Unified

This past weekend I had the privilege of speaking at a women’s retreat in Canby Oregon. Friday night we started into worship and a sense of heaviness was present. The worship leader took authority and started calling on the sisters of Christ to worship in unity. They all joined hands and started praying for one another. There was a combined decision in that moment that everyone had to choose to get through the awkwardness of a women gathering and be the sisters in the body of Christ that we were made to be. The choice to let our own insecurities, self-doubt, judgments, and jealousy’s lay down at the feet of Jesus in an exchange for unity, love, joy, and sisterhood. 

Why can there be awkwardness and tension when Christian women get together? The only answer I have is that our adversary, the devil understands the power of women joining together with one purpose and one desire; to lift up the Holy name of Jesus and spread His love. This is why he makes one feel insecure, unloved, left out, judged and out of place with others. It’s the only thing I can think of because when we choose to stand together in love and sisterhood and say no to his silly schemes, everything changes.  

2 Corinthians 6:18 says, I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty. This means that if God is our Father, then we have many brothers and sisters on this earth, 2.382 billion to be exact, according to google. That’s a lot of family and that’s a lot of love. 

After our Saturday night session, I was so overwhelmed by the mighty power of Jesus, I sat on my little bed and wrote this. I wrote these words to remember what happens when we choose to unify the body of Christ and center all out attention on His (God’s) glorious face.

I just got back to my room. My hands are dripping with Frankincense and myrrh after anointing 41 women’s heads with oil. Grateful is an understatement for the opportunity to see women encounter God in ways no man can make up on their own. When someone has a touch from Heaven, no matter how hard they might fight it, God comes and wrecks them (in a good way). I hugged 41 strangers today, well they may be strangers, but to me, they were sisters of mine through Christ. All one body that have all been washed by the same blood of the lamb. After I prayed for a sister, another beautiful face came forward, and each and every time I looked at them I heard the Lord say, “isn’t she precious.” Oh, what an overwhelming feeling of love that the Father has for His precious daughters. I saw women who have been holding on to past hurts for years and years, freed from the bondage of unforgiveness, shame and pain. I saw women weep over their sins, weep over the lost, weep over the overwhelming mighty presence of God and just basking in his goodness. Women didn’t care if they were laying on the floor, sitting in their chairs, kneeling, dancing, whatever! It didn’t matter because of the decision to worship unified unto the Lord.

“God, I feel stretched and unqualified in every way, but I feel more alive now then the day I arrived. The freedom and peace that I feel tonight is only the presence of You, the Most High God. Your faithfulness is steadfast, and Your heart is for your sons and daughters. Here I sit on my little bed, in this new special place, and my faith is strengthened. Thank you, Jesus. All honor and glory be unto Your Name!”

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Philippians 2:1-4