Marked by God

by David Demian

A few weeks ago, I was reading in Genesis the story of Cain and Abel. After Cain had killed Abel, the Lord spoke to him that he would now be under a curse because of his brother’s innocent blood. And

“Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is more than I can bear. Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me."

But the LORD said to him, "Not so; if anyone kills Cain, he will suffer vengeance seven times over." Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. So Cain went out from the LORD's presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden. (Gen 4:13-16)

Suddenly I was struck deeply in my heart about this mark of the Lord. And I began to ask the Lord “If you can mark with Your protection a man who is running away from Your presence, how much more can you mark those whose desire is to remain in Your presence?”

Marked and Separated

In the Bible, we see that God marked His people in different ways. During the Exodus, the mark was upon the doorways to signal to the angel of death to pass over the houses of the Jewish people. In Ezekiel 9, the Lord commanded those who had grieved over the sins of Israel to be marked on their foreheads as another preservation of judgment. And in Ephesians 1:13-14 we are reminded that “having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession-to the praise of His glory."

The Sunday after the Lord began speaking to me about the mark, I was visiting in a friend’s church. The worship leader began sharing that the Lord had prompted her to play a new song that she had written some time before, but she had never played before publicly. You can imagine my shock when she began singing “Mark me Lord, mark me”. This was the whole theme of her new song.

Then a few days ago, I was earnestly crying out to the Lord and I felt like He began saying to me that there was a mark for this season that we are entering into as a church. And I asked the Lord, “How do you want to mark me, Lord, for Your purposes?” To my surprise, as quickly as I asked, He answered back, “Tell Me David, how do you want to be marked?”

I began to think of these different kinds of marks – marks of protection, marks of assurance. And I realized that I didn’t want to answer quickly, I wanted to know deeply from my spirit what the Lord desired. After some time of prayer and contemplating, out of my spirit came the answer, “Mark me, Lord, as holy unto you”.

A Holy Priesthood

Make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it as on a seal: HOLY TO THE LORD. Fasten a blue cord to it to attach it to the turban; it is to be on the front of the turban. It will be on Aaron's forehead… Ex 28:36-38

As you come to him, the living Stone-rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him- you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:4-5

The high priest in the Old Testament bore this “mark” engraved on his forehead – Holy Unto the Lord. It was an unquestionable mark of separation. And I believe in this day, the Lord is once again raising up a Holy priesthood. God is looking for a people who will offer to him their bodies as “living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God”. (Romans 12:1). How do we become a living sacrifice? When we die to our own desires and agendas and like Jesus deny our rights to make our own decisions. We commit to wait upon the Lord until He speaks, and to only do and say what we see the Father doing and saying. Then we will become true living stones that the Lord can shape into one spiritual house. And the prayer of Jesus in John 17 can be fulfilled – we will be one even as the Jesus and the father are one that the world might believe.

Marked by the Glory

As I was sharing with some friends what the Lord had been speaking to me, one of my friends shared with me this vision that she had received from the Lord in May 2000. I was amazed as I read it.

“I see an old wooden chest and someone is reaching in and is grabbing out plans / blueprints. They are rolled up on a parchment, they are very old and dusty – and the dust is being blown off them and they are being brought into the light. And as they are unrolled we can see that they are not architectural plans but a map of Canada. And it is completely outlined/covered in gold. It is shiny, radiating with light. And as we lean over to look at it, the glory of God radiates out onto our faces. Everyone’s faces are glowing even as Moses face glowed when He came down from the mountain of God. And I hear the Lord saying:

“This will be the spiritual calling card - you will permanently carry a mark of the glory of God. You will radiate and those who are called to the plans I have for Canada will see it and they will understand that you are from Me. It is a seal – I am sealing you – a commissioning, a going forth, a moving out. To those who are called, they will see the radiating of My glory and they will say, “They have been with the Lord”.

And for those who would oppose you, that same radiance will bring great fear, a fear of the Lord. For they will know, without understanding, that if they dare to touch you they are touching the Lord’s anointed. For in touching you they will touch Me and if they touch Me with unclean hands, they will feel the fire of My holy presence burning. And they will know, truly know, what it is to fear the Lord.

For this will be the seal upon my servants in these last days, even as it was in the first days. The apostles were held in great awe and esteem by even unbelievers because of the fear of the Lord that attended their words and their actions. So it will be in this day and hour – it is time for the fear of the Lord to be restored.””

Contending for the Mark of the Lord

I believe that there is a great wrestling in the spirit for the separation unto the Lord of those that He has called for His purposes in our nation at this time. As intercessors we must contend for the mark of the Lord that is going to be released on the face of the earth. I believe that this is something God has been waiting to restore to the church for many years. As with the early church, believers and unbelievers will recognize those whom the Lord has marked, those upon whom He had set His seal.

As we continue in the fast, let us press in deeper in prayer, refusing to let go so that the Lord may bring to birth fully all that He desires for the leadership of His church in this season and in particular in Ottawa at the end of March. Pray that the Lord will begin even now to divide deeply with His sword, separating the holy from the profane in our personal lives and in our ministries. Pray that the leaders will humble themselves under the Lord’s mighty hand that He might raise them up in due time, according to the working of His purposes. Pray for the Lord’s grace and mercy to be released in increasing measure as His sword is passing over our nation.

Pray that God will mark in Canada a holy people for His name sake.

"I will show the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Sovereign LORD, when I show myself holy through you before their eyes." Ezekiel 36:23