Nevertheless...

Things were looking bad for the nation. The countries to its north had progressively been invaded and taken over, and now it was in the sights of this militaristic power. The people’s failed attempts at appeasement had only turned others against them and on top of that they were struggling with dissent from within, threat from without and the daily struggles with poor harvests and oppression. The future was gloomy to the point of being black. Instead of joy and laughter the lives of the people were full of anguish and despair. They had lost hope and were afraid of what was to come.

In the midst of this most dismal set of circumstances a lone voice cried out ‘Even though it is your own foolishness and rebellion that has caused this situation, nevertheless it will not always be this way’. He went on to say that in fact the misery and anguish would be turned to gladness. In particular he identified four sources of this newfound joy: Their darkness would be turned to light, the gloominess of their future would be transformed into the clearest light. Their harvest would be bountiful, their poverty would be replaced by abundance, no more would they face the prospect of scrimping and saving but would have all their needs met. They would no longer be victims but conquerors. The history of defeat would be turned around – they would be returned to the winner’s side. Finally the chains of oppression that held them captive would be broken – they would be set free.

Understandably this news would bring some excitement and hope to the hearers, but what would cause this miraculous turnaround? What momentous event would change their dire circumstances to joy and expectation? The speaker replied ‘A baby will be born!’ Seriously – the birth of a baby will change all this? That seems highly unlikely. What is so significant about this baby that the world as we know it will change?

This was no ordinary baby – this is the Christ, God himself coming to live amongst us. Immanuel – God with us. The lone voice in this story was the prophet Isaiah and he was speaking to a people chosen by God but who were now under threat from Assyria. He was calling them to believe that a deliverer would come and rescue them from their plight – a Messiah, the Christ. By faith the people believed that which was dark would become light, that poverty would become abundance, defeat would become victory and captivity would be replaced by victory. It was some time off but it would happen.

Christmas is the time we remember that event, the coming of the Christ into the lives of men and women. What the people of Isaiah’s day looked forward to in faith, we look back on – likewise in faith. The Christ who was promised to the Jews as a future deliverer is given to us as the one who has delivered.

There are many whose prospect of the future is gloomy, who rather than enjoy abundance struggle with meeting the demands of everyday life. There are others for whom every day is a battle, a procession of skirmishes characterised more often by defeat then victory and who are bound by the chains of habits, circumstances or history. The Christmas message is one of deliverance, one of joy and celebration.  A baby has been born!

This baby, this child is a wonderful counselor, a mighty God, everlasting father, prince of peace. His peace will never end. He invites us to come and worship him because it is Christmas. He has come into our lives.

What about you? Is your future looking gloomy? Are you struggling to see a light ahead, do you walk in darkness? Jesus the Christ will change your darkness into light, he will guide your footsteps so that you will not stumble but will emerge into the light of his radiance. Has your harvest been poor, do you see failure when you look for success? Does the daily grind of making ends meet rob you of your joy? He is the great provider, he it is that assures us that we need be anxious for nothing but that his peace will keep us. Do you face daily battles? Are you feeling beaten and defeated and just worn out by the relentless nature of the warfare? Remember you are more than conquerors through him who loves you. Yes there is a battle, but it is being fought in the heavenly places where Christ rules. All you need to do is stand, for the battle is not yours but his. And do you feel that you are held captive by your past, or your weakness, or your sin? It is for freedom that you have been set free, if Christ shall set you free, you shall be free indeed.

How do we experience this? By faith. Belief that the one who came as a babe at the first Christmas is Christ the Lord and he comes to deliver you. The only reasonable response is to worship and to celebrate. Make Christmas a time of rejoicing for the hope that is in you. Let your hair down – laugh, sing, dance it is a time of rejoicing. You have been set free - act like you believe it!

A Vision for your Future

 After years in the wilderness the people of Israel were finally on the verge of entering their promised land. But just at the crucial time their leader, Moses, died.  In his place Joshua responded to God’s challenge and, with the people crossed into the Promised Land, ready to take possession of it. But they weren’t going to get it without faith and without a fight.

They needed to drive out their enemies. As Joshua camped near Jericho contemplating his plans and strategies he looked up and saw a man facing him with sword drawn. Joshua faced him and asked whose side he was on and in response the man told him that he was the Captain of the Lord’s army. Joshua fell on his face and asked, “What do you want me to do?” He was told to take of his shoes because he was standing on holy ground.

Why did this man appear to Joshua? Joshua was about to undertake a major challenge for God and he needed a vision that would be sufficient to prepare him for the task. He was about to embark on a military campaign – he needed to know that Lord’s army was with him. Like Joshua before we take on any mission for God, we too need a vision of him that is sufficient for the task.

In Isaiah 6, God revealed himself to Isaiah, In Ezekiel 1 and 8, to Ezekiel and in Revelation 1 and 4 to the apostle John. In each case the vision he gave to the prophet was appropriate to the task they were to perform. God has called us in to the land of promise, the land of service. He has given us a commission – go into the world make disciples, preach the word, set the captives free, feed the poor, heal the sick. But we cannot hope to accomplish this mission without a revelation of God.

We can plan, strategize and theorise, we may even see some success. We can adopt spiritual disciplines, pray, read, give, fellowship and serve. We can pump ourselves up with self-motivation, the 7 keys to success, the be-happy attitudes and the power of positive thinking. But without a vision of God, our successes won’t be sustained and we will find ourselves once again in the wilderness hopping from hilltop to hilltop scanning the horizon for some fresh motivation and blessing or reward for our labour.

The only way Joshua could face his enemies was for God to reveal himself to him. The only way Isaiah and Ezekiel could preach was to see God first, the only way John could prophecy was to have a vision of Jesus. Unfortunately for many of us our only experience of God is hearsay. We have heard of the revivals, God’s blessing and miracles. We may even have seen them – but they are always someone else’s. Job had this same experience. He was a righteous man and suffered because of his righteousness, yet his experience of God was based on hearsay – until God spoke out of the whirlwind (Job 38). After God revealed himself Job could say “Before I had heard about you but now I have seen you for myself” (Job 42:5). Is your knowledge of God based on hearsay, or have you seen him for yourself? Have you delighted in the testimony of others as you go from those hilltops to hilltops or have you had your own revelation of him?

When Joshua saw the Captain of the Lord’s army he fell down at his feet and asked ‘what do you want me to do?’ When Isaiah saw God he confessed his sin, when Ezekiel received his vision he fell down and worshiped while John fell down as though dead. In each case their response was recognition of God’s holiness and their uncleanness. All they could do was worship.

As you seek God’s help, expect him to reveal his holiness and your need. Expect to recognize your inadequacy, and then rejoice that Jesus has reconciled you to him and that you can approach this Holy God. The vision we need today is a vision of a Holy God who allows us to approach him though Jesus and then to show us that aspect of his character that will prepare us for the mission to which he call us. It is this God who will equip us and motivate us to complete the commission he has given – our only response is to worship.

Living with Purpose

Ok, so you think you are about to leave the desert, what now? What are you going to do with your life – what is your purpose?

When Jesus emerged from his experience in the desert he went to Galilee in the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:14). At Nazareth he entered the Synagogue and proclaimed that the Spirit of the Lord had anointed him to:

Preach the gospel to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed and to proclaim the favourable year of the Lord. (Luke 4:18,19).

He understood his purpose, in these verse Jesus outlined the job description for his ministry on earth. He had received a commission from God and the equipping of the Holy Spirit and this was his purpose. In a similar way God has ordained a purpose for your life and mine. In fact Ephesians 2:10 tells us ‘we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them’. God has given you a Divine appointment and anointed you with the Holy Spirit so that you can carry out his plans, whatever they may be.

What is the purpose to which God has called you? We often assume ministry has to do with what we do at church – but it is much bigger than that. Your place of ministry or purpose, may be in the church, but it is also your workplace and your home. God calls you to serve him in the place he has appointed you. That may be as schoolteacher, banker, carpenter, shop assistant, housewife or even a pastor. This is the purpose for which you have been equipped and anointed with the Holy Spirit.

God’s ultimate purpose is that the gospel be presented to everyone everywhere. He intends that we fulfil that purpose in the place of his appointment. He wants you to walk each day in the power of His Spirit, sharing the good news of Jesus Christ in the places you serve. Our choice of vocation is not a matter of chance, nor should it be based on the financial returns it gives, the prestige it provides, the retirement plan on offer or opportunities for travel and advancement, but rather on how God may help us to use our talents and abilities to share the good news with those with which we come into contact.

The primary place of Christian service is not the church. It is the marketplace and neighbourhoods of which we are a part. It is as we live as ambassadors for Christ in these areas of life that we communicate the good news of Jesus Christ. If you ask him, the Holy Spirit will lead you to opportunities to share about your faith with your friends, neighbours and work colleagues.

As Jesus looks out at the world he sees people who need to be loved, to be encouraged, to be set free. He doesn’t just see these needy people in the pews of our churches but as the lives of men and women, doing business, teaching classes, tending families, playing sport and shopping in supermarkets. It is into this world he wants to send you in the power and presence of the Holy Spirit.

Learn to see your job as the means by which you can fulfil the fundamental purpose of your life – allow the Holy Spirit to lead you and enable you in your daily tasks and in your relationships with those in your street, office or factory. God has prepared these good works for you – before the world was even begun and he has and will continue to enable you to complete them.

Life in the Desert

In the Psalms King David spoke of being in a ‘dry and thirsty land, where there is no water’ (Ps 63:1). He wasn’t just speaking of as physical desert but one of emotional and mental abandonment. Even though he had done what he believed to be right, had committed himself to a cause ordained by God, he was now alone. Have you ever felt like David when he wrote these words? Have you felt like you are in a dry and weary land where there is no water? Perhaps you have tried desperately to follow God’s leading but wound up in the desert? No matter what you do, what you read or where you go, you still come up dry and empty.

Jesus understood the desert experience. After he was baptized the Holy Spirit led him into the wilderness. Moses spent 40 years in the desert. Elijah experienced dry times, as did Joseph, Daniel, the apostle Paul and many others of the great men of God. The fact is God leads us into dry times. But why?

There are a number of reasons why this might be so. In the first place the desert is a place of testing. The people of Israel were taken through the desert for 40 years to see what was in their hearts and if they would obey God’s command (Deut 8:2). God takes us through times of dryness to test us, to see where our motivation really lies. Will we still love and serve him without the recognition or results we seek?

God also leads us into and through the desert to help us to grow. John the Baptist remained in the desert, where he grew and became strong in the Spirit so that he would be prepared when he appeared in public (Luke 1:80). We often do our best growing in the desert, the place where we have to deal with the harshness and severity of circumstances. The place where our character is formed and we grow to maturity.

A third reason why God may lead us in to the desert is to give us rest. Sometimes the only way we will rest is if we are forced to it! Jesus told his disciples ‘come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest’ (Mk 6:31). Many of us feel that we are so indispensable to God that if we don’t keep active then somehow his purposes will fail. On occasion God takes us aside so that we will rest – he knows our limits better than we do and if we don’t take time out, his Spirit may well lead us into the desert where we have no choice.

God also uses the desert to restore to us something we have lost. Serving God should always be vibrant and exciting, however for many of us it can become mundane and routine. God will use dry times to bring us back into the joy of his presence. He will also use them to restore our ability to hear his voice and to give us fruitfulness in ministry, to get things into proper perspective, to restore our praise and to give back to us freedom in serving him. Our ministry is not the drudgery of self -imposed service but a joyful experience of co-labouring with Jesus.

The fifth purpose, of the desert is preparation; God uses our dry times to get us ready for what is to come. It is a place where our desire is heightened and where we develop a thirst for the streams of God.

Unless your desert experience is the result of some act of disobedience or because you have lost your way, God has led you there. It is his desire to prepare you for the wide open places he will set before you. Thank God for your desert, allow him to show you the purposes he intends it to accomplish in your life and ministry. And then get ready for the day you emerge from those dry places full of the power of the Holy Spirit ready to do great and mighty things. 

Once you know where to go...

Knowing where to go or what you to do is one thing – actually doing it is another!

Biblical history is full of accounts of people who doubted their ability to follow through on the tasks they were given. The people of Israel knew that God was leading them into the Promised Land but they doubted that they had the ability to get there. Moses knew God was sending him to Pharaoh but didn’t think he had the ability or strength. Jeremiah was given a message to deliver, but thought he was too young. What about you? Have you ever had the conviction and even the opportunities to engage in some task or project, but were reluctant to take it on because of lack of strength or resource? Have you ever walked to the edge of the river, as did the people of Israel, looked over at the other side but then gone back to the wilderness because you lacked the courage or strength to go across?

As we go through life we are continually confronted with opportunities to move forward. We might even be convinced that this is all part of God’s greater plan for our life. But having a vision, or even a plan isn’t enough, it remains our responsibility to make it happen. Where do we get the necessary resources and strength? In Isaiah 40:28-31 God gives us our first clue – our strength comes from waiting on him. Isaiah 31:15 tell us that it is in repentance and rest that that we will be saved and in quietness and trust is our strength.

Before we wait on God for strength and courage, we must first be willing to do whatever it is he leads us to. As the people of Israel prepared themselves to finally go into the Promised Land, they waited on God for three days. They were ready and willing and now they waited in the presence of God. It is in the waiting and depending on him that God provides the strength. They didn’t run ahead of God – they had tried that before and failed. They listened to him, and they waited.

Sometimes waiting is the most difficult part. It is easier to do something, anything, than it is to wait. And yet this is God’s way. After his anointing by the Holy Spirit, Jesus was led into the wilderness to wait. After the resurrection the disciples were told to stay in Jerusalem and wait. After telling King Ahab there was going to be a drought, Elijah was told to go to a brook - to wait. Having heard from God we need to wait.

After the people of Israel had waited before the Lord they consecrated themselves. Not only did they need to wait on God but they needed to prepare themselves to do God’s business God’s way. The act of consecration is the setting apart of the whole life – not just part of it. They needed to be completely set apart before they took on the Lord’s mission – then they went. They had heard from God, they had waited for his timing and they had prepared themselves – now they needed to obey. It was not until they showed their faith by obedience that God prepared the way. When their feet were in the river, he made a path for them to cross. They didn’t wait for circumstances to change they acted believing that they would.

When God shows you the part of his plan that you fit in, and he will, you need to wait until you know where he is calling you to – but when he tells you to move, then move. Once over the river the people were told to set up a stone monument as a reminder of where God had brought them from and where he was taking them. This was a step of commitment; there was no going back.

God wants to know that we are committed to the task he calls us to before he will make available his limitless supply of resources. Wait before the Lord until he shows you his plans and his timing. Consecrate yourselves to him and take the first step of obedience. Then commit yourselves to continuing in his will no matter what the circumstances being certain that he that began a good work in you can and will bring it to completion.

But which way is the right way?

Nobody likes to be lost. We all want someone or something to point us in the right direction and so we turn to GPS, maps, the advice of others, for some even crystals, mysticism and Tarot cards and while others, God.

The Bible says that God’s children will be led by the Holy Spirit, but what does that mean? How do they know where the Spirit is leading? Some things are quite straightforward, the Bible is full of advice, encouragement and instruction as to the direction God wants to lead, particularly in issues of morality and ethics. But what about areas of life where the Bible is not clear? Especially when it comes to areas of work and vocation.

Throughout the pages of the Bible we read of men and women being specifically led by the Holy Spirit to go to places or to do various things. In Acts 10 God led Cornelius to send messengers to Peter and then led Peter to go to the home of Cornelius. An angel of the Lord sent Philip to the desert road between Jerusalem and Gaza (Acts 8:25), Ananias was led by the Spirit to visit and minister to Saul (Acts 9:10-13). Frequently Elijah moved after the ‘word of the Lord’ came to him.

But how was it that these people actually discerned God’s leading? Sometimes God used dreams and visions to speak - but this was not always the case. In Acts 16 we read that Paul intended to go to Bithynia but the Holy Spirit forbade him from going. Shortly afterwards he was told to go to Macedonia. At other times God used the prophetic words of others to give direction (Acts 21:4, 11). Many times we read of the early church going from place to place without any record of specific leading and sometimes unusual circumstances led to changes in plans. It seems that God uses a variety of means to direct us.

For the Christian, the word of God is the primary source for moral guidance. Psalm 119 is devoted almost exclusively to the value of the word of God in finding direction for life. But he uses other means as well. Perhaps the most common method of discerning God’s leading, if not the most undervalued from a ‘spiritual’ perspective is circumstances. God uses the events of life to move us along the pathway he has chosen for us. How many times can we think back through seemingly unconnected events that have almost mysteriously led us to the places we arrive? At other times God uses other people to bring specific messages. These may be what are sometimes called ‘prophetic messages’ or ‘words of knowledge’, but they may also come in general counsel and conversation.

However we receive guidance, whether by specific words, dreams, and circumstances or in some other way, it is important that it be tested. In the first place it needs to be tested by the word of God – he will never lead you in a direction that is contrary to his word. We should sometimes seek confirmation by the community of believers and also seek the confirmation of the inner witness of the Holy Spirit. Ordinarily we would want all these things to align: the message we receive, the witness of the Holy Spirit within, confirmation by others, the word of God and circumstances. However this will not always be so and sometimes God will expect us to follow his lead even when circumstance and the counsel of others seems to be against it.

One of the great encouragements from the bible is the verse that says: “He, your teacher will no longer hide himself, but your eyes will behold your teacher. And your ears will hear a word behind you, ‘this is the way, walk in it, whenever you turn to right or the left’” (Is 30:20, 21). Listen to others, read, pray and look at your circumstances, but don’t dither!  Indecisiveness is paralysing. God does not expect or want us to stand trapped in uncertainty, but to follow your passions and your dreams, confidently and purposefully moving in the direction we believe to be right, always listening to the voice that says ‘this is the way, keep going’.

What's your shape?

It has been said that each of has a particular shape, not just our physical shape, but also all the components that make us who we are. 

SHAPE can be an acronym for Spiritual Gift, Heart, Abilities, personality and Experience.

At the time of our spiritual birth we, when we first trust Jesus as our personal Lord and Saviour and receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit we also receive a spiritual enabling, or expression of his grace which is commonly referred to as a spiritual gift. There are lists of these Spiritual gifts in the Bible; 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12 and Ephesians 4. Every believer is given a particular gift for he or she to use to help build each other up and to make God known in their world.

Along with the gift we receive, we each have a heart or passion for some particular aspect of life. We may be passionate about social justice, the poor or the lost. We may have a real heart concern for the sick or for prayer, for teaching or for doing practical things. Our passion is what excites and motivates us. What motivates you – what do you get passionate about? If you had the chance to choose, what would you like to do more than anything else right now? What do you like to do more than anything else? This is your passion, or your heart.

All of us are born with certain abilities and talents that we need to develop through life. We may do this through education, training and practice. Unfortunately it is possible to have these abilities within us and to leave them undeveloped. Perhaps we have been afraid of trying something through lack of confidence, or because of the reaction of others. Or may be the first time we tried we failed or maybe our parents steered us into some other activity. All of us, however do have abilities, some are practical, some relational, some academic. Some are good managers; others good at public speaking while others are expert in the garden or in sport. Whatever it is, you have God given abilities that are specific to you and which need developing.

Our personality comes from both our heritage and our environment. 

Some of us are outgoing and love to be the centre of attention, while others are more retiring and prefer the back seat. There are those who can’t keep still for a moment and others who are, much more relaxed and easy going. One person may have a strong need to succeed while another is happy to be one of the crowd and just blend in. We are all different – but we all have personality! Your personality is unique to you, it is who you are, and you don’t need to be like someone else to be significant.

Every person’s experience is peculiar to them; no one else can live your experience, although you may be able to share what you learned from it with others. Only you can live your own experience, it helps make you the person you are, fashions the way you think and respond to circumstances and determines how you respond to your world.

Each of us has a different shape – and that is the way God intended it. He has molded you so that you fit exactly into his family the way he wants you to. You don’t need to be the same shape as everyone, or even anyone else, only someone of your exact shape will fit into the place God has prepared.

Don’t try to change your shape – instead, find the place where you fit.

Created for a Purpose!

Your life is not a matter of random events  - you were created. Not only that but you were created by God for a purpose. 

In his letter to the Galatian Christians, the apostle Paul explains the basis for his calling as an apostle. He states that he was set apart in his mother’s womb, called to be a preacher. Some 600 years earlier, Jeremiah is told by God that he had been consecrated and set apart as a prophet even before he was born. God knew him intimately and had formed him with this purpose in mind. Psalm 139:13-16 reminds us that the way we are put together in the womb and even the fact of our conception was not a random act of chance but was according to the design and intention of Almighty God.

Like these mighty men of God, you too were planned for a purpose. God put you together in such a way that you would be entirely suited to fulfill the purposes he has for you. More than that, the events of your life, your history and all that it contains continues to mold and shape you according to his master design.We make think we are inadequate or unsuited to our God given task – Jeremiah complained he was too young, Moses thought he couldn't speak, even Amos said that he was neither a prophet, nor the son of a prophet – just a herder of sheep (Amos 7:14)! Time and again God uses the most ordinary people to do extraordinary things. God has a plan for each one of us and he prepares us, putting us together exactly as he wishes so that we are able to do his will.

Sometimes the events of life seem unfair and even painful. Things happen to us that we don’t understand and we may even suffer personal harm or loss. It is never God’s desire to cause us suffering and yet it is often these very sufferings that build our character. While God doesn't initiate this hurt or suffering he does allow it and then turns it around to build us up and prepare us for the greater purposes he has planned for us. All the events of your life, your parentage, schooling, career, relationships and so on combine together to make you the person you are today. Each step of your journey is a building block that God is using to make you into the temple he chooses to dwell in and which he intends to use for his glory. Too often we hear, and perhaps even say, “if only I was like so-and-so, then I could do that”, or “If only I had done this or that”, or "I wish I were somebody else”, “when this or that happens, then I’ll serve God”. God knows you, and chooses you – as you are- to accomplish his purposes. He doesn't want you to be like someone else or to wait for some unfinished work to be completed before you embark on the journey he has planned for you. He wants you as you are, with him as your constant companion, ready to do his will.

The ministry of the Holy Spirit is to lead us along the journey God has set ahead of us. While his leading is very much related to the conduct of our everyday lives, it has the significance of directing the course of your life, first preparing then leading you into an adventure with him that will see you accomplishing things you never thought were possible.

Like Moses, Jeremiah and many others beside expect to hear the voice of God telling you that he has plans for you. Determine today, that when you hear his voice you won’t resist him or make excuses about why you cannot do what he asks, instead embark on the great adventure of ministry he has prepared for you from before you were even born and which he has equipping you for ever since.

Building the Wall

Building the Wall

Ezekiel 22:30

Our cities are in danger of being overrun with evil. Their walls are in disrepair

It seems that violent crimes are on the increase, incidence of drug abuse is soaring, childbirth outside of marriage is accepted as normal, abortion is seen as a woman’s right and should be exercised if a career is threatened or a financial burden produced, smoking, obesity and alcohol pose huge costs to the health budget, interest in the occult is increasing and schools are routinely guarded by armed police. In this climate of social dis-ease God looks for someone to stand in the gap, to rebuild the defenses of society and is amazed that he can find no one.

The consequence of someone not standing in the gap of their community’s walls is to have that community destroyed. God has placed you in the place you are in for a purpose, so that you can watch out for those under your care. He wants you to pray for them, fight for them, act on their behalf and to protect them against the enemy. God says through Isaiah the prophet that he looked for someone to intercede on behalf of the people but he could find no one. When he looks out at your community, workplace or city what does he find? Does God see watchmen and women at the gate crying out day and night so that God’s praise will fill the city, does he see others warning the people of the danger to come and urgently calling the people to change their ways? Is he able to find those who cry out against social injustice and who do their best to change the circumstances of the poor and the oppressed? Or when he looks at the Christian community does he find complacent Christians enjoying a season of praise and worship as they congratulate each other on how well their ‘church’ is going and how good the music program is?

We live in a between time, the time between the ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ and his return in glory. We eagerly anticipate that return, but until he comes God has given us a ministry to fulfill. He has placed you in the family, marketplace and the city you are in so that you can watch over them. He has called you to be watchmen and women who will take seriously the responsibility to care for his people. We live in desperate times, the people need a saviour and they need someone to lead them. God has given this responsibility to you. The task is urgent, no one knows how long it will be before the return of the Lord but right now the enemy is camped at the gate looking for an opportunity to force his way in and loot, rape and pillage the people of God’s possession. How well do you know your enemy, are you are aware of his strategies and devices for leading people astray? Have you identified the weaknesses in your community’s defenses that he will exploit and have you recruited others to work side by side with you on the wall so that your defense is secure?

When Nehemiah organized the people to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem he made sure that everybody knew their place on the wall. They all had a job to do and there were others who guarded them while they worked. Each of us has a role in building the walls of God’s kingdom and it is essential we know what part of the wall we are supposed to be building. If there is someone missing from the wall, or if they have not done their part then the defenses may be breached. It is not up to the unsaved of our cities to build the walls against Satan, it is up to you and me. We need to identify the places of corruption and bring them before God in intercession. We need to speak prophetically against the injustice and moral sickness that permeates our society and we need to warn our children of the dangers they face. We must watch over our cities, we must watch out for our cities and we must protect our cities and pray for their welfare. For those engaged in the marketplace, apply this principle to the place where you work. God is looking for someone who will stand in the gap and build up the wall – will that be you? 

Protecting the Marketplace

Protecting the Marketplace  Jeremiah 31:6 

Another word used to describe the role of the watchman is nāsar, which means to safeguard and keep something in one’s care. God describes himself this way when he speaks of his role as the keeper or watchman over all men (Job 7:20, Isaiah 27:3) but the word is also used to guard material things, possessions or the fortifications of a city. In Jeremiah 4:16,17 the watchman keeps guard around a besieged city stopping those inside from receiving help or deliverance. The watchman is to protect those in his or her care and take whatever action necessary to prevent any harm from coming to the city.

In earlier times a necessary part of the defence of any city was the city wall. This wall prevented invaders from gaining entrance unobserved, but also only allowed people to leave through its gates. It was essential that the wall be maintained properly and that the watchmen stay at their appointed places so that they could sound the alarm in the case of any attack or threat. If the wall was breached, the defence of the city was at risk. Our modern cities generally do not have walls, although some of the more affluent suburbs have ‘gated’ communities, which prevent undesirables from gaining access, but there are still cities around the world that have walls from an earlier time in their history. I worked for a time in a maximum security prison which was surrounded by a wall on which were located watchtowers where armed guards were stationed to both keep prisoners from leaving, but also to prevent unwanted visitors from gaining access. The wall was an essential part of the prison’s security, regular checks were made on its condition, and the guards were often subjected to surprise visits to make sure they were alert. There are spiritual walls around our communities and workplaces on which watchmen have been placed, but which must also be kept in good repair. The enemy is always looking for a breach in the wall through which he can gain entrance, and our responsibility is to ensure that such an opportunity does not exist.

In describing the role of the prophet in Isaiah 58, God reminds them of their responsibility to speak on his behalf, warning the people about the consequences of their sin. He goes on the say that if the people were to listen to his message and change their ways, doing as he asked them then they would be called repairers of the breach and restorers of the streets where people live (Isaiah 58:12). This passage gives us a clue about how we are to act if we are to protect our communities against the attacks of the enemies. Essentially what God was telling the people to do was to look out for the poor, the needy and the afflicted. Perhaps the greatest opportunity we give to the devil to do mischief in our communities is through the areas of poverty, affliction and misery, if we are to deny these opportunities then we must repair the breaches in our walls.

Sadly many Christians live almost entirely unaware of the social needs of their communities, they don’t know any poor people, they are ignorant of the misery and affliction suffered by many and fail to see the need around them. There are Christian employers who deny decent working conditions to their employees and while they live luxuriously complain bitterly about having to pay even an award wage or provide mandated benefits. The watchman will repair these breaches, not only will he or she speak out against injustice they will also work to bring it to an end. As a watchman you will work hard to build up the fortifications around your city, community, workplace. You will identify areas of weakness in your defences and strengthen them. You will also warn the members of your community of the approaching danger and remind them that God will hold them responsible for the way that they live. What’s the condition of the wall where you have been stationed, is it in need of repair – then now is the time to go to it!

Watching out for our marketplace

Watching Out for Our Marketplace Ezekiel 3:17 

God uses the word sāpâ to describe a watchman that makes him or her self so aware of all of their circumstances that they are able to gain an advantage over their enemy. It also suggests the ability to lie in wait or to ambush. In a negative way the wicked are said to watch the righteous in order to find an opportunity to slay him (Psalm 37:2), but on the other hand a wise woman looks to (or watches over) her household (Proverb 31:27). Watchmen were commonly employed by rulers of a city to warn against attack or to look out for something or someone (1 Samuel 14:16, 2 Samuel 18:24, 2 Kings 9:17-20) and Ezekiel was appointed as a watchman over the house of Israel so that he could convey God’s warnings to the people.

The role of the watchman is prophetic, he or she is appointed to warn against danger and to alert the inhabitants of a city to the threats they face. God has appointed you as a watchman or woman over your community and marketplace. If you are going to be effective in your task then you must be fully aware of the dangers and threats as well as the requirements God places on the people. What are the threats that face your community or marketplace today? Are there significant moral issues, perhaps hotspots of drug abuse or crime in your neighbourhood? Maybe there are business practices that are unethical or even illegal in your workplace. Are there people you care for whose lives are on a downward spiral due to alcohol, promiscuity, greed or dishonesty? The watchman is to warn against danger and alert the people to the consequences of their action. Ezekiel was told that if he failed to warn the people he was to watch over then he was liable for their lives, but if he faithfully proclaimed God’s message then he was free from any other responsibility toward them even if they refused to listen.

God has appointed you as a watchman or woman. The wise woman in Proverbs 31 diligently took care of her family’s every need; this is the first responsibility of every father or mother. This is how you exercise your role as a watchman. Then you are responsible for your part of the marketplace, the lives of those under your influence are your responsibility. If you don’t warn them of the danger they face, their lives will be held to your account. This is an awesome responsibility – it would be well to pause and think on this for a moment. God has placed you on the wall of your community or workplace to look out for the people and to tell them whatever he has to say. This is why you are there, you are his spokesperson, he is depending on you.

It is not popular to speak out against the moral, social and ethical ills of our community and workplaces; it is much easier to just pray about them. But there comes a time when the watchman does more than pray, he or she also speaks out. If you are to be God’s watchman or woman then you must be prepared to be more than just a quiet witness, certainly there are those who have been clearly given a prophetic gift or office, but all of us are called to watch out for those under our care. The good watchman makes himself aware of the dangers and takes action to warn those at risk, in this way he or she complements the intercessor who brings these needs to God in prayer, but at the same time he or she is urgent in making the threat known.

The battle we face is a spiritual one, it is fought in the heavenly places but its effect is felt right down here on earth. While the intercessor takes up the fight in the heavenlies the watchman prepares the troops for battle on the ground. He or she is informed about the enemy’s strategies and also the weaknesses in the community’s defence. If the watchman is doing his job, then not only will the people in the city be prepared for the attack when it comes, it will be delivered and the enemy defeated

Watching Over the Marketplace

Watching Over the Marketplace Isaiah 62:6-7 

On a number of occasions in the Old Testament God spoke to the people of the need to appoint watchmen. He used three different Hebrew words when describing their role. In Isaiah 62 God describes these watchmen as shamar; this is a word that suggests the need for the watchman to exercise great care over those in their charge. That care involved physical protection but also other aspects of a shepherd's role including nurturing, feeding and nourishing. God claimed that he had appointed watchmen over Jerusalem and he gave them specific instructions. It is not too much of a leap to extend this role to the watchmen he appoints over our city and then perhaps to the marketplaces in which we are engaged.

These watchmen are to never keep silent, not that they are to talk incessantly or to preach ceaselessly, but their responsibility was to pray continually. They were to constantly remind God of the need to re-establish his glory in the city. The watchman was to take no rest for himself and in turn to give God no rest until he did what was asked. The primary responsibility of the watchman is to intercede. The intercessor prevails in prayer, often taking no physical rest, but more accurately never giving up until his or her prayers are answered.

God has appointed watchmen over the communities in which we live, further than that he has appointed them over the market and workplaces in which we are engaged. We are those watchmen and women; we have a responsibility to intercede on behalf of the communities of which we are a part. God commands his watchmen to never give up, but to keep on nagging him, not allowing him rest until he establishes his glory in our cities, workplaces and communities. It is God’s desire that we pray, but this is costly prayer, it requires that we make it a priority, taking no rest until we have what we ask of him.

The watchman prays from a shepherd’s heart, he is concerned for the sheep over which he watches. Some of those sheep are in the fold, but many are not and the shepherd must care for them also. The fold represents all those who have come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; they are his sheep and he promises to care for and protect them. But there are many other sheep that are not in the fold, they are the lost sheep and the shepherd will leave those in the fold to go and find them. In your workplace and community there are many lost sheep, many who are outside of your congregation who are lost and in need of a shepherd. As the watchman or woman of your community or workplace it is your responsibility to care for them and bring them into the fold. The first part in fulfilling this responsibility is intercession. Pray continually; don’t give God any rest until he establishes his praise and glory in your marketplace, this is what he commands you to do.

The watchman’s role is a pastoral one; he or she is to care for those in his or her charge as a shepherd would. In other words God has called you to be a pastor of your community, whether that be the place where you live or the marketplace in which you are engaged. Paul told the elders of the church at Ephesus to be on the guard for themselves but also for flock over which the Holy Spirit had made them overseers (Acts 20:28). In this same way you are to shepherd the flock that God has given to you. You are a shepherd and you have a flock to care for. How well do you know thecondition of your flocks? Are you able to intercede on their behalf, asking God to meet specific needs? Do you give yourself no rest, praying continually for God to establish his praise in your workplace or community? This is your responsibility, this is why God has put you where you are so that you can remind him of his plans and purposes and lead those who are in need of a shepherd into the pasture he has provided for them. 

The Welfare of your City

The Welfare of Your City  Jeremiah 29:7 

The significant thing about God’s command to the people to seek the welfare of the city is that the city was part of Babylon – they were expected to seek the benefit of a city which belonged to a pagan nation and ruler! This was the city that God was going to send his people to and they were going to be there for a while. In seeking the welfare of this city the people would find welfare for themselves. God expects us to be a blessing to our city; our presence there should mean welfare for all who live in it. We are to be actively doing things that will bring a benefit and prosperity.

God has placed you in a community, it may be a town or a larger city, but you are not there by accident. He has sent you there so that you can be a blessing to it. In the same way you have been sent to a place of employment for the same reason. Apart from the fact that you will bring welfare to your workplace, there is a more selfish motivation, that is, in its welfare you will find welfare. In other words, as the business grows you will receive the benefit. There are many ways we should be working toward the welfare of our workplace, we should work hard, turn up on time, make sure we are honest all that we do, be polite and courteous to our workmates, employees, customers and suppliers and so on. Above all these things we should pray.

Jeremiah told the people to pray to the lord on behalf of the city that they were sent to. This principle should be extended to your work place; you are to pray on its behalf. But for what should you pray and how do you go about it? The most obvious thing is to pray for the people that you work with or for, then of course are your suppliers and customers. But we can also pray for the business decisions we face and the challenges that will occur in the course of normal operations. We can pray for ‘difficult’ employees and ‘challenging’ customers and when faced with machine breakdowns or supply problems we can pray about those things to. At the end of each day many people like to plan their agenda for the following and write up a ‘to do’ list. I have found that using this list as a prayer list ensures that God is invited to participate in all of the business for that day.

In Revelation 3:20 God declares that he stands at the door of the church knocking, waiting for someone to open the door and invite him in. This is another principle that can be extended to the places in which we work. Jesus wants to gain admission to your workplace, but he needs you to invite him in. If there are other believers in your business that you can join with, then you have the assurance that wherever two or more of you meet together, then Jesus is in your midst. You also know that whatever you ask will be accomplished for you by your father in heaven. Do you pray specifically for the business and workplace issues that you face? Do you expect God to be interested in your success at work? God is in fact interested and he wants you to succeed. He has even promised to assist you in your endeavours, why not invite him into partnership.

Across the world there is a growing network of businessmen and women who have formed a 51% club. This club is merely a loose association of Christians who have determined to make Jesus the managing partner in their business; they give evidence of this by giving 51% of their profits to him as the major shareholder. These funds are used to alleviate systemic poverty throughout their communities. In this way they not only seek the welfare of their company, but their city as well – and God is certainly adding his blessing! This is a conviction that these men and women have come to and is not a rule or obligation imposed on every believer, but there is an obligation for everybody to actively seek the welfare of their city and for most of us this will be best achieved by being successful and growing our businesses. 

Be Involved - Jeremiah 29

The people of Jeremiah’s day were told that they were going to be in exile for some time. Many of them did not want to believe this and there were prophets who were more than happy to tell them that it would not be long before they were returned to their rightful place in the sun. But God condemned those prophets and emphatically declared that the people would remain were they were, under the authority of a pagan ruler until he decided otherwise. There are those today that are so convinced of the nearness of the return of the lord Jesus Christ that they insist we should disengage from the world we are in and live in seclusion, uncontaminated by the world. God’s command to us is the same as it was for the people of Jeremiah’s day. Get involved in your world.

There are specific areas of life that we are to be involved in including society, commerce and community. God commanded the people to build houses and to live in them, they were to plant crops and to eat their produce and they were to marry, have children and even grandchildren. They were expected to get involved at every level of life. In this time in which we wait for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ and the coming of his kingdom we are to engage in everyday life and be part of the community in which we live.

While we are confident in the return of the Lord, and eagerly anticipate it, knowing that it could happen any time, we are to live as if we could be here for a while. We are to show our commitment to our community by building houses and living in them. Living is not just sleeping the night or having a holiday, it involves doing all those things that comprise normal life: conducting business, recreation, buying and selling and so on. A good member of the community takes responsibility for the place in which they live, they will probably be involved in Neighbourhood Watch, the school P&C, local sport, and will vote in local government elections. Building a house suggests permanency, we are not just passing through – we live here.

Anyone who plants a crop expecting to eat its produce knows that there is time involved. In order to succeed with our produce we will need to buy and sell with other producers. We will want to sell our excess, at a profit, in order to buy what we need and have a little left over. We will have to buy fertilizers, hire equipment and maybe employ labour. In short we will be involved in commerce. While we live in our communities, buying and selling with those that live there, we will also engage in raising families. The fact that we are to expect to be here some time is reflected in that not only should we seek a husband or a wife for ourselves, but also for our children and their children. We are not only to live as families but we are to expect to grow. God told the people of Jeremiah’s day that they were to multiply, right where they were. To grow and not to decrease.

God does not want us to withdraw from our world; he wants us to live in it engaging fully in all its aspects. That includes the places we work and the communities we live in. His expectation is that we will be salt and light and salt is of little value if it remains in the saltshaker. We must be sprinkled throughout our world, having an effect wherever we are and in whatever we do. In the time we are here before the return of the lord Jesus Christ let us commit ourselves to be being valuable members of our community, contributing to their benefit and being a blessing to all those that live there. Look for ways that you can be used by God to bring his peace to your workplace, society and the community of which you are a part, and then expect God to use you for his glory.