God spoke to me this week commanding me to “MAN THE SHIP” and He let me know that the day of the flesh ( the female soul) ruling over the spirit (the male spirit) is coming to an end. It is the “Spirit Man” who is to rule in fellowSHIP… Yay, in EVERY relationSHIP!

Recently a brother in Christ told me that someone in his life has been continually falling into sexual sin. This brother believes he is supposed to be in fellowship with him patiently and lovingly praying for him and giving whatever support he can. I believe most in the body of Christ are of the same mind, but is this all that is required of us? My question to him and to everyone in the body of Christ is “What does the scripture teach?”

We have a clear picture in the story of Achan and the defeat at Ai of how just one sin can be the downfall of a people, not just of the person who commits it. The Israelites could not win the battle they were up against because of that sin, and we must realize now that neither can we if we allow sin in the camp. They were required to put the sinning one away from them and under the law, that meant death. The children of Israel could not get the victory over the enemy until they did this.

Look at how the glory of the Lord departed from Israel because Eli didn’t discipline his sons who were corrupted priests. Yes, Eli told them they were wrong, but he didn’t back up his words with action. What a horrific price he and the nation paid for this. Is it possible that “Ichabod” is written over the doors of most of our churches today for the reason that they are not dealing with sin? Does the church only talk with no standard upheld? Are we as individual members putting up with other people’s sins when we simply tell them “Don’t do it!” but allow them to fellowship with us? Do we realize that we’re touching the dead and being defiled by them?

It’s not having a “holier than thou” attitude and stance, as some may think. It’s obeying the scripture that instructs us that we are “not to keep company if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a regular, or a drunkard, or an extortioner.” Ephesians 5: 11. The Bible states emphatically: “Put away from yourselves that wicked person.” Can anything be more clear than this? Why are we like the priest Eli who put up with his wicked sons instead of putting them away?

Revelation 2: 21 reveals that Jezebel was given a space to repent, so yes, there is a space of time in which a person is to be given to change. But if people keep committing the same sin over and over again and we don’t obey the scripture to no longer have fellowship with them, we are opening a door for Satan to touch us, as well as the whole body of Christ. We are contaminated by what we allow, and like the coronavirus, we infect others and then death comes into our lives and into our churches.

The cause is that the  “fear of the Lord” is absent which is the only thing that can keep us safe…. Our young people are especially affected by our not taking action because when we do nothing but talk, they think that they can sin and get away with it. Where is the church that will do what Paul did when it was learned that a man was committing fornication with his father’s wife? When he was assembled with other believers, Paul delivered him to Satan so that this sinful one’s flesh would be destroyed. In all the many years I’ve known the Lord, I personally have never been in a church where this action was taken, nor have I been in a church where people instantly dropped dead when they lied to the Holy Ghost. 

I believe it is time that we awaken to righteousness. It’s time that the bells of holiness start to ring loud and clear. Holy is the Lord our God and He requires holiness in His people!! Do we realize that if we don’t do something about the sin that’s in our midst, we will be trodden down by the wicked? We may not be committing overt sins ourselves, but we will be guilty of sin just like a father is who doesn’t correct his child.

How we need God’s grace more than ever with boldness and wisdom to do as the Word of God has instructed. It’s time for each of us to take a stand and use the authority that He has given. It’s time for us to clean up our relationships and our land.

Can we hear the call?: The ship of holiness beckons us to man her now!