Our online gathering began with reading Ps 133 and an affirmation of our oneness in Christ. There was a tangible sense of the presence of God as we gathered, even though we were not physically together.
The following is a summary of key points that became a focus during the gathering as a result of our listening to God:
- Ps 24.3-4 – “Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart…” These verses were given with the word ‘priorities’ and the question: how do our priorities line up with God’s?
- Children are a priority for God. Satan wants to destroy children. Abortion is an example of this in our culture.
- Many of us do not fully ‘ascend’ the hill of the Lord because we carry remnants of guilt and shame from our past, despite having received forgiveness. Satan gains power in our lives through condemnation, however small. Rom 8.1: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” This verse needs to be fully embraced and worked through in our lives. God transforms our sin into blessing.
- God IS mercy. We may have received forgiveness, but have we received His mercy? (see Matt 18.21-35). When we retain remnants of condemnation we are acting as judges, giving us a false sense of power. God gives true power through His mercy. It’s only when we fully embrace His heart of mercy that we become ‘new creations’ living in the fullness of life Jesus promised.
- Satan works through lies. Many have chosen to abort a child because they believe the lie that they have no alternative – there’s no other way. How many ministries, opportunities or calls of God have been aborted for the same reason? Do we carry remnants such as these in our lives? Jn 10.10: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
- Word given: “Cling to Me like limpets to a rock. Let there be no separation between you and Me. My priority is always love – your love for Me and My unbounded love for you. Believe it, know it, feel it, see it in practice in your everyday circumstances.”
- God has been showing us a ‘pattern’ of what it means to ‘ASCEND’ – it is a pattern for the whole Church. He wants a Church without spot or blemish and chooses to bring this about through disciples of Jesus – children who love Him. As long as we believe satan’s lies we fail to recognise the power we have been given through the gift of God’s Spirit.
- Word given: “You can trample down strongholds and all the power of the enemy, which is a limited power. It’s power to build, to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem – the broken parts of the Church, of those who have fallen away or turned against their Christian heritage; to bring back the lost and welcome the stray.”
- Our new identity in Christ includes every part of our being, physical as well as spiritual. When we experience physical symptoms, eg.tiredness, we should recognise this as a sign of conflict within ourselves, between our natural and our new identity. We can call every part of ourselves into alignment with this new identity in Christ. Similarly, as we embrace our identity as members of the Body of Christ, we can call the whole Body into alignment with its true identity as Christ’s Body. We pray WITH the Spirit for this to be accomplished.
We spent some time praying for freedom and alignment for ourselves as individuals – renouncing all remnants of condemnation – and for the Church of Christ, according to the way the Lord spoke to us. As we prayed we were given the following verses: “The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me” (Ps 138.8);“Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” (Eph 5.14); “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.” (Is 60.1).
