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Being United with Christ in Crisis
Episode #736
01/10/2021
With Martha Kilpatrick and hosted by John Enslow
We come to Jesus during crisis utterly dependent but there is a deeper purpose for this…union. Crisis is for being united with Christ.
Martha:
Well, John, this is Sunday of the new year. And by the time this message is up and loaded, a lot of history will have already been happening.
John:
and made, for sure.
Martha:
Mm hmm… But I wanted to listen to last week’s podcast. And there’s so much encouragement. You gave so much solution and encouragement in that, I really had forgotten how much, so I was blessed by listening to it again. I want to recommend it.
John:
Wow, yeah, it was hope, is what it was. Mmm hmm.
Martha,
Yes, and you gave practical help of what you do. And I really, this is such an unusual time, such a shocking time, of the, of the evil that is in our government and affecting our entire future. So it is a time to cope with what’s going on and my hope is that we would soar above it. I want to, I want to start by reading this scripture which is one of our life scriptures that we have shared.
It’s Ephesians 1:3
All praise to God. All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.
We memorized Ephesians 1 a couple years ago, and I’m going back to really, commitment to memorizing. This, this says All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms!
Every spiritual blessing! Because I’ve memorized that I sometimes go and say, ‘I want the spiritual blessings’ …
John:
right, right, right.
Martha:
Because, Here’s the reason we have this: We are united with Christ.
And I’ve got in my Bible all the scriptures, or a lot of the scriptures that speak of our union with Christ. OK. That scripture says we are United with Christ.
Romans 7, we are in Union with the One who was raised from the dead.
1 Corinthians, we are united in thought and purpose with Him.
God has united you with Christ, Galatians 3 – United you with Christ, United you with Christ
Ephesians 1:3 Every spiritual blessing, which I just read and um … let’s see,
(Ephesians) 2:6 He has seated us in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.
Now we are united with Christ.
Our union with Christ is the greatest, most splendid miracle, and mystery.
John:
mm hmm
Martha:
How can we be one with Christ? We are. And He is one with us according to the scriptures. So I’m claiming that in, in revelation. And practical living.
You talked last week about what you do to pray in crisis. When I heard it again, I realized it had gone in me.
John:
OK, I just look to Him. Well, I’m I’m I’m writing a post that’s actually going to come up, this next Monday about the warfare and weakness. And that my, my position of strength is in weakness. But you, you go in weakness, utterly dependent. And that’s how we do it. Utterly dependent. But we go for union. We go, we go to connect with the Source, with the Source of all Life. We go to connect with our Creator. We go to connect with Him in union. And we don’t come filled with lots of things. We come empty-handed. And in, in response to that, we are given everything.
Martha:
mmm, yes, yes, yes !
John:
And so, I, I love the whole Union theology, because it’s, it’s not just a theological understanding. It’s a relational, divine reality.
Martha:
And an intimacy that we would, that we would want, if we knew it was there.
John:
Sure
Martha:
And an intimacy that is already created.
John:
Right, right right
Martha:
For we’re already in it.
So … I just kinda want to share, some things I have been through recently, and especially this morning.
Um, the Holy Spirit… I did a tape recently on what we really need in this hour is the Holy Spirit. And He is so available.
John:
That was your year-end message.
Martha:
mm hmm
John:
You ended the year…
Martha:
I ended the year on the Spirit.
John:
On the Spirit, and that’s, that’s you know, you were giving direction. Then this month is your new year’s message, so you show, you show at the end of the year, where we get everything. And then in the new year’s message you said, resist not the evil. And what an apropos message for right now.
Martha:
mm hmm
John:
Where we want to resist everything.
Martha:
Mm, well, I just want to testify to the help of the Holy Spirit…
John:
Mmmm
Martha:
…as we go through this. I looked for it and I couldn’t find it, but there is a blog by the man that translated the Passion Bible about thanksgiving. I’m sorry, I could not find in my notes where I copied it. But it’s wonderful because it’s about our giving thanks and, no matter what. And how that, how I see that connects us to God. And I woke up real early this morning, about two or so, and I was lying there thinking, ‘I want to give thanks’. And I began to thank God for this and that, and the other and the other, and round and round. And the Holy Spirit came to give me the joy and I was then, then giving thanks by the power of the Spirit. And it was just wonderful. And then I started laughing because I knew the Lord was trying to get me to have joy (soft laugh) and I was resisting a little bit, that, how could you have that? And I suddenly said, ‘wait wait, I do receive the joy. So in giving thanks, my spirit opened and His Spirit opened to have joy. And that’s how we’re supposed to be by the power of the Spirit, to have joy.
And then I began to grieve for the criminals who are being exposed in such horror and evil and I started to really grieve that they don’t know what they’re doing. They don’t know the consequence. And I went to Hebrews 10, where I’m dwelling lately…Hebrews 10 through 12 …
“For if we deliberately sin after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and fury of a fire about to consume the adversaries.”
That … this passage has always been chilling to me, but we need to face it. Because if we deliberately sin, who doesn’t know the truth? in this nation? Who has not heard it? Very few people have not heard the salvation of Jesus Christ. But there remains no longer… the sacrifice for sins is not available if we know the truth of the Cross and the sacrifice and ignore it.
But a terrifying expectation of judgment and a fury of a fire about to consume the adversaries.
If anyone disregarded Moses’ law, he died without mercy based on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment do you think one will deserve who has trampled on the Son of God …
That’s what sin is… Regarding as profane the Blood of the Covenant by which he was sanctified and insulted the Spirit of Grace, for we know the One who has said, “Vengeance belongs to Me. I will repay.” And again, the Lord will judge His people. It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the Living God.
And then again, at verse 35 in Hebrews 10, Don’t throw away your confidence,
Wait a minute, let me go back, You yourselves have a better and enduring position, so don’t throw away confidence which has a great reward.
A great reward for confidence during this time. I don’t know what that is, but it’s a great and glorious reward. And it reminded me of Bruce Wilkerson, wrote and studied the scriptures about rewards, and he wrote a book. I’m not sure if it’s in print still, but was magnificent Bible study of the reality that we are rewarded for everything that we do in obedience to God. And that’s incredible. Don’t throw away your confidence which has a great reward. Our faith during this time, our work to have faith has a great and glorious, says the Amplified, reward.
For you need endurance.
Here’s there’s my word … my word for the hour is endurance.
So that after you’ve done God’s will you may receive what is promised.
Being United with Christ in Crisis – Episode #736 – Shulamite Podcast
In the midst of crisis many look for strength but our true power is in weakness. We come to Jesus during crisis in utterly dependence but there is a deeper purpose, we go for union, being united with Christ.
