Are you going through a dark time? Take comfort - it will not always be this way. Life is about seasons. Seasons of darkness can be very painful and otherwise unpleasant. But realize that God has a plan for you to prosper 'while' you are traveling through.
Isa 45:3 MKJV
(3) And I will give you the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I am Jehovah, who calls you by your name, the God of Israel.
Darkness is where treasures lay. Gold and diamonds are rarely found laying out in broad daylight. To obtain that which really has value, you have to be willing to brave the dark places. If you have been curled up in the fetal position waiting for the dawn, I would encourage you to straighten up, grab a lamp and a shovel, and make the most of where you are. For me personally, I am still living off the interest of the treasures I found in the darkest times of my life.
Showing posts with label treasures. Show all posts
Showing posts with label treasures. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Friday, December 17, 2010
God's Treasure
Malachai wrote:
For behold, the day is coming, burning like a fire pot; and all the proud, and every doer of wickedness, shall be chaff. And the coming day will set them ablaze, says Jehovah of Hosts, which will not leave root or branches to them. But to you who fear My name, the Sun of Righteousness shall arise, and healing will be on His wings. And you shall go out and frisk like calves of the stall. And you shall trample the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day which I am preparing, says Jehovah of Hosts. Remember the Law of Moses My servant, which I commanded to him in Horeb for all Israel, the statutes and judgments. Behold, I am sending you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of Jehovah. And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the sons, and the heart of the sons to their fathers, that I not come and strike the earth with utter destruction.
This passage is seldom realized as a rapture reference, but it is. It is important to see God's plan for this age - how things culminate.
H5459
segu^lla^h
seg-ool-law'
Feminine passive participle of an unused root meaning to shut up; wealth (as closely shut up): - jewel, peculiar (treasure), proper good, special.
The beauty of E-sword is that you can take a Strong's number - H5459 - and do a search on it in the KJV+ translation. This reveals every instance this word is used in the Hebrew. Let's examine some of these instances:
Exo 19:5 MKJV
(5) And now if you will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then you shall be a peculiar treasure to Me above all the nations; for all the earth is Mine.
Deu 7:6 MKJV
(6) For you are a holy people to Jehovah your God. Jehovah your God has chosen you to be a special people to Himself above all people that are upon the face of the earth.
Deu 14:2 MKJV
(2) For you are a holy people to Jehovah your God, and Jehovah has chosen you to be a peculiar people to Himself, above all the nations that are on the earth.
Deu 26:18 MKJV
(18) And Jehovah has taken you today to be His peculiar people, as He has promised you, and to keep all His commandments,
Psa 135:4 MKJV
(4) For Jehovah has chosen Jacob to Himself, and Israel for His peculiar treasure.
G4047
περιποίησις
peripoiēsis
per-ee-poy'-ay-sis
From G4046; acquisition (the act or the thing); by extension preservation: - obtain (-ing), peculiar, purchased, possession, saving.
The word is 'periousios', and the meaning is the same.
Tit 2:14 MKJV
(14) who gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from all iniquity and purify to Himself a special people, zealous of good works.
1Pe 2:9 KJV
(9) But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
To summarize what I take away from this passage:
God always intended to have a people all to Himself – a people He chose. It started out being Adam and Eve. One might think they failed Him and He went to plan B, but from the beginning plan B was the only plan. God desired to tabernacle with Adam and Eve and their family, but they created an atmosphere He couldn’t live in (nor could they). God expanded His plan. Exodus has Him tabernacling with a new people – yet another chosen people – Israel. Again, this was a people, not unlike us, who didn’t know exactly how to live with Him in their midst. So God expanded His plan again. Titus and Peter write of this same peculiar nation – a nation with God’s heart. Yet these are those who allow Him to tabernacle within them. These are a purchased people – a praising people – a people of light. All who call upon the name of the Lord can be a citizen of this nation. They make up His ‘treasure’.
Notice the redemptive intent of our Creator. Even though we continually ruined the environment of communion, He never disqualified anyone from again coming to Him. He expanded the invitation each time. Yes the road is narrow, but open to all.
A nation who possesses the heart of God… will be gathered up (asah) before a time that burns like a firepot. This holy nation will be spared as a father spares his son in order to show the world the difference between the righteous and the wicked. We know that during this time, Elijah will be sent to again foster a love in people – a love of restoration and redemption.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
You Hoarding Sand?
Exo 38:24-26 MKJV
(24) All the gold that was used for the work in all the work of the sanctuary, even the gold of the offering, was twenty-nine talents and seven hundred thirty shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary.
(25) And the silver from those numbered of the congregation was a hundred talents, and seventeen hundred seventy-five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary;
(26) a bekah for every man, half a shekel, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for everyone that went to be numbered, from twenty years old and upward, for six hundred three thousand, five hundred fifty men.
SJ (8:21:04 AM): one... the people were loaded. Dude, that is a LOT of gold.
Mills (8:21:18 AM): yeah i thought so
SJ (8:21:36 AM): they got the gold from the Egyptians... right?
Mills (8:22:12 AM): ummm... for some reason I always though they got some from Egyptians, but the rest was given to them in the wilderness
SJ (8:22:41 AM): as far as I know... they got it all - Exo 12:36 And Jehovah gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, and they granted their request, and they plundered the Egyptians.
Mills (8:22:52 AM): okay
Mills (8:22:59 AM): tracking
SJ (8:23:02 AM): may I ask...
SJ (8:23:10 AM): why??? so they could buy sand from the hyenas?
Mills (8:23:44 AM): hehe... for the Ark
Mills (8:23:47 AM): ?
SJ (8:24:00 AM): you got it.... for serving God. That's the only reason.
Mills (8:24:02 AM): the tabernacle
SJ (8:24:23 AM): same reason He gave you and I a $5 raise last year bud
Mills (8:24:34 AM): got it
SJ (8:24:46 AM): we're in the desert... kinda... anything we buy here is going to be sand
(24) All the gold that was used for the work in all the work of the sanctuary, even the gold of the offering, was twenty-nine talents and seven hundred thirty shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary.
(25) And the silver from those numbered of the congregation was a hundred talents, and seventeen hundred seventy-five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary;
(26) a bekah for every man, half a shekel, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for everyone that went to be numbered, from twenty years old and upward, for six hundred three thousand, five hundred fifty men.
SJ (8:21:04 AM): one... the people were loaded. Dude, that is a LOT of gold.
Mills (8:21:18 AM): yeah i thought so
SJ (8:21:36 AM): they got the gold from the Egyptians... right?
Mills (8:22:12 AM): ummm... for some reason I always though they got some from Egyptians, but the rest was given to them in the wilderness
SJ (8:22:41 AM): as far as I know... they got it all - Exo 12:36 And Jehovah gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, and they granted their request, and they plundered the Egyptians.
Mills (8:22:52 AM): okay
Mills (8:22:59 AM): tracking
SJ (8:23:02 AM): may I ask...
SJ (8:23:10 AM): why??? so they could buy sand from the hyenas?
Mills (8:23:44 AM): hehe... for the Ark
Mills (8:23:47 AM): ?
SJ (8:24:00 AM): you got it.... for serving God. That's the only reason.
Mills (8:24:02 AM): the tabernacle
SJ (8:24:23 AM): same reason He gave you and I a $5 raise last year bud
Mills (8:24:34 AM): got it
SJ (8:24:46 AM): we're in the desert... kinda... anything we buy here is going to be sand
Monday, April 05, 2010
Give It Away
Luk 17:33 LITV
(33) Whoever seeks to save his life, he will lose it. And whoever will lose it, he will preserve it.
Pastor says that you only get to keep what you are willing to give away. It's yet another irony in a bible full of ironies. We must die to live. There is fullness in denying the flesh. That which seems right only leads to death... ironies. So if I love my life, I will lose it? John said it like this:
Joh 12:25 LITV
(25) The one who loves his life loses it, and the one who hates his life in this world will keep it to everlasting life.
What exactly does this mean, then? Because I had a great time at the lake yesterday.
It means that if we are living for anything other than God's purpose in our lives, we are in danger of taking nothing permanent - or of value - out of this world. We will lose it - whatever 'it' is. Some people speak of legacy. What kind of legacy are we leaving? Is it a statue in a museum that tells 100 visitors per day how many yards I ran in my career? Or maybe it's simply my child, who is on fire for the Living God and tells everyone at school about Jesus. That - has - value!
I've heard the argument made that God gave Jesus for us, yet He didn't really lose Him, because He knew He could raise Him from the dead. What a horrible thought to think (I'm guilty). Yet God received Jesus again to Himself only because He was first willing to give Him. This is why Isaac came back down the mountain with Abraham. This is why the one servant was called 'evil' when he buried the money entrusted to him. Here is what the master said:
Mat 25:27-28 LITV
(27) Then you ought to have put my silver to the bankers, and coming I would have received my own with interest.
(28) Therefore, take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents.
There is no reward for no risk. We have what we have so that we can give it away.
(33) Whoever seeks to save his life, he will lose it. And whoever will lose it, he will preserve it.
Pastor says that you only get to keep what you are willing to give away. It's yet another irony in a bible full of ironies. We must die to live. There is fullness in denying the flesh. That which seems right only leads to death... ironies. So if I love my life, I will lose it? John said it like this:
Joh 12:25 LITV
(25) The one who loves his life loses it, and the one who hates his life in this world will keep it to everlasting life.
What exactly does this mean, then? Because I had a great time at the lake yesterday.
It means that if we are living for anything other than God's purpose in our lives, we are in danger of taking nothing permanent - or of value - out of this world. We will lose it - whatever 'it' is. Some people speak of legacy. What kind of legacy are we leaving? Is it a statue in a museum that tells 100 visitors per day how many yards I ran in my career? Or maybe it's simply my child, who is on fire for the Living God and tells everyone at school about Jesus. That - has - value!
I've heard the argument made that God gave Jesus for us, yet He didn't really lose Him, because He knew He could raise Him from the dead. What a horrible thought to think (I'm guilty). Yet God received Jesus again to Himself only because He was first willing to give Him. This is why Isaac came back down the mountain with Abraham. This is why the one servant was called 'evil' when he buried the money entrusted to him. Here is what the master said:
Mat 25:27-28 LITV
(27) Then you ought to have put my silver to the bankers, and coming I would have received my own with interest.
(28) Therefore, take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents.
There is no reward for no risk. We have what we have so that we can give it away.
Monday, September 14, 2009
I Dig This
Deu 8:7-9 MKJV (7) For Jehovah your God brings you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills, (8) a land of wheat and barley and vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey, (9) a land in which you shall eat bread without want. You shall not lack any thing in it. It is a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you may dig copper.
Promised Land living! A time when all of your provision is made and 'you have no lack'! Wow that is AWESOME! We talk about it a lot. Drinking out of wells we didn't dig and eating from vineyards we didn't plant. Mmmmm....
But that's our 'provision'. What about wealth? What if we want to be provided for, AND we want a little extra? Is that wrong for a Christian?
God isn't against you getting a little extra in the Promised Land. On the contrary, He is into 'abundance'. But, there's a small price to pay. You have to dig.
It's a land whose stones are iron, but you have to mine them, and then smelt them. There is a little sweat involved. Is copper more your gig? You don't have to steal it here. But you do have to find it, dig it up, and then you can make rolls of pennies out of it.
The blessing of God is so abundant! We feel guilty if we want a little extra. But He owns the cattle of a thousand hills! He has 'riches in Glory'! It can't be wrong to have a little! He has placed it before us to work for, which - by the way - is a far cry from the cursed land. The cursed land is a place where people have mined for years, but have never found a prize. The cursed land is a land where people toil and sweat for a paltry sum, and then they place it in a bag with holes. Seek the Promised Land! God intended it for all of us!
Promised Land living! A time when all of your provision is made and 'you have no lack'! Wow that is AWESOME! We talk about it a lot. Drinking out of wells we didn't dig and eating from vineyards we didn't plant. Mmmmm....
But that's our 'provision'. What about wealth? What if we want to be provided for, AND we want a little extra? Is that wrong for a Christian?
God isn't against you getting a little extra in the Promised Land. On the contrary, He is into 'abundance'. But, there's a small price to pay. You have to dig.
It's a land whose stones are iron, but you have to mine them, and then smelt them. There is a little sweat involved. Is copper more your gig? You don't have to steal it here. But you do have to find it, dig it up, and then you can make rolls of pennies out of it.
The blessing of God is so abundant! We feel guilty if we want a little extra. But He owns the cattle of a thousand hills! He has 'riches in Glory'! It can't be wrong to have a little! He has placed it before us to work for, which - by the way - is a far cry from the cursed land. The cursed land is a place where people have mined for years, but have never found a prize. The cursed land is a land where people toil and sweat for a paltry sum, and then they place it in a bag with holes. Seek the Promised Land! God intended it for all of us!
Friday, April 24, 2009
Thursday, April 09, 2009
Not For The Curious
1Ki 6:4
(4) And for the house he made windows of narrow frames.
When Solomon built the temple, he placed on it narrow windows near the top, most likely. They were functional for allowing light in, and possibly allowing smoke out. They were not created to allow the curious to peer in, nor for the servants to look out.
The temple is a picture of our body.
1Co 6:19
(19) Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit in you, whom you have of God? And you are not your own
What goes on within the confines of your spirit is really not for outsiders to know. There were certain people who were not allowed within the temple - namely 'gentiles'. The gentiles among us are those who do not belong to the Body of Christ. Even though we were all lost at one time, there is a difference between those who are searching for the Lord and those who are only curious - or perhaps 'dabbling' in 'religion'. Certain things were hidden from those who sought Jesus to satisfy their worldly curiosity.
Mar 4:33-34
(33) And with many such parables He spoke the Word to them (the curious onlookers), as they were able to hear it.
(34) But he did not speak to them without a parable. And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.
If interested, also read Joh 12:36-40.
Jesus told us not to 'cast our pearls before swine'. That means that the treasures we hold within us should not be shared with those who have no appreciation (or use) of them. Why? What can the enemy do?
Isaiah asked the question to Hezekiah:
2Ki 20:15
(15) And he said, What have they seen in your house? And Hezekiah answered, They have seen all that is in my house. There is nothing among my treasures which I have not shown to them.
Then the king of Babylon came, beseiged the city and carried all of the treasures off to his own country.
When we are not careful with what we treasure in our hearts, the enemy will beseige us and convince us - eventually - that what we once thought was treasure is in fact worthless. He has hauled our treasure off to Babylon.
Maintain your narrow windows. The enemy constantly tries to destroy what we hold dear - our testimonies, and our joy. Be watchful for that. Concentrate on showing only the love of Jesus and His good news to the unbelieving world.
(4) And for the house he made windows of narrow frames.
When Solomon built the temple, he placed on it narrow windows near the top, most likely. They were functional for allowing light in, and possibly allowing smoke out. They were not created to allow the curious to peer in, nor for the servants to look out.
The temple is a picture of our body.
1Co 6:19
(19) Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit in you, whom you have of God? And you are not your own
What goes on within the confines of your spirit is really not for outsiders to know. There were certain people who were not allowed within the temple - namely 'gentiles'. The gentiles among us are those who do not belong to the Body of Christ. Even though we were all lost at one time, there is a difference between those who are searching for the Lord and those who are only curious - or perhaps 'dabbling' in 'religion'. Certain things were hidden from those who sought Jesus to satisfy their worldly curiosity.
Mar 4:33-34
(33) And with many such parables He spoke the Word to them (the curious onlookers), as they were able to hear it.
(34) But he did not speak to them without a parable. And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.
If interested, also read Joh 12:36-40.
Jesus told us not to 'cast our pearls before swine'. That means that the treasures we hold within us should not be shared with those who have no appreciation (or use) of them. Why? What can the enemy do?
Isaiah asked the question to Hezekiah:
2Ki 20:15
(15) And he said, What have they seen in your house? And Hezekiah answered, They have seen all that is in my house. There is nothing among my treasures which I have not shown to them.
Then the king of Babylon came, beseiged the city and carried all of the treasures off to his own country.
When we are not careful with what we treasure in our hearts, the enemy will beseige us and convince us - eventually - that what we once thought was treasure is in fact worthless. He has hauled our treasure off to Babylon.
Maintain your narrow windows. The enemy constantly tries to destroy what we hold dear - our testimonies, and our joy. Be watchful for that. Concentrate on showing only the love of Jesus and His good news to the unbelieving world.
Monday, March 02, 2009
The Price of Gold
Bazalel was given the gifts of craftsmenship - by God - to create the furniture of the tabernacle. He was not the only one, but he was the master of the bunch.
Exo 36:1-2
(1) And Bezaleel and Aholiab shall work with everyone wise of heart to whom Jehovah has given wisdom and intelligence, to know how to do every work of the service of the sanctuary, concerning all which Jehovah had commanded.
(2) And Moses called Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise-hearted man in whose heart Jehovah had put wisdom, even everyone whose heart stirred him up to come, to do the work.
One thing we can plainly see from the passage above is that these people were willing. As a result, God equipped them. That's a sermon, I'm sure, but that's not what I want to address.
Exo 37:24
(24) He made it of a talent of pure gold, and all the vessels of it.
While making just the lampstand, Bazalel (Bazaleel in the MKJV) used a 75lb block of pure gold. Today, gold is sitting at $925/ounce. Utilizing my meager math skills... Bazalel was working with a chunk of gold worth approximately 1.1 million dollars. But you see... he was doing God's work. When we do God's work, we are always dealing with the most precious materials in the universe. It doesn't always seem that way, does it?
Naturally, we know of the people who clean toilets for missionaries... and the Sister Teresa's of the world who give all they have to reach those who are destitute. What about them?
They lay up their treasures in Heaven where neither moth nor rust corrupt and where thieves do not steal. And since the very pavement is made of gold, we can bet their payment will not be in pavement, but rather something a million times more wonderful.
Exo 36:1-2
(1) And Bezaleel and Aholiab shall work with everyone wise of heart to whom Jehovah has given wisdom and intelligence, to know how to do every work of the service of the sanctuary, concerning all which Jehovah had commanded.
(2) And Moses called Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise-hearted man in whose heart Jehovah had put wisdom, even everyone whose heart stirred him up to come, to do the work.
One thing we can plainly see from the passage above is that these people were willing. As a result, God equipped them. That's a sermon, I'm sure, but that's not what I want to address.
Exo 37:24
(24) He made it of a talent of pure gold, and all the vessels of it.
While making just the lampstand, Bazalel (Bazaleel in the MKJV) used a 75lb block of pure gold. Today, gold is sitting at $925/ounce. Utilizing my meager math skills... Bazalel was working with a chunk of gold worth approximately 1.1 million dollars. But you see... he was doing God's work. When we do God's work, we are always dealing with the most precious materials in the universe. It doesn't always seem that way, does it?
Naturally, we know of the people who clean toilets for missionaries... and the Sister Teresa's of the world who give all they have to reach those who are destitute. What about them?
They lay up their treasures in Heaven where neither moth nor rust corrupt and where thieves do not steal. And since the very pavement is made of gold, we can bet their payment will not be in pavement, but rather something a million times more wonderful.
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