First, let me declare at the outset that I have not abandoned my faith. I am not discouraged, depressed, or in despair. As my spiritual father, Apostle Melvin Tisdale was fond of saying, “No circumstance or situation can ever change the Word of God. But the Word of God mixed with faith can change any circumstance or situation!” Be confident that we still serve the God of Heaven’s Armies! He is more than capable of delivering His people who humble themselves in repentance before Him. Biblically and historically, God’s deliverance often is manifested only after all human avenues are exhausted, so that no flesh can take any glory in what He alone has done. And God doesn’t deliver because we “deserve” it! Certainly not! He delivers for the Glory of His Name and for the sake of His Mercy extended to His beloved people!
In both II Kings 21, and II Chronicles 33, we are told the story of King Manasseh who reigned in Jerusalem. Manasseh was certainly one of the most wicked kings in the pages of Biblical history. His reign was marked by compromise with the cultures around him and religious syncretism (endeavoring to mix and blend the pure worship of YHWH with the demonic systems of world culture that surrounded him). In his evil quest, we are told that Manasseh built altars to honor the astrological houses, made his son “pass through the fire,” engaged in many forbidden egregious occultic practices, worked many other kinds of wickedness, and ultimately erected a pagan idol (possibly an “astorah” or some other perverse fertility symbol) in the very Holy of Holies in the Jerusalem Temple. Some historians (and I lean this way too) believe that at this final act of desecration, faithful priests of YHWH spirited the Ark of the Covenant from the Temple under cover of darkness, and secreted it in some as yet generally unknown hiding place.
The Bible informs us that the extreme wickedness of Manasseh “provoked YHWH to anger!” That is a verse that many Word of Faith Charismatics find extremely uncomfortable. What a contrast to the “gentle Jesus meek and mild” picture that we see plastered on our Sunday School walls. What a contrast to the so-called “grace message” that some have perverted in their efforts to excuse sin and wickedness within the Church itself! One popular television “false teacher” even proclaimed that God no longer judges sin! What a blasphemous and seducing travesty! We are told that Manasseh “seduced” the people into acting even more wickedly. That’s what ungodly leaders do in the attempt to justify their own evil acts. And so it is today. Yet, according to the Holy Scriptures, God gets ANGRY! Certainly He is longsuffering, and certainly He is merciful. But God gets ANGRY! And as a result, Manasseh faced the consequences of his own wicked and evil choices.
Thankfully for his sake and for ours, we are then told that after being carried captive by the enemy, Manasseh repented before YHWH. He sought God, humbled himself, prayed earnestly, and God heard and responded with deliverance and restoration. THEN, the Bible says, Manasseh KNEW that YHWH was God! We are also told that Manasseh’s repentance was verified by his subsequent actions in cleansing the Temple, removing foreign altars, taking the abominable idol from the Holy of Holies, repairing the altar of YHWY, and then sacrificing on the repair altar that had been restored. Repentance is not evidenced merely because we cry, or because we are sorry for the consequences we now face because of our sinful choices. Repentance is only evidenced as we allow the Word and Spirit of God to change us, progressively conforming us to the Image of Christ.
My purpose in focusing on the story of Manasseh is to ask the question: What will it take for the American Church to humble itself and repent before an Almighty and Holy God? How sad that the “prodigal son” did not realize his need to repent and return to his previous estate until he awoke in the pig pen, face to face with the consequences of his own evil lifestyle choices! I wrote in my book, “Our Full-Gospel Heritage,” many years ago that I saw a time when America would be viewed as less of a missions force, and more of a mission field, by the on fire Christians from other nations of the world. That is not comfortable for us to hear, but we are seeing that play out now, as ministers from other nations have arrived here on mission in droves, declaring that this field has become their assignment from God. That does not take away from or diminish the tremendous contributions that American missionaries have made to the spread of the Gospel worldwide. Might it possibly point to the fact that we are now in need to reap from the fields where we have sowed for so long?
What will it take for the “ekklesia” to truly arise into the realm into which God is calling us? What will it take to shake us from our slumber and arouse us from our complacency? What will it take for us to see our own need of repentance? What will it take for us to humble ourselves before God’s Mighty Hand, that He may again exalt us into the Destiny to which He has called us? What will it take for the American Church to KNOW that YHWY is God? What will it take? I admit sadly and with shame, that all too often in my life I have learned lessons “the hard way,” when the path could have been so much smoother had I submitted earlier to the dealings of God.
It is not an accident that God made me realize my calling through a supernatural encounter in my bedroom from the first chapter of the Book of Jeremiah. From that time, “Jerry” has been a special and treasured friend. I anticipate the day I am able to meet him on the other side of Heaven’s portals. And now, it is as if an anointing like unto Jeremiah’s falls upon me more and more frequently, as I find myself weeping over the condition of the people of God in general. “For the hurt of the daughter of my people I am hurt!”
According to one strong historical tradition, after the fall of Jerusalem in 586 B.C., and the execution of King Zedekiah, Jeremiah hid the two daughters of Zedekiah, secretly helping them escape to the west, where they were married to princes and became mothers themselves. Perhaps, as an historical and spiritual parallel, we can trust God together that, despite the external appearance of the circumstances that surround us, we might see a two-fold “remnant” arise, strong in the Word and strong in the Spirit! And might we also believe that this remnant “ekklesia” will arise in union with our King, into the place of authority in the heavenlies God has called us to function from, seeing, as a result the birthing of many precious souls into the Kingdom of God? Be Blessed!
