21/11/10

God will smote the Philistines

1 Samuel 14:31 - And they smote the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon:


The word Philistines means 'Immigrants'.

Every country has great concern with regards to immigrants. All tolerate immigrants when their numbers are small but as their numbers increase they become a problem to the natives of that country. Even the most open minded, developed country which is concern about its own people will one day say 'full stop' to immigrants and start chasing them out.

God's Kingdom too has been facing problems with immigrants. A citizen of the Kingdom of God is a person who is fully rooted in Christ. A good citizen of a country is one who abides by the law of the country and pays taxes; so also a good citizen of God's Kingdom is the one who abides by the Word of God and witnesses Christ unto others (since we cannot give to God who has all therefore we need to give his people, not just talks of Christ but also in action).

Who do you call an immigrant in God's Kingdom? Let me explain this with an example.

Yesterday I was at a session of Dr. Ron Charles (he is flying back to USA today and would really miss him, he was just amazing) and at the session I met a manager of a book store which is dedicated to Bible related books. This manager was sharing with me and another person his experiences at the store. In one such experience, he spoke of a person who came to the store and said 'I speak to Jesus everyday', so this manager was happy to hear that. Then this person went further to state 'I spoke to Jesus just in the morning'. Hearing this, the manager was even happier. But when the person said 'I speak to Jesus as I speak to Krishna' (a Hindu god). At this the manager knew that this person was a problem person. He immediately rebuked this person (in a mild way). He told him 'you can speak either to Jesus or to Krishna but you cannot be speaking to the real Jesus and Krishna, Mohamed or any other god or religion head together, they do not get along with each other'.

The 'Philistines' in the Kingdom of God are those who believe in Jesus and also believe in all the rubbish of this world. They are not true citizens of the Kingdom of God but call themselves Christians. They are Christians infected with the deceit of Satan.

One would state that we all are victims to Satan's deceit in one way or the other, in varying quantities. No doubt we are, since the whole Truth is still not in us. But there are some basic acceptances which the Lord requires as a Christian and then there are those which the Lord tolerates in the start. But when the person knows what they are doing is wrong and still continues; then the Lord's patience is tested with that person.

Till date the Lord was tolerating many of the Philistines among us, but today the Lord is saying He will chase them out from Michmash and Aijalon and slay them. Michmash means 'hiding place' and Aijalon / Ajalon comes from the root word 'deer or stag' which in turn is an intense form of the word male goat / ram, meaning hardened person who call himself a part of the flock of Jesus but does not imitate Him. We all know what will happen to the goats when they are separated from the sheep on the Day of Judgment.

In this world an immigrant can be expiated to his own or to another country but in God’s Kingdom on the Day of Judgment when the Heavens are reorganized where can these immigrants be sent? There will be is no place from God when they can be put hence these will be slayed brutally.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord Jesus, You are the Lamb of God sacrificed for our sins. You are the First Fruit of the Vineyard of God. You are our Shepherd and the Way to our eternal home. You lead your flock but will save only your sheep. Lord we pray that we are not counted among the goats and that we will not behave like immigrants of your Kingdom. Help us to be responsible citizens of your Kingdom...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference Scripture ]
James 2:19-23
19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend [Associate] of God.

Matthew 25:31-33, 41-46
31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.



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