Being Blessable

In my previous article called The Blessing of Abraham, I explained from Scripture how the blessing the Lord gave to Abraham applies to those who are in Christ. In this article, I'd like to explain how to be eligible for these blessings and all the Lord's blessings. 

Let me ask you a question: Does the Lord bless us, regardless of how we live, even if we are disobedient, wicked, and rebellious?

Obedience Opens the Door
Listen to what the angel of the Lord said to Abraham, after he willingly offered his only son on the altar in obedience to the Lord:

The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, "I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me." (Gen 22:15-18)

Abraham’s single act of obedience opened the door for God to 1) bless him, 2) make his descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, 3) allow his descendants to take possession of the cities of their enemies, and 4) bless all nations on earth through his offspring.  All of this happened “because Abraham obeyed God.”

This same principle is true for Abraham’s descendants. In order for God to bless them and fulfill His promise to them and through them, they must keep his ways.

Then the LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him." (Gen 18:17-19)

This passage tells us that we as children of Abraham must keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him. All of these promises that God made to Abraham are contingent upon the children of Abraham keeping the Lord’s way by doing what’s right and just. Then the promises will be fulfilled, including the promise that “Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him.” 

This teaches us that the blessings are conditional and require our obedience. It teaches us that we must remain blessable, in order for the Lord to bless us. 

Of course, there is grace for our failures, weaknesses, and shortcomings. But the Lord blesses obedience, not disobedience, rebellion, and wickedness. You will not find any place in Scripture where it says God blesses disobedience, rebellion, and wickedness, or rewards those who live that way. There is no place in Scripture where that is taught, but rather the opposite. Scripture says we must live our lives in a way that is blessable. This is in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation.

Also see Deut 28:2-8; Psalm 37; Jer 17:7; Mal 3:10; Prov 22:9; 28:20; Js 1:12; Gal 6:7-8.

"Praise the LORD. Blessed are those who fear the LORD, who find great delight in his commands. Their children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed." (Psa 112:1-2)

"Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord." (Psa 119:1)

"For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless." (Psa 84:11)

Even Jesus said, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it." (Luk 11:28)

The same is true in the opening of the book of Revelation, where the blessing is conditional:

He says, “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.” (Rev 1:3)

Likewise at the closing of Revelation it says, "And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book." (Rev 22:7, NASB)

Look at the beatitudes in Matthew 5. The Lord pronounces blessings upon those who are blessable. Blessed are the meek, blessed are the pure in heart, blessed are the peacemakers, blessed are those who mourn, blessed are the merciful, etc. You don't see one that says, "Blessed are the drunkards, blessed are the liars, blessed are the adulterers, blessed are the ungodly..." etc. 

As the apostle Paul said, the wicked shall not inherit the kingdom of God:

"Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." (1 Cor 6:9-11)

Offering Your Body as a Living Sacrifice to God

The apostle Paul said:

“I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual act of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Rom 12:1-2)

Just as Abraham offered up Isaac on the altar to God in obedience to Him, just as the Lord Jesus offered Himself in obedience to the Father on the cross for us, we must offer our bodies as living sacrifices to God. This is acceptable to God as a spiritual act of worship. This is how we worship and serve God.

Helen Roseveare, former missionary to the Congo, said the Lord taught her that it is a privilege to serve the Lord and even to suffer for Him. "All He wants is the loan of your body." She learned that the Lord wants us to thank Him for trusting us with the opportunity to suffer, even if He never tells us why.

Matthew Henry wrote: “The presenting of the body to God implies not only the avoiding of the sins that are committed with or against the body, but the using of the body as a servant of the soul in the service of God. It is to glorify God with our bodies (1Co_6:20), to engage our bodies in the duties of immediate worship, and in a diligent attendance to our particular callings, and be willing to suffer for God with our bodies, when we are called to it. It is to yield the members of our bodies as instruments of righteousness, Rom_6:13…it is a proof and product of the dedication of our souls to God.”

We must not be conformed to the world, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds. It’s a life transformation (Gr., metamorphoo) like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly. Only then will be able to prove (Gr. dokimazō) what the will of God is. 

To prove (Gr. dokimazō) what is the will of God means to discern it, distinguish it, try it, test it out, and judge it to be worthy.

One way that we will be able to clearly judge His will to be worthy is when we do His will and see how blessed we are when we do. We are blessed inside and out, through and through, when we obey God.

Apart from Jesus We Can Do Nothing

Don't try to obey God apart from Christ, because without Him you can do nothing. He said, "Apart from Me you can do nothing." (John 15:5). 

This means you should not try to live a life of obedience to God apart from Christ and expect to receive blessings from God, because you can do nothing without Him.

Remain in His Love By Obedience

We must keep the Lord's commands in order to remain in His love and the Father's love. Jesus said, "If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in his love." (Joh 15:10)

God Rewards for Doing Good and Punishes Sin

The Lord always rewards everyone for whatever good he does and punishes wrongdoing. 

As Paul the apostle wrote: "He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you." (2Th 1:8-10)

Moreover, he said, "because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free." (Eph 6:8). 

"There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile." (Rom 2:9-10)

This principle of reward for doing good and punishment for following evil is not only applicable in this life here on earth, but in the afterlife once we die. How we live now affects us both in this present life and the life hereafter.

"God will repay each person according to what he has done. To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger." (Rom 2:6-8).

This is why we all need to repent of our sins and have faith in Christ for the forgiveness of our sins. 

As David wrote: "Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit." (Ps 32:1-2)

Faith is a Key to Being Blessable

Faith is another key to being blessable. One example of that is Mary, who was blessed, because she believed.

"Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!" (Luk 1:45).

The same is true of all those who have faith in God. Hebrews 11 is the biblical Hall of Faith that tells of so many ancient people of faith who were rewarded, such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Samson, Barak, Gideon, Moses, and many others.

Closing Words 

These keys to being blessable, which I have outlined in this study, are not only applicable in this life here on earth, but in the afterlife once we die. Let us pray and ask the Lord to make us blessable, and then let us trust and obey Him, so that we may BE blessable.

Attribution notice: Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission. Other Scripture taken from NASB, where noted, copyright Lockman Foundation, used by permission.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, please also see the following: The Blessing of Abraham, The Afflictions of the Righteous, God Exalts the Humble and Brings Down the Proud, and The "Never" Promises to the Righteous. Also see What's Wrong with the Prosperity Gospel? You may find the Main Directory for this blog at Home, and you may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." 

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe. 

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Blessing of Abraham

I would like to show you what the seven-fold blessing of Abraham is that God gave to him and how it relates to you as a believer in our Lord Jesus Christ.

The LORD had said to Abram, "Go from your country, your people and your father's household to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." (Gen 12:1-3)

He took him outside and said, "Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be." (Gen 15:5)

I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me." (Gen 22:17-18)

Components of the Blessing
Let's look at the seven components of the blessing:

1. The promise to bless Abraham

2. The promise that he will have a great name (reputation) 

3. The promise that he would become a great nation (have many descendants)

4. God will bless those who bless him

5. God will curse those who curse him
6. Abraham will be a blessing

7. All nations will be blessed through Abraham

Fulfillment of the Blessing
Here are some biblical examples of how the blessing of Abraham is fulfilled:

1. Abraham 

a) Great name: Had a great name and was considered a mighty prince among the people (Gen 23:6)

b) Many descendants: Had many descendants through Jacob and Esau/Edom his grandsons. 

• Ishmael became a great nation and had 12 sons who became chiefs
• Isaac’s son Jacob had 12 sons, who became 12 tribes
• Esau had 12 male descendants (among his 5 sons and 10 grandsons) who became chiefs of 12 tribes in Edom (aside from Amalek born to his concubine)
• Esau’s descendants had a part in the founding of Ancient China and Japan, and played an important role in Russian history.
• Abraham had 6 sons through Keturah: Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. Of course, from Midian came the Midianites, who lived in the Arabian Peninsula.

c)   Became extremely wealthy (Gen 13:2)

2. Jacob 

a) Had good relationships with the Canaanites among whom he lived as a stranger

b) Became a nation called Israel that possessed the land of Canaan

c) God blessed Jacob’s unusual breeding practices

d) Laban was blessed through his association with Jacob (Gen 30:27,30)

e) Became exceedingly wealthy shortly after Rachel his wife gave birth to Joseph (Ge 30:43)

3. Joseph 

a) Joseph prospered while in Egypt (Ge 39:2)

b) The Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in everything he did (Ge 39:3)
c) Joseph found favor in the eyes of his Egyptian master Potiphar, who put him in charge of his entire household and entrusted to his care everything he owned (Ge 39:4)

d) From the time Potiphar put Joseph in charge of everything, the Lord blessed his household because of Joseph, and the blessing of the Lord was upon everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field (Ge 39:5)
e) While in prison, the warden put all the prisoners under his authority (Ge 39:21-23)

f) Became ruler of all Egypt (Ge 41:37ff)

g) Saved Egypt, Israel, and other nations from perishing during famine.

4. Judah became a tribe from which the line of David and many kings descended, included the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.

5. Solomon son of David became a very wise, wealthy and great king that was sought out by other rulers like the Queen of Sheba. God promised him wisdom, riches, honor, and a long life if he continued in righteousness, and it was fulfilled. (2 Chron 9:13-29). He was so unbelievably wealthy that he "surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches" (I Kings 10:23).

6. Esther became Queen of Persia (Est 2:18) and all the Jews in the Persian realm were blessed through her, because through her intervention they were not annihilated.

7. Mordecai became a high official of King Xerxes as well, and the same is true of him that all the Jewish people were blessed by him, just as King Xerxes was blessed when Mordecai reported the two, would-be assassins that intended to kill the king.

8. Daniel became ruler of the province of Babylon 

a) The head prefect over all the wise men there. 
b) He remained through the reign of 5 kings

c) Influenced those kings for the glory of God, and they were blessed through him.
d) He wielded tremendous power and influence
e) He served with great honor and distinction

9. The Lord Jesus - The blessing of Abraham is ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the “Seed” of Abraham (Galatians 3:16).

10. The apostle Paul brought the gospel to the entire known Roman world of the first century (Rom 15:19), many people came to know Christ through him, many were healed, delivered from demons, and many churches were planted through him. Many people in Israel also received support from the Gentiles during the famine through the collection that Paul took up and the offering he brought to Jerusalem.

How This Applies to Us Today
This blessing continues today in the life of every true disciple of Jesus Christ, possessing the faith of Abraham that led him to obey God, since we are descendants of Abraham, the children of promise (Gal 3:7,14, 29; 4:31).

1) The promise to bless us 

a) Blessed spiritually with justification and with every spiritual blessing (Eph 1:3)

b) Blessed in every area of our temporal and eternal lives

c) Note that the land God promised to Abraham is the type of the better land; the nation is a type of the spiritual nation, the temporal blessing is a type of the eternal blessing.

2) The promise that we will have a great name (reputation) 

3) The promise that we would have many descendants, especially spiritual ones

4) God will bless those who bless us

5) God will curse those who curse us 

a) “Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned.” (Psa 34:21)

b) Also see Ps 35:1-8, 26

c) “God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels.” (2Th 1:6-7)

6) We will be a blessing to others whom we associate with

a) Not merely a recipient of blessing, but a medium or conduit of blessing to others.

b) Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive,” So this is not a “bless me” message, but one that clearly has others in mind.

7)    All nations will be blessed through us

Your life has a ripple effect, like a pebble when it drops into the still water, causing blessings to ripple from one person to the next across the whole world. Each and every word -- even unspoken -- and action of yours causes a ripple that spreads throughout the entire world. It's time to take that seriously.

Closing Words
This is the gospel that was announced to Abraham. “The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: ‘All nations will be blessed through you.’ So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith,” (Gal 3:8-9).

This is what we were redeemed for. “He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promised of the Spirit.” (Gal 3:14).

Attribution notice: Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission. Image courtesy of Jan van 't Hoff Dordrecht, copyright 2023 Gospel Images, www.gospelimages.com, used by permission.

Author's Note: If you enjoyed this message, you may also like other articles about prayer, like Being Blessable, Prayer Promises, which you can find on the Home page of this blog, as well as other articles of mine Bowing Low in Worship. Also see What's Wrong with the Prosperity Gospel? I also invite you to visit my collection of blogs at Writing for the Master. Now let me ask you a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Global Prayer Meeting

Please join us for a Christian, global prayer meeting on Monday, April 20, 2020. In 12 locations of the world it will be on Tuesday, April 21, 2020. We will pray for one hour beginning at the time listed below, so that all participants will be praying simultaneously throughout the world during that hour.

How to Pray
Pray with your spirit and with your understanding. Pray to our Father in Heaven in the name of Jesus Christ His Son. Pray in your own language and in tongues.

Main Prayer Points
Pray for the following three main prayer requests:

God's Kingdom to come

His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven

To forgive our sins as we repent and forgive others

Secondary Prayer Points
Here are the secondary prayer points:

For Jesus to reveal Himself to everyone with COVID-19

That everyone with COVID-19 would call upon Jesus' name and be saved

That everyone with COVID-19 would call upon Jesus' name and be healed

For Jesus to reveal Himself to all healthcare workers caring for COVID-19 patients

That all healthcare workers caring for COVID-19 patients would call upon Jesus' name and be saved and strengthened

You can print the prayer points here at this link.

Time and Date
Here are the start times and dates, depending on your region of the world: Times and Dates.

If for some reason beyond your control you cannot join us at the appointed time for that hour, then please plan to pray during the hour before or the hour after the prayer meeting.

Invite Others
Please share the link to this post on social media, via email, and word of mouth to those you know. Please let people know they can use Google Translate to translate this page into their own language. It is located in the lower left-hand column of this web page.

We hope you will join us!

Preparation
While you are preparing for the meeting, here are some things you may like to read that are relevant:

Stay at Home and Seek the Lord
If My People Who Are Called By My Name
Coronavirus: Origin, Reason, and Remedy
Economic Turmoil Worldwide
This Pales Compared to What's Coming
The Gift of Speaking in Tongues
Keys to Prayer
Prayer Promises

Pass the Word -- Invite Others!
Please post the following link on social media and send by email or text: Global Prayer Meeting Invitation.

You may also visit our Home page for this blog, or access my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Confirmation
Less than an hour after the prayer meeting ended on April 20, 2020, I received the following comment from a sister in San Antonio, Texas USA named June, whom I had invited to the meeting:

"Dear brother in Christ! I live in San Antonio, TX - so I prayed at 10:00 am today and just finished my prayers!!! And I would like to share with you what happened during this global prayer meeting!  As you know brother I have awake visions during my prayers to Christ- So this is what I experienced- 10 min before praying - I got scratched my a demonic force on my left arm and left side of my face... This I understand is a demonic force trying to prevent me from praying. I had to plead the blood of Christ our Lord Jesus for protection during this prayer.... Once I started praying- I experienced great visions from our Lord Jesus! And felt the Holy Spirit greatly!!! Our Lord Jesus showed me holy writers in Heaven writing down this event - Letting me know that this prayer event was very important!!! The Lord Jesus showed me many lighted candles  during our prayers - letting me know that many that have our candle burning bright are praying to Him and He is listening!!!! Also before ending our prayer meeting, I saw many lamps with oil- And the the lamps that I saw in my vision were very old oil lamps from a long time ago- not the oil lamps of today. The Lord is letting us know that our lamps are lit and full of oil... Dear brother - Yes indeed this global prayer meeting did have the holy anointing of our Lord and Saviour Jesus and He did hear our prayers and it is written... I pray that you will find these words encouraging and thank you for inviting everyone to this very important global prayer meeting!"

Praise the Lord for that confirmation! Please share this with all those whom you know who participated. Here is sister June's video where she placed that comment.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org

Scriptural Make-Believe

My wife and I have five children, two of whom are now adults, and we know from experience how much little children love to make believe. Children make believe with cars, trucks, ambulances, dolls, cardboard houses, and other props. They use their imaginations and pretend that those things are real. There is a Scriptural type of make-believe, but before I prove it to you, let me begin by defining the expression.

Definition of Make Believe
When used as a noun, those things considered to be "make-believe" are things that are imagined or pretended to be true or real. It is the action of pretending or imagining that things are better than they really are. Make-believe is pretense, especially of an innocent or playful kind; feigning; sham: the make-believe of children playing. When used as a verb, to "make believe" is the action of a pretending that what is not real is real. It may also mean pretending or imagining that things are better than they really are. When used as an adjective, "make-believe" means imagined or pretended.

Etymology of Make Believe
I like to study the etymology of words and expressions, discovering how they originally developed.  So I did some research on where this expression came from . According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, make-believe as a noun meant "pretense, false or fanciful representation" in 1811. It was taken from the verbal phrase "make believe," which was used in children's talk by 1773 for "pretend;" see make (v.) + believe. As an adjective, "unreal, sham, pretended," by 1824. The noun form "make-belief" (1833) was "Substituted by some writers for MAKE-BELIEVE; the formation of the latter, being misunderstood, was imagined to be incorrect." Let's-pretend (n.) in the same sense is attested by 1904 (the verbal phrase is from 1848). To make believe (v.) in the sense "cause to believe" is from late 14th century.

That confirmed exactly what I thought. The expression originally came into being by adding the verb "make" to the verb "believe" meaning "cause to believe." This expression has always referred to pretending that what is imaginary or not real is actually real. By acting as if imaginary things are real, the person doing so, such as a child, causes himself or herself to believe it is real. In other words, it is to make oneself (and sometimes others who observe the one pretending) believe that something is true or real, when it is not.

Scriptural Examples of Making Believe
Now that we have established the definition and the origin of this expression, you may be wondering how there could possibly be a Scriptural form of this. Let me begin with a couple of easy examples that you're probably familiar with. Abraham made believe that his wife Sarah was his sister, while they were staying in Gerar in the Negev (Ge 20:2). It was only half true, because Sarah was his half-sister, but he was in fact married to her. So to pretend she was not his wife was a form of make-believe, and it fooled Abimelech. Another example is when Isaac made believe that Rebekah, his wife, was really his sister, because he was worried that the Philistines would otherwise kill him in order to marry Rebekah (Ge 26:1-35). This was a case of like father like son, in which Isaac walked in his father Abraham's footsteps.

Another example is where David made believe he was insane. "David...was very much afraid of Achish king of Gath. So he pretended to be insane in their presence; and while he was in their hands he acted like a madman, making marks on the doors of the gate and letting saliva run down his beard." (1 Sam 21:12-13, NIV). It worked quite well at making Achish believe he was crazy. "Achish said to his servants, 'Look at the man! He is insane! Why bring him to me? Am I so short of madmen that you have to bring this fellow here to carry on like this in front of me? Must this man come into my house?'" (1 Sam 21:14-15, NIV).

Another example is where the Gibeonites deceived the Israelites by making believe they came from far away, when actually they were near neighbors of the Israelites. They did this by wearing worn-out clothes and sandals, carrying moldy bread and dry, cracked wine skins (Jos 9). In this manner, they successfully fooled the Israelites, who sampled their provisions, but did not inquire of the Lord. Therefore, the Israelites made a peace treaty with them, rather than annihilate them as they did to their other nearby enemies.

Then there were the spies sent to Jesus by the chief priests and teachers of the law to keep a close watch on Him. The spies pretended to be honest, hoping to catch Him in something  he said, so they might hand Him over to the power and authority of the governor (Lk 20:20). That was the time they questioned Him about paying taxes to Caesar, but He saw through their duplicity and outwitted them. He knew they were only making believe they were righteous and trying to trap Him. When they saw they were unable to do so, they became silent.

One last example from Scripture is when Jesus was walking with the two men on the road to Emmaus after His resurrection and talking with them, but they did not recognize Him. Do you remember what He did? Jesus made believe He was going further, even though He intended to go inside with them and surprise them by revealing His identity to them. "And they approached the village where they were going, and He acted as though He were going farther." (Luk 24:28). The Greek word for "acted as though" is "prospoieomai" meaning "pretend (as if about to do a thing): - make as though."

In all of these examples of people making believe, they were acting as if something was so that was not. This does not mean that Jesus lied or deceived the two men on the road to Emmaus. He just acted as if He were going further until they invited Him inside to break bread together. He knew what He was about to do to reveal Himself to them. But what I want to talk about next is a different kind of make-believe. I want to use this expression in a way that does not fit it's proper definition. So you could say I am creating a new usage of the expression with a new definition.

Sanctified Imagination
We possess the mind of Christ (1 Co 2:16), so when we imagine the Word of God coming to pass or being performed, we are thinking His thoughts. God has given every one of us an imagination, and just as we can use it to imagine things that are displeasing to Him, we can use that same faculty of imagination to picture real things coming to pass.

We do it all the time without realizing it. For example, when we read a news article about a coffee shop worker at a highway rest stop using CPR to resuscitate a truck driver who has collapsed outside in front of his rig, we are using our imagination to picture something that really happened. Or if we read a passage of Scripture about a true, historical event such as the Israelites crossing the Red Sea (Ex 14), David killing Goliath (1 Sam 17), Jesus healing blind man’s eyes (Joh 9), or Jesus appearing to His disciples inside the locked room after His resurrection (Joh 20:19-20), we use our sanctified imagination to picture these things. Therefore, this same faculty that was once used for sinful purposes, and which has the ability to imagine things that are not real, has the power to visualize that which is true and real according to God’s Word.

It’s no different for you to imagine your reunion with a loved one who is actually coming to visit you after a long period of separation. In the same way you would imagine meeting them at the airport and embracing them, you can imagine the Lord coming back in a cloud of glory with all His holy angels (Mt 16:27; 24:30-31; 25:31; Mk 13:26; 1 Thes 4:16-17; Rev 19:11-16). You can imagine Him healing you or someone else in answer to your acting in faith upon His promises in His Word. You can imagine heaven according to the description of it in Revelation 21 and 22. Others may call it imagining things or making believe, but we call it acting in faith upon God’s Word. It’s called walking by faith. Step out and believe that what God has said is true. Take Him at His word and the impossible becomes possible.

Walk by Faith and Not by Sight
Consider that the righteous shall live by faith (Rom 1:17; He 10:38). We walk by faith and not by sight (2 Cor 5:7). That means "we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal." (2 Co 4:18). That's what the ancients were commended for, and I'd like to call that "making believe." I don't mean they were pretending that things were real that were not real. They were acting as if the things that were not yet seen were seen, and that's what faith causes us to do.

According to the apostle, "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for." (Heb 11:1-2, NIV). When you have faith, you are confident in what you hope for. You are sure about what you do not yet see in the natural. You do so, because you believe that what God said in His Word is true. So you act as if His Word is true, even though to others it may seem like you are making believe, since they don't share the same faith in God as you. As the apostle Paul said of them, "The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit." (1 Co 2:14). To them it seems foolish when you act as if the Word is true, because to them it's as if you are believing something false, but wisdom is proved right by all her children. True faith in God and in His Word always produces good fruit.

Three Tenses in One Verse
Jesus said, "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." (Mt 21:22, NIV). He said, "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." (Mk 11:24, NIV). There are three tenses in this verse. First there is the present tense in which you now ask for something from God in prayer and you now believe. The asking and believing are present tense. The past tense comes into play in that you believe that have already received it. "Have received" is past tense. The future tense is that "it will be yours." Ask God in prayer (present), believe now (present) that you have already received it (past), and it will be yours (future).

When you believe that you have received what you ask for in prayer, that doesn't mean you can see it yet in the natural. When God created His creation, He created it from that which was invisible. Scripture says, "By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible." (Heb 1:3, NIV). All that we see -- the trees, the grass, the animals, the sky, the stars, the sun, the moon, and all the people -- was made out of something invisible. God called it forth by His Word, "Let there be light," and there was light (Gen 1:3). He spoke forth the things He created and they came into existence. He is the God who "calls into being things that were not." (Rom 4:17b, NIV). When God calls into being things that were not, those things to Him are very real even before they come into being. In other words, they are no less real before He calls them into existence. They are no less real simply because we cannot see them in the natural. He was not pretending, since pretending is based on that which is not real.

Therefore, when we ask for something in prayer and believe that we have received it, we begin speaking and acting like we have already received it, even though it will only become ours in the natural realm in the future. "It is written: 'I believed; therefore I have spoken.' Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak..." (2 Cor 4:13, NIV). This is not pretending either, since it is based on that which is true and real, not on that which is imaginary, false, or unreal. This is the Scriptural form of making believe. We are making believe that we have already received what we have asked for in prayer. This is the key to receiving from God what we ask Him for.

Reality is Found in Christ
Let me be clear that this is making believe that the things that are true and real, according to the Word of God, are in fact true and real. For reality is found in Christ (Col 2:17b, NIV). Paul wrote, "But just as it is written, 'things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love him.' For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God." (1Co 2:9-10). This means the Spirit of God reveals to us the things God has given to us, so that we may lay hold of them by faith. The Spirit of God enables us to know in our hearts and see with the eyes of faith what God has given to us, which we cannot yet see with our natural eyes. "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God." (1Co 2:12).

All God's Promises Are Yes for Us in Christ
The Scriptures are full of promises for the righteous. They are like hidden treasures buried between the pages of our Bibles. They are ours for the asking, but we must claim them in order for them to become ours. When I was at a conference one time, they had a raffle in which each guest had a numbered ticket which they entered into a sweepstakes contest. If their number was drawn, their name would be announced to come and claim their door prize. But they were only awarded the prize, if they showed up at the desk to claim it. If they failed to claim their prize, it would technically be theirs for the taking, but it would not actually become theirs for any practical purposes, and they would leave the conference without it. In the same way, we must claim from God by faith in prayer the promises in order for them to become ours. This applies to salvation, healing, deliverance, and whatever else God has promised us. "For no matter how many promises God has made, they are 'Yes' in Christ. And so through him the 'Amen' is spoken by us to the glory of God." (2 Cor 1:20, NIV).

One way to explain this is with the following illustration. It's like walking down a corridor, in which the doors are labeled with whatever is inside the room on the other side of the door. One door says, "'Peace," another is labeled "Healing," and still another "Provision," etc. In Christ, you have the keys to unlock every door, and all we have to do is open them by saying the "Amen" (literally "So be it"), in order to go inside and claim what is in the room for ourselves. But even though we have the keys to all those doors, we still must do our part to say the "Amen," in order to open the door and receive.

More Scriptural Examples of Making Believe
When we make believe, as disciples of Christ in God's kingdom, we may appear crazy to those who observe us. Since they don't believe as we do, they may see our faith as foolishness, presumption, or pretending. This is what happened to the ancients when they walked by faith. Noah seemed foolish to his neighbors, as he built an ark over a period of a hundred and twenty years and declared that there would be a flood, even though there had never been rain before. He appeared to be making believe, but he was saved and they all perished. Lot seemed foolish to his sons in law and appeared to them to be joking. They thought he was making believe, but he was saved and they were destroyed. David seemed foolish to his brothers when he stepped up and volunteered to fight Goliath. Perhaps he seemed to his brothers and to Saul like a boy who was making believe he was a soldier, when in fact they were the real soldiers. But he was the one who fought and killed the giant, and not them.

Perhaps the Lord Jesus appeared to the Pharisees and teachers of the law to be making believe when he spoke about them tearing down this temple and that He would rebuild it in three days. They thought it was a preposterous statement, but He was referring to the temple of His body, which was raised on the third day after they crucified Him. They ridiculed Him for saying He was the King of the Jews, not because they took Him seriously, but because they thought He was making believe. When Peter was called into the room of Dorcas, who had died, and the women who knew her all begged him to raise her from the dead, he had to make believe she would be raised when he prayed and called her forth. The only assurance he had that it would happen was his faith in the name of Jesus Christ. The same was true when he healed the lame man at the Gate Beautiful.

Practice Exercises
OK. Are you ready to do some practice exercises?  Remember that there is a link between the physical and spiritual realms. What you do in the natural realm will transfer to the spiritual realm and vice versa. Try doing the following exercises with faith in God and conviction in your heart:

• Lie on your face on the floor, cry out to God in repentance for your sin with sincere contrition and ask for forgiveness in Jesus’ name. Then believe that you have received it according to 1 John 1:9.
• Ask for and receive the Holy Spirit deliberately as they did on the day of Pentecost, according to Luke 11:11-13, Acts 1:1 and 8, and Acts 2:1-4 (see Baptized with the Spirit).
• Kneel before the throne of God in prayer (Ps 95:6).
• Bow at his feet in worship and prayer (see Bowing Low in Worship).
• Smile lovingly and adoringly at the Lord with your eyes closed as your worshiping Him.
• Tell the Lord you love Him, and expect Him to say, "I love you, too."
• Kiss the feet of Jesus (Ps 2:12).
• Give Jesus a loving hug.
• Talk to Jesus like He is right there in the room with you.
• Pull up a chair in front of you for Jesus to sit in, while you talk with Him.
• Pull up an empty chair at the dinner table and dine with Jesus.
• Pray before reading the Bible and ask God to speak to you. Then read it and expect Him to do so according to Hebrews 4:12.
• Actually put on the invisible armor of God, according to Ephesians 6:11-17.
• Act like Mark 16:17-18 is true, since we know it is.
• Lay hands on the sick in Jesus’ name and expect them to get well. 
• Command the demons in the name of Jesus to depart from you or someone else, and believe that they have obeyed you.
• Take the sword of the Spirit and cut down those demons.
• Once you have prayed and asked for something for yourself or someone else, actually believe that you have received it already, and act like you would if you knew you had received it. This involves immediate joy, thanksgiving to God, peace, and assurance.
• When you are reading Scripture, each day, search for promises and claim them aloud in prayer for yourself and/or others. When you do, write “PC” (for “Promise Claimed”) in pencil in you Bible next to that verse.
• Read about Your Identity in Christ, according to God's Word, and thank the Lord that each of those realities are true of you (see here).
• Bind love and faithfulness around your neck as a necklace, and write them upon the tablet of your heart according to Proverbs 3:3. (see also The Wardrobe of the Saints).
• Look up to heaven, open wide your mouth and ask the Lord to fill it, according to Psalm 81:10.

Closing Words
I hope I have clearly conveyed that when we walk by faith, it is very much like making believe. In a practical sense, it involves the same basic process as making believe, in that we are acting as if something already exists or already belongs to us when in fact it is still invisible. The difference between traditional make believe and Scriptural make believe is that the former is based on that which is imaginary or not real, while the latter is based on that which is true and real. This is one reason why we must become as little children in order to enter the kingdom of God. Little children like to use their imagination and make believe. It comes easy to them and they don't need to be taught to do it. So let's become like little children and practice making believe the things that are real, according to God's Word, are actually real, and the things that are true, according to God's Word, are really true.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible NIV, as noted, copyright Zondervan, used by permission. Other Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, copyright Lockman Foundation, used by permission. Image of child firefighter may be subject to copyright of The Hanen Centre, used according to Fair Use Act for educational and commentary purposes only without intended infringement.

Author's Note:  If you have not yet been baptized in the Holy Spirit, please read Baptized with the Spirit.  If you have not yet been baptized with the fire of God, then please read Holy Fire Baptism. If you enjoyed this message, you may also like other articles about prayer, like Prayer Promises, which you can find on the Home page of this blog, as well as other articles of mine like The Wardrobe of the Saints, Link Between Two Realms, and Bowing Low in Worship. I also invite you to visit my collection of blogs at "Writing for the Master."  Now let me ask you a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Power of Two or Three

The Scriptures have much to teach us about the power of two or three believers. Let's examine that in God's Word to see what it says.

All Things Established
Firstly, all things are established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. This was taught in the law by Moses and repeated in the New Testament, and I would like you to keep this point in mind as you read through the remainder of my points in this article.

Moses wrote, "A single witness shall not rise up against a man on account of any iniquity or any sin which he has committed; on the evidence of two or three witnesses a matter shall be confirmed." (Deu 19:15)

Likewise, the apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians, "This will be my third visit to you. 'Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.'” (2 Co 13:1, NIV). It's interesting to see how Paul even applied that verse from the law to his visits to the Corinthians. He considered his third upcoming visit there to be a confirming one that would establish the matters there that he was writing to them about.

The Holy Trinity
God Himself is one God in three divine Persons, and we see this Trinity all throughout Scripture.

"Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.' God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." (Gen 1:26-27)

As I wrote in my article, The Holy Trinity, the Hebrew word for "God" here is "Elohim", which is a plural noun. In order for it to be plural, that means it must refer to more than one, even though we know that God is one (Deut 6:1). And even if you don't know any Hebrew, you should be able to easily see in these verses in Genesis 1:26-27 that there is more than one divine Person, since God speaks of Himself in the first person plural. He uses terms like "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness." He was certainly speaking of Himself in the plural form.

Another example of the Trinity all in one verse is the words of Jesus before His ascension, when He said, "And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high." (Luk 24:49). Here we have Jesus speaking about "the Promise," which is the Holy Spirit, and the Father, so the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all in one verse.

Then again He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." (Act 1:7-8). Here we have Jesus speaking of himself when He says "My" witnesses, and of the Father when He says, "times or epochs which the Father has fixed," and of the Holy Spirit when He says, "the Holy Spirit has come upon you."

The last example I will give is from Revelation. John wrote, "John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood—" (Rev 1:4-5)

In these opening verses of his apocalyptic book we again see all three Person of the Holy Trinity. We see the Father as "Him who is and who was and who is to come," and the Holy Spirit as "the seven Spirits (or seven-fold Spirit) who are before His throne," and finally we observe "Jesus Christ" the Son. For more on this topic, please see The Holy Trinity.

So this power of two or three originates with God Himself who is three in One. The members of the Godhead are always in perfect agreement together, and He has existed like this throughout eternal ages past without beginning. Therefore, the power of two or three is embedded in the very nature of God Himself, and perhaps it even has some connection with His other attributes, such as His omnipotence.

Triune Man
Likewise, man is made in God's image with a spirit, soul, and body. In other words, you are a spirit with a soul in a body, which means you are one person with three parts. The apostle Paul wrote, "Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1Th 5:23)

I am not saying that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are merely three different parts of God, because they are actually three distinct and divine Persons, not parts. But there is an analogy that can be drawn between the triune nature of God and man.

A Cord of Three Strands
A cord of three strands is not easily broken and two are better than one. Solomon wrote:

"Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up. Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart." (Ecc 4:9-12)

This is self-explanatory. There is no question as to the wisdom and truth of this instruction. Two are certainly better than one for multiple reasons. For one thing, they can perform at least twice as much (if not more) work as one person.  Another thing is that one will lift the other one up if he falls. Moreover, two are able to keep each other warm.

I recall that this was an Army survival tactic in cold weather when I was in the infantry, and perhaps it still is. In fact, the Army's "buddy system" uses this same principle to ensure that the two buddies assigned to each other look out for each other in all aspects of training and warfare, not just cold weather survival.

Another reason two are better than one is that they can better defend themselves against an attacker. And finally we see the wisdom of this principle proven in a cord of three strands, which is not as easily broken as a single strand would be. Anyone who is given the choice to climb the face of a cliff using either a cord of three strands or a rope made from a single strand will choose the cord of three strands unless they have a death wish.

Church Discipline by Two or Three
The power of two or three also applies in matters of Church discipline, such as taking two others with you to address a brother who has sinned. Jesus said, "But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed." (Mat 18:16)

Agreement of Two or Three 
If two or three agree as touching anything in prayer, it shall be done. Jesus said, "Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven." (Mat 18:19). That is an amazing promise the Lord made to us based on the agreement of two or three believers.

Praying alone is wonderful, but you also need to pray with others. You need to have a prayer partner. So if you are a believer married to another believer, then you already have a prayer partner. If not, then ask the Lord to give you a prayer partner. This is also why group prayer meetings that have at least two or three people are even more powerful than when individuals pray alone.

In the old days, after making a significant point while preaching, fiery preachers would sometimes shout, "Can I get a witness!?" Then someone would shout, "Amen, brother!" or "Hallelujah!" When you understand the power of two or three, you will realize when someone says "Amen" (meaning "so be it") to a prayer or to some part of a message being preached, then the two come into agreement in the spirit, which powerfully establishes whatever they have agreed upon.

Two or Three Gathered in Jesus' Name
Wherever two or three are gathered in Jesus' name, He is there. That means if they are gathered for prayer, worship, fellowship, evangelism, hospitality, or whatever purpose -- as long as it is in Jesus' name, then He has promised to be there. He said, "For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst." (Mt 18:20).

This is one reason why you should be a part of a congregation, because there are no lone rangers in the kingdom of God. I learned this the hard way as a new believer over thirty years ago. As a young infantryman in the US Army stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia in the United States, I had only been saved for about three months before I received a Permanent Change of Station (PCS) to Berlin, Germany. I brought my Bible with me to Germany, along with my Christian music recordings, and Christian music videos, but I could not find a solid Christian friend to fellowship with. I also did not agree with something about the way the Protestant chapel conducted services, so I did not attend them. Instead I tried to walk with Jesus alone without any fellowship, and this led to me drifting away from the Lord for the first few months I was in Germany. You can read more about that in my article Drifting Away. It was not until I went back to church and repented for my sins that I came back to the Lord six months after being transferred overseas.

That's one reason why the Bible teaches us that we should not forsake the assembling of ourselves. The apostle said, "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." (Heb 10:24-25, NIV). There is power when two or three gather in Jesus' name, and the presence of the Lord is there.

Let me also say to you that this point, combined with my previous point about the power of agreement among two or three believers, is one reason why Life Transformation Groups, as well as small home group meetings and house churches are so effective. It is easier to have two or three or ten or twelve people in agreement that to have three, four, or five hundred people all in perfect agreement. The larger the group, the less likely it is that they will all be in perfect agreement.

Sent Out Two by Two
Jesus sent the Twelve out two-by-two in six pairs to preach that men should repent. "And He summoned the twelve and began to send them out in pairs, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits;" (Mar 6:7). Likewise, Jesus later sent the Seventy out two-by-two in thirty-five pairs (Lk 10:1). They were instructed to heal those "who are sick, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'" (Luk 10:9). They went out and returned afterward rejoicing. "The seventy returned with joy, saying, 'Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.'" (Luk 10:17). Once again it was the Lord's power demonstrated in pairs of two people who were in agreement in Jesus' name. This was the apostolic pattern followed by Peter and John, as well as Paul and Barnabas, as well as Paul and Silas.

Twelve Witnesses
Jesus chose Twelve to be witnesses of His life, death, and resurrection (Mk 3:14-19; Ac 1:21-22). The fact that He died and rose again from the dead, and all that He taught during His earthly ministry are established by the testimony of the Twelve.

Three Synoptic Gospels
Consider the fact that there are three synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) that testify of essentially the same things, plus a fourth gospel by John to overlay a spiritual layer of understanding. The Lord established the gospel not with one witness but four.

Not Good to Be Alone
It is not good for man to be alone. Then the LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him." (Ge 2:18). This was true of Adam when he was all alone in the world without a companion, and it is true today as well. There are many lonely people in the world, such as widows and widowers. Many of these people are shut-ins and they are all alone. Others may be in the hospital, the nursing home, or even in prison, and while they have people around them, they are lonely. They need a visit from someone who cares.

This Scripture doesn't necessarily mean it is better to be married than single. As I wrote in my article, The Gift of Celibacy, some remain single for the sake of the kingdom and it's best for them to do so. But that doesn't mean they are supposed to be a "lone ranger" and go through life all alone. While they may not be married, they still need fellowship. And even those in ministry need to have a ministry partner. Sometimes this will be a family member or someone else in Christ that they serve with in ministry as the early apostles did.

Two Become One
The two (man and woman) shall become one flesh. This is repeated many times in Scripture.

"That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh." (Gen 2:24, NIV)

Jesus said, "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh" (Mt 19:5. NIV)

In Mark's gospel, he records that Jesus said, "And the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh." (Mk 10:8, NIV)

The apostle Paul wrote, “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." (Eph 5:31).

This illustrates how two people can be one in the same way that the three divine persons of the Holy Trinity are One. And since there are two of them, then as long as they come together in Christ, they are a microcosm of the Church. They both have a partner to agree with in prayer anywhere they go in the world.

Jesus Had a Witness
Even Jesus had a witness. He had the Father and the works He did by the power of the Spirit.

He said, "If I alone testify about Myself, My testimony is not true. There is another who testifies of Me, and I know that the testimony which He gives about Me is true. You have sent to John, and he has testified to the truth. But the testimony which I receive is not from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. He was the lamp that was burning and was shining and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. But the testimony which I have is greater than the testimony of John; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish—the very works that I do—testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me. And the Father who sent Me, He has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time nor seen His form." (Joh 5:31-37).

Jesus identified His two witnesses: 1) "the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish—the very works that I do—testify about Me." I believe this implied the Holy Spirit through Whom He did all of His works; and 2) "the Father who sent Me, He has testified of Me." So the Father and the works that Jesus did by the Spirit provided the powerful testimony that established all that He did and said, as well as His divine identity.

Two Final Witnesses
Let me also remind you that there will be the two final witnesses who prophesy for three and a half years.

"And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth." These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth." (Rev 11:3-4; cf. Zech 4:11-14)

These two witnesses operate together in Jesus' name and we can assume based on Scripture that the Father does for them whatever they ask of Him in agreement. If anyone wants to harm them, fire flows out of their mouth and devours their enemies; so if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way. These have the power to shut up the sky, so that rain will not fall during the days of their prophesying; and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire." (Rev 11:5-6)

Three Apostles on the Mount of Transfiguration
We also see the power of two or three in that Jesus took three apostles with Him onto the Mount of transfiguration. "Six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves." (Mat 17:1).

Two Prophets on the Mount of Transfiguration
Then there was the appearance of Moses and Elijah - two witnesses on the mountain with Jesus.

"And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Peter said to Jesus, 'Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.' While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, 'This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!'" (Mat 17:2-5)

That was an amazing experience that was powerfully established by three witnesses from heaven -- God the Father, Moses, and Elijah, as well as three witnesses from earth -- Peter, James, and John.

Witness of the Spirit
We have the testimony (or witness) of the Spirit.

Paul wrote, "The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God." (Rom 8:16)

The apostle wrote, "And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying..." (Heb 10:15). After saying this, he quoted from the Hebrew Scriptures. This illustrates that the Holy Spirit as the author of Scripture testifies to us as believers through the Word of God.

Satanic Trinity
Even satan has an evil trinity of himself the dragon, the beast (or antichrist), and the false prophet.

The apostle John wrote, "And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names." (Rev 13:1). In this verse we see the dragon or devil and the beast or antichrist.

John continued later in the same chapter, "Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a dragon." (Rev 13:11). In this verse we see the false prophet, which together with the devil and the beast comprise the satanic trinity. The devil, too, understands the power of two or three. He knows this power is evident in the Holy Trinity, and is embedded in all life that God has created. He will seek to counterfeit it on earth during the three-and-a-half year Great Tribulation. During that time he will seek to rule the whole world through the beast and the false prophet, but will do so to his own ruin. For the Scripture tells us of his final demise in Revelation 20:10. It says, "And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever." (Rev 20:10). Their condemnation is deserved.

Putting it All Together

As we have seen from Scripture, there is amazing power in two or three in Christ. This applies in many different ways to every area of life, whether to Jesus being in the midst of two or three believers gathering in His name, or the Father doing anything that two or three believers agree about and ask Him for in Jesus' name. It also applies to matters of Church discipline, as well as marriage and ministry. In fact, as we have learned, all things are established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. I hope this has helped to build your faith, strengthen and encourage you, and show you another important secret of the kingdom of God. Now go put it into practice!

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB., copyright The Lockman Foundation, used by permission. Other Scriptures from The Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zonervan, used by permission. Photo image copyright Saint George Island United Methodist Church, used according to Fair Use Act for educational and commentary purposes only.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like The Authority of the Believer, Keys to Prayer, Prayer Promises, Standing in the Gap, Life Transformation Groups, How to Start an LTG, Drifting Away, and Supernatural Power for All Disciples, as well as other articles found on the Home page of this blog. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.