Praise the Lord, Grace & Peace great people of our Great God…JESUS!

Based on my time on this earth, and my regenerated walk of 43 years in Jesus Christ, I can truly substantiate that everything we may think or say is of God, is not of God! When I think of the word SANCTIFIED, I know it to mean…. to be set apart as, or to declare holy; consecrated! Hence, those of us who have been sanctified in Jesus Christ must discern with utmost discretion; how we walk, and who we fellowship with intensely. We should always consider our motives concerning why we pursue, and do certain things! This does not imply that we are to walk around like we are paranoid, but is does imply that we must know, and discern those who labor among us. Hence, for this Golden Nugget the Lord has impressed upon me the thought, “I’ve Been Sanctified to Be Suspicious” To provoke further gospel provocation, I present the following scriptures to support my premise!

(2Ch 17:1-6) “And Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead, and strengthened himself against Israel. And he placed forces in all the fenced cities of Judah, and set garrisons in the land of Judah, and in the cities of Ephraim, which Asa his father had taken. And the LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David, and sought not unto Baalim; But sought to the LORD God of his father, and walked in his commandments, and not after the doings of Israel. Therefore, the LORD stablished the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah brought to Jehoshaphat presents; and he had riches and honour in abundance. And his heart was lifted up in the ways of the LORD: moreover he took away the high places and groves out of Judah.”

(2Ch 18:1,3) “Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honour in abundance, and joined affinity with Ahab. And Ahab king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Wilt thou go with me to Ramothgilead? And he answered him, I am as thou art, and my people as thy people; and we will be with thee in the war.”

(2Pe 3:14-17 KJV) “Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.

(1Th 5:5-6) “Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.”

As the Lord had me meditate on the thought he gave me, He took me directly to the incidences of King Jehoshaphat. The Lord rendered a great promise to him, because of the right intentions that were found in his heart, as he served the Lord. Hence, the Lord rendered to him sweet fellowship, health, and riches! But what intrigued my mind was when a certain season came in Jehoshaphat life, he did not embrace the call in what he was SANCTIFIED to be unto to the Lord!

My brothers and sisters, we see that when Jehoshaphat goes down to Israel to fellowship with wicked Ahab, (2Ch 18:1,3) he loses his identity in the Lord. It is apparent that without a struggle, Jehoshaphat yields to the solicitations of Ahab, to join forces with him on a conquest against Ahab’s enemy. The pivotal statement made by Jehoshaphat, which bears no truth at all, was; “And he answered him, I am as thou art, and my people as thy people; and we will be with thee in the war.” These two, descendants of the seed of Abraham, had nothing in common; due to the different relationship each had with the Lord. Hence, it is obvious that Jehoshaphat had already made up in his mind to establish a relationship with wickedness, prior to inquiring of the Lord, especially as we observe the words; “Inquire, I pray thee, at the word of the Lord today.” How often do many of us posture ourselves to be spiritual by offering futile prayers to God, knowing that we have already made up our minds to do what we want to do! Jehoshaphat validated this when he states… “I am as thou art, and my people as thy people; and we will be with thee in the war”!

My brothers and sisters, it is outright mockery to ask for guidance from the Lord; when we have already made up our minds to do something we know is contrary to the Lords will. When we do such, we honor God with our lips, while our heart is in total rebellion against Him! Instead of getting the correct guidance for that which we profess to ask, do we condone the lying spirit that is sent to us? Please notice in (verse 21 of this chapter) that the wicked King Ahab, had no problem providing erroneous counsel! He practiced walking according to another spirit that was not of God. Notice how fast he “gathered together four hundred prophets,” who were more than ready, to tell him according to what he wanted to hear; “Go up, for God will deliver it into the king’s hand.“ This is what Ahab expected, and wanted to hear.

As I did deductive reasoning, it is obvious that Jehoshaphat knew that these false prophets were never used by the Lord, yet he accommodates the situation by not refuting their suggestion; but inquires for a true prophet of the Lord. It is awful even today, how many men and women who proclaim themselves to be prophets of the Lord, only to represent that they are vessels, who represent mammon and despairing lies!

Jehoshaphat should not have even acknowledged, nor characterized them as prophets of the Lord. He says, “Is there not here a prophet of the Lord besides (or, “yet one more?”) Jehoshaphat should have been faithful to the Lord, by denying the rights of those false prophets to give counsel. Saints, how long will we sit by and allow those who we know, based on their fruits; to posture themselves before us as servants of the Lord! I am sick of this, and I hope you are too!

It is terrible when we allow ourselves to accommodate, and assimilate with the ministers of Satan! Too often we possess a Laodicean liberal mindset, just because we do not want to offend or hurt people feelings; because we speak scriptural truth. It is imperative that we embrace the fact that truth inspired by the Holy Spirit is Absolute Truth! Hence, we are not to replace truth with error, but error with truth. One cannot secretly stand erroneously with the fragmented ideologies of this world, nor its careless methodologies of how to deal with evil; at the expense of Gods’ TRUTH! Hence, if we choose to do such, let it be done in our own name, detaching ourselves from the Name of the Lord. I reiterate, God’s truth is not suited to be a kind of variable elastic thing, which can be formed into any shape, or stretched to any length, in order to suit the taste and habits of those who would choose to reject or ignore it, just to accommodate the world views! GOLDEN NUGGET!

We who profess truth, must strive to hold on to it, and use it. My brothers and sisters, Jehoshaphat stooped very low to acknowledge the false prophets just to gratify Ahab, who had proved he had no relationship with God.

Saints, if we continue to accommodate blind eyes that refuse to see, and deaf ears that refuse to hear; it will cause our designated stance in Jesus Christ to end in chaos. As I discern and see the powers of darkness at work, it provokes me to sway away from accommodating erroneous views. Saints of God, it is imperative that we stand fully and firmly on what has been handed down by our Apostolic fathers; as we continue to invite sinners to Jesus Christ, without descending to low groveling pursuits, and habits of the world. I truly believe based on experience that it is far better to allow the contrast between God’s truth, and our ways to be fully revealed, than to misrepresent truth in appearance, especially when it really does not agree with Gods’ standard. Jehoshaphat certainly did not further the cause for truth by conforming to Ahab’s ways; nor by acknowledging the claims of his false prophets. A child of God who perpetually conforms to this world, will eventually become an enemy of Jesus Christ, and His people. Jas. 4:1-4 “From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” Rom 12:1-2 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” GOLDEN NUGGET!

It amazes me that people who have been identified in Christ, love to become friends with well-known darkness! The word of God shows this through how king Jehoshaphat became the friend to a man who hated Micaiah, a proven servant of God. Even though Jehoshaphat did not persecute Micaiah; a righteous prophet, he stood by Ahab, and watched him strike God’s righteous witness, and be committed to prison! All this resentment just because he would not tell, nor perpetuate a lie that was rendered by the other four hundred wicked and perverse prophets.

I wonder how Jehoshaphat felt when he beheld his brother smitten and imprisoned for his faithful stand. How do we feel when we know someone who stands for truth, yet evade them. When a person perpetually associates themselves with the world, they become very desensitized in following the Holy Spirit. My brothers and sisters, Satan will never be satisfied; hence, he will use every effort to force a Saint of God out of communion, and fellowship with the Lord!

Please know that the progression of an evil act is like letting various amounts of water out of a fragile balloon, which usually leads to fearful results. At first, we tamper with evil at a distance; then, by degrees, after this, we take hold of it more firmly; and finally, we find ourselves deliberately plunging into it!

We can see this sequence in Jehoshaphat, he “joined affinity with Ahab“; then accepted his hospitality; then after that, he was “persuaded” into an open association with him; and finally, took his place at the battle of Ramoth-gilead. He told Ahab, “I am as thou art,” and Ahab takes him at his word.

My brothers and sisters, this is why we must walk suspiciously and circumspectly; so that we will not forfeit our personal identity in God, like Jehoshaphat did to the world. Notice what the word of God states in 2Ch 18:29-31 “And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and will go to the battle; but put thou on thy robes. So the king of Israel disguised himself; and they went to the battle. Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of the chariots that were with him, saying, Fight ye not with small or great, save only with the king of Israel. And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, It is the king of Israel. Therefore they compassed about him to fight: but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him; and God moved them to depart from him.”

What terrible position for Jehoshaphat to have been in! To find him impersonating darkness, by being mistaken for one of the worst Kings in Israel’s history. This is proving that there is danger in associating with set apart men and women, who are called by God; who are comfortable walking in darkness in this world. Thank the Lord, that He showed Mercy and Grace on behalf of Jehoshaphat, and it was good that He did not take Jehoshaphat at his word when he said to Ahab, “I am as thou art.” Thank goodness that the Lord knew that Jehoshaphat was not as Ahab, even though he impersonated him. Grace had made the difference, just like it does for us! Glory!! 2Pe 2:4-10 “For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.”

Please notice that when Jehoshaphat cried out to the Lord, it shows he was a distressed servant! We can see the Lord’s grace through the powerful control He has over the Syrian Captains. This was truly a divine interaction. It verifies how the Lord deals with His redeemed people, by meeting their weakness, and supplying their needs. Jehoshaphat knew who it was that “helped him,” but the Syrian captains had no idea who had “moved them.”

Jehoshaphat’s eyes had been opened to see the position into which he had brought himself; by seeing the awful danger derived from his association. By encountering the captains of Syria, he experienced the results of temporally taking Ahab’s place. Thank the Lord he was able to look up to the Lord in the mist of his distress, brought on by his ungodly association. Psa. 34:4-6 “I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.”

The Word states “Jehoshaphat cried out,” and his cry came up before the Lord, whose ear was open to hear the cry of him who had a need to be fulfilled! Even The prodigal son said, “I will arise, and go to my father;” and the father ran to meet him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.” It is a fact that God will meet those who have hewn out for themselves broken cisterns, which can hold no water, who return to Him, the fountain of living waters!

My brothers, and sisters it was totally different for wicked, and rebellious Ahab; he acquired a fleshly wound, and propped himself up in his chariot until the evening, desiring to hide his weakness. If you noticed closely, he does not display a cry in humility, nor tears of repentance, nor does he look upward to God. Ahab died, just like he had lived; doing evil in the sight of the Lord. Ahab effort to prop himself up to vindicate himself, proved to be fruitless. Death had seized upon him; and though he struggled for a time to keep up an appearance; as soon as the sun went down, he died to a terrible end! This end fully expressed that he was one who “sold himself to work wickedness.”

Saints, let us, with the Lord’s help; endeavor to shake off the world’s traps, and perpetually purge ourselves from its ways. It is more than obvious that we sometimes do not have any idea, how insidious its ideologies and methodologies can creep in upon us. Satan starts by weaning us from simple, and godly habits, and we begin incrementally to adapt to his principles in thought.

When I evaluated 2 Chronicles 19, I saw some blessed results from all that Jehoshaphat had experienced. “He returned to his house in Jerusalem with peace; for he had experienced a “Happy Escape”! The Lord’s hand proved to be upon him, seeing that he delivered Jehoshaphat from the snare of the fowler! His heart was full of gratitude, knowing that the Lord had chosen to distinguish him from Ahab; even though he had said, “I am as thou art.” The fact of the matter is that Ahab had gone down to his grave in shame and degradation, yet Jehoshaphat returned to his house in peace. Even though the Lord spared him, God was very disappointed with him concerning what he had done. Hence, He spoke to Jehoshaphat’s conscience about his sin. The Lord brings him from the field of battle, and confronts him….“And Jehu, the son of Hanani the seer, went out to meet him, and said to king Jehoshaphat, ‘Shouldst thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the Lord? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord.'” This was a solemn appeal, and it produced a positive effect concerning repentance on Jehoshaphat. Hence, Jehoshaphat “went out again through the people, from Beersheba to mount Ephraim, and brought them back to the Lord God of their fathers.” God exemplifies the same effect on Peter in the mist of how he may have disappointed the Lord… “When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.”

Just as Peter went forth to preach the doctrine of Jesus Christ to the seed of Abraham; likewise did king Jehoshaphat! This is what Gods’ grace and mercy produces. Jehoshaphat goes throughout the land to instruct his brethren in the fear of the Lord, as he exclaimed, “What has God wrought!” Jehoshaphat repents as he acknowledges that he did not walk suspiciously enough, in order to keep himself separated from those who chose to walk in darkness. He had experienced his own terrible fruits of a careless spirit and he inspired them to, “Take heed what you do.” Just like the restored Peter, who found himself denying the Holy One, (Jesus Christ) was a chosen vessel to go and to charge others, that may have done the same things by establishing erroneous allegiances, went forth and offered them the precious blood of Jesus Christ, which had cleansed his conscience from the guilt of it! I reiterate in similitude, likewise the restored Jehoshaphat came off the battlefield of Ramoth-gilead, to speak in the ears of his brethren with a solemn emphasis, “Take heed what ye do.” Because he had just escaped from a snare, and could best tell what it was, and how to avoid it. GOLDEN NUGGET!

As we strive to walk in Jesus Christ, let us be very suspicious how we build our allegiances; when having the desire to be accepted in various circles to receive elevations in job employment, politically, in church, and in religious organizations. I have experienced so many, who play and have played by many rules not ordained by Jesus Christ at all, and hence; has, and will eventually lead to a futile end! Continue to be proud of who you are in Jesus Christ, knowing that what and who the Lord wants you to be involved in, and with will not take you away from your sanctified position in Him. Hence, let us always remind ourselves that “I’ve Been Sanctified to Be Suspicious” God Bless you, and strive to have a “JESUS DAY’!