TODAY’S DEVOTION (THURSDAY 3RD OCTOBER 2024)
“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 277TH DAY OF OUR YEAR OF IMPACT.
Glory be to God for keeping us alive and granting us another day. Day unto day He has been showing us mercy.
Yes, His grace and mercy have 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!
One of the major blessings God bestows on His own, is the blessing to have a table in the presence of our enemies. The blessed of the LORD are usually surrounded by the LORD’s host, most times to protect us from the evil one and his host.
We give God the glory for all that.
Today we want to look at certain truths that will be of great help to us. Life is not designed for us to live in panic modes. There is this talk about enemies on the lips of many that is more of a panic talk. It has made the enemy the attention of the lives of those who do, instead of God.
So many do not know who is for us, hence operating in fear of who is against us. Satan has used our ignorance of God and placed most of us in panic modes, resulting in us talking fearfully about him and what he is doing!
You see, talking about “the enemy, enemy and enemy” is more of a sign of illiteracy in the things of God.
Knowing God exhumes peace, calmness and boldness from a man. It makes the enemy too small to be made the centre of a Sunday service or prayer meeting. He becomes “a thing of no concern”. People who talk about God will not cease seeing his acts and amazing things.
FRIEND, JESUS IS REAL! 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; because you will never see Him.
The story that surrounds His resurrection teaches us that 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 Churches that do not operate as money making machines, metaphysical cults, social clubs, and etc.
Those are the kind of Churches that functions as His Cities of spiritual sanctuary or refuge today; and not just refuge but salvation, sanctification, and transfiguration.
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 fulfilment of this 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 centre. We are a spiritual anti-type of the cities of refuge that existed in Bible days.
The Bible teaches that there were natural cities of refuge in Bible days, which is a type of church rooted in Christ in our days.
Just like it was in the type and shadow, so it is with the anti-type and substance, when you get to a City of Refuge, every avenging demon in your life will no longer hold you sway. So, when you worship in a church where Christ is, you will be delivered from the works of your enemies without sowing a seed, raising an altar, breaking a pot, and etc.
You will be seeing the Jeremiah 23:3-6 prophecy manifesting in your life. A major Highlight of the 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, IS ONE BEAUTIFUL WAY GOD MINISTER TO ANY SOUL THAT RUNS TO HIM FOR HELP.
First of all, when a sheep is lost it becomes a victim of satanic attacks. When it is not in its fold, it is exposed to all kinds of adversity without 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 might have relief, but will never have rest, and the hireling will then be exploiting it of money and all it can.
But Jesus said “I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all countries.” What the Bible termed as “all countries” in this prophecy is in simple terms, countries or cities of spiritual refuse with the outlook of a Church that people do run to for help.
Now, don’t forget, God will not gather everyone who is in wrong places called churches, out of there to their own fold. Prophecy said it’s His People He will gather. He will not gather the seed of the evil one.
Meaning, assemblies of wickedness will never lack followers. There will be those who are not the seed of God. Souls who have been sealed not to follow the LORD. They will always be in the synagogues of Satan, no matter what. But every seed of GOD, people whose hearts are pliable in His hands, will be rescued from the synagogues of Satan.
However, the word of the LORD must get to them before they can be rescued.
Sadly, synagogues of Satan are everywhere, making the loudest noise and putting up the largest “man of God” signs and outlook; causing the naïve and ignorant to be carried away so easily! But God wants His sheep in all countries (Churches) that are merely synagogues of Satan 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 them for not tithing or for leaving their churches.
NOT PREACHERS WHO WILL THREATEN THEM NOT TO LEAVE THEIR EMPTY CHURCHES!
Friend, something is happening! Every soul is getting close to their individual end. It does not matter if you are rich or poor. We must rise from ignorance and start checking ourselves by our fruits not by our noises, claims or sign posts. We must check if we have the fruits of righteousness.
Fruits are what tells the authenticity or otherwise of a thing in God’s kingdom. But it is “roots” that determine “fruits.” That is why you must not dwell in a Church rooted in money, money, money, altar raising or silencing, 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 these terrible churches are through with anyone.
I have heard very sad stories of what the sheep of Jesus are going through under some preachers that are simply devils in God’s garment. People have tearfully narrated how they were cursed and given few days to live simply because they freely joined and want to freely leave a Church.
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 cult terminologies, is not an Assembly of God but an Assembly of Satan.
The statements alone show that you are not in a Church but a cage, and your so-called father in the LORD is the cage master. In fact, you are the bird.
I reiterate again that if the belief is, “until he releases you, you are not permitted to leave,” then you are not in a Bible based Church, but in a charismatic witchcraft.
What is the message of our devotional this morning? The message is simple; you do not need one more moment in a City of refuse you call Church.
There is a move of God that is pulling His own out of spiritual cages, crowds or cities of refuse we call Churches. The primary goal is to bring us under one Shepherd Jesus Christ. Until this move is fulfilled in your life as a Child of God, you will never have rest in life!
LET THIS SCRIPTURE BE AN ADDITIONAL MEDITATION FOR YOU TODAY!
“O earth, earth, earth, Hear the word of the Lord!” Jeremiah 22:29 NKJV