It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!You never know when I might play a wild card on you!
Today's Wild Card author is:
and the book:
Charisma House (September 6, 2011)
***Special thanks to Kim Jones | Publicity Coordinator, Charisma House | Charisma Media for sending me a review copy.***ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Kimberly Daniels is a sought-after conference speaker, preacher, and powerful prayer warrior. She pastors Spoken Word Ministries in Jacksonville, Florida, with her husband, Ardell and is on the Jacksonville City Council. Daniels graduated from Florida State University and Jacksonville Theological Seminary and is the author of Inside Out; From a Mess to a Miracle; Clean House, Strong House; Delivered to Destiny; and Give It Back! and the coauthor of More Than Just The Catch.Visit the author's website.
SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Stay Prepared for Satan’s Unexpected AttacksDo life’s challenges seem to throw you off balance? Do you struggle with the should haves, could haves, and would haves? In Spiritual Housekeeping, Kimberly Daniels outlines the keys to defeating the devil and putting your spiritual house in order.
Using numerous Bible passages and experiences from her own life, Daniels provides proven principles that give you the balance to live in the world while pleasing God by…
Avoiding compromise and ungodly tolerance
Discerning the difference between what is holy and what is not
Understanding the realms of spiritual authority
Keeping the occult out of your house
Discover how to become a gatekeeper to your home and receive God’s instructions for the spiritual traffic there. You can depend on the Holy Spirit to help you with the devil’s unexpected attacks and difficult situations.
Product Details:
List Price: $14.99
Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: Charisma House (September 6, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1616382384
ISBN-13: 978-1616382384
AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:
Delivered From
Social Intercourse
The Bible tells us that believers are “in” the world but not “of” it (John 17:11, 16). God has called us to be a light to the world. At the same time He has warned us not to be unequally yoked with people, places, and things that would hinder our walk with Him. So with this in mind, how do we run our businesses, educate our children, and relate to society in a way that will not displease God or cause us to be unequally yoked with the world?
The answer is simple—beware of social intercourse! Let’s start by reading 2 Corinthians 6:14–15 (kjv, emphasis added):
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?
and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
I have read this scripture many times over the past twenty years of my salvation. I found it very interesting that the Holy Spirit would open it up to me in a new way, as He did recently. Though the foundation of my deliverance is rooted in this scripture, until now I never recognized the standard that it sets for a victorious
lifestyle in Christ Jesus. Second Corinthians 6:14–15 represents the line that God has drawn in the Spirit to give us:
• Spiritual strength to avoid compromise and ungodly tolerance
• Stamina and endurance against opposition and persecution
• Discernment to know the difference between what is holy and what is unclean
The key words of this passage are:
• Fellowship—People (becoming one in Him)
• Communion—Places (gathering in His name)
• Concord—God (agreement with God)
• Part—Faith (having a belief that cannot be shaken)
Fellowship—righteousness vs. unrighteousness
The word fellowship is metochos (met’-okh-os) in the Greek, which means, “intercourse.” Intercourse is defined as: “connection or dealings between individuals or groups that causes a coupling or uniting that makes those who have come together one.” As I studied the word intercourse, I noticed the word interchange. When intercourse takes place, there is always an interchange. This means that the people who come together literally experience an exchange in the midst of their union. The word interchange means, “to put each in the place of the other; to cause to change places, or to give and receive things from each other reciprocally.” It also means to cause to follow one another. Based on the word study on fellowship, it is not difficult to see that when we fellowship or socialize with people on a continual basis, a union takes place in the spirit. This is why the Bible asks the question, “Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?” (Amos 3:3). The interchange involves everyone and enables each person to get something out of the relationship. This is why we must know those that we labor among. God commands that we “come out from among them” (2 Cor. 6:17)! If you do not want what other
people have, it would not be wise to hang out with them. On the other hand, when believers come together, there is a sweet communion that takes place. Where two touch and agree, Jesus comes into the midst. One believer can put a thousand demons to flight, but two can put ten thousand to flight (Deut. 32:30). The Word of the Lord asks: “What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?” Whenever the Word asks a question, an alarm should go off in our spirits to do a self-evaluation. We should ask ourselves questions like:
• What kind of inner circles am I a part of?
• Are the values of those who are closest to me committed
to righteousness or unrighteousness?
• What am I depositing into my closest relationships,
and what am I getting out of these relationships that influences me spiritually?
Pause and think on these questions! Is there anything in your life that you are in fellowship with that will stop you from being one with Jesus? If so, break fellowship with it now!
Communion—light vs. darkness
We are called to be in communion with our God. Let’s look at the word communion. The Greek word for communion is koinonia, which means: “partnership, participation, social intercourse, communication
and distribution.” I was knocked off of my feet when I found out that communion means social intercourse. When Paul refers to communion, he relates it to light and darkness. He is actually saying that light and darkness
will never commune or agree. Because of this, we must choose one side with which to commune. There will always be controversy, combat, and a battle in the spirit when dealing with light and darkness. Many people get discouraged when they experience this kind of warfare. This is the kind of warfare we should rejoice about!
The Bible says that we must be watchful when all men speak well of us. The truth of the matter is that not all men are supposed to agree with us. All men are not walking in the light of the truth, and when you are confronted with darkness, there is supposed to be a battle!
If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would
love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
Remember the word that I said to you, “A servant is not greater than his master.” If they persecuted Me, they will
also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. —John 15:18–20
The battle will rage when light and darkness collide. The only true light in the world is the light of Jesus Christ. The world hates Jesus! When believers get this down in their spirits, they will develop tougher skin. Those who represent Jesus must have tough skin and not take persecution from the world as a personal attack.
It is not personal; it is scriptural! The world is not supposed to love you when you love Jesus. When believers allow resistance and rejection from the world to get them down, it is a sin before God! Paraphrasing what Jesus said, He made it simple: “Who do you think you are? You are not greater than Me! They hated Me, and I
created them—I AM God! Do not be moved when they hate you.” This is the commandment of the Lord. Light cannot commune (be comfortable with) darkness.
No matter how good things may seem or how nice people may be, if you are a child of light, darkness will always oppose you. No matter how much you try to harmonize, there will be a screeching sound of discord in the spirit. We have Jesus on the inside of us, and demons will always be uncomfortable in His presence. When we step into a place, we bring Jesus with us. There are places where people do not want Jesus around. We should not be alarmed when we are barred and even kicked out of certain places. The power of manifested light in a dark place is a good thing. It reveals to the people that they are in darkness. It is a glorious thing when the children of God come together to let their light shine. When light connects with more light, the power of God is manifested in the earth realm.
The koinonia of God flows fluently in the midst of the saints. This is why the anointing of the saints increases with numbers. One can put one thousand to flight, but two . . . ten thousand! Koinonia promotes partnership, communication, and a balanced distribution among the people of God. It is a social intercourse that takes place to give birth to the will of God in the earth realm. Real communion causes God’s glory to radiate in the midst of a dark and lost world. There is something awesome that takes place when God’s anointed ones gather. We gain ground in the spirit, and the Lord has free course to move. On the other hand, because of negative agreement there were some places where even Jesus could not heal the sick. When we fellowship with people who are not children of light, we get stuck in a spiritual limbo. To be in limbo means to be caught between. Because light and darkness cannot agree, those who try to make them mingle always end up in limbo. The manifestations of limbo are the spirits of struggle, distraction, confusion, and heaviness. We are in the world but not of the world. We are commanded to go into the world to be witnesses for Jesus, but the approach and strategy we use means everything. We are called to influence and not to be influenced!
There is a difference between communion and compromise. Communion brings forth a unity that bonds believers together for God’s purpose. When we compromise there is no bonding, but a bowing that takes place. It causes a person to knowingly or subliminally submit to the spirit in charge.
Concord—Christ vs. Belial
The scripture also asks, “What concord hath Christ with Belial?” The word concord is sumphonesis (soom-fo’-nay-sis) in the Greek, and it is defined as: “to be in harmony with, agreement, to stipulate by compact; to concur and support.”
Agreement means everything! It affects every area of our lives. We need agreement within ourselves to achieve our everyday goals. Without agreement, our families are dysfunctional and our businesses will fail.
God showed me that agreement is a type of spiritual covering. I believe that this is why Paul used the analogy of Christ and Belial. When we agree with certain things, we come under the covering of a certain ruler. We cannot agree with Christ and Belial at the same time; only one will rule!
Let’s take a look at the meaning of Belial:
• A person considered morally worthless
• Good for nothing
• Diseased in the mind
• Hard-hearted
• One who promotes rebellion against God and constituted authority
• Another name for Satan
• Vile, lewd, licentious, corrupt
• That which works against and has no regard for God or the things of God
Understanding the meaning of Belial brings forth a greater understanding of why this spirit has no agreement with Christ. We can be effective in winning the lost in dark places and during dark times as long as we have the revelation that Christ has no agreement with Belial. This is what accursed means: “dedicated unto doom or
damned by God Himself.” If God has killed a thing, we cannot religiously resurrect it. If the root is holy, the fruit will be holy, but if the root is demonically dedicated, the fruit will be cursed. Christ and Belial simply cannot agree. A biblical meaning for the word agreement is, “to marry, betroth or to gather selves until they
become one.” We cannot attempt to attach Jesus to the accursed thing.
Part—believers vs. infidels
The Word of the Lord asks, “What part hath he that believeth with an infidel?” The word part in the Greek is meris (mer-ece’), and it means, “to share, to be in the same province of or to participate with.” It comes from another Greek word, meros, which refers to a coast, portion, or to have respect of.
When Paul asked the question, “What part hath he that believeth with an infidel?,” it was serious! The word infidel refers to one who does not have faith in Jesus Christ as Lord. There is a difference between believing in Jesus and believing that Jesus is the one and only living God. Few deny that Jesus walked on the earth. Many
consider Him a great man or even a powerful prophet. The problem comes in when they deny His lordship! Putting it simple, an infidel is one who denies the lordship of Jesus Christ. What part does a true believer have with a person who does not believe that Jesus is the Lord and Creator of the universe? None! Believers should have no part in activities that give homage or even respect to other gods. We should not spiritually hang out in territories where demons are attempting to make us bow to the gongs of the land with the intent to overthrow them. The persecution of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego is the perfect example of having no part with infidels. The king made a decree that whenever the gong sounded, everyone had to fall down and give homage to the pagan deity of the land. The Hebrew boys were put in the fiery furnace because they refused to bow. Yeah,
I know this is an old Bible story (in the minds of many), but the reality of this story will one day be grafted into the hearts of the saints in America. Many gongs are sounding, and many people who call themselves believers are bowing in our country. Jesus told Satan, “You have no part with Me” (John 13:8). In this same way we must not be a part of, have a portion with, or participate in modern-day idolatries. There are gongs going off in the spirit bidding Christians in America to bow. These are not ancient gongs as in the times of the Hebrew boys. These are gongs of economic trouble, disasters in the weather, seducing spirits from the rich and the famous, political unrest, peer pressure, idolatrous temptation, and compromise. During times like these we can remain steadfast in the things of God if we focus on our portion. Looking to the left or the right will make us lose the race. We can win if we stay in our lane and allow Jesus to be the author and finisher of our faith. We must be able to stand and declare, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!” (Josh. 24:15). God is using His people to do a great work in the days in which we live, and we cannot come down off the wall.
Let’s take a look at how Nehemiah dealt with the temptation to bow to the dictates of the world.
Then I said to them, “You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with
fire. Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach.” And I told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me, and also of the king’s words that he had spoken to me. So they said, “Let us rise up and build.” Then they set their hands to this good work. But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they laughed at us and despised us, and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? Will you rebel against the king?” So I answered them, and said to them, “The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no heritage or right or memorial in Jerusalem.” —Nehemiah 2:17–20
The people of God were in a bad situation, yet Nehemiah bragged on His God. His enemies mocked him and called him a rebel, but Nehemiah had a revelation; God was his portion! His source was not in man, so he did not have to bow to them. He also let his enemies know that they had no portion in what God had for him. When we (as believers) know our portion and in whom it is placed, we also know the portion (or legal right) the enemy has to get involved in it—none! The portion of the wicked has no agreement with what God has for us.
The twentieth chapter of Job describes the portion of the wicked. It describes the portion of the wicked to be like a basket filled with curses.
It includes the following curses:
• The triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment.
• He will perish forever like his own refuse.
• He will fly away like a dream and not be found; he will be chased away like a vision of the night.
• His children will seek the favor of the poor.
• His bones will lie down with him in the dust.
• His food in his stomach turns sour; it becomes cobra venom within him.
• He swallows down riches and vomits them up again.
• He will not see the streams, the rivers flowing with honey and cream.
• From the proceeds of business he will get no enjoyment.
• He knows no quietness in his heart; therefore his well-being will not last.
• In his self-sufficiency he will be in distress; every hand of misery will come against him.
• When he is about to fill his stomach, God will cast on him the fury of His wrath.
• A bronze bow will pierce him through.
• Terrors come upon him.
• An unfanned fire will consume him.
• The heavens will reveal his iniquity, and the earth will rise up against him.
• The increase of his house will depart, and his goods will flow away in the day of His wrath.
The scripture concludes by saying: “This is the portion from God for a wicked man, the heritage appointed to him by God” (Job 20:29). I praise the Lord because we have no portion in wickedness. Today, when the hearts of many are failing them for fear, we must continue to confess Psalm 73:26, which says: “God is the strength
of my heart and my portion forever.”
We must rebel against or disagree with the things or the ways of the wicked. This is the only way to avoid social intercourse. Social intercourse is the pathway to idolatry, which comes in the name of status quo social activities. God put the need to socialize on the inside of us, but we must do it according to the Word of God. There is a sweet anointing when the brethren dwell in peace under the covering of God’s covenant. We can operate in the midst of those who do not know Jesus, but we must lead and not follow. We must influence and not be
influenced. This is the calling we have as the salt of the earth. I call it blending without bending.
Social Intercourse
The Bible tells us that believers are “in” the world but not “of” it (John 17:11, 16). God has called us to be a light to the world. At the same time He has warned us not to be unequally yoked with people, places, and things that would hinder our walk with Him. So with this in mind, how do we run our businesses, educate our children, and relate to society in a way that will not displease God or cause us to be unequally yoked with the world?
The answer is simple—beware of social intercourse! Let’s start by reading 2 Corinthians 6:14–15 (kjv, emphasis added):
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?
and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
I have read this scripture many times over the past twenty years of my salvation. I found it very interesting that the Holy Spirit would open it up to me in a new way, as He did recently. Though the foundation of my deliverance is rooted in this scripture, until now I never recognized the standard that it sets for a victorious
lifestyle in Christ Jesus. Second Corinthians 6:14–15 represents the line that God has drawn in the Spirit to give us:
• Spiritual strength to avoid compromise and ungodly tolerance
• Stamina and endurance against opposition and persecution
• Discernment to know the difference between what is holy and what is unclean
The key words of this passage are:
• Fellowship—People (becoming one in Him)
• Communion—Places (gathering in His name)
• Concord—God (agreement with God)
• Part—Faith (having a belief that cannot be shaken)
Fellowship—righteousness vs. unrighteousness
The word fellowship is metochos (met’-okh-os) in the Greek, which means, “intercourse.” Intercourse is defined as: “connection or dealings between individuals or groups that causes a coupling or uniting that makes those who have come together one.” As I studied the word intercourse, I noticed the word interchange. When intercourse takes place, there is always an interchange. This means that the people who come together literally experience an exchange in the midst of their union. The word interchange means, “to put each in the place of the other; to cause to change places, or to give and receive things from each other reciprocally.” It also means to cause to follow one another. Based on the word study on fellowship, it is not difficult to see that when we fellowship or socialize with people on a continual basis, a union takes place in the spirit. This is why the Bible asks the question, “Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?” (Amos 3:3). The interchange involves everyone and enables each person to get something out of the relationship. This is why we must know those that we labor among. God commands that we “come out from among them” (2 Cor. 6:17)! If you do not want what other
people have, it would not be wise to hang out with them. On the other hand, when believers come together, there is a sweet communion that takes place. Where two touch and agree, Jesus comes into the midst. One believer can put a thousand demons to flight, but two can put ten thousand to flight (Deut. 32:30). The Word of the Lord asks: “What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?” Whenever the Word asks a question, an alarm should go off in our spirits to do a self-evaluation. We should ask ourselves questions like:
• What kind of inner circles am I a part of?
• Are the values of those who are closest to me committed
to righteousness or unrighteousness?
• What am I depositing into my closest relationships,
and what am I getting out of these relationships that influences me spiritually?
Pause and think on these questions! Is there anything in your life that you are in fellowship with that will stop you from being one with Jesus? If so, break fellowship with it now!
Communion—light vs. darkness
We are called to be in communion with our God. Let’s look at the word communion. The Greek word for communion is koinonia, which means: “partnership, participation, social intercourse, communication
and distribution.” I was knocked off of my feet when I found out that communion means social intercourse. When Paul refers to communion, he relates it to light and darkness. He is actually saying that light and darkness
will never commune or agree. Because of this, we must choose one side with which to commune. There will always be controversy, combat, and a battle in the spirit when dealing with light and darkness. Many people get discouraged when they experience this kind of warfare. This is the kind of warfare we should rejoice about!
The Bible says that we must be watchful when all men speak well of us. The truth of the matter is that not all men are supposed to agree with us. All men are not walking in the light of the truth, and when you are confronted with darkness, there is supposed to be a battle!
If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would
love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
Remember the word that I said to you, “A servant is not greater than his master.” If they persecuted Me, they will
also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. —John 15:18–20
The battle will rage when light and darkness collide. The only true light in the world is the light of Jesus Christ. The world hates Jesus! When believers get this down in their spirits, they will develop tougher skin. Those who represent Jesus must have tough skin and not take persecution from the world as a personal attack.
It is not personal; it is scriptural! The world is not supposed to love you when you love Jesus. When believers allow resistance and rejection from the world to get them down, it is a sin before God! Paraphrasing what Jesus said, He made it simple: “Who do you think you are? You are not greater than Me! They hated Me, and I
created them—I AM God! Do not be moved when they hate you.” This is the commandment of the Lord. Light cannot commune (be comfortable with) darkness.
No matter how good things may seem or how nice people may be, if you are a child of light, darkness will always oppose you. No matter how much you try to harmonize, there will be a screeching sound of discord in the spirit. We have Jesus on the inside of us, and demons will always be uncomfortable in His presence. When we step into a place, we bring Jesus with us. There are places where people do not want Jesus around. We should not be alarmed when we are barred and even kicked out of certain places. The power of manifested light in a dark place is a good thing. It reveals to the people that they are in darkness. It is a glorious thing when the children of God come together to let their light shine. When light connects with more light, the power of God is manifested in the earth realm.
The koinonia of God flows fluently in the midst of the saints. This is why the anointing of the saints increases with numbers. One can put one thousand to flight, but two . . . ten thousand! Koinonia promotes partnership, communication, and a balanced distribution among the people of God. It is a social intercourse that takes place to give birth to the will of God in the earth realm. Real communion causes God’s glory to radiate in the midst of a dark and lost world. There is something awesome that takes place when God’s anointed ones gather. We gain ground in the spirit, and the Lord has free course to move. On the other hand, because of negative agreement there were some places where even Jesus could not heal the sick. When we fellowship with people who are not children of light, we get stuck in a spiritual limbo. To be in limbo means to be caught between. Because light and darkness cannot agree, those who try to make them mingle always end up in limbo. The manifestations of limbo are the spirits of struggle, distraction, confusion, and heaviness. We are in the world but not of the world. We are commanded to go into the world to be witnesses for Jesus, but the approach and strategy we use means everything. We are called to influence and not to be influenced!
There is a difference between communion and compromise. Communion brings forth a unity that bonds believers together for God’s purpose. When we compromise there is no bonding, but a bowing that takes place. It causes a person to knowingly or subliminally submit to the spirit in charge.
Concord—Christ vs. Belial
The scripture also asks, “What concord hath Christ with Belial?” The word concord is sumphonesis (soom-fo’-nay-sis) in the Greek, and it is defined as: “to be in harmony with, agreement, to stipulate by compact; to concur and support.”
Agreement means everything! It affects every area of our lives. We need agreement within ourselves to achieve our everyday goals. Without agreement, our families are dysfunctional and our businesses will fail.
God showed me that agreement is a type of spiritual covering. I believe that this is why Paul used the analogy of Christ and Belial. When we agree with certain things, we come under the covering of a certain ruler. We cannot agree with Christ and Belial at the same time; only one will rule!
Let’s take a look at the meaning of Belial:
• A person considered morally worthless
• Good for nothing
• Diseased in the mind
• Hard-hearted
• One who promotes rebellion against God and constituted authority
• Another name for Satan
• Vile, lewd, licentious, corrupt
• That which works against and has no regard for God or the things of God
Understanding the meaning of Belial brings forth a greater understanding of why this spirit has no agreement with Christ. We can be effective in winning the lost in dark places and during dark times as long as we have the revelation that Christ has no agreement with Belial. This is what accursed means: “dedicated unto doom or
damned by God Himself.” If God has killed a thing, we cannot religiously resurrect it. If the root is holy, the fruit will be holy, but if the root is demonically dedicated, the fruit will be cursed. Christ and Belial simply cannot agree. A biblical meaning for the word agreement is, “to marry, betroth or to gather selves until they
become one.” We cannot attempt to attach Jesus to the accursed thing.
Part—believers vs. infidels
The Word of the Lord asks, “What part hath he that believeth with an infidel?” The word part in the Greek is meris (mer-ece’), and it means, “to share, to be in the same province of or to participate with.” It comes from another Greek word, meros, which refers to a coast, portion, or to have respect of.
When Paul asked the question, “What part hath he that believeth with an infidel?,” it was serious! The word infidel refers to one who does not have faith in Jesus Christ as Lord. There is a difference between believing in Jesus and believing that Jesus is the one and only living God. Few deny that Jesus walked on the earth. Many
consider Him a great man or even a powerful prophet. The problem comes in when they deny His lordship! Putting it simple, an infidel is one who denies the lordship of Jesus Christ. What part does a true believer have with a person who does not believe that Jesus is the Lord and Creator of the universe? None! Believers should have no part in activities that give homage or even respect to other gods. We should not spiritually hang out in territories where demons are attempting to make us bow to the gongs of the land with the intent to overthrow them. The persecution of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego is the perfect example of having no part with infidels. The king made a decree that whenever the gong sounded, everyone had to fall down and give homage to the pagan deity of the land. The Hebrew boys were put in the fiery furnace because they refused to bow. Yeah,
I know this is an old Bible story (in the minds of many), but the reality of this story will one day be grafted into the hearts of the saints in America. Many gongs are sounding, and many people who call themselves believers are bowing in our country. Jesus told Satan, “You have no part with Me” (John 13:8). In this same way we must not be a part of, have a portion with, or participate in modern-day idolatries. There are gongs going off in the spirit bidding Christians in America to bow. These are not ancient gongs as in the times of the Hebrew boys. These are gongs of economic trouble, disasters in the weather, seducing spirits from the rich and the famous, political unrest, peer pressure, idolatrous temptation, and compromise. During times like these we can remain steadfast in the things of God if we focus on our portion. Looking to the left or the right will make us lose the race. We can win if we stay in our lane and allow Jesus to be the author and finisher of our faith. We must be able to stand and declare, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!” (Josh. 24:15). God is using His people to do a great work in the days in which we live, and we cannot come down off the wall.
Let’s take a look at how Nehemiah dealt with the temptation to bow to the dictates of the world.
Then I said to them, “You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with
fire. Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach.” And I told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me, and also of the king’s words that he had spoken to me. So they said, “Let us rise up and build.” Then they set their hands to this good work. But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they laughed at us and despised us, and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? Will you rebel against the king?” So I answered them, and said to them, “The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no heritage or right or memorial in Jerusalem.” —Nehemiah 2:17–20
The people of God were in a bad situation, yet Nehemiah bragged on His God. His enemies mocked him and called him a rebel, but Nehemiah had a revelation; God was his portion! His source was not in man, so he did not have to bow to them. He also let his enemies know that they had no portion in what God had for him. When we (as believers) know our portion and in whom it is placed, we also know the portion (or legal right) the enemy has to get involved in it—none! The portion of the wicked has no agreement with what God has for us.
The twentieth chapter of Job describes the portion of the wicked. It describes the portion of the wicked to be like a basket filled with curses.
It includes the following curses:
• The triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment.
• He will perish forever like his own refuse.
• He will fly away like a dream and not be found; he will be chased away like a vision of the night.
• His children will seek the favor of the poor.
• His bones will lie down with him in the dust.
• His food in his stomach turns sour; it becomes cobra venom within him.
• He swallows down riches and vomits them up again.
• He will not see the streams, the rivers flowing with honey and cream.
• From the proceeds of business he will get no enjoyment.
• He knows no quietness in his heart; therefore his well-being will not last.
• In his self-sufficiency he will be in distress; every hand of misery will come against him.
• When he is about to fill his stomach, God will cast on him the fury of His wrath.
• A bronze bow will pierce him through.
• Terrors come upon him.
• An unfanned fire will consume him.
• The heavens will reveal his iniquity, and the earth will rise up against him.
• The increase of his house will depart, and his goods will flow away in the day of His wrath.
The scripture concludes by saying: “This is the portion from God for a wicked man, the heritage appointed to him by God” (Job 20:29). I praise the Lord because we have no portion in wickedness. Today, when the hearts of many are failing them for fear, we must continue to confess Psalm 73:26, which says: “God is the strength
of my heart and my portion forever.”
We must rebel against or disagree with the things or the ways of the wicked. This is the only way to avoid social intercourse. Social intercourse is the pathway to idolatry, which comes in the name of status quo social activities. God put the need to socialize on the inside of us, but we must do it according to the Word of God. There is a sweet anointing when the brethren dwell in peace under the covering of God’s covenant. We can operate in the midst of those who do not know Jesus, but we must lead and not follow. We must influence and not be
influenced. This is the calling we have as the salt of the earth. I call it blending without bending.
My Thoughts and Review:
I am still reading this book. I will post my review by the weekend!
Disclosure: I received a copy of the book for FREE as part of my participation in the First WildCard Tour. I received no other compensation and my opinions are my own.
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