“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” Jer. 17:9

As we celebrate the Thanksgiving Holiday in gratitude for how good our God has been to us personally and as a Nation, we are also reminded of the magnitude of the choosing of our next President. We are reminded of TRUTH from God’s Word, and the manifestation that continues to unfold of being engaged in one of the most militant spiritual time periods of The Church and Our Nation. This is yet another appropriate opportunity that is long overdue for The Body of Christ to truly come together, open up our hearts toward one another in love, humility and transparency, being truly unified as ONE BODY (Ephesians 6:12-13). The enemy loves nothing better than to play mind games with us, get us into offenses, and competitions, with one another and watch division rob us of being that mighty power that JESUS IS WORTHY OF, and HIS creation is groaning and longing for (Romans 8:19).
 
An Intensive Coronary Care Unit in the natural specializes in the HEART with Attention, Carefulness, Caution, Protection, and Treatment of THE HEART. In The Spiritual Realm, it certainly is fitting of this description as well. “Above all else, GUARD your heart, for it is the wellspring of life,” Proverbs 4:23. Scripture clearly teaches us that the real issues of life are spiritual and are really matters of the heart, the inner man. Maybe it’s for this reason the word “heart” is found so many times in The Bible. Since the heart is so important to what we think, say, and do, we each need to regularly do open heart surgery with the scalpel of The Word under the guiding hand of The Great Physician, The Lord Jesus. We accomplish this through the teaching, guiding, and convicting ministry of Holy Spirit. Like a sharp two-edged sword, The Word divides the inner man asunder to reveal the true condition and needs of our hearts (Hebrews 4:12).
 
A look at the early Church in Acts 4:32-35, 5:14-16 reveals to us the power that is manifested among The Body of Christ when unified, serving one another, and walking in love. “Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.”
 
These verses reveals what we are to model as believers. The Church in Acts demonstrated an ardent Love for Christ and then the Power of The Holy Ghost was released for the working of miracles. The result of all of these power encounters were people being healed, restored and then added to The Church. The amazing thing about this was all of this transpired while the Church was being persecuted. Oh my how far we have fallen from this powerful stance of faithfulness in the midst of persecution.
 
What must happen for us to come together and truly be THE CHURCH of JESUS CHRIST RE-PRESENTING HIM to a lost and dying world that is manifesting power and sincere unity and Love? The prerequisite for this kind of brotherly love and unity is that we all be “In Christ.” Paul states in Colossians 2:9-10, “For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.” The Church which is The Body of Christ here on Earth is a powerful entity. Purchased by His Blood and filled with The Holy Spirit is The Waring Bride, Anointed to punish and frustrate the demonic powers to remind them of their defeat at Calvary (Col. 2:15). In Ephesians 3:11 Paul gives a prophetic picture of The Church demonstrating her authority. “So that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.”  The reality of this verse has the Church projecting to the demonic realm her wisdom functioning in love, so that what ever the schemes that are arrayed against her will not prevail. She has been purchased with His Blood, destined as a victorious Waring Bride and devoted to Jesus.
 
Therefore as we reflect on this month, Thanksgiving and the urgency of the hour in which we live in this United States of America, with the Presidential Election in just a few days, the very highest that we can do in regards to giving Thanks to The Lord God Almighty is to align ourselves as HIS BODY and truly cooperate with HIM in regards to HIS PRAYER to THE FATHER in John 17:21-23. Jesus’ desire is that we HIS BODY truly become one as HE is with THE FATHER. A unified Church flowing in love and respect toward one another is HIS heart. No better way to give Thanks to HIM who is Worthy of all Praise, Honor and Glory. We encourage all of us IN HIM this Season, to lay aside petty indifferences, competitions, resentments, offense, pride, and vain imaginations and to truly humble ourselves, love one another deeply from the heart, encourage, edify, forgive, lift one another up and stir one another on towards good works (Heb. 10:24), for HIS GLORY.