Being the Head

The thoughts of the righteous are right.

Proverbs 12:5

The correspondence between children of God who know and love the truth can be very instructive.  Here is some correspondence between Brother Jerry and Sister LeeAnn.

Dear Jerry and Sheila,

Jerry, on Sunday night as we were sitting around talking, you were speaking to a woman you knew who had an ungodly husband, and such, and you said some things concerning those who are walking in the Spirit being the head.  As you were speaking, I knew I needed to pay attention to what you were saying.  It was very good, and I needed to hear it.  I was hoping you might remember what you said and send it to me.  You were talking about not being afraid of the “bumps” that might come up if an ungodly husband tries to cause problems, if and when his wife goes on with God.

Anyway, I would appreciate if you could send your thoughts if you get a chance.  I appreciate your zeal, Jerry!  You were a great encouragement to me.  Hope to see you both again soon!

Love,

Lee Ann

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Dear Lee Ann,

One thing that Jesus taught me was that “meekness” is meekness to God and not to just anything that comes my way.  Not so long ago, I walked under the spirit of “meekness” to this world and the spirits that it is full of, thinking myself to be obeying God.  I would let feelings/spirits around me, that were not God, back me into a corner where I would hold on to my little light for dear life, not wanting to “make any waves”.  Many times, I would find myself spiritually drained while ungodliness was full steam ahead, even proud, right beside me.

Now, there was no way for ME to fix this.  I tried at times and at best, after mustering all my courage, and trying to “stand for what is right”.  I just looked (and felt) weak and half-hearted to myself, and to others I am sure.  But, after time, Jesus has helped me to shine a little brighter, and that light started to drive out darkness from my presence which, otherwise, I could really do nothing about.  It’s the “light” that drives out the darkness, Jesus’ light.  My victory is to stay full of it.

That Spirit of light has already won every battle and IS the head of all things.  Only when I am walking full of that light am I, too, the head and not the tail.  That is one thing that makes being lukewarm or “on the fence” so bad.  When you’re in the middle like that, you have just enough God to make you different and a misfit in a sinful world, but not enough of the light and power of God to make darkness flee and to withstand the reproach of holiness.  It really is a dangerous place because the whole world, including our own carnal nature, is against God.  It is more pressure than we can bear unless we are full to the rim with the WINNER OF THE BATTLE.

When I am walking in the Spirit, my first response is the right one, the holy one.  I don’t have to be afraid of what I say or what I do, because of Him.  I don’t have to be afraid to say, “This is good, or this is evil.”  The Spirit always knows what to do, all the time.

Many times, I have tried to “water down” God’s thoughts or judgments inside of me because they did not seem “nice” enough.  I have learned that “nice” will get us all killed.  God is holy and that is VERY nice :)  I learned that I could not be full of the Spirit and at the same time be having unholy actions/reactions to life.  So, I am learning to just “LET HIM LIVE.”  YAY!  And trust him!!   The very best thing I could do for me, or for anyone else, is to stay full of the Spirit, to be overflowing, and then just do and say what the Spirit is leading me to do or say in every situation.  And it is at times not “nice”, but it is holy and right.  It is not against people, at all, it is just FOR God.  And the gap is so huge, that it tends to look otherwise.  It is hard to explain to folks.  The saints that love God the most are the most misunderstood by this world, I imagine.  But, they are the greatest refuge for a soul hungering and thirsting for Jesus.

One more thought.  I was walking the other day, thinking about things/people, and the holy Ghost said through me, “I don’t want to be any closer to you than you are to God.”  It was instruction from God, to me.  It was the way that I was supposed to live this life, with all people on this earth.  And I understood this also:  In the household of faith, there are to be no “inside deals” no relationships outside of fellowship.  They must be built on the foundation of holiness; that is the starting place, and then we increase from there.  If we build any other bond with one another other than fellowship, then when the truth, in love, comes to us for one another (and it will), we will feel pressure not to violate that “other friendship”.  And that makes it wicked.  I have heard it said that those relationships are like “You don’t kick my cat, and I won’t kick your dog.”  We have to start all relationships with “ I am going to kick your cat, (if God says it’s evil), and will you please kick my dog, too?”  I know I have just written on and on, Lee Ann, but it felt good.  I appreciate you and pray for us.

Love,

Jerry

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Hi Jerry.

That was a wonderful reply to lee Ann and all of us.  I heard my father preaching on a CD recently (from 1968) that “social fellowship is of the devil.”  What you wrote here helps explain why.  What you said about building up relationships outside of fellowship is so true.  If we build up a relationship that is not based on fellowship in the light of Christ, then we will fear  to rock the boat when the word of God comes to us for one another!  In a parable in Matthew 13, Jesus mentioned that the word of God could be “choked out”.  I know of nothing that will choke it out more dramatically than earthly relationships not build up on the word of God.  This is why James said that “the friendship of the world is enmity with God; whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God” (4:4b).

God, help us to take that in!  There are some precious people here who have lost their connection with God because of that very thing.  They traded every good thing they had to prevent the word of God from coming to a relative of theirs with whom they had a relationship that was not fellowship in Christ.  Oh, how grievous this is to me!  It was so senseless and sad to see them throw away eternal riches in order to maintain an evil, fleshly relationship!

Pastor John