GOD’S PERSPECTIVE CONCERNING HIS CHURCH!!! By Barbara Gould
As we gathered at “House of Prayer” (our prayer meeting) on Tuesday evening, the Spirit of the Lord revealed the heart of the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ concerning His Church.
The Spirit of travail and lamentation fell heavily on us with weeping and repentance for us — His Church. The Holy Spirit revealed to our hearts the condition of His Church which has so long walked in the way of the world system and not taken responsibility for the condition of our cities, states and nation. We may not all consider ourselves guilty, but we are. We are ONE BODY OF CHRIST because of the Blood of Jesus and the Spirit of God who birthed us into God’s family!!!
Where He has placed us is our area of jurisdiction. We have travelled far and wide to help others, but we have neglected our own country. Because of that, the roots of the anti-Christ spirit has sunk deep into the soil of our country. Rebellion/lawlessness, darkness/death, Satanism/witchcraft, communism/socialism/progressivism and all the isms have become overpowering as the roots continued to go deeper and deeper into the soil of men’s hearts, generationally.
Understandably, some of the Church has become discouraged and even overwhelmed with the issues prevailing around us. But some of what the Holy Spirit is saying is that this condition in our nation did not just begin, it has had many, many years to become the very fabric of our nation. However, if we, the Church adopt the right attitude of humility and allow the Holy Spirit to give us repentant hearts concerning our cities, states and nation, He will respond, like He promises. As the Word of God says, God is not a man that He should lie… (Numbers 23:19)
Daniel showed us how to deal with a sinful nation and I believe this is where God wants us, the Body of Christ to position ourselves. In Daniel 9:3-19, the bible says that Daniel set his face unto the Lord his God to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting and sackcloth, and ashes. He prayed unto the Lord and made his CONFESSION and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love Him and to them that keep His commandments. Then Daniel declared: “WE HAVE SINNED, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments.” Daniel was one of the righteous men in his nation, but he included himself as he stood in the gap for his beloved nation. God is asking us to take that posture and trust Him to do the impossible. The covenant God who kept covenant and showed mercy to His people then, is the same covenant-keeping God today and what is so awesome is, today, we have a better covenant because of the Blood of Jesus Christ!!! All we have to do is humble ourselves, repent of our wicked ways and choose to walk in love which is Christ’s commandment to us.
The Father holds us, His Church, accountable for the condition of this nation which was raised up to be a light and witness unto Him and to be a friend to Israel!!! We have allowed our nation to continue on a downward spiral. We have to humble ourselves and repent and God will have mercy on us because He loves us. 1 Peter 5:5b-11 admonishes us to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God and in due time He will exalt us…
The very thing we are judging, concerning the leadership of our nation is the very thing for which God is judging the leadership of His Church. None of us are exempt. We are one Body — the Body of Christ!!!
As we cried out to the Lord, the Spirit of Repentance fell upon us with tears — for ourselves and the Body of Christ at large. We were repenting of our pride, arrogance, prejudices, lack of love, being ruled by worldly thoughts, behaviors ideas, being politically correct and compromising with the world system. The same sins of which the nation’s government is guilty, are the same sins of which we the Church, the Body of Christ are guilty. I was guilty, we were guilty and yes, as the Church — the Body of Christ, we are all guilty!!! Jesus Christ does not divide His Body!!! The Father looks upon us as the Body of His Son. We are the ones who divide us. A House divided against itself cannot stand. So we fight among ourselves, become prideful and even arrogant of our own traditions, opinions, prejudices, compromises and loveless relationships toward each other and forget the Word: “If My people which are called by My Name will HUMBLE themselves and pray and seek My face and TURN from their WICKED ways, then, will I hear from heaven, I WILL FORGIVE their sin and I WILL HEAL their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)
You see, it is not about them, it is about US!!! God is holding His Church accountable!!! Invade our lives precious Spirit of God and cause us to see things with Your perspective.
He has given us dominion in the mighty Name of Jesus!!! Jesus delegated His authority to us so we could be the salt and light He called us to be. Instead, we have become as divided as the nation itself. Can the sick heal the sick? Definitely not!!! We need to cry out for the Spirit of Repentance to fall on us, the Church. We need to cry out like David, “Search me O God and know my heart, try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24). (See also Psalm 51)
The Holy Spirit did not reveal this to our hearts to condemn us, but to SAVE us from destruction. There is still time. God has set everything in motion for this nation to be restored. Look at some of the candidates He has placed before us who are God-fearing. He has given us good choices and yet the Church, His Body is going with the world’s ideas and opinions. God is not pleased!!!
My prayer is, Lord give us the grace we need to respond to the conditions around with Your perspective. Yes, things are bad, but You are always good. Give us the grace to repent and with repentant hearts cry out for our nation not with condemnation, but with conviction knowing we cannot change men’s hearts but we can trust You to make every crooked path straight and to level every mountain that needs to be brought down. Father, give us the wisdom to know what to do in the natural and with Your anointing upon us we can institute Your change. Precious Father, I/we pray, let Your Kingdom come, let Your will be done in this nation on earth, as it is in Heaven!!! For this we thank You, in Jesus’ Holy Name!!!
YAHWEH, YOU RULE AND REIGN IN THE UNIVERSE OF MEN!!!
JESUS CHRIST IS LORD TO THE GLORY OF GOD THE FATHER!!!
Apostle Barbara Gould
