Handling Oppositions

Thank God for another Tuesday service. And thank God for what the Lord is doing in our midst. For the first Tuesday service of the month of August, we give God the glory. Last week we had the fasting and we looked at multiple topics.

God favored us, remembered by God, the nature of inheritance and signs of demonic oppressions. So we see that all these are teachings to edify us and strengthen us. And today the Lord. I got a leading in my heart to I will look in the word titled Handling oppositions.

Right, Handling oppositions. Most of the things that that we share here is based on just Bible study, personal Bible study. And it came as a result of yesterday. I was just studying the Book of Ezra.

Yesterday, Ezra and I came across this. And you will be surprised that there's nothing that is new under the sun. Everything that is happening to us today as believers has happened in the past, right? That is why the Bible is there for us to read.

If you notice Jesus, the disciples, all those in the New Testament, they did not have a New Testament to read. They were reading the books of the prophets, they were reading the books of Moses, they were reading the Old Testament books. Basically, that's what they read when they wanted to preach in a synagogue. It was the Old Testament they were reading.

But we have the Old, we still have the New. But yet it's as though the information or what we are reading is not changing the way we think. It shows there is a problem and we will trust God to help us here. So we'll look at how the children of Israel, specifically the Babylonian exiles that returned From Babylon after 70 years or more in captivity in Babylon, God raised a deliverer.

Look at Book of Ezra chapter one. Our whole thing is actually from the Book of Ezra, right? We trust the Holy Spirit to read us Ezra chapter one. You see, verse one.

He said now in the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by mount of Jeremiah might be fulfilled. The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and put it into writing, also in writing, saying, thus said King of Persia, the Lord God of heaven hath given me all the kingdom of the earth. And he has charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. So you see that God himself has the ability to raise even pagan kings.

The heart of the king is in the hand of God. So no matter how terrible a king is, God is still in control. We must come to understand that God has the ability to control kings, even if the person is A terrorist. Even the president of Russia, president, even the president of Nigeria.

Everything is under God's control. You see, many people still don't understand this concept about how God allow a wicked king or a wicked president to rule a nation, to torment people. How you see, he needs to still understand that God knows how to work with people. It doesn't take God anything to just destroy the wicked king.

God is even the one that allowed Nebuchadnezzar the Babylonian king to what, take Israel into captivity for 70 years, right? It was seriously hell for them. But God was not permitted it for a time. And after, when the time was up, he allowed them, he raised an arin to let them go.

So the hand of the king, the heart of the king is in the hand of God. So you see here that God was the one that told Cyrus, stirred up his heart and he made the them. He at the end of the day, he was the one that released them, right? So before he took them, he released them from there, he gave them all they needed so that they can go back to their town to go and build the, the temple of God, basically.

So that is what God did in, in the beginning, right at that point. All right, so you look at Ezra, chapter 1, verse 5. He said, Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin and, and the priests and the Levites with all them whose God's spirit has raised to go up to build the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem, right? So you see, God was stead of the people in Babylon.

Take note, if you have been in a place for 70 years, most likely you will have moved on. So you see that it was not everybody that left Babylon that day, that time, right? So it's not everybody. So finally the time of deliverance has come.

It's time to go back to your distance. But the problem was that a lot of people have already gotten used to Babylon and they decided to remain but a remnant. That's why that's where the word remnant now came. A remnant were had the heart of a remnant was dead and they went back to Jerusalem.

And the people there, the key people were Joshua, Joshua, Zerubbabel and the remnants and the Levites as well. Those were the people that went back. And also the priests, they went back to Jerusalem. So I'm giving that backstory to understand how what happened before things started looking otherwise.

So that was what happened there. And they went back to this. So let's go back to Ezra. Let's go to Ezra, chapter 4, verse 1.

So finally these people have decided to resume building Jerusalem as well as the Temple. Right? So that was the, the. That was the mission.

But first they started with building the temple. Now take notes. These exiles were people that were in Babylon. It's not everybody that was taken to Babylon.

There were some people that were left behind in Jerusalem. Although Jerusalem was in ruins, was totally scattered and destroyed. The temple had been destroyed. However, there were still very few people there.

Right. But these people were. Had mixed religion. They knew the God of Israel, but they also had mixed practice.

Right? And they were in that city, in, in Jerusalem. So when the exiles came back, the Lord stared the heart of Joshua and Zerubbabel, Right? To what?

Rebuild the temple of God. Right. Under the instructions of King Cyrus. King Cyrus made sure that he provided everything they needed to rebuild the temple.

All the gold, silver and everything. And he made sure that they had support while they were rebuilding the temple. So you see, a pagan king was used by God to support the rebuilding of God's temple. Right?

Now look at where problem started. Verse 1 of Ezra 4. He said, now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin. Look at it.

The enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the Lord God of Israel. Verse 2. They came to Zerubbabel and to the chief of the Father and said unto him, let us build with you, for we seek your God as you do, and we do sacrifice unto him since the days of Esarhadon, king of Ashur, which brought us up hither. So you see there, the people that were in the land that had misfortune, they wanted to come and join them to also build the temple.

And Jezer Babel take note, Zerubbabel was the governor, as at that time, so he was a governor, Joshua was a high priest. So Zerubbabel was not like, like man of God in quotes, like someone that is a governor, a political, is a politician, basically a governor that God raised while Joshua was the high priest. So both of them work hand in hand to build this thing. And they rejected their help because Zerubbabel knew that these people wanted influence.

They wanted to just do the work so that they will say that, oh, we did the work. You know, some people have hidden agenda. They want to help for their own belly. They wanted to help so that they can command a certain kind of influence on the distance.

But through the help of the Holy Spirit, Zerubbabel was able to descend through the help of God. I was able to discern that, oh this one is a lie. They have. They have an ulterior motive.

That's why he said in verse three. But Zerubbabel and Joshua and the rest of the chief of the Father said unto them, you have nothing to do with us to build an house unto our God, but we ourselves together will build unto the Lord God of Israel. Asking Cyrus, the king of Persia had commanded us because of this statement. Look at what happened in verse 4.

This is where problems started. They rejected the help of some set of people who were claiming to be their brothers. And because of that, what happened? Those people now plotted against them to make sure that they don't build that temple.

Look at verse four. Then the people of the land weakened the hand of the people of Judah and troubled them in building. Another translation said that the people of the land tried to discourage the people of Judah. They discouraged trouble them in building, right?

So they started what opposing them. That was the beginning of opposition. So our topic is what handling opposition. And we are using Ezra as a case study on this case.

So that you don't be surprised when you see even though God has told you that you are, you should do something. You know, many people have this feeling that if it's God, they will know everything will be smooth. I've heard people preach that thing before. If it's God, they will to be smooth.

If you are facing too much problem, it means there is no God. You see, when we say things like this, that's why people are confused and they tend to deviate. See if you see. Now I see.

Wait, are you sure it's God at center? Why is he like this? Because the enemy cannot sit down and watch you just grow. Is not possible.

So that's why you see the apostles, whenever they go through things, that there is this kind of excitement that means they on track. In fact, that's how they interpret it. So you have to choose your lens, choose your perspective. Some people see a position as ah, that is not God.

That means God is not here and they live. Some of our people see it as God is in this detail and he's moving. But mind you, there is also opposition. That is what like for example, there was a time that Paul wanted to go to a city to preach.

The Bible said the Holy Spirit restrained him from preaching there. He tried multiple times he entered here. He did not agree. He tried to another, tried to another route.

It did not work. He said Paul had to say that I was restrained by the Holy Spirit from going to that city. I mean, is it bad to Preach? No, but you see that even though God has said I'm going to go and preach, but there are certain things that will tell you no, don't do this one now.

It's not now you should be restrained multiple times from going there. And he now had a dream and he go to Macedonia instead. Not here even Jesus Christ. Jesus did not preach.

He's not some place he did not. He said I've come to the lordship of Israel. So you have to also understand that even though God has said do something, there are certain times he's going to restrain you from going certainly say help the poor. There are some people who will tell you no, don't help this particular one you Knowing how to be led by the Spirit of God is very important in our age and time.

So I'm trying to strike a balance there about as regarding oppositions. That's why we all have the spirit of God in us and must learn how to fellowship with Holy Spirit so we can know and discern. Right? Look at the help that came here.

Zerubbabel and Joshua knew that this help is not from God. Look, they accepted help from a pagan king that said they gave them this thing to help them to build, but they rejected help from their brothers. Like those people were also Israelites but the Bible called them enemies of the people of Judah. They were in that place they wanted.

They said, look at what they just said. They said want to help you to build. And they said no, you have no part in this thing. You see, you must learn how to discern when it is God and when it is not God.

Are you see this thing? If now if you don't get this thing now because some people think oh, because this one is a pagan, how will we collect something from pagan? But was God that sent the pagan to help you? And now in quote a so called believer wants to help you.

And God is like no, don't collect from him, collect from this one. So when we box God and say it must always be from a brother. What if a someone that is not even worshiping your God decides to help you And God sent the person that was what happened here. Cyrus was a pagan king.

That's what I'm trying to establish. He was a pagan king that was raised by God to deliver Israel from captivity and to help them to build the temple. Let's look at continue. So that was it.

So, so they said they tried to discourage them in building and verse 5 they said they hired counselors against them to frustrate their purpose. All the days of Cyrus, king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius, king of Persia. Now I went to that research and checked the distance between the reign of King Cyrus and King Darius. So you see that that opposition was 16 years.

16 Years of frustration. I don't know if you are getting 16 years of what frustration. So what, what are we saying here? Even though it's, God has said go and do this thing, it doesn't mean that there won't be opposition.

That's why David had to say, even though I walk through the value of shall not, even though I, I cut across it, he's going to walk through it. Even if I walk through it, even though I will fear no, because the Lord was with him. The Lord is with him. That is, that's, that's, that's the word of God.

So we must be careful in twisting God's word to favor us. Meanwhile, it's not because it will end up hurting us. So now the problem here is that now we're looking at how do we not handle opposition? How did these people handle this opposition?

Because it was a serious one. Now when we face resistance, we have two choices. It's either you continue obeying God despite the resistance, or you slowly adjust to the resistance until it becomes our new normal. This has been the dilemma of many believers.

Unfortunately, many churches they have chosen to settle. It can never change. I imagine that 16 years, these people actually fellow that 16 years. In fact, let me tell you what happened then.

If not for God that raised people up to stir them up again, they will have, they will have left it now continuing to obey God despite the resistance was what the Holy Spirit empowered Peter and John to do. Do. When they said in Acts 5:29 that we obey God rather than men. Act chapter 5, verse 4.

They also face their own opposition. God told them, you should go and preach this thing, that you will be my witness, I will give you power, you'll be my witness in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria to name. Now, one would think that because God has given them their assignment, it will be like smooth, like everybody will say, wow, God bless you, thank you. Everybody will just be happy with them.

Unfortunately, it was the opposite. In fact, they wanted to kill them. As if. It's as if they stopped focusing on all the armed robbers and all the bad people banned it around.

They started focusing on people that are just doing good, literally doing good. The Bible says that how God anointed Jesus Christ with Holy Ghost and power and he went about doing good. Somebody was doing good, yet they Want to kill somebody that was doing it. What happened to all the bad people that were doing?

You see, that's how bad the devil is. He hates it when people are doing good. So we must be. That's why see what this world is doing.

I believe the Holy Spirit is trying to fortify your mind. You must be able to be resilient in your mind. Your mind must be guarded. Bible says guard your heart with all diligence.

And you guard your heart by what? Taking in the word of God. Words like it are like strong meat. It helps you to fortify your mind so that when problem position comes, you can stand.

Just as we said in Daniel. Did thou know that God shall work? They will do exploit. They will be strong and do exploit.

You must be strong because so many voices will come to discourage and weaken brethren from coming to church. You will hear different kind of news. So many things you must be opposition will come. It's not might come.

It not may come. It will come so long as you are what because you are going against the wave. Even if you. If you are swimming in the ocean, the wave is going like this.

I you expecting the wave to now go backward because of you? No, it. It is by nature by default is meant to open oppose you. So you are swimming against the wave and you must keep swimming.

But if you don't know, I are thinking that oh, because someone God has sent you to enter this thing the way look at Jesus. Jesus knew that there was a madman in one up at the opposite side of the the sea. He said let us go there. And they entered the boat.

Suddenly wave one storm from nowhere just came up. That wave was you. That's how you know that that wave was actually kind of demonic. Because Jesus rebuked the wind and he told the wave peace be still.

Why would Jesus rebuke the wind? It was not an ordinary wind. You don't just normally just rebuke this thing. It was because where he was going, he was going to go and heal a man that was possessed by legion.

And legion means like 2000 demons or something like that a man was so that they already knew oh this guy was coming here. So in order to kill Jesus. Imagine they had. They were thinking that they could destroy Jesus there just spoke and said peace be still.

He rebuked the wave and the wind and told peace be still. There was opposition coming. Even Paul how many times inside ocean did he. The water tried to destroy him.

In fact to the point that when he. When he reached the island, he carried firewood Snake beat him again. Everybody just concluded on the island that this man must. This man must have done something against God.

You see. So in the world system, in the inside of the world, whenever they see somebody going to in their mind, it's like you must have offended God. That was it. They told Paul you must this one have done something against you.

You have vexed God. Paul understood. Imagine Paul did not understand this thing. Imagine Jesus.

You know, Paul stayed with Jesus for like three years. He went to a mountain and stayed there. Bible said that Paul said that Jesus taught him everything he knew before. That's why he was like ah, how do you know these things?

So imagine Jesus did not explain to him and teach him that. Look, you are going to go through this, this and this. I hope you are ready. Can you start gathering your mind?

Don't worry, I'm with you. If Paul heard those things from people, maybe he will have fallen and said it's true. I think I've look at him. This thing beat him.

He just hit it like this. Did not die. He continued because you ask him what did Paul eat? What exactly where did he get this kind of understanding that regardless God is with me.

He's not writing his letter. Rejoice, always rejoice. Inside prison. He's writing what, what, what doctrine, what teaching did he receive that made him so 100% confident that he has is still standing with God.

Even when he was in Ephesus, he was singing praise to God. Paul and Silas, he's singing praise to God inside the darkest dungeon. Like he's sure for him he was 100% sure that no matter what he sure see opposition that this guy faced and he was confident. We're not praying for opposition.

No, don't get me wrong. We are saying that even though he comes, what will you do when he comes? You see, this is the part I don't know. I don't know why the Holy Spirit keep.

I don't. I don't even understand. I'm always. I'm sometimes wondering like ah.

Why is it always always this ones right? I. I'm. I'm just surprised. Right.

But so that's it. So you see. Act chapter five, verse 29. Sorry, act five 29.

So I wanted to say something there. Act five 29. Yeah. Said then Peter and the other apostles answered and said we ought to obey God rather than men.

So one of the secrets that will help you to handle opposition is when you what right relied on with the word of God. You must move with God's word. The reason why many people fail in the day of an adversity. Bible say, if your strength fail in the day of adversity, that means you do not have strength at all.

Your strength was weak. There was nothing. You did not have strength. Some of us, we think that's why you have to check.

See, you know whether you are strong. When trouble comes is what you do in that day. That's how you know whether you have strength. Beginning.

Some people are measuring their strength because when everything is good, they are able to pray, they are able to sing song, they are able to go to church. This, you know when you are strong, when everything is red, that's when you know, okay, I'm actually strong. You, you see that? Okay, so I'm actually strong because that's the time you see many people stop.

So don't. Let's not allow ourselves to be deceived. When everything is looking merry and, and you are you, you now measure your spirituality by the fact that you are able to go to church. When you have money, you have food, you have water, everything is good.

Then because of that, you now feel that, oh, I'm strong. You're able to fight, you're able to pray. Because everything, when everything goes sideways, check your reaction, check how you are. Does everything decrease?

That means your, your, your religion, your Christianity was biased. That is a purely flawed Christianity. Christianity should not be proportional. Your spirituality should not be proportional to your comfort.

Some people, their life is that when everything is okay. Therefore their spirituality is bad. Your Christianity spirituality should be constant, whether good, whether bad. That is how you know that this one is a mature Christian.

But some people own this. Everything go bad. The first thing they'll reduce is they'll stop coming to church. They'll stop praying.

And everything they'll say, that is taking my time. Everything is good. You see them, they'll start praying, start listening. That means you are confused.

You don't understand what it means to be a believer. That's where there's problems. Satan, like those kind of people. And you use them like tennis ball.

It's, it's, it's, it just be serving you anyhow. They are tossed to and fro with different winds of doctrine. That's how they are back and forth. You can't grow like that.

And this is the state of many believers today. And I pray God will deliver us from this thing because it's plaguing the church. Complacency, weariness. He said, don't be weary in well doing.

This happened to the people of Israel. So now if you read book of Ezra and you don't read the book of Haggai, you will not get the full picture because at some point in the book of Ezra, you and the character introduces us to Zechariah and prophets, Prophet Zakaria and prophet Haggai, they were also in that timeline, right? So Haggai, if you read the book of Haggai. Well, I think we had a topic on it, Haggai, some months ago or so where we talked about God's word concerning the people, how that the people, they left the work of God, I went to focus on their building.

So I said that the opposition that they faced was 16 years or like 16 years. Guess what? They were doing that 16 years in fact the work stopped though. They stopped building the church, the the temple and what they were doing.

The people slowly adjusted to the resistance until it became their new normal. And guess what? They now got occupied with their own homes. They started focusing on their own building.

They were now focusing making duplex pen, penthouse mansions. They were building their own business. They were focusing on their own distance, right? While God's house laid unfinished.

Let's look at Haggai chapter one, verse four. Hagai chapter one, verse four. So those are the two ways people respond to oppositions. Either you what shall come and say, well, it's just normal.

It's normal. See, look at it. Is it time for you, o ye, to dwell in your sealed houses? And this house lie a waste.

That was where the world came, right? So during that system, Hagai came out like, ah, what is going on you people? Is it, is this the time for you to do this? So because I'm saying that opposition can come in a way that it will be so much that you'll be like, oh, I'm not sure it's God has sent all this thing, boy, let's just go.

I beg, how is it God and everything's all looking like this? I'm saying that the devil is so, so strategic and can frustrate people to the point that they begin to question whether is God has sent you or not. And this is many people state, but look at what Romans 8:28 has showed us. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose, right?

So many people believer, don't stop following God overnight. What happens is that they simple postpone. They simply postpone obedience. And I'll be asking God to help me as well.

You postpone your obedience by saying Something like, I'll serve God when work settles down. Some of us say, my work is too much now. When I, When I, when I hit this figure. When I.

There's too much work now. So when I distinguish. Now when I'm saying serving God, I'm not talking about coming to church. It's not seeing, it's not just about.

See, many people have come to church, but the problem is, are you serving God? Serving God does not mean come to church. You don't serve God, but you come to church. Some people come and sit down on the chair.

Is that service to God? God? The service God looking for is. He said, present your body.

The first thing he needs is your body as a living sacrifice. Some people, they serve God with their muscles. They use their energy, but their body have not yet been given to God. They can use, they can give God their time, but not their body.

When I say, when you give God your body, like your, your totality is God's. Some people only serve God when they are comfortable or serve God when things are good or when things are looking merry. When things are, when you have energy, I say, oh, don't worry. When I have energy, I'll come.

When you give somebody your body, you are like a slave. Just like a slave. A slave does not say, oh, like in the night, you are tired, your boss just came back from work. You know, I'm like, not now, I'll do it tomorrow.

Imagine inside this house, you see, when you don't understand that when you say, upper your body as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service, that's the best thing you can give God your body. So serving God is beyond the four walls of the church. Is you living a life that pleases the Father. You're asking, what, how, how?

What will God have me do? And sometimes he can oppose your work. It can oppose your work. That's the painful thing.

And people don't like to hear. Especially he said, oh God, you can't do everything. But please don't leave this as, as, as. As anything apart from this work.

Don't touch this. If, if it does my work, please leave it. You see, that means you have not found yourself as a living sacrifice. Or someone said, oh, I'll do this next year.

I obey God when life is easier, that's another one. When things are easier, like you hear people, don't worry, I'll do it when things get easier. Right now, everything is tough when it gets easier. And this is the peril of many that's why we need the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is what helps us in facing these kinds of oppositions. Right? So let's look at how God came through for them. How what?

How did they approach these opposition still? Ezra, chapter four. Look at some of the things right now. Those.

Remember those people we talked about, those enemies of Judah and this thing they did not just according to verse 4. He said that the people of the land weakened their hand. They hired counselors. Now that's not all, Dido.

Now look at what they did. They also wrote a letter to the governor. Now King Cyrus has already. His reign has ended.

Another king came. King, He came right now see what he said in verse seven. And the day of Akstar series wrote Bislam me read that. Mitch, read that.

Tabil and the rest of the companion unto the king of Persia. And the writing of the letter was written in the Syrian tongue and interpreted in the Syrian tongue. So they wrote a letter to the governor that. Of that.

Of that time, right? The president. President or the king of that time. And he wrote a letter to make sure that they stop the war.

You can see how bad people are thinking these people are like supposed to be supposedly brothers of this thing. What. What can we see from there? See, some of the greatest opposition we face as believers are people from within us.

You know, and that's the. That's. That's what usually pain hurts the most of the prophets, mostly Jeremiah experienced this thing. The people that are offended in past were people that were inside.

That is inner circle. You see, that is why the devil is so wicked. And it's painful, you know, it's better. It's okay if your position, your great opposition were people outside.

But when he now comes from inside, it can break your heart. Look at Jesus. Imagine you have been with him for three years. The person that broke in was Judas.

Jesus asked him. So is this how you are going to betray me, my friend? Wait, wait. Is this how you want to do it?

With a kiss? The audacity. Even Judas, that Judas even had to kiss him. You can imagine so.

But Jesus still called him my friend. Huh? What am I saying there? Even if Jesus himself could face opposition and brother and sister, who do you think?

The son of God? Tell me. One prophet, one priest, one person that did not go through these things. So it's not.

It's even just. The Bible said when you. Not if. When you pass through the fire, when.

When you pass through the water, when. It's just a matter of when. To be honest, for everyone, it's not to scare you. It's a matter of you what Understanding that you need the Holy Spirit.

You need God to empower you. That's why he told the apostles, go and wait in Jerusalem until you receive power to be my witness. The church needs power to represent God in the age and time that darkness is going to cover. Darkness covers the earth.

Seek darkness the people. There is need for power. The power is not to do miracles. The power is to be represent Jesus well.

The power is to say no to the king's meat. The power is to enable you to continue like Esther. If I perish, I perish. The power is to help you to say, even if God does not come, for we will not bow.

The power is to help you to stand for God even in government house. Daniel, Meshach and many go were in the government house. The kind of position they faced was not small. It was not small.

But yet Daniel stayed and saw the reign of four kings. Which. Which kind of person have you seen four kings? Not kings that were Christians, pagan kings.

Kings that were bowing down to. You see the idol bigger than this house. Like everybody was just doing all the atrocities. But yet you see that power is not normal.

When we say power, it's always thinking about power to make somebody fall down. No, the ultimate power is power to resist the devil. Power to say, no, I will not do it. I will still continue.

I don't know if you get. See, this is what the church needs. Power to say no, to sleep when it's time to pray. When it's time to go to church, you say, no, I'm going to church.

Rain is falling. No, I'll still come. You have a responsibility in the church. Rain is falling heavily.

You say, no, I'm wearing coats, wearing boots, Empa and move. You see, there is no power. That's why any small thing can just you. You just stop coming.

You call them. Why? I'm just tired, you see? You see that word?

Tired. They tired because they went to work Monday to start today. But that power, Sorry, that power enables us to what? Resist.

So this is what we need in our age and time, right? So after they read the letter. They read the letter and look at the conclusion of the letter. Verse 23:24.

Now, when the copy of King Arthur series letter was read before Rehum and Shimshai described and their companion, they went up in haste. They ran to Jerusalem unto the Jews and made them to seize by force and power. You see the if can you imagine, look at what they did. They made them to Seize by force and power.

If the devil is using force and power to make sure that God's work does not move you that is now doing the work. You see, I know maybe you don't like you don't want power because you don't want to be. I've heard some people saying I don't need power. I'm not going to mention.

Please beg God for power for the sake of the gospel. The power is not for you to show yourself. The power is for the gospel. If believers see, God will not see.

Look at this whole thing. God did not come from heaven to come and strike anybody with thunder. Look at. Was God not watching as all this happened for 16 years?

Why did God know just kill Shimshai and all the people that were opposing him. He did not do anything. God was just. He was just looking at everything going on.

But guess what? God was in detail he was already that 16 years. God was raising two people, Zechariah and Haggai to come and stare the heart of the people. I'm saying that God is raising some people now and these people may just be voices like he raised John the Baptist a voice in the wilderness calling.

Now look at verse 24. They seized the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem. So he ceased until the second year of the reign of Darius, King of perspectives. That was 16 years.

God forbid that the work of God be paused for 16 years because of position because some people feel to go and beg God for power. He said wait in Jerusalem to receive power. They did not have the power. They did not have the capacity.

They did not have the strength to say no to the opposition. But those people they said they made them to cease war by force and power. I don't know the kind of power they use. Maybe it might be military power but there are different kinds of power in our age and time.

It may not be physical power. Yesterday night I was studying Mos Korea. If you know the kind of power that there are murdering people they in fact any small thing if you don't. They don't say that.

Oh they were praying to God. I. I heard of that. The reason they they persecut. They executed her publicly because she was.

She left the country and she went to serve God and they gave her a Bible. So anytime they want to do execution they'll call all the people even schools, the children in the schools. Everybody will gather around one place and the children will have to watch the execution to the point that the children became normalized. They are normal.

It's normal thing. They were like, it's normal thing now. Are you serious? A small child who watch killing a woman.

They kill two people. They'll. They'll tie them and they will now call policemen and they'll shoot nine shots. Nine.

They'll count it. Three people. 11 Shots, 3, 9 on one human being for what? The person left the country and they said if you leave the country.

You are trying to say that you are, you are. It's exactly what happened in Babylon. Exactly is happening in North Korea. It's not, it's not.

It's something that is happening now. That's what is happening. Because they left the country, they killed them. And because they what went to save God.

They said they gave up. She collected Bible and this thing and they caught her, they arrested her, they brought her back, executed her publicly. That's how terrible it is. So they hear that, oh, this one is serving God.

You see, this is why we need power. Because they are using power to suppress the move of God. And you, you don't want to just have. You just want to be normal.

You, if you are normal, is that. See is that it's two things. It's either you be like I told you. There are two ways to respond to opposition.

One way is what either you consider obeying God. This despite the resistance. That means God may not make the resistance to go, but he's going to give you a power that will enable you to what? Continue obeying him inside the resistance.

Or the second option is that you don't receive power from the Holy Spirit and you are going to slowly adjust to the resistance until you become normal. That's what the devil is looking for. He wants to quench the fire of everybody. Just become normal.

So that you see that like for example, look at some statements that looks like normal. Normally it takes 20 years for church to. For them to build a church. It takes 30 years.

Have you not seen that other church? It was enough. 50 Years. It's not one day something.

It's just. You see that word? I said God will help us. Because there's a generation of people that have refused to receive the help of the Holy Spirit.

The ministry of the Holy Spirit. That's what the Holy Spirit say. You receive power to be my witness. May God help us to beg him for power.

It's not for you. I'm saying it again. It's not for you. It's so that you be a witness.

Remove that mindset and say, oh yeah, if I say it's going to make me proud. And you're going to be people not looking at you. Ah, that means God will not even give youself. He must first break you before even release these things to you.

Every believer needs power now before we this thing we want to look at how did the work now resume? Because I've seen that they face opposition. We have agreed that every believer is going to face opposition at one point in their life. It may be small, it may be big, it may be the one that is physical, it may be spiritual.

However it is, it may be even emotional attack. However it is, it shall come. The question is how do you respond? Look at how they responded then Chapter five.

Look at it. So when God wants to this thing deliver people, he sends his word. You see why the word of God is very powerful. You see that many of us are thinking that the word of God is just and it's always painful.

See what Satan is doing. Do you know, I sometimes wish that we can spend like five hours studying the word of God in the church. It's sad that we just have like 45 minutes. One hour.

And that I'm telling you that is the only time so many people in Church spend 45 minutes to hear the word of God or even that's the only time they can have access to the Bible for 45 minutes for that long. From Monday to Saturday the word of God is very absent. There is no. If you are reading the word of God, just chop chop.

Amen. You now start praying. Father, help me bless this word from Jesus. Amen.

You run to work or you read devotion and you will not see that as the word of God. You must sit down with the word of God when the world. When God wants to deliver people, he sends his word. Look at his best one.

Then the prophets Haggai this the Then the prophets Hagar the prophet and Zechariah the son of Edo prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of God of Israel, even unto them. Now look at the, look at the, look at the outcome of that prophecy. Then rose up Zerubbabel. You see that suddenly Zerubbabel just stood up.

It's as if he was sleeping. Since Zerubbabel was there since. But you see why. Why do you think Paul said don't despise prophecy.

Sometimes when God wants to deliver a nation, he changed prophecy the prophecy. See, look at what the prophecy did. Sixteen years would have been everybody just went about today. See like that guy know the spirit of God up a guy and this thing and he spoke the word God has said and he's now and the prophecy, remember, prophecy is just speaking what God has said.

That's what prophecy means. Don't overthink. It is whether it can be future event or past events. It's just speaking what God has said.

So what has God said? Even if you read Bible like now, as I read the Bible like this now I'm also prophesying that's a form of prophecy. That is just prophecy speaking what God has said. Right?

And what they rose up. Zerubbabel, that's the governor, the governor rose up and Joshua the high priest, the son of Joseph. And what they began to build the house of God which is at Jerusalem. And with them were the prophets of God helping them.

So you see the job of the prophet. So it's the job of the prophet to send the word of God. When opposition comes, prophecy is what helps us to stand. You remember, you, you just remember what has God said?

I am with you always. That's the prophecy. And lo, I am with you always. That is the prophecy.

So when you see somebody especially opposition, just go and tell him the word of God. And that's what they did. He said as Zerubbabel and the high priest were doing their work, the prophets were also what doing their work. Their work was to what continue to give them prophecy.

So it was doing something in their spirits. It was FL them is the word of God. That's why we come to church on Sunday. That's why we come regularly to service.

So that's why the Bible. The Bible said they were constantly gathering together to receive more prophecy. It's here to empower them. Empower them so that you go back and continue.

So when they face opposition and they feel weak, they'll go back again. Prophecy comes, they are strengthened. A church without prophecy. I don't know how you want to survive because I, I don't know how.

I don't. I seriously don't know how you want to survive without prophecy. It is one of the tools God has used to empower us as, as believers. He said now look at.

Now look at it now take note. Do you know that the decree that that king made that they should stop building, they did not cancel the decree yet. But guess what they what the Bible said they began to build the house of God. So that means as soon as the prophecy came, they continued.

So that means even. Do you see what else happened now? They responded to the resistance the first way that Peter and John responded. As soon as the word of God came now the word of the Bible said.

The word of God is now inside us. You don't even need external prophecy to what resist. But this one, they needed this thing. Because now you have the Holy Spirit in you.

The Holy Spirit is called the spirit of prophecy. So it's inside you already. So it enables us to resist opposition. And that was what happened to these people here.

So the Bible says, as the prophets prophesied, guess what? They were able to what? Resist. And they what they began to build even though the decree was still there.

That's why somebody came to ask them. Look at, look at verse three. At the same time came to them that night. Governor on this side, on this side the river and Sheta Bosnia and their companions.

Look at another set of vision came. Can you see that opposition? When they finish it is still come. No matter what.

Even see. Even though the prophecy came, another position came. So when you feel that opposition coming, that means God is not against it. I remember there's something they were trying to do.

See opposition. I'm like I thought I only wanted to give and say, boy, this thing is not. I'm not sure God wants us to do this. Let's leave it.

That's the voice of the devil. Rebuke it. Look at he said, who has commanded you to build this house and to make up this world? Who sent you message?

That's what the people were saying. Then said we unto them at this manner. What are the names of the men that make this building? Now look at verse five.

But the eyes. But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews that they caused not see. They could not cause them to cease till the matter came to desirous. Do you see that?

That means God's eye was upon them and they could not stop. But before they stopped, was it that God's eye was not upon them? God was upon them. What happened now?

See, God raises men to do the work. God will not come from able to build this church. I need to hear people say, oh, let God have his way. God will just do it in his own time.

Or God it is going. He going to do it through you. Make yourself available for God. You say God, I'm here, use me.

It's not about saying God will bring them. God will bring them. Is he not going to use somebody to bring them? He will bring somebody, even hate guy.

God used somebody to talk to him. Somehow, somehow he shall use human beings to stay up people. I'm not saying God cannot just automatically Just raise somebody up like from sleep. And he can't do anything, but he choose to use his men to do his work.

And he said equal would not cause them to cease. Till the matter came to Darius and they returned, answer by letter. Now you see that? Look at what happened this time.

What I'm trying to show you, that sometimes God works even through government. You may not know, it doesn't need to come with miracle. Heaven must not open before you know that God is working. Look, look at how God used averted the situation.

You go for a six down. Look, they went to write a letter now and sent it to Darius. Look at what they were doing. So sir, they started praising him.

Look at verse 8. Be known unto the king that we went to the province of Judea, to the house of the great God, which is builded with great stone and timber laid work, and this work goeth fast on and prospered in their hands. Then we asked those elders and said unto them, who told you to build this house and make up these walls? We asked for their names to certify thee that we might write the names of the men he wanted to see.

Does this not sound familiar? They wanted to report them to the governor and they. And they thus return us saying that we are servant of God, of heaven and earth, and build the house that was built this year many ago. Listen, let me fast forward verse 13.

Okay, let me just read down to. So you see. So see, they were now responding to what they said. Verse 13 said, but in the first year of Cyrus, the king of Babylon, the same king made a decree to build this house of God.

You see, they were just remembering everything, reporting everything. So let's now skip forward to the end. Right, so you see, verse 16. Okay, let's do a verse 17 now.

Therefore, if it seemed good to the king, let there be search made in the king's treasure house, which is in Babylon. Whether it be so that the decree was made by was made of Cyrus the king to build this house of God, and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning matter. You see what happened now? So you see the second, the first opposition.

They sent a letter to Darius. Darius quickly wrote a letter back and said, stop the work. Now see another letter. They sent this one.

They sent it to this guy. They sent it to this. Sorry, the first letter was to another king, King Akstec. Now this is king, what's it called?

King Dairos. They sent it to him, said, please sir, can you go and check the archive whether there was a letter Written by King Cyrus concerning this church whether they should continue building this temple. And they went to check the outcome. I said yes and guess what they now gave them letter said please make sure if you read chapter six he told those people that reported them you I want you to make sure that that building is completed.

You see what the enemy meant for evil. God turned it around. He used the opposition to now favor the people that were trying to report. Can you see how God works?

So you see God is not limited. He can control anybody he can control the government is in his hand. It doesn't take God anything to raise a politician. Now just say ah the Lord told me to just drop 50 hundred.

You just. The only problem is that we ourselves must what Continue towards hold on to the word of God and keep pushing. So we wrap up with this knowing how the prophet helped them to wrap up. He said they helped them.

How did the prophet help? They help by speaking the word of God, correcting the wrong priorities. Like hey guy. He told them that why are you people focusing on your building instead of the church of God?

Focus on my warfare. So there was. There's a need for the prophet to continue their work of what? Encouraging and speaking the word of God calling the people an attitude.

They called people back to obedience. Call them back. They encouraged the leaders, those government officials. They reminded them of God's promise and they strengthened their faith to continue building.

So. So that's just the end of this thing. So we pray. Ezra 5 Messiah teaches that God watchful eye doesn't mean there will not be opposition.

There's opposition but it means opposition cannot accomplish more than God permits. Right. The governor still investigated them but he could not stop the work. So I pray that God will empower us with this word we have received today.

So we're going to go to God in prayer asking him to help us and give us the power to overcome every opposition that comes our way. In Jesus name we go to God in prayer and lead us prayer.