The King’s Messenger? Ouch!

And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace. So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14: 27 – 33)

We are continuing with the message ‘taking the Kings message to a king’. Today we look at some of the things we need to consider before we decide whether we ought to take up that privileged position. This is because many times we rush through making decisions concerning the same without considering the implications of those decisions we make. As usual we will then blame the King when some unforeseen circumstances and challenges overtake us in the course of taking our commission. I am reminded of the seed that fell on the rock.

Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. (Matthew 13: 5, 6)

I will not talk about the benefits and pleasures of the assignments as there are enough people teaching along those lines. Some ministers are experts when it comes to that. Books and tapes are overflowing in the shops about the enjoyments of serving the King to the point that it makes the requirements and sacrifices appear like walking in sin. I will not take that route. You see the benefits are the consequences to the messenger who considers all and takes the commission anyway. They are not even prepared for. They just come.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33)

It is the King’s responsibility to make those things follow our pursuit of His agenda and not our prayer or desire. We are just supposed to focus on what He bids us to do. He will deal with the consequences and rewards.

We will therefore look at a few messengers and a few of the pains they went through as they took the Kings message especially to kings.

And the LORD said, Like as my servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia; (Isaiah 20:3)

Isaiah was a prince. Some people speculate that he was the one who was supposed to be king before Hezekiah was granted fifteen years to produce Manasseh. He was therefore exposed to the good life from childhood. Can you imagine the embarrassment he must have experienced as he walked barefoot and naked for a whole three years? Was he not a disgrace to his friends and age mates? How did the palace that he belonged to view him?

Yet that was the cost of taking the King’s message. You must decide to be anything He chooses you to be. There are many other sacrifices we see when we read his story but I think this epitomizes one aspect of being the King’s messenger.

As the LORD thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee: and when they said, He is not there; he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they found thee not. (1Kings 18:10)

After Elijah ordering a drought on Israel, God goes ahead to hide him. This verse tells us the extent to which the king that the King had sent him to sought out the messenger. And you can be sure it was not to knight him. He simply wanted to kill him.

Then he said, God do so and more also to me, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day. (2Kings 6:31)

This is another king who is tired of waiting on God. He starts blaming the messenger and seeks to kill him.

Son of man, behold, I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroke: yet neither shalt thou mourn nor weep, neither shall thy tears run down. Forbear to cry, make no mourning for the dead, bind the tire of thine head upon thee, and put on thy shoes upon thy feet, and cover not thy lips, and eat not the bread of men. So I spake unto the people in the morning: and at even my wife died; and I did in the morning as I was commanded. (Ezekiel 24:16 - 18)

I will kill your wife but you must not show any signs of grief. Act as if nothing has happened. That appears very cruel. But that is what it cost to bear the King’s message.

Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that was in the court of the prison: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire. (Jeremiah 38:6)

This was meant to humble him. He could have died had not another interceded for him. Yet his resolve did not waver. He had counted the cost when he agreed to become the King’s messenger.

The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD. (Hosea 1:2)

Then said the LORD unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the LORD toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love flagons of wine. So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for an homer of barley, and an half homer of barley: (Hosea 3:1 – 2)

To take the King’s message, Hosea was required to marry a prostitute. Then she would leave him to go back to her trade and he would have to buy her again. I do not want to imagine the cost to this messenger to obey such an order. People kill or commit suicide when they discover their friend; leave alone spouse, is unfaithful. How does it feel to marry someone whose trade is the epitome of unfaithfulness?

Also Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there: But prophesy not again any more at Bethel: for it is the king's chapel, and it is the king's court. Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit: And the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel. (Amos 7:12 – 15)

Amos was at the risk of losing his life as the king he was sent to was hostile to his message. Yet he had left his occupation to go to a different land to take the message. Elisha was the same, having to destroy the tools of his trade to take the King’s commission.

Jonah was sent to very hostile enemies to take the message. No wonder he had issues with obedience.

John the Baptist was jailed and later beheaded when the message the King gave him rubbed the king the wrong way.

The three Hebrew sons had to confront a fiery furnace which was heated even fiercer before the king could receive their message.

Daniel was thrown to the lion’s den for the message he bore.

The whole Jewish race was almost exterminated because Mordecai was faithful to the message.

Job lost everything and everyone he had because God required him to take His message even to hell.

Naboth was defamed before being stoned to death because the King’s allotment was not open to the highest bidder.

And say, Thus saith the king, Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I come in peace. (1Kings 22:27)

Micaiah was being exposed to that torture and deprivation because he had dared take the King’s message, which was contrary to the popular revelation of the other more relevant and popular messengers, four hundred of them.

… and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. (Hebrews 11: 35b – 38)

This is talking about some heroes of faith and the issues they had to deal with to be faithful to the King. Just look closely at the challenges and consequence of choosing to take the King’s commission.

I have taken a single incident in each messenger’s life though there were innumerable in each. These are meant to tell us that taking the King’s commission is no easy task.

Even the Message Himself was hung on a cross for daring to do what He had come to do. In fact it was the religious leadership that orchestrated that because he decided to give the King’s message to people who though they professed and were known to belong to the King had no place for the Message they had been waiting for for centuries.

Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. (John 15:20)

It is therefore the messenger’s lot to face opposition and persecution as we pursue the King’s agenda.

They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. (John 16:2, 33)

Like they did to the Message and King, they will use all the structures to make sure that we do not bear any message to them as it exposes their shallow lives and hypocrisy. In the next post we will be looking at the aspect of light in greater detail.

At this point I want us to realize that it is not the ‘world’ that will hate us but the church structure and especially its leadership that is living at cross purposes to their confession as happened to our commander. The King’s message simply exposes our departure from the path He set out for us from the time He created us. The world is seeking the way to the King and will gladly receive us if we are offering them the light and directions to get there. They will hate us for speaking so much about the King yet giving no directions to Him or telling them that they do not even need to get to the King as we are not much different from this King.

Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. (2Timothy 3:5)

These are the real enemies of the King because they have known Him but are not willing to go all the way to obey Him. They want to feed from His bounty but are not willing to listen to His message as they are not willing to be transformed by it.

And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. (Revelation 13:7)

The antichrist will most likely come from the church structure and receive endorsement from most of the church leadership to persecute the saints who are the King’s messengers and carry the King’s message faithfully as the Message Himself did.

Who does not know at least one pastor who was hounded out of the church, even denomination he planted because he sought to continue in his radical ways even after money started flowing? How many do not know a person who like Naboth was defamed so that they can comfortably be put out of a ministry they are having much impact so that somebody else can take over the leadership? How many do not know of a person whose marriage was broken so that they stop being so bold for God as they get busy putting out marital fires?

Children are forcibly taken from parents who decide that the King’s orders are not suggestions. Many people lose their jobs for taking the King too seriously. Ministries are killed when the structures realize that they cannot easily weaken the impact of the radical. Even in church elections are rigged so that people who have the King’s commission do not get into any leadership position as they can’t be ‘softened’ like the others.

I am talking about things I have seen, many that I have been in too close proximity with and even experienced.

Taking the King’s message is not an easy task. Decide early enough whether you will be ready to handle all the opposition and persecution that is sure to come your way.

Then take a bold step and say YES to the King.