also poured water on the altar he was asking God to light.

Matt 20:17, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth,  if you have faith of/like a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, " move from here to there" and it will move.  Nothing will be impossible for you".

The display of His Holy Fire turned the hearts of the people back to their first love.  As for me, after today, I will look for my courage in Him and in the spirit like unto Elijah's, not be afraid of impossible things.

The Spirit is calling.  Can you hear Him?   






 

Hold On To What You Have

The Holy One calls to me this morning.  The world around us is in shambles.  Of course, prophecy has already warned us that it would all come down to this:  A world in chaos and none but God can rescue.

Whether we count it a privilege or liability, most of us alive today with our feet on planet earth will see the Day of the Lord and His dramatic return to His world to make the crooked things straight.

As the earth shakes and shivers and the 6 o'clock news blasts out the threats, the Holy One calms me with Truth.   He reminds me, "I will never leave you nor forsake you.  Hold on to what you have."

He takes me to His Word and Rev 3:10, "Since you have kept My commands to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth."

"Endure Patiently" is not how I would characterize my thumping heart, swirling thoughts or drawn sword.  Yet I know I must go beyond the superficial grasp of "endure patiently" to find His point.

Webster defines endure as:

1.  To stand
2.  To tolerate
3.  To last, continue
4.  To bear pain without flinching

Enduring is not easy.  But Jesus knows what He is asking of us from His personal experience on the Cross.  In Rev 3:8, right before the great promise that He will keep us from the hour of trial, Jesus said, "I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my Word and not denied My Name".

Each and every day there comes a temptation to depart from the word of God and join with those who deny His Name.  Each day there is an alternative to standing firm, resisting evil, and declaring the Holy Name of Jesus as the Savior of the world.

With the temperature of the world's sickness heating up all around us, opportunities to compromise our walk and faith come hard and fast.  How do we keep form becoming infected?  Where do we find the strength to "endure"?

The answer is simple yet most will not take the time to figure it out:  Read the Word and claim the promises contained therein, and then stay connected with others to who do the same.

Salvation is meant to be more than fire insurance against a hellish eternity.  Salvation is meant to be the doorway to a love relationship with the God of all Creation.  He has the final word over what happens to His world and the individuals who walk upon it.  The Bible is God's love letter to His Beloved.  Inside it's pages we find the true picture of a Father's love and a Sovereign's authority.

Today the threats loom large and the persecution will only get worse as the final days are played out.  Decisions will get more and more difficult for a mind not stayed on the Word of God.  By His command, we are instructed to endure patiently.

The warnings foretell things to come, and here is a warning but yet with a promise. The "hour of trial" is coming and will test those who live on the earth.  But Jesus says, "I am coming soon.  Hold onto what you have".   What we have are His Word and His promises.  As the world seems to get crazier by the minute, I, for one, am holding onto these.

How about you?

The Spirit is calling.  Can you hear Him?     

 

Facing Aloneness in God's Purpose

The Holy One calls to me this morning.  This last year of a new thing called "temporal widowhood" has taught me a lot about my Eternal Bridegroom.  Like the fact that He never leaves me. 

While the carnal heart and mind can press to embrace the aloneness as an excuse for self-pity, the Holy One is always providing the sweet evidence of His Presence:  A phone call at just the right moment, or unexpected fellowship knocking at my door.  My Beloved knows my emotional needs for human contact and always sends someone in the flesh to meet that need.

"You are not the only one who faces aloneness according to My purpose and plan."

When I ponder all the messages over the last year of acclimating  to life without a flesh husband, the Holy One hasn't really talked about His purpose in the aloneness, but rather His comfort.

Ever since the beginning God said, "it is not good for man to be alone"  It seems that His plan has always been in community and in relationship.  First comes the marriage between man and woman. That branches out into a family and family branches out into extended family and society is formed from larger family groups.

Today, He is drawing me back into what seems to be a plan that He had for Adam before there was an Eve.

The salvation/rescue of our souls is a uniquely personal experience.  However, Salvation from "what" seems to be the big question?  We have been programmed to believe that Salvation and Rescue is from the fire of Hell, and from eternal damnation, whatever that means.

Death is the big threat and is the door to what lies beyond termination of life on earth.  It is written that physical death does not end life.  We in "personage" will merely be ushered into another realm called eternity.

There awaits a judgment of the soul of every person ever born.  It is past the place where our flesh can be blamed or credited for the choices and decisions we made in this life.

Back in the garden, God made it very clear to Adam that one tree in the garden issued forth life and another tree brought death.  The death tree created a breech to Divine dependence upon the Creator God as man's source of life.

It is hard to even imagine why the first pair would choose death over life but each and every day people all around us are making the same choice. Before Eve, Adam enjoyed fellowship with the Creator God.  Eve was supposed to be a delightful "add-on",  but Adam was so enamored with his lovely companion that he fell into that place we all have been in:  prioritizing a relationship with a person over our relationship with our God.

God understands our humanity better than anyone. He created us for loving fellowship.  He set us up with emotional needs and dependency upon each other.  So what is His purpose in our aloneness?

Our God is a Three Part Sovereign in the Persons of:

God, the Father
God, the Son,
God the Holy Spirit

God said, "let Us make man in Our image, in Our likeness" Gen 1:26

There is a dynamic to our created being that requires our relationship with the Trinity to be complete before we can even begin to be fulfilled as a person.  Through the Salvation process and by the indwelling 3rd Person of the Trinity, we are brought together in a mystical union with God Himself, which is the whole reason behind our Salvation in the first place.  For those who stop at the place of fire insurance from the flames of hell, you have very sadly missed the entire point.

The human temptation is to seek human relational fulfillment without God.  The aloneness that  is part of His plan and purpose is to take us back to  realize our greatest need:  The Sacred love relationship with God Himself.

It is no mistake and no fault of the person who feels the aloneness coming down like a dark suffocating cloud.  Aloneness and rejection tries to point their long ugly fingers at the person rejected as if the fault lies there.   But God is  mercifully giving each one of us a mini picture of the isolation of what that ultimate death will be while there is still time to remedy. 

Our Salvation and Rescue planned by the Creator at the foundation of the world even before the fall, was to draw us back into the unity like unto the Trinity, where all completion in heart-longing relationship begins.

We need to grasp this picture of His love.

Today, if there is a prick to your heart from aloneness or a longing for fellowship beyond your reach, seek Him first.  He is waiting to complete you.  Not to rob you of the human relationship but to introduce you to the Divine.

The Spirit is calling.  Can you hear Him?  

Another Round on the Potter's Wheel

The Holy One calls to me this morning.  Lately I am making yet another revolution on the "Potter's" wheel.  The symbolism of this picture painted in the Word of God is not lost on me. 

We are clay (literally), formed into shape by the Divine Hand of the Creator and He likens Himself to a "Potter".  References are made throughout scripture in Isaiah, Jeremiah, Zechariah, and Romans.

We can mistakenly think that we arrived here on planet earth perfect in design, according to our Creator God, having our DNA pre-set before we are born.  We struggle with our pride for that reason rather than accepting the fact that our flesh is quite a blob of undisciplined thoughts and actions that is constantly re-acting to things and people in this life and earth experience. No offense but we all are in need of change. 

We are not born in the same physical shape we will be in at our temporal death, and the same is true of our spirit.  As our bodies grow and mature so does our Spirit, once the Life of Christ has been breathed onto our being through the Salvation process.

The blob of clay that we are at our Spiritual birth needs to be formed and fashioned as we grow up, thus the image of the Potter, the wheel, and our experience upon it. In the natural we work our bodies and make decisions to hone our temporal "tent".  This would be much like working with a "trainer" in a gym for a like-kind analogy from the natural world. 

In the sense of Spiritual maturity, we in our flesh body, will never arrive at a place where we are perfect and no longer in need of refinement.  We are simply a work-in-progress and our best place for shape change is in surrender to the Hand of the Potter.

In our early morning conference today, as the wheel is spinning, the Holy One wanted to talk about prayer and my place in co-governing His world that touches my life.

Divine prayer strategy has been laid out for me and that is to pray God's Word over the situations I encounter each day.  It is written that we are to keep his commands and Word close:

Deut. 11:18, says, "Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds and bind them on your foreheads.  Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home, when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."

Jesus said, "If you remain in Me and My Word remains in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given you.  This is to my Father's Glory that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be My Disciples."  John 15:7-8

I ask the Holy One for wisdom as I offer up prayers and petitions that await answers.  Delays always seem to bring doubts and doubts give way to fears and fears give way to unbelief.  He gives a gentle but firm answer that defines my calling and restores my faith:

"You do not command Me, I command you!".

His words require me to think, process, and analyze my "prayer" posture.  As I ask for His "opinion" and discernment in self-analysis, I find His word to me is actually quite encouraging.  Rather than a rebuke it turns out to be a sweet affirmation of our unity.  He directs my thoughts and His peace floods my heart and mind.

The Holy One continues to speak, "As you remain in Me and My Word remains in you, we enjoy unity and your prayers are ones I have placed in you and for you to bring back to My Throne.  The burdens you feel are the ones I have formed and placed upon your heart and mind and spirit.  They are Mine as well."

The revelation of today is profound.  He is commanding my prayers and burdens.  He is forming them and passing them to and through me from His heart and Mind.  The fact that my prayers are not mine but His, leaves no room for doubt even if there is a delay in answers.

My sense of burdens are ones He has placed upon me to bear at His Throne and to keep there until I see resolutions and the answers He has already provided in the Heavenly Realm.   Thy Kingdom come Thy will be done on earth as it is (done) in Heaven is not without understanding of what His Will is.

God's Word is His will!  The promises He has written and willed for me and others who call upon His Name are all yes and amen!  The commands we are to follow in love of our Savior are to be answered, "Yes, Lord, may it be as You have said".  The Spirit within gives us the  ability to say that and mean what we say.

As we remain true to our Lord and His Word, we can be assured that our prayers have answers and that we are in the privileged place of co-governing His created world in the places we inhabit and occupy just like back in the beginning in the garden before the fall.

As the day of the Lord's return to earth in His awesome Power and Glory draws near, our personal relationship with Him is urgently important.  The darkness has already deceived many into a false sense of security and many are rejecting the inerrant quality of the Word of God.  Many are picking and choosing what part of God's Word is relevant to our society today rather than picking and choosing what of society's word is relevant to God's Word today.

There are those offering up prayers and petitions that seem to be commanding God to tolerate and even bless the compromise of His Word that mocks His Grace.

 As we labor under the Divine privilege of  Unity with The Holy One, and the responsibility that goes with it, may we always remember our place on the Potter's wheel and be open to His Hand of refinement.

For me, today, I have read and heard His Word.  As His servant, I must always remember that I do not command the Lord, He commands me.  My prayers and burdens are ones He has given.  I am  a chosen servant and vessel who simply completes the cycle of His government in the world that touches my life. 

The Spirit is calling.  Can you hear Him?  

 

Facing Goliath

The Holy One calls me this morning. Goliath has challenged God's people and the Lord is calling some of His "Davids" to find their sling and gather their stones for a confrontation.

My family has many "Davids" drafted by the Lord to go up against the enemy's giants and the best that evil has to offer.  The Holy One calls me this morning to talk about one such David, and one such Goliath and one such evil challenge.

Over the course of my life I have found myself on that battlefield in the position of David facing off with those "Goliaths" and have testimonies of God's great victories as He supernaturally sent the stone into Goliath's brain.  Today with the battle raging against God's people, He has me re-read the Biblical account of David and Goliath as told in 2 Samuel 17.

The battles I fought in my early years of being called to confront evil were deeply personal.  My focus was on the audacity of the enemy to mock my God and King, Jesus the Christ. 

Soon after joining the ranks of the saved, I found what seemed to be the enemy's first line of attack: To discourage God's people through a "big mouthed" Goliath spewing out contempt for my new kingdom and King.  He attempted to assassinate my new faith through an attempt to assassinate my hope in the Lord's  power and authority in my life.

In the beginning it scared me but then as I saw the pattern of evil,  it made me mad.  The initial fear was understandable and natural since I was new to the relationship with the Lord God of all creation and didn't have experiences to draw from.  Trusting Him was a constant theme and life experiences grew out from there.

I found that the Lord my God was always faithful to me just like He was to David who got to know Him on a hillside, under the stars,  among some lowly sheep.  David grew in a personal knowledge of the Holy One as he confronted the threats that went with his assignment:  To protect the sheep. 

I have walked through impossible situations with incredible resolutions.  Each test became a testimony and I know why the Lord had the nation of Israel build altars at places where God gave them amazing victories as He moved among them.  These altars were an ever present reminder of a past victory where God moved in their behalf. 

While every challenge we face may be something new for us, the One who delivers is ancient and without number of days...always faithful...never changing.

David had no idea in those days what his ultimate future would look like.  But as the youngest in his clan, he took his job in the family seriously and used the time he had while tending the sheep, to search for and learn more about the God of all Creation.

God honors a searching heart and He honored David.

Fast forward to the day on the calendar where David, who had been living in the shadows, was thrust onto the bigger stage of life and death, honor and humiliation. The story of his victory over Goliath is epic.  One that we all can relate to.  It is the classic tale of our humanity and a "hero" complex that lies deep within every heart.

The Holy One speaks to me and offers another perspective of that story He wants me to see.  David walked out onto that field to defend the reputation of His God;  the One True God;  the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob:  the God he knew personally.

This contest with Goliath was ordained for him.  David had been prepared for this day.  Through out his young life trials, David gave credit where credit was due.  When David was questioned by King Saul, who was looking for someone with the courage to represent Israel and face the giant, Saul saw only the "boy".  But David's answer revealed the true heart of manly courage and the source of his strength.

He declared, "Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear;  this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them because he has defied the armies of the living God.  The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of the Philistine".

The Holy One speaks to my mother heart and confirms how well He knows the unspoken fears that lie within.  "You are the mother of 2nd generation "Davids".  Your children are facing their own Goliaths but I am the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.  They will have victory just as I gave it to you".

The Lord is calling many Davids in this generation of the Body of Christ to fight the enemies of our Kingdom and our King.  Those enemies who are mocking the One True God.  Those enemies who, like this Philistine, are trying to take God's people captive and rule over The Lord's chosen ones.

Today the Holy One is showing me how important David's personal victory was for the entire nation of Israel.  While David's family (AKA his mom) may have had the most vested interest in him winning the fight with this giant, the Lord had a much bigger purpose in mind. 

Were it not for David's courage and strength and knowledge of His God to deliver, the entire nation of Israel would have been taken captive that day.  I look around and see how at every corner and every turn our faith in and knowledge of God is being mocked and challenged. Does it ever occur to you that your courage to face your Goliath may save others from captivity?

When evil mocks and we cower, darkness covers the land, and the knowledge of the one True God is lost to the next generation.  Many will refuse to confront the wickedness.  But victory is promised to the servants of the Holy One. 

The Lord reminds me that He works through the lives of His people.  If  David had not stepped onto that battlefield to confront the enemy, the Lord would not have been able to direct that "kill shot" to the brain of Israel's foe.  The battle truly does belong to the Lord but he expects His people to stand up for the Principles of His Word.  As we do that in a lost and dying world, The Lord's Name and renown can be Glorified.

In our modern world today, there are many opportunities to stand and fight against the enemies of our God.  To "pick" our battles does not mean that we never go to war.  This is a day on earth for raising up the banner of our Kingdom and our King.  This is the day for courage.  The truth of His Sovereignty must be told and unto that end we may find ourselves at risk. 

But Isaiah 35:3-4 promises, "Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way, say to those withe fearful hearts, be strong, do not fear; your God will come, He will come with vengeance and with Divine retribution, He will come to save you."

The question remains, "will we take the challenge and confront that "Goliath" for our Kingdom and our King?"

The Holy Spirit is calling.  Can you hear Him?

      

Marriage and the Power of Unity

The Holy One calls to me this morning.  Life with my Lord is never dull.  While deep trials mark my pathway, I know He is taking me to places of greater wisdom and understanding as we traverse this "Highway of Holiness" together.

The time in His Presence is so amazing to me.  The world around me may be swirling out of control but in His Presence there is peace. 

Today He talks to me about our unity and the importance of community.  This has been the topic of our early morning conferences over the last few months. He speaks without words to my heart and mind about unity with Him.  With the Holy Spirit, there is a communication beyond words, and many question just how the God of all creation might "speak" to a mortal. 

"Without words" is about all I can say.  When I surrender my thoughts and mind to Him, I am taken into a higher order of thoughts.  When I commit my dilemmas to Him, He opens my mind to see things from a different perspective.

God also speaks through His written Word.  Early in my walk, I decided that I wanted to know His Word and become a "Master" of His Word in my own life.  I didn't enter into a seminary or school because I was a wife, a mother and business partner to my late husband.  Time and responsibilities didn't permit an outside education, but I sat at the feet of My Jesus and by His Spirit, I learned.

I am still in His institution of "higher education", where the simple Truth is found amid all the chaos of life and the confusion set up by the enemy of my soul.  Today, as we talk about unity, the Holy One takes me to Matt 18:19 yet again.  Jesus said, "Again, I tell you that if 2 of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by My Father in Heaven".

This is just one of His endless promises that belong to His Beloved.   It is important to note the "context" of this promise.  Jesus was speaking to His Disciples, not the general population, and not the Pharisees.  His Disciples were men who embraced His teaching, and surrendered to His authority as they called Him, "Teacher", "Master" and "Lord".  This is important to understand because of the trust that "whatever you agree" to ask for,  comes out of a common bond of love for the Lord and the Promise Keeper.

If 2 agree to build a tower like "babel" unto the heavens, for a self-exalted empire, even if it is shaped like a "church", the "agreement" most likely will not receive the promise.  So, how do we know what to ask?  How do we know what to agree to?

God's written Word is His Will.  God's Will is always an appropriate place to start in agreement.

By way of example, Jeremiah 29:11 is a place where many believers can agree and often quote to each other.  But that verse follows Jeremiah 29:4-7.  This verse is a directive and very much a part of his written Will for us.  We are told to "pray for the peace and prosperity of the land of exile, "for if it prospers so will you". 

Can we first agree that the world is not our home and we are just passing through this earth realm which is for us a land of exile?  If we agree as to our current placement, we can move on to agree to ask the Lord for the peace and prosperity to flow out over the land of exile.  We can look forward to that being answered.  This is not "name it and claim it" for lustful fulfillment of things that would become idols.  The earth's greatest need is peace. (with God and each other) ...followed by provision to live life here.

For those who do not agree that the Bible is our life manual and a living Word for every life and generation , they will be stuck with just a historical view of God's Word, not applicable to today and therefore relegating them to a life of no hope.

However, if we agree that the promises are all ours in Christ Jesus, then we can go past the model prayer that says:

"Thy Kingdom come

Thy will be done

   On Earth as it is in Heaven".

and on to live that reality here, now, today, and so long as our feet are planted on this Earth.

As I ponder that great promise of power in unity, to ask and receive,  I am compelled to look at relationships where that can be most effective. When I read that promise, I have always seen it for "prayer partners" who are mostly unrelated saints, and those who come together for fellowship in community.

Today the Lord blows open the limited understanding I have had and points out to me, the place of greatest relational impact of that promise in the world.  That place is the basic relationship of two people upon which all society rests: the marriage of 1 man, and 1 woman under the Lordship of Christ.  The original benediction over the orignal pair was that they go forth and take dominion...rule...together...  to co-govern with God and each other.  Jesus' Word and promise reinstates that benediction.

 

I think about what might be accomplished according to God's Word and His Will if married people could come together in agreement over their relationships, their families, their ministries and more.  How much power could be wielded against the darkness in the world,  if the "marrieds" would come into agreement to declare God's Word over what is out of God's order.  How much healing would take place?  How much of God's great government would come to our churches and communities?  How much rebellion would be quenched,  poverty ended and divorces over ruled?

Evil orchestrates marital division because Satan knows the power of unity. 

We have the promise and the plan.  The power of unity is ours. The question is: will we wield it?

The Holy Spirit is calling.  Can you hear Him?