“Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God which is at Jerusalem: and with them were the prophets of God helping them” (Ezra 5:2).
TEXT — Ezra 5:1-5
Message
Ezra recorded this feat of courageous men who rose up to make up the walls of the house of God in Jerusalem during the period of captivity and national distress and disarray. This did not escape the watch of the authorities and representatives of their oppressors. In spite of the interruptions of the two powerful political figures, the builders continued with the spiritual support of Prophets Haggai and Zachariah.
It takes courage to build in a time of distress, moral decadence, ineptitude, and spiritual lethargy. The courage to build the fallen walls of Christianity does not lie with the pulpit alone, but also rests on the pew! As the clergy (like the prophets during Ezra’s time) are declaring the will of God and praying for revival, the laity and the elders should take the mantle of the Holy Ghost and lend a strong helping hand to restore the decaying and falling walls of the Christian faith.
In many assemblies today, sound doctrines have been trampled under the feet. Christian piety has been jettisoned while there are cracks in the walls of holiness and righteousness. The Church seems to be in the captivity of the enemy. The keepers of the spiritual gateway of many assemblies are complacent. Isaiah lamented, “…there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee…” (Isaiah 64:7).
God is looking for those who will have the courage to establish righteousness and holiness in this generation and deliver the Church of God from reproach. May the Lord depend on you.
Thought for the day
If we do not stand for something worthwhile, we will fall for something worthless.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
3 comments
May God help me to stand up for righteousness even in difficult periods.
Powerful exhortation for this degenerating world of sin. Lord, help me to stand up for Righteousness and Holiness. To live it and proclaim it everywhere I have the opportunity.
May God help me to stand up for righteousness even in difficult periods.
Powerful exhortation for this degenerating world of sin. Lord, help me to stand up for Righteousness and Holiness. To live it and proclaim it everywhere I have the opportunity.
I pray the grace of God will enable me to stand for holiness, truth and be steadfast in this time of crisis all over the world.