treasure | Missing Pieces

For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them,…(Matt 25:3)

If you have been wise enough to heed James Corbett’s documentary (How Big Oil Conquered the World) relating the history of how the oil industry has taken over medicine, finance, education, and agriculture, then you know that Satan once again has his counterfeit of YHVH’s genuine provision.

Satan’s workers have manipulated events, industries, and perceptions in order to attain wealth for themselves at severe and often devastating cost to others. Yeshua warned us to be wise to the enemy’s ways, to understand how the enemy works. “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.…” (Matt 10:16)

Yeshua also warned us about the values of the kingdom of darkness. “What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight” (Luke 16:15) Those who desire to attain this world’s wealth have made crude oil their god and it will lead to destruction. Those of us who follow Yeshua must pursue another type of oil. This Oil is our God, better known as the Holy Spirit. Yeshua set aside His power to show us the power and glory of His Oil. Philippians 2:1-11 shows us how to use this Oil properly. Yeshua did not grasp the power that was rightfully His, but emptied Himself to show us how to thrive in YHVH’s kingdom.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed. . . . (Luke 4:18)

The world’s oil is pursued by a few to enrich themselves, thus resulting in impoverishing many. YHVH’s Oil is intended for all who pursue Him and is designed to enrich all.

When one day we stand before the Judge, crude oil and all that it can buy will be as dung. If we have selfishly pursued building our own kingdom instead of pursuing YHVH’s kingdom, we will stand condemned even if we were revered by the world.

Those of us who have pursued YHVH’s kingdom and His Holy Spirit with reckless abandon will be rewarded with treasures far superior to any treasures the kingdom of darkness can offer. Kingdom of darkness treasures will wear out, but Kingdom of light treasures will never be destroyed.

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matt 6:19-21)

How is it that the masses have been so gullible and allowed themselves to be manipulated and deceived? Is it possible that the majority of those who profess to follow Yeshua have not pursued His Oil with a fraction of the vigor and zeal that Satan’s servants have demonstrated in pursuing the world’s oil? How active have we been in increasing YHVH’s kingdom on earth and teaching His values? Yeshua has restored dominion of the earth to His followers, but how zealous have we been to restore the earth to Yeshua? If we have dominion over the earth, then through Yeshua’s power and authority, we can change the very atmosphere of our environment. Our Oil enables us to blaze forth to vanquish the darkness that currently prevails.

Of course, there is great risk in promoting values that oppose the world’s current culture. Yeshua Himself suffered the consequences for doing so and warned us to expect the same treatment. “Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also (John 15:20).

These are harsh words to ingest, especially for those of us who have been nestled in our comfort zones for so long. Our comfort zones provide nothing more than a delusion that we are secure. We must renew our minds and realize that our only security lies in risking all for YHVH’s kingdom. We will only be able to carry out our assignments if we have the Oil that YHVH provides.

“But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” (Matt 10:19-20)

There has long prevailed a distorted teaching that the Holy Spirit and all that He brings are “not for today, but was provided only to get the church established.” Actually it is YHVH’s kingdom that needs to be established and when we call it “church” we seem to lose sight of the true goal. If we are not guided by the Holy Spirit, we will be guided by earthly values and our efforts will merely contribute to Satan’s kingdom. Yeshua’s words in Matthew 25 refer to the Holy Spirit as the Oil that will prepare us for the Bridegroom’s return. Since the Bridegroom has not yet returned, we should be diligently pursuing the Oil of the Holy Spirit, lest we are caught unawares and be shut out forever. May the Bridegroom find each one of our lamps brimming with Oil when He returns.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it (Matt 13:45-46 NIV)

Have you ever thought of yourself as valuable? Have you ever considered your true worth? Do you realize how precious you are?

After Adam and Eve sinned, they lost their glory. They were stained, no longer perfect. They saw their nakedness and were embarrassed and ashamed (Gen 3:7 NLT). They tried to cover up their loss of glory by using fig leaves sewn together. It was not enough. They were still “damaged goods.”

Even though YHVH was angry with them for their disobedience and lack of trust, He took pity on them. He slew animals and made temporary coverings for Adam and Eve. The Author of life now had to take back the life that He had given to some innocent animals, so that Adam and Eve could be covered, not just physically, but spiritually.

Animals continued to be sacrificed to cover the sins of Adam and Eve’s offspring. All of nature suffered right along with humans. The blemishes and stains multiplied, while the glory of creation diminished.

The enemy must have thought he had accomplished his goal. Surely the perfect Creator would discard the earth and its inhabitants. How could YHVH, Who is pure and holy, accept something so tarnished especially those who had been created in His image and likeness? They were a lost cause, or so the enemy thought.

However, the all-knowing and all-seeing YHVH was already prepared with a plan to rescue and restore what had been damaged or lost. In due time, YHVH would beget a Son and send this most precious Son to be the ultimate sacrifice for us. The spotless and blameless Yeshua would be sacrificed for the sinful and guilty.

Yeshua embraced this role, and willingly sacrificed all that He had, even His own body, to pay our debt and our ransom to get us back. Through Yeshua’s shed blood we are once again restored to glory. Yeshua looked through all the ugliness of our sin and saw something precious, so valuable buried within us that He gave everything that He had to purchase us. What unseen glory awaits us now that we belong to Him again?

And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit (2 Cor 3:18 NIV)