The Messiah Cometh

Though called by God since birth, Jeremiah found himself facing many hindrances in what He was called to do. All these were not only opposing Jeremiah, but also the children of Israel, diverting their eyes off God's promised deliverance.

Just like Daniel says that he understood by the books that time for Israelites captivity was over, we can as well understand by the books that Jesus Christ the Messiah is coming. We understand by the books that the enemy gave his biggest fight just after the prophecy of the coming of Christ. We read of the rising up of the Babylon kingdom and all forces pulled up just to stop the children of God from worshiping Jehovah Elohim. Remember the devices on Daniel and the Shadrach, Meshack, Abed-Nego team, intent being to stop the people of God from worshiping the true God. Even today, just as we await the coming back of Christ, friends I can tell you much of the schemes of the devil will and have always been to stop God’s children from true worship.

The tricks of the devil are always the same. He never invents anything new. In the times of Moses, the devil emerged to kill the boy child, and repeated the same when Jesus was born. In the same way, the evil forces arose in the times of Jeremiah, in Babylon, and are still arising to deceive God's people, and hinder the Word of God from prevailing. The devil is a liar.

Jeremiah 1:5

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”

Lamentations 3:22-23

Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.

There were and are many things that arise and try to consume us, but because of God's mercy we're not consumed.

Ezekiel 36:26

 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

God saw a need to create a new heart and spirit in us.

Daniel 10:19

And he said, “O man greatly beloved, fear not! Peace be to you; be strong, yes, be strong!” So when he spoke to me I was strengthened, and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.”

There is every reason to fear, but we shouldn't, for God is with us and is our strength. We can also tell right from the days of Isaiah the scriptures are evident that times were not easy. When we read in Lamentation 3:22 that through the Lord’s mercies we were not consumed, we understand the potential for us being consumed was real but God kept us going. In Ezekiel 36:26, where we read that God saw a need to create a new heart and a new spirit, we can tell that the old heart was not a good one.  We can talk of the fire furnace where the three men were thrown into to die, but we know there was a walk with God before the fire. Before the story of the lions and Daniel, friends we know there was a walk with God before the miracle. We can go on even to the book of Malachi where we read that the time is coming when there shall be a distinction of those who served God and those who did not. There were tough times in the OT, but God kept His people moving forward, even to the birth of Messiah. And this is the worship lifestyle that the enemy is targeting in us, but today we announce to him that we know of his deceptive schemes.

All these things didn't stop Jesus, the Messiah, from coming. Still, these things and nothing else will stop Christ from coming back again. In the times of the rule of Babylon, there was a spirit of immorality that had bound the leaders of Israel. In the times of Daniel, human life was not valued much. This is why Daniel was thrown into the den of lions when he refused to bow down to worship the king, and Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego thrown into fire when they refused to bow down to worship the idol of Nebuchadnezzar. The Babylon spirit devalues human life. It is this spirit still that is operating in Garissa, Mandera and so on, where human life is devalued and taken anyhowly. The other spirit that was in operation then that is now is the spirit of sorcery. All these spirits try to hinder the coming of Christ, and the Word of God from prevailing.

Revelations 18:23

The light of a lamp shall not shine in you anymore, and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in you anymore. For your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived.

None of these spirits have power over us. They're all defeated, whether they're in church or wherever. The blood of Jesus speaks better things. The spirit of Babylon arose again to promote idolatry, causing men of God to bow down to idols. The same spirit hovers in the church today, trying to cause us to bow down to other gods. There are many gods today, and we shouldn't bow down to them. I pray that not even family idols will stand in our way of worshiping God alone.

The same spirit is controlling the political arena today, to try hinder our leaders from worshiping God and following the paths of God. We have a duty as believers, to stand in prayer and ensure that the purpose of God prevails in this nation. We don't need to be many to have an impact in this nation. One man, just like Elijah, can through prayers turn this nation around.

There are tormenting spirits, that hinder believers from getting jobs and so on. All the oppressions have just but one objective, and which is to slow down our worship. Call them joblessness, sickness, times of war, uncertainty family squabbles, and so on, but the devil is a liar; we are overcoming all in the Name of Jesus.We have the authority to speak against these spirits, and can and should cast them out of our lives. Nothing can hinder Christ from being glorified in our lives; we shouldn't let it.

The same spirit has brought worldliness to the church. This is the spirit that hinders people from serving God, making them slaves to football, music and so on. I pray that the power of God will reign in your life so much so that habits and addictions that are standing against the purpose of God prevailing in your life will be broken and diminish. Let's walk in the spirit of holiness, which is in us. We need to counter these negativities by spending minute by minute meditating, speaking, acting and living right, and make it a habit to live right. We received righteousness by grace but holiness is a lifestyle. It is a walk of worship in truth and in the spirit. Friends, we are overcoming the devices of the wicked one . We are making it as the glorious victorious overcoming church of Christ.We are free to worship God our father, we are free to usher in the Messiah and He is coming back.

How are we overcoming?

1. Be born again, spend time in the Word, serve God, have faith, and trust God as the deliverer
2. Let's keep the habit of fasting and prayer
3. Let's flee from sin. We need to live right, and not give
4. We need to execute judgment to the spirit of Babylon
5. We need to put down the strongholds of Babylon
6. We need to rebuke, bind and cast away these spirits of Babylon
7. Die to sin. Stop entertaining the temptations, and sin. They have the potential of the spirit of Babylon
8. Speak the Word of God, and speak it's benefits.
   
   

-- Pastor Jim Mugo. 

 

Kesha Service Sermon, Teaching Transformation Ministry.

Pastor Jim is the pastor of Teaching Transformation Ministry, Joska