27/11/12

Beware the enemy within

Nehemiah 6:17,18 - Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came to them. For there were many in Judah sworn to him, because he was the son in law of Shechaniah the son of Arah; and his son Johanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah.


In a computer network most people look at security concerns from outside coming into their networks. They secure the network by installing a firewall or UTM at the gateway. It has been of late organizations have realized the risk to their network from within. The cost, complexity and logistics to secure this threat are far greater than to secure from outside.

Today's scriptures talks of the time when Nehemiah co-ordinated the completion of the wall of Jerusalem. It states Nehemiah and his team took 52days to complete the wall. If one has seen the wall one may wonder how Nehemiah could have possibly accomplished such a great feat with the team he had and the problems he faced while do this work.

The historian Josephus states the wall took a total of 2years 4months to complete and during the time of Nehemiah the wall already existed all around but in rundown condition. Ezra had previously done most of the work, Nehemiah and his team only repaired and re-enforced the wall.

During the time of Nehemiah the people who opposed the Jews did not want the wall to be completed; but when they heard of this news they were very disappointed, for the wall was an icon of protection and pride for Jerusalem. One may think this fact must have put them to shame, regret, repentance and reconciliation with the Jews, but that was not the case.

Today's message says Tobiah who was the principle advisory of the Jews continued his opposition through correspondence with people within the walls. It is written people who were holding high status in the Jewish society wrote letters to Tobiah and Tobiah also wrote back to them. Even though this high secure wall existed the letters continued moving freely because there were people within who facilitated this.

I wrote in one of my previous messages of how the wall symbolized the Church. The Church is a spiritual fortified city wherein souls dwell, are protected and provided.

In today's message the Lord opens our eyes to the danger within our Church. He points out that there are people within our Church who do correspondence with the enemy of Truth and Light.

Most people will look at the newcomers and those who are growing in the Lord as the danger areas. But the Lord is telling us it is not these we should be concern of but those who are in the high places in the Church and are yet doing the work of the evil one of obstructing the Truth and Light.

There are preachers who give false hope and comfort to Believers by their preaching and lead souls to be destroyed.

Just last Sunday I walked out between a preaching for the preacher was preaching on the lines of 'once saved always saved'. It is like believe in Jesus Christ and you get a free ticket to sin, but yet you will go to Heaven.

There are scriptures like 1 John 3:9 which are misunderstood. It says 'whoever is born of God does not commit sinv; for his seed remains in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God'. The scripture is misunderstood by many people as those who are born of God will never sin for God is within them. The scripture actually means those who are born again or baptized in the Holy Spirit are a changed people. They dislike sin and make their best efforts not to continue a life of sin because the nature of Christ is in them since they are part of the vine Jesus Christ.

Nehemiah states the letters caused fear to come vin him, similarly if we start to take note of the teachings of most preachers very carefully, we can go ahead and use the word 'panic' instead of 'fear'.

It is time people right from childhood are taught how to understand scriptures the way the Lord states in the Bible and not the way people assume. It is time we stop looking at people but give due attention to their words and discern them according to scriptures.

Among all the letters of Paul recorded in the Bible, his letters to the Thessalonians has more of solid food and less of milk than his other letters to the other churches. But in Acts 17 it states the people of Berea were nobler than the people of Thessalonica. It was not that they were more educated or intelligent but it states these people did not take Paul for his words but confirmed the words of Paul with scriptures. It is this reason Paul did not need to write letters to the church of Berea as follow-up.

The Lord is telling us irrespective of who preaches, and however famous he or she may be, we should not take that person for his or her word but should conform them through scriptures.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord, there are many who preach to please. Their aim is not to save and strengthen people but more to fill chairs and an increase in 'tithes and offerings'. Churches play the numbers game between them. Lord, we need people who do not fear man nor look at man as their provider. We need people who fearlessly speak the Truth as You have stated in your Word and who look up to You alone as their provider. Save us Lord from the nobles of darkness with our churches...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference Scriptures ]
Nehemiah 6:15-19
15 So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days.
16 And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was worked of our God.
17 Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came to them.
18 For there were many in Judah sworn to him, because he was the son in law of Shechaniah the son of Arah; and his son Johanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah.
19 Also they reported his good deeds before me, and uttered my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.

1 John 3:9 - Whoever is born of God does not commit sin; for his seed remains in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

Acts 17:10-12

10 And the brothers immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night to Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.
11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
12 Therefore many of them believed; also of honorable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.

1 Corinthians 5:12 - For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not you judge them that are within?

The Word of God was given free to us, therefore we should also share it freely with others.
(All rights are with God)