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The Making of God's Sparkling Jewels. Part II
The Essential principles we need to know to receive our God-given inheritance
We recall that in the first part we dealt with Six of the Twelve Essential principles that we need to know and live by as Sparkling Gems, for us to access our God given inheritance of the Saints in the Light. In this second part we discuss the remaining six principles. But before then, let us recall our key learning points from the last discussion.
The Jeweler who makes the jewel for God is the Lord Jesus Christ. In Malachi 3:1-5 the prophet says:
“Look! I am sending My messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me. Then the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to His Temple. The Messenger of the covenant Whom you look for so is surely coming, says the Lord of Heaven's Armies.
But who will be able to endure it when He comes? Who will be able to stand and endure Him when He appears?
For He (Jesus, the Lord) will be like a blazing fire that refines metal, or like a strong soap that bleaches clothes. He will sit like a refiner of silver, burning away the dross. He will purify the Levites, refining them like gold and silver, so that they may once again offer acceptable sacrifices to the Lord. Then once more the Lord will accept the offerings brought to Him by the people of Judah, and Jerusalem as He did in the past, At that time I will put you on trial…. witness against all sorcerers…… adulterers…. liars………..
Speak against those who cheat employees of their wages, who oppress widows.....orphans or who deprive the orphans living among you of justice, for these people do not fear Me says the Lord of Heaven's Armies" (Malachi 3:1-5 nlt)
He takes us through the furnace and purges us, making us like silver and gold
As gold and Silver, we are to reflect God’s image and shine for God.
Going through the fiery furnace will not be easy but at the end, we will look exactly like Jesus.
Here are the Six Remaining Essential Principles. We discussed six of these principles in Part 1. In this part 11 we continue with no 7.
(7) The Son of God’s love, into whose kingdom we are translated, is now the true image of the invisible God – Jesus is the last Adam. All things created in Heaven and the earth, both visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers were created by Him and for Him. As a result all of them combine to work for His good and in His favor. None of them can be against Him (Colossians 1: 15-16 : conirms this. I quote.
“Christ is the visible image or the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation. For through Him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth, He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see – such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through Him and for Hi itm”. (nlt)
(8) It all the forces of nature and the paraphernalia of Government and governance, including thrones and dominions in he social, economic and political sectors, all combined to work for the Lord and our operational base is the same place where Christ is seated, then all of them put together must also work in our favor as apostle Paul tells us in Romans 8:28-39.
“So we are convinced every detail of our lives is continually woven together to fit into God’s perfect plan of bringing good into our lives, for we are his lovers who have been called to fulfill His designed purpose.
For he knew all about us before we were born and He destined us from the beginning to share the likeness of His Son. This means the Son is the oldest among a vast family of brothers and sisters who will become just like Him.
Having determined our destiny ahead of time, He called us to himself and transferred His perfect righteousness to everyone He called. And those who possess His perfect righteousness He co-glorified with His Son!
So what does all this mean? If God has determined to stand with us, tell me, who then could ever stand against us?
For God has proved His love by giving us His greatest treasure, the gift of the Son.
And since God freely offered Him up as the sacrifice for us all, He certainly won’t withhold from us anything else He has to give.
Who then would dare to accuse those whom God has chosen in love to be His?
God Himself is the judge who has issued his final verdict over them – “Not Guilty! " Who then is left to condemn us? Certainly not to to Jesus, the Anointed One! For He gave us His life for us, and even more than that, He has conquered death and is now risen, exalted and enthroned by God at His right hand. So how could he possibly condemn us since he is continually praying for our triumph?
Who could ever separate us from the endless love of God's Anointed One? Absolutely no one ! For nothing in the universe has the power to diminish His love toward us. Troubles, pressure, and problems are unable to come between us and heaven's love. What about persecution, deprivations, dangers and death threats? No, for they are all impotent to hinder love, even though it is written: 'All day long we face death threats for your sake'. We are considered to be nothing more than sheep to he slaughtered. Yet even in the midst of all these things, we triumph over them all , for God has made us to he more than conqerous and His demonstrated love is our glorious victory over everything!
So now I live with the confidence that there is nothing in the universe with the power to separate us from God's love. I’m convinced that His love will triumph over death, life's troubles, fallen angels or dark rulers in the heavens. There is nothing in our present or future circumstances that can weaken His love.
There is no power above us or beneath us- no power that could even be found in the universe that can distance us from God's passionate love, which is lavished upon us through our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One! (The Passion Translation)
(9) For all things to work together for our good Christ and Christ and Christ alone must have preeminence in all that we do individually and collectively. "For through the Son everything was created both in the heavenly realm and on the earth, all that is seen and all that is unseen. Every seat of power, realm of government, principality, and authority-it was all created through Him and for His purpose. He existed before anything was made, and now everything finds completion in Him. He is the head of His body, which is the church. And since He is the beginning and the firstborn heir in resurrection, He is the most exalted One, holding first place in everything “ (Colossians1;16-18 tpt)
It is the pre-eminense of Christ in the church that qualities us (the believers) for the inheritance of the Saint in the Light. Believers are not blessed because impostors have taken over the church (3 John 1:9-11). They have pushed out Jesus, who is at the centre of the church by their constitution, bye- election e.t.c. He now stands at the door knocking. We must allow the lord to have pre-eminence in His church.
In apostole John’s 3rd letter referenced above adressed to Gaius , one of the church leaders at the time we have a glimpse of this situation in the church. He wrote partly " I wrote to the church about this but Diotrephres, who loves to be the leader, refuses to have anything to do with us. When i come, I will report some of the things he is doing and the evil accusations he is making against us, not only does he refuse to welcome the travelling teachers, he also tells others not to help them and when they do help, he puts them out of the church.
Dear friend (Gaius), don’t let this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good, prove that they are God’s children, and those who do evil prove that they do not know God.
(10) Our core value must be humility; as church leaders, so should be the congegation. We must humble ourselves under the mighty hands of God who in due season will exalt us.
Apostle Peter tells us “ As a fellow elder, I appeal to you ; care for the flock that God has entrusted to you, watch over it willingly not grudgingly- not for what you will get out of it but because you are eager to serve God. Don’t Lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example, and when the Great Shepherd (Jesus) appears you will receive a crown of never- ending glory and honour
In the same way you younger men must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you serve each other in humilty for “God opposes the proud but favors the humble, so humble yourself under the mighty power of God, and at the right time He will lift you up in honour. (1 Peter 5: 2-6 alt)
Again in the bible tells us “ haughtiness goes before destruction, humility preprecedes honor” (Prov 18:12 nlt)
(11) The Colossian church and the church in thessalonica demonstrated these key virtues which we must also cultivae and walk in faith, hope and love.
In the colossian church Paul wrote “...We have heared of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God’s people which came from your confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven. You have had expectation ever since you first heard of the good news” (Colossians 1:4-5 nlt).
And in 1Thesasalonians he also wrote “As we pray to our God and Father about you, we think of your faithful work, your loving deeds and the enduring hope you have because of our Lord Jesus.(1 Thessalonians 1:3 nlt)
These virtues, faith, hope and love will not only enable us to see with our enlightened eyes of understanding, the inheritance of the Saints in the Light, but to bring them down to the Earth whenever a need arose. If we do not find the three (Faith, Hope and Love) in the church such have no access to the inheritance.
(12) In order to perfect our faith so that we may have unhindered access to the inheritance of the saints in the light and experience the days of the Heavens on the Earth, we must avoid these four vices at all cost (Offence, Strife, Bitterness and Hatred. If we have any of these in us it will be counter productive , we will be afflicted by iniguilty and discover that we are not making any progress.
Now let us interogate ouselves.
(i) As saints of God how are we living by the virtues of Faith, Hope and love ?
(ii) How can we grow to live without offence, strife, bitterness and hatred ? Consider this
In Genesis 13, Abram (soon to become Abraham) inherited Canaan. He and Lot his nephew were very rich “Abraham was very rich in livestock, in silver and in gold” (Gen 13:2 nkjv). “Lot who went with him also had flocks and herds and tents” (Gen 13:5 nkjv). It happened that the land was not able to accomodate their combined wealth to allow them to live together. There was therefore strife between the herdsmen of their livestock.
Hear Abram's solution of the matter. He said to Lot “Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen for we are brethren” (Gen 13:5 nkjv). In verse 9 of this chapter Abram takes a humble position “Is not the whole land before you ? Please separate from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right or if you go to the right then I will go to the left” (Gen 13:9 nkjv). Lot made the first choice according to his hearth’s delight.
Observe, friends that after Lot separated from his uncle, Abram and eliminated strife between them, God showed up. The Lord said to Abraham “Look as far as you can see in every direction- North and South, East and West. I am giving all this land as far as you can see, to you and your descendants as a permanent possession. And I will give you so many descendants that, like the dust of the earth they cannot be counted. Go and walk through the land in every direction for I am giving it to you” (Gen 13:14-17 nlt)
So Abraham was able to obtain an everlasting inheritance which he handed down to his descendants. He had a clear vision because he permitted no strife, offense, bitterness and hatred to prevail, a virtue that was clean and so obtained a victory that was certain, This is instructive.
CONCLUSION AND PRAYER
(i) Satan, the blood of Jesus is against you in aspect of my finances, my resources, my wherewithal and my inheritance of the Saints in the Light.
(ii) Lord, shine your light in my life and in all my situations in the Mighty Name of Jesus.
(iii) The roots of offence, hatred, strife and bitterness are blotted out by the blood of Jesus, they are completely uprooted. I refuse to be blinded and fall into darkness through offense, hatred, strife amd bitterness. I lay an axe to their roots. They wil not rob me of portion of the inheritance of the Saints in the Light.
(iv) O Lord, this is my season of satisfaction, I give you gtory. I give you praise. I give you adoration in Jesus Name AMEN.