God desires to train His sons and daughters for battle: "Blessed be the Lord, my Rock and my great strength, Who trains my hands for war And my fingers for battle" (Psalms 144:1, AMP). Why? "So that we are no longer children [spiritually immature], tossed back and forth [like ships on a stormy sea] and carried about by every wind of [shifting] doctrine, by the cunning and trickery of [unscrupulous] men, by the deceitful scheming of people ready to do anything [for personal profit]" (Ephesians 4:14, AMP). To be able to do this effectively, one must be diligent and rooted in the things of God, discerning, and always ready to take advantage of opportunities the LORD brings our way.
We must not lose sight that the LORD Himself is our Commander and Captain! Meaning, that we are willing to ask, seek, know Him personally, and take instructions from Him. Don't be deceived, it is an individual race, not a corporate one!
The other day, a young man was lamenting how he was defrauded by one of these new investment platforms. He had put in all his savings and had lost. The most painful part for him was he was encouraged and persuaded by his Pastor. I asked if the Pastor equally lost money in the scheme, and he said the Pastor is one of the directors of the 'company'. However, when he could not recover his money at the said time, the Pastor told him the Company had run into problems; thus, it had to liquidate. It was quite a messy story. When questioned further if he sought the face of the LORD before embarking on the investment, he said, he trusted his Pastor and felt it was safe to invest all he had in the venture. Since some of the members of the Church recorded profits in the past, he felt it was safe. He even got some of his friends and family to invest. Sadly, they all lost their money!
We are beginning to see this trend in the Body of Christ. Many Church meetings and programmes have become grounds for prospecting and pitching business and investment ideas to congregations instead of teaching Jesus Christ and preparing men for His soon return. These ideas are wrapped in biblical principles, leading many astray. As great as these ideas may sound, they are a step away from leading many into errors that are injurious to their souls, as we are beginning to see across the Body, especially in this part of the world. Unfortunately, like the young man above, when they are injured, they are blamed for their losses and injuries, and left to face the consequences alone!
Let's consider the account of Uriah, one of the mighty warriors of King David. In 2 Samuel Chapter 11, the Bible tells us that in the season when kings go to war, King David stays back home. One night, when he couldn't sleep, from the roof of his palace, he sighted a naked woman bathing. He was entranced by her beauty. He sent for her and slept with her, even though she was married to one of his great warriors who had gone to the battle he should have been in. When the woman sent back that she was pregnant, King David sent for her husband, Uriah, so he could sleep with his wife. He gave him gifts, plied him with food, and got him drunk, yet Uriah refused to go home to sleep with his wife. King David then devised a devious plan to kill him. How? By telling the Commander of the army to put Uriah in the fiercest part of the battle and to withdraw from him so he could be killed.
Beloved, we are living in very fierce times: "But you need to be aware that in the final days the culture of society will become extremely fierce" (2 Timothy 3:1, TPT). Many today are Uriahs, led into battle and are withdrawn from so they could be slaughtered by the wiles and caprices of the devil. Like the brother above, you may be in such a position or you sense being left alone by the brethren to face dire challenges. What is your reaction? Do you sit down and let the waves of hell overcome you, or do you stand up and fight? Who could have thought that Uriah was one of the mighty warriors of David who had testimonies of great exploits? How could the withdrawal of the troops from him cause him to fall in battle? He was part of the 37 that had individual records of great feats in battle (2 Samuel 23).
Beloved, Apostle Paul said "imitate me as I imitate the Lord", meaning once he stops imitating Christ, you must stop imitating him. This translates to mean, that as you follow/imitate your pastor, the day he stops imitating Christ, you cease to stop imitating him. If you continue, then you are to blame for whatever happens to you! Not the devil, but you! Because God's Word is very clear concerning it. The Only One that should have our trust, blind loyalty and obedience is Jesus Christ: "For [as a believer] you have been called for this purpose, since Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you may follow in His footsteps" (1 Peter 2:21, AMP).
Beloved, study and remain rooted in God's Word, so you will be able to discern what God wants you to do when the men that ought to be with you withdraw from you in the thick of battle: "Hold on to instruction; don’t let go. Guard it, for it is your life" (Proverbs 4:13, HCSB). It is not the time to get depressed, careless or give in, but a time to stand up, and defend that which the Lord had committed into your hands.... God bless you!
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