AN ADVERSARY PROTEST

Ezra 4:1-2 (1) Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the LORD God of Israel;(2) Then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief of the fathers, and said unto them, Let us build with you: for we seek your God, as ye do; and we do sacrifice unto him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assur, which brought us up hither.

To my fellow reader and believer in Christ, as I was reading in the book of Ezra the Lord quickened my heart with this word of Truth pertaining to the laying down of His foundation within our lives and the life of a repentant, set free individual. This word is written in no way to boast of present problems made within the church and personal lives by human error thus being flesh nature, but rather to encourage all to never forget the standard God places upon our life to keep in remembrance the simple foundational truths found in His Word and pray for those who are being deceived that they too will come into the light in Christ Jesus. It is possible to get so caught up in the spirit of revelation and yet neglect the importance of foundational truth.

Ezra 4:3 But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel, said unto them, Ye have nothing to do with us to build an house unto our God; but we ourselves together will build unto the LORD God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us.

In today’s typical “Christian” mentality (Christian as a loose title) one would have invited their adversary to accommodate him to build the House of the Lord and overlook the walk and consecration of the indivual, but just give into the lip service and only present confession that they “seek God as they do”. The decision that Zerubbabel and the chief of the Father made concerning the adversary’s offer would have seem so not like the “Christian” way. Perhaps many people, even Christians today would say… “Where is the forgiveness? Where is the love of God? You’re not saved, because you are just are holier than thou!” Many would be quick to just except the adversary and say come build the House with me! God loves you too!

But the issue in this story that is recorded as history in the book of Ezra has nothing to do with forgiveness, but rather the seriousness of a consecrated life laying down the FOUNDATION in the House of the Lord! Though we should be quick to forgive others as God forgave us through Christ, we should also keep in mind the standards God placed upon our life when He lays down the foundation of His will and Word within the Church and within our lives!

This is why Zerubbabel said no to the adversaries: II Kings 17:24,32-33 (24) And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof. (32) So they feared the LORD, and made unto themselves of the lowest of them priests of the high places, which sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places. (33) They feared the LORD, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from thence.

The adversary still served other gods. Since that time, they knew not what consecration was all about! They were religious! Notice they came after the consecrated sacrifices that Israel made before laying the foundation. (Ezra 3:5-6 (5) And afterward offered the continual burnt offering, both of the new moons, and of all the set feasts of the LORD that were consecrated, and of every one that willingly offered a freewill offering unto the LORD. (6) From the first day of the seventh month began they to offer burnt offerings unto the LORD. But the foundation of the temple of the LORD was not yet laid.)The adversary from Samaria was not part of this offering unto the Lord!

It has happened in Churches today (even when simular issue since when the Church was manifested and began) that we have allowed others to enter into ministry, yet never consecrated their hearts to God, and still serving a private life of sin! They don’t know the foundations in the word. Never engaged in repentance, forgiveness, water baptism, discipling, giving tithes, spiritual baptism, etc… They can not engage in any house building because they themselves never yielded their life before the authority and standard of King Jesus!

This is what we must pray for…for people to allow God to arrest their heart! There is many within my own generation that says they love God, but they don’t know or have any foundation! Never surrendered it all to the Lord and nailing their sins to the cross daily! Delivering false prophecies or worshipping on a worship team yet fooling around with the prostitutes of the flesh!

Like Saul with David, many are allowing people to minister or in David’s case, to play a harp only to use the gift they have but still hate the person. Saul used David only to accommodate his own ministry, rather than the calling and purpose God had upon David’s life. Saul was using David’s anointing to cast away an evil spirit God placed upon him, yet Saul grew to envy David and resulted in throwing a dagger at him. A Pastor is ordained to tend the flock God has given them, to guide them to the true Shepherd, Jesus Christ. Concerning foundation laying in the church and in a professed believer’s life, (since we are the church and are called to House the very Spirit of Christ within) this requires a people; Pastor, worship leader, elders, etc. to live fully devoted to the Lord and His commandments. Yet when the appointed leader doesn’t say no to the “adversary”, the adversary will eventually bring their own agenda to the House of God and as one member can affect the whole body; this can give a lead way to a catastrophe within the church and even someone’s life! For it’s more important of what God first does in you than through you.

Ezra 4:4-6 (4) Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building, (5) And hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia. (6) And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they unto him an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.

The adversary kept afflicting Judah until finally a new king sat on the throne, one who unlike the former; Cyprus King of Persia whose spirit was stirred up by the Lord (II Chronicles 36:22), was not stirred up by the Lord thus being easy to persuade by the adversaries of Samaria. The adversaries put the king of Persia’s finance and territory on the line when giving their judgment on Judah, while only mentioning their past rebellion as a nation from the Lord. Until finally this new king put a halting stop to Judah building the house of the Lord.

Not only within the church, but within our lives, how many times have we allowed the Devil, our greatest adversary to come and afflict us until finally we allowed a new king to reign over our lives? The King of worry, doubt, pride, and so on. How many times have we allow Satan to resurrect our dead past of living in sin and rebellion, allowing that to quench the building of God’s house within our heart? Are you living a life of an Overcomer in Christ? Keeping the same King who is the Holy Ghost alive in your heart?

If you have answered yes to any of these questions, in which we all have (I John 1:8), we just got to keep in mind and practice the foundation that is found within God’s Word.

I encourage you my fellow reader, not to allow others “intimately or relationally” into our lives to try and lay the foundation of God’s House within our heart, yet they themselves simply don’t. Not saying to not be friends with others, but be discerning to who you allow to be an influence. Allow the same Spirit that is God, within others, to build you up. Not a deceptive spirit. Stand upon the rock of your Salvation which is Christ Jesus and every time the Devil reminds you of your repenting past, you just remind him of his appointed future!

Again the issue presented before Zerubbabel and the chief of their fathers was not concerning forgiveness by any means, but the issue was acceptance by God! If God hasn’t given approval to the Samaritans to lay the foundation of the temple, then you shouldn’t either. It is possible to be loved by God, but not favored. The Samaritans at the time weren’t living fully surrendered lives, thus not living fully obedient and consecrated. Without obeying God’s command and leading, how can you be used by the Lord to lay the foundation within the Church, within other’s lives? But rather, pray for your enemies and those who are adversaries to God that He would indeed arrest their hearts and they would submit. We are all held accountable before the Lord!

Thank God today that we all, Jew or Gentile, are called to overcome the wicked one and exalt the name of Jesus, our Lord and Saviour, as we ourselves are exalted by the Lord through the Spirit in victory! May we continue in such foundational truths of repentance, forgiveness, consercration, discipling, and even desiring to constantly be baptized in the Holy Spirit! As Jesus visited the Samaritan women at the well (in John 4), allow Him to visit you and stir up the waters of His spirit within your heart (well) and never allow your thirst to be quenched again from the enemy!

I John 2:22-25 (22) Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. (23) Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also. (24) Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. (25) And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.

God Bless