crossoverglobaloutreach

[crossoverglobaloutreach]

THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder. And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. -Is. 9:6, 7

God’s gift to us, His Son, is defined in detail through His glorious name:

Wonderful Counselor – all wisdom and guidance

Mighty God – all strength and power

Everlasting Father – eternal, ever-present care and comfort

Prince of Peace - all health, well-being, prosperity, happiness, and the end of hostility

His name is more than a mere word. According to an Amplified Bible footnote, it’s “His self-revelation.” A name is defined as “the active presence of the person in the fullness of his character.” To know His name is “to see those attributes and apprehend that character the name represents.” What a gift Jesus Christ is to us! May we behold and apprehend His character. May we know the active presence of God’s Son in His fullness.  

He truly is the gift that keeps on giving! There is no end to His wisdom, power, care, and peace. There is only increase as He rules upon His rightful throne – our hearts – and reigns through our lives. Lavish and abundant, the gift of God’s Son is given to us for the world. The weight of His government is upon His shoulder, yet He desires to rule and reign through and with us, as Immanuel. Rightfully so, for we are His body.

In this season, allow the Holy Spirit to bestow upon you what the Father has given. Let's open all His gifts to us. His joy is for us to receive, value, and use His presents (presence) wisely. Heaven has come down to earth. Let’s pray and allow Him to zealously order and establish with justice and judgment the Kingdom of God-With-Us as it has come from the time of His birth, to now, even forevermore!

- Elese

[crossoverglobaloutreach]

IT HAS BEEN GRANTED

For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake. - Phil 1:29

Our suffering for Christ needs to be seen as the great honor it is. “For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ” sounds as if we’re going to be crowned or knighted – at least bestowed with some notable blessing. Yet that prize is to suffer?! I had only valued suffering for the fruit that comes after, as a result of patiently enduring through it. Now I realize suffering itself is an honor. A new perspective which turns dread to bread.

It has been bestowed, as a great honor, to suffer as we walk out what Christ has laid before us. Hardship and pain can be embraced with joy as we stand and fight the Good Fight. Not that we're gluttons for punishment, for we must fight with no regard for our lives. Better to suffer the immediate pain of battle wounds than residual pain which comes from shame and disgrace (refusing His grace). The regret from having run from His fight will remain forever, affecting us far deeper than a physical wound. Any self-preserving reason to draw back is a lie and brings on slow death. When God says, “Charge forward - the battle is ahead!”  We must respond quickly with His weapons in hand. The victory is His!

- Elese

[crossoverglobaloutreach]

SURPASSING PEACE

In light of the times we live in, integrity, common sense, righteous judgment and justice seem to be at a premium and found increasingly missing in the simplest of situations. We need calming and comforting words of understanding with earnest prayer to guard our hearts and minds in peace through Christ Jesus…

“Be anxious for nothing (unburden yourselves), but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding (peace that exceeds, overrides the incapacity to understand and positions you to understand from God’s perspective), will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil.4:6-7).

Mind you, this comfort is not always for lack of asking Him - “You receive not because you ask not.” There are just those times where we are left with a deafening quiet that makes us think we are unheard… maybe forsaken. At this point, we could foolishly start picking daisies with saying, “He loves me, He loves me not…!” And, tragically begin to lose faith and the standard we have held in following Him passionately. Considering the Day we are in, with perversions of power mounting, love toward God comes under the threat of waxing cold. However, there is an abounding grace, a divine enabling to act from God in confronting sin’s increase for a greater and stronger faith that will see His glory! And Grace never seems to live alone in the New Testament, but is found in good company of her sister, Peace. Rom.1:7, “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” This statement used in continual greeting of the saints throughout the epistles is not to be taken lightly.

“And this One shall be peace” (Mic.5:5). “He is our peace…” (Eph.2:14). “…Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end…” (Isa.9:6b-7a).

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John14:27).

God has a map of our horizons that He overshadows. History is already written in the annals of Heaven and it is all chronicled beneath His-story. While we ask again for God’s transforming power to change our situations or another word of rescue, in the deafening quiet He may be asking us what has been transformed in our thinking that makes us any different than the world thinks? When so much of the Church remains conformed to this world; without sign, wonder and miracle, why should there be another fast fix that leaves little difference in His image among us? The Lord is not running a university or a college that gives a degree for what our head thinks to have learned. His is a trade school where we are called to leave our lives at the door to receive His. All must become hands-on experience from Him taking us to His higher thought and way that are not ours. I fear that even we who cherish the revelation of His Word, may find our understanding inconsequential in standing up to the pressures that are building at this time. Unless we are taking our understanding to the bank of His interest with us where our life’s currency is exchanged, the test of fire will surely burn it up. The fellowship of the disciples was bent on what they heard, saw, touched and handled of that eternal Word and Life. This they passed on to us to be our fellowship as well! The peace He gives is for the fray and pray, not play. It is not passive, but active.

In the volume of the Lord’s thoughts and words, some are given as overtones, others as undertones, none without exceeding significance for walking with Him. The overtone would be the more prominent tone carried in the likeness of an instrument that first brings about a song, it’s melody. It is the song! To enrich the song, other instruments may be added: violins, cellos, trumpets, woodwinds… etc. each playing its own harmonious part in filling out the song masterfully. Its orchestral beauty makes it a song in want of never ending; unshakably branded in our hearts and minds. But if that one instrument (or voice) that holds the original melody should be removed, all else loses the line from which it was composed to fit.

My wife and I have led worship for years spending time going over songs new and old. From time to time, she’ll ask me if I remember a song that she begins to sing. Wonderingly, I’ve said to her, “I have no idea what that song is?” The conflict thus begins with her singing it again and me saying, “I’ve never heard it before!” Until I realize she is singing harmony (or the undertone) to the song, as she always has. It is not the melody itself, but the enrichment, the fill, the enhancement, so vital. Words of God bearing His overtone are the essence of our walk; they carry the “always, forever, every, surely…” factor. When understanding is not clear, the main melody remains as an anchor for our soul. Their endless ring are reminders to our spirit of an immovable place we have yet to abide in faith. He is in those words to be found and they are Him!

(Heb.13:5a) For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you."

(Rom.8:6) “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace."

(1 John4:16) “And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.”

(Lam.3:22-23)“Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.

(Heb.13:8) Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Saints, the witness of the Holy Spirit that first bypassed our natural mind to bring His salvation, continues to call our heart and mind to His peace where we trust, obey and discern our need to “…pull down imaginations, human reasoning, tear down intellectual arguments and every lofty opinion that pits itself against the knowledge of the one true God, bringing every loose thought, emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ…” (2 Cor.10:4-5 DCV). This is for our forward!

“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful” (Col.3:15).

“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You” (Isa.26:3).

"For David says concerning Him: ‘I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken'” (Acts 2:25).

-DSC

[crossoverglobaloutreach]

Faithful in His House?

And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward, but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end. - Heb. 3:5, 6

David and I do not allow certain things in our house. We don’t allow smoking, bad language, bad attitudes, unkindness, flagrant sin, etc. There is no question regarding these things and our home remains peaceful. (Although at times, some might test to see if the rules have changed.)

In the same way, there should be certain things that have no entrance in our lives. Idealistically, sin, sickness, death, various deficiencies, etc. should have no place in our “home” as part of Christ’s salvation for us. If our homeland is truly heaven, then the pattern we have for here is a dwelling place of health, wholeness, abundance, love, joy, peace… What then do I allow spiritually in my home? Do I hold fast to my confidence in Christ and take authority to put my foot down against enemy infiltration? Alas, a pattern is only the intention, the plan, a shadow, or design – not the consummation (the completion).   

We clearly suffer from the fallenness of this world, even though our spiritual address has changed from the kingdom of darkness to His marvelous kingdom of light. An undeniable curtain lies between this chaotic, messy, horrific physical world and the perfection of heaven. Gratefully, once we know Christ, it’s no longer dark, heavy drapery that separates. Our pursuit of Him changes that barrier. Often, we find it to be finely sheer, blowing in the breeze of His Spirit, allowing divine glimpses for us to apprehend, and partake of their beauty. In His goodness, the curtain may drape and settle on one side or the other of our life-circumstances, defining what we call and celebrate as miracles.

As believers, we are those who know and trust in the Resurrection power of Christ. Whether our situation is restored in this world or the next, we never lose out. We are guaranteed to be raised up either (temporarily) here or (ultimately) there. It’s a win-win for us. However, we naturally want that curtain to lift, bringing heaven to earth more frequently than we see just now.

But one testified in a certain place, saying: “What is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You take care of him? You have made him a little lower than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor, and set him over the works of Your hands. You have put all things in subjection under his feet.” For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone (Heb 2:6-9).

This NKJV translation capitalizes the pronouns belonging to the Godhead. So, notice the “son of man” written above is not a reference to Jesus, but us as mankind. Though we have been set over the works of His hands, and all things are in subjection under our feet with nothing that is not - we still don’t see it in complete actuality. “But we see Jesus.”He holds the answers. We must seek Him. Be Thou My Vision.

Our focus must remain on the Person of Christ at all times. Matters of doctrine, spiritual side eddies, even godly pursuits must take their rightful place – held loosely, subservient to our relationship with Him. Our desires, those He knows we have need of, are met through Him, not by focusing on them. Take healing for example, here’s a relevant quote of unknown source: “God doesn’t send healing; it is already there. He reveals it. As we seek the Healer, healing will come.” It’s not that we don’t pray for things - we must. But the things aren’t the thing; it’s the time, our union with the Lord of Everything.

For since [it was] through a man that death [came into the world, it is] also through a Man that the resurrection of the dead [has come]. For just as [because of their union of nature] in Adam all people die, so also [by virtue of their union of nature] shall all in Christ be made alive.But each in his own rank and turn: Christ (the Messiah) [is] the firstfruits, then those who are Christ’s [own will be resurrected] at His coming.After that comes the end (the completion), when He delivers over the kingdom to God the Father after rendering inoperative and abolishing every [other] rule and every authority and power.For [Christ] must be King and reign until He has put all [His] enemies under His feet.The last enemy to be subdued and abolished is death… Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all (1 Cor 15:21-26, 28 AMPC).

Between this portion of scripture in First Corinthians and the previous one in Hebrews, it’s apparent the time is not now - it’s not the dispensation yet, for us to freely see heavenly perfections in full function. All enemies will be under Christ’s feet at His coming. Yet He gives countless previews and foretastes of what is to come by signs, wonders, and miracles, as we look for and actively hasten His Day with all it entails. Referring back to our initial text, like Moses, is our faithfulness as servants in Christ’s house “a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward”? – a testimony of future revealings now? Do I “hold fast to the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end” by upholding and displaying the pattern we have of Christ’s house? Can I blur the line, the barrier, between the pattern and the consummation (fulfillment)? How? Interestingly, consummation is also a term used to express intimate union…

Finally, am I a house of prayer that can enter into these mysteries with God?

- Elese

[crossoverglobaloutreach]

SONG OF SOLOMON TRIO

Although part of an allegory, this scriptural threesome is a true-to-life progression for those who run after the Lord’s draw and call on their lives, who betroth and marry themselves to the Lover of our souls. Let’s sing a Song of Solomon…

(2:16) "My beloved is mine, and I am his. He feeds his flock among the lilies."

Jesus Christ died for me. He identified with me, and I’ve accepted Him into my heart. He’s mine! Like us in our new birth, the Shulamite is enthralled that she was personally chosen to follow her Beloved. In the newness of their relationship, she only knows rudimentary things about Him. For example, His whereabouts - in the sense she knows about where He is, some of what He does, but is now invited to come along and abide with Him. It’s guaranteed to be a ride of a lifetime!

(6:3) "I am my beloved’s, And my beloved is mine. He feeds his flock among the lilies."

Notice the subtle change up? As we follow and pursue our Lover through time and happenstance, we identify more and more with Him (though He first identified with us). “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Gal 2:20). He increases and I decrease. Bravo! “He feeds his flock among the lilies,” is the identical statement in 2:16. Yet now, the Shulamite intimately knows her Beloved’s whereabouts, and His movements with great detail. So much so, she is an invaluable help to others (6:1-2).

(7:10) "I am my beloved’s, And his desire is toward me." 

The Shulamite has become enveloped in her Beloved’s purpose and intent, His understanding and wisdom, His love and intimacy, ...ad infinitum. It’s all about Him. Notably, she knows He always and only has her best interest at heart; hence, she boldly faces life... and finds her voice. Right to the finale of the Song, the Shulamite continues to grow and mature, singing out new songs, as we each do, whose hearts burn for their Beloved. He playing His very Song upon our heartstrings. 

The Apostle Paul spoke of being separated from his “mother’s womb,” namely the world and religious system he was raised in: “But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might…” (Gal 1:15-16). In the early days, the Shulamite brought her Beloved into her mother’s house (3:4), but now she no longer can. It’s clear the authority, influence, and dependency in her life has shifted (8:1-2). She is unrecognizable to her natural family, so deeply ingrained is her identity in Christ. It’s been jealously set and sealed in His love (8:5-6). 

Other noteworthy pieces in the Shulamite’s repertoire: She takes "Godly Initiative," has "Concern" for those around her, and is "Steadfast, Immovable, Abounding" in her labor. "Firstfruits" are for her Beloved, and as an encore, she’s a "Blessing" and benefactress to others. Her companions listen for her voice; her Lover calls for it (8:13). These selections are played by ear and known by heart. No wonder the Song of Solomon is also entitled the Song of Songs.

In her own words, this seasoned Shulamite confesses and encapsulates her newfound modulation (8:10b):

“Then I became in his eyes as one who found peace.”

A Bride worthy of her Bridegroom. A beautiful composition written for us. 

- Elese

[crossoverglobaloutreach]

COMPELLED BY THE SPIRIT

"For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again" (2 Cor 5:14-15).

The New Spirit Filled Life Bible states the origin and biblical use of the word "compels" refers to "a sense of constraint, a tight grip that prevents an escape. The love of Christ leaves us no choice except to live our lives for Him." Consider this compelling description while reading the below...

“And he [Paul] reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks. When Silas and Timothy had come from Macedonia, Paul was compelled by the Spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ.” - Acts 18:4-5

Although Paul reasoned and persuaded every Sabbath, there came a day when he was constrained by the Spirit to press those listening into a decision, a response. In other words, he got to the bottom line that “Jesus is the Christ.” Scripture seems to indicate that the arrival of Silas and Timothy as supporting co-laborers played a part in Paul’s release. These were faithful men come to help in prayer, confirmation, teaching, or whatever was needful as the full impact of the gospel would hit the Corinthian Jews. Take a moment to read the details of this rather intense story in Acts 18:1-17. 

We often stay on friendly, non-offensive ground as we build trust and relationship with people, but the day will come when the Spirit will compel us to initiate potential conflict. Darkness must be confronted for the light of the truth to come forth. Doctrines, traditions, superstitions, lies and ignorance are some of what keep folks bound to certain mindsets. The light of His truth is always looking to break in and take us further into His ways.

“O house of Jacob, come and let us walk in the light of the Lord.” - Isaiah 2:5 

Unfortunately, the response in Corinth was largely negative and the Jews rejected all that Paul’s reasoning and persuasion led up to. “But when they opposed him and blasphemed, he shook his garments and said to them, ‘Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles’” (v. 6). Sometimes it is necessary for God to find expression through “fresh blood,” even as Paul realized he could go no farther with these Jews and turned to the Gentiles.

An established church system can also become dull of hearing and resistant, compelling the Lord to leave it to itself. He will go outside those recognized as “His people” and find expression and openness to move among the newly saved or touched by the Spirit, but labeled heathen or inexperienced. Though perhaps unseasoned in His ways or the Scriptures, they are willing in spirit for all there is of God. Certainly, the Lord’s first choice is to move through His chosen and established people to reach the world – it’s what they’ve been prepared for all along. Spiritual maturity, however, can have its negatives. It can hinder a move of the Spirit with criticism, pride and prejudice rather than nurture and propel it ahead, as it ought, by godly wisdom and perspective, yet still keeping a child-like awe and reverence for the Lord's doings. “Let us know, let us press on to know the Lord…” (Hos. 6:3). This is a wise admonition for young and old.

When the Spirit withdraws, He may not go far. Ironically, Paul landed right next door to the synagogue! “And he departed from there and entered the house of a certain man named Justus, one who worshiped God, whose house was next door to the synagogue” (v. 7). And what happened next?... “Then Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his household. And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized” (v. 8). Paul’s divine move was surely a continued jealous draw by God for His people, though it became a point of violent jealousy to the Jews. The spiritual conflict here erupted into rage and hostility, however victory prevailed for the kingdom of God in Corinth.

When compelled by the Spirit, be certain our testimony that “Jesus Christ is Lord” will stir up all sorts of earthly and heavenly reactions. It removes a religious situation from the indifferent, the grey, to a decisive belief, one way or the other. Let’s take heart, gripped like Paul by the Lord’s simple words in his night vision (v. 9):

“Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent.” 

- Elese  

[crossoverglobaloutreach]

FAITH COUPLED WITH LOVE

“Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” - Jude 1:3

God is always calling us to new levels of faith - that assurance which translates to action. However, coupled with and foundational to faith is His love. Faith comes with knowing and experiencing the love of the Lord which far outweighs mere knowledge. Hear Paul’s prayer from Ephesians 3:17, 19: “That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you being rooted and grounded in love…to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

To know the love of Christ is the only knowing worth knowing! As stated, it’s the source of the fullness of God. Isn’t that what we want and need above all else? However, there’s a discipline involved, far different than picking up our Bibles for an early morning devotion and moving our bookmarks along another few pages. This love springs from waiting before the Lord in the stillness of His presence, felt or unfelt - not petitioning or trying to do anything that justifies time well spent. An exercise that won’t fit into a timetable of accomplishments. The labor is to enter into His rest; lingering with God to love and be loved. Let’s not come short of it. Since our love is as imperfect as it is, we must learn to receive and live by God’s love, exuding what is “shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost” (Rom. 5:5). From that earnest contending will arise faith:

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Heb. 11:6).

Faith is the essential means to pleasing the Faither… oops, Father. (Was that typo a Freudian God-slip?!). Anyway, sometimes folks consider having faith or stepping out in faith as being risky, way out there, i.e., rather unstable. If you think about it though, the word faithful comes from faith. Faithful is being reliable, stable, solid, trustworthy and true. So also, the root word, faith, must actually be the faithful confidence the thesaurus will tell you it is – a dependable, reliable, solid assurance. Nothing sounds flaky or shaky about that.

The hitch is real faith trusts in things that are invisible, that cannot be grasped by our natural hand or mind. And so, we must experience the heart and love of God to provide us divine, invincible proof. My Spirit Filled Life Bible defines the agape love of God as “undefeatable benevolence and an unconquerable goodwill.” That is the solid substance we need for our faith to refute any disbelief - those inner and outside hecklers ready to rob us of our conviction.

I believe this is the faith Jude wrote of “which was once for all delivered to the saints” and must be earnestly contended for - a faith, which is undergirded by knowing the love of Christ. Jude later writes in vv. 20-21: “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. "Don't miss how Jude endearingly addresses his audience again as "beloved," just like he opened his letter in v. 3 above (he also slipped another in v. 17). Even in this stern letter, a warning to actively check and fortify our faith, the Lord graciously and clearly conveys heartfelt affection for His saints.

To wait, watch, soak, linger, continue… all are descriptions “to keep yourselves in the love of God,” and will also align the weakness of our flesh with the willingness of our spirit. Let’s return, find again and afresh where our Beloved abides; hold Him and never let Him go. 

– Elese

[crossoverglobaloutreach]

OUR BETTER PROCESSION

Let’s consider how blessed we are in the better covenant of Jesus Christ by comparing and contrasting two remarkably similar passages of scripture, one from the Old Testament, the other from the New.

2nd Samuel 6 opens with King David bringing the Ark of God's Presence back to Jerusalem. He gathers not just any crowd, but "all the chosen men of Israel" (verse 1). He leads the illustrious procession as they set out with the ark, rejoicing and celebrating as they go (verses 2 through 5). But disaster strikes suddenly in verses 6 and 7, bringing the procession to a crashing halt:

"Then they came to the threshing floor of Nacon. And Uzzah reached out toward the ark of God and took hold of it, because the oxen nearly upset it. And the anger of Yahweh burned against Uzzah, and God struck him down there for his irreverence; and he died there by the ark of God."

Someone dared to touch the ark and a surge like lightning struck him dead. That thunderclap of power shattered the happy mood and ended the procession. We're told David was angered by the intrusion of tragedy into his joyous plans (verse 8), but also frightened that the Intruder was God Himself (verse 9). The parade melted away in sorrow and confusion, stranding the Ark far from its intended destination.

Now, consider another procession, one found in the gospel of Mark. In chapter 5, we see the Living Ark of God's Presence, Jesus Christ, surrounded by a large crowd, as they escorted Him to His intended destination - the home of a synagogue ruler. That ruler's daughter was deathly ill and he had begged Jesus to come and heal her. Jesus had graciously consented. We're told a large crowd - more likely a "rabble" than "the leading men of Jerusalem" - pressed in on Him as He walked with Jairus (verse 24).

The Uzzah of this procession was a woman with an issue of blood. That made her ceremonially unclean, but she was still determined to dart in among the crowd and touch Jesus. And when she did, "power flowed out from Him" (verse 30).

The stories follow the same arc right up through the unplanned touch. In each case, a surge of power struck the toucher. But the stories diverge sharply there: The woman didn't die; she was miraculously healed! Jesus' procession wasn't broken up, it continued, after pausing to bless her. She probably joined the crowd as they moved on. Nor was Jesus kept from His intended destination. He arrived at Jairus' home and healed his daughter, raising her from the dead.

The crowd in Mark 5 wasn't better than the one in 2nd Samuel, it was likely rougher and coarser. The "toucher" wasn't better - the bleeding woman was "unclean," while Uzzah was a man of standing. So, what accounts for the drastically different outcomes? What was better in Mark 5 vs. 2 Samuel 6? The Ark at the heart of the procession was better, as was the crowd's access to that Ark.

The ark Moses built was not to be touched (Num 4:15), nor even looked into (Num 4:20, 1 Sam 16:19). But the Apostle John opened his first letter with these words, "That which was from the beginning... what we beheld and touched with our hands" (1 Jn 1:1). Perhaps that's why God declared through the prophet Jeremiah the first ark would no longer come to mind nor be sought after (Jer 3:16). Why should it, when it was merely a type and shadow of the better Ark, Jesus Christ?

Moses' ark passed away with his covenant. Both have been replaced, supplanted, by something, Someone, superior. Our Ark can be touched. Life giving power flows from ours, not death dealing. In Mark 5, not only was Christ touched, He also touched the dead little girl. We have come to One who touches and is touched, with blessing flowing out from Him either way.

Now we have joined the greater procession of the Present One. It stretches back to Jesus Christ walking among us twenty centuries ago and reaches beyond today to His glorious return. Like the procession to Jairus' house, this one also ends in resurrection - ours! Let's not shy away from touching Him along the way and letting Him touch us. As Hebrews 10:22 exhorts us, "Let us draw near to Him with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith".

"And a highway is there, and a way. The 'Way of Holiness' it is called. The unclean do not pass over it. And He Himself is by them, those going in the way, so that even fools shall not err therein" (Is 35:8).

  - Matt Schilling

[crossoverglobaloutreach]

PRECIOUS IS THE DEATH OF HIS SAINTS

Considering the recent events concerning President Trump, we decided the below particularly relevant at this time. Though compiled a few years ago out of prayer for another near-death situation, it's fresh with truth and joy:

Precious is the Death of His Saints

When faced with crisis and potential death, Psalm 116 is a powerful psalm to feed upon and pray into:

I love the Lord, because He has heard my voice and my supplications. 2 Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.

3 The pains of death surrounded me, and the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me; I found trouble and sorrow. 4 Then I called upon the name of the Lord: “O Lord, I implore You, deliver my soul!”

5 Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; yes, our God is merciful. 6 The Lord preserves the simple; I was brought low, and He saved me. 7 Return to your rest, O my soul, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.

8 For You have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. 9 I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living. 10 I believed, therefore I spoke, “I am greatly afflicted.” 11 I said in my haste, “All men are liars.”

12 What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits toward me? 13 I will take up the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. 14 I will pay my vows to the Lord now in the presence of all His people.

 15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.

16 O Lord, truly I am Your servant; I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant; You have loosed my bonds. 17 I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord.

18 I will pay my vows to the Lord now in the presence of all His people, 19 In the courts of the Lord’s house, in the midst of you, O Jerusalem.

Praise the Lord!

A personal point of stumbling: Although this is a song of praise for being delivered from death, when I came to verse 15, it struck me as being out of place with the rest of the psalm. King David builds a narrative of being raised up and restored, then all of a sudden here's a verse we use at funerals when someone dies! I didn't get it. I actually skipped over it when I prayed into critical situations because it seemed contradictory. I didn't want to be endorsing or agreeing with death. Lol. In this context, though, I figured there mustbe more than what I thought was being implied when I read the verse by itself - that God likes our death, likes us to die?! After a few days of this dilemma, I went to Matthew Henry to hear his take and wasn’t disappointed. In essence, his comments state the death of each saint is so precious to the Lord that it never occurs as mere happenstance. No one can take us nor can we will it easily; it never flies under His radar. Of course, that reminds me of Jesus declaring we are of more value than many sparrows; therefore, do not fear (Matt 10:29-31). Our death is so precious to Him, He guards our life!

Here's Matthew Henry’s rich commentary (it’s worth reading a few times):

(Ps. 116:15): “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints,” so precious that he will not gratify Saul, nor Absalom, nor any of David’s enemies, with his death, how earnestly soever they desire it. This truth David had comforted himself with in the depth of his distress and danger; and, the event having confirmed it, he comforts others with it who might be in like manner exposed. God has a people, even in this world, that are his saints, his merciful ones, or men of mercy, that have received mercy from him and show mercy for his sake. The saints of God are mortal and dying; nay, there are those that desire their death, and labour all they can to hasten it, and sometimes prevail to be the death of them; but it is precious in the sight of the Lord; their life is so (2 Kgs. 1:13); their blood is so, (Ps. 72:14). God often wonderfully prevents the death of his saints when there is but a step between them and it; he takes special care about their death, to order it for the best in all the circumstances of it; and whoever kills them, how light soever they may make of it, they shall be made to pay dearly for it when inquisition is made for the blood of the saints (Matt. 23:35). Though no man lays it to heart when the righteous perish [Is. 57:1], God will make it to appear that he lays it to heart. This should make us willing to die, to die for Christ, if we are called to it, that our death shall be registered in heaven; and let that be precious to us which is so to God.

Side note bonus: I skimmed what Matthew Henry had to say about the entire psalm. One other thing grabbed me - his thought on the end of vs. 3, "I found trouble and sorrow." MH points out that we can amplify our own trials, as we well know. God forbid! He expresses it so eloquently that I couldn't resist sharing it with you, too:

“I found trouble and sorrow”; not only they found me, but I found them. Those that are melancholy have a great deal of sorrow of their own finding, a great deal of trouble which they create to themselves, by indulging fancy and passion; this has sometimes been the infirmity of good men. When God’s providence makes our condition bad let us not by our own imprudence make it worse.

Amen!

- Elese

[crossoverglobaloutreach]

CRUCIFIED IN WEAKNESS

“For though He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you.”  - 2 Cor. 13:4

One day it occurred to me while reading this verse, if Christ Himself was crucified in weakness, then obviously weakness is not a hindrance to living powerfully in God. Did you catch that? It’s worth reading again! Honestly, this scripture doesn’t get the billing it ought to have. I saw my shortcomings and inadequacies as disqualifying factors. Wouldn’t they logically lessen effectiveness or potential in the Kingdom of God? When I was new in the faith, the enemy had me troubled and focused on my weaknesses to silence and paralyze me from stepping out in the Spirit, and adding to that, I felt just plain insufficient. It’s a common trick of the devil, and unfortunately, we as believers can fall for it. Given the right circumstances, it can happen anytime in our walk. We draw back, become inactive, and then before we know it, we’re altogether missing in action from the body of Christ. God forbid.

As my husband says, the Accuser is the Excuser. He gives us plenty of excuses when we’re open to suggestion. There’s a fine line between reasons and excuses. In fact, as time goes on, there might not be one! Especially when we find no resolve in our hearts from God. But brethren, it’s there to be found. Read in 2 Cor 12:9-10 what the Lord personally spoke to the Apostle Paul concerning his own dilemma. Hear the determination it worked in him:

“And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of God may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

If Paul can most gladly boast in his infirmities and weaknesses, who am I?  Surely, I don’t want to be as those false apostles who boast in their strength and flesh (2 Cor. 11:12-13, 16-18). I began to realize the Lord’s grace and strength is my sufficiency - not me being clever, “spiritual enough,” or having it all together. The emphasis is on His greatness and what He can do through me by His grace and strength. Those divine benefits can be best and sometimes only attained in weakness. Why? It is then that His power can rest upon us. I now shed my shame and take heart. For when I am personally weak, then I can be strong in Christ!

- Elese

[crossoverglobaloutreach]

HEAPS UPON HEAPS

Heaps upon heaps, a pouring out, a spending and being spent, a falling upon the rock and a brokenness to behold. In this I am well pleased where one is not careful for his thoughts in prayer, conscious for himself in what he says before others, offering himself alone to Me. For I look after the heart that empties all that I may fill it with My own. Here, one shall know My thoughts that carries the weight of face to face. Come be beside yourself for My sake for it is the self of man that is with resistance in submission to me. This night I am hearing "heaps," a breaking that brings heaps upon heaps with no sorting or qualifying of words. It is the flood that defines the flow. Know that the right mind for another is formed from being beside one’s self for Christ's sake. Herein comes the love that is with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Herein, one is sealed in baptism by My Spirit when he believes with all his heart. From the still, the letting go, you will know Me, and from its flood will come its flow that will show for Me.

(2Cor.5:13 AMPC) “For if we are beside ourselves [mad, as some say], it is for God and concerns Him; if we are in our right mind, it is for your benefit…”

(2Cor.5:13 TLV) “For if we are out of our minds, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.”“And we know…” Eighteen times in 1 John are references of our knowing. The heart knows faith and its reality with God. It hears again what was lost from the Fall of man in the garden, "the sound of the Lord's voice walking" (Gen.3:8). The head and all that is merely cerebral at best, assumes faith while potentially being deceived. If we be beside ourselves or out of our minds for Christ's sake, it is with actively walking in the Spirit, having the mind of Christ. From there, to be in our right mind for the sake of another, we are not returning to the natural mind, but a mind that can now translate with understanding what is made known from the Lord. 

The truth that is Christ in word, way, and life heard from the heart makes us all liable to answer Him and be freed from the lie we've lived under the Fall. To refuse this liability, responsibility, obligation, etc., is to harden the heart to have things our way. It also closes the door on the One who has sought to sup with us. Is the sound of the Lord's voice walking in your garden suffering from being heard and unheeded? If so, it's time to come out from the carnal mind that is at enmity (against) with God before you find yourself assuming faith without the living reality of Him. He is the sound of the sound mind.

(Rom.3:4) "...let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written: 'That You may be justified in Your words, and may overcome when You are judged.'” 

(2Tim.1:7) "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."

-DSC

[crossoverglobaloutreach]

HIS BUILDING HIS BRIDE

"Then the LORD God made the rib He had taken from the man into a woman and brought her to the man" (Gen 2:22).

The Spirit used an interesting verb in this passage to tell us God made the woman. The verbs used in the Creation Week were "barah" and "asah," to create and to fashion. God "created" man and He "fashioned" the sun and moon. But here it is "banah" - "build." He built the bride.

The verb "banah" is used elsewhere for building altars, homes and cities. Even more importantly, it is used for building the Lord's temple. But its first and primary use is in the declaration that the Lord built the Bride of Adam.

Well, the Lord Jesus declared He would build His bride, the Church (Matt 16:18). The Greek verb Christ used for "build"? The same verb the Jewish scholars used in Gen 2:22 when they made their famous Greek translation of the Old Testament, the Septuagint. So, just as the Lord built a bride for the son of God at the dawn of history, so the Son of God, who is the Lord, is building His bride at the culmination of history.

But we are not like Adam during this great, final construction. We aren't mere spectators to the building going on. As it is written, "the Bride has made herself ready" (Rev 19:7). As Paul describes it, "the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work" (Eph 4:16). That is the same verb. Paul further counseled the Church to "encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing" (1 Thes 5:11).

Now all of this is done through the anointing of the Spirit of Christ: "Therefore, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church" (1Cor 14:12). So, Christ is in His Church by His Spirit, anointing us and helping us. This is why we are told He gave gifts and callings to the Church: "for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ" (Eph 4:12). He enables us to prepare ourselves even as He builds us into His Bride.

One last thought: "The house, while it was being built, was built of stone prepared at the quarry, and there was neither hammer nor axe nor any iron tool heard in the house while it was being built" (1Kg 6:7). "Prepared at the quarry." It may not seem like it, but we are in the right time and place for the work of God. Our current situations are the quarry of God where we submit to Him and work with Him so that we are perfectly shaped to properly fit into His coming Temple.

Here and now Christ is building His Church. Here and now the Bride is making herself ready. Believe the hand of God is working in your life! Believe all things - even "bad" things and frustrating things - work together for good for those who love Him, who are called "according to His purpose." Well, what is His purpose? That we might be "conformed to His image." This is essential! After all, Adam first surveyed all of life looking for a suitable bride but couldn't find one. Only then was she made from Adam that she would be made like Adam that she could be made one with Adam.

We are invited to take part in a great marriage that is looming on the calendar. We are invited to be part of a great temple that is even now being prepared. "Take heed now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the Sanctuary; be strong and do it" (1 Chron 28:10). Let's not be among those who make excuse, nor be one of those who disqualify themselves by despising the call of God. "Not that we have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at our goal, but let's press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of us" (Phil 3:12). Yes, "for this we toil, struggling with all His energy that He powerfully works within us" (Col 1:29)!

- Matthew Schilling

[crossoverglobaloutreach]

THE TREE OF LIFE AVAILABLE TODAY

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death (Rom 8:2)

The opening third of Romans 8, the first thirteen verses, ties the Law and the flesh together. Flesh is mentioned thirteen times in those thirteen verses, while the Law is mentioned five times. Given to suppress and control the flesh, the Law is nonetheless weakened by it.

It turns out the Law is of the wrong tree. Remember, the forbidden tree in the garden offered the knowledge of good and evil, not just evil. But that tree stood in opposition to the Tree of Life. It was a rival tree. The two were mutually exclusive sources. They remain mutually exclusive.

The Law is as much of the wrong tree as the sins it wags its finger at. And eating of that tree results in death. Paul even told the Corinthians the Law was a “ministry of death” (2 Cor 3:7). Weakened by the flesh, the Law’s list of “do not taste, touch or handle!” are “of no value against fleshly indulgence” (Col 2:21-23). So, the outward appearance of righteousness provided by the Law is a fraud, leaving even its most fervent acolytes “like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness” (Matt 23:27). And that is a real problem for us, because God told Samuel He doesn’t look on the outward appearance, but on the heart (1 Sam 16:7).

The only part of the Law worth keeping is its righteous requirements, its reflection of the holiness of God. But it provides no means of achieving them. Worse, it stirs up rebellion against them. Paul wrote prior to Romans 8 we wouldn’t have known to covet if the Law hadn’t forbidden it (Rom 7:7).

Well, if the Law is of no use, then what are we to do? We who didn’t die moments after crying out to Christ like the thief on the cross must go on. But how? The answer, Paul says, is the Holy Spirit.

We must reverse the flow of the Lord’s lament found in Jeremiah: “My people have done two evils: They have forsaken Me, the Fountain of Living Waters, and hewed for themselves cisterns - broken cisterns that can hold no water” (Jer 2:13). Like the woman at the well who left her water jug behind after meeting the Lord, we must abandon all our broken cisterns, all our independent attempts to establish and maintain our own righteousness. We must yield to and be led by the indwelling, upwelling Spirit of Christ.

The Holy Spirit will enable us to walk before the Lord and be perfect even as our Father in Heaven is perfect. And as He performs this inside job, He will moot the rebellion within us, rather than stir it up. He is our Tree of Life. Let’s leave that other tree behind and draw our nourishment from Him.

We who are called to be the Bride of Christ must be like Esther. She fully entrusted herself to the eunuch who prepared her and adorned her. Submitting to his wise counsel, she fully satisfied the king of kings and found grace in His eyes. The king loved her, chose her, and placed a crown upon her head (Est 2:8-9, 15, 17). Now it is our turn. We have One better than that eunuch willing to lavish His attention on us and make us ready. And we have a better King waiting to embrace us.

“For as many as are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God” (Rom 8:14). We are the ones creation eagerly waits for! While we are looking for the appearing of Jesus Christ, all of creation watches with anxious longing for the revealing of the sons of God (Rom 8:19).

The sons of God are the harvest the great Farmer has been patiently waiting for all these millennia. The soil has been tilled and the seeds have been planted. But the only way that harvest will fully ripen is by basking in the Spirit. He will be to us both water and light. Amen!

- Matt Schilling

[crossoverglobaloutreach]

OUR REDEEMER

"But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: 'Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you.'"- Isaiah 43:1-2

Our English word, redeem comes from the French rédimer, which means "to deliver," and, in turn, comes from the Latin word for "buy back." It’s to gain or regain possession of something in exchange for payment. When we redeem a coupon, we cash in on a saving. The Lord definitely cashed in on our saving – delivered us from the high price on our heads. 

Over and over in the Old Testament, God redeemed His people giving men for their lives. Wait! What’s that, you say?! I thought it was just the blood of bulls, goats, rams, etc., that begot their temporary salvation. Apparently not. The most familiar example being Egypt’s first born given to set free the children of Israel. Still not enough, the lives of Pharaoh’s men of war with chariots and horses were also required to sufficiently pay for that deliverance. Throughout Israel’s history, God sovereignly created military diversions, affected and directed other nations to save His people, yet I rarely thought of that cost being brought down to the nitty-gritty of actual lives. Here's the next two verses:

"For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place. Since you were precious in My sight, you have been honored, and I have loved you; therefore I will give men for you, and people for your life." - Isaiah 43:3-4

How humbling to hear the Lord speak of us as being precious in His sight, loved and even honored, thus other lives exchanged for our forefathers’ lives, the spiritual bloodline of our own.They, of course, represent a stark foreshadowing of the ultimate and final ransom - the Father giving His only begotten Son to suffer and die for all. For God so loved [all] the world… Such a price paid demands our all. May we all never fail to honor and glorify what a great deliverance was wrought for us in our Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ.

"You, O Lord, are our Father; our Redeemer from Everlasting is Your name." – Is 63:16b

"For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s." - 1 Cor 6:20

"And they sang a new song, saying: 'You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,'" - Rev 5:9

"After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God!” - Rev. 19:1b

- Elese

[crossoverglobaloutreach]

PARABLE OF THE VIRGINS

Jesus told a parable of ten virgins recorded in Matthew 25:1-13 (maybe pause and read it afresh).  It’s an interesting illustration. When I was younger, I thought the refusal of the wise virgins to share their extra oil seemed, at first, selfish on their part. Couldn’t they somehow give the others a hand? But then I realized, Jesus Himself told this story, so He was the one who had defined their characters. He knew who was wise or foolish and certainly wasn’t calling anyone selfish! Those five foolish virgins had ample time to properly prepare for the return of the bridegroom, and yet did not. When they were caught short in the middle of the night, the five wise virgins readily told them what to do. They had successfully done it themselves – though, doubtless, in the light of day: 1) Go to those who sell and 2) buy for yourselves.

There are certain things in life that only we can do for ourselves in the way it must be done. In this case, as commonly taught, maintaining vessels full of oil refers to the filling of the Holy Spirit. It's something we all need again and again in these last days while we look to the return of Christ. As the story reads, the foolish could neither beg from their companions, borrow, bargain, copy, nor conjure up this vital component. Under pressure with no easy fix, surely the foolish virgins were irritated and put off, but then sadly put out in the end.

Beloved, don’t be emotionally swayed by those unwilling to do business with God as it should be done. As concerned loving brethren, we can point and encourage the way which we have gone ourselves and pray that others will, too. However, if we are continually drawn out into soulish sympathy, we’ll no longer be a help, but a hindrance; actual enablers to those avoiding responsibility. Those virgins in their wisdom knew the consequence of this lest they themselves be waylaid from God’s purpose and found at a personal deficit (v. 9). In other words, distracted and drained. The wise were firm and confident in their discernment of the situation, even at the risk of being mistaken as uncaring or selfish.

There are two sides to this coin to consider: We must each diligently prepare ourselves while we can by His grace and Spirit as we await Christ’s second coming, working His works. At the same time, let’s have discernment with godly limitations; aware for those not really wanting the help they need but, in fact, an excuse to avoid what God requires of them. It’s not always clear-cut when to bear a load of another or not without the wisdom He gives liberally. Be a wise virgin! My husband would sum this up by saying, "Never save a man from bearing the cross meant to transform his life through God."

“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ…but let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For each one shall bear his own load.” – Galatians 6:2, 4-5

“How much better to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.” – Proverbs 16:16 

- Elese

[crossoverglobaloutreach]

CAST YOUR BREAD UPON THE WATERS

"Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days. Give a serving to seven, and also to eight, for you do not know what evil will be on the earth." - Eccl. 11:1, 2

Cast a wide net without exercising too much caution. Our prosperity, whether it is spiritual, natural, or financial, is not just for our own personal gain, but is meant to benefit others. In God’s economy, it can be (and should be) multiple others that reap the blessings of our individual investments. Furthermore, as the enemy may shut down one avenue, we will be able to continue without skipping a beat because of diversified fields of godly interest and opportunity in progress. In other words, all our eggs are not in one basket except the Lord's, of course! Ecclesiastes 11 continues…

 "If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth, and if a tree falls to the south or the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it shall lie. He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap. As you do not know the way of the wind, or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, so you do not know the works of God who makes everything. In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening do not withhold your hand; for you do not know which will prosper (be right, fitting, proper), either this or that, or whether both alike will be good" (vv. 3-6).

As we view our opportunities and personal ventures, there are certain inevitabilities that by common sense and wisdom we know will likely happen. But again, too much caution, a straining or waiting until “Jupiter aligns with Mars” can allow divine opportunities to be missed. Notice that word “divine.” This is where we must know the voice and leading of God. The tug and leap within our spirit can be God encouraging us to a risk of faith, to find Him within a hidden work just waiting to be revealed. Sowing “in the morning and in the evening” also speaks of our youth and old age – neither can be criteria to withhold. He desires our heart of adventure to never fail or falter.

"Blessed are you who sow beside all waters, who send out freely the feet of the ox and the donkey." - Isaiah 32:20

We are not always the ones to do the actual labor in our divine involvements. At times, we are to send others out to do the work – to put their feet to the ground. It’s not always about us. But, will we graciously send others out with the same gusto as we would go ourselves? Could our willingness to send others possibly be connected to our own release?... 

- Elese

[crossoverglobaloutreach]

Our Synergistic God

Have you heard of the theological term ‘monergism’? It’s a word built from the Greek “ergon” (work) with the prefix “mono.” It means to work alone, as in God alone works salvation, etc.

But I say God never works alone. The very first verse of the bible introduces us to God as “Elohim.” The “im” is a plural suffix like our letter ‘s.’ In fact, Elohim in Hebrew speaks of at least three. Yet, whenever the Person Elohim acts, the verbs are written in the singular tense. We don’t have as much of that in English, but I know you can easily recognize the mistake in, “three men runs to the gym.” Ironically, we say one man runs but several run. Hebrew has much more of that than English.

So, the bible opens by telling us of the “plurality” in God Who does things singularly. That is synergism, not monergism.

We Christians, of course, are more precise about God. We say He is the Trinity, Three Persons in one Godhead. This is why I say it isn’t mere semantics to say God never does anything alone. For instance, God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. Jesus insisted that all He did and said was as the Father was in Him, doing and saying.

So, long before we Christians were called to loving fellowship with each other, the Trinity was Perfect Koinonia. Long before Peter spoke as the Eleven stood behind him in unison with him, God was Perfect Koinonia. The Three worked in perfect unison long before we were sent out two-by-two. The True God is Perfect Synergism, not monergism.

Synergy, therefore, is both the most fundamental truth in existence AND the most transcendental truth. Synergy is the cornerstone of life and its capstone. We were created by the Synergistic One and we are called to the Synergistic One.

So, this isn’t a side issue. John 17 records what is virtually Jesus’ dying prayer to the Father. In it, He asks that we might be one with them – He in us and the Father in Him. He speaks there of the glory of God being seen in this. Christ Himself fully embraces this truth. That’s why, when He confronted Saul of Tarsus, He said, “I am Jesus Whom you are persecuting.” Yet, Paul was persecuting the church. But to attack the Church is to attack Christ. (Let’s remember that the next time a quarrel arises.)

But His troops will be willing in the day of His power: Just as no one can love God whom he doesn’t see if he can’t love the neighbor he does see, so we show our fitness for union with God by leaning into loving union in a fellowship of believers. Since Christ is in His Church, one vital way we can be one with Him today is by flowing with and submitting to a local body. Yes, He comes to us individually, but He comes to US, too. After all, The Singular One isn’t going to marry me or you, He will join with a many-membered bride.

Now, I am aware that merely belonging to a local body does not necessarily mean I am joined to Christ. But I am also aware that it is next to impossible to be joined to Christ apart from being in dear fellowship with a local body. That is especially true if I resist joining a local body, if I refuse to join a local body. We gauge the weather outside by the barometer on the wall. So also, we can gauge our relationship with Him by assessing our relationship with the brethren.

We are called to a high calling in Christ – loving union with the Triune God, through Christ Jesus our Lord. We are invited to join and flow with our Synergistic God. So. let’s look to the Spirit of Christ to help us flow with Christ now, with Him as Lord of each individual life, and with Him in His many-membered body to which we are joined.

- Matt Schilling