……continued from “how much are you worth?” 1
He is committed to and moved, only by His word retained by the individual in Christ Jesus. It is His word that makes you precious! His word is His treasure!
“I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.” – Psalms 138:2 (KJV)
The word “magnify” means to make important, to raise in rank and power: to give worth. God exalted or magnified His word! He gave more worth to his word more than al his names.
“But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went. Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.” – Ezek 36:21-23 (KJV)
But He treasures His word more than all His names. He desires His name to be hallowed yet would not permit His word to be trifled. Importance and value are so placed on His word that it is the only thing that binds Him! If you were to go to the market and there see something without value, would you buy it? Certainly not? Surely, you will leave it alone. When God goes to the spiritual market and finds you there, empty of this value, His word, He would most certainly leave you!
“And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient.” – Romans 1:28 (KJV)
I remember reading the story of an old worn out violin that was put up to be auctioned. No real value was placed on it until a master violinist touched it; he tuned the strings and with it played a well known classical song. Instantly value was placed on it and the worth appreciated. What happened? A master touched it. It was the touch of the master that supplied the violin its worth. It was the touch of the master that supplied the violin its worth.
Many lives are out of tune today, battered because they have refused to treasure what God treasures, His Word. God expects us to “keep in memory” the word that His servants preach.
“By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.” – 1 Cor 15:2 (KJV)
Paul encouraged Timothy to “keep” that which was committed to his trust.
“O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called.” – 1 Tim 6:20 (KJV)
These are not just words for us to read and know but to “retain”, “keep”, “treasure”, etc. The problem is twofold.
Firstly, most of our preachers give us the letter, which kills!
“Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.” – 2 Cor 3:6 (KJV)
They explain psychology to us in place of the word of God. Things that we can ordinarily learn at business schools, they pass to us as the word of God. Worldly issues are explained to us in Church with the Word as a reference! Just like home-videos designated “gospel films” just because they have “to God be the glory” at the end of it; whereas the actors, writers and producers are not born-again! The absence of the Truth; the mind or will of God in messages is responsible for the compromise and falling away of Christians and the seeming powerlessness of the Church.
The Children of God do not experience the peace of God because of this ignorance.
They may look the same, but are not!
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.” – Hosea 4:6 (KJV)
Christians are easily intimidated and in bondage because they lack the Truth that should make them free.
Secondly, the effect of those messages on Christians is the increase in selfishness. We have become too full of ourselves, we worship ourselves, even when we are supposed to be in Church, we hold on to and think more of ourselves: our situations financially, our clothing, our trials, testimonies and achievement; refusing to deny self.
We really need to learn from the violin, a lifeless instrument, dead to itself. We should humble ourselves, put our education, achievement, and earthly wisdom, social and political status aside and in seeming foolishness, receive the simplicity of the Word of God.
David became a nobody, casting his crown and robe aside, to dance to God. Solomon called his acquisitions “vanities”, Paul called his achievement “dung”. Why?
They realized the foolishness of man’s ways and the deceitfulness of worldly riches. They came to know that only the will of God, revealed in His word is the enduring treasure. Jesus surrendered Himself, making Himself of no reputation.
….to be continued.
Generally, God loves us all; and this is recorded in John 3:16. God is not partial and does not take sides. He is not committed to people, race, colour or language. He cannot be bribed or bought over either with our tears, words, thought or deed. However, He is committed to Jesus.
“For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.” – Isaiah 66:2 (KJV)
God has a special love for Jesus so much so that He declared.
“ ……Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.” – Luke 3:22 (KJV)
This special love God has for Jesus is extended to everyone in Christ that truly trust and keep His words. This special love is in varying degrees, even for people in Christ. Jesus was anointed with the presence of God beyond measure, meaning that God without reserve, poured Himself into Jesus.
“For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell.” – Col 1:19 (KJV)
“For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” – Col 2:9 (KJV)
The preciousness of a child of God depends largely on the individual’s availability to draw nearer to God: the nearer you draw to Him, and away from the world, the nearer He draws to you. The more of yourself you yield to Him, the more of Him He gives to you. The measure with which you give is the measure with which you receive.
“Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” – Luke 6:38 (KJV)
James says “Draw nigh to God and He will nigh to you” – James 4:8a (KJV)
How much are you worth to God? How much would God pay as ransom for your life? It is religious for anyone who has not given himself to God through Jesus to demand in prayer, nations for their sake. Would God kill one person for your sake, knowing full well that He does not desire the death of sinners? Are you so precious to him that he would kill many people or even a nation for your sake? There must be something of worth in you before God would kill souls for your sake. The bible says we have treasure. 2 cor. 4:7
“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” – 2 Cor 4:7 (KJV)
It is a complete waste of time and energy to demand lives, souls in exchange for yours if you are empty of this treasure which belongs to God and comes from God. Retaining and treasuring this treasure is what makes you treasured. It is something that came from him and not something you have done can do or will do.
“…..that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” – 2 Cor 4:7 (KJV)
Not of us!
“And all things are of God……..” – 2 Cor 5:18a (KJV)
This treasure comes from and belongs to God! It is not our works, as Christians, preachers, teachers, intercessors or staff of Church. Nothing on earth, under the sun, moves God; be it your money (offering), your education, social status or political clout. Nothing of earth origin or native to earth moves God.
He is committed to and moved, only by His word retained by the individual in Christ Jesus. It is His word that makes you precious! His word is His treasure!
“I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.” – Psalms 138:2 (KJV)
….to be continued.
….continued from “The Core” https://jimout2002a.wordpress.com/2018/04/22/the-core
What were the children of Israel doing when Aaron was work on the image? Excitedly preparing to receive “their god”! They gave life to the image through their collective thought energy.
That is how a spiritual house is built. The collective agreement of a people, “what two or more shall agree…” Whether it is divine or cultic that principle is potent!
The direction of your thought, of your mind, determines what deity you contact; God or the dog! That is why Paul would encourage us to think pure thoughts.
Now satan, prince of the power of the air, influenced God’s people to build him a house.
“Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.”- Eph 2:2 (KJV)
“In which you were living in the past, after the ways of this present world, doing the pleasure of the lord of the power of the air, the spirit who is now working in those who go against the purpose of God.” – Eph 2:2 (BBE)
“….doing the pleasure of the lord of the power of the air.” Many are still under his influence, doing his will.
“Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” – John 8:44 (KJV)
We are of the priestly – the Core.
This satanic life was what Aaron saw; something beyond natural eyes!
This was the reason Moses blamed him; it’s like saying “you saw this thing and invited it upon the children of God?”
Moses never said Aaron lied because he also saw something in spirit; something no other saw, not even Aaron.
“And when Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies:)” – Ex 32:25 (KJV)
They were not stripped of clothing but of the presence, power and protection of the Lord. Like Samson after his hair was cut, they thought God was still with them. But no, they had been rejected.
Why were Adam and Eve driven from the Garden of Eden? They became naked spiritually, stripped of the presence and glory of God and consequently rejected. What about King Saul who was also rejected?
Why were they all rejected? They had crossed the line to another deity! How?
“Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” – Romans 6:16 (KJV)
Our God is a jealous God. He will not share His glory and honour with any being; human or spirit. Whenever any being is brought into His realm He withdraws.
“Then said he unto me, Son of man, lift up thine eyes now the way toward the north. So I lifted up mine eyes the way toward the north, and behold northward at the gate of the altar this image of jealousy in the entry. 6 He said furthermore unto me, Son of man, seest thou what they do? even the great abominations that the house of Israel committeth here, that I should go far off from my sanctuary? but turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations.” – Ezek 8:5-6 (KJV)
“That I should go far off from my sanctuary”. God wants to leave because some other being was brought in.
Why wouldn’t He resist? Is He not God?
He respects our free-will.
“See what they do?” (Eze. 8:6)
To what do we apply your free will?
“Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” – Romans 6:16 (KJV)
However the consequences of our choice, good or bad, still await us.
“For the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he. “ – Jer 31:11 (KJV)
Our text suggests that Jacob was in trouble.
He had sold himself to people more powerful than he is and would ever be. Either by indebtedness or by any other means, he had mortgaged himself, his life forever without any possibility of him being able to save himself.
God decides and declares that he has come to his rescue. The word redeem from where we got redeemed, means to recover by an expenditure of effort or by a stipulated payment.
Jacob served Laban, his father-in-law because he had no money to pay dowry and other expenses. One can, like Jacob in such a case, buy back himself by serving if he does not have the cash to do so.
And the word ransom implying the same means money demanded or paid for the release of a prisoner. The only difference in this is that the person (prisoner or slave) is not directly responsible for his freedom. It takes another, a guarantor, a bailiff, to deliver him. In either case, Jacob needed the intervention of another.
In this case, however, God was not referring to physical issues such as we have between Jacob and Laban, but between Jacob himself and the spiritual forces that made him “Jacob”, sup-planter, cheat, etc. He was up against forces that no amount of physical labour could quantify to pay for his release.
I remember a story I read about a horse that a man bought for a member of his family. They all fell in love with the horse, but it was not in the compound most times; always found in the lawn of their neighbour whose family had also fallen in love with the animal. In the fear that the horse might stir up a cold war between the man and his neighbour, the owner sold her to a Jockey.
When both families heard the horse was to compete in a race, they went to the race course to cheer the horse. Both men found themselves at the side of the Jockey who had mounted the horse, enabling the horse one more time to hear their beloved voices which I believe spurred her not only to clear all the hurdles set before it but also to beat all the other horses to return first.
The following day, the man woke to see the horse in his compound. Both families rejoiced at seeing the animal but that was before the Jockey came looking for it. The horse had to be bought back from him, even twice the amount they sold it to him. Why? The worth of the horse had appreciated!
The devil is the accuser of the brethren. We all know this. But one thing we do not all know is that in accusing us the devil puts us up in the spiritual slave market, to hand us over to the taskmaster that promises the most gruesome persecution and pain. That was exactly what happened to Joshua the high priest.
“And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel.” – Zech 3:2-3 (KJV)
Joshua was “a brand plucked out of the fire”. He was on fire, burning for God, Who makes His angels wind and His ministers a flame of fire.
“Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire.” – Psalms 104:4 (KJV)
“And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.” – Heb 1:7 (KJV)
He was in the spiritual state of godliness, with the fear of the Lord in him yet the devil “plucked” him out of that state and clothed him in filth, in rubbish and shame! The filthy garment certainly would have been upon him by a demon making his life miserable. Oh, let him that thinks he stand take heed!
God intervened by sending His angel to rescue him because he was valuable to God. If you were put up for sale in the spiritual slave market, how much would you be worth to God? Would God so value you, that He would give lives, or kill people just to redeem or ransom you? Would God readily give nations for your sake?
“For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. 4 Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.” – Isaiah 43:3-4 (KJV)
Generally, God loves us all; and this is recorded in John 3:16. God is not partial and does not take sides. He is not committed to people, race, colour or language. He cannot be bribed or bought over either with our tears, words, thought or deed. However, He is committed to Jesus.
….to be continued.
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