THE CRY OF THE SPIRIT DEVOTIONALS – BY RICHARD E. S. TAKIM

TODAY’S DEVOTION (SUNDAY 29TH MAY 2022)

“Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions.

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me.

Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight— That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge.

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me. Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me hear joy and gladness, That the bones You have broken may rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.” Psalm 51:1-11 NKJV

WELCOME TO THE 149TH DAY OF OUR YEAR OF AMAZING GRACE

I thank the LORD for the forgiveness of sin and His unending mercies. I thank the LORD for not dealing with me according to my sins but according to His faithfulness. I thank the LORD for giving me strength this morning to be alive and strong.

I thank the LORD for helping me to function In the place of my calling and giving me a word for my generation; a word that has made me a sign that is being spoken against.

I thank the Holy Spirit for helping me to understand, again and again, the rot in the body of Christ from the reactions and comments made concerning the progressive Bible truths I have taught over the years. Especially truths on the use of oil, the shofer and other Nehushtan practices in the Church. Indeed, there is so much work still to be done.

I also thank Him for the work He has already done. The number of those who believe and understand the progressive Bible revelations on the nahushtan Practices in the Church has increased significantly.

The beautiful response from the rising army of the LORD would never have happened ten years ago, or even nine years ago when we newly came. All the comments and great insights from this hidden army of the LORD gave me great joy and high hopes about the future of the Church, especially in Kenya.

I saw people with deep insights about the things the LORD has been teaching through us since we came. I saw great contributions that these preachers and their members even made foolish comments in reply to instead of listening to learn from, coming from people you will not consider part of the ecclesiastical order.

I CALL THEM “NAMELESS PROPHETS. PROPHETS FROM JUDAH”

May the work of the LORD in Kenya grow and swallow the Nehushtan spirit that is being upheld by famous preachers in the land in Jesus precious name.

You see, there are basically two kinds of believers, so long as living in the Spirit and walking in God’s fire is concerned. We have spiritually dead Christians and spiritually living Christians. You are either a dead or a living Child of God. There is no middle ground.

The dead may know the scripture, preach the Bible and even pastor Churches, but do not know what sin or erroneous teachings that upholds the works of the Nehushtan spirit does to them. They do not feel the dangerous effects of sinful deeds on their spiritual life and doctrines that enthrones the Nehushtan spirit, but the living does.

The dead are the ones that will argue with you when you show them things that are Biblically accurate. The content of their spirits is a form of godliness that has no power. They make so much noise and do all kinds of prayers and involve themselves in so much spirituality but you will never see what they do transform moral landscapes.

The worst of all is when they prophesy under. “Prophesy you say?” you may ask. Yes, prophesy because even drunkards see visions and prophesy. That is what the Bible says in the book of proverbs. In fact, the prophets of Baal are not born again or Holy Spirit filled, yet they prophesy. So, you can prophesy even when you are dead in spirit.

For instance, you will be shocked to find out that those pouring oil on the ground and blowing trumpets will tell you the LORD asked them to do that. But from the fountain of progressive Bible truths, we know the LORD will never ask any to establish what Have been fulfilled in Christ.

When I used to use oil too, I use to hear such leadings. It was when I came to the knowledge of progressive truths that I knew they were voices and visions of my own ignorant heart. The Bible made it clear that people who are dead in spirit prophesy out of their own hearts. That is one of the ways they make the ignorant believe that they are alive in Christ.

GOD SPOKE THROUGH THE PROPHET EZEKIEL SAYING;

Thus says the Lord GOD: “Woe to the foolish prophets, who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!

O Israel, your prophets are like foxes in the deserts. You have not gone up into the gaps to build a wall for the house of Israel to stand in battle on the day of the LORD.

They have envisioned futility and false divination, saying,

‘Thus says the LORD!’ But the LORD has not sent them; yet they hope that the word may be confirmed. Have you not seen a futile vision, and have you not spoken false divination? You say, ‘The LORD says,’ but I have not spoken.”

Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Because you have spoken nonsense and envisioned lies, therefore I am indeed against you,” says the Lord GOD.Ezekiel 13:3-8 NKJV

It is very possible to follow your own spirit, seeing amazing visions that God said you should do this and do that with the oil, but the LORD has not shown you anything. All came out of your lack of knowledge of the God’s progressive truths on the use of oil.

Whenever the dead in Spirit want to show that they are alive in God, they will use the oil in prayer, blow the shofer, use salt, sand, water or go into altar raising or breaking.

Yes, there are few living Christians who engaged in such things but once they are shown the right way, you find them abandoning the Nehustan practices. But the dead do not. They will rather quote out scriptures out of context without the true spirit of prophecy walking in their spirits.

I find so many walking in craftiness and telling lies about anything, committing even sexual sins persistently, withstand and resisting anything righteous, and not being interested in progressive truths, or feeling the conviction of the Spirit for their sins.

Sadly, so many Christians who are dead will remain that way because they are not teachable. A lot will become antagonistic once they come across one with a superior revelation. In fact, some of them are the ones calling corrections attacks on their spiritual fathers.

The Bible says their understanding is darkened. It is because of darkened understanding that they twist the scripture or put it out of context. I remember saying on one of my social media handles “I fear only sin not the conspiracy of the prophets.” Then one comment I read said “God has not given us the spirit of fear” meaning I should not fear sin.

BUT WHAT HE OR SHE QUOTED WAS COMPLETELY OUT OF THE CONTEXT THAT IT WAS WRITTEN.

When Paul was saying to Timothy, “God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of sound mind” he was not referring to fear of sin. I remember another person saying “the Bible did not say we should fear sin but we should hate sin”. It sounds so logically to him and every other person who may not be alive in the Spirit, but does not make sense to those who are.

If you do not fear what sin will do to you, you will never hate it. To fear means to be careful and cautious of because of the danger of. It means to dread.

In simple terms fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger or harm. If you become aware of what a life of sin can do to your eternal destiny, the very danger it possesses for one’s match into glorious destiny, you will develop that emotion called fear of sin.

You will avoid what you fear. That means anyone who do not fear sin, is ignorant of its eternal consequences on their lives, and will never fight temptations or resist a life of sin.

If you read through the life of David, after seeing what adultery did to him, he became afraid of sin, hence asking God to keep him from it. Our devotional text shows us how he prayed to God. It takes a man who fear what sin can do to him to pray to God saying;

“Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions.

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me.

Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight— That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge.

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me. Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me hear joy and gladness, That the bones You have broken may rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.” Psalm 51:1-11 NKJV

The content of this prayer shows us that David was a man who feared sin, especially after the Beersheba scandal. As a youth, he also feared sin but not as he did after the scandal. The scandal reinforced his fear for it. He prayed to God saying,

“How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.” Psalm 119:9-11 NKJV

It takes one who fear sin to pray this kind of prayer. It takes one who fear sin to hide God’s word in his heart so that he might not sin against him. David feared to sin against God as a young man. I believe that was one of the reason God choose him. He was not promiscuous as many preachers present him.

Apart from Beersheba, all the women he ever slept with, it was within the standards of righteousness that were acceptable then. It was right for a man to have concubines then and many wives, because the Spirit had not been given to help men put their flesh under subjection. It was wrong to sleep with another man’s wife or fornicate, but you can tame your flesh by marrying many women or having concubines.

God tolerated what He hated then and made sure all died separated from such life. That was why David could not touch the young woman they gave him at his old age. He became separated unto God as he prepared for his death. So, if you live today the way they lived then, hell will be your home because so much that was done then have been abolished by the grace of God now.

People do not know that grace do not permit such living. So, when it comes to matters of sin, I submit to you that it takes one who fear sin to lead a practical Christian life that upholds purity, righteousness and holiness.

THERE ARE MANY OTHERS IN THE BIBLE BUT LET US WRAP THIS UP WITH FEW LESSONS FROM THE LIFE OF JOB.

If you read Job chapter 1 and two you will realize that the man feared God and feared sin because of his fear for GOD. I have never seen a man or woman who fear God without fearing what sin can do to him or her.

Job was called righteous by God Himself. If you look at his life, he feared sin so much that he Would offer sacrifices on behalf of his children worrying that they may have sinned against God without his knowledge. He never wanted sin to do anything in his life and the life of his children, knowing the dangerous consequences of sin.

At that time Jesus had not died, so offering sacrificing for sin was acceptable. The Bible says he did all that and stayed clean all his life. Even in the midst of his trial it was his fear for sin that made him not to sin against God with his lips. He led a practical Old Testament Christian life, so to speak.

Child of God, it takes fear for sin to live a practical Christian life. That was Job and every other who are part of our Bible fathers fought every inch of the battle not to live in it.

Every true Child of God will fear what sin will do to them, that was why even Paul put his body under so that after preaching to others he will not be a cast away. If you do not fear what sin can do to you, you will be living in it and not mindful of its consequences on your spiritual life.

As we bring this to a close, I want to admonish you under God, not to fear the devil, or men who can only destroy your body but not your soul. I want you not to fear anything but God and what sin can do to you. You can only hate what you fear and put away from your life what you know can destroy your match towards a glorious destiny.

May God use these words to build you up and give you an inheritance among they that are sanctified. Amen!

MAKE THIS SCRIPTURE AN ADDITIONAL MEDITATION FOR THE DAY!

“There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil.

And seven sons and three daughters were born to him. Also, his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East.

And his sons would go and feast in their houses, each on his appointed day, and would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.

So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did regularly. Job 1:1-5 NKJV