Keeping the hedge up – Part 4

“The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people or gifted people, but for a deep people.” Richard Forster. Let us engage our imagination for a bit, When you soak a piece of white cloth in a bucket filled with blood, the piece of white cloth turns to? You guessed right. Likewise, when we dip ourselves in the word of God,  and the Blood of Jesus Christ, we become what we have been dipped into (something for us to think about).

Sometimes, we have the tendency to build our own walls of protection using our education, position, our giftings and call, our fortified cities, and houses or estates, but I believe there is a demand placed upon us by our heavenly Father to look to Him, and Him alone as our source of protection. The Bible says “Unless the Lord builds a house, the builders’ work is useless. Unless the Lord protects a city, sentries (patrol, bodyguard, convoy, escort, defender, surveillance, minder, gatekeeper) do no good.” Read Psalm 127:1 (TLB). People spend thousands and if not millions to fortify their walls and cities, yet it amounts to nothing. I felt the need to define the word ‘sentries’ because these are instances we can identify with, and to make the point that our only source of protection is God; it is not in our educational papers or influences or great business empires, BUT in the King of kings, and the Lord of lords. Hallelujah, glory to God. So let us dig deeper into what God has in store for us; practical Biblical steps to keeping our hedges up.

• Acknowledging every good thing in you. You and I should ‘acknowledge’ (epignosis: a thorough knowledge, recognition and discernment) who we are in Christ. Philemon 1:6 (TLB), “And I pray that as you share your faith with others it will grip their lives too, as they see the wealth of good things in you that come from Christ Jesus.” Acknowledging I liken to testifying, in other words to recognise and declare where all these good things have come from. Hear what the Bible says in Isaiah 63:7 (NIV), “I will tell of the kindness of the Lord, the deeds for which He is to be praised, according to all the Lord has done for us – yes, the many good things He has done for Israel, according to His compassion and many kindnesses. In the context of the Bible passage we just read, when you tell of something; you are simply testifying (making an open declaration) of and giving praise to whom it is due for all the good things He has done in your life, family, and endeavors. To acknowledge I believe is to be in a place of gratitude and thanksgiving, appreciation and adoration. Watch this my dearly beloved, when we are constantly praiseful, and grateful, it allows for the host of heaven stand at attention, because the Bible says, “God inhabits the praises of His people.” Read Psalm 22:3 (WEB). The Bible says, “You are the establishing witness.” In other words, you and I need to come into alignment with the supply and blessings of God upon our lives, and not think it was by our own effort. Now, here is a question for you, if you are not establishing or acknowledging the hand of His grace, what and who then are you acknowledging? By acknowledging every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus, you are simply pitching your tent under the wings of the Holy Spirit where there is safety and protection. I encourage you to pay no attention to the accusations of the enemy. The Bible says “Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens, it has come at last, salvation and power and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of His Christ. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth, the one who accuses them before our God days and night.” Read Revelation 12:10 (NLT). Acknowledge who you are in Christ, and the more you graft yourself into the vine, you will always receive wholesome and complete nourishment for your soul. Oh, I love the word, it is honey to my mouth, strength to my bones, clarity for my eyes, Hallelujah, glory to God. What I just did  was to testify, to acknowledge God in my life. Dearly beloved, what do you give someone, who owns everything? Praise worship and adoration.
• Perseverance. Jesus was able to take going to the cross with joy because of what was set before Him. Question then is, what was set before Him? I am glad to answer this question; You and I were the ‘joy set before Him,’ Hebrews 12:2, “Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” We are the joy set before Him because His perseverance until death meant there was going to be daily reconciliation between man and God, and I believe this was Jesus’s objective, hence the Bible says, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” Read 2 Peter 3:9. I announce to you dear reader, millions of people around the world, irrespective of race or creed are acknowledging Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior wherever the gospel is being preached. Are you aware that your act of perseverance through the help of the Holy Spirit and God’s grace could just be the one thing that keeps you steadfast to embrace the promises of God. Our mandate whilst we remain on this earth is to continually persevere and stand upon God’s spoken word; it helps keep the hedge up.

Remember, all this is absolutely possible, for “it is the power of God at work in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” It is God’s good pleasure to protect you, to keep you in all your ways, to shine His light on your path, to keep you from stumbling and falling away from the truth of His word. Hallelujah, glory to God.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the insight and wisdom revealed through the help of Your Holy Spirit. And to everyone reading this message, it is my prayer, Gods power rest upon you to persevere, that you will rest in Him and be steadfast, to hold on to the promises in His word for you in the mighty Name of Jesus, and everyone said, amen. Remember, “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

We write You read Be encouraged.