Walls of
Fire!
by John Mark Pool
" 'For I,' declares the LORD, 'will be a wall of fire around
her, and I will be the glory in her midst.'" Zechariah
2:5
There
are all types of walls for all kinds of reasons in this world, so it would be
absurd to say that walls have no place. However, to see the way humans have
used them in contrast to the way God designed His wall, reveals that man looks
on the outward appearance while our God looks on the heart. They say "good
fences make good neighbors," but yet the wall of "offense" no
matter the size creates division regardless which side a person lands. We must
allow the Lord to demonstrate His glory presence to destroy the man-made walls
of division that work to separate everyone from Christ's foundational
purpose-as the only "Gate of Salvation!" Jesus Christ, like no one else could,
declared, "Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved.
Wherever they go, they will find green pastures." Jesus is the door; Jesus is the way, the
truth, the life and the only way of salvation for everyone. Jesus Christ is the
one who established the Church without walls!
Currently
we have a setting that is most perplexing, regardless of what side of our
country's border you stand. We have neighbors both north and south who have for
centuries learned to be co-existent one with another. We did not need walls
then, and we do not require walls now. We needed the Lord then, and we need the
Lord now, more than ever. Laws are to govern for our temporal well being, and
the Lord Jesus Christ is government and our salvation offering eternal peace.
Early
history reveals that a country made a monumental and lasting lesson for us to
learn about walls. Consider the construction of The Great Wall of China that
began in the third century bc.
Frequently referred to, as the "eighth wonder of the world" it
is a wonder that with the cost of many lives, it was actually constructed. The
Great Wall is about 1,500 miles, or 2,400 kilometers, in length. History tells
us keeping out nomadic groups and raids were the reasons China constructed the
Great Wall, as well as protecting their own from attacks by rival states. Yet
all nations now freely trade and travel crossing the Great Wall, viewed mostly
today as a tourist attraction. Walls had their purposes in military strength
and strategy when pioneers settled new outposts and forts in new lands.
Nevertheless, as in the days of Israel, we should not live hunkered behind
walls built from devices of humanity that will never solve the issues of the
heart.
We Need God's Walls of
Fire While Abiding in His Glory Presence!
In
Zechariah's day, the exiles had returned from captivity to rebuild their Temple
but work on the Temple had stalled, and the people were ignoring the service of
the Lord. Zechariah was a prophet who offered hope to a people of a desperate
season. Zechariah had a vision that included a man with a measuring line, who
was trying to determine the length and width of Jerusalem. His intention was
perceptibly to initiate rebuilding the fortified walls surrounding the city.
However, the man, in Zechariah's vision, was told that this would not be
necessary. The man was informed that the number of God's people would be so
great that Jerusalem's walls would not be able to contain them. (Zechariah
2:4).
Furthermore,
they would not need "man-made barricades" because the Lord assured, "I...will be a wall of fire all around her, and I will
be the glory in her midst" (Zechariah 2:5).
No
matter the reasons, whether language, oppression from warring countries,
economic devastation across a river in another country, walls can be scaled or
broken through, regardless their height or strength!
"All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but
having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed
that they were strangers and exiles on the earth." Hebrews
11:13
As
strangers in the earth, we cannot look unto Walls of Man to further increase
the Kingdom of God! We must bless, take dominion and multiply God's plan in
this earth as it is in heaven. We do that with the Glory presence within His
Walls of Fire! We are in this world, but we "not of this world." Our
citizenship is the eternal Kingdom of God, not made by the hands of men. We, in
one sense, are like the prophets of old, as aliens and strangers passing
through as exiles on earth for a short season. What we do now counts forever!
"But God spoke to this effect, that his DESCENDANTS WOULD BE
ALIENS IN A FOREIGN LAND,AND THAT THEY WOULD BE ENSLAVED AND MISTREATED FOR
FOUR HUNDRED YEARS. 7) " 'AND WHATEVER NATION TO WHICH THEY WILL BE IN
BONDAGE I MYSELF WILL JUDGE,' said God, 'AND AFTER THAT THEY WILL COME OUT AND
SERVE ME IN THIS PLACE.' Acts 7:6-7;
(See Genesis 47:11-12).
We
must allow the Lord to destroy the enemy's plans to build Walls of Injustice to
keep souls from receiving the "Gates of Salvation." No country can
simply swing wide its doors for any person, for any reason. No land could exist
in that environment. The enemy would really make use of such irrational
actions! That is not the issue for our country concerning illegal aliens.
Honestly, as Christians, we must feel as aliens in a foreign land, which we are
truly just passing through this world! We should not be steeped in this earthly
place, because, like Jesus, we should not be "of this world." The
Family Research Council's public statement says best, what I believe our
nation's response as a Godly country should be, "Our nation's 'Golden
Door' to new arrivals should remain open, but to do so it must be hinged on a
strong policy that guarantees respect for the law and national security." "Liberty and justice for all" truly
means just that-for all-regardless of any wall.
We
can, however, show that God looks into our hearts to demonstrate Himself to all
humanity-regardless of race, color, gender, or language. Man sees from the
outside walls of carnality, while God looks right into man's heart! Today is
the time to decree that every nation represented within our borders come unto
the one Kingdom of God no matter the background! This is our year to Breakout
of any wall that keeps our hearts from the Salvation Gate of God!
I
decree that we will agree and bring into existence, "Thy Kingdom Come, Thy
will be done, in earth as it is in heaven!"
"The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks
at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." 1 Samuel
16:7
Remember,
as God's family, we could have no greater wall of safety than abiding in the
Glory Presence personally with a loving Father!
Then,
out of the abundance of our heart, Jesus Christ's truth of unconditional love,
in concert with the Father's heart, opens the Gates of Salvation for all who
will accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
God's
plan is to form a city without walls of stone and barricades of human thinking
but to offer an everlasting shelter (God's Kingdom) protecting His beloved
within endless Walls of Fire!
God
loves His all of His children, even more than you love yours, and rest assured
that no one, or no enemy can scale or break through to His family without going
through God's Great Wall of Fire!
Our
protective "Wall of Fire" is never a "division" barrier to
keep the lost out, yet the enemy knows when we are resting in the everlasting
arms of God's loving and protective "Firewall." We can abide in the
fiery glory of God that no weapon formed against us could ever stand.
God has Walls of Salvation
and Gates of Praise!
"Violence will not be heard again in your land, Nor devastation
or destruction within your borders; But you will call your walls salvation, and
your gates praise." Isaiah 60:18
There
is coming a day that we will for evermore be within the heavenly boundaries
that may appear endless, yet we do not need to wait for that day to bring
others into this City of Refuge through Jesus guarding hearts with walls of
salvation. We must share the fiery love of the Father's heart with those who
will be looking for someone in a shaking land who knows the security from
within the gates of praise. People will run into sanctuary of hope offered by
those who abide in the secret place of the Most High God. We are about to experience
what Zechariah promised, although His vision was indeed for Israel's hope then,
it is for us now and all humanity!
I
decree that the Fire of Pentecost celebration 2010 will be a part of
Zechariah's vision that God's people will learn to abandon carnal division
walls and embrace God's Wall of Fire as we abide in the Glory Presence within
His City of Hope! We are the New Jerusalem for thousands, and one day will
certainly be hidden within his walls of glory presence forever. Let the
celebration time of Pentecost baptize us again in the Fire! Bring the lost in
and secure them with God's Firewall today! Yes, today is indeed the "Day
of Salvation!" Now is the time to bring others with us to safely abide in
the Father's family sheltered within walls of fire and the glory presence of
Abba Father. Shalom!
John Mark
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