Moving Forward After Deception

"And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me." — Genesis 31:7

Jacob did not minimize what happened. He acknowledged the painful reality of deception. It was not a single misunderstanding or isolated disappointment. His wages were changed ten times—a repeated pattern of broken trust, uncertainty, and injustice.

Deception carries weight. It can consume years, alter plans, strain relationships, and leave deep emotional and spiritual wounds. It often raises difficult questions:

How did I not see it?
Could I have done something differently?

Scripture does not pretend these experiences are light or insignificant.

Yet Jacob's testimony does not end with "ten times." It ends with "but God."

"...but God suffered him not to hurt me."

This is the heart of someone who has been previously deceived yet continues to praise the Lord. Such a person does not become defined by the untoward experience, nor remain imprisoned by bitterness or regret. Instead, he recognizes that God's sovereign hand was present even during the season of deception.

The scars may remain, and the lessons may be costly, but God's preserving grace proves greater than the deception itself. What others intended for harm did not ultimately prevent God's purpose from being fulfilled.

Rather than endlessly reliving the interruption, he moves forward to what the Lord had already prepared before that intermission. The enemy may delay, distract, or deceive, but he cannot overturn God's purposes for those who trust in Him.

This does not mean ignoring the lessons of the past. Scripture repeatedly calls believers to test every spirit, examine every teaching, and grow in discernment. But biblical discernment is meant to lead us closer to Christ, not into lifelong suspicion, fear, or despair.

A grateful heart says:

"I was deceived, but the Lord did not abandon me."

A humble heart says:

"I have learned to depend more fully on God's Word."

A hopeful heart says:

"The Lord's purposes for my life are still before me."

Our testimony, then, is not merely that deception existed, but that the Lord Jesus Christ remained faithful through it all. He preserves His people, matures them through trials, and leads them onward in His perfect time.

Like Jacob, we can honestly acknowledge the pain of being deceived—even ten times—while joyfully declaring:

"But God suffered him not to hurt me."

The final word belongs not to deception, but to the faithfulness of God.

Prophecy Alert.
When Sunday observance shall be ENFORCED BY LAW, and the world shall be enlightened concerning the obligation of the true Sabbath, then whoever shall transgress the command of God to obey a precept which has no higher authority than that of Rome, WILL HEREBY HONOR POPERY ABOVE GOD.

He is paying homage to Rome, and to the power which enforces the institution ordained by Rome.
HE IS WORSHIPING THE BEAST AND HIS IMAGE!!

Satan is pulling a fast one folks.. only those that only go STRICTLY BY THE BIBLE
will NOT be deceived.. Following a crowd now is so dangerous.

GOD SEES YOU: HIS JUDGMENT IS CERTAIN
Shalom, shalom, shalom, people of God!
This morning, I bring you a simple but powerful message:
God sees you. God sees your actions. God knows your heart.
Do not think that violence, hatred, war, oppression, and the destruction of innocent lives will remain without consequences. You may hide your actions from people, but you cannot hide them from God.
God did not create this world for destruction. He created it for life, love, justice, peace, and human dignity.
While some prepare wars and develop weapons capable of destroying entire populations, innocent people are suffering and families are simply asking for peace.
So I say to those who promote hatred and destruction:
Do not be deceived. God sees you.
The power of human beings has limits, but God is the final Judge.
To those who believe in God: do not answer evil with evil. Continue to love, forgive, bless, serve, and build peace.
And to those who are doing evil: repent while there is still time.
One day, every person will give an account before God.
The world was not created only to destroy.
We were created to build.
We were created to love.
We were created to serve.
We were created to live in peace.
May God awaken the conscience of leaders, nations, and every human being. May He give us wisdom, discernment, compassion, and the courage to choose peace over destruction.
God sees you. God knows you. His judgment is certain.
This is your servant from Bagamangevangelist’sministry, speaking to you this morning.
**May God bless you, protect the innocent, and bring peace to our world.
Shalom, shalom, shalom!**

LOST IN THE CHURCH:

[BEING LOST IN CHURCH]

Part Five

Measuring Holiness

There has been a great deception among many people who assume that holiness is measured by comparing a person’s good deeds with their bad deeds. When the scale of good deeds appears to outweigh the bad, they conclude that the person is holy.

In this way, many have continued to measure Christianity by looking at what they have done and what they have not done. This kind of holiness focuses heavily on measuring sin according to the “Don’ts” found in Scripture.

And this has become the interpretation of religion throughout history. It has continued to damage the Church and has contributed to leading many people to hell.

Holiness or sin is not merely an action—not simply what a person does or does not do—but a condition of the heart. God is deeply concerned with the condition of our hearts. Actions are only the results of what is already inside the heart. Many have measured holiness by good deeds, yet the Lord does not look at things in that way. He looks at the spirit or intention behind every action, examining the manner and motive with which it was done.

Therefore, the Lord is not simply looking for people who perform good deeds on earth, but for people who do what is right!

There is a great difference between doing a good thing and doing the right thing. Sometimes the right thing may appear to be evil in the eyes of people. When the Lord commanded Israel to destroy the nations of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, as stated in Deuteronomy 20:17, could the world have called Him good? Yet we know without doubt that the Lord was doing what was right, because He does not make mistakes, and His works are always without error.

Understand that sin is a condition of the heart, and there is One who examines the deepest intentions of the heart. A person can perform good deeds with an evil motive, while another can perform something that appears bad with a good intention. Therefore, it is very easy for a person to be deceived if they place their confidence in goodness or in their works.

Indeed, evil kills; however, goodness can be responsible for deceiving and destroying even more people in the world than evil itself. One of Satan’s most powerful weapons for bringing destruction into the world comes through what appears to be good. There is hardly a greater deception Satan can use than coming to us dressed as an angel of light. 2 Corinthians 11:14

Because sin is a condition of the heart, a person can be a murderer even if they have never physically killed anyone. Likewise, someone can be an adulterer before God even if they have never slept with a woman.

For example, even if a lemon tree refuses to produce fruit, perhaps in an attempt to hide its nature, it cannot change and become a mango tree.

We cannot remove sin from within ourselves by keeping the Law or by trying to be good. We must be transformed in our hearts as we hold firmly to the Cross. Otherwise, even if a person never commits an outward act of sin, that does not necessarily mean they are without guilt.

Remember: even if a lemon tree does not produce fruit, that does not mean it will be counted as an orange tree.

Circumcision of the Heart

Essentially, there is no action a person can perform that can change their inner nature. Things such as religion and the Law can change the outward appearance, but they cannot transform the inner person. Christianity does not begin from the outside and move inward; rather, it begins from within and moves outward.

Therefore, through religion, the Law, happiness, habits, the desire for praise, and so forth, it is entirely possible for a person to do good outwardly while not actually being good in their heart.

That is why the Lord used circumcision as an illustration of removing the outward covering of hypocrisy, so that what is inside would correspond with what is outside. This was the foundation of the circumcision commanded by the Lord in the house of Israel, when He instructed them to circumcise the foreskin of their bodies.

And was this not a prophecy concerning the circumcision of the heart in our present age, when we look to Christ, as it is written in Philippians 3:3:

> “For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and put no confidence in the flesh.”



If you are in church and have not been born again, understand that your nature has not been transformed.

Therefore, even if you pretend to do good, fast extensively, keep all the Laws, observe all the ancient festivals, new moons, or Sabbaths, understand that hell awaits you!

And these are words of truth.

He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

Amen!

#ToBeContinued...

Mwl. Ernest Nyalula

#LostInTheChurch
#CircumcisionOfTheHeart
#TrueHoliness
#BornAgain
#HeartTransformation
#ChristAlone
#GraceAndTruth
#Christianity
#FaithInChrist
#TheGospel
#JesusChrist
#KingdomOfGod
#LordBook
#SpiritualGrowth
#TruthOfTheGospel

1 Corinthians 4:1 NASB
"This is the way any person is to regard us: as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God."

Many people who have been deceived into believing false Gospels, those that add any human effort to salvation, which is a gift from God to all those who place their faith in Jesus alone, think that they are servants of Christ because they go about spreading their false gospels. BUT they believe in a different gospel and follow a different christ.

Ministers of the true gospel are "stewards of the mysteries of God." The word "steward" was translated from the Greek word οἰκονόμος, pronounced oy-kon-om'-os, and it means, according to Strong's Exhaustive Dictionary, "a house distributor (that is manager) or overseer that is an employee in that capacity; by extension a fiscal agent (treasurer); figuratively 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿 (𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗹): - chamberlain governor steward."

Preachers of the true gospel preach about the mysteries of God.

1 Corinthians 2:7-13 NASB
"but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; [8] the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; [9] but just as it is written: “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, And which have not entered the human heart, All that God has prepared for those who love Him.” [10] For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. [11] For who among people knows the thoughts of a person except the spirit of the person that is in him? So also the thoughts of God no one knows, except the Spirit of God. [12] Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God. [13] We also speak these things, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words."

The great mystery is this: that God would so love us that he withheld nothing from us, even offering up the body and blood of his own son for us, so that if we'd only believe in Jesus and his finished work at Calvary as being sufficient for our salvation, that we would be given the righteousness of God in Christ, salvation, redemption, justification, sanctification and inherit eternal life through no effort of our own or any of our own works through obedience to the commandments.

Anything else is a false Gospel. Anyone offering you a Jesus who wasn't enough is offering you a false Jesus and a different Jesus.

#jesuschrist #faith #cults #gospel #grace

FOOLISH JEWS
The Jews are foolishly being deceived by themselves and the Devil to run with the old agreement or old covenant patterns that have been fulfilled in the personality of the Messiah that came and they failed to realize it which was why they were dispersed and trampled upon all over the world(Luke 21:20 - 24,20:16,17,18,19,Mark 13:2)
God's ultimate plan is for the universal church on earth to have a unified worship in Israel but the reality is that the Jews are still foolish fools who read the scriptures without understanding which was why God called them DENSE(Matthew 23) for they have eyes to see but do not see and have ears to hear but do not hear. They are blind guards. The Holy Scriptures in Isaiah 55:5 says,"You shall call a nation you do not know and nations who do not know you shall run to you because of the LORD your YHWH for HE has glorified you(God coming as human in flesh to bestow all what it takes) and verse 3/4 says," Incline your ears and come to ME(Leaving the old covenant and modernizing and upgrading).Hear, and your soul shall live; and I (YHWH) will make an everlasting covenant (New Covenant that is only on Christ the Messiah alone and no other) the sure mercies of David (Matthew 2:1-6, check chapter 1 on genealogy) with you which is the sure mercies of David(which is the plan from of old because even David could not keep the laws but walked in fleshly lusts and sin).I Indeed I(YHWH) have given HIM (CHRIST or Yahshua)as a witness to the people.A leader and commander for the people". The truth was that Christ prophesied about the dispersions, pulling down of Jerusalem and coming back plus the failures and the successes if the truth is realized that God cannot go back to the old method to give the Jews power and protection but only gathering and taking care of the universal church rather than Rome,the Idolatrous. Yahshuanisim is the only survival for the Jews as most of the talks of Jesus Christ are prophecies of that time and present but they thought that HE was raving mad but part of those words have come to pass. The curses declared by the Master are prophecies and every word HE uttered were fullfiled. Some thought that HIS curses,for example to that woman HE called a dog shouldn't be, but that woman knew so to be true, for she was truly a dog(metaphorically and spiritually Matt 15:25,27).
Jews think that the way they want and go is the way God wanted them to go without realizing that they should have been the Body that gathers all diverse believers of non denominational believers for the Time for all in Christ the Messiah which was why a space was provided in the old pattern or old covenant temple for gentiles and when Jews realize this then that's when a new wave of universal outbreak in Yahshanism will expand. Jerusalem or Israel should be a kingdom like America but unlike it in impurity meant to gather Yahshuans (believers in the Messiah Yah is My Ishua(Yahshua, Immanuel, Jesus Christ, Yeshua or whatever the name of the Son of Man is called) from all over the world together, which is the Rome of our Time or of the current time.

DOMINION DAILY DEVOTION ~ DAY 228
DATE: 16TH AUGUST 2026
TOPIC: PERSECUTION IS PART OF THE COST OF FOLLOWING CHRIST
ANCHOR SCRIPTURE: MATTHEW 10:22 (NKJV)
“And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.”
Devotional message:

Jesus never deceived His disciples concerning the cost of following Him. He did not promise them a life without opposition, rejection, hatred, suffering, or persecution. Instead, He prepared them beforehand so that when these things came, they would not abandon their faith.

If our Master was rejected and opposed, we should not be surprised when those who faithfully represent Him experience similar opposition. Following Christ does not mean that everyone will celebrate you, understand you, or agree with your convictions.

There will be moments when standing for righteousness will cost you relationships. There will be moments when refusing to compromise will make you unpopular. There may even be seasons when people misunderstand, reject, mock, or oppose you simply because you have chosen to remain faithful to Christ.

But persecution does not mean that God has abandoned you.

The presence of opposition does not mean the absence of God. In fact, Scripture gives us numerous examples of God's people experiencing persecution while simultaneously experiencing His presence.

God promised through Isaiah:Isaiah 43:2 (NKJV)
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.”

Notice that God did not say, “You will never pass through the waters.” He said, “I will be with you.” He did not say that His people would never encounter fire; He promised His presence in the fire.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego experienced this reality. They refused to bow to the golden image even though they knew their decision could cost them their lives. They were thrown into the fiery furnace, but they were not alone. The king eventually saw a fourth man walking with them in the fire.The fire did not destroy them because God's presence was with them.

Child of God, do not interpret persecution as a signal to abandon your testimony. If you are suffering because you have chosen righteousness, remain faithful. If people reject you because you refuse to compromise your convictions, continue standing. If your commitment to Christ costs you something, remember that Christ is worth more than whatever you may lose.

Our calling is not merely to begin well but to endure to the end.Paul declared that he had fought the good fight, finished the race, and kept the faith (2 Timothy 4:7). That should also be our determination.

The world may hate us because we belong to Christ, but we must never allow the hatred of men to make us lose our love for God. We must continue preaching Christ, living righteously, loving people, and faithfully representing the Kingdom.

Persecution may test your faith, but it does not have to terminate your faith.

The same God who was with the three Hebrew men in the furnace is with you today. The same Christ who strengthened the apostles to endure persecution is still able to strengthen His Church.


PRAYER

Heavenly Father,Thank You for the privilege of following Jesus Christ. Give me grace to remain faithful even when I encounter rejection, hatred, opposition, or persecution because of Your name.In Jesus' name, Amen.

DAILY BIBLE READING
Matt 10:16–33,Isai 43:1–3,Dan 3:13–30,John 15:18–21,2 Timothy 4:6–8


Author : Alfred Wabuko Manyasi
Contact :
Email : DominionvoicesminisrtyAnderson Mwila.com
Facebook : Alfred Wabuko Manyasi
Dominion Daily Devotion, 2026
© Dominion Voices Ministry

FOOLISH JEWS
The Jews are foolishly being deceived by themselves and the Devil to run with the old agreement or old covenant patterns that have been fulfilled in the personality of the Messiah that came and they failed to realize it which was why they were dispersed and trampled upon all over the world.
God's ultimate plan is for the universal church on earth to have a unified worship in Israel but the reality is that the Jews are still foolish

LOST IN THE CHURCH

[GETTING LOST IN CHURCH]

Part Four

Keeping the Law

No one will enter Heaven by keeping the Law. For no one can keep all the Law without stumbling even in one point. And whenever you break one law, you have broken all of it.

Essentially, the Law was not given to the world to save people. It was given to reveal the sin that exists in the hearts of human beings and then show them that humanity needs a Savior—Jesus Christ!

So, it is strange that Jesus has come, yet people have refused to go to Him and instead have gone back to the Law.

If the Law could save, then what was the purpose of Jesus dying on the cross? It would have been enough simply to send the Law into the world, and it would have accomplished everything.

My brothers and sisters, sin is not merely an action; sin is a condition of the heart.

For example, when someone steals, people immediately judge the action. But they may fail to understand that the action has only revealed the sin that already existed within that person's heart. Therefore, before God, that person is a thief even before the actual act of stealing, because God looks at the heart.

For instance, if you give a person a law that says, “Do not steal,” and that law succeeds in preventing him from stealing 100% of the time, you have only succeeded in controlling his body from expressing sin outwardly. You have not removed the sin from his heart.

Therefore, at its very best, the Law cannot make a person's heart pure. And Scripture clearly says that no one will see God without a pure heart. Matthew 5:8

Therefore, anyone who approaches the Law in order to become holy has been seriously deceived. I compare such a person to someone who goes to a traditional healer to have a demon removed. What the healer may do is not remove the demon but merely suppress it—controlling it so that it does not cause trouble while it remains inside.

Jesus alone is able to transform you when you come to Him. He can change your very nature.

My brothers and sisters, the Lord did not come into the world looking for good people, perfect people, people who never sin, or people who are capable of perfectly keeping the Law. He came looking for people who recognize their need for His help, who will believe in Him, and above all, who will love Him.

Keeping the Law Under the New Covenant

Whenever people hear about keeping the Law, the first thing that often comes to mind is the Old Covenant and certain churches that emphasize the Law.

Because they consider themselves churches of salvation, they may think this message does not apply to them.

But from the perspective of “Getting Lost in Church,” this message may actually apply even more to spiritual churches than to others.

There is a great danger in reading the New Covenant through the mindset of the Old Covenant.

Someone may think that perhaps praying for a long time, fasting frequently, or performing many religious activities will make God accept them.

Someone may think that because they attend church every day, do not commit adultery, do not lie, give generously to God, help the needy, serve in church, sing in the choir, preach, or have a good relationship with the pastor, they will automatically be allowed into Heaven on the last day.

Many people in church have been deceived by these things. They even look down on others because they believe they themselves are safe.

Now, I am not saying that doing these things is wrong or unnecessary. Not at all.

Rather, a person should do these things after they have already encountered the Lord.

Keeping the Law without encountering the Lord or being born again is an insult to the cross of Calvary.

If someone could enter Heaven simply by doing all these things, then why did Jesus have to die on the cross?

So, salvation is not primarily about what we have done, but about what the Lord Jesus has already done on the cross.

Outside the cross of Jesus, there is no true love, no holiness, no righteousness, no relationship with God, no Christianity, and no salvation.

Therefore, when we look at the cross with grateful hearts and connect it to everything we do, we enter into His love and develop a relationship with Him.

And we know that the life of every relationship is communication.

Without communication, there can be no genuine love or meaningful relationship.

Have you ever had a relationship with someone you love who was far away from you, while the two of you stopped communicating?

Even in English, we say:

“The more the communication, the stronger the relationship—and vice versa.”

This means that the degree to which a person hears from God and communicates with Him determines the closeness of that person's relationship with God.

For the Word says:

“My sheep hear my voice.”
John 10:27

#ToBeContinued...

Sir. Ernest Nyalula

LostInTheChurch
#JesusChrist
#GraceNotWorks
#TheCrossOfChrist
#NewCovenant
#SalvationByGrace
#BornAgain
#ChristianTruth
#BiblicalTruth
#KnowTheWord
#FaithInChrist
#KingdomOfGod
#LordBook
#Christianity
#SpiritualGrowth

Return to God and be Uplifted!
Repentance brings a change of attitude concerning God. The sinner naturally vilifies God. Even when he speaks of His love, he has no conception of God’s justice and wrath. True repentance brings a sense of the Holy God who cannot look upon sin. It impacts a change of mind concerning sin itself upon a person.
The unrepentant delight in sin. A child of God may be tempted to sin and even fall into sin, but his bosom aches when he does so. A true child of God who has repented cannot enjoy sin and continuously longs for deliverance. Before every child of God, there is a vision both of what he is and what he ought to be. He cries with the poet; “O that a man might arise in me that I might ease to be.”
Repentance gives the sinners a change of mind concerning him. Before our salvation, we all had a good opinion of ourselves. Like the Pharisees, we often thanked God that, “we were not as other men, extortionist, unjust, adulterers, or even as the publican" (Luke 18:11). But, every one that exalts himself shall be abased, and he that humbles himself shall be exalted (Verse 14). Where there is true repentance, though, men often despair of themselves, and like the publication, their cry is, “God be merciful to me a sinner”. They echo Paul’s exasperated plea: “O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death" (Romans 7:24). For Christ came not to call the righteousness, but sinners to repentance (Luke 5:32).
Repentance affects the motions and will, and also creates a change of feeling. We must beware here lest we are deceived. The old time evangelist who specialized in death-bed stories often created mere human emotion filling the mourners' bench with weeping people. These mourners often had a remorse for their evil doings, deeply regretting they had not been better men and women when they were told about meeting their “mother” in heaven. But remorse in not repentance, though I must say remorse is a very common experience for those who commit sin. Someone has called remorse the “echo of lost virtue”.
Remorse is the attitude of mind and heart for some evil done. Repentance, however, goes deeper. Repentance creates a sorrow for what we are rather that remorse for what we have done. Therefore says the Hebrews writer, “Leaving the principles of the doctrines of Christ (Messiah), let us go into perfection by not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works” (Hebrews 6:1).
Christian repentance is not merely the pangs of an injured conscience. Christian repentance follows the Holy Spirit’s convicting work deep within our soul (John 16:7 and 8). It lays strong hold upon the human will and brings the sinners into conformity with the will of God. It is heeding God’s call from a life of destruction (Mark 1:15). Repentance does not mean merely shedding tears over our wrong doings. It ends in faith in Christ, the Saviour. The Church must preach and teach until these conditions are obtained in the ministries. Then our revival shall have come. For this is the will of God for all mankind (Acts 17:30).
Today what the Church and the continents at large need is repentance. The call of the pulpit to the pew must be repentance. And that of the crusades to the nations must similarly be repentance, and this must eventuate in confession of sins. The scripture, therefore, tells us: “Only acknowledge your iniquity, that you have transgressed against the Lord your God” (Jeremiah3:13).That will move our God to come down and heal our many wounds. We are reminded that, “The Lord’s hands is not shortened, that it cannot save neither is His ear heavy that it cannot hear, but your iniquity have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear” (Isaiah59:1 and 2). He that covers his sins shall not prosper, but whoso confess and forsake them shall have mercy (Proverbs 28:13). “For as many as the Lord loves, He rebukes and chastens; be zealous therefore and repent!” (Revelation 3:19).
The repentance must not only be among the lowly citizens but must spring from the governors trickling to the governed. “Therefore whosoever hears these sayings of mine and does them, I will liken him to a wise man which built his house upon a rock. And everyone that hears these sayings of mine and does them not shall be likened to a foolish man which built his house upon the sand,” declares the Lord Jesus Christ (Mathew 7:24 and 26).
Almighty God is calling to the people today as He did to former Israel that, “Therefore also now, says the Lord, Turn even to me with all your heart and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning. And rend your heart and not your garments, and turn to the Lord your God. For He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repent Him of the evil. Who knows if He will return and leave a blessing behind Him, even a meat offering and drink offering unto the Lord your God? Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly; gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts; let the bride-groom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord weep between the porch and the altar and let them say: Spare your people O Lord and give not your heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them; wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God? Then the Lord will be so jealous for His land and pity His people. Yes the Lord will answer and say unto His people, Behold I will send you corn, and wine and oil, and you shall be satisfied therewith; and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen but I will remove far off from you northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face towards the east sea and his hinder part towards the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up and his savor shall come up because he has done great things. Fear not O land; be glad and rejoice; for the Lord will do great things. And I will restore to you the years that locusts has eaten, the cankerworm and the caterpillar and the palmerworm my great army which I sent among you. And you shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, that has dealt wondrously with you, and my people shall never be ashamed" (Joel 2:12-21: 25 and 26).
The Lord’s northern army is the destruction God brings upon a people as a result of their wickedness. Indeed righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people (Proverbs 13:34). For the Lord God of Israel, the Creator of the heavens and the earth loves righteousness and judgement (Psalm 33:5). He stresses that judgement is his strange work (Isaiah 28:21). The reason being that when his judgements are on the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness (Isaiah 26:9). When a nation leaves wickedness and turns to the Lord, such a people receive pardon and sure favour from the Lord God Almighty. The psalmist thus wrote: “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord and the people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance” (Psalms 33:12).
The Lord delights in the humility of a people. This makes Him hear our plea and smile back at us with a pardon. And this humility must start in His sanctuary. He says: “If my people, which are called by my name shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins, and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14). Therefore every Christian by and far, let us rally in repentance for the healing of our lands. For repentance turns away God’s wrath.
Nineveh found itself in a similar situation many African nations are in today. Plagued with wickedness in diverse places and faced with imminent judgment, the Almighty God used Jonah to deliver a message of judgment to the people of Nineveh: “Surely the Lord God will do nothing but He reveals His secrets to His servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7). Unlike most of our folks who hear and turn the head the other way, the Ninevehs believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest-including the king-to the least of them. And God saw their works that they turned from their evil way, and God repented them of the evil that he had said He would bring upon them, and He did it not (Jonah 3).
Repentance touches the core of God’s heart. Humble yourself and return to the Lord your Creator. Repentance automatically brings healing. The Lord says, “Wash you, and make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes, cease to do evil. Learn to do well, seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, and judge the fatherless plead for the widow. Come now and let us reason together; though your sins are as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow: though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient you shall eat the good of the land” (Isaiah 1:16-19).
The Living God is the healer of nations. The psalmist has declared of Him: “God be merciful to us, and cause His face to shine upon us. That your way may be known upon the earth, your saving health among all nations” (Psalm 67:1 and 2). Perhaps this ought to be the prayer on everyone’s lips now.
Stay awake O Christian in the truth!
The good LORD has always extended this gracious invitation to man over the millennia. And, therefore, if it is your desire to know Him as He truly is - the Lord of lords and King of kings, the Savior, and Redeemer of mankind, then pray this prayer of repentance unto salvation: “Lord Jesus Christ, I come to you with all the sins I have committed and I beg you to forgive me. I confess that I am a sinner and that I cannot save myself. Please cleanse my body, soul, and spirit with your precious blood. I need your help Lord, and I ask you to come and live in my heart. I want to serve you, obey your commands and do what is right. I want to live for you every day, please lead and guide me by your Spirit into righteousness. Thank you, O Lord for hearing and answering my prayer. Amen!”
Welcome now to this grand and mighty army of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ on earth. Read the Bible often, and join a congregation near you where Christ Jesus is preached and the Almighty Godhead: Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, is worshiped in Spirit and in Truth for your own spiritual growth and strength.
The Almighty God make you the apple of His eyes as I solemnly declare of Him: “After He has honored me and has sent me against the nations that have plundered you - for whoever touches you touches the apple of His eye - I will surely raise my hand against them so that their slaves will plunder them” (Zachariah 2:8). The peace and love of Christ Jesus the Lord be with you now and forever.