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Absolute surrender to the King – Part 2

By Pastor W. F. Kumuyi
28 May 2017   |   3:51 am
Those who rebel against Jesus Christ, trifled with His words, disregarded His commands, may seem, like Absalom to be successful for a while, but sooner or later, they would be shown for what they are: pretenders.

Pastor W. F. Kumuyi

Those who rebel against Jesus Christ, trifled with His words, disregarded His commands, may seem, like Absalom to be successful for a while, but sooner or later, they would be shown for what they are: pretenders. And God will strip them of all self-importance and assumed honour. Absalom was, as it turned out, not a popular person in Israel; he had only 50 men with him. He could only enlist people in his conspiracy by positioning himself as a counselor, who did not know the Scripture. The people honoured him as the king’s son and assumed he was assigned by the king to hear them, without verifying the truth. Assumption can lead to misplacement of allegiance and destruction.

David also assumed that his people had acquired dispute resolution skills and were settling issues by themselves, since they were not coming to him with their cases for judgment. With this obvious crack, Absalom gradually stole the people’s hearts. God’s command, “Thou shalt not steal,” relates not only to money and property but also to people’s wives, children, husbands and hearts. Turning the hearts, minds, allegiance, obedience and honour of people undeservedly to oneself or appropriating the authority, power and position meant for others is worse than stealing money.

Many people followed Absalom sheepishly and thoughtlessly without verifying if their action was God’s will and would glorify Him. Today, many don’t check whether their conduct would lead to heaven or make them deviate from the path of righteousness and destroy their commitment to the King of kings. The apostate Absalom and 20,000 of his associates, many of them ignorant followers, died in rebellion, having rejected the Lord’s appointed man and followed a man who had no plan for them, no project from heaven, no promise and authorisation from God, no inspiration of the Spirit, no power of the Lord and no future for himself.

Having pledged our lives and commitment to Christ as believers, we must not allow anyone to steal our hearts through deception and flattery. Absalom was able to steal the heart of the wise Ahitophel and when the Antichrist comes, he will seek to win the clever, intelligent and resourceful to his side. As the people followed Absalom to their doom, that will still be the fate of followers of the Antichrist and Satan. Satan entrapped Judas Iscariot and is still deceiving many people, who seek to minister or receive healing and deliverance by all means, today. Victims of such deception, who have lost their spiritual fervency and allegiance to Christ must quickly “Flee out of the midst” of the rebellious to avoid the second death, doom and damnation that await rebels, false prophets, treacherous princes and their followers.

After Absalom’s rebellion and death, David returned to the throne. While returning, Ittai met him and declared his loyalty to the king. He said: “As the LORD liveth, and as my lord the king liveth, surely in what place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also will thy servant be” (2 Samuel 15:21). It is clear everyone did not follow Absalom, just as it is not all people that are following Satan. Millions of people still follow Jesus Christ, the King. Thus, we must strive to be among those who love and cleave to Him without allowing any present distress, crossroads, perplexity or quest for the mundane to separate us from Him.

Despite Absalom’s atrocities, Ahitophel’s defection and some of the people’s rejection of the King, we rise with courage and strength and declare our unflinching loyalty to the King of kings. We, therefore, declare that: we belong to Jesus Christ; that we completely and unreservedly surrender, love and trust Him; that we will live and labour for Him come sunshine or rain, night or day, adversity or advantage; and that we will earnestly contend for the faith once delivered unto the saints, till the end, and reign with Him forever.

Furthers Reading (King James Version): 2 Samuel 15:15; Psalm 2:2-7; Matthew 2:2; Mark 15:2; Luke 19:37,38; John 1:49; 12:15; Revelation 15:3; 17:14; 19:13-16; 2 Samuel 15:1-6,11; 18:7-10; Isaiah 14:12-15; Luke 22:3; Acts 5:3; 2 Corinthians 11:13-15; 1 Timothy 5:15; Revelation 16:13,14; 18:4; Jeremiah 51:6,45,50; 2 John 11; 2 Peter 2:1-3,17-20; 2 Samuel 15:19-21; 18:1-4.

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