Ezra - Be Conquered By Christ

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Ezra 4: 12-16

Vs. 12a - Let it be known to the king that the Jews who came up from you have come to us at Jerusalem,

Every man seeks relevance and desire to be fruitful. He strives to be the best and be outstanding. God’s prescription of upward movement only begins when a man: (1) Becomes a Jew (a follower of Christ) and (2) Comes into Jerusalem (grows; is grounded; rooted and established inside Christ).

Who our men should come into is CHRIST - not fame; knowledge, wisdom, power or mediocrity. 
Psalm 36:9 – For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light.

• Lord, establish our men inside Christ. Make them stand on the full and complete Gospel.

Vs. 12b – and are building the rebellious and evil city, and are finishing its walls and repairing the foundations.

Every natural man is intrinsically rebellious and evil due to his fallen state. Men that God will release to restore rebellious and evil city (lives) must themselves be conquered by Christ. These men must be those who have seen Jesus dying for them on Calvary’s cross and have submitted their necks to the yoke of discipleship.

• Lord, grant our men the miracle of a divine life exchange and help them submit their neck to the yoke of discipleship.

• Send them forth having been conquered by Christ to continue the work of their elder brother, Jesus, in preparing men for the second coming of Christ.

Vs. 13 – Furthermore, the king should know that if this city is built and its walls are restored, no more taxes, tribute or duty will be paid, and eventually the royal revenues will suffer.

We see the devotion, initiative, passion, due diligence, attention to detail and consequences on the part of the men working for an earthly king.
We see the contention for the souls of men.  If this city (i.e. lives) is built and its walls are restored (i.e. hearts are restored) – no more taxes, tribute… (loss of revenue signifies loss of souls).

• Lord, let the heart of Jesus pump out the very virtues in Christ in our men. The heart of Jesus that is burdened for lost souls; the heart of Jesus that is love; the heart of Jesus that desires all men to come to repentance; the heart of Jesus that seeks diligently to bring joy to the heart of God.

• Baptise our men with the zeal, passion, commitment, diligence and grace to prepare men for the second coming of Christ.

Vs. 14 – Now since we are under obligation to the palace and it is not proper for us to see the king dishonored, we are sending this message to inform the king,

• Lord, release a burden into our men to further the Gospel of Christ throughout the globe.

Vs. 15 – so that a search may be made in the archives of your predecessors. In these records you will find that this city is a rebellious city, troublesome to kings and provinces, a place with a long history of sedition. That is why this city was destroyed.

The end of every natural man (city) is destruction, eternal damnation and separation from Christ. The only agenda of the enemy is to kill, steal and destroy lives.

• Lord, may this never be the conclusion of the lives of our men. Please bring them inside Christ so that eternal damnation is not their end.

Vs. 16 – We inform the king that if this city is built and its walls are restored, you will be left with nothing in Trans-Euphrates.

As a woman, one of our charges is to bruise the head of the serpent.

• Lord, we cry out and plead that our men (city) would be built inside Christ, with their hearts (walls) set on Jesus.

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Ezra - You Have Come To Mount Zion

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Ezra 4: 1-14

Vs. 12  -  Be it known unto the king, that the Jews which came up from thee to us are come unto Jerusalem, building the rebellious and the bad city, and have set up the walls thereof, and joined the foundations.  

Heb. 12: 22-24 – But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

• Lord, please bring our men into this prophecy.
• Let Your work be deep and thorough so that it becomes evident first to them and then, to the world that they are for CHRIST not Self.
• Cause their call and primary assignment to be to ensure that JESUS’ life has continuity in their lives and then release them to rebuild broken, shattered, deceived, damaged and fragmented lives.
• Let them be life sign posts that magnify, manifest and point men to the chief cornerstone (JESUS).

Vs. 13 – Furthermore, the king should know that if this city is built and its walls are restored, no more taxes, tribute or duty will be paid, and eventually the royal revenues will suffer.

• May they invest their ALL to rebuilding lives on the full and complete Gospel.
• The profiting of the enemy must be frustrated, stalled and eventually stopped by the workings of Jesus inside our men.
• God, see the travail of Jesus over Your sons and may Your heart be satisfied.

Vs. 14 – Now since we are under obligation to the palace and it is not proper for us to see the king dishonoured, we are sending this message to inform the king,

• Capture the heart, commitment and life of our men. Help them see that they are under obligation to the King of Kings. They are born to see to it that the message of the cross proliferates throughout the whole world. They are under obligation to decrease so CHRIST can increase.
• Help our men come to terms with the truth that it is not proper for JESUS to be dishonoured. It is not proper for God to continually be in a state of grief. It is not proper for the death of Jesus on the Cross to be wasted. It is not proper for men to stand on the sinking ground of an incomplete gospel.
• Send our men forth as YOUR messenger of LIGHT. Let them be the Full, Complete Gospel on two legs. Release them with the message of CHRIST, the hope of glory to the world.

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Ezra - Hear Through God's Ears

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Ezra 4: 17 – 24

In Ezra 4, the people of God faced various means of persecution in their commitments to building the temple of the Lord. They refused to be interrupted but focused on their faith as they worked for God. They stood firm and united in the power of the Holy Spirit until the enemy gained entrance into their midst through their leaders.

Two letters arranged by the enemy:

Ezra 4:6-16... (the letter from the Samaritans and their companions)

1. Nations wrote a letter of accusation against the builders and there was great enmity against God and His people. The enemy was swift in stopping the work. (Proverbs 1:16)
2. They reproached the city of God (Jerusalem) and the subtlety of the devil was in full force.

Ezra 4:17-24... (the king's reply)

1. The king fell for the falsehood in the first letter and gave order against God's work.
2.   He connived with the enemy to achieve their evil intentions against the builders.

But...God will give us men that will rise above the confusing instructions of the leaders around the; men with righteous concerns for the things of God who are always ready to resent anything that brings dishonour to the work of God in their hands.

Revelation 12: 10-11

• Men that will rise above false accusations
• Men that will see through God's eyes
• Men that will hear through God's ears

PRAYER

• Lord, please give us men with deep integrity in You. Help them not to exchange their God-given integrity for the selfish instructions of the leaders around them. Establish them in having righteous concerns for You at all times.

• Lord, help our men not to depend on, or build, based on the words of others or the revelation of others. Let them see things as they are, in You. Let Your truth always prevail in their decision to arise for You.

• Lord, strengthen our men so that they will not be discouraged by their past mistakes or weighed down by the shame of the past. Expose whatever form or shape discouragement wants to take, in order to stop them from rising up to God's call in their lives.

• Lord, please do not make our men and Your work in their hands targets for the enemy. Shield them against the evil plot of the enemy so they will not fall prey or become victims of the plans of the devil as they build for You.

• Lord, help our men not to be distracted by those above them in every area as they get to work for You. Make them deep in all matters of the TRUE GOSPEL. Let our men develop DUE AFFECTION for Your work and make Your strength perfect in their weaknesses. 

• LORD, PLEASE MEET THE INDIVIDUAL NEEDS OF ALL OUR MEN IN ACCORDANCE TO THE TASK YOU HAVE CALLED THEM TO DO FOR THIS GENERATION AND GENERATIONS TO COME.

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Ezra - Persecution Arises

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Ezra 4

Prayer Focus: Men who are currently persecutors but potential Ezras

We have prayed thus far for them to:

• Be uprooted from their sinful/carnal nature into the divine nature and established inside Christ.
• Give utmost priority to their post Calvary de-cluttering and resetting of mind.
• Make a concerted decision to become like Jesus and follow on in discipleship.
• Hear and heed God’s call for their lives.
• Become an embodiment of the full and complete Gospel.

Who Are They?

• Men whose foundation is on a fragmented Gospel.
• Men who are religious – they talk the talk but JESUS does not know them as HIS.
• Men who may have touched something of Christ but their encounter was not finalised.
• Men whom the enemy has deceived to think they are of God because they offer their time, talents, resources but not their very lives. Men who think that supporting “ministers of God” or godly causes secures their salvation.
• Men who may have been sold on the error that participating in religious rites (we sacrifice just as you do) qualifies them to be called Christians.
• Men who claim to know/seek God but happily see no problem mixing light with darkness.

These potential Ezras are eager to build for God….

• Their primary focus is what will You have us do instead of “Who are You LORD?”.
• They are not interested in becoming Disciples of Christ or slaves of righteousness. They want Jesus and also their own liberties.
• They will not first settle with getting rid of sin, dead works and sinful habits as their primary fruit of service to the LORD.
• They claim to seek God but have no personal understanding or revelation of JESUS.
• They are mistaken to believe that their involvement in works qualifies them to touch the holy things of GOD.

Prayer Points

• Let there be a heavenly arranged collision so that this Saul’s become the Pauls of tomorrow.
• LORD, capture and captive their hearts and reveal Yourself (Truth) to them.
• Let these men have a revelation of Jesus and let the veil of religion/fragmented gospel/error and delusion be torn away.
• Expose their hearts to TRUTH, LIFE and LIGHT.
• Let these men be objects of God’s mercy.
• Open their eyes so they can see their wretchedness outside of Christ and their destination outside Christ.
• Let them cease to be the devils workmen; make them Your captives - slaves of righteousness.
• Divert their cause in exchange for a heavenly destiny.

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NOW is the Time to Respond to God!

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2 Corinthians 6:1-2(KJV)

We then, as workers together with Him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. For He saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

Revelation 22: 12-13(KJV)

And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

Following the first four chapters of Ezra in the Bible, God is now being deliberate and particular about where He is taking our men. He is now inviting them for a reassessment in their journey with Him – considering the deliverance (from captivity), promises (of re-gathering), instruction to get to work (mission of heaven), challenges (from all forms of oppositions) and His grace (help made available at every given time). God is demanding a level of commitment that is commensurable to His own commitment NOW.

• A call to pause and reflect on their journey so far – their present position in the plan of heaven for their lives.

•  A call to take stock of their obedience to the same vision, the same mission, the same unction and the same level of preparation for the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
•  A call to reflect on God's commitment through His promises, love, mercy and grace.

• A call to sit down and measure their lives with the demands of heaven.

•  A call to remember that they are SAVED BY GRACE (Ephesians 2:8-9), that they are NO LONGER SLAVES OF SINS and they are BAPTISED INTO CHRIST (Romans 6:3-6).

  *What will become of our men, if God decides to deal with them the way they are dealing with Him NOW?

                  NOW is the time to rededicate your ALL to God. REFLECT! RE-ASSESS! RESPOND!

  

PRAYER:

Reflect on the lives of all the men around you (if you are a man – reflect on your life) and pray following the outcome of your reflection.

• Lord, please help our men to deliberately begin to take the instructions of Heaven on-board wherever they are in every area of their lives. Let nothing matters to them until the vision of Heaven becomes established in their view of life, and also in their way of life. 

• Lord, grant them the GRACE THAT PREVAILS in all matters of their relationship with You. Let this Grace keep increasing the Love that will strengthen them in their daily walk with You, and also help them wherever they are weak in the knowledge of You.

• Lord, please help them to deliberately begin to drop anything they directly or indirectly value more than You. Let them see You in everything and in every way, open their lives to an irreversible encounter with You. 

• Lord, rid our men of all irrelevances to their walk with You. Please arise and step into all blockages to their swift response to You. Deliver them from all grips that are traceable to the systems of the world.

•  Lord, let them experience the joy that is in turning their worry lists to prayer lists. Being the head of the family, help them to be ahead in all things. LORD, GRANT OUR MEN THE BLESSED ASSURANCE OF HEAVEN IN A NEW WAY!

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Ezra - Build as Children of God, not as Children of Captivity!

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Ezra 4: 1- 2 (KJV)

Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the Lord God of Israel;

Then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief of the fathers, and said unto them, Let us build with you: for we seek your God, as ye do, and we do sacrifice unto him since the days of Esar-haddon king of Assur, which brought us up hither.

The people of God were given different names in the old times in the Bible, due to the maltreatments they received from the hands of the Assyrians, Romans and Babylonians. They were called the “scattered seed” or the “children of captivity”.

Some of them were made captives in the hands of their enemies because of their disobedience to God – sins of idolatry, ungodliness, corruptions of all sorts, etc. (Psalm 78:55-62)

Although they were scattered abroad based on their wicked acts, lawlessness and abominations; God still brought them back together according to His promises of love and mercy for them.

 (Psalm 106:44-46)

Daniel was named among the children of captivity (Daniel 5:13 and 6:13) but he still fulfilled his destiny even in the land where he was carried away captive. Despite all oppositions and stereotyping from the pit of hell, our men are rising up to build as the “children of God” and not as the “children of captivity”.

Our men are building as:

“Sons of the living God” - Hosea 1:7-11 / Romans 9:25-26

“Children of Resurrection” -Luke 20:27-36

(They now have better things to think about than worldly affairs).

“Spirit-led sons of God” - Romans 8:14

“Sons adopted by God” - Romans 8:15

“Sons born of the will of God” - John 1:12-13

“Glorified sons of God” - Romans 8:16-17

PRAYER

• Thank God for the power of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ that brought eternal freedom to all our men (young and old...). Praise God for all the benefits, privileges and rights they receive in Christ always.

• Lord we repent of all the negative names we have called our men (husbands, sons, brothers-in-law, brothers, nephew, male colleagues, male pastors...). Deliver them from the power of these negative names, and the names they have called or call themselves; that are having negative impacts on their lives...*(mention nicknames, aliases, native names, etc.)*

• Lord, unseat anything that is controlling the mentality of our men; let the mentality of Heaven take root in them. Let them be still in their inner being so as to receive the mind of the Spirit concerning their lives and their ways.

• Lord, set our men free from all forms of captivity they have experienced till now. Grant them total freedom from the power of money (mammon), the control of material possessions and the power of worldly affairs.

•  Lord, deliver our men from every area where they are being scattered presently. Gather their scattered emotions, feelings, etc. that are not giving them REST in their spirit man.

• Lord, we declare our men as the sons of the living God; our men will be dead to all the motions of sins. Move our men by Your Holy Spirit to do Your Will at all times. Lord, make our men the specimen of Your glory.

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Ezra - Build, Despite Ancient Enemies

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Ezra 4: 1- 2 (KJV)

Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the Lord God of Israel;

Then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief of the fathers, and said unto them, Let us build with you: for we seek your God, as ye do, and we do sacrifice unto him since the days of Esar-haddon king of Assur, which brought us up hither.

• Following the completion of the ALTAR of God individually and collectively, the people started to build the TEMPLE of God (Ezra 3:8-13) by laying the foundation with praises and adoration unto God - the BUILDER of all things. This attracted the adversaries (enemies) into their midst.

• It is worthy of note that 'our adversary – the devil' hates the men of God with a passion because of their faith and their commitments to their faith. He will therefore seek every avenue to partner with them in an attempt to retard the work God has committed into their hands - 1^st Peter 5:8.

• Due to the glory that accompanies building for God, satan will always rage and the gates of hell will always fight to drag/slow down the work; or even stop the work completely. But those that are violent in Christ will surely overcome the violence from the devil – Matthew 11:12.

• One of the avenues the devil uses to discourage men from building for the Lord is by playing back all the areas they have failed in their endeavours...he presents a false representation of self to them in a way that will impact on them significantly in a negative way. But thanks be to God for the triumphant victory in Christ Jesus at all times - 2^nd Corinthians 2:14.

 Prayer:

• Thank God for counting our men worthy to be co-builders with Him. Thank God for not looking at their slackness in His work before committing this great work of building into their hands. Thank Him for baptising them with the Holy Spirit to build for His Kingdom.

• God, please block every doorway of opposition within and without in the lives of our men. Lord, deal with every household wickedness that is sponsoring the activities of any familiar spirit or monitoring spirit in every area of their lives. Lord, pull down every stronghold of wickedness in the lives of our men.

• Lord, please put an end to all direct or indirect evil partnership with our men. Grant them the courage to refuse every offer from the pit of hell. Strengthen their arms to bruise the head of the serpent in all forms and shapes at all times.

• Lord, rid the lives of our men of any legal ground for the operation of the enemy. Deliver them completely from the yoke of bad names. Begin to call them the NEW NAMES that Heaven has recorded for them, so they can fulfil destiny.

• Lord, grant our men the Grace to trust in You at all times. Let them know Your goodness as they build, Your glory that excels in all things and grant them divine backing at all times.

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