Precious Jewels

"What is the Lord up to for Heaven’s sake?” Most of us have seen or heard of thegold dust falling in meetings, precious gems appearing and even growing larger in people’s hands. Feathers floating down, manna appearing in people’s Bibles, oil coming from people’s hands. Some say ‘hocus pocus: it is being planted to draw in the crowds,’ or others say ‘this can’t be God.’

What do you say when you hear or see these things?

Is this a hoax of God allowing us to see a glimpse of heave, the New Jerusalem, where the walls are built with jewels and the roads made of gold.

(Rev. 21: 18-21) The constrction of its wall was jasper. The city was pure gold, like pure glass. The foundations of the city’s wall were adorned with all kinds of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third chalcedony; the fourth, emerald; the fifth , sardonyx; the sixth sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprasus; the eleventh, jacinth; and the twelfth, amethyst. Each one of the gates was made of one pearl. The street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

Can we even in our imaginations contemplate the beauty and splendour or what the Lord has prepared for His people? I choose to believe that the Father is pleased when His children delight in the gifts He is giving them. When we become so closed minded and suspicious of our fellow man, we lose that childlike faith which the Lord wants us to have. If the Lord can grow new limbs on people, open blind eyes, open deaf ears then He can certainly cause a few angels to shed our way and sprinkle some sidewalk dust on us!

Does that mean we accept everything that comes our way? Certainly not: we need discernment in this hour more that any other time. Doctrine of demons is being preached, the elect are being deceived, every week it seems like one more leader has fallen or been found in sin. This is the hour when the enemy is prowling around like a roaring lion seeking those he can devour. We need to examine what we are being fed through the microscope of the Word of God. The Bereans searched the scriptures to see if what they were hearing was of the Lord. There is a difference between being childlike and being naïve.

The religious spirit makes us critical and suspicious, and I believe robs us of many experiences that the Lord wants to give His people. When we read Ezekiel or Revelation there are many amazing and different things that John and Ezekiel were shown and experienced. Do we dismiss those things as fantasy or sleight of hand? Do we think that was for then this is now?

Well, you might say I can’t find any reference to feathers falling; maybe not, but it does mention several times about the Lord hiding us under His wings. Maybe the feathers are to remind us who is our protector and covering. The manna was heavenly food given to sustain the Israelites in the desert; manna in a Bible could be to remind us that God will provide supernaturally and that His word is the heavenly food He has given to sustain us.

Mal. 3: 16-18 Then those who feared the Lord talked often one to another; and the Lord listened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him of those who reverenced and worshipfully feared the Lord and show thought on His name. And they shall be Mine, says the Lord of hosts, in that day when I publicly recognize and openly declare them to be My jewels (My special possession, My peculiar treasure). And I will spare them, as a man spares his own son who serves him. Then shall you return and discern between him who serves God and him who does not serve Him.

This is what the Lord says about those who fear and reverence Him; we are His jewels, His precious possession. He wants to pour out upon us His riches in glory – He loves us beyond our understanding and wants to draw us into an intimate, closer relationship with Him. In the natural, a man in love pours out gifts to his bride and who are we, but the Bride of Christ.

I don’t want to be robbed by fear, skepticism or a religious mindset of all the Lord wants to show or reveal to me. But I also pray that I am able to discern between the true and the false, the holy and the unholy.

Lord, give us discernment in this hour

Jane Jones
National Prayer Coordinator

Jane Jones is an elder at St Peter's Okotoks, Alberta and the National Prayer Coordinator of ARM.

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This page was posted on May 30, 2009.