I have become increasingly and delightfully aware over the years, of the deep significance, the transcendent power, the all sufficiency, and the utter reliability of the glorious. most precious blood covenant that we have with Jesus. I guess what started me on this journey of understanding how deeply significant the covenant is to God and to man, was my journey of discovering God’s design for sex, in the Bible when researching for my book Sacred Sexuality. It blew my mind to discover how completely intertwined sex was with marriage. And that when a man and woman had sex for the first time in marriage, they were cutting a blood covenant that would bind them together for life. The blood covenant would be sealed because of the blood shed, when the woman’s hymen broke. Hence the significance of virginity - which contrary to misconceptions about it being an outdated Christian tradition is in fact deeply embedded in the sacredness of sex.
From there on, I began to see covenant everywhere. I saw it all over the Bible. I saw it in the old and New Testament. I saw it in every detail of a wedding day, I saw it most powerfully in the demonstration of Jesus’ unconditional love at Calvary. And that’s when the penny dropped. Wow. Wow. Wow. That was Jesus cutting a blood covenant with us at the Cross. Which is why we are called the bride of Christ. Wild. It’s why marriage and sex are likened in the book of Ephesians and Revelation, to Christ’s relationship with His church. It’s also why taking communion is so powerful - because it reestablishes the blood covenant we have with Jesus each time we break bread and remember what Jesus did for us. Similarly each time a married couple has sex they reestablish their blood covenant.
My reverence for the blood covenant which Jesus, glorious Jesus - our gorgeous Bridegroom, cut with us as His beloved beautiful bride - went to the next level when I began to take communion every day - three and a half years ago. It has had a deeply profound impact on my intimacy with the Lord. Not a day passes by without me giving thanks for the covenant we have in Him and being blown away by the awesome wonder and awe of it.
Yet it baffles me that so many believers don’t have the foggiest about the absolute importance and holy significance of the New Covenant that Jesus ratified with the shedding of His most precious blood. It’s insane. It’s also day light robbery - because if you don’t understand covenant, you really don’t understand so much of how the Spiritual Realm functions. You see, blood is a commodity in the Spiritual Realm. Jesus’ blood being the most precious blood. But blood poured out in abortion, FGM, suicide killings, satanic rituals, even trans surgery carries weight and gives satan power to advance his agenda. And blood is the most powerful commodity in the spiritual realm whether your average Joe has any understanding of this spiritual dynamic or not. In the same way, there are legalities that influence the Spiritual Realm and impact our lives and our world whether Christians are aware of them or not. They are still in operation.
Yet for believers in Christ there is limitless hope and victory because the Bible tells us that Jesus’ blood speaks a better Word. Meaning, what Jesus did on the Cross as part of His Finished Work at Calvary when He shed His precious blood takes preeminence. It’s a greater force than anything happening on earth or in our worlds. The shedding of Jesus’ blood has accomplished it all. Dealt with all the sin. Nailed it to the Cross good and proper!
In fact the word TETELESTAI which is what Jesus said at Calvary when He breathed His last breath; this means ‘IT IS FINISHED’. And this is not just a market term, and a legal term, but it is also a military term. It’s wild. It basically means our debt has been paid in full, our sentence has been served, and our battle has been one. Woohooo! That’s what Jesus did when He died initiating the better covenant with us, and rose again, totally butchering sin and death and it’s power, punishment and penalty over us!
Yet the thing is that, unless we enforce the victory of the cross and actually declare and decree the Finished Work and appropriate the blood of Jesus the victory of what Jesus did and what He has made available to us through the covenant we are in completely eludes us! Yet when we recognise the significance and power of this unshakeable covenant we are in with Jesus as His beloved, not only will be have a solid, immovable faith but we will also be able to release it power in the world around us and stand firm on God’s Covenant promises.
This is exactly what was the heart and vision behind a month long initiative in June to push back against all the sexual immorality facing our generation and to come in the opposite spirit to release God’s beautiful design for true intimacy and holiness. The gathering was called…yes you guessed it…COVENANT. And for the whole month of June during Pride Month, a bunch of hungry, praying hearts joined me along with River Church to pray over Sexuality and Intimacy and stand in the gap for this whole generation.
We stood on the Covenant that Jesus has made with His bride and we waged a war in the heavenlies night after night, we worshipped, we wept, we travailed, we laughed, we rejoiced, we declared, we decreed, we prophesied and we held on to heaven’s desires for the sexuality and wholeness of this generation. And we confessed and agreed with heaven that this generation would know true intimacy in God first and foremost and then with others. We released heaven’s love, holiness, purity, humility, wholeness, true identity and a spirit of adoption over every individual, family, region, age, background, tribe and tongue.
The month of glorious intercessory culminated in 24 hours nonstop of intercession and worship that I know that I know that I know touched God’s heart and shifted things in the Spiritual Realm as we stood firm on His Covenant with us. This was no small thing in the eyes of heaven.
I am fully convinced that hearts were turned, blind eyes were opened, strongholds were broken, captives were set free, deception was broken, lies were uprooted, hope was released, restoration came, peace was experienced, God’s glory was poured out and this generation was marked. Marked for a deeper, wider, higher, longer love then they could ever imagine. Every realm of culture was marked for purity, true intimacy, holiness and truth.
The heart of every worship leader, singer, musician, intercessor and praying heart that was willing to pray the price and stand in the gap during this time, was utterly beautiful to witness and partner with and I know that something shifted as we did this. As we stood firm on the Covenant promises of Christ because truly no matter what is happening on the outside or the inside of us, His blood truly does speak a better word. x