When we Push the Promise

And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valour: and Solomon seeing the young man that he was industrious, he made him ruler over all the charge of the house of Joseph. And it came to pass at that time when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way; and he had clad himself with a new garment; and they two were alone in the field: And Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him, and rent it in twelve pieces: And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee: (1Kings 11: 28 – 31)

I remember several years ago when some young men wanted to stone me for ‘pouring scorn’ on their god (it is normally called blasphemy).

What was the reason? A school had to be closed because they were rioting as a teacher had touched their holy book with his leg!

As happens in schools, there was a search for stolen books led by the teachers. It so happened that one student had the holy book in his locker with the other books. As they were being piled on top of each other, the pile lost balance and was falling. The teacher instinctively reached out with his leg to stop them from falling badly. And that is how he touched the holy book. Then the riot ensued.

I was thus talking with those young men who were sent home when the school was closed.

Do you have to fight for your god? Can he not hold his own when assaulted? How crippled is he that you must fight on his behalf?

The only reason they could not stone me was because they were unable to logically explain their actions at school, or even show how stoning me was an act of faith.

You see, God is able to fight for His honor. He is able to defend His word. In fact Jeremiah 1: 12 says that He watches His word to ensure that it is fulfilled. This means that whatever He says is certain and He does not need any assistance from our side to fulfill it.

We fail when we purport to protect God’s honor. We err tremendously when we seek to perpetuate His workings. And we become abominable when we seek to assist Him to keep His promises.

Jeroboam was not interested in the kingdom when God found him. He was not given the kingdom due to his burning ambition.

He was just found being faithful in the assignments the king gave him.

The kingdom did not therefore proceed from him, but from the Lord. It is the Lord who came looking for him. Like Saul before him he really was just interested in being faithful in the little things he was entrusted with. Then God gave him the promise of a kingdom.

God even protects him when the anointing makes him an enemy of the kingdom (as there cannot be two kings in a kingdom). He is even called from Egypt when the time comes.

Yet what happens when he starts ruling?

And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David: If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah. Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. (1Kings 12: 26 – 28)

He simply forgets who gave him the kingdom, and offends Him very gravely. He in effect creates other gods to protect His kingdom.

And due to that he not only loses the kingdom; he loses EVERYTHING. God cleared his name from Israel by killing all his posterity, even making sure that not even a grave holds their remains.

That is what happens when we try to push what God has promised to us. This is what happens when we try to push the commission God has given to us in our own strength.

Do you know why some people fight in churches, even taking crude weapons with them to the holy place?

Many times it is because they received a commission and pursued it with all their hearts, even resources. Then all of a sudden an upstart comes in with ‘new revelations’ that seem to reorganize everything they have built over the years in total disregard of the blood and sweat they poured to build the ministry or church. They feel duty bound to protect their turf. Sadly they are not even ashamed to say that they are fighting God’s battles.

And I am not talking about doctrine here as we are called to contend for the faith.

Like Jeroboam they are threatened that their structure will be taken over and their effort wasted.

What they forget is the source of that ministry was not them but the Lord. And He did not give us just to touch so that we will need our effort to hold.

But we need to realize that this is a natural reaction. On the same vein I want to state that the only antidote to it is a clear knowledge and fellowship with God, the source and giver of this promise. He is the only security we have against this tendency to fight for our promise.

A case in hand is David when he had been overthrown by his son. When the priests wanted to join him with the ark of God, see what he says.

And the king said unto Zadok, Carry back the ark of God into the city: if I shall find favour in the eyes of the LORD, he will bring me again, and shew me both it, and his habitation: But if he thus say, I have no delight in thee; behold, here am I, let him do to me as seemeth good unto him. (2Samuel 15: 25, 26)

That was the reason he could not kill Saul, though Saul sought to kill him.

Remember when Israel prayed for a king and Samuel was grieved? God told him that the real issue there was not that they were rejecting Samuel (though that is what they were saying) but God, who had made Samuel prophet and judge.

There was a time a ministry I had invested so much to build was killed by people who ought to have known better because they had power to do it. It was very painful, not only for me and all the wasted effort but also the people it was impacting, even transforming.

I thought to start a similar ministry but God stopped me. He told me that I had done what He had brought me to do. He also told me that they called me because He wanted me in Nairobi. What they did with the ministry they had called me to do was none of my business, pain notwithstanding.

You see, ministry is never ours, however much we are involved in, however much we have invested in. We are committed to God. We give our all to God. And we do not give to get some interest of sorts. We give because it is to God we are giving.

I will give Barnabas as an example. He sold his land and gave all the proceeds to the church. Then he went to minister, laboring with his hands to support the ministry God had called him to. He did not pursue any entitlement, either as a Levite, or someone who had sold all he had for Christ.

But we can never attain to that unless we really know the character of God as we read and study His word and then walking in fellowship with Him as we meditate on that word and pray for guidance concerning what He has for us to do.

We will never be secure in the promises God gave to us outside a vibrant relationship with God. We can never please God unless we are clear with what God is saying. And we can never enjoy God’s peace when we are guessing His presence and will.

All this revolves around God’s word.

It is a known fact that the lack of knowledge of God’s word is what makes the false prophet thrive. It is what feeds the fake pastor and minister. And it is what makes us celebrate preachers who are feeding us on garbage all in the name of motivational preaching. And of course it is the fodder for cults and other religions.

And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites: And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them: That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel. (Deuteronomy 17: 18 – 20)

That is how important God’s word is to anyone with His commission. Lack of it is the reason Solomon deserted God. It was the same reason Jeroboam sought security outside God and His revelation. And it is the reason false prophets thrived in Israel and even Judah in those times the word was neglected.

Did David ever encounter false prophets? Look at even other kings who were committed to God’s word and you will see the same. No false prophet will dare prophesy when they realize God’s word is known and obeyed. And it is not only during Bible times.

I have been approached by ‘prophets’ with earthshaking prophecies. Yet they will chicken out almost immediately when they realize that I am not excited by their prophecies, even before I start asking for clarification on those prophecies. Cultists will come to ‘evangelize’ me and later plead with me to let them go as I take them to the Bible they have never encountered in their indoctrination.

A pastor or preacher who does not consume huge chunks of the word on a consistent basis, even daily, has no business pretending to preach that word. In fact he should be so immersed in the word that it is that word that will blurt out when he knocks a stone as he walks.

I believe it is the height of folly for a singer to even imagine they are singing Gospel when they have not infused their spirits, even systems, with the word of God. I believe a normal Christian singer should be reading at least five chapters of the Bible daily, and not only selected portions, to qualify to sing any spiritual song, leave alone lead others in worship.

It is impossible to counter the devil’s wiles when he uses scripture like he used on Christ if I only know selected portions to explain ‘our’ doctrine. You see the devil knows the Bible well. His only problem is that he has chosen to walk in disobedience. We copy him when we choose the portions we will read and apply and even teach.

Remember Job’s three friends? Do you realize that they were for the most part quoting scripture in their comfort? Why were they then called wicked and even required to repent by God? They knew portions of scripture but even worse they were not in fellowship with the source of those scriptures.

I have not even talked about prayer and other disciplines because they have their foundation in the Bible. You must know the Bible to be able to know God’s will, and the more you know the easier it will be for you to know it.

It must also be consistent. That is what Joshua 1: 8 says. Otherwise we will be like Solomon. God appeared to him twice but that was not enough to guard him from idolatry as he neglected a consistent intake of God’s word. Or we could become like Jeroboam, the fact that the promise took long to fulfillment was not enough insurance against idolatry.

That is why pastors start so well and end up so shamefully. They simply stop reading the Bible to hear from God and start reading it to prepare a sermon or seminar. That explains why singers start so well, sound doctrine and all, yet start dressing like whores and even singing in very shady, even wicked environments. Their devotion and scripture intake give them very rich songs. Then popularity opens doors to spiritual complacency, like it did to Jeroboam.

And like I always say, this might explain why these prominent ministers will find themselves in hell (Matthew 7: 21 – 23). They started valuing the word but ended up looking for security elsewhere, probably performance, or a salary, or a family.

Yet God will only use His word to judge.

Is it not therefore of ultimate importance that we know that word and love it and be committed to it?