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What is the Spirit of Power and Might and How Can I Get it to Overcome Fear and Discouragement?

“Don’t spend those three dollars; keep it for the babysitter tonight,” Jim told me.

“Okay.” A friend was taking me to a women’s meeting the next morning and driving, so I didn’t need gasoline; I thought, no problem.

It was October 12, 1978, and our last payroll check had been spent. The last of our savings was gone, too. I totaled the bills: $252.00! We had expected to have another job by now, but we didn’t. We prayed over the bills and gave them to the Lord.

The longer I looked at the bills, the more frightened I became. Confused and desperate, I decided to take a shower. I didn’t know it would be with my own tears. Fear as I had never known enveloped me.

I thought about the words of Jesus after he said not to worry about what we shall eat or drink or wear, “Seek first his Kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matt. 6:33). But Really? How can this possibly be true for a time like this?

After my shower, I put away the bills, got out my Bible, sat down, and turned to Ephesians 6. It read, “Wherefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”

I said, “Lord, we have presented ourselves to you, no strings attached, and nothing has happened yet as we had expected. We’ve done all we know to do in order to obey you, and we will stand.” Immediately, peace flooded my soul.

I thought, this must be the peace that passes all understanding that the Bible talks about, (see Phil. 4:7). I began to see that Jesus and His Word truly are one and the same and that His Word is powerful. His living Word dispelled all fear and discouragement!

This was just the beginning of when I learned what it meant to overcome in God’s power and might, rather than my own. I will share the rest of the story soon but know that by the time you finish reading this article, you will know that God’s purposes will ONLY be accomplished by the Spirit of Power and Might in our lives and on this earth. In fact, no good thing will stand without it, for without HIM, we can do NOTHING! (John 15:5).

The Spirit of Power and Might: What is His Name?

As a reminder, Isaiah’s seven-spirit prophecy says a BRANCH will grow (Jesus Christ), and “the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and MIGHT the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord” (Isaiah 11:2 NKJV).

“For Your Maker is your husband, the Lord of hosts is His name; the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth He is called” (Isaiah 54:5 Amplified).

The Lord of hosts’ Hebrew name is Jehovah-Sabaoth. It has a dual meaning – that of our Bridegroom who is coming for His Bride, the Church worldwide, very soon, and as Supreme Commander of the Universe.

Host means, tsâbâ’, “The basic meaning is service done for a superior, usually military service . . . . Although the title of tsâbâ’ has military overtones, it points directly to Jehovah’s rulership over the entire universe. He stands ready to intervene for His people at any moment.”5 The Lord of hosts took David from among the sheep to rule over His people Israel (see 2 Sam. 7: 8).

He did this by working through David who killed the giant Goliath saying, “You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted” (1 Sam. 17:45 NASB); thus, the Lord of hosts intervened for Israel in defeating the Philistines through one willing vessel—David.

What is The Meaning of ‘Might’?

The Hebrew word for might is chayil, meaning strength, POWER, force, might–especially an army; valor, substance, wealth. It basically means force, especially military strength. This definition defines Jehovah-Sabaoth who is more powerful than any force on earth. He is assembling His military army bride today.

The Hebrew word tsâbâ’ (Sabaoth) for ‘host’ is derived from a verbal root which means to amass (an army or servants), to assemble, to muster (soldiers, 11 Kings 25:19; Jer. 52:25), to collect, to fight, to perform, to go forth to war, to wage war (Num. 31:7: Isa. 29:7, 8; 31:4. Zech. 14:12) to do military service.9

Psalm 110:3 speaks of people who will volunteer freely in the day of His power—as in military service of the Lord. Are we not seeing this today among ordinary people?

The Power of God Is Shown Best Through Vessels of Clay

The greatest displays of God’s power are not necessarily episodes of military force, mighty acts, or creative splendor. Rather, the supremacy of God’s power is seen in the way He accomplishes His purposes through mere vessels of clay made mighty because He has infused them with His power by His Spirit. They are His Bride.

The book of Zechariah gives an overall picture of the might and power of God at work in Earth and in our lives. Except for the book of Ezekiel, Zechariah prophesies the most details of the coming of Messiah/Jesus four hundred years before He is born.

The prophet Zechariah calls the Israelis to repent after 50,000 of them returned to Jerusalem which was destroyed by Babylon. After 70 years of captivity, under an edict of Cyrus with the leadership of Zerubbabel, they quickly rebuilt the altar and began repair on the temple.

We soon learn that the temple would not be finished through muscular power or physical stamina of the workmen; rather, it would be accomplished by the empowering of the Spirit of God.

It’s NOT by Might, nor by POWER, but only by God’s Spirit Anything Is Accomplished

Before long, apathy set in as they were opposed by Samaritans who got an order from the Persian government to halt construction. For twelve long years construction was halted by discouragement and preoccupation with other pursuits.

Zechariah urged the people to return to the Lord and His purpose to restore the ruined temple. The Spirit of the Lord gave him visions that encouraged the people.

One vision was to encourage Zerubbabel who was about to succumb to discouragement. From the Message Bible you will recognize this from Revelation 4:5 and the “seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God”––the menorah, as described in my previous article:The 7 Spirits of God Key to Supernatural Life of a Christian.

Menorah 7 Lamps of fire
The 7 Spirits of God – Menorah

A Lampstand and Two Olive Trees: The Spirit of Power and Might

The Messenger-Angel again called me to attention. It was like being wakened out of deep sleep.

The Lampstand

He said, “What do you see?”

I answered, “I see a lampstand of solid gold with a bowl on top. Seven lamps, each with seven spouts, are set on the bowl. And there are two olive trees, one on either side of the bowl.”

Then I asked the Messenger-Angel, “What does this mean, sir?”

The Messenger-Angel said, “Can’t you tell?”

“No, sir,” I said.

Then he said, “This is God’s Message to Zerubbabel: ‘You can’t force these things. They only come about through my Spirit,’ says God-of-the-Angel-Armies. ‘So, big mountain, who do you think you are? Next to Zerubbabel you’re nothing but a molehill. He’ll proceed to set the Cornerstone in place, accompanied by cheers: Yes! Yes! Do it!’”

After that, the Word of God came to me: “Zerubbabel started rebuilding this Temple and he will complete it. That will be your confirmation that God-of-the-Angel-Armies sent me to you. Does anyone dare despise this day of small beginnings? They’ll change their tune when they see Zerubbabel setting the last stone in place!”

Going back to the vision, the Messenger-Angel said, “The seven lamps are the eyes of God probing the dark corners of the world like searchlights.”

The Two Olive Trees

“And the two olive trees on either side of the lampstand?” I asked. “What’s the meaning of them? And while you’re at it, the two branches of the olive trees that feed oil to the lamps—what do they mean?”

He said, “You haven’t figured that out?”

I said, “No, sir.”

He said, “These are the two who stand beside the Master of the whole earth and supply golden lamp oil worldwide.” – Zechariah, chapter 4

This passage says, ‘You can’t force these things. They only come about through my Spirit,’ says God-of-the-Angel-Armies.

The New King James Version says, it’s ‘Not by Might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.

Discouragement can always be answered with God’s ability to grace and empower the human soul. His might is seen by what He does through the weak, the insignificant, the powerless – a Babe born in Bethlehem, a timid fearful Gideon, a melancholy Jeremiah, a band of twelve ordinary men, and a remnant Church of weary warriors.

As long as the heart is turned toward Him in childlike trust, He will enable anyone to complete the work to which He has called them. And so, they completed repairing the temple.

What is the Spirit of Power and Might and How Can I Get it to Overcome Fear and Discouragement

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Zechariah Had Two Visions That Show God’s Supreme Power on Earth

The following two short visions from Zechariah, chapter 5, I believe, are being fulfilled as well as other end-time prophesies from his book.

The Flying Book shows God’s power and judgment over evil. The size of the book denounces the sins of perjury and of thieves. God is reaping and dividing the tares from the wheat––which is written to only be done at the end-time harvest (Matthew 13:30).

The Flying Book

I looked up again and saw—surprise!—a book on the wing! A book flying!

The Messenger-Angel said to me, “What do you see now?”

I said, “I see a book flying, a huge book—thirty feet long and fifteen wide!”

He told me, “This book is the verdict going out worldwide against thieves and liars. The first half of the book disposes of everyone who steals; the second half takes care of everyone who lies. I launched it”—Decree of God-of-the-Angel-Armies—“and so it will fly into the house of every thief and every liar. It will land in each house and tear it down, timbers and stones.”

A Woman in a Basket

This vision shows forth God’s ultimate power over sin and wickedness in the earth:

The Messenger-Angel appeared and said, “Look up. Tell me what you see.”

I said, “What in the world is that?”

He said, “This is a bushel basket on a journey. It holds the sin of everyone, everywhere.”

Then the lid made of lead was removed from the basket—and there was a woman sitting in it!

He said, “This is Miss Wickedness.” He pushed her back down into the basket and clamped the lead lid over her.

Then I looked up and to my surprise saw two women flying. On outstretched wings they airlifted the bushel basket into the sky.

I said to the Messenger-Angel, “Where are they taking the bushel basket?”

He said, “East to the land of Shinar. They will build a garage to house it. When it’s finished, the basket will be stored there.”

As it says in “Psalm 103:12: “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.”

We know Jesus Christ died once for ALL mankind. He paid the price for ALL sin and overturned the state of the sin nature in man which came upon him through the sin of Adam and Eve.

But ONLY those who receive what Jesus did for him/her personally will receive eternal life and be saved from eternal death and punishment in hell. We will be held accountable for sin and the choice we make, and if we choose against the blood Jesus shed for us, we will pay the price in our body that He paid for us in His body on the cross.

What is the POWER God gives us and how can we get it?

I continually see people striving to achieve eternal life in their own power. They are believing doctrines of demons telling them lies that they can reach a higher state of consciousness looking within for their own strength––that they can be God.

Without realizing it, I was there, too, until one day God spoke in my ear the words, no good in me. I wondered if these words were in the Bible. I found them in Romans 7:18, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells, for to will is present with me; but how to perform what is good I do not find.”

Immediately, I realized I was trying to be good in my own strength, and that I could never attain God’s‘good’ Spirit of Power and Might in my life. He gave me a vision that when He looked at me, He saw Jesus’ red blood He shed for me. He saw Jesus’ perfection––His goodness only.

It would not be long until Acts 1:8 caught my attention: “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

When we receive the Spirit of Almighty God, we are receiving the same dynamos power that raised Jesus from the dead. He comes to live inside us, for “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Cor. 3:16).

What is the Spirit of Power and Might and How Can I Get it to Overcome Fear and Discouragement?

My journey in how to receive this power from God is documented in detail in my booklet I give away on this site, Eyes Wide Open. Life has been a powerful and exciting journey ever since. I know it will help you.

The Bible records 695 times in the New Testament where Jesus talks about His power and the giving of it to his disciples; there are 655 occurrences in the Old Testament.

My favorite in the O.T. is Psalm 62:11, “God has spoken once, twice I have heard this: That Power belongs to God!”

My favorite in the N.T. is Jesus speaking in Luke 10:19, “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”

What Should I Do with God’s Power and Might and HOW?

The first step in knowing what to do with the power God gives us is to know what He has NOT given us. He has NOT given us the spirit of fear which is from Satan.

I challenge you to memorize from the Amplified version, 2 Timothy 1:7: “For God did NOT give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power, and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.”

When you are faced with a fear of any kind: a need of healing, health in midst of plagues (remember Psalm 91), marriage problems, parenting problems, whatever, speak aloud God’s Word over it and yourself and you will find peace that passes understanding.

Be obedient to what God reveals to you. You will experience God’s power over the situation. He is the One who makes you an over comer! Click here for Scripture printable pdf: Quick Start Guide to Supernatural Answers to Your Concerns

When You Don’t Know How to Pray for the Spirit of Power and Might for Peace

When you don’t know how to pray, confess the Zechariah 4:6 Rock:

“Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts” – “being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).

My problem just so happened to be money in 1978. Money has not been a problem since that whole year without steady employment and every need met:

The ending of my beginning story:

The next morning my friend came to pick me up. The meeting was like nothing I had ever attended. The speaker spoke about victory in all our trials and that we will have many Jordan Rivers to cross in our lifetime.

At the conclusion, the attendees were asked to give an offering. Small envelopes were on the table for that gift. I thought about the three dollars in my purse and what Jim had said. Then, my thoughts wandered to the widow Jesus observed giving into the temple treasury. “Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny” (Mark 12:41-42).

Jesus told his disciples that she had put in more than all the others. “They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on” (Mark 12:43).

I wondered, what happened to that poor widow who gave all she had? The Bible doesn’t say. So, without hesitating, I pulled out the three dollars and stuffed it in the envelope. After the meeting, I saw a hand, out of the corner of my eye, put something in my outside purse pocket.

Retreating to the car, heart beating wildly, I opened the envelope. There was $11.00—a ten- dollar bill plus one dollar for the tithe! I was overcome with the feeling I was in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene, who says that whoever believes in Him, streams of living water will flow from within him—a never-ending stream of joy (see John 7:38). I asked my friend if she had put that envelope in my purse. She had not.

Jim gave $5.00 to our Bible study leaders (to God) that night, leaving $5.00 for the babysitter and one dollar for us. After the meeting, our leader said, “It’s time we give our tithe to the Lord from the proceeds of these meetings. We do that by giving away one night’s offering.” Then he said it would go to us. We had not told him about our situation, but he said he would call us later with the amount. It was $254.00—two dollars over our immediate needs we had written down and taken to the Lord, and one dollar was the tithe returned to us. I thought, in determining our needs, why hadn’t we added in the tithe?*

My soul, wait ONLY upon God and silently submit to Him; for my hope and expectation are from Him. He ONLY is my ROCK and my SALVATION; He is my DEFENSE and my FORTRESS. I shall not be moved! Psalm 62:5-6 NKJV

To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. Revelation 3:21 NKJV

*The above story is an excerpt from the workbook God gave me in 2008. Forty other people’s stories, besides my family’s, help the reader understand who they are by knowing who God is . . . and what faith is and how to implement it to receive all God has for them. Since then, I’ve taught it in small groups and one on one to help new and nominal believers understand what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ and be ready for His return. I’ve seen no better workbook to accomplish this goal. You can check it out here: GOD Who Are You? AND Who Am I? Knowing and Experiencing God by His Hebrew Names.

What is the Spirit of Power and Might and How Can I Get it to Overcome Fear and Discouragement

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Unless otherwise indicated, Bible quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society, Used by permission of Zondervan

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Are Your Children Covered? Protect Them Supernaturally!

Do you feel certain, without a doubt, that your children are protected  from Satan’s evil tactics when they are away from home or even in your own house? There is only one foolproof way, and it is an intentional, proactive act with the blood of Jesus Christ with the prayer of faith–and it always brings a supernatural result as you will read here.

Satan is going after your children in all-out war! Are you prepared?

Satan is after your child and your grandchildren. If you haven’t yet heard, a new well-organized curriculum is in 50 of 60 public schools across Canada. It’s called SOGI (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identification). It celebrates alternative  lifestyles and that “gender is fluid. In other words, your gender is not dependent on what parts you were born with but rather what you feel like in the moment” (“Mommy, I Don’t Want to Be a Boy!” Christian Broadcasting Network News App, World, January 10, 2018).

Do you feel certain, without a doubt, that your children are protected from Satan’s evil tactics when they are away from home or even in your own house? There is only one foolproof way: Click to Tweet

SOGI starts in kindergarten. A five-year-old little girl came home, and said, “Mommy, I don’t want to be a boy!” When she played with so-called masculine toys, the teacher told her that she might be a boy inside. When her mother complained, she was called names because she was ‘behaving badly.’

Children’s rights are above parents’ rights. Eighty-five percent of teachers are compliant and pushing this agenda. If you think it can’t happen in America, think again; it is. It’s spreading, and who is hindering it?

In addition, sex trafficking is not a new thing, but are you aware just how easy it is for it to happen to your child or grandchild? A new book, Almost Gone, by John, Stephanie, and Mackenzie Baldwin shares how seventeen-year old Mackenzie surfed a social media site with a tagline, Talk to Strangers! and was seduced by a man in Kosovo. The site randomly connects people from around the world.  It gives them the opportunity to chat one-on-one using text or video.

Over fourteen months, she withdrew from friends and family,  and dressed more conservatively. She converted to Islam from a Christian family background, and made plans to fly to Kosovo to marry this Muslim man.

Mackenzie’s  parents had twenty-five days and one chance to save  her. It took  them  getting involved with the help of one of her friends and the FBI before she woke up and cut this relationship off. Families are reading together this Almost Gone book that reads like a mystery novel.

We don’t have to see our children get to the point of flying to Kosovo or being in a classroom with a teacher pushing an evil agenda we don’t agree with. There really is hope. There really is a God who wants to fight these battles for us, and will do so if we allow Him to.

But, it takes effort and time on our part with understanding of who God is to see it happen. The Bible says “my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children” (Hosea 4:6).

Purple trees wit text overlay: DO JOSHUA JERICHO PRAYERWALKpart 2

Allow me to share what happened supernaturally when we prayed the Hebrew names of God over our church, children and families one week, and the spiritual wisdom behind it. First, the spiritual wisdom:

When we pray the Hebrew names of God over our children, we are invoking the whole power of the God Head – the Trinity:  God the Father, the blood of Jesus Christ the Son, and Holy Spirit to work in their lives and to protect them.

Yahweh/Jehovah/LORD [Our Father] Builds a Fire Wall Around Our Children

A man named John prayed as he walked around his property. When a fire threatened to burn his house, the fire stopped at the line of his prayer path. He had created a controlled burn area with the presence of the Yahweh in his life, and the natural fire could go no further.

There are 417 places in the Old Testament of the Bible where Jehovah and fire are mentioned in the same sentence. We see Jehovah/Yahweh, as LORD in our English Bible. Our God, as a consuming fire (Deuteronomy 4:24), created a fire wall, just as a computer needs a fire wall to be protected.

Yeshua/Jesus Creates a Blood Line Around Our Children

John was also creating a blood line around his property. This signifies the blood Jesus shed for us to give us Life. The children of Israel were commanded to take the blood of a firstborn lamb and swipe it over the sides and tops of the door frames of their houses the night before Moses led them out of Egypt.

The LORD said, “The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.” That night all the firstborn sons of the Egyptians were slain, but the Israelites’ sons were untouched, and Pharaoh, after this last plague, allowed them to leave Egypt for the Promised Land.

This was the first Passover that pointed to the Lamb Jesus, the Father’s firstborn Son, who would bring salvation to the whole world through His shed blood that paid the price for sin.

The Holy Spirit Cleanses/Protects Our Children

The Old Testament of the Bible gives details of how the priests pronounced a diseased person clean after he was well. In this ceremonial cleansing, the priest used a scarlet yarn, blood and oil. Everything in the Old Testament points to Jesus Christ. The red yarn was symbolic of the trail of blood throughout history of the Jewish people who shed blood of firstborn animals, “for without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin” (Hebrews 9:22).

Rather than using blood for cleansing today, post resurrection of Jesus, we use oil. The Bible instructs us when praying for the sick to anoint him with oil, and with the prayer of faith he will be made well (see James 5:14-15).

We can anoint anything with oil with a prayer of faith, just like the children of Israel used blood over their houses and like the priests sprinkled blood against the altar at the entrance of the tent of meeting (see Leviticus 17:6). Oil is symbolic of the Holy Spirit in the Bible.

How We Prayed Over Our Children, Families and Church Property

If the church shooting that killed twenty-six people from infants to the elderly in Sutherland Springs, Texas in 2017, did not wake up you or your church, nothing will. On January 7, 2018, we utilized a  JOSHUA-JERICHO PRAYER-WALKING GUIDEto pray during one week.

Each day, beginning on Monday and ending on Saturday, we prayed each day two of twelve Hebrew names of God over our families and church while at home. We also anointed the entrances to our houses.

On Sunday the 14th, we prayed all twelve Hebrew names of God as we walked around the church, and the pastor anointed the entrance of the ‘tent of meeting’ and other doors as we, the kingdom of priests, watched and walked by. A couple people sounded the shofar, and we shouted in praise to the LORD.

Something Happened on the 3rd Day of Our 7-Day Prayer Walk

During the week, Wednesday morning, I meditated on Joshua 5. This was 40 years after the children of Israel left Egypt and they had just observed the Passover as they did that night before leaving. It was the 14th day of their New Year, just as they had done every year on the 14th day of each new year. Knowing Sunday would be the 14th day, confirmed to me that the LORD was in our midst and truly guiding us.

This is the chapter after Joshua and the children of Israel already crossed Jordan River to enter the Promised Land and before they marched around Jericho seven times, armed and ready for battle. They witnessed the LORD bring down the wall, so they could go in and take the city. On the evening of the 14th day, Joshua saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?”

“Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.” It’s like the LORD was saying, “I will take it from here. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. . . . You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions, stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you” (2 Chronicles 20:15, 17).

The Commander of the Army of the LORD of hosts Showed Up

Yellow lillies with Text: Because we are Jehovah Sabaoth Lord hosts : we are one mature military bride

As I tried to picture the commander of the army of the LORD, I knew His Hebrew name was Jehovah- Sabaoth, the Lord of hosts, Supreme Commander of the universe and our Bridegroom. This Hebrew character name of God has a dual meaning: a hard side and a soft side. The commander of army of the LORD in the book of Joshua was the Angel of the LORD Jesus Christ who is our soon coming King and Bridegroom of His mature, military Bride.

Before I knew anything was happening, my head lifted from my Bible as I saw a huge flash of white and gold shoot up into the air above our church property. I saw Jesus’ sword cut into the ground at the property line a few yards, then it was like: swoosh all the way around, and He was gone. The impression I heard was, “I’ll take care of that blood line and fire wall for you. Thank you for believing.”

We had not yet prayed day five that called upon the name of Jehovah-Sabaoth, but all these Hebrew character names are the same and ONE and ONLY true GOD of the universe: the Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. What an amazing God we serve!

What Can You Do Right Now?

  1. GET the CBN NEWS App to know what truthfully is happening here and around the world.

2. ORDER  HERE > the Almost Gone book and read this riveting book as a family. Talk about these things with your children so they will be comfortable asking you questions. Talk with them. When our children were teenagers they said, “Parents don’t talk with their children. They feel all alone.” Please don’t let that parent be you.

3. PRINT OUT HERE > JOSHUA-JERICHO PRAYER-WALKING GUIDE and pray them over your children at home – all at once or over one week. Repeat periodically. Call upon God’s Hebrew names. He likes His name just as you do, and He responds. Don’t worry about not saying it correctly. As a parent loves to hear his child attempt to say ‘dada’ or ‘mama,’ so does our heavenly Father.

4. ANOINT your house and children’s room entrances with oil and a prayer of faith simply as, “I apply the blood of Jesus Christ over ______, so they are covered and protected in spirit, soul and body with the blood of Jesus  as they come and go.” Above all, ask God to guide you and He will.

5. PRAY about getting your friends and church to do the same.

6. SIGN UP > & LEARN MORE HERE about my FREE eCourse of the book GOD Who Are You? AND Who Am I? Knowing and Experiencing God by His Hebrew Names. It’s in devotional format in fifteen-minutes per day. Understanding the Hebrew names of God, who He is, makes all the difference in the world.

Free Booklet, Because God Is . . . I Am, with sign up of Free eCourse

I will not toil in vain or bear children doomed to misfortune; for they shall be a people blessed by the LORD, they and their descendants with them. Isaiah 65:23

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Purple trees wit text overlay: DO JOSHUA JERICHO PRAYERWALKpart 2

M10F Lord of hosts is Assembling His Military Bride

The military Bride is a great host performing in partnership with Jesus Christ here on earth, as well as when we get to heaven

God’s character name of Jehovah-Sabaoth [The Lord of hosts] demonstrates that His love has a soft side and a hard side—He woos and romances His Military Bride as opposed to being Supreme Commander of the universe.

In the book, Two Sides of Love, John Trent and Gary Smalley express the importance of understanding and creating a healthy balance between love’s hard and soft sides in our relationships. This chapter examines the more hard side of our companionship with the Lord of hosts—the military, yet loving, side of this amazing partnership and what it takes to arrive at the “performing stage” of maturity.

The Lord of hosts is assembling His military Bride

The Hebrew word tsâbâ’ (Sabaoth) for ‘host’ is derived from a verbal root which means to amass (an army or servants), to assemble, to muster (soldiers, 11 Kings 25:19; Jer. 52:25), to collect, to fight, to perform, to go forth to war, to wage war (Num. 31:7: Isa. 29:7, 8; 31:4. Zech. 14:12) to do military service.[1] The Supreme Commander has one military bride of many individuals divided by denominational walls. Until now, she has only been practicing her role in small denominational groups, but she will soon be giving the performance of her lifetime.

We will look at the big picture of how unity can be attained in order to get to this performing stage, what the military bride looks like at performing stage and how the walls between groups can come down—where they had not already done so.

What Does this Military Bride Look Like?

Lord of Hosts - what does the military bride look like? Forming, Norming, Storming and Performing Stages

 

The Bride is One Team Performing in Unity

One day, the Lord of hosts showed me what the military bride looked like when the walls come down. It happened on a clear, beautiful fall day in October, 1994. I had just finished taking a teamwork class taught by my husband Jim. He used the analogy of geese in flight to teach teamwork dynamics. I also learned that eagles are solitary, self-sufficient and strong, but that scientists discovered that geese have a 71% greater flying range than eagles. Why is this?

  • To fly from north to south and back again, geese need each other. Each goose depends upon the upward gust of air from the bird ahead to give his wings a push. The wings of the goose behind grab the air that causes another upward lift for the next bird behind.
  • The head goose will fall behind and take his place at the rear, while the next in line will apply his strength to take the lead.
  • Their “V” formation facilitates communication and allows the birds to maintain visual contact with each other while energy efficiency is doubled.
  • The honking of the geese encourages the lead goose that they are right behind him.
  • When one goose falls ill and out of line, two others stop their forward progress to stay with him until he is well again. PLUS, geese mate for life!

military bride geese

I was driving home to Arkansas City, Kansas, in my van filled with books from a day of servicing racks in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Halfway between Pawhuska and Ponca City, in the beautiful, rolling flint hills, suddenly, just outside my left driver’s window, I saw one lone V of about five geese flying a couple feet from me. I immediately pulled to the side of the road so I could watch. I hoped to see the head goose fall to the rear while another took his lead. My heart was pounding hard—another reason I knew it was the Holy Spirit getting my attention.

By the time I had stopped, the one group had crossed over to the right and met up with a large flock of geese in mid-air. None were in formation and going nowhere because they were flying in all directions. The outward perimeter of the hundred or so geese resembled the shape of a large coffee can in the sky. As they were joining together they bumped into each other, each squawking in loud protest. I repeated out loud what was happening so I could hear my own voice and hopefully remember what I saw.

Finally, it was as though each goose figured out which direction the other was going and one by one it started flying in the same direction. As long as the geese were struggling to fly in different directions and bumping into each other, the complete cylindrical group was at a standstill. Slowly, very slowly, one long continuous skein of geese began to form as one goose after another spiraled straight into the atmosphere—following a goose who took off as leader.

Just when I thought the geese would leave my range of vision, they leveled out, group after group falling into ranks—in one huge “V” with several, perfectly arranged, smaller v’s within—of about seven in each. It was the most amazing and beautiful sight I had ever seen!

I thought, they should be able to go a long way like this. But, so very soon they fell out of rank. From the opposite direction, a new flock of geese flew into view. I could not hear them, but I could see them squawking and honking at each other, just as though they knew each other.

Suddenly, both groups turned in unison and flew directly into the sun. At that moment, cars stopped to see what I was looking at, but unfortunately, the other drivers had missed it, and there was no way I could tell them what had just happened.

Blinded by the sun and filled with an incredible joy, I jumped into my van and took off. My thoughts went immediately to the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25. When the bridegroom arrived at midnight it was too late for the five foolish ones to buy oil for their lamps. Like the ones driving by, they had missed the opportunity of their lifetimes to go to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. It was then I knew what Jesus meant when He said, “Behold, I come quickly” (Rev. 3:11; appears six times in KJV Revelation).

Later, I discovered the verse that says, “But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief” (1 Thess. 5:4). Jesus tells us that two men will be in the field; one taken and the other left; two women will be grinding; one taken the other left. (see Matt. 24:40-41).

I knew I had just witnessed the Rapture where we will meet our loved ones, who have already died, in the air and then we will all turn to see Jesus face to face in the air:

We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him [the second group of geese]. According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive, and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.—1 Thessalonians 4:14-18 (emphasis mine)

military bride at rapture

The Military Bride  Must Move Forward in the Four Stages of Teamwork

While witnessing this phenomenon, I was thinking about the four stages of teamwork that I had just learned in that class and how they relate to the Church and denominations. The purpose of the geese was to find a way all individual birds could rise high enough in the air to gain altitude needed to fly to their next landing place. For that to happen, they had to find unity by learning how to work together as one whole. The walls between them had to come down.

The stages of team dynamics can help us understand how this can happen if we have unity as our goal. Members have to learn how to work out personal differences, find strengths on which to build, balance commitments to the goal against demands of everyday jobs, and learn how to improve processes. In contrast, a team that fails to build relationships among its members will waste time on struggles for control and endless discussions that lead nowhere.

As a team matures, it will go through fairly predictable stages. As the Church sees herself as the Bride of Christ, and that Christ can only do His work through a mature bride, she will be willing to persevere through these four stages to her military hard side–through forming, storming, norming and performing.

Stage 1: Forming stage of the military Bride

This is the stage of transitioning from individual to group status, and of testing the leader’s guidance both formally and informally.

Forming includes feelings of excitement, anticipation, optimism, and pride in being chosen for the team; initial, tentative attachment to the team, suspicion, fear, and anxiety about the job ahead. The analogy of an orchestra helps to picture these stages. In this forming stage, there is great excitement in being chosen for the “performance.”

So much is going on to distract members’ attention in the beginning, the group accomplishes little. Most discussions or practices lead nowhere. It is difficult to identify relevant problems. This is normal, The most successful team spends more time in this stage which allows them to get to know each other better.

Stage 2: Storming  stage of the military Bride

This is the most difficult stage. The task seems more different and difficult than imagined; persons become testy, blameful and overzealous. Members argue about just what actions to take, and they become impatient about the lack of progress. They are inexperienced and try to rely solely on their own personal experience, resisting any need to rely on other member’s wisdom and/or experience.

The feelings of those in the storming stage include resistance to the task because it is different from approaches used in the past. Fluctuations arise in attitude about the group’s chances of success. They may argue even when they agree on the main issue, become defensive and compete, choose sides, have unrealistic expectations with disunity, tension and jealousy.

All the above leaves little energy for progression, but individuals are beginning to understand each other, just as the geese gained an understanding of each other and started flying in the same direction.

Our leader as the Lord of hosts, our Supreme Commander, can also be seen as the head conductor of an orchestra. This is a stage of starts and stops, that He initiates, as we practice for our big performance—a most frustrating experience. Just as it seems the music will flow uninterrupted, it happens again. Over and over, the same piece of music is practiced very slowly in order to get it just right. Practice is all a necessary part of the end product— the big picture.

Military bride of geese going no where
Military bride going no where. Storming and Norming stages.

Stage 3: Norming

Finally, team members come to accept each other’s individuality and their roles in the team. They are learning to work together. Emotional conflict reduces to a cooperative approach. In other words, the team realizes they just might make it.

A new ability arises when each person sees where their contribution fits. There is a relief that everything is going to work out. Attempts are made to avoid conflict. There is a sharing of personal problems and trust is strengthened. All have a common spirit and goal.

Team members are working out their differences and finally there is more time and energy to make significant progress. The task at hand becomes worth the time and effort it will take to be successful.

Members of an orchestra meet in small group settings according to instrument, or gifting, and help each other with the hard parts. Finally, when all members come together they make the most amazing music.

Stage 4: Performing stage of the military Bride

The Lord of hosts showed me what the military bride looked like when the walls come down. It happened on a clear, beautiful fall day in October, 1994. Click through to the video so I can tell you in personIn order to perform, the mature team has developed relationships and expectations of each other. They have discovered each others strengths and weaknesses, have accepted them and learned what their role is—where their seat is in the grand orchestra and who their neighbor is. They are playing in concert and giving a grand performance.

The team elicits these behaviors: constructive self-change, the ability to prevent or work through group problems and a close love and attachment to each other. The group is now one cohesive unit. One can tell when this stage is reached because a lot of work is accomplished. Progress is made. People want to be a part of this group and volunteer to fill the empty chairs.

UPDATE: With the November election of 2020, I believe the body of Christ entered the Performing Stage of Teamwork.

To view or read my Divine Encounter 2 of 2  from 1995 click here.

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[1] Zodiates, Key Word Study Bible, p. 1767.

Lord of Hosts is assembling His Military Bride! CLICK though for VIDEO Divine Encounter #1 or 2