Enemy Infiltration

The enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were rebuilding a Temple to the LORD, the God of Israel. So they approached Zerubbabel and the other leaders and said, “Let us build with you, for we worship your God just as you do. We have sacrificed to him ever since King Esarhaddon of Assyria brought us here.” But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the other leaders of Israel replied, “You may have no part in this work. We alone will build the Temple for the LORD, the God of Israel, just as King Cyrus of Persia commanded us.” Then the local residents tried to discourage and frighten the people of Judah to keep them from their work. They bribed agents to work against them and to frustrate their plans. This went on during the entire reign of King Cyrus of Persia and lasted until King Darius of Persia took the throne. [Ezra 4.1-5]

If you can't beat them, join them.

The world has been unsuccessful beating the Church, so, what it has done is join the Church.

Instead of trusting God alone for everything He promised to provide, the Church has been influenced by the world to trust in debt, insurance, medicine and technology. But, "It's okay, because God gave these things..." Really? Is it really okay?

You must not have any other god but me. [Exodus 20.3]

 Jesus taught about this:

Here is another story Jesus told: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew. “The farmer’s workers went to him and said, ‘Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?’ “‘An enemy has done this!’ the farmer exclaimed. “‘Should we pull out the weeds?’ they asked. “‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do. Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.’” [Matthew 13.24-30]

Jesus warned that the Church would be infiltrated by an enemy. The enemy's tactic is 'dilution' from all that is good for real food - pure faith - by mixing in weeds. In most cases, weeds tax the soil's nutrients far more than good plants just like the cares of this life, debt, insurance, medicine and technology, consume the "believer's" resources leaving little for the good seed of God's promises of healing, protection and provision to grow on. These 'weeds' insatiably devour not only God's people's money, but their precious time as well. God's demand to be His people's only God is met with adultery (having additional lovers), at best, and divorce (abandoning God altogether for other lovers), at worst.

Unlike Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the other leaders of Israel replied in Ezra 4 (above), the Church today has welcomed the enemy to join in with what God is doing in their lives. Debt, insurance, medicine and technology grow unchecked in the Church today. All the while, most in the Church are saying, "God uses these things."

No. No. No. Someone HAS to say NO!

Father, please help us open our eyes and ears to the truth of Your Word so that we might see and hear Your disdain for idols in our lives!