As one of God’s watchmen and a shepherd of His flock, I am often convicted of the number of times we fail to address some of the more serious matters that the Holy Spirit is asking us to bring to the attention of His people. When challenged by the Holy Spirit to speak out, we make excuses: people will be offended if I speak about that or they will stop tithing. In this, I can’t help feeling that there is a deep seated and subtle fear that abides in the depths of our inner beings, and it is responsible for our inability to face our congregations with the truth and challenge them to change.
As God’s ambassadors here on earth, we have His authority and His power to fearlessly put into action His instructions. An ambassador of any country operating in a foreign nation fulfils his duties in that nation with the full authority, support and diplomatic rights of his home Government. Likewise, we as God’s ambassadorial representatives here on earth, have every authority and diplomatic covering of our King and the Kingdom of God in Heaven.
Now, that is not to say we are to operate with arrogance and a controlling or dominating attitude, but we are to operate in humility and with servant hearts whilst recognising that we are more than conquerors and world overcomers in Christ Jesus.
One very serious truth, which needs to be brought to the attention of God’s people, is that given in Psalm 107 verses 33 and 34 where the psalmist says: “He turns rivers into a wilderness, and the water springs into dry ground; A fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of those who dwell in It”.
This is a truth that we can all be sure God wants us to get out to the people in every congregation, including every leader of our nation. For too long we have, as a nation, blamed global warming, climate change and other scientific factors for the drop-off in annual rainfall. Whilst environmental factors may be an influence, in this verse we see God’s Word declaring that the main cause and reason for dry rivers, dry dams, dry bore-holes and wells is the level of wickedness and evil practiced by those who dwell in the land – institutions and individuals, both governmental and private. Now, this is not to condemn anyone, it is God’s Word.
These acts of wickedness include the worship of ancestral spirits, corruption, greed and immorality. They range from idol worship to ‘small-houses’, and include everything in between. Such practices have become ingrained throughout society from the top to the bottom.
As God’s shepherds and leaders of His Body, we have a Kingdom commission to raise all issues involving the violation of Jesus’ ways and to bring them to the knowledge of the people and the authorities, challenging and requiring them to repent, confess their sin and implement the necessary changes.
Beloved, we are Kings and Priests and joint heirs with Christ, we are His representatives and agents here to make the nation aware of it sins of wickedness and bring a stop to it all.
We love to pray the Lord ’s Prayer, “Thy Kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven”, but what are we doing to bring Kingdom justice, Kingdom integrity, Kingdom order, Kingdom morals and Kingdom righteousness into being? Esther was willing to sacrifice her life in order to save her people. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were prepared to die in the furnace rather than bow to a foreign god.
We encourage all church leaders to address these issues from the pulpit so that we may never limit God’s blessings of abundant and life-giving rain to our land and economic well being with liberty and freedom and justice for all. ‘Lord help us to establish your order in our beautiful country and give our spiritual leaders the boldness required to fulfil your man-date on earth. Thank You Jesus!’
By Dave Broom