Today we are considering another example of Old Testament true Christians who were valiant for the truth. Do you remember the story of the three Hebrew children? You can read Daniel chapter 3:16-18. They too stood up for the truth. Whereas the rest of Israelites bowed to pressure, they refused to bow. All others decided to bow down to religio -political graven image but they stood above it.
If all of you decide not to follow what God is saying anymore, will I be able to still stand for the truth and stand alone? Will you? Micaiah stood alone. He was banished and driven to a village from where they went to fetch him at the request of king Jehoshaphat who was not impressed by the prosperity (goody goody) messages of the league of Ministers as is the case today. It remains for today’s preachers to tell Satan that he would prosper if he joins the church. They appeal to the world to come to the church when they are supposed to go to the World to preach (Matt. 28:19, 20). Even at that instance Micaiah was told that he could regain his seat in the “council of ministers” only if he prophesied (or taught) the same things as others. But he refused to be bought. He stood alone for God, saying only what God said.
If those who have come out could go back to say the same thing others are saying, deceive people with prosperity messages and build self image then they would have no problems with anybody. If you could do what everyone else does; lead the kind of life everyone leads, you would have no problem. Nobody would persecute you. But as you stand alone for God, you let hell loose. What one has never done, they would say he did. They would say you have join a cult. They would hire a woman to say she slept with you and you have no way of defending yourself. They would say you are heretic. But thank God. The truth- only the truth will defend you. Jesus did not defend Himself. Micaiah and the three Hebrew guys did not defend themselves. They did not go the law courts; they did not take lawyers to handle their cases. They trusted the defender of the defenseless to defend them. Do not worry brothers and sisters.
You who dare to stand for the truth. If they do not see the truth today, by and by, they will see it. It was not until after they had crucified the Lord before it dawned on them and they realized they had made a mistake. They prayed that their next mistake would not be worse than the first. So if people do not see what we are saying today, do not struggle to defend the truth. The truth will defend itself. Just be sure you are walking in the path of it and not in the court of mixture. Let us love and pray for everyone.The three Hebrew children stood above the mixture.
When every other Christian saw nothing wrong in saluting the image of Nebuchadnezar, they saw everything wrong and resisted it. They stood by the scripture that says “thou shalt not bow down to any grave image” that is the word of God, that is that truth. That was belief with corresponding behaviour. By their stands they made a date with fire. They called for their heads. “To imprison them” they reasoned, “was a waste of time and government’s food; they would not change”. “Put them into the fire that heated 7 times more than it was before and bundle these Hebrews into it”. But they still stood shoulder high for the truth in the midst of fire.
The bible says if any man suffers for the sake of the gospel, he should rejoice they suffered not as evil doers. So they were thrown into the fire. But the truth rose to their defense by the time they got to the fire. The glory of God became fire extinguisher and air-conditioner for them. It turned out to be a Holy Ghost fire service; a praise worship meeting in the presence of the son of God the fourth person. Hallelujah! It is good to know the Lord; it is good to serve the Lord, it good to praise the Lord; and it is good to stand up for the truth. The bewildered King could not recollect how many they were thrown into the fire because of the peculiar nature of the fire service he was witnessing.
The occasion had the hosts of heaven in attendance. Thank God he was privileged to get into the realm of the miraculous from where he saw one like the son of God. You see! This man knew son of God but failed to follow Him. He failed to follow the truth. How did that forth man was like the son of God if he had not known anything about the son of God before?If he had not known the truth before, how did we recognize the fourth person to be the son of God? Does this show that many know the truth? But do not follow it? That many are not valiant for the truth? I believe it does.
God will not surprise us with miracles, signs and wonders until we stand up for the truth. My beloved friends stand up for it today. We ministers see nothing wrong with the worldliness in the church. We now build model churches for models in town. Legislations give backing to the homosexuals and lesbians in some countries to find their own churches, with their ministers giving them assurances of the presence of the glory of God in their midst. Boxes of cosmetics are carried to church and used intermittently by the psychedelics while the sermon is on and the ministers see nothing wrong with all that abominations!
In the time of Micaiah, Jezebel’s church flourished with prominent, ministers among whom was Zedekiah, the prosperity preacher (1 Kings 22:7-37).
Notable church leaders included King Ahab- her husband,but the leading spirit in all the services was a lying spirit that God sent to them. Who is behind the confusion that is going on today? At the funeral of a professing believer, we preach as if he has gone to heaven. We hire sinners to play the music in the church for the worshipping saints. We wed well known fornicators with gladness. We preach Hell as if it is not real. Some sinners wouldn’t accept our gospel because of our life styles. Friends, God is calling us to stand up and be valiant for the truth. There will be a continuation of this great awareness, do keep in touch daily with us. Remain bless.
