Men Who Stand for the Undiluted Word of God

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Ezra 7

Ezra appears to be a silent labourer in the record of things. He was determined to go all the way for God's truth to be established among the heathen. A whole book was dedicated to him in the Bible, but he did not appear until this chapter (Ezra 7).

 “A whole nation was saved due to the determination of Ezra” (one man = one nation)

Prayer:

• Lord, please break our men and remake them to the vessels that befit Your Kingdom assignment. Help them to carry the humility that accompanies the manifestations of Your power in their lives.

1.                  EZRA'S PREPARATION (Ezra 7:6-10)

The captivity paved way for the glory of God in Ezra's life:

- His father (Seraiah) was killed by the king of Babylon (2^nd Kings 25:18-21) but he was not hindered by the loss or by an unforgiving spirit.

- He thoroughly furnished his life with the scriptures before directing others in it.

- He chose to follow God's perfect WORD and WAY - he did not take after his forefathers as magicians/astrologers (Chaldeans).

Prayer:

• Lord, release our men from any of their past experiences that are limiting them and Your work in their hands. Make them scribes that are inspired and instructed to revive the knowledge of scriptures. 

• Let our men become Heart cry scribes for this generation. To profit nations with the measure of Grace upon their lives, help them not to hoard Your Word but to be willing to communicate it for the good of others. 

• Make their lives fit for Your Work and help their lives to confirm their teachings at all times.

2.                  EZRA'S LABOUR (Ezra 7:13-23)

There was a spiritual restlessness in his heart towards attaining GOD'S REST in his spirit...

- He did not appear on the scene until there was work to do with those God raised with him, and no special title.

- He saw the order of things “in the hand of God” (The Beginning) and saw “the hand of God” (The Ending) as things were unfolding.

- He was given both the DIVINE and earthly authorities to act on behalf of God and for the good of others.

Prayer:

• Lord, help our men not to be too conscious of titles based on their privileged-contributions to Your Kingdom/Work. Let them always trace all things to You and see You in all things. 

• Lord, let our men make Your WORD the blueprint for their lives. Teach them to honour and magnify Your Word so they can become divine confidantes. Position them to trust You and Your Word.

  

3.                  EZRA'S TESTIMONY (Ezra 7:11-12 / 24-26)

He did God's WORK according to God's WILL and God's WAY.

-He stood on the undiluted Word of God for things that pertained to Jesus' life and Godliness.

-He saw to God's Word becoming the basis for appointing lawmakers and writing the  constitution of the land.

-He positioned himself to becoming the medium for fastening the Word of God into lives and situations.

Prayer:

• Lord, let our men see Your Will and Your Way in Your Work: To make everything around them conformable to the Word of God. 

• To become hammers of God, through which God's true word of life will be fastened to the lives of others.

4.                  EZRA'S ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF GOD'S BACKING (Ezra 7: 27-28)

Through divine backing, Ezra managed his life and preached the Word of God by ways of purity, patience and prayers.

- He ascribed greatness to God for His unending mercies and grace.

- He attached the beauty of God through His Word to all things.

- He was a man of courage but attributed all his achievements to the miracle-working power of God's Word and God's Hand.

Prayer:

• Lord, open our men fully to the power and the beauty that is in the Word of God. To desire to run by the mercies of God and acknowledge divine opportunities in their lives. 

• Let our men launch out into things that will beautify the work of God in their hands and to be committed to showing forth the beauty of God in all they do.

LORD, PLEASE DO NOT WITHDRAW YOUR HAND FROM 

THE LIVES OF OUR MEN.

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Men Who Are Disciples Indeed

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Ezra 6: 13-22

Vs. 4-12

God arose on behalf of HIS people; expending all means possible so that the work of building was not truncated. Even today, God’s commitment has not dwindled; HE is passionate and ever ready to see to it that the work of building (first our lives and many others) is not aborted.

Vs. 14

So the elders of the Jews built, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they built and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the command of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.

ü  Only the Jews (the Redeemed) are instructed to build (make disciples of all nations).

ü  They prospered in this through submission to human agents and instruments that God released to help mould and make them (disciplers).

ü  They started and completed their assignment under the leadership of CHRIST and following the commandment FIRST of the God of Israel and then, of men.

l  Fulfil Your desire Lord, of making our men matured disciples whom You can entrust lives unto.

l  Grant them receptive hearts that graciously submit to discipleship.

l  Help them run and finish their race well inside Christ.

Vs. 15-18

Now the temple was finished on the third day of the month of Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius. 16 Then the children of Israel, the priests and the Levites and the rest of the descendants of the captivity, celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy. 17 And they offered sacrifices at the dedication of this house of God, one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel twelve male goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel. 18 They assigned the priests to their divisions and the Levites to their divisions, over the service of God in Jerusalem, as it is written in the Book of Moses.

ü  There is always cause to rejoice when a man fulfils destiny. We are carriers of the life of JESUS. When we allow HIM complete HIS work in us - the world rejoices; light shines and darkness cannot comprehend it; HIS GLORY fills the earth.

ü  God longs to see men stand on the full and complete Gospel. HIS heart is grieved when men settle for less and are reduced to shacks; abandoned/uncompleted property; or just a mere foundation without walls.

ü  Our men are God’s priest and Levites commissioned to make disciples that are built up and complete inside CHRIST.

ü  God has called our men to be co-labourers with HIM. Men who labour to celebrate the dedication of lives/hearts to God with JOY, both here on earth and in heaven.

l  Our men will heed God’s call on their lives early and also finish well.

l  Our men will not comfortably or ignorantly stand on sinking sand but on the full and complete Gospel.

l  We release our men to fulfil their mandate of dedicating disciples indeed, back to their Maker.

Vs. 19-22

19 And the descendants of the captivity kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month. 20 For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves; all of them were ritually clean. And they slaughtered the Passover lambs for all the descendants of the captivity, for their brethren the priests, and for themselves. 21 Then the children of Israel who had returned from the captivity ate together with all who had separated themselves from the filth of the nations of the land in order to seek the Lord God of Israel.  22 And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy; for the Lord made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

ü  Make our men disciples indeed, who set themselves apart, and begin to lament for their nations.

ü  Let the life of JESUS in our men be so palpable that the hearts of kings turn to God.

ü  Lord, we ask for the hearts of the heathen as our inheritance.

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God's Outpouring

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Ezra 6:4-12

Recap- Chapter 6: 1-3 

• Men who treasure and keep record of God’s dealings and instructions to them.
• Men who build their lives/homes according to pattern shown via the Word of God.
• Men who will never deviate from the instructions of Scriptures regardless of the circumstances. 

Vs. 4-5

• God’s divine provision - expenses and material for building provided.

 Vs. 6-12

• Seeing tangibly, God’s out-stretched arm. 
• God contending with those who contend with HIM (The governors and Persians are instructed to keep away from them).
• God raised an advocate for Himself using a heathen (King Darius).
• God moved the heart of King Darius, who made a decree that the work of building MUST not be interfered with/ it CANNOT BE disrupted.
• King Darius under God proclaimed that the builders be not hindered (verbally as previously -see Ezra 4:1-5; physically- see Ezra 4:23-24; financially).
• Their provisions/sustenance as requested by the Priests was provided without fail; a heathen King made this his prerogative. 
• Death was the penalty of ANYONE who disrupted the work of building.
• The inheritance of those who disrupt the work of building was turned into a refuse heap. 

WHY WOULD GOD GO TO THIS EXTENT TO LAVISH HIS FAVOUR, PROVISIONS, DIVINE BACKING AND HELP ON THESE MEN? 

Vs. 10

• That the disciples offer sacrifices of sweet aroma to their God of heaven.
• That they become relevant and beacons of light in their communities and nation.  (Pray for the life of the King and his sons).
• That the life of JESUS in them finds continuity and the building work produces  disciples of ALL nations. 

GOD’S OUTPOURING IS NEVER TO MAKE OUR MEN FATTENED WITH SELF, PRIDE OR TO BE IDOLISED!!!!

   

PRAYER POINTS

• Cause our men to be people of faith. Men who launch out at Your bidding when the cost and building material are not immediately apparent. 

• Help the heart of our men to know that You never call a man to waste him. You never send forth without releasing what is needed to build. You always ensure that the Seed if Jesus in us will never be truncated or hindered. 

• Please Lord, address any concerns that may be hindering our men from following You all the way. 

• Stabilise the heart of our men so that the provisions/fruits of revival do not destroy them; that God's divine provision and outstretched arm further strengthens their conviction and love for you.   

• Help them to keep knowing that they were apprehended to manifest Jesus and commissioned to make disciples of all nations. 

• Let all that You do to ensure the fulfilment of Your purpose in our men make them love and fear You. Remove from their heart that which makes them want to capitalise on Your help as opportunities to advance their own purposes.

• Raising heathens as advocates for the propagation of the Gospel, divine daily provisions of food, materials and expenses are to let HIS KINGDOM COME and HIS WILL BE DONE. This sometimes brings men to their knees, cuts their hearts and brings brokenness. Help our men to capitalise on these opportunities to plant the Seed - Jesus.
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Build According to Pattern

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Ezra 6:1-4

Record Keepers 

• Men who are meticulous about documenting God’s dealings and instructions to them.

• Their scrolls are treasures stored away properly and can be easily assessed for referencing, reassurance, re-validation and passed on as an inheritance.

Men of Precision 

• Men who will only build according to the pattern/specification laid out by Jesus. Success to them equates to Jesus being the primary and singular architect and builder on all aspects of life.

• Unless Jesus is given full rights and authority to specify the materials and specifications for building, we cannot say that its foundation is firmly laid. “And see to it that you make them according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain.” - Exodus 25:40. 

• Men in whom Jesus has prevailed over so much that they can "do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner." - John 5:19.

Prayer Points 

• Lord, please make our men meticulous with keeping records of Your dealings, instructions and their learning in the Spirit.

• Help them see their scrolls as treasures to be stored away and as inheritance for their seed. 

• Grant them foresight to document, we never know how You may use their documentation to bless other lives. 

• Holy Spirit, help our men build according to pattern, not haphazardly. Prevail over their hearts so much that they can do “nothing of themselves.” 

• Please do not allow our men to continue to build on sinking sand. Help them assess what is ‘under’ their ‘standing’. 

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Embrace God's Help!

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Ezra 5

The MERCY of God is always available physically and spiritually with an evidence of support, when building for the Lord. In the case of the builders in this chapter, there was a notable presence of God available to them – the Holy Spirit preaching the Gospel through the prophets, the prophecies made specifically for God's work by Haggai and Zechariah, and the joint efforts of   the four men of God – Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Haggai and Zechariah.

        Prayer:

•  Lord, thank You for sustaining Your work in the hands of our men. Please continue to make them the objects of Your MERCY and cause Your MERCY to prevail over their lives in all walks of life.
•  Lord, open the eyes of our men to the essence and the extent of the power of the Holy Spirit. Let the POWER OF THE HIGHEST overshadow them and overtake them until they surrender to You completely.

Our arch-enemy (the devil) perfectly understands the efficacy of the power of God in sustaining and reviving His work. The enemy is aware of the heavenly resources in place for anyone that is all out for the work of God, BUT his power is limited in tampering with any of these resources.

  

         Prayer:

•   Lord, please help our men to see beyond “the enemy – the devil” at all times. Help them to know and embrace the ability of Heaven in sustaining them, and in reviving the work in their hands.
•   Lord, fortify our men with the essentials of the CROSS, so much that it will be extremely difficult for them to look back until they are completely sold out to You.
•  CALL FORTH THE HELPERS OF DESTINY INTO THE LIVES OF THE MEN IN YOUR LIFE...(if you are a man, call your destiny-helpers for God's work into your life).  

When the Holy Spirit of God is recognised and given the due respect to do what only Him can do, God does things in HIS OWN SPECIAL WAY. Everything (good or bad) begins to work together for the good of the true children of God.

         Prayer:

•   Lord, let the courage of Jesus on His way to CALVARY collide with our men. Grant them the POWER that made Jesus to be rest assured of Heaven while He was on the CROSS.

Translated from Carnal to the Divine Life

- Gleaning at God's Faithfulness

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Acts 9: 1-6

Vs. 1 - And Saul, yet breathing out threatening and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest.

Is your man a Saul?
Is he not yet a follower/disciple of Christ?
Is he against disciples of the Lord and/or persecuting disciples of Christ?
Is he fully  absorbed, devoted and surrendered to a cause outside of Christ and the message of the full Gospel?

Prayer
Please uproot our men from the carnal nature and engraft them inside Christ.
Let them become followers of Christ.
Cause them to stand fully on the mystery of discipleship.
Give them a cause- let them be absorbed, sold out to making disciples of all nations.

Vs. 2 - And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.

Let the heart of Jesus now inside them cease to find wealth, possessions, gain prominence, power, accolades or earthly knowledge. 

Prayer
Let Jesus in our men seek NOW and ALWAYS for SOULS; and to make disciples out of men and women.  

Vs. 3 - And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven.

Prayer 
As our men journey on in this life, let the light of the World (Jesus) collide with them.
Make this encounter irreversible, definite, tangible, complete and progressive.
Open the eyes of their understanding to the mystery of the Gospel.

Vs. 5 - "And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest..."

Prayer
Give our men an insatiable thirst to know and become like Jesus.
Let this divine thirst exceed and overcome every other desire in their heart.


Vs. 6 - And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

Prayer
Let their progressive understanding of Jesus result in absolute surrender to HIS will and Way.
Make the cry of our men ever be: “Who are You Lord and what would You have me do?”
Let them clearly hear God's instruction and directives in all situations; never leaning on their own understanding, but acknowledging Christ in all their ways.
May their actions always be on the premise of:" It was told us what we must do."

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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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