Old Dog V
Servants And Stewards
Bob Neumann, 12.27.2001
Several years ago i was led by THE MOST HOLY SPIRIT to interact with a “prophetic” site. I did so for several years till my “personality” became too offensive for many. But during that time i was led to share with the group a “word” from my MASTER about being a “servant”. Later HE said that in HIS HOUSE there is only room for servants and stewards. At the time there were a few who read and received that “word”. As i read what Alex and Stephen have written about the approaching “order”, i hear THE MOST HOLY SPIRIT whisper, “NOW CHOOSE YOU THIS DAY.… WHOM WILL YOU SERVE?”
Funny how often we have heard this question from the mouths of so many well meaning men, and we all “know” the “spiritually correct response”. As for me and my house, we will serve THE LORD. In reality, what is written in HIS WORD is different…too bad Joshua was not expecting his words to be so poorly used. Or the intent and purpose so blatantly butchered. I think the original meaning is on time and on target for today. Please look at WHAT IS WRITTEN…
13 And I have given you a land for which ye did not labour, and cities which ye built not, and ye dwell in them; of the vineyards and oliveyards which ye planted not do ye eat.
14 Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.
15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
16 And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods;
17 For the LORD our God, he it is that brought us up and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and which did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the people through whom we passed:
18 And the LORD drave out from before us all the people, even the Amorites which dwelt in the land: therefore will we also serve the LORD; for he is our God.
19 And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the LORD: for he is an holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins.
20 If ye forsake the LORD, and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath done you good.
21 And the people said unto Joshua, Nay; but we will serve the LORD.
22 And Joshua said unto the people, Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you the LORD, to serve him. And they said, We are witnesses.
23 Now therefore put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the LORD God of Israel.
24 And the people said unto Joshua, The LORD our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey.
25 So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and set them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem.
Every time i read verses 14 and 15 i get cold chills. These people are the “generation X”, the “wilderness generation” that the amerikan church has been pushing for years. They dwelt under the SHEKINAH and ate Manna. They watched the river Jordan back up and Jericho’s walls fall. Now Joshua tells them to get rid of their idols….THEIR IDOLS????? Yes. Any different from today?
Now i have to go back to verse 15….HOW CAN JOSHUA SAY…”And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD……..”. How could it seem evil to serve GOD? Well Isaiah said that there would be a people that had a real problem with discernment. “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” It would seem their taste buds are not so good. But David clarifies this nicely in his song that states.… “O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.” Can you imagine the Joshua Generation HAD NEVER tasted the GOODNESS David sung about?
Please try…
David could sing AT ALL TIMES I WILL BLESS THE LORD….because he was “a man after GOD’S own HEART”. The Joshua Generation had their idols hidden and guarded. So it is today. Which makes me wonder why so few fear the LORD enough to keep their mouths shut when listening to other spirits. Joshua gave a dire warning that applies to us as heavily as it did the people who entered THE LAND GOD PROMISED.
19 And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the LORD: for he is an holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins.
20 If ye forsake the LORD, and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath done you good.
Joshua makes two interesting points. First, that idol worshipers can not serve a HOLY GOD. Now that should be a given for all of us. JESUS HIMSELF SAID… No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. The second point is in verse 20 those who forsake GOD have no chance to be forgiven. This same image is in HEBREWS 6…
4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
Anyone notice the image from HEBREWS of TASTING the “good word of GOD”? I’m sorry, but it ties everything together. A TRUE SERVANT must have TASTED GOD….just like DAVID DID.
Anyone remember…But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. I could say that SERVANTS live on THE BREAD OF THE WORD….but that is a cop out. In Matthew 4 we see the term “WORD”.
In greek it is RHEMA. Not LOGOS. It is the SPIRIT OF PROPHESY that is mentioned by JOHN on Patmos. It is the revealing of Y’SHUA as a living and dynamic part of our existance that brings us “LIFE”. Funny how HE PUT IT to the 12 “apostles”…
53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you
54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day
55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed
56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him
57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me
It is a lot simpler to eat Manna lying on the ground. Or to chew on the RHEMA that “falls” down to us from the heavenlies. But it is real hard to get close up and into HIS FACE to “eat” HIS FLESH and to “drink” HIS BLOOD. It takes the image of “abiding” to a level the church has never perceived. Not long ago on this forum the cry “ONLY JESUS” went up and down the line. At the time i kept hearing HIS WORDS “EXCEPT YOU EAT…..AND DRINK…….”. Faintly aware i would eventually get to this point today i tried to stay out of the issue…at that time.
Today there is so “much to do” about mantles, positions, offices. Must seem to HIM a lot like the 12 jockeying for position just before THE LAST SUPPER. Back then HE HAD TO WASH THEIR FEET…funny how an image repeated here with PETER.
6 Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet
7 Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter
8 Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me
Here we see “washing” and “eating” suddenly on the same level. Unless we do as HE SAYS….we are outside of HIS PLANS….HIS WILL….HIS KINGDOM.
Suddenly we are forced to use the term “obedience”. A true servant obeys his/her MASTER. This is where the whole issue of LOVE falls into it ALEX. We can only LOVE ONE MASTER. And HE SAID CLEARLY….IF YOU LOVE ME you WILL OBEY MY COMMANDMENTS. And then HE “ADDS” a “NEW COMMANDMENT”…..that they love one another. No, it really was not new, but it was HIS SPECIFIC COMMAND for them. Sort of like when JOSHUA said..… Now therefore put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the LORD God of Israel.
Be honest, GOD told them to dump the idols 70 years earlier…in the 10 COMMANDMENTS. Didn’t mean too much it seems. Maybe that is why the church today is such a nasty place to be in? His “friends” never followed that command…..they never were interested in “loving one another”. I guess that is why “pastors”, “elders”, “bishops”, “prophets”, “teachers”, “evangelists”, and “apostles” have kept everything in a major mess. They were too busy polishing their titles and anointings to be bothered with the “least of these”. Being a servant washing everyone else’s feet is not good enough for some who plan to rule and reign for eternity. They have their agendas for the MILLENNIUM all planned out.
Servants and stewards are rewarded if they have doubled their talents. They do well if they are awake and sober “serving” meat to their “fellow servants” when HE RETURNS. Stewardship has nothing to do with plowing money into a local church. It has everything to do at keeping fellow servants focused and content at doing WHAT PLEASES THE MASTER….even when it seems long in coming.
Funny how David looked at the future……
One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.
5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock
6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD
Psalm 84
How amiable are thy tabernacles, O LORD of hosts
2 My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God
3 Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O LORD of hosts, my King, and my God
Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee. Selah.
Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them.
Who
6 passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools
They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.
8 O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer: give ear, O God of Jacob. Selah
Behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of thine anointed.
10 For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness
For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.
How simple and good it is to serve GOD.
selah bob neumann
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