Delivering the King’s Message to a king

The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the LORD. Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces? (Jeremiah 23:28, 29)

I am sure that all of us would delight to be made any king’s messengers. But we know it is not an easy task to qualify for that enormous task. Many times your qualification (person) has more weight than the message you are carrying.

Why is that so? You are not just taking the king’s message. The fact that you are taking the message shows that you have a relationship with the king. Even more important is the fact that you carry the trust of the king. The king knows you well enough to entrust you with the task of delivering his message without fearing its adulteration.

Many times we wonder why a king (a president in our political dispensation) will surround himself with people he has known, many times since childhood, which, depending on where he grew up might be a very small circle of village folk. Yet that is the simple reason. He needs people who have proven their loyalty and fidelity to him and his causes over the years.

That is why you will see a very exposed leader having a wider reach as he seeks people to help him govern. Many times they are called the kitchen cabinet but in effect any other cabinet is subject to them. The reason they are called kitchen is because their meetings are many times not meetings and not even official. Their spirits will flow together in such a way that a decision might be made as they are laughing at a joke or poring over a news splash. The reason it is called kitchen is because except for the cook nothing serious, let alone official is done in the kitchen. The only thing people can do in the kitchen is fellowship (bond).

That is what we are talking about when we are dealing with this subject. We can never be messengers of a king we have no relationship with. Even more pertinent is the fact that a ‘simple’ relationship is not enough to qualify us. We must have proven our consistency to his cause to warrant his trust.

But let us go even farther. What would qualify one to bear a king’s message to another king? The fact that you qualify to be sent by a king is not enough. Your qualification must be way higher than the other messengers. No wonder they will normally take the title of their sending king. They in actual fact represent more than the king. They represent the dominion of the king. These are called ambassadors.

Over the years we have heard the term ‘rogue ambassador’ talking about a character who goes beyond the expected behavior of their office. Though he may be pursuing the goals of his king he misrepresents the perceptions of the hosting kingdom’s perception of his king. There is a lot of talk of diplomats (ab)using their immunity to ferry drugs or traffic in people. What these forget is that the immunity they enjoy has nothing to do with their person. They are simply enjoying the immunity that would be afforded to their sending king. And that is the reason they are withdrawn faster than they can conceive. Because they would embarrass their kingdom and especially the king who had (mis)placed his trust in him enough to send him.

I think you already suspect where my discourse is heading. We are not here talking about an Anglo king sending a message to a Swazi king. Or a Buganda king to a Saudi one. Not even a UN boss to US prezzo.

There is a King above all these kings. When we see these verses

Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. (Romans 13:1, 2)

Does it occur to us that our subjecting to these powers should flow out of our worship of their placing authority and not substitution to it? That is why it becomes an act of sacrilege when we bow too low to these kings. You see the kingdoms are an ordinance of God and not God.

We through the salvation of Christ have a relationship with Christ, the King of kings. He is the origin of the ordinance that is kings and kingdoms, presidents and dominions, tribes and nations.

Not only that, but through that relationship have been entrusted with His message of reconciling the world to Himself.

And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. (2Corinthians 5: 18 – 20)

What does it take for us to be entrusted with that message? What do we need to have to be effective carriers of the same? Does a ‘simple’ prayer of repentance automatically qualify me to take the same message anywhere?

What message is it anyway? How do I receive it? How do I know whether I accurately have it? Can I confuse it with any other message or any other source?

I feel it is important to deal with that before we handle taking a message to kings. By kings I am simply talking about persons in authority and persons of power and influence.

Christ, as we have seen, is the King of kings (1 Timothy 6: 15; Revelation 17: 14; 19: 16). This presupposes a kingdom that has all the other kingdoms in submission to it. This in effect means that this message is from a higher kingdom to a subservient one.

A ‘simple’ prayer has no capacity to connect me to the message just as a drive past the palace gate does not get me to the palace. We have cheapened the gospel in our effort to bring in the sheaves. Then we are shocked when we discover that our storehouses are full of tares! Kings never pick their messengers from the streets. They will either raise them or entrust a trusted subject to do so. Remember the process used to pick Esther as queen?

Pastors are falling over themselves to be inclusive. They do not speak against sin for fear of offending. The in thing for many prominent ones these days is warm up to this significant ‘constituency’ called homosexuals. One leader after the other is pitching for them until one really wonders. Are they such a significant constituency that we are willing to trash all that God says to impress them? Is it their money we are after or are we just like them in most aspects that we are scared being true to the Word of God in that respect will open us up to scrutiny in areas we are not willing to change? You see if I am an adulterer I might fear preaching against stealing because there are haunts we cross paths in our different pursuits. Otherwise we are not looking for votes from them as ministers!

And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them. And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women. (Acts 5:13, 14)

Hordes of people were getting saved because the gospel was uncompromised. Miracles were happening but not haphazardly. You joined under very stringent terms. A slip and you could die like Ananias and his wife. We see people being blinded, even a king being eaten by worms on his feet. A ‘simple’ prayer does not bring this about. Let us stop cheapening the gospel of our King. Though I suspect that for many pastors the King and His kingdom are text book topics to show how educated or intelligent they are and has nothing to do with an actual King on an actual throne in a real heaven. Otherwise they would not be pampering sin so much.

I must first KNOW the King. He does not send acquaintances to deliver his message. I must get to the palace using the official gate. I must then spend adequate time with him, get to hear his vision, see as he sees on things, catch his fire for things that ignite him.

How do I know the king? How do I get into the palace? How do I get to spend time with the king?

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: (John 1:12)

We must make the connection at the cross. We must be willing to lay our all at His feet, especially as He has demonstrated His ability to deal with our sin and past by dying on the cross for us. We therefore must confess our sins, giving Him the responsibility of dealing with them. He has to accept us into Himself. But it is important to state that we not only need to confess, we must FORSAKE them. I say that not because it is a new thing but because many preachers talk about grace that is so inclusive and soft toward sin. The other day I was reading of this prominent pastor rebuking the apostles for being too harsh on sinners, especially homosexuals! He gave verse after verse he felt should be excised from the Bible. And he is a pastor many people follow very seriously. SALVATION AND SIN ARE DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED. If you are a pastor who thinks people are pampered into heaven you must decide that you will make that kind of heaven yourself to take in your subjects. Since there is only one heaven, I can conclusively say that you are leading all these fools to HELL, where the devil is.

Second is that we must become His SLAVES. He is our Savior, yes. But we need to appreciate that through the saving act He was able to purchase us. He therefore owns us. That is the reason I use the word slave. His being our friend and brother does not dilute the fact that He still is the King of kings and Lord of lords.

Where is the verse? I know someone is shouting.

So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants (slaves gk): we have done that which was our duty to do. (Luke 17:10)

Once I have established my position with respect to God I can start having a relationship with the King. I will seek to know what He wants of me, not so that I can argue with Him but so that I can follow Him as precisely as He wants.

What consists our fellowship with the king? Many think it is telling him our needs. I differ. Even your father will despise you if every time you meet you are requesting for this or the other. The key aspect of that fellowship is the passing of his agenda to you. A father is proudest not for the son who knows how to squeeze the last penny from him but with the one who will come so that they have many heart to heart talks. This is the son he is likely to leave the running of the family with because he comes closest to his heart. He is therefore confident that this son is connected to the beatings of his heart. This son scores even higher than the son who brings gift after gift from his exploits.

I enjoyed the presence of old men as a youth. Even now, as an old man (some will dispute that) I still do not mind being in the presence of people much older than I am. Due to the time I came around, the bulk of them were illiterate and some had been in the forest during the Mau Mau freedom struggle. My age mates found me strange as I would really fit in that group of old men. They would wonder what I had in common with illiterate old men. The interesting thing is that the old men somehow also enjoyed my presence. I remember once in a wedding when they were looking for servers (there was no outside catering then. Everything from cooking to splitting wood was done by villagers) and came where I was in a group of old men. He hurriedly called me out, saying that all the youth were needed to do the serving. He was literally chased by the old men. ‘This is not a young man’, is what they told him.

Yet how did I fit? I was not the talkative me in that group. Elders enjoy a person who has good ears. I enjoyed listening to their stories and experiences. Though I crisscrossed the country in my pursuit of education, I still found it enjoyable to sit under the feet of people whose experience was richer than mine. Many a youth wants to teach older folk the new things he has learnt instead of looking to reap from the experience of the elder. Incidentally, because they enjoyed my undisturbed presence among them, they even wanted to know what concerned me. I am sure my writing has benefitted from those times.

That is what should constitute the fellowship with the king. We go to him not with ideas but with receptive ears.

Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil. (Ecclesiastes 5:1)

We do not go to the king with stories. Remember during Esther’s time that even a queen had to be summoned? It is therefore his agenda and not yours to be considered when you are in his presence. We therefore do not go to the king to babble our requests or suggestions, even recommendations. He is the king. He sets the pace of any meeting with him.

We therefore need to know how to gain that access. Even with our presidents, we know that ‘men of God’ have lost out when they approached him with requests. Though they have the means of meeting those needs, it lowers our station in life as concerns him.

The King of kings is no different in that respect. Remember He is the one who structured those kingdoms in the first place! Being invisible does not change it one whit. We approach Him as we would any other king. You see it is at His pleasure that we approach Him. We approach Him to know who He is, what He is like, what His agenda is etc.

We are privileged that He has given us information to help us know Him. We have the scriptures. I would therefore say that the best place to start fellowship with Him is seeking to know His word, the Bible. The more I am exposed to His word, the more I get to know Him.

The second flows from that. Let the Bible be the foundation on which I build my life. Let my values be shaped by God’s word. Let my thoughts be shaped by the same word. Let my conversation be influenced by God’s word. Like a king’s friend, I slowly start picking and assimilating His agenda in my whole life. It will determine my friends, my diet, my recreation, in fact my whole existence.

Then I go deeper. I will get into His presence. At this time I more or less know Him though we are not really close. I know His likes and dislikes. I know what ticks Him. I know what excites His heart. I know Him as someone who lives in His presence. We will start talking. But even then He is the one who does the talking most of the time. In fact the times I am talking is when I am seeking clarification about what I have read or when He asks my opinion of this or the other concerning the same.

Gradually the fellowship becomes deeper. We get to talk about a few other things as He draws me deeper into His person. We get to grow our relationship beyond what I have read because I have internalized it and so get to talk about greater responsibilities. He reveals more of His agenda to me because I have completely and unquestioningly bought into what He has revealed in His word.

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. (Joshua 1:8)

He will eventually get me into His sanctum. Here He allows me to revel in His presence for no other purpose but fellowship. You have become so close that now you may do all the talking, in fact He may require it because He enjoys your voice. You are now sold out to His agenda that even your talking has almost nothing about you or your needs. You are simply talking about the pursuit of His agenda.

He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. (John 14:21)

It is at this point that you will qualify to be sent to another king.

For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. (2Corinthians 4:5)

How do we then relate with the king we are being sent to?

I think the first thing we ought to always keep in mind is the fact that we are extensions of the king sending us. We have no agenda of our own. We represent him in all respects. Our persons are poor representations of the king so it is vitally important that we constantly remember that we really do not deserve. It is a trust we have been placed under. We forget that and we mess up not only with the message but with the relationship with the king sending us.

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. (2Corinthians 4:7)

Though I might be elevated in the kingdom due to the closeness of our fellowship, I should never assume that I am a king or even a member of his family. I might be controlling even the princes but I should never forget that it is at the pleasure of the king. A general might be commanding the prince in the army but he is never deceived as to think he is more important in the kingdom. Whether or not I deserve is inconsequential. I am serving at the king’s mercy. Once again I should not ever forget that it is not my qualification that gives me the trust. It is my relationship with the king. My level of trust is directly proportional to my connectedness to his agenda and passion. In other words it is all about him. Remember this?

He must increase, but I must decrease. (John 3:30)

The more of his agenda operating in my life, the more trust I have of him.

Not only do I serve at his mercy; I also serve on his terms using his resources. I should never once forget that I am on his commission and so draw all my resources from him. I am therefore not at liberty to access resources apart from him. It is extremely insulting to the king if he found me ‘hustling’ for resources to do his commission. Not only would I be dismissed from his service but I might be jailed for painting his kingdom in such poor light. Any gift I receive in his service is a gift to the king. Using the same without the king’s permission is misappropriation.

I REPRESENT THE KING. What I am should therefore paint that very clearly. Even before the message is delivered, it should never be in doubt which king I represent.

For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. (2Corinthians 4:5)

My lifestyle should accurately portray my king. My demeanor should be the king’s. My spending and expenditure should point to my king. My associations should be approvable by the king’s standards.

I have been sent by the king. I am not therefore in his presence. I have earned the trust to be entrusted with his message, even to another king.

This means that he has given me some autonomy. I do not have to go back to him for any decision. I do not need to be seated by him to carry the weight of his presence. I do not need his accountant to give me resources to run the king’s errands. I have been promoted.

I have been given a title almost similar to that of a king. In fact to the kingdom I have been sent I am the closest they come to my king. I am now the representative of the king in a foreign land. I now have my own money, my own accountants; my own mini kingdom so to speak. In fact anybody coming to visit me is in actual fact visiting my king’s compound. I get my security from my king. I get my cooks from my king. That land on which I live does not even belong to the hosting kingdom.

Many times political renegades fearing the law or persecution, depending on which side you stand, will flee to the embassy of another nation and nobody can dare arrest them. I remember in Kenya when such a character was sheltered in such an embassy and diplomatic links were severed with that country. This brought a severing not only of diplomatic links. Many NGOs from that country doing a lot of work in the arid lands had to be shut. All because of the decision of an ambassador! This is the kind of person we are talking about. A person a whole country would rally in defense of as his decisions are supposed to be those of the kingdom that sent him.

This is the kind of status we need to have to be entrusted with the king’s message to another king. The king is so confident of our person and loyalty that he will rally his whole kingdom to defend us. We therefore must so represent him that there would not be the slightest chance of our loyalty being suspect.

Another aspect we must look at is our lifestyle. We are the closest anyone will come to our king and kingdom. We must therefore live in such a way to leave no doubt as to which king we represented. It is expected that our lifestyle should be such that a person who knows our king will not need any words or any other proof to know the king we serve. The disciples were so much like Christ that they were called Christians, little Christos or Christ’s followers. By the way I see the same in discipleship and mentoring where the disciple or mentor takes even the mannerisms of the superior.

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. (Acts 4:13)

The final thing I want us to look out is our source/ provision. It is an insult to a king when his subject, leave alone his messenger, looks outward for his upkeep. It is even worse when the same messenger uses the king’s name to source for his upkeep without the king’s express authority. Just because we have his authority to be satellite kingdom centres does not mean we are at liberty to use his connections for our personal benefit. Like I have said any gift to me is directly a gift to the king who has sent me. He gives me all I need so that I can serve him without any worries as to my upkeep. I need to say that this is not meant to meet my greed or whims. Whatever the king gives me is given so that I can represent him in the best way possible. He therefore does not require me to talk assistance to my person. Any time I am involved in negotiations I am only supposed to negotiate for the king who has sent me. When I make any business or partnership deals I am not supposed to feature anywhere, whether I am talking with business people, corporations or governments. I am representing the king, and only him. I am his agent, the bearer of his messages.

No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. (2Timothy 2:4)

As I talk about provision I think it is important to mention one thing concerning my commission versus my stay in the other kingdom. Since I am there at the king’s pleasure I am there strictly on temporary basis. The longest I can be there is a predefined term but even that is subject to the pleasure of the king. He can recall me any time he wishes. This means that I cannot organize any long term plans in my person. I cannot think my personal investments, in fact any long term project as me. It will be either in the king’s name or none at all. It goes without say that any personal plan I may hatch could earn me my recalling as the king’s messenger. I am in that kingdom as temporary as temporary can be.

Recently an ambassador was given an order by his boss that was contrary to his faith. He was to host an abominable group in his residence. I hear that he told the president something similar to this.

‘This house is yours to use as you will. I can’t stop you from doing anything there. But I serve God whose orders are more binding on me than yours. I will therefore leave you your house to invite whoever you want but you can be sure I will not be anywhere near.’ And he did exactly that.

Of course he was recalled not long after that incident. But it brings us to what this whole message is about. We are representatives of the King of kings. Serving any other king is subject to my connection to the King of kings. I will therefore fall into grave error if for the trappings that come with serving an earthly king I disconnect from the heavenly commission.

The rewards of serving a king in foreign land are not pegged to how much you do or do not do. They are pegged on your faithfulness to your commission and nothing else. You might be all over doing everything yet be recalled because your commission had nothing to do with all those activities. Assignments are what a king will use to judge faithfulness. You might be recalled because your assignment was changed when you felt at your peak in the previous assignment and so stopped hearing the new orders or thought the king did not know what he was saying and so continued flourishing in rebellion as far as the king was concerned and as we have seen it is what he sees that counts.

Let us now get to the crux of the matter. God us called us to Himself, at least those who have heard His voice. There are many others who assume they are called when it is their imagination or doctrinal position that teaches so.  Whichever it is, I want us to start with that assumption.

Do we know who has called us? Do we desire to know Him even better? Are we desirous of growing to know Him even more? What between Him and His assignment carries more weight in our lives?

Do we crave to connect to His heart? David was called a man after God’s heart. Are we interested in His heart or are we only excited with His hand that provides, protects, comforts …? Do we care to connect to His passion? Does His passion determine how we look at life and the world or is it just another opinion?

Do we spend time to know Him? Have we invested in materials, methods and time that will help us know Him more? Is the time that I spend in His presence just an obligation or do I look forward to that time? Is that the time that gives me a worldview or is it just something a Christian must do?

Is the sermon the highlight of my week instead of the word of God? What runs me Monday through Saturday? Is it the newspapers and TV? Is it the many books I read? Is it the many sermons I listen to? Or is it THE PURE WORD OF GOD that contains all I need to live a godly life?

What is prayer to me? Do I follow teachings more religiously than just desiring to be taught by God about praying? Must I use the 3-point, 5-point, 10-point plans I have been taught or can I just PRAY? Can Christ teach me to pray or there must be experts to teach me? Who taught them? Do they direct me to the one who taught them or are they just binding me to their methods? Can Christ have other methods or they got finished when He ‘taught’ these experts?

Do I hear from God or must I also go to the experts to hear what God has for me? Do some people have exclusive rights to God that he must only speak to them? Does God want me to also hear from Him?

And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD'S people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them! (Numbers 11:29)

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: (John 10:27)

It is God’s desire that we all hear His voice. It is therefore not normal when so few of His people hear it. It is abominable when people make merchandise of the voice whether or not they hear it. GOD EXPECTS ALL HIS PEOPLE TO HEAR HIS VOICE. Is it His problem then if I am not hearing it? Is it His expectation that I use people, even His people to hear it? Is that the end of the game for Him?

We have no excuse for not hearing God’s voice. We can never argue out our experience of hearing that voice. Making not hearing His voice normal is blaming Him for not speaking yet His word is not only clear but also emphatic that God seeks someone who will listen to Him.

For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. (2Chronicles 16:9a)

And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none. (Ezekiel 22:30)

Is it God’s fault that there is no one who is hearing His voice? Is it His fault that we are operating as if He stopped speaking so long ago? Is He to blame that I can’t hear His voice?

Let us go one further. Can I really be His sheep if I do not hear His voice? If the Bible says that His sheep hear His voice and follow Him, what evidence can I present that I belong to Him if His voice is foreign to my experience? How can I call myself His servant if my experience of hearing His voice leans more towards guess work? In any case how do I serve Him yet cannot relate to His voice?

To complete the message let us just assume that we are hearing His voice. Is that voice just a voice or the voice of the King? Does that voice just speak or does it hold some weight? Is He really the King or is that voice like one of an age mate? Does His being my friend block His authority as a king, and the King of kings at that?

Going farther still and assuming that we have heard and obeyed His call. How do we relate to the kings the King has sent us to? How do we relate to the resident king’s generosity? How do we relate to his covert and overt acts of undermining my King? Or do I not know that a king is always seeking to increase the reach of his kingdom?

Who are these kings we have been sent to? I will just highlight a few of them. Next time I will give real scenarios of our relationship between these kings and the King of kings who is sending us to them.

Among them are the places we call work places. Places where we earn our bread. Is Christ still king or are we more answerable to our employer than to Him? Are His orders subject to our employer’s ones?

In business we say that the customer is king and always right. Who between the customer and Christ is the king whose order can nullify the other? Is the customer right even when Christ says otherwise?

Probably you are a pastor and the congregation takes a very good care of you. Who between them and Christ must you not defy or offend? Would you follow Christ’s orders when the congregation threatens to sever your pastoral responsibility and benefits?

You might be a servant of the state and the state takes good care of you. Probably you occupy a really posh position in the government. What happens when the state disagrees with God?

Probably like me you write books. Can God issue an order contrary to conventional wisdom? Do you hear God’s voice before you write or is your creativity autonomous?

Maybe you are a musician as I was. Must you always sing? Is He at liberty to ask you to stop that ‘ministry’ and await another order?

Suppose you are a king. Are you pursuing the interests of your kingdom? Are those interests subject to the King of kings? What would you do were Christ to order you to step down from that throne?

What would you do if like Abraham you were told to leave everything and follow God to a place He chooses not to show you immediately and in fact will not even show you the direction beyond where you place your foot next? Would you follow Him without asking questions?

Can you minister if there was no promise of support? Can you travel to a place before you know that there are structures to support your mission?

Can you sell all you have, give all the proceeds to ministry and leave that ministry for a ministry opportunity God shows you that will require backbreaking sweat for you to get food? Barnabas did it. Can you resign your job if God orders before He shows you how else you will be able to take care of your needs?

In short how much of a king is Christ to you?