Wednesday 24 April 2013

TIME TO HIDE / THE STRONG CITY

All saints dwell in the house of the lord(Prov 23:6). It is also referred to as a secret pavilion from the strife of tongues(Psalms 31:20). This place of refuge is important especially in a dry season, a season of war. There is a season of drawing the sword, and a season of retreat into hiding. This is a season of retreating to hide in the stronghold. The hiding place is the glory of God. It is a garment of protection from contrary elements, the seal or cover of men. Glory can be good or bad depending on the source. The glory of God is good it is the strong city of believers. It is rich in depth and diverse and called the manifold glory of God for this reason. Glory is mostly on many occasions referred to as wealth in earlier practiced modes of sealing scripture, especially in the old testament. The old testament is quite rich in teachings of the glory of God though. Some of these examples include; 
  • Proverbs 10:9(wealth is a strong city.) This means that glory surrounds one as an important line of both defense and offence. It is the principle that determines the availability of counsel(and power) for war. It rains on both the wicked and the just and it is therefore a fact that both will seasonally experience a time of protection and a time of stripping of the protection for testing. This is discoursed in the seasons of war.
  • Proverbs 11:4(Riches do not profit in the day of wrath(signifying the change of seasons especially for the wicked when the wrath of God is poured onto the wicked.))
  • Scripture provides a hint on how to build this stronghold: A house is built through wisdom, established by understanding, and chambers filled by knowledge(Prov 24:3). This filling with power is the increase of the glory of God in ones life. This makes wisdom, understanding and knowledge the greatest of the gifts of the Spirit of God. It is the key to the power of God, which is His glory. This is further reiterated: (A man of knowledge increases strength(Prov 24:5)).
The preceding examples shows how the glory of God is the strong city of men. The glory of God is not a feeling. It is a question of fact - spiritual facts. The first is salvation, or true baptism. The presence of light (which is the glory of God) is another(let your light shine in the presence of men). The question of the presence of light in our temples is discussed in the ark of the covenant. The light then becomes the witness of God to men.Being a living sacrifice is also another matter of facts of a spiritual nature. It is for these reasons the spirits of men are tested by their fruits.Other factual conditions include things like obedience to God and submission to authority. Being  facts that can waver, it is important to be conscious to remain within the protective bounds of the glory of God. Just as one can walk out of a strong city in the physical realm, the same is true for the spiritual realm because the Spirit of God cannot not imprison one against their will. 

There is a time for confrontation, and a time to hide. In seasons of hiding, there is no counsel(and subsequently, power to war.) Such, as now is, a time to hide when you see evil (Prov 27:12). Just because some powerful preacher stirs you up to spiritual warfare does not mean it is time to war. These are also not times to meddle in fights that do not concern you because petty situations have a way of blowing out of proportions in these times(Prov 27:8). Self control is another key to sticking in the safe place of hiding. Being without control of  impulses is likened to a city without walls(Prov 25:28) which means to be unprotected. Things that need control include things like anger, fear(Prov 29:25), even bad company(Prov 29:24). Stay in the hiding place, the strong city. 


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