September 19, 2024

Dismantling and Rebuilding

Matthew 11:10-19 in The Passion Translation, Jesus offers some great insights about the diversity of gifts:

“See, I am sending my prophetic messenger who will go ahead of Me and prepare hearts to receive Me. “For I tell you the truth, throughout history, there has never been a man who surpasses John the Baptizer. Yet the least of those who now experience heaven’s kingdom will become even greater than he. From the moment John stepped onto the scene until now, the realm of heaven’s kingdom is bursting forth, and passionate people have taken hold of its power. For all the prophets and the Torah prophesied until John appeared. If you can receive this truth, John is the Elijah who was destined to come. So listen and understand what I’m telling you. 

“How could I describe the people of this generation? You’re like children playing games on the playground, yelling at their playmates, ‘You don’t like it when we want to play Wedding! And you don’t like it when we want to play Funeral! You will neither dance nor mourn.’ Why is it that when John came to you, neither feasting nor drinking wine, you said, ‘He has a demon in him!’? Yet when the Son of Man came and went to feasts and drank wine, you said, ‘Look at this man! He is nothing but a glutton and a drunkard! He spends all His time with tax collectors and other sinners.’ But God’s wisdom will become visible by those who embrace it.” (Matthew 11:10-19 TPT)

Prophetic forerunners like John usually precede revivals. By “prophetic,” I’m not referring to predicting the future, but rather the unpleasant aspect of this gifting some are called to that creates change by uprooting and tearing down (Jeremiah 1:12). I am referring to spiritual callings like that of John, prophets who level mountains of adversity, straighten crooked places in societies, and smooth the rough ground of deception, preparing the way for spiritual highways to be built (Isaiah 40:3-4). These forerunners don’t paint the stripes on highways or plant the greenery that enhances them, and they certainly don’t build the Rest Areas! No, when it comes to building roads, their expertise is operating bulldozers. 

This unique calling is difficult, often misunderstood as being mean-spirited; it sometimes even results in beheadings - just ask John (Matthew 14:1-12)! Everybody loves a nice highway; nobody likes the process: mud, delays, detours… 

Those blessed with mercy temperaments and pastoral gifts frequently reject those with forerunner callings. They often think “love” and “nice words” alone will transform the mountains, thorns, weeds, rocks, and crooked places into highways. “Don’t rock the boat” and “Don’t be harsh” is often their position. Many of them don’t have enough discernment to see that the only solution for some obstacles is an earthmover…or dynamite!

To be fair, there is also the problem of forerunners using too much dynamite, or not recognizing when it is time for the pavers and painters. If Herod hadn’t ended John’s career, who knows how long he would have kept going? After all, there was undoubtedly more repentance necessary in Israel! There is never a shortage of weeds and rough terrain. 

We should know by now that Jesus was and remains the ONLY perfect person that has ever existed. The sooner we admit this, the better. Forerunners don’t forerun perfectly, and the mercy folks don’t extend mercy perfectly. Taking this a step further, apostles don’t lead perfectly, prophets don’t prophesy perfectly, evangelists don’t evangelize perfectly, pastors don’t pastor perfectly, and teachers don’t teach perfectly. And sheep, by the way, don’t “sheep” perfectly. We should all remember this the next time we feel someone isn’t doing things as well as we think they should. And we must remember that the different callings and motivations - given to us by God - cause us to think differently…and all are needed!

In our opening passage, Jesus said, “You didn’t like John’s approach, and you don’t like Mine. You didn’t want to mourn, and you don’t want to dance. You didn’t want the forerunner, and you don’t want the Messiah.”

Then the Master gave some insight: “Wisdom is justified by her children” (verse 19). What does that mean? The Message Translation makes it pretty clear: “Opinion polls don’t count for much, do they? The proof of the pudding is in the eating.” Ah, the simple eloquence of The Message Translation. “Wait for the fruit,” Jesus was saying. Sometimes, that’s the only way to discern who was right and who was wrong. And occasionally we’ll discover, to our surprise, that they were both right, part of the same team, building the same road. 

THE RARE MIX

Occasionally, God puts a unique blend of the “tearing down” and “building up” callings in one individual. As a spiritual leader, Paul certainly possessed this. He was instrumental in dismantling an old system and building the church. As a secular leader, Ronald Reagan demonstrated this also. “Mr Gorbachev, tear down this wall”(1) was the precursor to rebuilding a continent. His efforts to tear down Marxism here and abroad, allowed healing and restoration. 

Tomorrow, we will talk about Donald Trump and his role in America.  

Pray with me: 

Father, we realize America has a lot of spiritual mountains, rough terrain, and strongholds standing in the way of our return to You. We thank You for voices that have been calling us to repentance and cleansing. We believe we will dance with Messiah again, but we also know that deep repentance is part of that process. 

We also thank You for gifts in leaders that enable us to build and rebuild, both in the church and in nations. We will certainly need them in the coming days. Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, will provide these gifts. We ask for hearts that honor our different callings and distinctions, along with the humility to realize none of us have all that is needed to accomplish Your desires.

We continue to ask for Your protection over Trump, Biden, Harris, and our other government leaders. We also ask this for their families and those associated with them. Deliver our nation from the spirit of murder we have allowed in through the shedding of innocent blood. And restore our love for the innocent. We ask all of this in Yeshua’s name. Amen. 

Our decree:

We decree that a highway is being built in America for the glory of God to return to us. 

Click on the link below to watch the full video.

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1. https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2007/summer/berlin.html