ONE THING THOU LACKEST
THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD:
“And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? ( In Math. 10/16 he asked, “what good thing shall I do,” also notice part of Jesus reply to him in this scripture verse 21, “IF THOU WILT BE PERFECT:”) And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.” Mk. 10/17-22.
I would like you all to notice a few things about this young man in the above scriptures:
He was God
fearing, God loving, pious, had a surrendered attitude of trust, humility,
obeisance, was hungry, thirsty for righteousness, and on the face value of
things, was obedient to the Law, The Holy Writings, The Scriptures as shown by,
“he came running, kneeled, and when
confronted with keeping the commandments, notice, he said, “all these have I observed from my youth.” (Jesus didn`t dispute this
answer, instead He confirmed it by the way He answered the young man:)
Notice Jesus spoke certain of the commandments, and the young man said he had kept, observed these commandments:
BUT NOTICE THAT JESUS DIDN`T SAY, “THOU SHALT NOT
COVET,” IN HIS OPENING DISCOURSE WITH THE YOUNG MAN:
BUT AS JESUS TOUCHED ON COVETOUSNESS WITH
HIM,…….AH….LOOKOUT, HE`S PUT HIS FINGER RIGHT ON THE PROBLEM:
I would like you
to also notice, that the young man had a deluded, deceived concept of his
spiritual condition, he THOUGHT HE WAS
RIGHTEOUS, THOUGHT HE WAS RIGHT WITH
GOD; (evident by his
statement about observing the laws;) BUT
WAS BLINDED BY THE “DECEITFULNESS OF RICHES,” ( Math. 13/22, Mk. 4/19,) TO HIS
WRETCHED CONDITION, “COVETOUSNESS WHICH IS IDOLATRY:”
(Also notice,
that Jesus “loved him,”…….. enough
to tell him the truth, not being afraid to risk losing him as a prospective
disciple, follower, not afraid to risk rejection, persecution, mocking,
deriding, reviling, gainsaying, argument, contention, criticism, anger hate,
……. THAT`S MORE THAN LIKELY ONES` USUAL REWARD FOR CARING DEEP ENOUGH TO WARN
FOLK, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU LOVE THEM ENOUGH TO “SPEAK THE TRUTH IN LOVE,” WHEN
YOU LOVE THEM ENOUGH TO BE CURT, BLUNT,
OPEN, TRANSPARENT, “STRAIGHT TALKING:”
“THEN JESUS BEHOLDING HIM, LOVED HIM,” ENOUGH TO REPROVE, REBUKE, POINT OUT THE
STUMBLING BLOCK, THE FAULT:
There are many in leadership in the Pentecostal church to-day in this country that are in exactly the same condition, and don`t recognize, ….see, their spiritual penury: Rev. 3/17. They seem to observe, keep, adhere to “The Holy Writings, The Scriptures, they seem to, fear God, love God, have a heart for God, are trying their best to do what they think is pleasing to Loving Father, they don`t steal, don`t commit adultery, (at least not outwardly,) they don`t kill, they honour their father and mother, “having a form of Godliness,” men, (and women) that put on an outward appearance of “Godliness,” that go about with a charade, a pretence, deceiving people that they are Godly, have made it such a lifestyle habit, that they eventually believe it themselves, that have no power, except to become manipulators, seducers, (2 Pet. 2/3,) of those that listen to them; “but evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived;” 2 Tim. 3/13.
“yet one thing they lack;”
THEY CAN`T GIVE UP “MY” MINISTRY:
THEY CAN`T GIVE UP “MY” CHURCH:
THEY CAN`T GIVE UP “MY” POISITON OF HEAD PASTOR, PRESIDENT, BIBLE COLLIEGE SUPERINTENDANT ETC:
THEY CAN`T GIVE UP “MY” FRIENDS:
THEY CAN`T GIVE UP “MY” FAMILY:
THEY CAN`T GIVE UP “MY” HOUSE:
THEY CAN`T GIVE UP “MY” KIDS:
THEY CAN`T GIVE UP “MY” STIPEND:
THEY CAN`T GIVE UP “MY” CAR:
THEY CAN`T GIVE UP “MY” PODIUM:
THEY CAN`T GIVE UP “MY” PRE-EMINENCE:
THEY CAN`T GIVE UP “MY” RECOGNITION, ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FROM “MY” PIERS AS A PREACHER, TEACHER:
THEY CAN`T GIVE
UP “MY” REPUTATION IN THIS
COMMJUNITY THAT “I” HAVE SPENT
THEY CAN`T GIVE UP “MY” SECURITY THAT I WORK SO HARD FOR:
THEY CAN`T GIVE UP “THE CORPORATE IMAGE” OF AOG, COC, HARVEST, REHMA, LIVING WATERS, CHRISTIAN CITY CHURCH, AND GO IT ALONE, BECAUSE THEY NEED TO BE IDENTIFIED WITH THESE ABOMINATIONS SO AS TO,….BUILD CREDITABILITY, RESPECT, BECOME KNOWN, MAKE A NAME FOR THEMSELVES AMONG THE PEOPLE, SO THEY CAN GAIN, AND KEEP CONGREGATIONS, KEEP “MY” PODIUM, SO AS “I” CAN BE SEEN OF MEN. MEN THAT KNOW IF THEY GO IT ALONE, THEY HAVE NO POWER TO MAKE IT WORK, “DENYING THE POWER THEREOF:” 2 TIM. 3/5.
THEY CAN`T “FORSAKE ALL,” AND FOLLOW HIM”:
THEY CAN`T “TAKE UP THE CROSS,” “DAILY:”
THEY CAN`T “DENY SELF:” “LOVERS OF THEIR OWN SELVES:”
THEY CAN`T SELLOUT FOR JESUS:
Yep, as I am
constantly reminded by many of you, “not all are doing the things you say in
your writings, there are many good men out there, trying very hard in their
walk with Jesus, men that have good hearts, men that are sincere, MEN THAT ARE OBEDIENT TO THE BIBLE,”………
(just as the young man in the above scripture thought he was:) “MEN THAT HAVE A
FORM OF GODLINESS:” 2 TIM. 3/5. MEN THAT ARE BLIND TO THEIR OWN DECEIVINGS,
“SPORTING THEMSELVES WITH THEIR OWN DECEIVINGS WHILE THEY FEAST WITH YOU;” 2
PET. 2/13.
MEN THAT ARE CONDITIONAL IN THEIR SERVICE FOR THE KING
OF KINGS, MEN THAT HAVE BARGAINING PLEAS, MEN THAT LOVE THEIR COMFORT ZONES,
“LOVERS OF THEIR OWN SELVES, COVETOUS, LOVERS OF PLEASURES,” MORE THAN LOVERS
OF THE KING OF KINGS: 2 TIM. 3/1-5.
……………………………………HIRELINGS:…………………………………………
Yep, as I am
constantly reminded by many of you, there are those whose ministry does not
reflect a lot of the things that we write, “their sins are not open beforehand,
going before to judgment; THEY FOLLOW
AFTER:” 1 Tim. 5/24; and those that are lukewarm, tardy, religious,
institutionalized, vacillating, idolatrous hypocrites, will be totally fooled
by their pretence, their charade, their act, their floorshow, THEIR LIES:
MEN THAT DESERT THE SINKING SHIP LIKE RATS, WHEN THERE
IS NOT ENOUGH MONEY IN THE OFFERINGS TO PAY THEIR WAY ON SUNDAYS:
MEN THAT OFFEND JESUS LITTLE LAMBS WHEN THEIR “SPACE,”
THEIR “COMFORT ZONE,” THEIR “FALSE DOCTRINE,” THEIR “POSITION,” THEIR “IMAGE,”
IS ENCROACHED UPON, OR THREATENED: MEN WHOSE FIRST REACTION IS TO, ……………PROTECT
SELF:…………………………………….
I KNOW THEY LOVE JESUS,……….UP TO A POINT,……… JUST LIKE
THE YOUNG MAN IN THE SCRIPTURE ABOVE, …..BUT….THEY WILL NOT, CANNOT, TRULY
FORSAKE ALL,…………………..AND FOLLOW HIM:…………………………………
THEREFORE, JUST AS THE YOUNG MAN DID:……………………………………….
THEY WILL “BE SAD AT THAT SAYING, AND GO AWAY
GRIEVED:”
(“THERE SHALL BE WEEPING AND GNASHING OF TEETH:”)
FOR……..THEY……..HAVE……….GREAT………POSSESSIONS……………………..
(GREAT, “POLUS,” MEANING, MUCH IN NUMBER, QUANTITY,
AMOUNT; ZODIATES WORD DICTIONARY.)
THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD OF
THOU……………SHALT……………NOT…………………COVET………………….
RO. 7/7, 13/9.
(COVET, “EPITHUMEO,” MEANING, TO HAVE AFFECTIONS
DIRECTED TOWARD SOMETHING, TO DESIRE, LUST, LONG AFTER: ZODIATES DICTIONARY.)
Bevan Kluver,
Straight Talk Ministries,
Ph/Fax 07 55452874,
Website www.straighttalkmin.org
bevan.kluver@bigpond.com
“speaking the truth in love, in the spirit of
meekness, earnestly contending for the faith;”
“HELPING HIM PREPARE A BRIDE WITHOUT SPOT OR BLEMISH:”
HATING EVEN THE GARMENT SPOTTED BY THE FLESH:”