A Fortified Wall of Bronze

UV3570/10000. A Fortified Wall of Bronze Then I will make you to this people a fortified wall of bronze; They will not prevail over you; For I am with you to save you and deliver you, “ declares the Lord. Jeremiah 15 v 20 The Lord promises in this uni-verse to save us, to deliver us. He will not only be a wall of fire unto us and His glory will be revealed in our midst but He will make us fortified like a wall of bronze. He fills us with His strength, power and grace. He empowers us to take on forces much larger and more powerful. They might fight against us but they will not prevail. All this would happen when we endure reproach for Christ’s sake. We should also extract wisdom from our experiences so far. We should delight in the word of God and constantly meditate on it. We should not join the company of sinners and mockers and instead, sit alone and reflect, pray and trust the promise of the Lord. All this will happen as “I AM” is with us. He is the Great I Am- Jehovah Jireh, the One who provides for us in a time of drought, famine, flood, pandemic and disaster. He is Jehovah El Shaddai, the Almighty who manifests His power in our lives. He is Jehovah Rapha who heals and renews us. He is Jehovah Tsidkenu, the One who enables us on the path of righteousness. He is the One who made His Son Jesus the cause and source of our righteousness though none of us are righteous on our own merits. Like Hezekiah turned to the wall and prayed in his distress, even as he confronted imminent death, Jesus is the wall to whom we turn every day of our lives. He, then heals, strengthen and delivers us. Like the elements copper, tin, iron are combined to make the strong alloy bronze, the Lord strengthens us, weak and fallible as we naturally are, to be a supernatural fortress wall as we combine with His Spirit. Fortresses were built by kings to defend themselves against attacks by powerful enemies. Fortress walls are built of stones. The fact that the Lord builds with bronze shows that the level of attack and power of our enemy is massive. Only with His help can we overcome and be victorious. We need to avail of His grace constantly in order to prevail over our enemies.

The Bread of Victory

UV 3569/10000 The Bread of Victory When Gideon arrived, there was a man telling a dream to his friend. And he said, “Listen carefully, I had a dream: there was a loaf of barley bread tumbling into the camp of the Midian, and it came to the tent and struck it so that it fell, and turned it upside down so that the tent lay flat. Judges 7 v 13 The loaf of barley bread that rolled into the camp of the Midianite army is a metaphor for the Word of God. Once God has spoken a thing, it will surely happen. Gideon was given a sign to confirm that he and Israel would be victorious in their attack on the Midianite camp. Likewise, we may be surrounded and overwhelmed by enemies and rivals but the Lord promises to send His word to guarantee our victory against all odds. The tents of the enemy will be flattened. Gideon overheard not only the dream but the interpretation by one of the Midianite sentries. When he heard the interpretation, Gideon bowed in worship. He became confident of victory over the Midianites. He was greatly strengthened for leadership. He was assured of victory. Jesus was crucified after a mock trial, a mob trial. The situation seemed like the end of the road for the ministry of His disciples. There was no possibility of a dead man even if He was a great leader like Jesus coming back from the dead. But the word and the vision was already rolling through history in the words of the prophets and the word of Jesus Himself. That word flattened the camp of the enemy, death and sin, once and for all. His resurrection gives us hope in hopeless situations. His resurrection and His word that He spoke in advance of His death on the cross, “ I am the Life and the Resurrection,” is the bread that will strengthen us internally and give us external victory. However strongly the enemy’s tent is tightened and tied to stakes in the ground, the Word of God to which we hold onto in faith can uproot it and turn it upside down. The Lord can turn the tables on defeat and the enemy. We only need to eat the Bread for Jesus said, “ I am the Bread of Life.” The Word of God is the whole bread out of which we consume specific slices or promises of the Lord that give us deliverance from the enemy in specific situations. Gideon’s enemies, the Midianites were encamped in great number in the valley. The Lord gave him a battle plan that was unique, unheard of and unlikely to succeed except He be in it. Gideon went with just 300 soldiers who lapped up the word of God, the water being the symbol of the word. Jesus is the word that is same as God. He also gives us the water of eternal life, the hope of eternal victory not just temporal or temporary victory. When God anoints a man even as hesitant, diffident, unprepared as Gideon, He gives the courage, the vision, the plan, the strategy and the victory.

Brand New Leadership

UV 3568/10000. Brand New Leadership The Lord said to Satan, “ The Lord rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?” Zechariah 3 v 2 A godly leader is a brand plucked from the fire of the Lord. He is purified by the word, by teaching, by the fire of experience and by the fire of the Holy Spirit from the dross and impurities of lust and pride of this world. He has the authority of the Lord upon him. Using this authority, he can rebuke satan. He can pray and restore Jerusalem from its ruined conditions, overrun by invasions. Jerusalem literally means, The Peace of the Jews. Jesus is the Prince of Peace. Hence, when the Jews recognize that Jesus is the Prince of God, the Son of God, the promised Messiah whom they were instrumental in crucifying on the Roman instrument of execution, the cross, then the peace of the Jews, Jerusalem will be restored. Satan does not have the power or authority to accuse a person who has been purified by the fire of God. He is a brand plucked from the fire. He is a brand new creation. Hence, no accusation of the enemy of our souls can prosper against us, no tongue can stand against us. We have the authority and anointing of Christ to judge and rebuke satan and his agents. We have been by the grace of Christ been plucked from the fire of hell, from the fire of destruction, from the fire of God’s anger. Now, we rest under the shelter of the Lord. He is our strong defence. Since we are a brand plucked from the fire, we can face the world with courage and boldness, we can face adversity, endure and overcome it, we can face our earthly foes and spiritual enemies and emerge unscathed and victorious. Today, the word “brand” is touted as a symbol of quality, of excellence, of moving towards zero error. Hence, we as God’s brand, as His ambassadors should stand for quality, for truth, for excellence in all we think, say and do. We are a brand chosen by the Lord by His grace. We enjoy the brand new life in Christ and we are brand new leaders. The Jews as a race and as a nation are chosen but we who believe and trust in the name of Christ are chosen as individuals not for our personal qualities or achievements but the Lord has gone through the ordeal of fire for our sake and He has chosen us to bear His name, to suffer for His name, to bring glory to His name.

A Relayed Vision Not a Delayed One

UV 3567/10000 A Relayed Vision is Not A Delayed One For the vision is yet for the appointed (future ) time. It hurries toward the goal of fulfilment; it will not fail. Even though it delays, wait (patiently) for it. Because it will certainly come; it will not delay. Habakkuk 2 v 3 The vision of whatever we are hoping for, working towards, may not be visible now but behind the scenes, the Lord is at work. If it is a God-given vision, no one can stop it. It cannot fail. It might appear to be delayed in its fulfilment but things are happening in the spiritual realms to speedily execute it in our real world, to realize and fulfil it. We need to learn to wait with expectation, faith, hope and patience for the vision to be fulfilled. We need to have a conviction whatever be the current obstacles and circumstances, since it is God-intended, planned, it will reach fruition. God is not early or late. He is just on time. It may not fit our earthly calendars and schedules but it will certainly happen. We do not see the full vision 2020 or the entire stairway we are climbing but we can see it step by step happening, being realized, fulfilled. As Jehovah Jireh, He provides for the vision to be fulfilled. As Jehovah Nisi, He ensures victory for the vision, regardless of the opposition of the ‘strong one” for Jesus is much stronger. As Jehovah El Shaddai, He shelters or provides a refuge for us as the vision is being fulfilled. As Trinity, he strengthens us in spirit, mind and body to participate and play our roles and responsibilities fully in the fulfilment of the vision. Jesus as the Wonderful Counsellor counsels us every step. Jesus as the Way becomes the very path of the vision to travel to fulfilment. Jesus as the Light puts a torchlight to take every step. Jesus as the Bread and the Water, nourishes us as we pursue the vision with diligence and determination. Moses as a young man was filled with anger or passion at the spectacle of a Hebrew slave being beaten by an Egyptian. He wanted to free one man but God wanted to use him to free and lead a whole nation of Israel to freedom and fulfilment of the vision of the Promised Land. The Lord God was preparing him decades ahead. The vision was not delayed though Pharaoh tried to sabotage it. The Lord did mighty miracles to shake and break the shackles of the Hebrew slaves. The vision was fulfilled and yet it continues to inspire individuals, groups and nations, yes humanity as a whole to this day.

Resident Glory

UV 3564/10000. Resident Glory The glory of Lebanon will come to you, the cypress, the juniper, and the cedar together, to beautify the place of My sanctuary; and I will honour and make the place of My feet glorious. Isaiah 60 v 13 The place where the feet of the Lord trod is glorious. So when we make our homes the place of His feet, we will experience serenity, power and grace of God. The glory of Lebanon was its huge trees that provided wood for the temple at Jerusalem as well as for palaces. Hence, this uni-verse is also a promise not just of victory of provision. The Lord blesses our store with abundance. The Lord will enable us to grow like the cedar and have the perfumed odour of its wood. We will provide shade and support to structures and institutions like the cypress and the juniper. We are the sanctuary of the Lord. Hence, He beautifies us, sanctifies us, perfects us. In such a sanctuary, regardless of the circumstances surrounding us, we should always be thankful, always worshipping and praising the Lord, always mindful of the Lord with every thought, breath, emotion and expression. He is the source of our resources. He is also the source of our excellence. He is the source of our vindication and honour. We should know that He walks beside us even on our most troubled days. We cannot see His feet but we can sense or feel His presence near us. The enemy sees it and takes to his feet. Since we are the living sanctuary of the Lord in two senses: one, we are living stones with which His temple is built; two, He is living in us and with us. We live and move and exist in Him. We experience His power, His love, His mercy constantly and continually. We are not only living temple and palace for Him, we are also kings and priests with Him in the sense, we rule with Him on His throne, we are seated with Him in the heavenly places. We are priests dedicated to continually worship, praise, thank and petition Him. As kings we wield authority and wage war on His behalf. As priests, we yield to His will and humble ourselves before Him. Hence, our chosen leadership model or pattern is a blend of authority with humility, compassion with gentleness, grace with wisdom. Our life chosen or preferred pattern or paradigm is a blend of happiness with holiness.

The Battle Shield

UV 3563/10000 The Battle Shield The Lord is my strength and my (impenetrable) shield; My heart trusts (with unwavering confidence) in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song I shall thank Him and praise Him. Psalm 28 v 7 Even on our most troubled days, we can find a good reason to praise and thank God. Such is His grace and faithfulness that once He wraps us with His love, He becomes our virtual impenetrable defence. All we need to do is to continue to affirm our trust in Him with our hearts and our mouths. When we confess our faith in promises like this uni-verse or any other rhema verse the Lord has specifically laid on our hearts, He takes over the situation and He helps us overcome, emerge stronger and victorious. When we are undergoing the difficulty or trial, it might not seem very pleasant but once we cross over to overcoming, to victory, a song of praise and thanksgiving will swell spontaneously from our hearts. We will be even able to thank God for the trial for through it we experienced His deliverance, His love and help. Our faith gets even more stronger than before. We grow closer to God and realize He is real and cares for our every feeling and need. Sometimes, through our doubts and negative confessions of fear and anxiety, we might create unwittingly holes in the shield of faith through which the invisible enemy can penetrate. Hence, we should ensure our faith is complete, in tact, sealed and polished giving no opportunity to the enemy to enter or create doubt or confusion in our minds. We may not understand what is happening but in due course, the Lord will reveal it to us with a change in the circumstances or an assurance that He is in control. He is our all encompassing battle shield. We don’t hold this shield for He holds us as the apple of His eye. He is our glory and the lifter of our heads as the Psalmist described in song. The key to using this shield is not holding but yielding to God and His will. Praise and thanksgiving should be a constant song or refrain of our hearts. It should precede, accompany and succeed our deliverance, our victory. We do not fight alone any battle but the Lord Himself fights on our behalf. He can defeat the enemy singly, with many or with few. It is not a zero sum game or battle but a hundred percent sum game in which whatever the result, the victory is certain, it is hundred percent. Even if we perish, we succeed for we live forever with Christ.

Staying Close to the Lord

UV 3562/10000 Staying Close to the Lord Come close to God (with a contrite heart) and He will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; and purify your unfaithful hearts, you double-minded (people). James 4 v 8 We need to stay closest with God in order to keep our fears and enemies at bay. When we cry out to Him with a sincere and repentant heart, He hears us from heaven and comes rushing to our side. But He remains remote and distant with the unrepentant and proud. Our hands need to be clean before the Lord. We sanitise it with the blood of the Lamb slain for us on the cross. Having been so sanctified, we should purify our hearts of pride, envy, greed, lust, wickedness of every kind. Having been purified over the course of our walk with God, we should be single-minded in our dedication and devotion to the Lord. The uni-verse emphasizes the cleanliness of spirit, mind and body. Only then can the Lord dwell in and with us. We have the peace of Jesus, the assurance that in every situation, He is in control of our lives. We can rest in Him and depend on Him. The Lord is closer to us than our own skin, once sin the separator is removed. Jesus removed sin both in its power and presence aspects from our lives. Now when the Father looks at us, we are spotless regardless of our past sin. We should accelerate our transformation as we have an unhindered, full vision of the character of Christ. We are no longer in terms of our moral obedience and allegiance subjects of the world but subject to the Word that is God, Jesus. Since God is with us, no one can succeed in their moves against us. Since He is in us, we are strong in Him and can overcome our inherent weakness of flesh and spirit. In the course of our spiritual journey, sometimes we move very close to the Lord (the Son ) and sometimes we move away like the elliptical path of the earth around the sun. This closeness or distance produces changes in us and around us. When we are close, we hear more accurately and follow His plan and purpose. When we move away, we tend to lose our focus, our connection with the Lord, the source of our power and grace. The safest place for us is the one closest to the Lord whether in good weather or in a storm. Some draw near to God only in a storm or crisis. Like all of us, the Lord also appreciates and rewards consistency of faith and trust. He rewards us according to the work of our hands and the sway of our hearts.