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Will You Pay the Price ?
The story is told a Russian immigrant to the United who was totally amazed at the incredible variety of instant products available in American grocery stores. He says "on my first shopping trip, I saw powdered milk...you just add water and you get milk. Then I saw powdered orange juice...you just add water and you get orange juice. And then I saw baby powder and I thought to myself, what a country!"
Not much in life is really instant or easy. Babies take months to develop inside the womb and we as believers are constantly clay in the Potter's hands. As He molds and makes us into His image there is a high cost to be paid. Salvation may be a free gift but following the Savior will cost you everything. Understand that today, for if you want the power of YHWH in your life then you must be willing to make sacrifices. Abraham offered his son, Matthew lost his job as a tax collector, and Y'shua gave up His very breath. The Scriptures show time and time again that there is always a sacrifice to YHWH before there is a gift from YHWH. If we desire the power and presence of YHWH in our lives then we must be willing to pay the price. Exodus 38:21-40:38, which is this week's Torah portion, alludes to the high cost and high blessing of the anointing. The weekly reading even outlines how we can experience more of YHWH in our lives. First, we read of Moshe taking an accounting of the gold, silver and copper donated for the tabernacle. These precious items were donations given by the Hebrew people during a voluntary offering. The gifts for the tabernacle were not mandatory! Each person chose to donate. They considered their belongings and gave and gave and gave. Moshe takes time to properly tally the items that were received. This shows us that during our spiritual transformation there will be an "accounting." We must recognize the price of sinful words and thoughts. We must also recognize the cost of following the Messiah in spirit and in truth. This faith isn't easy. "Suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple," Luke 14:28-33.
Once the price has been considered there should be an effort to "put on Messiah." The priests were to adorn themselves with the holy garments. We are to take up the full armor of YHWH and "put on the mind of Messiah," Philippians 2:5. This means that we lay down our desires and thoughts and take up His ways. We also begin to work out our salvation through faith, truth, the sword of the spirit, and righteousness. If we yield our thoughts and actins to the Creator then our life will produce goodness. If our mind and mood are based on selfishness then our life will product death. "Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey--whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?," Romans 6:16. The third phase of walking in YHWH's power is receiving the anointing of the Ruach HaKadesh / Holy Spirit. This anointing is the power of YHWH to demonstrate love and forgiveness. The anointing is given to preach to the poor, heal and restore, proclaim freedom to the captives, open blind eyes, prisoners free, and give wisdom. We receive this anointing after we have decided to be clothed in YHWH. With Moshe the anointing was a special olive oil that was poured on the priests. This oil symbolized the Set Apart Holy Spirit that would minister to the people of Israel through the actions of the priesthood. "But as for you, the anointing (the sacred appointment, the unction) which you received from Him abides [permanently] in you; [so] then you have no need that anyone should instruct you. But just as His anointing teaches you concerning everything and is true and is no falsehood, so you must abide in (live in, never depart from) Him [being rooted in Him, knit to Him], just as [His anointing] has taught you [to do]," 1 John 2:27 from the Amplified Bible. Finally, the glory of YHWH appears over the tabernacle. The manifest presence of the Almighty doesn't just appear! The divine habitation is granted to those who pay the price, deny themselves, walk in the anointing, and put on the mind of Messiah. We are told to "come near to YHWH and He will come near to you." This means that we should take the proper steps to approach YHWH knowing that He graciously rewards those who diligently seek Him. Notice the gradual progression in our Torah portion and in our lives... -deny thyself and pay the price by accounting for sin and obedience) -clothe yourself in righteousness by putting on the mind of Messiah - walk in the anointing through showing love and grace to others by flowing in the gifts of the Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKadesh - experience the divine presence of YHWH Living in victory isn't instant. We must pursue the Almighty and resist the enemy and his deception. As we deny ourselves, take up the mind of messiah and recognize His anointing we will indeed experience the habitation of the Shekinah glory of YHWH. This is what we all need. The question is - "will we pay the price?"
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