I have shared the warning I’ve received from the Lord regarding Korah in the book of Numbers multiple times. Yet I hear counsel from too many Christian voices saying to hold your voice. Let what is happening in our country play out. It’s like what Jeremiah said in chapter 6 that everyone from the prophet to the priest deals falsely. They seek to heal the hurt of God’s people slightly. This cannot be.
God’s judgement was for all to see with Korah and his followers. The earth opened up and swallowed them. But there were 250 men who were offering incense to the Lord in their censers. Those censers were filled with their prayers. Rebellious prayers. What they wanted, not what was acceptable before the Lord. After the judgement on Korah and his followers, the Lord sent fire from heaven to consume 250 men offering up unholy incense. It was to self. Not to God.
Those censers were flat shaped cups used to offer incense for prayers and to remove ashes from the altar. Churches from the Roman Catholic Church to the Coptic Church, Anglican/Episcopal Church and many others still use censers. The smoke from those censers represent prayers going up to heaven. Yet it is still like those 250 men with Korah that offer up that which is contrary to what the Lord tells us. It speaks to wanting our own way. The Lord told Moses to save the censers of those rebellious men consumed by fire from heaven. I’m not sure what will happen to any censers we use today. Maybe they’ll be presented at some time to show us the receptacle of our ungodly petitions. Maybe they’ll be seen as religious idols used to get our own way even when we should have known what the Lord required from us. Maybe we should have realized that we are the vessels that offer up prayers for guidance, deliverance and forgiveness. Yet like those men consumed by fire, we too often go about offering up prayers that are in complete disobedience to what the Lord requires of us. We too see so many Christians follow after that which is the antithesis of the teachings of Christ. And we are counseled to not speak up. Yet we see and read of the Apostles boldly speaking out and naming those who transgressed. So, do we remain silent to oppression and rape? To racism and anti-semitism? To wars of convenience to cover sin or enrich oneself? To murder? Have we forgotten that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit? That in Him we live and move and have our being? Offer up holiness.
On the day I was preparing this message, I was still thinking about all that the Lord was saying to me. And at 12:00 AM, while lying in bed, the Lord spoke to me and said, “I will remove their lampstands.” This really bothered me. I got up and wrote this down. This speaks to so many that follow a god of their own making. So many feel they can use the name of Jesus without repercussion. With impunity. We will all answer for how His name is bandied about. For how we attempt to establish a distorted form of Christian nationalism to set up “our” kingdom on earth. Or for how we remain silent while this is being done before our eyes. You cannot attempt to separate yourself from those who walk contrary to Jesus but still hold hands with those that shake their censers filled with anti-Christ prayers. Love your fellow man, but be separate. Approximately 2700 years ago the prophet Isaiah told us the Lord was saying to us. “Come now, and let us reason together. Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow.” But we must be obedient and willing. There are places where the Lord will remove his presence and His recognition of certain churches. His authority will be removed. But we have access to Him. We have peace with God through Christ Jesus. These are trying times. Be censers that come before Him in holiness. Pray without ceasing. Blessings.
Stand My Watch 