The Camel’s Needle
6/20/20
Most of us have heard about this saying with some even
having it applied to our lives directly. But while it is a popular saying
that is used against many people, it really should not be one that is quickly
determined to decimate people’s financial stability. See, everything we
do comes from the heart and through these actions originate our motives and
while it is a knee jerk reaction to place the rich into this category, we must
stop and look at their hearts before placing labels upon them. God wants
us to be blessed by Him but when our blessings become inhabited without giving
it is then that the phrase should be turned into privilege. Until that
moment, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the blessings of God to our
lives; of course, the world shall label you with their own habits but what do
you expect from such a disastrous and selfish entity? So, let us learn
more about the heart when it comes to matters of blessings versus privilege and
how we should be acting according to God.
I have never been one who has tried to learn how to sew
and to be honest never really wanted to learn either. But when I went into the military, part of
our basic training included a small instructional course on how to sew things
back together because we know that when time s are tough or you are in a bind
your clothing and equipment shall always stand up to those conditions. So, Darin had to learn how to sew and since
many times electricity and other accommodating luxuries are not around in the
middle of nowhere, you have to be prepared, even all the way down to carry
your own needles and thread. Most of you
know I wear glasses and have done so since 4th grade. So you can imagine that my eyesight is not
the sharpest when it comes to small things up close. It is difficult for me to get the thread into
the eye of the needle and if you watch me for a bit it shall become quite
funny, for it does not take me too long to become frustrated with this process
and the stitching up process requires me to ask for help or it comes crashing
to a complete stop.
It does not matter how you justify God to the world, it
shall always reject everything that He stands for and upholds. For some
reason, the Church has forgotten this fact of Kingdom life and more confounding
is that she has now begun to accept aspects and concepts of the world into her
confines and spiritual atmosphere, a dangerous place to be when God comes
looking to communicate with her. One of the major faults that we have
with this verse is that we usually contend to keep it on a personal level alone
and ignore the entire Church setting when it comes to blessings. I
understand that financial times fluctuate and there are even times where money
and resources are extremely scarce, but even so, these worldly conditions should
not distract us from the heart’s love to give to those that are in need.
So as we continue to read this note from God, do not close off our hearts and
say that I have a problem with this topic, but keep the Church in mind as well
for what the Church does for the lost is exactly what Christ commanded us to so
in His name. The difference between a blessing and a privilege is based
upon the verses that God uses in this article and once we reacquaint ourselves
with these two definitions again, it will become quite clear that we have
failed in many ways along these lines.
Matthew 19:24
“And again I say
unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for
a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”
Luke 6:38
Give, and it shall
be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and
running over, shall men give into your bosom.
For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to
you again.”
When one looks at these two passages, they could be
construed as contradicting each other. I
have heard some folks argue these two points on each side of their issue and
principle but unless one understands the concept of why Jesus mentioned this
plus the added bonus of blessings that come from God, along with the command
Jesus gave to His followers to do, it can easily be missed and thus tainted and
twisted by the enemy into a weapon of destruction and mistrust of God, both of
which are prime examples of earthly disobedience (sin)? There is an old tradition concerning camels
and how they entered into the gates of the city. Gates were the only passageways into the
cities and one did not make them to easily or luxuriously able to enter, for
the gates served first as defensive mechanisms while under enemy attack. Each small entrance was called the needle’s
eye for it controlled the number of people that went in and out at all times,
plus it was easy to shut and to lock from the inside so one could leave or get without force. When one looks at this
proverb and then applies it to the Scriptures, it makes sense of what Jesus
trying to get across to those listening to His words.
All throughout the Bible, it gives us a picture of people
who have been blessed in countless ways with unique blessings from God. It fathoms some people as to why God gives
such tidings yet His Son makes a statement such as this one in Matthew; there
again, aid for adversity when it comes to the complexity of the Word of
God. But in truth, it is not what God
gives us that makes us a rich man within our hearts, it is what we do with
those blessings that set off bells and whistles in the spiritual realm that
cause the problems. See, the job of the
world is to take away from you with the allure that you will get something in
return, this is a complete lie and one that goes against human existence for
even our individual cells give all they have to ensure a healthy life for the
remaining cells in our bodies. What
would occur if the cells stopped functioning as they were created and began to
work for themselves alone? It seems
absurd but it actually does occur in one state and that state is when the body
is in its death phase with no hope remaining.
Think about this for a moment and the concept of blessings and going
into all the world and preaching the gospel should take on an entirely
different meaning.
So, how does all of this fit into the words of Jesus in
Matthew and at the same time are tied to the words of Luke? Honestly, we are witnessing this tie being
played out today, yes, even today as in the day that you are reading this
article’s content. Look at the people
and lives of those who live in Africa, Thailand, or any other place that do not
have the so-called “living standards” that the western societies have, what
makes them different than we? It is
their hearts and how they treat each other as each day of their lives
pass. They may not be as fortunate as we
are in the West, but I can guarantee that they give WAY more than you and I do
to others. And here lies the impact that
we are currently witnessing across our TV screens, computers, and phones. When people do not give the blessings that
God has given us to others, with a gracious and grateful heart, then our
blessings are mutated by Satan and the world into privilege. It is this concept that most of us live in
today and do not even realize it. Why?
It is because when we become dependent on the things of the world, instead of the giving of the reliance upon God to others we become blind to the
Truth about why we were told to dress and to keep the Garden of Eden thus
prostituting the command that Jesus gave to us to go into the world and preach
the gospel to those who are lost. How
dare we hoard the most important bit of information that can be ever processed
by the human heart! It is this point in
our lives that our monetary and physical setting becomes greater than our
spiritual setting and it is this exact point that Jesus was telling those
beautiful people about. Privileged items
become selfish harbors, not flowing or running over to others as our blessings
should do. Anything that is harbored
within is idle, not going anywhere and at that moment useless. God cannot stand uselessness or idleness for
they represent stagnation and not being active or alive.
You say that you give to the church soup kitchens, or
volunteer at the homeless shelter in your neighborhood or town. That is all well and good but Jesus asks you
this simple question: I see that you do all of these things for the public good
but how many of these lost people have you told about Me? It is this point right here that God wants us
to think about when we consider ourselves to be rich because if you do things
yet not witness to others, you may be physically rich and mighty in citified
power but you are drop-dead poor when it comes to getting that camel through
the eye of the needle. An old haunted
saying is coming back to fruition today and it is this: “misery index” and it
is playing such a huge role in our societies that no one really knows how to
deal with all of its “blessings”. True
blessings from God used for the advancement of His Kingdom give Satan no time
or room for twisting the Truth, it is when we relax and stop our giving to
others that Satan leaps and gains a hold.
Boy, have we given him not only a hold on our societies but we have
allowed him to take a stronghold in the physical and the spiritual realms of
our hearts as well.
God has always been a Leader who walks and leads His
children in one direction no matter what lies ahead of us, beside us, or behind
us. God continually moves His Kingdom
forward without interruption but we are His hands and feet to the lost. It is through our blessings from Him that
gives us the ability to share them with others.
Physical wealth is a matter to which God gives and takes away, sometimes
with a warning and sometimes without, but in all circumstances, God is in control
and shall do justice in His dealings with the human heart. I guarantee you that if a person’s spiritual
wealth outweighs and out-sizes the physical there shall be no problem of that
person getting through the eye of the needle into the city. It is this Kingdom concept that should be
daily practiced in each and everyone who considers themselves to be a
Christian. This type of spiritual wealth should be our desire and goal in life,
for when you not only pass out physical blessings but also your spiritual gifts to
others will be influential to them for eternity. The good thing about blessings is that when
you give them to others (flowing), God sees this and blesses you more and deeper. It is this Truth that God desires each and
every single one of His children to have.
Sadly, Church, you have allowed this privilege process to
develop and to now thrive in generations of people that have no concept of what
to do with the possessions they have.
This nation has been so blessed over the centuries that we have no idea
now about how we obtained such a status.
Church, we have been so caught up within ourselves that we have forgotten
the Truth about what we are supposed to be telling the dying world. We have lost the concept that the blessings
of God need to be poured out onto others and if we do not thrive on pouring out
and flowing the spiritual blessings (Salvation) of God how can we not portray a
selfish and greedy lifestyle to the world?
Don’t you realize we are practicing the exact portrayal of what the
people project today? Think about this
Church, we are sinking fast and I do not know how much longer God will wait
before He passes His Holy judgment on our land.
And if we fail to recognize this Truth from God, do not stand in shock
on the day He chooses to move His hand against us.
Church, how do we measure up to this standard Jesus gave
in Matthew or what was spoken as what a blessing means to people in Luke? How are those buildings that we occupy
shaping up to be? How many are in
attendance each week with a new visitor or family that needs God in their
lives? How many have we witnessed to
over the past year, I mean really witnessed to them? Walking around looking holy and saying
nothing to rile up people does not make you different than others around you,
the world does that and has represented that course ever since humans were
around. How different are you from the
rioters who are breaking into stores and stealing what others have bought or
had to offer? Church, how much have you
stolen from God’s children in the fact that you have robbed others from their
spiritual blessings due to the fact your actions said nothing about their need
for God. People are hurting, just look
at the screens that we receive our information on and it cannot be hidden. Now, honestly, tell me, more importantly, tell
God, what the definition of a rich man is.
He already knows your heart, will He accept the definition you offer or
will you stop and complain that the entrance to the inner courts of God is too
narrow?
DLB
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