NOT ALL THAT GLITTERS IS GOLD

Human beings have value for piece of metal called gold. It is the highest most valued metal. We work hard to get it; compete in athletics to obtain the award of gold and excel in field of endeavors to achieve or earn it. We dedicate the whole of our lives and resources; some sacrifice everything they have in search of the most precious metal called gold. They are most time disappointed to find out what they have worked so hard to get is not real gold, resulting in a worthless piece that may be shinning, glittering but they are near – gold or iron pyrite (or fool’s gold). For example: If you visit jewelries or trinket shop, you will see a lot of shinning and glittering jewelries – bangles, ear rings, necklets, etc that are not real goal. There cost less to fetch and available for little or no price (made in China). Most women go for them because there look like gold but are not real thing.

In pursue of this piece of metal, their life (youth) is gone; their hopes vanished, their expectations dashed; their family destitute and all they have left in their bank account is such insignificant pieces that may not worth the true value. Some in the process of searching for the metal, their health have been ruined, their families destroyed and in the process, their images tainted. For example: In some families, both parents work two jobs. The children are left at the mercies of Day Care or kept at home with television and computer and video game at their disposal. The more work they do, the more they spend and less they save. That which they consider most valuable is left uncared for, in pursue of “fool’s gold” and lost “real gold.” Parents have to make a choice whether to chase fool gold or true gold.

“The world is on the verge of a time a great public display of miracles. Some will be done by God’s true servants and some will be done by Satan-empowered false prophets” – Wayne Blank.  Some have resorted to occultism to get rich or obtain this precious metal but devastated at last. Some have exchanged human lives in pursue of the gold but at the end, regret for not knowing what made gold. Upon discovery of this gold-like metal they are filled with happiness, pride, greed, hatred, jealousy, selfishness and hope of becoming wealthy, but only to lose it all in a moment when confronted with test of reality. Jesus Christ, the Son of God also warned against the fool’s gold or the workers of false miracles. “False messiahs and false prophets will come and work great miracles and signs. They will even try to fool God’s chosen ones. But I have warned you ahead of time” (CE) (Matthew 24:24-25). Another version put it this way, “For there shall arise false Christ’s, and false prophets and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” Also read 2 Thessalonians 2:5:12; Revelations 11: 3-6; 13:13-18.

In the name of God, some had made fake prophecies and tell people what they want to hear and become “spoke-man” for God. Some speak through cultural prejudices and traditional intuition or accultic exposition but not the voice of God. All that prophesy is not God, some are fakeness and vainness. Read: Amos 7:14-15 – one whom God calls and sent; he/she speaks for God and God gives such one His authority and power to stand in His place for Him.

1)    From Genesis of the scripture God created Garden of Eden and in it, He planted various trees and put man to reside in it and tend the garden. Given all the fruits to eat but should not eat tree of knowledge of good and evil for the day he eats it, he will die.

2)    The test (trial) was to know whether man will choose to obey God or other influences (Satan) challenging his obedience.

3)    We all know that Adam failed the test as he disobeyed God but listened and believed Satan’s lies who said you will not die.

4)    By this singled act, he incurred punishment (death), not only for himself but all human race.

5)    Adam had forsaken God’s directive and submitted to the deceit of Satan.

6)    He forsakes the truth for false (fool’s gold).

Three (3) ways in which God tries or test prevailing people concerning their discernment of Spiritual gold:

1)    His commandment: (Genesis 2: 15-17; 3: 11; James 1:13-18)

*God commanded man not to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge even though it looked/ appeared:

1. Edible
2. Appetizing
3. Present (available)
4. Accessible
5. (reddish/ appealing to the eye).

• Adam had no desire to disobey His Creator until the serpent approached him through Eve. Today the enemy still approach or attack us through our spouses, our children, friends and closed relations – the body may be he/she but the voice is different.
• Adam failed to stand up to the test by his own personal/own will (not the will of God).
• Adam was lured to the fruit through the wife God gave him.(Adam was quick to put disclaimer – I did not choose her).He chose to believe the wife and accepted the fruit from her than believed God. However, Job’s wife challenged him to curse God and die but Job knew better than to raise a voice on his Creature and God. His wife’s opinion comes first after God’s (Job 2:9-10).Your wife comes first after God!!!
• God provided for man: life, authority, and communion with Him and the Garden with all of its beauty and sustaining fruits.
• However, one tree and one tempter were allowed to exist in the perfect environment so man could prove to his Creator that with his will, he would worship and obey His commandment.
• By God’s word, He proved human’s loyalty and devotion even in the midst of worship and perfect surroundings. Perfection upon this earth is not the absence of evil in our surroundings but perfection is when man chooses to be obedience to God’s word amidst great temptation.
• 2 Peter 3: 3-11
• Most easy route leads to fleshy desires and departure from godly restraints. God’s law is present for external reward not for present earthly pleasures.Gratifying of the flesh seems very attractive and appealing but where does it leads you to?
• Matthew 7: 21-23
• Matthew 15:8-9
• Matthew 25:21
• Rev. 3:10

2. In God’s Absence/ no watching or looking:

Gen 39:7-9: When Potiphar was at work; his wife tempted Joseph (their Hebrew slave boy) to come and sleep with her.

2 Sam 11:1-4: When kings went to battle, King David stayed at home

2 Sam 13:7-12: When Amman was in pretense to be ill, so Tamra, his half sister could be brought to him. He lusted after her and eventually raped her

2 Kings 5: 20-27: When Geheza thought he was out of his master’s sight

Gen 38: 12: Judah and Tamar

*When you close the door

*When you are in another town/city

 God came down in the cool of the day to walk with Adam and it was during His absence that Adam broke God’s commandment by eating the forbidden fruit. God was not present even though His spirit was not absent (Gen 3:8).

• They did not pulse a minute or wait for a while to inquire from God of this new concept that the serpent introduced.
• Could it have made any difference, if Eve waited to discuss with her head, Adam before chatting with the serpent. In our new era and abode, we share equal rights with our spouses-We have freedom of speech and the capacity to discuss with anyone.
• Adam was absent when the serpent approach Eve and got her into discussion and dialogue as he challenged God’s authority, intent and commandment?. Be careful who comes to you when your spouse or your head is not present.  How do you interpret Gen 3:6b – was Adam present?
• They both assumed they were capable and competent to analyze the new doctrine of the serpent with human reasoning but the result proved the opposite.
• If this enemy of God could get you alone, in your unguarded hours, then he has greater opportunity to convince you against the truth, the reality of God and alleged that God has withheld something good from you – Can God really withhold any good from His child?
• Beware, Satan will allure you with pleasure; come with deceptive words.
• One moment of pleasure can bring years of sorrow, condemnation and curses.Why ruin your life and those who follow by a hasty decision.
• One instant (quick) act can destroy the best of relationship with God and spouse as well as friends, etc
• Isaiah 40:28-31; 2 Chronicles 32:31

Exodus 32: 1ff: Just because Moses left to Mount Sinai to obtain from God the Ten Commandments, something deathly and dreadful took place. Israelite’s went to Aaron since Moses was delayed in return (Delay is never denial or an excuse to diminish God’s glory) and demanded he made them physical gods as against the invisible God they worshiped. Aaron asked for their gold wearing and with them fashioned a golden calf as an object of worship. Even though Aaron appeared to have asked them for near impossible thing, yet they yielded.

• The people were quick to give Aaron their gold earrings to make them Idol but unwilling to give God offering of obedience and trust
• Today, God’s people hardly give God their time,talent and treasure-money (3 T’s); effort, royalty and trust as well as their substance
• Have no time or place for worship, prayer in their heart but for pleasures: happy hour, party time, watch television, etc
• Have no family time with God; Family reunion, birthdays, and weddings, etc

Moses was away from the people but in the presence of the Most High and One True God. God was in the process of revealing His divine plan for His people that will lead them for ages and life. Instead of being in expectantly waiting to receive from God, they dabbled into flesh and indulged in idolatry.

Aaron, by fear of the pragmatic and stubborn people committed sin by not only calving an idol as god (glittering and shinning but fool’s gold) and but also built an altar for it. “Every great institution is the lengthened shadow of a single man. His character determines the character of his organization”- Ralph Waldo Emerson

• “Strength of character comes out of the decisions we make, temptations we face, and the conflicts of life.” by Wayman Mitchell
• In the same manner, Jesus had gone to prepare a place for all who trust in Him, is it time and foolishness to accept another doctrine while He’s away?

Aaron also built an altar: the altar was and is to be: a Place of worship; a place of sacrifice and a place of consecration (sanctification and purification)

• Aaron declared to the people “these are thy gods” (vs 4). It is saddened, that they attempt to give God’s glory to man-made gods of metal. This is impossible!! (Psalms 40:4)
• That they gave the gods of gold the glory for bringing them from Egypt. This lie will not stand. Even today when God does something uncommon for us we are quick to say it was the good hospital or excellent medical expert and the money we spent on treatment. We just refused to reaffirm God for His glory.
• Aaron declared next day a feast to the Lord (vs. 5); the feast was meant for Jehovah God but they directed towards that idol of metal of gold. Again, God will never share His glory with no one or thing (Isaiah 48:9-11);
• The people next morning, got up, made offering and sacrifice to the Lord and afterward they were eating, drinking and dancing and playing; indulged in revelry (merry making and sexual immorality (vs. 6). Be careful which play and place of merriment you attend or participate.
• We cannot mix our own selfish desires and the worship of the true God (Psalm 37:32-34).

A Christian’s strength is in God’s absence, not in His restraining presence. Not when the pastor is present and other men of God(Guides are for adult in mind while rules are for kids/children).Character is what is done when nobody is looking or watching.The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy- Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Reputation is character minus what you’ve been caught doing.

3. God allows Evil to co-exist with good:

So man may have opportunity to choose his own destiny. In the Garden of Eden, the serpent lived and had access to Adam and Eve.God allows all the right and wrong to co-exist so we could choose what we desire and want. God could have eliminated the temptation or/and denied the serpent access to man, but without these two ingredients, man would have no opportunity to choose and prove his loyalty to God.

• Man was given a will by God, His creature. Man has a choice – which will he obey: God or Satan?
• Jesus warned that man cannot serve two masters – you can only serve one or the other
• God allows false prophet (deceptive spirits) access to man
• This is the most challenging factor of Christian journey in our time.
• In his lecture, Professor Davis argued against the logical problem of evil, which states that a good and omniscient God could not co-exist with evil. He maintained that God chose to give people free will regarding morally significant decisions, thus accepting the risk that humans may choose to do wrong.

Why did God allow evil to co-exist with good?

1. God exist as Creator and is a good God
2. All things that God created are good
3. Evil is not a created “thing”; God did not created evil

You may as well ask who created evil or how did evil come to be?

1. God did not create the world in the state in which it’s now but evil came as a result of the selfishness of man.
2. Evil is the privation of goodness
3. Just as a shadow is a “hole” in the light, evil is a hole in goodness.

Again, if God is good, then why does He allow evil, pain and injustice in the world? Why can’t He stop wrong doing yet He’s all powerful and has the capacity to do whatever He will?

Bible writers complain about pain and evil; Evil is a problem:

• Psalm 40: 12
• Prov.14:19
• Job 30:26
• Isaiah 5:20
• Jeremiah 15:18
• Romans 8:20.
• Psalms 55:2-8

*God is a God of love and desires to create a person and eventually a race that would love Him.

*But genuine love cannot exist unless freely given through free choice to accept God’s love or reject it.

*God made man and gave him freewill and the source of evil is in the freewill of persons

*When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they did not choose something God created but by their freewill and choice, selfishly chosen their will (or own way) apart from God’s way, thus brought evil upon themselves and into the world.

*Evil is a “perversion of the will” …turned aside from God to lesser thing or “spoiled goodness” made possible by the freewill of man.

*The loss of good is named evil which has no positive nature. Since all things were made with goodness, evil must be a privation of goodness. All which is corrupt is deprived of good.

* Even though evil is real, it is something that the believer accepts as the way things ought to be

*By identifying with Jesus, the believer has a duty not only to call thing wrong that are wrong but also to speak out when evil is overcoming goodness.

*The possibility of evil also makes a greater good possible. Nature is not always kind to man and animal world, can also be his enemy.

*Evil is only temporary and will eventually be destroyed. This hope the believer has (Rev 21:5). Dong Hall says that the gospel is the permission and the Command to enter difficulty with hope.

*God will right every wrong and put away evil once and for all in His time.