Remove And Replace Those Shoes

       The Church over the years has grown and is growing in leaps and bounds. The Bible has been interpreted into numerous languages and many more interpretations are on the way. We are witnessing awesome moves of God over nations and peoples as the DAY draws nearer. In spite of the moves of darkness to silence the voices of the saints, our voices are ringing out the more. For this reason, many are coming to Christ in hundreds and thousands even in lands that had hitherto been shut to the gospel of Jesus Christ. On the flip side however, so has persecutions increased to unprecedented heights. The Body of Christ has been called unprintable names and has become the target for annihilation. In fact, some believe that persecuting and killing Christians is a great service to ‘God’! This is not strange; the Lord warned us that all these happenings will take place before He comes; so we must not lose heart or be discouraged. 

      As it was during the days of the children of Israel in Egypt, the Lord has seen and acknowledged the pain and bloodshed that has been unleashed against His Body. Our God is Holy, Just, not sectarian and does not show favoritism. Just like in those days, there is a preparation that is going on in the wings for as many that will remain standing in the face of the onslaught of darkness. Friend, there are many forms of persecution deployed against the child of God: some are very subtle to lull such to sleep. The end game of the enemy however is for the saints to deny their Lord and renounce their faith. That was why Christ said concerning these times: “But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony” (Luke 21:13). This is because what the enemy planned to be the end of the Church is going to turn out for our good: A great period to testify about the great redeeming love of God which is matchless and unquenchable. Thus, we must strive to hold on to our faith no matter what the enemy throws at us individually or collectively. We cannot negotiate with him or walk in compromise in order to accommodate his tendencies. This simply means, we must be ready to and continue to preach the message of the Cross in its entirety no matter who is offended. If you expect to win darkness over then you are deluded because the message of the Cross is an offense and a stench to those who are perishing (1 Corinthians 1:18). All we are required to do is preach and demonstrate the timeless truth of God’s word; He knows how He will rescue the people. After all: “…And every day the Lord added to them those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47b). For us to be effective as sons of God in this times, we must be in a state of readiness: “Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not give up. Instead we have renounced shameful secret things, not walking in deceit or distorting God’s message, but in God’s sight we commend ourselves to every person’s conscience by an open display of the truth. But if in fact our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing” (2Corinthians 4:1-3). 

      Friend, when God called Moses, He did allow him to rush into His presence by walking in his flesh. Despite the fact that God called him, he was warned not to come closer because the ground he was standing on is holy! Friends, in as much as God has called you to a great task, you must approach Him and serve Him in holiness. The reason why so many great arrows of God have become celebrities of men instead of disciples of God is because they are treating the holy as common! Like Moses, we must remove the shoes of pride – everything and anything that negates God in our lives and replace them with the shoes of the gospel of peace (Ephesians 6:15). Only then can we receive the boldness that was released on David and Moses to face the Goliaths and Pharaohs that are strategically placed in our paths to stop us from being fruitful to the Kingdom of God. Like Moses, we have worn the shoes for so long, though it served us well then, but now…for greater heights, there is the urgent need to remove and replace them. We cannot operate in true power wearing the shoes and sandals of the old man. May the Lord grant us the grace to speak his message with complete boldness wherever we find ourselves, and may the Lord confirm His word with great wonders in Jesus Christ name. Amen! God bless you.