This message is specifically for my hometown, but can relate to any city with a like spirit. Testing is not about a ball-game. It's about buildings (the works of man's hands).
Turn you back on your false counsel, before it's too late, daughter (###-Town).
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. Revelation Ch.12 v.10 (NIV)
Instead of upholding God's directive to wait patiently, they've not only counseled you to attack and dishonor an elder servant of the LORD, and to roll against your sister cities; but, in accusing me of being an accuser, they've literally instructed you to give God's credit to the devil. I have no need to accuse you before God, He already knows all about all of our sins, about which He–himself, instructs his real messengers as follows:
"Shout it aloud, do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet. Declare to my people their rebellion and to the descendants of Jacob their sins." (Isaiah Ch.58 v.1, NIV)
So you see, "you got it twisted" hometown. I don't tell God about your sins; but rather, in obedience to Him, I tell you about your own sins.
He has given you and your counsel plenty of time to repent, but neither you nor they have repented. True repentance is a change in behavior. Only in repentance and returning to Him will God then remember your sin no more.
God knows the spirit:
He will reply, ’Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ (Matthew Ch.25 v.45, NIV)
You're the big sister, for sure; but, you're behaving more like a childish, spoiled little brat.
When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. (1 Corinthians Ch.13 v.11, NLT)
Grow up in the things of Christ. Stop being selfish:
Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. (Romans Ch.12 v.10, NIV)
Turn you back on your false counsel, before it's too late, daughter (###-Town).
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. Revelation Ch.12 v.10 (NIV)
Instead of upholding God's directive to wait patiently, they've not only counseled you to attack and dishonor an elder servant of the LORD, and to roll against your sister cities; but, in accusing me of being an accuser, they've literally instructed you to give God's credit to the devil. I have no need to accuse you before God, He already knows all about all of our sins, about which He–himself, instructs his real messengers as follows:
"Shout it aloud, do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet. Declare to my people their rebellion and to the descendants of Jacob their sins." (Isaiah Ch.58 v.1, NIV)
So you see, "you got it twisted" hometown. I don't tell God about your sins; but rather, in obedience to Him, I tell you about your own sins.
He has given you and your counsel plenty of time to repent, but neither you nor they have repented. True repentance is a change in behavior. Only in repentance and returning to Him will God then remember your sin no more.
God knows the spirit:
He will reply, ’Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ (Matthew Ch.25 v.45, NIV)
You're the big sister, for sure; but, you're behaving more like a childish, spoiled little brat.
When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. (1 Corinthians Ch.13 v.11, NLT)
Grow up in the things of Christ. Stop being selfish:
Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. (Romans Ch.12 v.10, NIV)
Champion your sister cities
Afterthought: Some cities have no championships. But, you hometown do—I went to most of the parades. No one rolled against you in your championship seasons. Certainly, you wouldn't like it very much if your sister cities spiritually ganged up to roll against you, the way you physically gather yourselves together to roll against me and them–you would be very quick to call them all kinds of devils–just as you've called me.
