Jeremiah 32. God is good!

4/16/08

Just want to share something the Lord showed me this morning during my quiet time -- He says in I Samuel 2:35 - "And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever." I don't want to say too much. ... in summary, God wants us to do what's in HIS heart and mind. To find out what's in and on God's heart, we have 2 direct routes to Him - the written Word and His Holy Spirit who ministers directly to our spirits. if and when we do this, He will establish us in His house forever! amen!!!!

Then as I prayed about some needs of mine, He led me to Jeremiah 32. Note the significance of the number 7 (completion, fullness, wholeness), and notice the following verses ...

Vs 7: He gave a specific word/instruction to Jeremiah - Behold, Hanameel the son of Shallum thine uncle shall come unto thee saying, Buy thee my field that is in Anathoth: for the right of redemption is thine to buy it. Jeremiah was nervous about buying the field in this literally God-forsaken place, so he prayed and found faith - he trusted in Almighty God...

Vs. 17: Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee: God heard Him and responded ...

Vs. 27: Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me? and then God confirmed/affirmed His promise of restoration - the promise which formed the basis of His instruction to Jeremiah in vs. 7, bringing the chapter full circle ...

Vs. 37: Behold, I will gather them out of all countries, whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely:

I tell you, we love and live for an amazing God!!!

This is what has been keeping me going lately ...

Methodist Hymn Book 526

O Jesus, I have promised to serve Thee to the end;
Be Thou forever near me, my Master and my Friend;
I shall not fear the battle if Thou art by my side,
Nor wander from the pathway if Thou wilt be my Guide.

O let me feel Thee near me! The world is ever near;
I see the sights that dazzle, the tempting sounds I hear;
My foes are ever near me, around me and within;
But Jesus, draw Thou nearer, and shield my soul from sin.

O let me hear Thee speaking in accents clear and still,
Above the storms of passion, the murmurs of self will.
O speak to reassure me, to hasten or control;
O speak, and make me listen, Thou Guardian of my soul.

O Jesus, Thou hast promised to all who follow Thee
That where Thou art in glory there shall Thy servant be.
And Jesus, I have promised to serve Thee to the end;
O give me grace to follow, my Master and my Friend.

O let me see Thy footprints, and in them plant mine own;
My hope to follow duly is in Thy strength alone.
O guide me, call me, draw me, uphold me to the end;
And then in Heaven receive me, my Savior and my Friend.

Amen!

Happy Easter! ... on Symbolic Seasons & days

This is a piece i shared sometime ago, and it's very relevant for today. enjoy, and be blessed!
esi

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Symbolic Days/Seasons

(Originally written in April ’07)

A few days ago, I started my morning devotion based on Acts 12:5, but kinda ended up on a journey through an entirely different territory kraa. Herod was on a harassment spree and killed James by the sword, planning to add Peter. However, there was a feast – Days of Unleavened Bread, and there were many Jews in town for the feast, so he decided the best time to ‘deal’ with Peter would be right after the feast. The focus of the message was on prayer – the earnest and continual prayer of the believers in the house of Mary. They prayed constantly for Peter, and even when the angel delivered him and brought him home, they found it difficult to believe their eyes. God hears and answers prayer, Amen!

It was during this feast that God delivered Peter. God used an existing ‘holiday’ to deliver. Days set aside by man, even if for spiritual or secular purposes can be days of deliverance for the children of God too. A lot of significant things in the Bible took place during spiritual/religious festivals. In the same way, Easter and Christmas etc shouldn’t just come and go and be another day in the life of a Christian. This feast mentioned in Acts 12 was part of the Passover celebration, and became a period of preservation for Peter. Likewise, Jesus’ conviction and sentencing by Pilate and co. ‘coincided’ with the feast of the Passover (John 18:39). Coincidence? No way. At Passover, as a symbol of God’s mercy on the Israelites, a prisoner was released, and this time around, Barrabas was the chosen prisoner to receive mercy.

At Passover, judgment crushed and killed the Son of God, and in that judgment, we found the ultimate measure of mercy through the same death on the cross. Isn’t that truth simply amazing? Learning such truths, no one can convince me that human beings invented what we know as Christianity and that it’s not real, and the Bible is a book of fables. No human being(s) could consistently unveil such mysteries in the Word. It is divinely inspired, as stated in 2 Tim 3:16. It was at a feast that Herod asked his daughter to name her heart’s desire, and she asked for the head of John the Baptist on a platter (Matt 14:12). It was at a feast that Jonathan and David inquired and saw the heart of Saul and his plans to kill David (1 Samuel 20:5). It was at the yearly visit to Shiloh where Hannah asked for Sammy and went back to dedicate him to the Lord. I bet you there are many more examples in the Bible when God moved in a special way on symbolic days.

Significant things can, and do happen on days set aside by man/God as feasts or holidays. I realize that I must start seeing such days as symbolic times during which the Lord will move His hand in my life, and specifically ask Him to do special things in my life. Sunday is a day that’s symbolic of the Sabbath, and it’s an opportunity to gain special favor and to seek special moves of God in my life. Christmas, Easter etc. should no longer be regular/meaningless days to me. Peter’s deliverance came on such a day.

For me, personally, I keep saying that I don’t ‘celebrate’ Christmas and Easter, and really … I don’t do anything special besides the spiritual – i.e. waiting on God, going to church etc. The significance of these days has been so secularized, and now Christmas is all about Santa and his elves, Rudolph’s red nose and a Christmas tree, while Easter is about an Easter Bunny and Easter eggs in a basket. Through this study, the Lord opened my eyes to the fact that even though the world has secularized such days, He continues to move in special ways during such days - for those who believe.

Something else comes to mind – going for Communion at church used to be more of a routine/ritual that I participated in at church, until one day, my pastor shared something. This was back in 1993/4 thereabout, and since then, Communion has taken on new meaning in my life. He shared how he had a stomach problem – ulcer, if I remember correctly, and one day, at Communion, the Lord opened his eyes to the truth that if he was coming to remember the Lord and eat of the body and drink of the blood, then whatever the body and blood stand for are his, so the Lord prompted him to come to the table with a specific request, and that day, he asked for and received healing from the stomach problem. I tell you – this was a revelation paa to me oh. I took that word in faith, and each time I go for Communion, I go with a specific request – I try to limit it to a max 2, with faith in the fact that God will look down and honor the faith I place in Him to move during symbolic seasons. As for the prayer topics, there are many, but I believe in focusing on specific ones at specific times, and as our faith reaches up to God, He sees and honors that faith – and Abraham believed the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness (Genesis 15:6).

Personally, I’m asking the Lord to help me in my own individual way, to have faith in Him – that He is able to do special things on special days. There is value in keeping some of the symbolic days on the Judeo-Christian calendar, and keeping some of the rituals that were common in the Christian church of old – the orthodox churches, and the celebration of days – Lent, Advent etc… In it’s proper place, practices like kneeling when one enters a sanctuary, kneeling in prayer, the burning of incense on the altar etc. can move beyond being routine rituals, to becoming symbolic acts during which we have faith that God will honor those acts and minister to us in a special way.

I’m also thinking of the flip side – even the secular holidays – that Thanksgiving for instance, can become a time of God’s special move in my life if I place my faith on the altar and ask Him to move in my life. Even Halloween can become a time when we engage in spiritual warfare against the darkness that Halloween celebrates, and ask God for specific breakthroughs in warfare. Independence Day, can be a day when we pray specifically for our nation and ask for mercy and favor, and that Ps 33:12 will be fulfilled in our nations. President’s Day can become a day to pray for special blessings for the president and other leaders – for wisdom and grace. Valentine ’s Day can become a day when we pray for vulnerable people who hardly receive or experience love – orphans, the homeless. We can use it to pray for the lonely – widows/widowers and people who’ve lost other loved ones. There are the World Aids/Earth/Water and many different ‘world’ days – we should use these opportunities as Christians to pray. In Jer 29:7>>, we’re told to pray for the city of our captivity, for in her welfare, will we find our welfare – in her peace will we find peace. If I’m to pray for the city of my captivity, then how much more the nation of my birth?

I mustn’t take it for granted that a nation like Ghana is where it is today just because we’re naturally peace-loving and violence-averse, and we’re so enlightened and all … No! It’s just grace and grace alone. No man or thing can take credit for the stability we enjoy. The ‘craziness’ we exhibit – corruption etc is of our own doing, and yet still … yet still, the Lord preserves us. So … I should take advantage of even the secularly-designed symbolic days and let them become spiritually fruitful days – this is part of what it means to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world – to pray for the nation and continent and world.

As a Christian, the church is not the only place I dwell in and must pray for – I must pray for city, nation, causes, social problems etc… My home church (LIC-Legon) does this consistently, and has taught me the importance of doing this – praying about war in distant lands, conflicts at home, social problems etc, and it’s a blessing. I believe it also brings a divine covering over the land, and over the intercessory church. Because of Christians, the world can be, and should be a better place. Because of Joseph’s godly integrity and faithfulness to the Lord, the land of Goshen was blessed even to the point of incurring Pharaoh’s wrath. Lot was blessed and preserved because of his believing uncle. Moses prayed and interceded for the Israelites several times. Lesson is simple – the world – my family, workplace, city, organizations I join, nation and world at large should be a better place because I’m in it. Salt of the Earth. Light of the World. To this end, I should take advantage of symbolic days and seasons to stand in the gap and find other creative ways of being a blessing.

I remember how people made fun of and ridiculed Christians who gathered at Akosombo to pray over the dam, and honestly, I also found it funny. Well, right before our very eyes, the water level came up. It was amazing. As a Christian, it affirmed the fact that God is interested in these things if only we’ll let Him in. Of course it’s no excuse for us to mismanage what He’s given us. It’s an opportunity for us to remember that being a Christian does not, or should not start and end inside the church. I’m a Christian on the streets, in my workplace, in my school, in my city, my market, my nation, my continent, my world and universe, and so I should pray for the various contexts in which I live.

As I thought through all these, I realized that God was telling me something – take advantage of symbolic seasons and use them as opportunities to draw closer to Him and watch Him do amazing things in my life. Extend this blessing beyond myself, and seek the welfare of the different nations, social problems, families etc I pray about. I pray that this has blessed you. Personally, I’m asking Him to renew my understanding and commitment to keeping symbolic seasons/days/times. … that Sundays won’t be just another day of service to Him, but that they will become days when I can take His Word back to Him – honor the Sabbath, and ask Him to move in my life as I keep the Sabbath by sitting at His feet and do special things in my life – give me special insight, open my eyes to some truth, bring deliverance etc etc.

I pray that this Easter will have a new meaning for us all – remembering the Passover, the sacrifice, and the resurrection, by which our faith finds wings to soar. Calling myself a “Christian” means I believe in and identify with the death of Jesus Christ, and His resurrection, and this Easter is another opportunity to affirm my faith in Him and recommit to Him.

God can take symbolic seasons/days/times and give them special meaning to us as we place our faith in Him to move in those seasons. Amen!

Esi, 0413/07(orig. date)

03/21/08

What do YOU believe?

I believe in God, the Father almighty,

Creator of heaven and earth.

and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.

who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit

born of the Virgin Mary.

suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried.

He descended into hell.

On the third day He rose again from the dead.

He ascended into heaven

and is seated at the right hand

of God the Father Almighty.

From thence He shall come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy universal Church,

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting.

Amen.

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Axis HRD Group - http://www.axishrd.com
Ogyakrom - http://www.ogyakrom.org
Blog - http://ogyakrom.blogspot.com/.
Blog - http://ogyakrom-soulkitchen.blogspot.com/

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One soul in the whole creation you do know: and it is the only one whose fate is placed in your hands. If there is a God, you are, in a sense, alone with Him. You cannot put Him off … give up yourself, and you will find your real self. Lose your life and you will save it. … Keep back nothing … look for Christ and you will find Him, and with Him everything else thrown in. Amen! (C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity; p217, 227)

A Deposed Queen

Esther – A Deposed Queen

Yesterday (Thursday, 02/14/08) I really enjoyed the message at church, and I was very blessed by it. So! I’ve dug around a little bit more on what Lady Pastor shared, and I’m adding new lessons I’m learning from it. Enjoy, and stay blessed!

The book of Esther begins with an account of how powerful and wealthy Xerxes was. As we read through this portion yesterday, I remembered a movie I saw not too long ago – 300. The movie displayed the god-wanna-be, power-hungry Xerxes extending his influence and empire all over the place. He was clad in all sorts of jewels and impressive regalia. Anyway, remembering the movie helped me visualize the account written in Esther Chapter 1. Xerxes, the king, ruled from India to Ethiopia – 127 provinces in all, and had the seat of his government in Susa, which is described as a citadel. Can you imagine this guy’s power? Wow. Read Esther 1 for the account of his wealth – using drinking vessels made of gold, each one different, the fine linens etc etc… Anyway … he had a 180-day banquet, to which everyone was invited – literally everyone (feasting for 6 whole months) came to enjoy the king’s wealth. He then had a 7-day special for those in Susa.

During this feast, Vashti, the queen also had a banquet for the women – the ‘girlfriends’ decided to hang out in her palace and have some fun. I’m sure she was there showing off to the other probably jealous women and enjoying the attention and all. Her palace, of course was given to her by the king, and she was accustomed to enjoying the greatness of the king.

Well, during this feast, he asked his eunuchs (7 of them) to ask his queen – Vashti to appear before him so that he could show her off to his guests, for she was very beautiful to behold. Here’s the picture that comes to mind – Vashti is busy showing off to the women and telling them of how she has everything she wants and how na ‘im’ be oga, and then the message comes from a king whose heart is merry with wine (in other words, drunk), to come and parade her beauty before his guests. “Na he paa! What does he mean?” she must have thought and said. While she was busy building her image as a powerful and wealthy woman, how could he seek to bring her low – make her a showpiece for his pleasure and the pleasure of his guests – all men who were probably just as drunk. He was setting her up to lose face before these women. No way! She flatly refused to go.

When the message of her refusal got to the king, he was furious. Here he was, doing what she was also doing – showing off, and she wanted him to lose face in front of all his guests? You lie bad! No way! First lesson here – pride goeth before a fall. As human as we are, and as the king and queen were, we seek to impress so much – we want everyone so see us in a particular way, and place us high up on a pedestal (whether we deserve it or not). However, in God’s kingdom, there’s no room for pride. The Ultimate King of all Himself humbled Himself to become not just human, but a condemned, beaten, cursed, disgraced human. That’s humility. Living a simple life, focusing on just obeying the will of the Father and fulfilling the purpose for which He came – that was His mission, and He fulfilled it. Compare that to the pride exhibited by King Xerxes and Queen Vashti.

One of the things Lady Pastor shared was that the queen refused to go because she did not know who she was. Think about it … if she was cognizant of who she was and welcomed and accepted her role in the kingdom, she would perhaps have responded differently. Don’t forget that this man had made her who she was – given her a palace, influence, etc etc, and much as many-a-millennium woman would balk at the slightest idea of being at somebody’s beck and call, she owed her existence as queen to him – King Xerxes. Regardless of his motives for calling her, she was still HIS queen. Given that it was not common to gain access to the king, he had indeed shown Vashti favor, but she did not recognize it. Very often, we don’t see the value of grace and favor that God pours out unto us, and we lose our position of grace and favor. If I am saved by grace, then I am called by God.

Note that before anyone could come into the king’s presence, they had to be summoned. No one could just saunter along into the king’s presence without paying for it with their lives – it was illegal (Esther 5:16). Here was Vashti, who had been called – she didn’t even have to go and beg for audience with the king. She was called, just as we are – called. While Vashti refused to go, Esther took the risk to go (5:16). This reminds me of a friend’s saying – “get-get no want, want-want no get.” Esther desired the presence of the king, while Vashti shunned it. Esther proactively sought after the presence of the king. Her very life sustenance and that of her people depended on it. This is the kind of attitude I must have towards the presence of God – desire it, seek after it, enjoy it, love it, share it … … Here, Vashti symbolizes the Jews, who rejected the Christ as the expected Messiah, and Esther symbolizes the gentiles who embraced Him. He was, and is there for all, nonetheless.

Similarly, the Ultimate King, the Creator of the Universe calls us – He wants to spend time with us, and regardless of His reasons for calling us, He IS the Ultimate King, and yet – we either flatly refuse to go; promise to go and then fail to keep the promise; go sluggishly; postpone going, etc etc. you get the picture. When God calls us, we must respond – much like Samuel hearing the Lord’s voice. Moses was called and sent, and he gave excuses aah (Gen 6:1-13). Eventually, God sent him alright, but He added Aaron to the mission, and I bet you never noticed that it was NOT Moses’ rod that turned into a snake that performed all the wonders in Egypt and possibly was what Moses used to part the Red Sea etc. Check it out – It was Aaron’s staff!!! (Gen 7: 8,15,19,20; Gen 8:5,6,16, etc ).

God calls us to spend time with Him every morning, to do godly things, to fellowship with other believers to serve Him, to love Him, and we don’t respond with the same passion with which He calls us. You know, my Q.T. this morning (01/15/08) was from Deut 7:7, which says God SET His heart on the Israelites and chose them. This means He purposed in His heart; He resolved; He covenanted; He vowed; He promised to love them, not because they were numerous and wonderful, but because He had a promise to fulfill to their ancestors. He’d called them His own, and said He would love them, so right from the Garden of Eden, He resolved to do just that. In the same way, I must RESOLVE and SET my heart to respond to His call.

To Vashti, this call to appear before the king may have seemed trivial and bothersome, but what she did not realize was that her very ‘queenship’ depended on it. Likewise, we should not despise what seem like small invitations. Someone may ask you to do something very small for them – don’t reject the opportunity – it may just be the open door to greater opportunities and possibilities. Position yourself to serve, as Christ did, and the humble service you offer in some little corner, will be the beginning of your journey to greater things. He says if we’re faithful in the little things, He’ll give us the opportunity to be faithful in much (Luke 16:10).

Vashti did not recognize the king as a source of authority over her. If we don’t respect authority, we won’t be elevated into positions of authority. Authority – whether it is our choice or not, carries a certain covering that comes from the Lord, and if we submit to that authority, we come under the covering, and the blessings He has in that covering become ours. Some of our leaders may even miss out on the blessings of the covering because they are misbehaving in their positions, but the covering is still there for us, and if we submit to the authority figures in our lives (father, mother, boss, husband, spiritual authority – pastor, national authority, other leaders at whatever level – family etc,) here’s a certain release of blessings into our lives. Blessings that are attached to that covering over that authority become ours, especially if that authority is a godly one. One of the Bible stories that has really reinforced this lesson for me is that of the relationship between Lot and Abraham. Lot was blessed because of the covering over Abraham. The Bible says the Lord blessed Lot because of Abraham (Gen 14, 19:29). Likewise, the house of Potiphar’s household was blessed because of Joseph. Having godly influence cover you means you have blessings released into your life. One may ask – what if the authority is corrupt? Must I submit to the tyrant Hitlers and Amins of this world? Give unto God first, what is His, and give unto Caesar what is his so long as you’re not trading your soul. That’s the safest response to give – quoting Christ.

Vashti tumbled from the throne. Her refusal infuriated the king, and after seeking counsel with his trusted wise men, they all decided that Vashti had to be dethroned. The reason was that she was supposed to set an example for the women, and they were concerned that if other women heard of her disobedience they would imitate her, and so she had to face punishment. Likewise, we’re called to be beacons, lights and salt unto the earth – to set a good and godly example wherever we find ourselves – whether at work, at home, at school etc, we must set good examples. People do watch us – so-called Christians whose language is full of curse words that are common in the world around us, whose attitudes, actions etc are all but Christ-like. We are called to be different – to dare to be different. The way we live – our relationships, what we think of, commit to, say, do, teach etc etc must be godly, and it will set us apart, but we must be willing to be different and not just go with the flow.

If we don’t or won’t respond to the call, the work of God will still go on without us. If we refuse to place Him where He belongs - the highest place in our hearts, minds, lives etc, He will find and raise up those who will please and serve Him. If we won’t praise Him, He’ll raise stones and little babies to do that. Nobody is indispensable in God’s ultimate plan and purposes. If God wants to save a nation, and you’re not willing to lay down your life for it, He’ll still use you in other ways, but He’ll find somebody who is willing to lay his life down, and that person will receive the consequent blessings that will result.

Especially if God puts us in positions of authority, where we are accountable for others (James 3:1), if we misbehave, in due time, He will remove us. Saul was replaced, just as Vashti was replaced. This reminds me of a lesson I learnt about 12 years ago (I actually just came across the notes of that lesson yesterday. It’s a blessing to keep notes from church etc – you never know when the lesson God needs to teach you will be readily available with all the ‘apor’ you need). Anyway … in Jeremiah 18, the prophet was sent to a potter’s house to observe something. Read up about it.

The lesson here is that God has the Ultimate plan He calls us all to. When we become like the clay that is not malleable in His hands, then we get the Alternative plan instead. He wants to make a cup and you’re not yielding, He might make a spoon instead (and He knew this would happen even before He created you, but He still gives you the opportunity). The cup was the ultimate plan, and the spoon was the alternative. God will still use you, and will still accomplish His purpose in and through your life, but as a spoon, not as a cup, which may have come with greater grace, favor, blessings etc.

Remember Esau – God still preserved him and gave him material blessings etc, but he lost his birthright and access to better things through his impatience and undervaluing of spiritual things. There are times when I don’t do what I know I’m being called to do, and even though the purpose He has for me does get accomplished, it happens with great struggle that I could have avoided. It’s like a wheel that is moving from point A to point B. if it is obedient, the obedience gets it some oil, and it is able to move from point A to B easily. If it’s disobedient, then it gets no oil, and squeaking and screaming, it will have to toil to get to point B. it’ll get there alright, but after more of a hustle. Eli’s sons were called – that was the ultimate plan for their lives, but they settled for the alternative because they were not obedient in following the ultimate plan (1 Sam 4). Miriam’s criticism of the Lord’s anointed (Moses) moved her from the realm of the Ultimate into the Alternative. Same with Samson, for whom the Ultimate life was that of a Nazarite glorifying God through his commitment, but through his falling to deception, he got the Alternative. He may have gone out with a bang (literally), but it didn’t have to be so, had he walked in the Ultimate plan (Judges 13).

Remember Michal - David's wife – she was in the ultimate, but became critical of the Lord’s anointed and would up with the alternative. Remember Lot – his looking out for himself/selfishness gave him the alternative, but he missed out on the ultimate and wound up in Sodom and Gomorrah. The opposite is true. We can move from the alternate purpose to the ultimate through obedience and godly living. Remember Joseph – what was the alternative, translated him into the ultimate because of his obedience of the Lord and his integrity. Okay, so there are soo many lessons to learn, and if I continue, this will never end, so lemme recap the key lessons from this story …

1. Set your heart to respond to the Lord’s call. Don’t be like Vashti.
2. Beware of pride
3. Don’t despise seemingly small invitations and assignments
4. Seek God’s presence with the passion, aggression and resolve of Esther
5. Obedience to the call plunges you into God’s ultimate plan.
6. Beware of being dethroned and replaced in what God calls you to do

I pray that this message blesses you as much as it blessed me!

Called to be a Watchman

Called to be a Watchman November 9, 2007

In Isaiah 59:16, God looked, but couldn’t find any intercessors for the people. Nobody stood in the gap for them. He was ready to hear and answer prayers according to His Word (Jer. 33:3), but no prayers were being offered. There are 2 qualities that must characterize intercessors – love for the people being prayed for – i.e., a heart that is wiling to stand in the gap. Standing in the gap also means that we’re taking risks for others. It’s an investment in the lives of others – a priceless investment, worth more than anything you could give to the other person.

Faith is essential. Without faith, how can you put your own needs aside and pray for others’ needs? You have to believe God for/on behalf of the people you pray for. Sometimes the Lord calls you to get on your knees for others, and each time you try adding your own topics, He steers you right back to the needs others.

When we intercede, we are filling/plugging the breach in the wall (Ezek 22:30). A breach in any wall means a covering or protection has been broken – outsiders can see what’s going on within the confines of the wall. When we pray, we place ourselves in that breach - we become part of the wall or covering for the people we intercede for. Being part of the wall has implications – it means serving as a covering. When Moses and Abraham interceded, they stood in the gap and served as a covering for Lot and for the Israelites. That covering shielded them from God’s judgment, and the blessings that God poured into Moses and Abraham’s lives became theirs too. Lot lived/walked under the covering of his uncle. Minus that covering, who knows what would have become of him?

Being part of the wall also means being positioned to receive attacks. You’re like part of the wall of Jericho – attacks will come from outside, so you have to be prepared for those attacks. One image that comes to mind is the ancient castles where the top was open, designed with gaps in the wall for soldiers to hide in and look out from there, or launch arrows from there. Being part of the wall is an advantage – you not only protect, but you can launch attacks from there.

Intercession is a high and sacred honor – you are getting in sync with the resurrected Christ and the Holy Spirit – joining them in their prayer ministry. Rom 8:26 tells us that the Spirit intercedes on our behalf in groans that words cannot express. Heb 7:25 also says that Christ lives forever to plead for us. God rules through the prayers that rise like incense to Him and cause Him to move on behalf of men. Jesus’ work as a priest covers the past, present and future. He lives on forever to intercede – that’s His purpose forever – to intercede for those who come to Him and are called by His name.

Christ’s intercession is deeply personal. He interceded for Peter before the betrayal. His intercession is what caused Peter to indeed become the rock on which the church was built. He knew Peter’s weaknesses well enough o say a personal prayer for him. The best person to pray for me is Christ Himself because He tailors His pleadings to cover my weaknesses, and since He sees into the future and knows all things, His prayers will cover my past, present and future.

Isaiah 62 talks about watchmen who are called to pray – as sentries set on the wall. Intercessors are not only gap/breach fillers, but they also serve as sentries. What does a sentry or watchman do? A watchman protects – he goes on the offensive when threats come near. It’s the watchman who will first spot the danger that is approaching.

1. The watchman must have spiritual eyes first of all, so that he can see the enemy approaching. My life as a watchman means that I must be spiritually alert/sensitive so that I will be able to see and identify threats. This will make the work easier – prevention is easier and better than cure. The more I see, the better I can strategize and counterattack. Ever heard of a blind watchman? How will he ‘watch’ if he can’t see? Without spiritual eyes, it is impossible to be an effective watchman. You could rely on other senses – hearing, smell etc., but you’ll be severely handicapped in carrying out your work.

2. A watchman must be armed. If there’s no ammunition, then what’s the point of facing the enemy? If you can see your enemy approach and you’re not equipped to fight back, then you’ll surely be defeated or will have to run and hide. Defense alone will not bring victory. When you see the enemy approach, you must be able to launch an attack too. As a spiritual watchman, your weapon is the Sword/Word of the Lord. I must have the Word in me and be prepared in and out of season to fight with it as Jesus did in the wilderness when the devil faced Him. It means that I must make a very conscious effort to study and know the Word. What use is it to have a weapon in hand, but not know how to use it? I’ll probably hurt myself with it if I’m not careful. I must not just have the ammunition, but must know how to use it. When the enemy comes in like a flood, I can raise the Word against him.

3. Every good watchman must be trained to protect. As an intercessor, I must also go through practical training – training where I myself have learnt to pray on my own as an individual, so that I know what it takes – it takes earnestness, faith, love, etc …. I’m supposed to know about keeping watch because God has taken me through personal watches, and through this training, I will be able to recognize the enemy, know which weapons to use etc… Training instills discipline – I must grow to the point where I pray whether I feel like it or not, whether I have personal needs or not; whether somebody asked me or not etc … it all takes a lot of discipline.

4. Watchmen wear uniforms. My uniform as an intercessor is described in Ephesians 6. I must be covered from head to toe in order to be fully protected from the darts of the enemy. The uniform not only protects, but it also identifies me in the intercessory role. A spiritual watchman, like the soldier who is out there fighting a battle specific to time and place etc., must be ready at all times. A soldier may be trained and sent to war – for a specific purpose. Those who serve as sentries may not have specific/targeted times of warfare/battle, because the thief can strike at any time, so the watchman must be prepared in and out of season. If we’re protecting self and others from the one who comes to steal, kill and destroy, then we must be ready for sudden attacks.

5. A watchman sounds the alarm – Ezek 33. If I’m a watchman who sees the threat and cannot relay the message, then I’m of no use. I must be able to tell those involved. If and when the Lord reveals something, I must send the message on, or else the blood of those I am supposed to warn will be on my hands. The blood of Abel spoke, and if I don’t warn as I’m told, the blood of people will speak against me.

6. The watchman is most needed at night. In the daytime, many people can see, and so many take care of themselves or each other. At night, most people are fast asleep, so the watchman cannot afford to sleep. If there’s a time the watchman is needed the most, it is nighttime. In an age where the body of Christ seems to be asleep, dulled by the elements of this world, and surrounded by spiritual darkness, watchmen must rise up. The subtle, unscriptural influences such as the New Age viewpoint have infiltrated our camp, and this prompts alertness on our part. The work of the intercessor is most crucial at night, but it’s a 24/7 job that must continue even in the daytime.

7. The watchman serves as a liaison between God and man. God expects the intercessor to give Him no rest – be persistent in prayer and not give Him any rest UNTIL He answers. We’re given the permission to harass Him – keep reminding Him of His promises until He moves. Like the watchman who sees attackers coming, I must summon help from a higher source – like calling 911 or the security company for help. If my co-intercessors are the Risen and Living Christ and the Holy Spirit, then there’s nothing the Sword of the Lord and my sword cannot accomplish (Judges 7:20)!

James 4:10 - Humble THYSELF ... ...

August 21, 2007

Rhema! It’s been quite a while since I shared my quiet time. The silence on my part does not mean God has stopped speaking. God has been soooo good to me, and I can’t tell you how much He’s been blessing me and taking care of me, in spite of all my ‘ahomtsewness’/ (troublesomeness if you can’t read fantsenglish). He’s opening my eyes to see some hidden truths in His Word. I’m back from Ghana, and rather than go on and on and on passionately about how much my heart desires to move back and the hope I see for that nation even amidst our craziness and issues, lemme share my quiet time this morning. As for Ghana, we’ll tackle that another day – God preserved me immensely with traveling mercies – He delivered me from a car accident … long and short is that while crossing a side-road at Gomoa Budumburam, I was looking down in order to avoid a gutter, and all I heard were screeching brakes! By the time the driver stopped, I had my hand on the hood/bonnet. God is good allllll the time. This was just a small peek into how He preserves me oh – I can’t imagine the number of accidents, people and situations He delivered me from, where He didn’t even show me what was going on in the spiritual realms oh. Hmm. You know, if He were to open our eyes to see the wars that rage in the heavenlies … we’d die of awe and fright, I tell you. Hmm. God is good!

James 4:10 - Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up

This is a verse I know, and have filed away somewhere in my mental cabinets. This morning, the Lord retrieved it and gave it life and light (Ps. 119:130). As I read the verse over again, I got the message – I’m not supposed to sit and let other people, life’s circumstances or anything else humble me before the Lord – I’m supposed to humble myself; raise the sword of Esi and of the Lord to get this accomplished (Judges 7:20).

In the presence of the Lord, there can be only ONE person who is rightfully exalted, and that is the Trinity – Father, Christ and the Holy Spirit. Only the divine Trinity is supposed to take all the glory and honor, so there’s no space or place left for me or any other thing to take glory. If I don’t or can’t humble myself in His presence, then I’m doomed! If I can humble myself in the sight of men and when I’m around authority figures and influential people I’m able to humble myself, then HOW MUCH MORE JEHOVAH GOD?!!! Ei! If I will take a lower seat than a human being because he or she is in a position above me, or will salute another, call them by all sorts of titles and make them feel their power and authority, then HOW MUCH MORE JEHOVAH ELOHIM Himself? Before the creator of the universe, I can’t but show reverence and humble myself before Him. I have no excuse or reason to do otherwise.

God is everywhere, so if the verse says I should humble myself in His sight, or ’before Him’, then I must humble myself at all times in all places etc, with my eye and mindset on the presence of God. Since the Lord cannot be seen physically, then it means that I must be very aware and cognizant of His presence in, with and about me all the time and stay humbled by His awesome presence. If He is around and within me all the time, then I must do right all the time, for in His presence, there can/should be no darkness. Being humble means that I first of all recognize who God really is, and who I really am, and that discrepancy should make and keep me humble. This realization should make me exalt Him at all times and put Him in His rightful place of supreme honor. Then, I have to do some real, hard work – humble myself.

Human nature is prideful on its own – it needs absolutely no help to lift itself up. We naturally want the spotlight, or want some praise even if it’s covert, and want to outshine others etc etc… that all natural. However, I’m not to walk in the flesh or be carnal even though I am a natural being (Gal 5:16). I’m to operate at a higher, supernatural level – meaning that my human nature cannot co-exist with the nature of God, so my nature must give way and succumb to that of God. I must not be controlled by my carnal mind or desires, but I must be controlled by the Spirit of the living God (Gal 5: 24&25). It’s going to take a huge effort from me because my spirit does not bear the nature of God’s Spirit unless He imbues me with His nature. He sanctifies me by His Word (John 17:17), and gives me the righteousness of Christ (Phil 3:9). However, after/beyond salvation, I’m to grow in my relationship with Him – work out, iron out, stretch out, build on my salvation with fear and trembling (Phil 2:12). Paul says that he beats his body into submission, just as an athlete does (1 Cor 9:27), but even more importantly, we must bring our whole being into submission – my mind, my body, my heart, my spirit, my soul, my desires, my will etc etc must all be subject to His authority. I must humble myself, yes. However, I must realize that I cannot do it based on sheer ability. If I try to humble myself using my own strength (forgetting that there is none ‘good’ – that I have no natural goodness in me to accomplish this feat), I will surely, most surely fail and even generate an anti-humble and prideful nature because I will be leaning on my own arm. On the other hand, if I sit back and ask God to do it alone for me, I become a spiritually lazy liability and I either suffer from stunted growth or death. Instead, the battle cry God gave to Gideon must become my battle cry too – the Sword of the Lord, and of Esi!!! It’ll take these 2 swords to experience any kind of victory.

All that said, my very first step toward humbling myself is by desiring it. Unless I desire to be humble before Him because I realize who HE is and who I am, I will not be diligent in any effort to humble myself. Once again, I am to humble myself before Him - not that other people or circumstances should do that for me. It rests on my shoulders, and once I realize that the burden is too heavy for me, I carry it and give it to the one who created me and who can help me with the burden. *** This desire is the Sword of Esi – I must have the desire to be humble before Him, and I must recognize that desiring humility because of my human nature will not come naturally, so I must necessarily depend on the Lord even for that desire.*** The Sword of the Lord – His sword/His part in this battle is His planting of that needed desire in my heart. He gives it because I don’t have it and can’t conjure it up in any way, so His part is to deposit that desire in me (Matt 5:6).

The second step in humbling myself is to live it out in practical terms. This is equally difficult because human nature is like bofrot in oil (if you don’t know what bofrot is, just think of a ball in water). Bofrot in hot oil will rise to the surface no matter what, just as a beach ball cannot be kept under water – it will find a way to rise to the top. This is my human nature, and so I must make the effort to keep it down. How will I do this? Judges 7:20. The sword of the Lord and of Esi!!!

***The sword of Esi gets to work when I see or find myself in situations where pride, rather than humility surfaces. When I’m in situations where I have done well in comparison to others, or where I am at fault and do not want to accept it, in situations where people are giving me accolades etc, or in situations where in my head, with nobody knowing, I think I’m the best thing that ever happened and have all the answers … in all these instances, I must (1), recognize pride. I must remember Christ and His humility, and ask myself how Jesus would be, and what Jesus would do in my shoes. God is everywhere, so I must ask myself if I’m fulfilling James 4:10 before Him. Secondly, I must ask God to remove pride and keep me humble – this means that prayer and talking to God must be intimate and constant. This is the sword of the Lord – were He steps in, and through the power of the Holy Spirit, He empowers me to stay humble because He sees the desire for humility in my heart (Ps 37:4, Matt 5:3, 5, 6).

Personally, I have learnt to whisper to God “hide me Lord”, whenever I’m in a situation where I see myself wanting the spotlight, or where I’m being given the spotlight. I have to go to Him and ask Him to hide me in Him so that when people look, they will see Him, not me. Hiding in the hollow of His hand so that He gets the glory, and I get the grace that’s given to the humble.

Once I humble myself, … let me rather say – once We humble me, then, and only then will He lift me up. You see, when we think of the latter part of this verse, we think of material or physical promotion, but we must remember what God says in Matt 6:33 and Luke 9:25, and realize that there is a higher level of promotion or of being lifted up, and it’s spiritual. When I humble myself with the help of the Holy Spirit, God will grow me spiritually and cause me to increase. He will move me to another level, as He promises in James 4:10. In my life, and from God’s perspective, the spiritual always comes before the physical, mental, material etc etc…. The Lord promises to elevate me spiritually and grow me in the stature and likeness of Christ (2 Peter 3:18, Eph 4:11) – He’ll make me stronger and more like Himself (Matt 5:48), and that is the elevation and the promotion and being lifted up that I should look forward to as a reward. He may choose to lift me up in the natural or physical sense – giving me favour in the eyes of mortals, giving me a larger territory and authority, influence etc etc… The important thing is to stay focused on Him and on what He’s doing in my life spiritually so much so that I don’t even pay attention to or notice what He’s doing in the natural realm, and by the time I realize, I’ll be soaring at levels I never dreamt of because I have kept my eye on Him and have humbled myself before Him. Amen!!!

Ruth, Naomi and Boaz - new lessons from an old trio

October 2006

I just finished having my morning devotion on the book of Ruth, and maan! I have learnt so much. Whenever we read the book of Ruth, we focus so much on Ruth and her devotion to Naomi etc. etc, but today, God drew my attention to Naomi and Boaz as well, giving me insights to their personalities and characters as well. Through the book, themes of devotion, integrity etc. are rampant, and it’s not just about Ruth alone, but also about Naomi and Boaz.

How we serve others also determines how others serve us – Naomi followed her husband to another land when the famine came. She humbled herself and followed the head of the family to the land of Moab – her following him also was a way of honoring her husband – submitting to the head. She followed in humility, and this is the same thing that Ruth did in return – as Naomi followed in devotion, Ruth also followed in devotion. The seeds of humility that Naomi sowed, she reaped in Ruth’s humility and the eventual favor and restoration they both experienced from God. We often elevate the beauty of Ruth’s character above everyone else’s, but Ruth was actually a reflection of Naomi, and so the beauty of character should be seen in both of them. Ruth was a gentile, but that did not stop her from faithfully following and serving God, and that did not stop God from loving and accepting her either.

Naomi actually set out back to her home country with the two women, and then she figured that she had to give them the option to return to their own families. This must have been tough for her to do – she didn’t belong in Moab, and she did not know what she’d find when she got back home, so her source of companionship and the people she’d come to know were Ruth and Orpah. Taking the risk of asking them to turn back and then continuing her journey home all alone and being lonely must have been a tough move to make. When you marry, you marry a family, not just the individual, and in societies like ours, where the extended family is part of the package, that’s what happens – you take them all (the good, the bad and the ugly ;-).

Anyway, the difference between Ruth and Orpah is this – Orpah took Naomi as a mother-in-law, and the connection between them was the son. When the son fell out of the picture, there was no direct tie, so it was easier for her to walk away. In the case of Ruth, she took Naomi not just as a mother-in-law, but as a mother, so that even when the son fell out of the picture, she still had a direct connection to the mother. This made it easier to follow – she was following not her mother-in-law, but her mother. If you’re a married woman with a mother-in-law, begin to see her as your own mother. Even if she’s tough to deal with, remember that your own mother also has issues, but you still accept her and deal with her. If you start seeing your in-law as a mother, then no matter how tough it is to deal with her, you deal with her as you would deal with your own mother. Since I’m not married, perhaps it’s easier for me to say, without knowing how tough that can be. All I can say is God grant me the grace so that when my time comes, I’ll be able to practice what I preach. If you’re in the in-law situation already, pray for grace to see things through Ruth’s eyes – take your in-law as your own mother, and relate with her as you would relate to your mother. Remember though that since the tie between you is not natural/biological like it is with your real mother, then you have to work at it – put in the effort to make it work.

Conversely, if you’re somebody’s mother-in-law, or you’ll be one in the future, be like Naomi – love and accept her not as a daughter-in-law, but as a daughter. The character of Naomi is really downplayed whenever the story is discussed, but as I read, I thought … … wow! For Ruth to love this woman and be willing to detach herself from her own family and follow her into a foreign land, Naomi must have been a great and exemplary role model! She must have been a woman of faith, one who through her own life showed what it meant to be a good wife, good mother and mother-in-law as well. Ruth was ready to follow Naomi’s God – meaning Naomi’s faith was not hidden – she was a living testimony of God’s power and presence. She wore her faith on her sleeves, and probably lived it out, so she was attractive to others including Ruth – when they looked at her, they saw her faith and her God. This is how our lives should also be – living testimonies that God is real! Naomi was bitter against God, but she stays committed to her faith throughout the story. Even in her bitterness, she was still a living testimony.

Ruth was an initiative taker! She took the initiative to follow Naomi, and when they got there, her hardworking self could not sit idle, so she took the initiative to ask Naomi if she could go and glean after the reapers. Her hard work paid off, and it brought her to the attention of Boaz. She didn’t go out there to impress anyone or seduce anyone – she was just moving on with her life and going about her business when God revealed her to Boaz. In humility, she bowed at his feet, wondering how she’d caught his attention. The seeds of interest were being sown.

Lemme move off Ruth’s case and look at Boaz. He was a remarkable man, though in many studies of this story, he’s kinda neglected. Boaz recognized Ruth’s character, and honored her verbally – he was aware that she’d left her own and had committed herself to a new family, land, people etc.. Most importantly, he recognizes the greater and more important aspect of her devotion – she had left her people to seek refuge under God’s wings (Ruth 2:12). A good man of faith recognizes the deeper spiritual purpose of mundane, physical things. Listening to how he talks to his reapers, and how he shows favor to Ruth, I see his generosity, and how he shows respect for his workers. They all sit down to eat together, he instructs them to show favor to Ruth as well. Now that’s a man with character.

Ruth’s devotion to Naomi wasn’t show only in the fact that she followed her home – when she was invited to eat with Boaz and his workers, she thought of her mother – she ate, and then took some ‘take-away’ for Naomi as well. It’s a minor detail, but it gives consistency to Ruth’s character. Their love and concern for each other was mutual. In chapter 3, we see that she considered Naomi trustworthy enough that even though she gave her weird directions to follow – go and lie at Boaz’s feet etc, she followed the directions without question. Once again, her humble nature is revealed. The plan was not for her to go and seduce Boaz – Naomi was taking the initiative to deliberately draw Boaz’s attention to Ruth in a proper way (see how both she and Ruth are initiative takers? Like mother like daughter). Ruth’s character was seen by people around her – in chapter 4 when she gets pregnant, all the women rejoice with her, acknowledging that she’s worth more than 7 sons, and this is something they also tell Naomi – that she may take comfort in the fact that though she lost 3 men, God has replaced them with 1 woman who was worth every bit of it. Wow!

To uncover a master’s feet and lie there was something servants did to show humility. Boaz, being a good man, recognized a good woman when he saw one. According to my Bible commentary, it was also a way of her asking him to ‘redeem’ or ‘claim’ her or find someone else to do that (will explain later). He appreciated the initiative, and was honored by her humility. In turn, he honored her verbally (this is one thing I like about Boaz – affirming what he saw and honoring Ruth verbally – he spoke good things into her life). He expressed his appreciation for the fact that after losing a young husband, she could have gone showing interest in a young, rich man, but instead, she had followed Naomi’s counsel and had looked beyond age to look at character. Naomi (and consequently, Ruth) looked beyond the transient things, and was focused on character, and this is what made Boaz worth considering. Naomi wasn’t merely hooking Ruth up with Boaz – in her wisdom, she was capitalizing on the interest Boaz had already shown in Ruth – she was not blind to the fact that his show of favor was a sign that he was interested.

Boaz was a good man – a man of integrity like Joseph (the husband of the virgin Mary, mother of Jesus) – he wanted to do what was right by Ruth. He recognized her as a woman of virtue, and like Joseph, who didn’t want to disgrace Mary, he sought to honor her. Ruth was a living beacon, and her light shone before all men according to Matt. 5:16 – wow, what a testimony! Boaz saw this, and wanted to do right by her. In a relationship, it’s important to honor each other – verbally, physically, etc… it’s important that the husband and wife honor each other – do things for the other, and let their actions say “ I love you, I value you, I recognize the good things in you, I love what I see, you make me proud, and I honor you’. After lying at his feet, Naomi counseled her that they should stay put and let the final move come from the man. (even though you may see him and make some moves to ‘help’ him, you must preserve his ego by letting him make the final move and letting him feel that his own arm brought him victory. Hehehe. Massage his ego small, and be happy that this way, you’re bringing him honor).

Chapter 4 was more difficult to understand, but thank God for grace and understanding. Lemme tackle it in a non-confusing way … first of all, since Naomi was a widow with no sons, she and her husband’s estate had to be redeemed/claimed by the closest kinsman – her husband’s closest relative. Apparently, Elimelech had an estate/property that was being offered for sale or had already been sold ‘cos he had no heirs. Now that his family (Naomi) had shown up, a close relative had to take over the estate and family as well (according to some Bible commentaries); a close relative was needed to claim it. Boaz saw this opportunity and wanted to take advantage of it. He was interested in redeeming this estate because along with it, he would get Naomi and Ruth. Since Naomi was too old to bear children to take over the estate, Ruth would be the one to produce heirs instead.

Boaz being the man of honor and integrity that he was, wanted to go about things the properly and do right by her, and so he called a meeting and called the man who was the closest relative to Elimelech to come and declare his intentions – whether he wanted to redeem the estate or not, since he was the legitimate ‘redeemer’ of the estate. Boaz applied wisdom in his dealings – first, he made sure he had witnesses; he also took a risk, applying wisdom to the risk. He was asking this close relative to take the estate if he wanted it, which would include both Naomi and Ruth, and it was going to be a loss if the relative took it, and that’s a risk he was willing to take – Ruth was worth it to him, and if he was going to marry her, he was going to do it the right way, and much as I’d say it was a risk he took, it was also a step of faith, and God honored the risk/step of faith. Well, unfortunately for him, guess what, the relative decided to take the estate! I bet his heart and countenance fell, but he came up with a last plan – he needed to get the woman who was worth all the trouble, so he came up with a response to the relative – he reminded him that whoever was going to take over the estate would have to take on Naomi and Ruth as well. This made the relative pull the breaks and say that he couldn’t take this package – the financial burden of the estate and the two women would be too much for him to bear, so he decided to let that cup of responsibility pass over him. This made Boaz the next legitimate relative in line to take over the estate and the women. Although this seems as though the women were being treated as property passed on from one to the other, the purpose as custom demanded, was to ensure that they were taken care of, and there was also the possibility of having heirs to Elimelech – that his lineage would continue.

In this risk/step of faith, God could have let Ruth slip away into another man’s hands, but His reward for her faithfulness and devotion; his restoration of joy and hope to Naomi and His answer to her bitterness; and lastly, His reward to Boaz for his integrity were all wrapped up in the Boaz-Ruth union, and he wouldn’t let that pass away. What He had purposed was bigger than any of them could imagine. In Naomi’s mind, God had shown her favor again, giving her a grandchild to lavish her attention on – a sort of restoration of all the men she had lost (husband and 2 sons); in Boaz’s mind, he had found a good woman that he would honor, and to Ruth, she had found a real family at last, and had been blessed with a child. In God’s mind, and according to His plan, He had found the root that would yield Obed, Jesse, David, and after that, the Messiah! Wow! What God has in mind, you may never know, but it is for greater and grander things – much more than we can ever imagine!!!