BEING BANISHED FROM GOD'S PRESENCE 2

18 ZEDEKIAH WAS TWENTY-ONE YEARS OLD WHEN HE BECAME KING, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah from Libnah.
19 BUT ZEDEKIAH DID WHAT WAS EVIL IN THE LORD'S SIGHT, JUST AS JEHOIAKIM HAD DONE.
20 These things happened because of the Lord’s anger against the people of Jerusalem and Judah, UNTIL HE FINALLY BANISHED THEM FROM HIS PRESENCE AND SENT THEM INTO EXILE. [Then] Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
2 Kings 24:18–20 (NLT)

• God usually uses or permits the opposers; the devil and his cohorts or humans who are instruments of the devil to teach or discipline an erring believer.

• Thus, If you are feeling the heat of the opposition, you probably might have done wrong or erred from God's ways, His Will or plan. You may need to check and get to know where you have missed it and strive to be back on the right track. Let God be at the driver's seat of your life.
• God would always warn and call your attention to whatever He wanted you to correct or change, before He sanctioned.
• Walking with God might be difficult If you cannot understand Him and take time to study Him. Most believers who professed to be born-again do not understand God.
• The truth: God is known through the written Word, and mostly through the things taught you intuitively, in your fellowship or communion with Him.
• Things known or taught via intuition while fellowshipping with God are called revelations. These are the things that are not usually taught and learned from any human:
  11 BUT I MAKE KNOWN TO YOU, BRETHREN, THAT THE GOSPEL WHICH WAS PREACHED BY ME [Paul] IS NOT ACCORDING TO MAN. 12 FOR I NEITHER RECEIVED IT FROM MAN, NOR WAS I TAUGHT IT, BUT IT CAME THROUGH THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST" (Galatians 1:11,12 NKJV).
• A believer who walks in the spirit would learn a lot of things through this pattern—being sensitive and responsive in the spirit. The teachings of Apostle Paul that looked mysterious and difficult for some to understand (2 Peter 3:15,16) were taught to him by God through the Holy Spirit whilst fellowshipping with Him.
• That said, whatever you received from God in the place of fellowship should not contradict the written Word of God—the Bible.

• Always ask for the Grace to do whatever God taught or instructed you to do whilst fellowshipping with Him.

• Also, when you are reading and studying the Bible, the written Word, do not read in order to understand with your mind, but do ask the Holy Spirit to tutor you.
• In other words, as you read and study the Bible, ask God to teach you through the Holy Spirit on the inside of you what the passage is all about or talking about.
• God has delight in those who love His Word and give attention to the practice of the principles found in it: "BUT HE WHO LOOKS INTO THE PERFECT LAW OF LIBERTY AND CONTINUES IN IT, AND IS NOT A FORGETFUL HEARER BUT A DOER OF THE WORK, THIS ONE WILL BE BLESSED IN WHAT HE DOES" (James 1:25 NKJV).

• God is not fighting a believer who seems to be passing through a difficult time. He does not have delight in the calamity of His children, but their Joy, blessings and wellness.

• All God is demanding from you, as a son or daughter of His is your obedience to His Word.
• The pathetic condition of a believer is never God's delight. He wanted a change in your life and you being able to fulfil His purpose or assignment for your life.
• If you can sit down and plan your spiritual growth, how to know God the more and be obedient to His instructions; you would see the good side of Him.
• When you read and study the Bible meditatively and live or practice the principles therein, you cannot but have an encounter with God.

• Zedekiah followed the steps of Jehoakim, he did all Jehoakim had done; worshipping idols, thus, the LORD banished him from His presence and sent him and the people of Judah on exiles (2 Kings 24:19).

• There should be a continuous increase in the relationship of a believer with God. He or she should not allow apathy or degeneration to the point of being banished from God's presence.
• Whoever would be banished must have done hideous things in the sight of God. Thus, keep and treasure your relationship and fellowship with God. If your relationship with Him is marred or severed, exilic or banishment is inevitable.
• Another wrong thing Zedekiah did was that he patterned his life after Jehoiakim, his predecessor. A believer should emulate good things.
• You should follow someone who is following Christ Jesus. And you keep following as long as the person is following Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1).
• If the person deviated from the truth, the path of righteousness, do not follow that.

• You will not fail in Jesus' name.

• Whatever is contrary to your health is cursed and uprooted completely now in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
• The hold is broken and the Affliction will never rise again in Jesus' name.
  Peace!

STEPS TO SALVATION
• Take notice of this:
IF you are yet to take the step of salvation, that is, yet to be born-again, do it now, tomorrow might be too late (2 Corinthians 6:1,2; Hebrews 3:7,8,15).
a. Acknowledge that you are a sinner and confess your Sins (1 John 1:9); And ask Jesus Christ to come into your life (Revelation 3:20).
b. Confess that you believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that you confess it with your mouth, Thus, you accept Him As your Lord and Saviour (Romans 10:9,10).
c. As you took the steps A and B your name is written in the Book of Life (Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:8).

• If you took the steps As highlighted above, congratulations, It means you are saved—born-again. Join a Word based church in your area and Town or city, and be part of whatever they are doing there. Peace!