“Caliber” couldn’t understand why she wasn’t being used in the kingdom of winning souls. She was of the finest caliber, but a twitch that would come unexpectedly on her was her problem. This twitch attracted demons which would bring confusion and upset into her life and because of it, she was unable to obey her Commander’s order to “relax.”

“Where did this twitch come from?” she wailed.

“Hellfire” was the answer. Caliber did not yet know that the source of hellfire was her tongue along with the spirit motivating it.

This little allegory has been an eye-opener for me: In the natural, stress and anxiety can cause twitches in the body, but understanding what it can do in the spirit, and what’s behind it came with added insight when I read its definition in the dictionary: “A twitch is a stick with a noose at the end of it that is twisted around the upper lip or ear of a horse to subdue it.”

As a horse symbolizes power, I see the twitch as being a switch in the devil’s hand subduing and overriding God’s ruling power through man’s unrighteous anger. I don’t believe that it’s by chance that “witch” is in the word “twitch.” When we react in our flesh in anger, it usurps the rule of the Holy Spirit in us and our tongues are set on fire, even hell fire. Human force motivated by unrighteous anger is a controlling spirit, even “witchcraft” with demons, confusion and more activated through it. There is no way to relax then.

The spirit of anger, no matter how slight it is, changes the atmosphere and can affect the hearing of what is being spoken in a negative way… It is not the soil in which the seed of truth can be conceived in soul winning. God’s kingdom can’t come while man’s anger is in control.

Our pride in thinking that we can convince someone of the truth can build up steam in us with a zeal that subverts the hearing of the one we are trying to win. Contrary to what we suppose, our forceful way can not win souls. I wondered why the Holy Spirit led me to write “kingdom of winning souls” in the allegory instead of simply “winning souls,” and this understanding came: The etymology of “kingdom” is “the next world, the hereafter.” It reveals that our inheritance (nations with souls won to the truth) is next after our deliverance from the twitch…. after our entering into rest. Our bodies shall manifest the healing we have long awaited for in obeying the command to “relax,” and then finally, there shall be no dis-ease! Praise, praise, praise the Lord!

How I love the name “Caliber.” Truly, God sees us as being of the finest caliber when our hearts are right with Him, and we are called to see ourselves in this way as well, because weaknesses, habits, etc. are simply material to be exchanged for God’s glory. All praise be to God for the perfecting of His own…. for the miraculous “CROSSing over”!

Yay, through the power of the cross, we are made “Caliber” in deed!