Post by Brother Ben on May 18, 2008 22:02:15 GMT -5
Exo 32:1 And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.
Exo 32:2 And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me.
Exo 32:3 And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron.
Exo 32:4 And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
Too many times in our modern American experience we have done just as these children of Israel have done. Did they have a prohet of God? Yes, Moses. Did they have a priest? Yes, Aaron. Did they have the word of God? Yes, God had sent the commandments down from the mount with Moses. So what were they lacking? They did not believe God was real, and if they said they did they wanted something tangible. So what did they do? They made a god they could hold with their hands, shape as they wished, moved where they wanted. Is this your God?
From the pages of scripture God calls out for us to come into intimate fellowship with Him. We must leave all that is in our comfort zone and follow him.
Mat 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Joh 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
The children of Israel were happy following Moses because they did not want to commit to the relationship God asked of them. Many churches are just like this. People fill the pews and follow the pastor and the programs and feel as if they have appeased God. As long as they show up, tithe, do some religious duties, etc., they think they are "in" with God. This is not so. God never asked us to follow a group, a vision, etc., no he said, "...follow me."
The children of Israel made their God out of the only thing they had...gold...taken from Egypt (a picture of the world,) when they left. What have you taken from the world when you (supposedly) left all to follow Jesus? We often bring along from Egypt those trinkets that so enamored us. John, the beloved said,
1Jn 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1Jn 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
1Jn 2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
Have we invented a hybrid? You know, a god made (fashioned) as we desire. It has a familiar shape (since we don't know what God really looks like,) made of familiar things (taken from the old life, worldly things,) and to him...we bow. This could be our denomination, our church, our pastor, our spouse, our pet doctrine, etc.
So how do I get back to what really lasts?
Col 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
Do you really know Jesus? No, I did not ask have you studied various bible verse, but have you left all to follow him? He said if you don't you CANNOT be his disciple. One of the reasons many are unfulfilled is because we have become comfortable following form and formula and have, perhaps, never been broken of the Rock of Ages, Christ. Look into the heart of Matthew (Levi.)
Luk 5:27 And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me.
Luk 5:28 And he left all, rose up, and followed him.
In no way would ever promote works salvation, yet I declare, if we do not "leave all" we cannot follow him. May God give us the grace to leave everything that competes with the supremacy of Christ in our lives. No gods of gold, but let only Jesus be the focus of our vision.
Bro. Ben
Exo 32:2 And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me.
Exo 32:3 And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron.
Exo 32:4 And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
Too many times in our modern American experience we have done just as these children of Israel have done. Did they have a prohet of God? Yes, Moses. Did they have a priest? Yes, Aaron. Did they have the word of God? Yes, God had sent the commandments down from the mount with Moses. So what were they lacking? They did not believe God was real, and if they said they did they wanted something tangible. So what did they do? They made a god they could hold with their hands, shape as they wished, moved where they wanted. Is this your God?
From the pages of scripture God calls out for us to come into intimate fellowship with Him. We must leave all that is in our comfort zone and follow him.
Mat 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Joh 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
The children of Israel were happy following Moses because they did not want to commit to the relationship God asked of them. Many churches are just like this. People fill the pews and follow the pastor and the programs and feel as if they have appeased God. As long as they show up, tithe, do some religious duties, etc., they think they are "in" with God. This is not so. God never asked us to follow a group, a vision, etc., no he said, "...follow me."
The children of Israel made their God out of the only thing they had...gold...taken from Egypt (a picture of the world,) when they left. What have you taken from the world when you (supposedly) left all to follow Jesus? We often bring along from Egypt those trinkets that so enamored us. John, the beloved said,
1Jn 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1Jn 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
1Jn 2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
Have we invented a hybrid? You know, a god made (fashioned) as we desire. It has a familiar shape (since we don't know what God really looks like,) made of familiar things (taken from the old life, worldly things,) and to him...we bow. This could be our denomination, our church, our pastor, our spouse, our pet doctrine, etc.
So how do I get back to what really lasts?
Col 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
Do you really know Jesus? No, I did not ask have you studied various bible verse, but have you left all to follow him? He said if you don't you CANNOT be his disciple. One of the reasons many are unfulfilled is because we have become comfortable following form and formula and have, perhaps, never been broken of the Rock of Ages, Christ. Look into the heart of Matthew (Levi.)
Luk 5:27 And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me.
Luk 5:28 And he left all, rose up, and followed him.
In no way would ever promote works salvation, yet I declare, if we do not "leave all" we cannot follow him. May God give us the grace to leave everything that competes with the supremacy of Christ in our lives. No gods of gold, but let only Jesus be the focus of our vision.
Bro. Ben
