Bible In One Year-Day 63 (Tuesday, March 04, 2014)

Commentary: Numbers10-12. When you walk with God in the journey of life, it eventually becomes an awesome adventure. The Israelites started the 39 years journey towards the Promised Land in chapter10. God, being the Master planner was with them in the pillar of cloud above them, Num10:34. Their setting out was standardized and strategized by God Himself. It was just for them to follow simple instructions. Two silver trumpets were made for the purpose of military awareness; the trumpet of GATHERING and the trumpet of LEADING. All these point to the Holy Spirit; He gathers and He leads. There is always a lesson to learn from the man Moses. He was called by God but he never took over from God; i.e. he did not carry out the work of God in the flesh, He made sure that every step was an instruction from God. How many of us are under the signal of the Holy Spirit now, especially in the churches? The sounds we hear nowadays are more of men for pride and show off. And since the trumpet blowing are more of worldliness and ministry competitions, the pillar of cloud is not available for leading. The trumpet of programs upon programs without God in it is blowing all over. Mixed multitudes are being ordained as pastors thereby bringing and multiplying problems to Christendom. The struggle for acquisition of material things are becoming symbols of anointing. Struggle to gather memberships in every creek and corner of the world is unimaginable; not for the kingdom of God but for ministry, hence quality is exempted.  Pastors and ministers conferences are in serious fashion show with celebrated flashy cars. Plate numbers carry “clergy”. Eloquence has replaced breathe of the Holy Spirit contrary to John6:63. God’s Spirit has been silenced by man’s spirit. God has been chased out of His own work. Bill boards carry the big picture of the man of God and the wife. Hardly will you see the name of Jesus on bill boards again. The spirit of Egypt is been carried into ministry.  Unfortunately, the Israelites left Egypt but the spirit of Egypt was still in their blood making them to be asking for garlic and cucumber, free fish and other stuffs. The vision carrier is being burdened the more with fight amongst the leaders and followers. Even Mariam and Aaron were not left out in adding to the problem of Moses. Moses cried to God for help.

Psalm56:4-9  “In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me. Every day they wrest my words: all their thoughts are against me for evil. They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, they mark my steps, when they wait for my soul. Shall they escape by iniquity? in thine anger cast down the people, O God. Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book? When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me.”

God rose on behalf of Moses to proof that He sent him.

God took from the Spirit that was upon Moses and put on the leaders. But, unfortunately, and very unfortunate, the leaders could not retain the wonderful gift (grace) of the Spirit for a long time because of the flesh (Egyptian garlic and cucumber), Number11:17&25.

Numbers 11:17 “And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone.”

Numbers 11:25 “And the LORD came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease.”

Beloved, to be called is different from to be chosen. They are not the same. It is true that many were called but along the line they got their calling corrupted and the spirit of Ichabod had taken over. Instead of seeking for help from God, they shifted blame to another man. If the Spirit of God is still there, you cannot be put aside. We need to know a secret in this portion of the scripture. The Spirit taken from Moses for the elders is the same with that Spirit working through him but with different assignment. The Spirit that came upon the elders was for them to bear the burden of the people with him and not to take the position of the vision carrier. This is the misunderstanding many give to ministry which lead them to fight their General Overseers and Pastors; thinking they could prophecy as the vision carrier. Mariam and Aaron are good examples of this situation. God eventually exposed them with leprosy in chapter12. They said “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses?” Ability to cast out demons or preach powerfully whilst under a ministry does not mean you have been chosen as a vision carrier; you could be carrying a relieving Spirit from the vision carrier and if you allow the flesh to lead you astray, demons will ask you questions after you have far from the source of power and grace just like the children of Sceva.

Acts 19:14-15 “And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?”

If God has another assignment for you different from the ministry you are in, He will call for a separation as He did for Paul and Barnabas in Acts 13:2 “As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.” The assignment will be totally different from the one you are doing now but by the same Spirit. In essence, the ‘spirit of the called’ is different from the ‘spirit of the chosen’. There is only one vision carrier in a ministry; God is not an author of confusion. However, if you are faithful in your calling, you could be chosen for a mission;

Luke 16:10 “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.”

Let us, therefore, stand in a position where God could run a commentary on us as He did on Moses in Num12:6-8.

Num12:6-8 ^“And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?”

For us to be able to sustain the Spirit of God in us, Egyptian garlic and cucumber should be purged out of our blood. The enemy will not succeed in changing the glory of our calling to Ichabod in the name of Jesus. The miles to cover today on this trip is Num13-15. Keep the fire burning and alive. SPREAD THE WORD!!!