TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL (Sunday 23RD May 2021)
“But I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all countries where I have driven them, and bring them back to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.
I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them; and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, nor shall they be lacking,” says the Lord.
“Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.
In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell safely; Now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. Jeremiah 23:3-6 NKJV
WELCOME TO THE 143RD DAY OF OUR YEAR OF HIGHER HEIGHTS!
The mercy and grace of our God has been the secret of our survival this year. It has not given us to the will of our enemies and all who rose against us.
If it was not the LORD who has been on our side, men would have swallowed us up when they rose against us! Satan will always plant enemies around destiny people to hinder them. However, there is a talk about enemies today that is more of a panic talk. And that is what we will be addressing today.
To start with, I have come to understand that when the Bible says we should not be ignorant of the devices of the devil, God meant we should not walk in Biblical Illiteracy of his schemes. It also implies we should not be ignorant of God, because it is the knowledge of God that puts us in victory places in the spirit realm.
Satan has used the ignorance of God in so many hearts to placed most believers in panic modes, talking fearfully about him and what he is doing or can do, and having no faith in what the LORD can do for them, even in the day of war.
If you look at the spiritual landscape of the church today, you will realize that very few people are strong in the LORD and in the power of His might. And when it comes to dealing with the enemy, we must be strong in the LORD and in the power of His might. And that comes by having an intimate knowledge of who He is.
Talking about “enemy, enemy and enemy” is a sign of illiteracy in the things of God. When you have no knowledge of God, you will be full of the spiritual ignorance that makes one vulnerable to making the enemy your greatest fear and contemplation.
If you get to the Know the true God, you will realize that Knowing God brings us to the place of having unflinching faith in Him, peace of mind, calmness of spirit and boldness to confront the enemy.
It makes the enemy too small to be made the center of a Sunday service or prayer meeting. He becomes “a thing of no concern” because it plants you in peaceful habitation and secured dwelling in the realm of the Spirit.
IT IS THE KNOWLEDGE OF WHO OR WHAT YOU HAVE THAT DETERMINES HOW YOU LIVE IN AN EVIL INVESTED WORLD.
People who know God will talk about Him or make Him their meditation; He will form the center of their conversation. Those who talk about Him or make Him their meditation, will not cease seeing His acts and amazing things in their lives. Christ will be very real in their lives.
For so many Jesus is that man of Galilee who walked on the sea and multiple bread. He is that God who gives you a miracle when you need it and does not care about how you live. To some He is a system that forgive their sins even without them repenting of them.
Jesus is so unreal in the lives of so many believers that they treat the enemy and even their pastors with fear but treat Him with such scorn. And for so many, He is unreal because they have been looking for Him in wrong places.
Everyone who have found the LORD knows that He is not a myth. He is God! It is when you look for Him in wrong places that He appears to be a myth to you.
Jesus cannot be found in wrong places so you will never see Him in a City of Refuse preachers call Church. He can only be found in places where He rules and reign as King; churches He is allowed to build and manifest by His Holy Spirit.
Our devotional text is a major prophecy that has both Historic and prophetic Consequences.
Historically, it was fulfilled in 1948 when God brought Israel back to their land. But spiritually it has been fulfilled in every Church generation. Our Church generation is currently experiencing the fulfillment of the prophecy. For instance, it is the very prophecy that is being fulfilled in the life of many souls in our ministry.
The precious souls that God is setting free in our apostolic center were in places they thought were Cities of refuge. But for some all their days in such places made them miserable sons of hell instead of glorious sons of God. And the reason for that is simple; Christ was not there! It was just the mentioning of His name that was there; the presence and glory of Christ was not there.
THE NAME OF CHRIST IN NAY CHURCH WITHOUT THE TRUE PRESENCE OF CHRIST WILL NOT SAVE OR CHANGE ANYONE THERE.
God in His mercy and kindness is going about searching for His sheep trapped in synagogues of Satan and bringing them out to green pastures. For some He is using circumstances to bring them out. He is bringing them to the refuge of His green pastures.
The Bible made it clear that when we get to the Refuge of God’s green pastures, and lie down or submit our will to His will there, Christ will become real in our lives, paralyzing the works of any avenging demon.
A major Highlight of our devotional text says,
“But I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all countries where I have driven them, and bring them back to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.
I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them; and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, nor shall they be lacking,” says the Lord.
You cannot be free indeed from any harassment of the Devil or become what God has created you to be if this prophecy is not fulfilled in your life. Contained in this scripture are basic ways God minister to His lost sheep.
When He was here physically, Jesus’ mission was to minister to the lost sheep of Israel because He was physically limited. Now that He is on planet earth spiritually, He is ministry to His lost sheep from every tribe and nation.
Now, when a sheep is lost it becomes a victim of satanic attacks.
When it is not in its Kingdom or prophetic fold, it will be exposed to all kinds of adversity without lasting deliverance. If eventually it runs into what look like a Church but not really a Church by God’s definition, it will still not be saved.
IT COULD HAVE RELIEF BUT NO REST.
The hireling (irresponsible shepherds, charlatan, false prophets and killer prophetesses and etc.) will then be exploiting it of money and all it can manipulate it to give, to have rest. But when Jesus steps in, He will begin to fulfill the Jeremiah 23:3-6 Prophecy in the life of that sheep.
“He will begin to gather the remnant of His flock out of all countries.”
What the Bible termed as “all countries” in this prophecy in simply terms, refers to nations Israel lived, but prophetically it means common religious groupings that has not redeemed anyone from eternal judgment. In other words, religious systems that do not form Christ in people.
He will gather His list sheep from them and bring them to Himself; to Churches that He sits as LORD and King over.
Sadly, religious groupings that lack the capacity to from Christ in people ,or do not treat Him as LORD and King are everywhere today, making the loudest noise and putting up the largest “man of God” signs and outlook. Their deception is causing the naïve and ignorant to be carried away so easily!
God wants His sheep in all countries gathered unto Him. He wants them established under Him as their shepherd by the hands of spiritual leaders that will let that happen – shepherds who will feed them until they get to a realm where they will fear no more or be lacking. Not shepherds who will curse and threaten them for not tithing or for leaving their empty churches.
Friend, something is happening! There is so much noise and sign post. We must rise from ignorance and start checking things by their fruits in our lives or the lives of others not by their convincing noises, claims or sign posts.
In the kingdom, it is not by claims, noise or sign boards that things are known but by “fruits.” It’s not Charisma but Character. Satan puts on an intimidating charisma when he comes to church but has no character. If you see a Christian or preacher that fits this description, you have just seen Satan in the flesh or one who have been made so by his demons.
JESUS SAID BY THEIR FRUITS WE SHALL KNOW THEM. HE DID NOT SAY BY THEIR PROPHETIC AND POWER GIFTS!
Fruits are what tells the authenticity or otherwise of a thing in GOD’s kingdom. And it is our “roots” that determine our “fruits.” That is why you must not dwell in a Church rooted in money, money, money, or enemy killing, enemy killing, and enemy killing. The fruit such churches will bear in your life will be terrible.
There will be no words to describe what your life will become over time when the fruits begin to appear on your life!
I have heard very sad stories of what the sheep of Jesus are going through under some preachers. It is clear that many so called preachers are just devils in God’s garment. People have tearfully narrated how they were tormented by those so called men or women of God simply because they freely joined and want to freely leave their Churches.
A church that is led by a spiritual leader who uses words like “I have to release you before you leave this place or else…” and other related terminologies, is not an Assembly of God but an Assembly of Satan. The statements alone show that you have not being in a Church but a cage. And your so called father in the LORD is the cage master.
In other words, you are his bird. He has been eating your eggs in form of tithes special sacrifices and offering. So until he releases you, you are not permitted to leave. Friend, what is happening in so many places called Churches today is a total mess.
What is the message of our devotional this morning? The message is simple; you do not need one more moment in a synagogue of Satan called Church any longer. Jesus is calling on you this moment. That place is not your rest. It will destroy you, some with an eternal destruction.
You must stop playing religion or holding on to positions they may have given you. Very few believers really know the manipulation they go through by the hands of preachers. It is really saddening!
For instance, so many preachers use positions of authority and responsibilities to cage and keep people in their cages called Churches. They use them to keep manipulating the people to stay in their empty churches.
So, holding on to a position of responsibility or authority in a Church that is in the Broadway that leads to eternal damnation; a church that is not giving you dominion over sin, is like a bird holding to its trap. It will soon end up in the belly of the hunter.
The real person hunting for your soul is the devil not the pastor or church. Both are just being used to keep you in the snare you call “serving the LORD.” Break from that snare and escape!
Escape to the mountain of Israel like Lot was told. Do not choose anywhere in plains else you enter perversion.
I hope you understand the word of the LORD this morning.
Child of God, there is a move of God that is pulling His own out of spiritual cages, and crowds we call Churches. The primary goal is to bring us under one Shepherd, Jesus Christ using His five fingers. Until this move is fulfilled in your life you will never have rest in life!
I pray that you do or say like Mary did and said when a word was brought to her by an angel of the LORD. She said to the angel “Be it unto me according to your word LORD.”
AGAIN, LET THIS SCRIPTURE BE AN ADDITIONAL MEDITATION FOR YOU TODAY!
“O earth, earth, earth, Hear the word of the Lord!”
And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land; I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, in the valleys and in all the inhabited places of the country.
I will feed them in good pasture, and their fold shall be on the high mountains of Israel. There they shall lie down in a good fold and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. Jeremiah 22:29 Ezekiel 34:13-14 NKJV