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The fortified bronze wall that the Lord has made
Therefore thus says the LORD: “If you return, I will restore you, and you shall stand before me. If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless, you shall be as my mouth. They shall turn to you, but you shall not turn to them. And I will make you to this people a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you, but they shall not prevail over you, for I am with you to save you and deliver you, declares the LORD. I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked, and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.” (Jeremiah 15:19-21)
There are times when the Lord God calls his people to be steadfast in his decrees without having to face others. But then there are certain times in which the believer in Christ is faced with those who oppose the decrees of God. If you are one such believer who’s facing such opposition, then this write up is for you.
The Prophet Jeremiah who served the Lord of Hosts as long as he lived, dwelt in a land that was rebellious to God. For they forsook the Lord and burned incense to false gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands. Rejecting the Living God still remains a sin to this day, make no mistake about this. And the Lord God knows how to deal with those who are unwilling to repent of their sins, in case the grave sin of worshiping false gods.
Here’s what the Lord God spoke to the Prophet Jeremiah:
For behold, am calling all the tribes of the kingdoms of the north, declares the Lord, and they shall come, and every one shall set his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, against all its walls all around and against all the cities of Judah. And I will declare my judgments against them, for all their evil in forsaking me. They have made offerings to other gods and worshiped the works of their own hands. But you, dress yourself for work; arise, and say to them everything that I command you. Do not be dismayed by them, lest I dismay you before them. And I, behold, I make you this day a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the people of the land. They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, declares the Lord, to deliver you.” (Jeremiah 1:15-19)
A few lessons to learn here:
- The Lord will declare his judgement against those who forsake Him.
- Worshiping false gods is a grave sin and must be rejected at all costs.
- Your heritage and descent is no excuse for sinning.
- Don’t get dismayed by sinners, lest the Lord dismay you in front of sinners.
- When the Lord God makes you a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls, trust God, for he plans to deliver you from this evil generation.
Being a fortified bronze wall in the New Testament context is the the same as what told to the Prophet Jeremiah, but now is even about staying true to your calling in Jesus Christ when evil doers entice you sin. The Holy Spirit will teach you what to speak in that time!
Let’s read the following Words of Jesus our Lord:
“And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God. And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” (Luke 12:8-12)
Christ be with you!
Quick Reminder: Seek the truth in the Bible and not from the lying lips of man
- But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream, for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 29: 7-9)
- And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. (Matthew 24:4-5,24-25)
- Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. (Ephesians 5:1-6)
- See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. (Colossians 2:8)
- Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 )
WHAT DO YOU TELL YOURSELF EVERY MORNING AS YOU START THE DAY?
● Moses would say, “Lord, if You don’t go with us or before us, we are not going anywhere.”
● Abraham would say, “The Lord will provide.”
● Jacob would say, “I won’t let go of You unless You bless me.”
● Joshua would say, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
● Samuel would say, “Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.”
● Nehemiah would say, “The joy of the Lord is my strength.”
● David would say, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.” _and “This is the day that the Lord has made and I will rejoice and be glad in it.”_
● Solomon would say, “Trust in the Lord, oh my soul, and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your path.”
● Isaiah would say, “Arise and shine for my Glory has come.” and “No weapon formed against me shall prosper.”
● Jeremiah would say, “The Lord has plans to prosper me and not to harm or fail me.”
● Jabez would say, “Oh, that you may bless me and enlarge my territory.”
● Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego would say, “We will not bow down to any image but will serve the Lord.”
● Ezekiel would say, “Any dry bones in my life, live again.”
Choose your daily statement of faith. Meditate on it! Say it every morning…
The specific will of God for you (Part 2)
It’s vital to know what the Lord God wants you to do in life. You can’t go on aimlessly in your walk with Christ. God has a will for your life which only you can do. He has already been preparing your for it though you may not immediately see how. This is done by the enabling grace of God. He can qualify the unqualified. Remember how David was just a shepherd but the Lord made him the King of Israel. Also, how Jeremiah said he was too young, yet God still encouraged him to be his prophet (Jeremiah 1:1-7).
Even Jesus had to follow the specific will of God for him. He didn’t come on earth without a mission. He came for the salvation of the world as per the will of God.
Jesus said in John 6:38-40 “For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
If Jesus had to stick to God’s will, how much more are we to abide in God’s will for our lives? No wonder there’s a verse which is part of the Lord’s prayer which is “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). When the Apostles wanted to know how to pray, Jesus gave them a prayer what is popularly called as ‘The Lord’s prayer’ which isn’t a legalistic prayer but aptly points to doing the will of God.
Once you know the specific will of God, never back down on it. Make your life for God abide in him forever. Remember 1 John 2:17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
The Lord will enable you to specifically do what he has called you to do and will confirm it to you. I remember the words by a wise person which go on like this ‘no supernatural revelation without supernatural attestation’. At certain times of my life, I would meet men and women who I had never seen nor met before and they would say to me that I would do so and so great things for God. It was not about speaking a blessing, these people were very clearly told me the works I’d do, though by prayer only I had witness to those good deeds. No one else knew the plans of God for me but some how they knew it word for word. This would amaze me a lot. So after they would speak I normally wouldn’t get to see them again but would feel stronger in spirit.
Now you don’t need a person coming to you all of a sudden to confirm the will of God. You can get it by praying, reading the Bible, being with people who themselves have received the specific will of God for themselves (like I mentioned in one of my earlier posts).
Psalm 138:8 says that; The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.
Once you know that God has given you a good work to fulfill, be rest assured that he will see you through. He will make sure that you receive all the wisdom, provision and favour that you need to do his will. Isaiah 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’
It always about giving glory to God. A believer in Christ our Lord must not focus so much on the good works than the Lord God who is the giver of the good works. Boast not of your good works but rather boast that the Lord God chose despite your limitations. Humility is the key to doing the specific will of God in sincerity both before men and God. It’s that virtue which gives back the glory to God who first blessed you to bless others. It that thing which prevents the Devil from filling you with pride and other vices. This will save you from deception.
May you be always be humble before the Lord God in the service of people whom he chooses to bless through you. What God has given you freely, give to other freely in faith.
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Fighting alone for the Lord?
It may be possible at certain times in your life that you are fighting alone for the Lord. Your cause is to uphold the name of the Lord where someone has tried to malign his name either by words or by misuse of God given authority. However, most of the people you know won’t get into the fight as this doesn’t fit into their ‘theology’.
I’m not talking about arguments with atheists and other non-Christians. This is where you usually get support from other believers in Christ. Actually, the case here is when there is sin and heresy rampant in certain churches. For instance, a minister of the church is found living in adultery or committing child abuse and there is 100% valid and unquestionable evidence against them. Suddenly you find yourself the only one opposed to such wicked leaders of the church. No one in the church wants to take them on out of fear of being kicked out of the church or being called a hypocrite. They only want the church services to continue normally as if something never went wrong.
Why would they do so? There are many reasons. They value such leaders more than the victims and church and even God himself. Some fear being made outcasts by the Christian community they live in. Of the many reasons, I personally hate the most silly reason by some who say they don’t have the time for this. Yeah right, but they have time to get abundantly offended when atheists make fun of their wicked church leaders who are by the court of law proven to be molesters and adulterers.
Why just protest abuse? There are instances in which religious leaders steal from the church funds. Sometimes they preach blatant heresies which directly contradict the Holy Scriptures and even cast doubt on the Gospel. People try to be in their comfort zone and do not question such practices. In fact they go out of their way to protect such leaders instead of correct them. The most common excuse is ‘we need to maintain the peace and unity of the church‘. My questions to such people are “United to what, a party of evil doers?” and “Are you saying you want to allow sin so that peace multiplies?” Such people who support such evil doers will give you multiple scriptures like ‘Do not touch the Lord’s anointed‘ and ‘judge and you will be judged’, sometimes they will tell you to ‘forgive‘. But ask them back what about the corrupt leader at least leaving his wicked ways even if he is not willing to acknowledge them in public and you’ll be amazed to see their offended looks. The truth is being offended is not always the sign that they are right.
Remember this, King Solomon who allowed many idols and temples of false gods was never opposed by the people who were fully aware of the Ten Commandments. They did a wonderful job of keeping ‘peace and unity’ among the Jews. What did they get in return? Multiple invasions from foreign countries that killed and destroyed thousands of Jew, not just for like a decades but in fact for hundreds of years. At least later some prophets stood against the corruption among the kings of Judah and Israel. However, though some of the kings did repent up to some level from worship of false gods, most of them didn’t. These even killed the prophets who were sent from God every now and then. Then God allowed the evil, despotic and blood thirsty empire of Babylon to attack the Jews in Israel. The Babylonians killed more Jews than ever before at that time and then destroyed the temple of Jerusalem and the remaining Jews lived in abject poverty and slavery.
The below verses are things God spoke to the prophet Jeremiah:
- “Now, gird up your loins and arise, and speak to them all which I command you. Do not be dismayed before them, or I will dismay you before them. “Now behold, I have made you today as a fortified city and as a pillar of iron and as walls of bronze against the whole land, to the kings of Judah, to its princes, to its priests and to the people of the land. “They will fight against you, but they will not overcome you, for I am with you to deliver you,” declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 1:17-19)
- I will make you a wall to this people, a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you to rescue and save you,” declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 15:20)
If God has called to speak out against any corrupt leader in the church, firstly consider if this really comes from God, this is highly important. Secondly, tally this up with proven facts about your church leader. Thirdly, realize that not every church leader is corrupt. Finally, take action against the corrupt leaders. Speak only what is right in the eyes of the Lord God. Don’t lose your temper and be polite. Question everything that is inconsistent with the Bible.
A word of caution, avoid bloodshed or violence as this will attract the attention of the police and may even make the corrupt leaders gain undue sympathy from the people of the church who are ignorant of the leaders crimes. See if you can resolve the matter amicably with the leader, if not get a neutral person (or a higher church leader of good moral standing) to monitor the negotiations. If even that doesn’t work or its way to risky for you to meet up, then go to the law of the state and/or appeal to the Holy Spirit that you have warned them as needed and now he must take bring justice.
Now the Holy Spirit knows everything but I must say when you go the police, please have all the evidence with you in advance or they won’t consider you. Also please note that the court of law doesn’t take in case of religious heresies as they are supposed to be neutral to all religions. However, they easily consider instances of physical harm, money laundering and general breaking of the law as long as there is valid evidence or witnesses.
I want to remind you that the prophets didn’t give up on God and neither on their faith even though there were corrupt religious leaders. You pray about such people that they turn away from their sins and stop harming others. You can fight such leaders without actually breaking up the church or causing a commotion. Just because you see others sinning that doesn’t make you a holy person. Only Jesus can make you holy and pure. So keep your basic discipline in order. When you are fighting alone for God remember you are fighting for God, don’t lose the big picture. Keep your daily discipline of faith, Bible reading and prayer. Be dependent on the Holy Spirit in such situations and wait for his promptings.
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