Many believers have been longing for spiritual family and have not found it. Believers have sought spiritual family relationships in the American religious system, but have not found authentic family. Gatherings of authentic families have sprung up in various locations, and the Lord is bringing ‘family’ to the forefront. He desires to gather His people into families in various regions throughout the U.S. and the nations. We cannot enter into the fullness of God’s purpose apart from spiritual family.
Mere ‘talk’ about spiritual family in congregations is not going to be the solution in these last days. The manifestation of real family is what is needed. Spiritual families will not be formed because of our ‘trying’ to make it happen. They will happen because we come into agreement with the Lord, and allow Him to form families by His Spirit. We must look inward to Christ in us, and allow His life to come forth from us. The life of Christ is what connects living stones as family. It is by grace.
The Walking Dead
Many believers have given up on the religious system and are not even meeting physically as the church. They are hungry for spiritual family, but are famished from walking along. They are walking among the dead searching for a home. The walking dead are the unsaved. The unsaved are dead in their sins on their way to eternal Hell (thus the walking dead). Ministry to the walking dead will come forth at a greater level once healthy families are established.
Those believers that are outside the religious system are walking slowly and staggering like the walking dead. Many have been “out there” wandering for a long time. They need a spiritual home to be healthy and have their thirst quenched. The time of this fulfillment is at hand as the Lord is taking action to fulfill His promises:
“God places the solitary in families and gives the desolate a home in which to dwell; He leads the prisoners out to prosperity; but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.” (Psalm 68:6 AMPC)
“Some wandered in the wilderness in a solitary desert track; they found no city for habitation. Hungry and thirsty, they fainted; their lives were near to being extinguished. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses. He led them forth by the straight and right way, that they might go to a city where they could establish their homes.” (Psalm 107:4-7 AMPC)
“He turns a wilderness into a pool of water and a dry ground into water springs; [Isa. 41:18.] And there He makes the hungry to dwell, that they may prepare a city for habitation,” (Psalm 107:35-36 AMPC)
Spiritual Homes
A spiritual home is being prepared for the solitary ones. Family is coming! Many have felt like the walking dead wandering in the wilderness near the point of spiritual exhaustion. The Lord has heard our cries and is moving to deliver us from this place of spiritual solitude. He will lead us in His clear and straight way to a spiritual city (gathering of God’s people), where we will be at home. The Lord will plant his searching people into the rich ground of ‘community.’ Our spiritual roots will go down deep in the spiritual land where we find our spiritual homes. The dry wilderness will be no more as the Holy Spirit breaks forth in pools of living water. Those who have been wandering and hungering for spiritual family, will dwell in these waters as the Lord transforms family groups into spiritual cities for habitation. The Holy Spirit will flood these spiritual cities.
Divisions
Families will not agree on everything. Obviously spiritual families should not accept false doctrines as this will destroy the family like gangrene. But as a healthy natural family does not agree on everything, yet continues in one accord; so will the Lord give grace for us to be in fellowship while seeing certain things differently. These believers will walk in maturity and love, keeping the bond of peace. The families who walk together and follow the Lord as disciples will grow together as time goes by. The Lord’s anointing oil will flow and bring unity to the body of Christ:
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil [of consecration] poured on the head, Coming down on the beard, Even the beard of Aaron, Coming down upon the edge of his [priestly] robes [consecrating the whole body]. It is like the dew of [Mount] Hermon Coming down on the hills of Zion; For there the Lord has commanded the blessing: life forevermore. (Psalm 133:1-3 AMP)
Survival
Difficult days and tribulations will bring the Lord’s people closer together. Believers will gather out of necessity for survival. The Lord will allow this so that spiritual families can be formed. Groups of believers will be forced to depend on one another as darkness increases. The darkness intends to destroy the light, but it will actually push all the little lights into groups that become bonfires. Believers will join these groups for protection, and the light will keep them safe. Those who join will learn family by revelation and demonstration from spiritual fathers and mothers. These groups will form out of the need for protection, but will grow in an unbreakable love and friendship. They will truly look out for one another and treat each other as real family. Believers will risk their own lives to keep other family members safe.
Warning
These bonfire groups must watch for wolves. We must discern those who the Lord sends from those who the enemy sends. Satan’s agenda will be to destroy these families so he can pick off the sheep one-by-one as they are scattered. Here is the caution that we must acknowledge and beware of the wolves:
““Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.” (Matthew 24:9-10 NKJV)
The wolves will betray believers and it will lead to loss of life and imprisonment in the days ahead. That is why we must be discerning and not allow just anyone to come into our spiritual families. The enemy will sabotage families if we operate in human compassion instead of spiritual discernment. We can minimize the ‘betrayals’ if we listen to the Holy Spirit and walk in His discernment. Paul warned the church of this very thing:
“For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.” (Acts 20:29-30 NKJV)
Ministry Family
The days of ministry connections without a family type relationship is over. The Lord desires to reveal Himself through spiritual family ministry relationships. In other words, ministers should not be using others for ministry purposes, and should not be seeking relationships in ministry to broaden their influence. Ministers should be working out of a growing ‘spiritual family’ relationship with one another so the Lord can get what He wants. The Lord can powerfully reveal Himself to His church when ministry comes out of ‘family life.’
The Younger Generation
I feel the Lord extending His mercy and grace to the youth or the younger generation. Many people in this category are rowing up in the world, and have not yet encountered the love of God. The end of the age is near, and the times are getting darker. Many people in the younger generation have not had as much time to repent, or the same amount of opportunities to turn to the Lord (as older generations have). The Lord judges righteously so he is going to reveal His love to the younger generation. I believe the Lord will move in power manifestations and great healings among the younger generation to get their attention. Many will experience the power and presence of the Lord and be drawn to Jesus the Savior.
The Lord is going to bring these new believers into spiritual families and quickly bring them to a higher level of spiritual maturity. He did this in the early church with a powerful release of grace from the Holy Spirit. He can easily do it again. With spiritual houses, families, and spiritual fathers and mothers in place; the Lord can safely bring in the end-of-the age youth harvest. Healthy spiritual families must be established so the Lord can lead the young generation to these houses. We must contend for this to come forth.
Prayer
Please join me in praying for spiritual families to be gathered and formed. As we come into agreement and persist in prayer, we will see the manifestation of the Lord’s will in a greater degree. May the Lord get what He wants and establish His purposes. May He gather spiritual family that becomes scorching hot bonfires of His light. Let these gatherings be resting places for the Holy Spirit. Gather your bride Lord! Bring her the measure of the stature of Your fullness. Transform her into Your image and live through her! Move in power on the younger generation! Let the life of Christ come forth to establish spiritual families.
-Ty Unruh (2023)
