And as for you, O my flock, thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I judge between cattle and cattle, between the rams and the he goats.
Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pasture, but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures? and to have drunk of the deep waters, but ye must foul the residue with your feet?
And as for my flock, they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet; and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet.
–Ezekiel 34:17-19
Spiritual Realm – Spiritual Warfare
“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” –Ephesians 6:12
“The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.” –Proverbs 21:1
“Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. herefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience’ sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing. –Romans 13:1-6
“I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. 7Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity. I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.” –I Timothy 2:1-8
These messages are messages of warning. It doesn’t mean you have to accept everything, but Christians are to watch and to be awake.
Gamaliel’s Counsel
And said unto them, Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what ye intend to do as touching these men.
For before these days rose up Theudas, boasting himself to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered, and brought to nought.
After this man rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the taxing, and drew away much people after him: he also perished; and all, even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed.
And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.
Acts 5:35-39
Is God looking for his followers to be living stones created and fashioned by Him, or cutout figures of the same shape, size and substance? Here is some food for thought.
Nimrod was the first king who popped up in Bible history, and he sought to become the first king of the whole world. He wanted not only to rule, but to dominate the lives and spiritual realm of his kingdom. This topic is worth taking time to study.
This rebellion of Nimrod, came only about 150 years after the flood. Nimrod’s name itself means rebellion.
And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD. And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. –Genesis 10:8-10
Nimrod and Babylon are the most clear example of early idolatry.
The Babylonian system was based on pride and total domination of society. Nimrod’s system threatened the faithful line of God which would come through Abraham.
What about ancient Egypt? Was it also based of the Babylonian system of bricks and toil? Technical engineers agree that the Great Pyramid – the oldest pyramid – was made of extreme precision and with a design that we could not execute today. Was this a tribute to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? Or was it the opposite?
Was even CHRISTMAS a nod to Nimrod? Honest scholars agree that Christ was not born in the winter.
Putting this all together, what does the Bible say? Is God seeking stones or bricks?
The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. –Psalm 118:22
The BUILDERS rejected the chief corner stone — who are the BUILDERS?
“Build the altar to the LORD your God with uncut stones, then offer a burnt offering to him.” –Deuteronomy 27:6 (NIV)
To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,
And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.
–I Peter 2:4-8
This final message really ties the whole of this together for me. Let’s let God’s word speak to us.
Let’s look for a minute at the Hebrews 11 “Chapter of Faith”
Here we have Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses’ parents, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, the prophets, and all the martrys mentions. Did these seem like cut-out figures to you? Where they a sea of sameness, mere cogs in a system of domination? Or were they very unique individuals, just as natural stones are unique and shaped and placed by God?
From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. –Ephesians 4:16
Here is the temple God Himself is building:
Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. –Ephesians 2:19-22
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins. And John was clothed with camel’s hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey; And preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.
–Mark 1:1-8
Do we get all our information from traditional, respectable sources? We should ask ourselves, would we have heard the voice of someone such as John the Baptist? How would John the Baptist have come across to us? Here are a few point of interest.
1. He had been miraculously conceived and was blessed with the Holy Spirit even before he was born. –Luke 1
2. Other than his righteous parents, he had no human teachers that we know of. –Luke 1:6
3. His early life was one of solitude in the desert where he grew spiritually. –Luke 1:80
4. He wore coarse camel hair, and ate locusts and honey. –Mark 1:6; Matthew 3:4
5. He didn’t consume alcohol. –Luke 1:15
6. He was likely a Nazirite who had never had a haircut. Godly men in the Bible were normally expected to have short hair as they were the “head” of their family and the express image of God (I Corinthians 11). The exception to that would have been men who had taken a Nazirite vow. The vow did not prohibit marriage, but it prohibited fermented products like alcohol and ritual defilement, and it involved not cutting the hair. We know he didn’t consume alcohol from Luke 1:15.
7. He knew scripture and he came on to the scene quoting it. — John 1:23
8. John’s ministry was one of repentance, and strong warning. — Acts 13:24; Matthew 3:1-3; Matthew 3:11-12; Mark 1:1-5; Luke 3:1-20
9. While John gave glory to Jesus as Lord and Savior, Jesus testified of John’s greatness as a prophet of God. –John 3:25-30; Matthew 3:3; John 1:6-8; John 1:24-28 Acts 13:25; Mark 1:7-8; Luke 7:28; Matthew 11:11-15
10. John’s ministry served as a complement, comparison and contrast to Christ’s ministry. –Matthew 21:23-32; Mark 2:18-20; Matthew 11:18-19; Luke 7:33-35
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