The Parrésia Anointing

On July 4, 2015 I posted a blog called God's Freedom of Speech Definition. (Read it here). It is about Peter and John being arrested for preaching in the Name of Jesus. It's taken from Acts 4 & 5. I discuss the word parrésia which is used to describe the confidence of Peter and John that the authorities saw, as well as the confidence they prayed for so they could continue to speak the word. Parrésia is also used to describe the boldness they continued to preach with after this happened. As I explain in the blog, parrésia means freedom of speech and confidence. When reading these Scriptures, you can replace the words confidence and boldness with "freedom of speech" to get a better understanding.

I bring this up again because there is more we need to see about this type of freedom of speech that God gave them, and will give to us if we ask for it as they did. There are three different levels to this kind of free speech.

1. The freedom to speak freely without harassment or persecution. 
This type of freedom of speech is what we have enjoyed in America for so long, up until recently. We've had the freedom to say what we want and others have the freedom to disagree with us. We have not had to fear being persecuted or arrested for speaking of Jesus or preaching in His Name.

2. The courage to speak freely even if there is persecution or consequence.
This is the kind of boldness I typically thought of when reading about Peter and John's arrest in Acts 4. This is the kind of courage that some American Christians are starting to have to display because of persecution and laws that are attacking our freedom of speech. This is the kind of courage a true believer must have in order to stay loyal to the Lord during times of opposition. The early church displayed this type of courage, many of them to the point of death.

3. The power-filled, anointed speech that brings light and freedom to blinded minds.
This is the kind of speech that not only reaches the ears of the deceived because the speaker had the boldness to speak, but these are words that carry the power to penetrate into the brain of the person bringing light, understanding, freedom and faith to the hearer! This is where we see God backing the words we speak with power. We see this displayed throughout the book of Acts and described here:

...After it (the Word) was spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will. Hebrews 2:3-4

So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed. Mark 16:19-20 

Words are more than sound waves that hit an eardrum. Sound waves continue through the ear and into the brain where they are decoded so the hearer understands what the speaker meant. God-anointed words have the power to eradicate the darkness of deception that blinds the minds of unbelievers so they can see the truth and believe!

And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."  2 Corinthians 4:3-4

The minds of the unbelieving are blinded by darkness. They don't see the light of the gospel. They don't see the glory of the Lord. They don't see that He is the image of God Himself. We need to have the courage of level two described above, but also the power of level three. We need to speak the Word of God with the anointing of His Spirit so His Light can penetrate the darkened minds.

The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple. Psalm 119:130 NKJV

So how do we get this level three kind of God-anointed words? We first display level two courage, but look at what Peter and John also did. After they were threatened by the authorities they went to their own people and they all prayed.

"And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence (parrésia), while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus." And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness. (parrésia). (Acts 4:29-31).

They gathered with their people and prayed for parrésia. When they did the whole place shook and they were filled with the Spirit. We know that they were already filled with the Spirit, but they received a fresh, or greater anointing of the Spirit. Rather than backing down and giving in to the dark threats of the authorities, they responded by asking the Lord for more parrésia so they could speak His word while the Lord healed and displayed signs and wonders. This kind of parrésia anointing on our words brings the light and power of God into the earth in such a way that the works of God are demonstrated and God is glorified!

If you grieve over a loss of the level one kind of freedom of speech, make a decision to speak the Word courageously. Pray for this parrésia anointing and for the Lord to display signs and wonders through His Name. Remember, the light shines brighter in the darkness. There may be a stronger conflict, but light overcomes the darkness!

Keys to Speaking Powerful, Creative Words

"The Lord heard the voice of Elijah,

and the life of the child returned to him and he revived."

1 Kings 17:22

Don't we all want God to hear our voice in such a way that miracles like this one--a child being raised from the dead--happen when we pray? What Christian would not want to speak life-giving words, the kinds of words that create miracles and bring the realm of the Spirit into this physical realm? Can we speak creative words of healing and miracles? Is this possible today? Does God still respond to the voices of people in such a way as this? To answer that, let's look back to the beginning. God created the physical world we live in by speaking it into existence.

"Then God said, "Let there be light; and there was light."

Genesis 1:3

God spoke words, which are sound vibrations. But words are not just meaningless sounds. There was intent behind the sound vibrations (words) that God spoke. There was a thought, an image, a vision, an idea, or whatever you want to call it, it was an expected result to the words He spoke. He intended to create the earth. It was an intentional act. He knew what He was doing. He was speaking for the purpose of creating.

The earth didn't just respond in a random way to random sound vibrations--it did exactly what God told it to do. Words come from breath. So where does breath come from? Breath is Spirit. The Words that God breathed out released the thoughts and intent of the Spirit--His Spirit--resulting in the creation of the earth as we know it. The breath of these words were the substance of His Spirit. When these words were breathed/spoken they were the very expressions of the ideas of the Spirit of God being sent out to accomplish the task.

Let's back up a bit and look again at Genesis 1:3 in relation to verses 1-2.

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

The earth was formless, and void,

and darkness was over the surface of the deep,

and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.

"Then God said, "Let there be light; and there was light."

Here is the order of events:

There was nothing.

The Spirit of God moved over the nothing.

God spoke light.

Light became.

Born within the Spirit of God was the idea, the plan and the purpose of what He was about to create. It was formed within Him first. Then He spoke--breathed words--and it moved from the spiritual realm of thought and idea into the physical matter of existence that we see today. His Spirit is the breath that makes up the words as well as the intent of what they are to accomplish.

"So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth;

It will not return to Me empty,

Without accomplishing what I desire,

And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.

Isaiah 55:11

Words that create life will not just be meaningless sound vibrations, they will be words which come from the Spirit of God--the breath of God. When we pray, are we looking to breathe out words from the Spirit of God or just speak meaningless sound vibrations? Do our words have intent? Do they have purpose? Are they from God, because His words do not return to Him empty! If we want them to go out and actually accomplish something these are things we need to consider.

"Thus Samuel grew and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fail."

1 Samuel 3:19

None of Samuel's words failed. The Lord Himself did not let any of his words fail. That means when they came out of Samuel's mouth, they went and accomplished what they were sent out to do. Have you ever felt that your words went out of your mouth and just fell to the ground, not accomplishing what they were meant to do? (Anyone with kids could say yes here). This is frustrating if you are trying to speak words of life and healing, yet a good thing if you are angry and cursing! Imagine if every word you spoke went out and actually did what you were telling them to do. This could be a blessing, but it could also be quite dangerous.

"Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven
and consume them?"

But He turned and rebuked them, and said,

"You do not know what kind of spirit you are of;

for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them..."

Luke 9:55-56

Thank God James and John asked Jesus first before they just called fire down from heaven to consume those Samaritans who did not receive Him! Their words would have destroyed, when Jesus was sent to save. We must look for His intent when we speak.

Back to our opening verse where Elijah raised the widow's son from the dead, after he did so she said to him,

"Now I know that you are a man of God

and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth."

1 Kings 17:24  

The word of the Lord in Elijah's mouth was truth. In some people's mouth, the word is not truth. How can that be? How can a person speak the word of the Lord and not have it be truth? Because the truth is both the Word of God and the Spirit of God combined. Jesus said:

"Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth." John 17:17

and

"I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth,..." John 14:17

The Word of God is truth and the Spirit of God is truth. Both of them are truth. Truth is not just facts. It is more than that. It is not just quoting Scripture either. It is words spoken by the Spirit of God, in agreement with the Word of God. The character or fruit of the Spirit needs to so fully saturate our hearts that everything we speak carries His anointing. Love is the evidence of maturity in the Spirit. (See 1 Corinthians 3:1-3).

The Apostle Paul wrote that we are to grow into maturity and not be led astray by deceitful doctrines. He said,

"but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ," Ephesians 4:15

We're told to speak the truth in love. I question whether speaking the truth without love is still the truth. Because God is love. His Spirit is truth. His words are truth. They must all mesh together. Once again, truth is not simply spouting off facts. For example, let's say my husband Tim does the dishes and keeps leaving dirt on the cups. I let it go a time or two, but after a while I say something. If I say something in a spirit of criticism, anger, resentment, arrogance or any ungodly character of spirit, I may be speaking facts, but since it is not in love, is it still the truth? It's not what the Word of God says about him. It's not in character with the Spirit of God, so is it truth? I will need to be concerned about the condition of my heart, not whether he gets it right and does what I want with the dishes. If I attack him with my words I am not moving in a spirit of love, or truth.

Let's get back to the question of whether or not we can speak creative words of healing and miracles today. There are two things we need to consider. The measure of the Spirit and the consistency of our words.

The Measure of the Spirit

God gives the Spirit without measure. (John 3:34). How do we get filled with the Holy Spirit today?

1. Jesus appeared to His disciples after He rose from the dead and sent them out as the Father had sent Him. then He breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit." (John 20:19-22)

2. He told them to wait in Jerusalem until they were clothed with power from on high. They did and the Holy Spirit fell on them and filled them. (Luke 24:49, Acts 1:4-5, 2:1-4)

3. The Apostle Paul told the church to "not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ." (Ephesians 5:18-21)

Here we see the Spirit was received by His disciples when Jesus breathed on them/spoke to them. They were filled to overflowing when they waited on Him together, and they were told to remain filled with the Spirit through praise and thanksgiving. These are ways to receive and maintain a filling of the Spirit.

Jesus spoke of being filled to overflowing. He said, regarding those who believe in Him, that out of their belly will flow rivers of living water--speaking of the Spirit of God. (John 7:37-39). So not only do you need to be filled, but filled to overflowing. There is a filling of the Spirit within you and for you, and there is an overflowing of the Spirit to benefit others.

The Consistency of our Words

The second thing we need to consider regarding whether we can speak words of creative miracles and healing today, is the consistency of our words. Consistency in the sense of being constant and faithful to only speak words of life. Not consistency in the sense of the thickness of a substance like cake batter. However, it's kind of a play on words because if you are consistent to only speak words of life then the consistency--or intensity--of the power of your words will also increase. Think of 100 proof alcohol, which is more powerful--or intense--than 60 proof. If you want the intensity or power of your words to increase, then you will need to be consistent in speaking life, not death.

"from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing.

My brethren, these things ought not to be this way.

Does a fountain send out from the same opening

both fresh and bitter water?"

James 3:10-11

If we cannot be trusted to speak blessing and life with our words, then our words will not be backed with much power of the Spirit. This is a protection for us and those around us. Do you want to be able to speak powerful words of life? Words that bring deliverance and healing? This is one thing to keep in mind--keeping the words of your mouth consistently life-giving.

If we back up a couple verses, we see right before this James says:

"But no one can tame the tongue;

it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison.

With it we bless our Lord and Father,

and with it we curse men,

who have been made in the likeness of God."

James 3:8-9

If we want our tongue tamed, we must grow in the fruit of the Spirit. We must desire and embrace the character of the Holy Spirit as our own character. Jesus said "the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart." (Matthew 12:34). What is in our heart is evidenced by what comes out of our mouth.

When you are faced with situations where you want to complain, gossip, curse etc. this is a golden opportunity for you to prove consistency with your words! Don't fail this test! Realize the importance of what is going on here. God is trying to increase the intensity/authority of your words so you can speak life to others! Once this happens, you can say as the Apostle Paul did:

"and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom,

but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men,

but on the power of God."

1 Corinthians 2:4-5

Lines in the Sand--Mercy and Judgment

2 Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, 4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?” 6 They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. 7 But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court. 10 Straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.” John 8:2-11

Only You know, Lord where the lines of mercy and judgment should be drawn. We must have boundaries, or we will have complete lawlessness. We must have mercy or we will become hardened in our hearts.

Your mercy does not allow for unjust acts towards the innocent or the righteous to go unaccounted for. Yet Your judgment doesn't mean that You never forgive intentional acts of sin. There is a balance that is just, fair and right. You know the balance. You know the hearts of men. You judge rightly every time.

Your judgment, when it gets in the heart of man, will cause them to forgive. Your mercy, in the heart of a man, will cause him to judge righteously. We need both.

Show us Your heart. Teach us Your ways. May we fully understand and properly balance Your Word which says:

"For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment." James 2:13

and...

12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? 13 But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves. 1 Does any one of you, when he has a case against his neighbor, dare to go to law before the unrighteous and not before the saints? 2 Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the smallest law courts? 3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life? 1 Corinthians 5:12-6:3

Christian Reactions to Two "Hot" Topics

I have recently noticed a knee-jerk reaction among Christians that I feel needs to be addressed. Before I do though, I would like to mention that I admit many of my posts lately have been about political or social issues of the day, which I normally don't do so much. I usually write along the lines of biblical teaching. However, I feel the condition of America is such that if we don't address these issues, we may lose our freedom to live and preach the gospel altogether. This, of course, will make it much more difficult to fulfill the Great Commission and raise our children in the ways of the Lord. So here I will address what I feel is not necessarily an over-reaction, but a misguided reaction to two issues of the day.

First, is the U.S. Supreme Court decision in the summer of 2015 where they decided same-sex marriage was a constitutional right. Many Christians who oppose same-sex marriage, as I do, voiced their opinion. However, it often turned into a debate on the moral aspect of, or God's view on, same-sex marriage. This issue is best left to be discussed within the church. We cannot expect to debate the rights and wrongs of same-sex marriage with those outside the church. We share a country with those who don't believe the Bible or follow God. Arguing with them that same-sex marriage is wrong won't go very far, as we have seen. The better way to address the right or wrong of any issue with unbelievers is through prayer and evangelism.

The legal tragedy of the Supreme Court decision is that the Supreme Court usurped State authority. To be constitutionally correct, each State should determine for themselves if they will allow same-sex marriage. And each Pastor or person who has the legal authority to marry people, should be able to decide for themselves if they will perform a marriage or not. The government should protect this right to choose, not decide which choice is right. State's issue licenses--marriage licenses, driver's licenses etc. This usurping of authority by the U.S. Supreme Court opened the door for larger federal control. I feel that the same-sex marriage issue, and gay people in general, are often used as a pawn by those who promote larger governmental control. They choose "hot" issues because they know their real purpose will become clouded due to the strong emotional feelings on the subject. We need to be careful we don't allow our strong feelings on a subject to blind us to what is really going on.

"But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger;" James 1:19

Next we have the issue of gender choice. Many states, mine included, are trying to pass, or have already passed some type of policy or law in dealing with gender choice among K-12 students. Once again, outraged parents cry out. But what happens is that the proponents of gender choice come up with a policy that is very extreme. In Michigan they wrote one that excludes parental knowledge or control over their child's gender choice behavior at school, and also said that they have to be allowed to use the bathroom of their choice, not just a single stall bathroom. Of course they knew all along parents would voice their opposition, and others would voice their support, so they will most likely try to come up with a "compromise." This compromise however, will still allow the concept of gender choice to infiltrate our schools and our young ones. It is the frog being dropped in the water so to speak and they can slowly turn up the heat as time goes on. Instead, parents should insist that gender choice not be allowed at all in the schools, and emphasize the harmful effects of allowing this. To effectively do this though, parents have to be able to take their argument away from the moral rights and wrongs of gender choice and focus instead on protecting the kids from this harmful practice while they are young and still maturing in their gender. (For more on this click here.)

As Christians, we must learn to quit reacting emotionally when dealing with the legal aspects of these issues. Our emotions can be expressed in our prayer closet as we engage in spiritual warfare and battle for the souls and minds of those who are deceived. However, in the public and legal arena, we must address these issues differently, for, once again we share our country with unbelievers. Anytime the federal government takes control of an institution--like marriage licenses and public schools--we will run into this problem of who is going to make policy. We can argue back and forth, but ultimately we need less governmental interference, not more. We must keep the freedom of private ownership and control. If someone wants to start a private school with policies that we disagree with, then so be it. As long as we can also have private schools where we can implement the policies that we wish to follow. Maybe a higher number of smaller, privately run schools is the answer. The public school, and the government, may have grown to be too big for its own good.

Jesus said that lawlessness and deception would be prevalent in the last days so what is going on now should not surprise us. (Matthew 24:12, 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12). Although I agree that it is shocking to see the extent of sin and deception all around us today. However, the thing that is going to bring about the Lord's return is the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom to the whole world (Matthew 24:14). We need to keep that in mind as we become light and salt to our culture.

Fractured Families Weaken a Nation

If you've read any of my stuff before you've probably heard me discuss God's plan for mankind in the beginning. Adam and Eve were told to be fruitful, multiply, replenish the earth and subdue it. They were to rule in the earth. God's structure for a community, a society, even a nation, is built upon the family structure. Children that are taught the ways of the Lord early on, and pursue a genuine worship-based relationship with the Lord, will be productive members of the society. They will play a meaningful part in a community, blessing it with their unique gifts and call. We see this as the plan after Joshua led Israel into the Promised Land. They had no king and the people were free to do as they pleased.

However, the generation after Joshua's did not know the Lord and they departed from Him and served other gods. This got them into trouble. They were plundered and eventually brought into slavery. When they cried to the Lord, He raised up a deliverer, Othniel, who was the first judge. (Judges 2 & 3). After that, they had judges who judged them. These judges were also warriors who defended Israel, but they were not kings who dictated to the people what to do. I find it interesting that the judges were also warriors. They were those who understood the outside threats against Israel, as well as understanding the Law of Moses to judge within the nation.

It's important to note that the judges didn't make the law--they judged righteously according to the Law of Moses. I wonder if the founding fathers of the United States noticed this. The United States was founded upon "The Laws of Nature and of Nature's God" as Thomas Jefferson wrote. The phrase was most likely taken from Lord Bolingbroke who wrote, "...One follows nature, and nature's God; that is, he follows God in his works, and in his word." The judges of Israel judged according to the Law, but everyone still had a certain degree of personal freedom. In a free society, our freedom to follow God is the very thing that makes that society work.

"In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes." Judges 17:6

Does this sound like the "right" way to run a country today? Everyone doing what they feel is right? You would think it would be utter chaos wouldn't you? In a nation that does not fear God, it would be chaos. However, this is the principle upon which The United States was founded. Everyone having the freedom to live as they choose, according to their belief in God. To accomplish this, the United States was not founded as a nation where the Government dictates what the people can or cannot do. It was structured so the people told the Government what it could and could not do. This is why John Adams said, "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."

It wasn't until Israel wanted to be like other nations who had kings that they got rid of the judges and went to being ruled by a king. Of course God still raised up prophets to speak to the people, and to the kings, but the structure of the government had changed. The king ruled.

My point is this, God's best plan is for a nation to be structured around a family based society who has faith in God. As children are raised up by parents who will teach them the ways of the Lord, and lead them into a personal relationship with the Lord, these kids will grow up and bless society. As adults, their desire will be to please the Lord, following His law of love which means they won't wreak havoc in a society, they will contribute something meaningful in their generation.

This is why Satan does all that he can to fracture the family unit. Divorce, domestic abuse, drug addiction, alcoholism, homosexuality, pornography, adultery etc. are all tools of his to tear apart families. As families experience strife on a daily basis, or each individual selfishly cares for just themselves, the family bond diminishes and will finally dissolve. When this happens, the foundation of our society weakens and begins to crumble. We need strong families in order to have a strong nation. Children need to be raised up and taught the ways of the Lord, as well as His way for the structure of a nation.

"...Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed..for I have chosen him, so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice..." Genesis 18:18-19.

If we've learned anything at all from the history of Israel, it's that each generation must experience a fresh encounter with the Lord themselves. We cannot assume that just because we follow the Lord, they will follow Him too, without teaching them or leading them in His way. We usually teach our kids to follow us, not the Lord, and this will not work--they need to become a new creation in Christ themselves.

So what do you do if your family has been fractured? If you are a single parent, divorced, or live alone, start where you are. Take whatever family pieces you have left and work with that.

• Pray for unity in your marriage if you are married. Only He can cause your individual goals to become a unified goal.
• Seek the Lord for your path in life--job, school, ministry, relationships etc.
• Adjust your path to fit what the Lord shows you.
• Teach your children the ways of the Lord and pray for them!!
• Support others in your family in their desires and effort to reach their goals and purpose.
• Recognize that our Government is not to dictate how, when, where, or if, we can worship God.

When our faith is in the God of the Bible, and we live according to His ways, our families will be blessed and strengthened. We will bless our communities, and cause our nation to prosper and live in peace.

Quote references:
Lord Bolingbroke and Thomas Jefferson, retrieved March 13, 2016
http://www.thefederalistpapers.org/current-events/what-is-the-law-of-natures-god
John Adams, retrieved March 13, 2016
http://www.wallbuilders.com/libissuesarticles.asp?id=63

The Church and the Presidential Primaries

Right now American political parties have an “in-house” decision to make—who they want to run against their opposing party for president. This is similar to what is facing the church right now. We have “in-house” issues to work out.

Within our party we are divided over who we want for President. Many Christians feel we’ve “heard from God” and our guy is the guy. This is fine, but our reaction to those who disagree with us tells us a lot. It reveals the condition of the church as a whole. Not so much that we disagree, but WHY we disagree and HOW we react to others who disagree with us.

Who do we vote for?

God is not double minded. He knows who He wants, but He wants us to come to the same conclusion because we have grown close enough to Him to think like Him. He has given us guidelines in His Word regarding characteristics of a leader, and He has given us His Spirit to guide us in these times. God knows the hearts of men, so we need His guidance. God promotes and demotes, but He leaves some things up to us. He may keep us from going in the gutter at times when we goof up, or He may let us reap the results of our foolish choices. Either way, He wants us to learn to see things from His perspective. If we ask the Lord for wisdom, He has promised that He will give abundant wisdom to those who ask in faith. (James 1:5). Just to clarify though, we DO need to vote. We can't just throw up our hands and say "Whatever happens happens, His will will be done anyway." No, there can be devastating consequences when we shirk our responsibilities! Look to His Word and seek Him in prayer regarding who to vote for.

So once we've made our choice, how do we respond to those who disagree with us?

We don’t want to yield to anger or fear when discussing issues with our brothers and sisters in Christ, or anyone for that matter. If we are angry, it is most likely because we are fearful of what will happen if things don't turn out the way we think they should. This anger and fear reveal our lack of faith and undermine our confidence that we have heard from God on who to vote for. This causes an unsettling in our spirit. This makes us anxious and we want everyone to agree with us because it will help us feel more confident in our decision. The solution in these cases is not to lash out at people, but to press in closer to the God of peace. Let's make sure that we are not only making the "right" choice, but that it is for the right reason. Let's humble ourselves before the Lord and seek truth. This is what will give us peace in the midst of this political storm. We can share our decision with others, and why/how we came to that decision, in an attitude of peace. And when others share their opinions with us we need to compare what they say with the peace in our heart to see if it bears witness. If we get worked up, we won't be able to do this.

The enemy will sow paralyzing seeds of strife and confusion wherever he can. Fear is good soil for those seeds. We must not have more faith in the candidate we choose than in God. We must trust the Lord above all else—the God of peace who WILL crush Satan! (Romans 16:20).

Our adversary wants us in discord. God wants us in unity, even when we disagree. Only the Lord can bring true unity. As we each press in to get closer to Him, seeking more truth and clarity in our own heart, He will direct all of our paths towards the same direction--towards Him. This brings us all closer to each other as well. Once we resolve this we will be a stronger church.

As the church begins to awaken together with a corporate vision our light is dim at first, which brings the cloudy chaos we’ve seen among us. We need to continue to awaken more fully so our corporate light shines brighter. None of us can elect a president on our own, or by our own opinion, no matter how strongly we feel. It's not the strength of our personal opinion that elects anyone, it's our unity. Of course I'm not talking about a false unity where we think we must be right simply because many other people agree with us. This is not true unity of the Spirit but a political spirit like at the tower of babel (Genesis 11). Instead we must humbly seek for a unity of truth in the Spirit as we all walk closer to the Lord. 

Arise and shine saints!

Where Time and Eternity Meet

Not long ago, before time began, God knew you. You existed first with Him outside the realm of time. We think of time as linear, like a timeline, but really its more circular. It exists around the circle of the earth within God Himself. Eternity is not so much before time begins and after it ends as it is outside the realm or circle of time. Time was created by God to govern the earth so you could be sent here to be tested, proven and refined before permanently going back to the eternal or spiritual realm. God sees it all--the beginning from the end--at the same time. Our spirits are eternal, even while we are here in the earth, yet our physical sight is limited to our own period of time.

He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end. Ecclesiastes 3:11

From the shores of eternity--where time and eternity meet--the Lord God sent you to the earth, to be born as a baby. He knew you, He called you, and He chose you to be like Jesus--to be a son or daughter of His. Jesus existed outside the realm of time too before He was born in the earth. He was in the beginning with God. He was already there when time was created. All things were made by Him. He was sent into the earth--into time--where He proved that who He was in the eternal/spiritual realm, holds true in the physical/time realm also. He is Lord of all. You too have been sent here to prove that you will remain true to the ways of God--the Father of spirits--when faced with choice. Jesus accomplished what He was sent to do and He showed us the way, so we can follow His example.

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. Revelation 22:13

This earth-time realm is a test. Like a car that is test-driven before it is put on the road. It is put through extreme tests so the areas of strength are revealed, and the flaws can be corrected. This ensures it will hold up when it is sent out for its created purpose. The trying of your faith is being done here on the proving grounds of planet earth in preparation for your place in eternity. It's done through choice. Every time you choose to obey God over anything that opposes Him, the strength of your faith is proven and you are refined some more. Every time you choose to worship God instead of complain, to smile instead of gossip, to bless instead of curse, to love instead of hate, to speak truth instead of compromise, to honor God instead of giving in to the pressures of man, the strength of your faith is proven and you are refined some more.

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:21

 This proving of your faith is more precious than anything else on the earth. It is more precious than the gold of the earth. Its true value is best seen in the eternal realm. God sees you praising Him instead of choosing resentment. He sees you paying your tithes even when it's hard. He sees you loving and giving even when you feel unnoticed and unloved. He sees you choose light over darkness, good over evil. It touches His heart to the core. Your love and faithfulness to Him is more valuable than anything else you do on this earth.

So that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 1 Peter 1:7

When Jesus came, He grew and accomplished His purpose here on earth. You too have a purpose in your particular era of time and place in the earth. Ultimately it is to worship God faithfully in all situations and circumstances. The rest is details, "and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls." 1 Peter 1:8-9.

If life seems tough and you are tempted to lose faith, then "fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 1:13. The hope of salvation, the hope of the grace that will be brought to you when He is revealed, is an enduring hope, a solid hope that will not disappoint. Everything in this earth could fail you, but He will not! Fix your hope completely on that coming grace while your faith is refined and revealed to be purer than gold!


Scriptures for Meditation:

Ecclesiastes 12:7-at the time of death, a person's spirit returns to God.
Jeremiah 1:5-God knew us before He formed us in the womb.
Romans 8:29-Those He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of Jesus.
Romans 8:30-Those He predestined He also called, justified and glorified.
Hebrews 4:13-No creature is hidden from His sight. He sees and knows everyone.
Ephesians 1:3-6-He chose us before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.
Psalm 139:13-16-God formed us in the womb.
Isaiah 40:22-God sits above the circle of the earth.
Psalm 139:7-10--God is everywhere.
Jeremiah 23:23-24-God fills the heaven and the earth.
Genesis 1:14-God made time, He created the lights in the heavens to separate day from night, and for signs, seasons, days and years.
Psalm 90:2- God gave birth to the earth and the world, He is everlasting (eternal) so He exists outside the realm of time.
Psalm 90:4-A thousand years in God's eyes are like yesterday. He sees all times at once.
Genesis 8:22- while the earth remains so will seasons and days.
Revelation 22:5--There will be no more night, so no more time.
John 1:1-17-Jesus is the Word of God made flesh, and He existed in the beginning (of time) with God. All things were made by Him.
Hebrews 1:1-4-He upholds all things by the Word of His power.
Colossians 1:13-20-Jesus is the firstborn of many, and holds all things together, He is the head of the church.
Hebrews 4:14-15-Jesus was tempted in all ways like we are, yet without sin.
Revelation 1:8 and Revelation 22:13--Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega--beginning and the end.
Hebrews 12:1-13-God, the Father of spirits, disciplines us for our own good, so we may share in His holiness.
James 1:1-15-When we persevere under trial, and pass the test, we receive the crown of life.
John 14:6-Jesus is the way, and the only way, to the Father.
1 Peter 2:21-Jesus is our example.
1 Peter 4:12-19-Don't be surprised at the fiery trials that try you, but rejoice, and stay free from sin, entrusting yourself to your faithful Creator.
James 1:22-Prove yourself to be a doer of the Word and not just a hearer.