Two articles by Jan Grace with comments by David Nelson following

Posted: 2007-07-31 14:02:14

Two articles by Jan Grace titled “The Anointed Body” and “Unity” with comments by David Nelson following   (8-5-07)

"The Anointed Body" by Jan Grace  (May 13,2007)

Greetings...
Psalms 133
1. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! 2. It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down on the edge of his garments. 3. It is like the dew of Hermon, descending upon the mountains of Zion; for there the Lord commanded the blessing life forevermore.

Notice that God thinks unity is good and pleasant. He had David write that it is a prerequisite for the Anointing. The High Priest, Aaron, would be dressed in the priestly clothes prepared to minister for the people and before the Lord. He would be drenched with holy anointing oil that would flow from his head and cover his whole being.

Unity is also likened to the Dew of Heaven descending upon the Mountain of God, Zion, the City of the Great King (Psalm 48). Dew wouldn't just cover one little portion, but would cover the mountain.

God also shows us that the Body of Christ (the Anointed One) is to be in unity and function in the same anointing that flows from the Head (Jesus) to each part. Ephesians is a good book to read regarding the place and purpose of the Body. It says in the first chapter that the church is the body of Christ. The fourth chapter speaks of the body being fitly joined to each other and to the Head.

Where does "unity" fit in? Unity isn't going to the same church, saying the same thing, not fussing or feuding, or anything like that. Unity, as God sees it, is a proper connection and submission to each other much the same way the parts of a body are connected to each other.

Picture your body. If your head wants your hand to pick something up, or wave to someone, it simply tells the hand to move. Understand, though, that there are many parts (too many for me to name or even know) that are involved in the "simple" operation. Yet, each part is vital to the whole movement. Take any part out and you have no movement. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 12 that the Body is one yet has many members. He also made a statement about God placing certain"parts" in the Body that are very pronounced; parts such as "Apostle", "Prophet", "Workers of Miracles", "Teachers", etc. He goes on to ask the question: "are all apostles, are all prophets, ...do all speak with tongues" to which we all answer, "no". Yet we can miss Paul's point if we're not careful. He writes that every part is vital and is emphasizing, with the questions about the different offices of ministry, that it isn't the apostle, or prophet, or teacher, etc., that carries the anointing or the ability to express the will of the Head. IT IS THE BODY and every part performing as it is designed to perform.

That is the way God is going to have His Anointing flow in these last days. It is IMPERATIVE that His Body understand their place and submit themselves to the parts "next door"; the parts they are to be connected to. We've got to VALUE the Body of Christ as we do the Head. I CANNOT be submitted to the Head without being submitted to the Body. If I'm going to walk with God, anointed by Him to accomplish His will, then I must walk WITH YOU and YOU WITH ME. (continued at www.valleyag.blogspot.com)

"Unity" by Jan Grace

Greetings,   (Tuesday Feb. 13, 2007)

I must share a letter Phyllis and I (Jan and Phyllis Grace) received from a good friend (Julie). I believe the message is very timely and true to the heart of Father God. May each of us take to heart this word and let Father move us into the place of perfect obedience. All Heaven stands ready...

Pastor Jan

Here's the letter:

This weekend, I had opportunity to hear from 4 voices that speak a true word of the Lord. Each echoed the other, until I knew I was hearing God's heart.

The call of Christ to His flock is to abide in Him, to live a life that is grafted in the vine, Jesus Christ (John 15). We live this life by seeking God's face, be desiring His presence above all else (Psalm 27). For those who stand in public positions of ministry, there must be a conscious realization that the call to pursue intimacy with God must exceed and be held in higher esteem than ministering to people. This is the first commandment: loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. This must always come first.

This position of whole-being'ed devotion to God will produce individual unity with God. When the day comes that we are each walking in unity with God, then we will discover---to our delight!---that we are walking in unity with one another. We are in this hour in the earth: the hour of God's call to unity between His heart and the hearts of His people. How do we know this? Look to Iraq, ancient Babylon. It was when man was unified, possessing one tongue/language and were of one mind that the Lord said, "Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, .... now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them" (Genesis 11:6 NKJV).

But these people were intent upon wicked things that deified man. So God loosed confusion upon men, so the language was no longer unified. The people had different tongues and were scattered upon the earth (Genesis 11:8-9).

The next time scripture speaks of unity coming among the language of men, i.e. meaning that men of different tongues understood one another, is at the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:5-12). The Holy Spirit gave utterance to men so that they could understand one another, so that it was like they were speaking the same language.

In like manner, as each of us presses into God, seeking intimacy with Him above all else, we will be baptized in the Holy Spirit, die deeper to self, and receive more and more of the Lord's mind. As the thoughts of Christ invade our minds, we will begin to walk as those who have the mind of God and the power of His Spirit. Those who walk in this way will find themselves in unity with others who walk in like manner. This is true unity in the Spirit.

It is not mental agreement that produces unity. It is not agreeing to disagree. No, the unity of the Spirit is a supernatural work of the Spirit in our spirit man that produces in us the renewing of the mind by the Word of God, so that we each possess the mind of Christ (the Living Word). As the Living Word comes to life in us, overtaking our thought lives as we pursue intimacy with God, we will discover others who are like-minded.

I pray that each of you have experienced koinonia, that sweet fellowship that comes from being with like-minded Christ-followers. This is true unity. It has nothing to do with denominational boundaries, doctrinal systems, statements of belief, etc. It has to do with walking in unity with the Triune God.

As we walk in such unity with God individually, we will come into unity corporately. This will not be the work of one group endeavoring to draw believers together. This will be the work of the Holy Spirit. (continued at valleyag.blogspot.com)

Comments by David Nelson:

We want to know what the Lord is thinking and what is in His heart. This is a time when He will show us His heart for those who seek Him. Unity and Love among His people are at the center of the Lord’s heart. The two articles above by Jan Grace have prompted me to write the following.

I believe it is true that God is calling His saints to a personal walk with Him that is and will require much death to self. He is not so concerned that we “enjoy” this journey (if we have volunteered ourselves), or that we necessarily accomplish great things to be seen by men on route, but this one thing, that we learn to love Him, to enjoy being with Him, He will bring us into this intimate relationship to learn His love as never before and our destiny that we were created for this deeper relationship. To bring about this growing friendship with the Lord like Enoch, Moses, Abraham, Jesus, or Paul had, it will take some real changes in us, but it is what He wants now with each of us and that this is for our time.

What we learn from Him, insights, more about His character, more about love for others, revelations, what our specific gifts are, more what our place in the Body is, how we will fit together with others in His plans, and the depths of relationship with Him, all these things are very exciting. Then we will find that others have been going through the same process and are learning some of the very same things that we are.  And if we connect with others as the Lord leads we will learn many other things that we need to know from other parts of the Body.

The Lord also sees the unity of His people as good and pleasant to His heart (Psalm 133:1) and this unity will be good and pleasant to our hearts too. Of course we seek and value the anointing of the Lord upon our personal lives. But unity among the brethren leads to an anointing upon the whole Body (every member of the Body, no matter how insignificant their part seems to be to us). The Head (Jesus) is anointed with anointing oil as on the priest Aaron (Psalm 133:1), and it runs down the beard on to the collar of his robes (shoulders arms and torso), then it also goes down to the skirts of His robe (legs and feet). The whole Body will be anointed when every part is working properly and walking in the unity of the Spirit (see the letter by Julie above).

Also, the great dew of a great and large mountain like Hermon will fall on the smaller hills (or mountains) of Mount Zion. For at Mt. Zion (whether that be Jerusalem or any place where the Lord has a people who meet in His name with Him in the midst, in the center), the hills of Zion will experience a mighty covering of dew that will touch every blade of grass, totally satisfied and anointed, with no part missing moisture or dew, but a powerful covering of dew on every part of the Body.

The Lord will command this blessing wherever His heart is being revealed and is being embraced and cherished by His waiting people.