03/01 Reading - Thoughts & Comments DX3

1-Mar Numbers 7-8 Romans 1-2 Psalms 146-150 Proverbs 1

Num 7:6-9 (NIV) 6 So Moses took the carts and oxen and gave them to the Levites. 7 He gave two carts and four oxen to the Gershonites, as their work required, 8 and he gave four carts and eight oxen to the Merarites, as their work required. They were all under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron, the priest. 9 But Moses did not give any to the Kohathites, because they were to carry on their shoulders the holy things, for which they were responsible.

Everyone gets a Cart except the sons of Kohath.  What?  From the Levites to the sons of Kohath, these people were responsible for the upkeep of the tabernacle, and the movement of the tabernacle as well.  There were tons of articles, poles, curtains, pipes, fencing, etc.  And they're going to need heavy duty cart machinery to move this tabernacle.  But the sons of Kohath will get no cart.  They are responsible for transporting the movement of God, and the holy items such as the ark of the covenant, the table of shewbread, the golden altar of incense, the candlestick, etc.  God said that they must carry His holy articles upon their shoulders, rather than on carts.  This is a HUGE sign to you and I for our lives today.

Throughout the Bible, there are indications that show God's strong will and intentions to put His government, annointing, purposes, and kingdom authority upon the SHOULDERS of consecrated, holy, dedicated, people also known as "FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST".  It is not God's will for His life and annointing to transport around on some man made machine (ie. cart).  His sons and daughters are the annointed ones, not inanimate objects with wheels on them.

Isaiah prophecies of the soon coming Son of God:

Isaiah 9:6-7 (NIV) 6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end.

We know that this was speaking of Jesus.  The government of God's kingdom is on HIS shoulders, and there is no end to the increase of this government.  We know that the Bible declares that Jesus is the HEAD and we are His BODY.  The head rests upon the shoulders and the body.  Therefore, Jesus as head of the church, rests upon the shoulders of the body, and God has placed His eternal kingdom government upon the SHOULDERS of the body.

Has God called you to the SHOULDER ministry?  Has He called you to shoulder the load?  Is there a responsibility upon you to carry His presence to the nations, to the marketplace, and to the far corners of the earth?  If so, then you are part of the shoulder ministry and there are a few very powerful things about God's calling on your life:
1.  You are very close to the head, and you must support the head wherever the body may go.
2.  You are given massive strength and body support to shoulder God's holy presence wherever you go.  You will be directly connected to the hand (5 fold ministry) and you will have the strength and support of the legs, feet, back and the entire skeletal strength of the body.  You will REQUIRE BALANCE to carry the ark of God's presence.
3.  You will not get a cart.  This means that God isn't interested in your man made structures or designs, but He is interested in anointing YOU!

As we walk through this life with Christ, we are continually learning what works and what doesn't.  And quite honestly, many ministers, businessmen, youth pastors, etc. have no one to really teach them what works, how to do things, and what to stay away from.  Many don't understand that the principles and keys are locked and hidden in the Word of God, and a good one year reading of the entire Bible will unlock many of these principles that they need to walk in.

I remember trying to figure out the structure of what a church looked like as a young man.  All I really had to go on was the structure of the churches that I grew up in and worked at as a worship leader and youth pastor.  There were pastors, elders, deacons, board of directors, officers of the corporate board, and it went on and on with man made hierarchy and corporate structure.  I have found through the years that God is not interested in manmade corporate design.  Structure and order is needed in the earth (that's true), but God's anointing is not dependent on some structure that man has built.  As a matter of FACT, manmade structures are most famous for killing every move of God that has ever hit the earth.  Man loves to structure, control, and ultimately destroy the flow of God into the earth for many reasons.  But these manmade structures are CARTS.

Carts are made of boards and big wheels.  And interestingly, corporations are made of BOARDS and BIG WHEELS.  If you've ever wanted to experience a boring, I mean bored, I mean board meeting, join a corporation or association.  These are man made structures that attempt to carry and transport what God is doing.  It won't work, and God has not called us to carry His presence in this manner.  Look what happened to King David when He set up his first board meeting and carried the ark of the covenant into town on a cart ministry!

2 Sam 6:3-7 (NIV)3 They set the ark of God on a new cart and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart 4 with the ark of God on it, and Ahio was walking in front of it. 5 David and the whole house of Israel were celebrating with all their might before the Lord, with songs and with harps, lyres, tambourines, sistrums and cymbals.  6 When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled. 7 The Lord's anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down and he died there beside the ark of God.

Even though they sang, worshipped, danced, and did all they knew to do, they disobeyed God by bringing His kingdom into town on a CART.  God bless Uzzah who tried to help out God when God's presence began to slide off the man made cart. But this whole cart thing, the worship, the entire setting was wrong, and when Uzzah touched the ark to steady it when the oxen stumbled, God had enough and held Uzzah, David, and the rest of Israel in CONTEMPT.  He struck Uzzah down dead.  The ark would not come to town that day, as David had to figure out the right way to bring the ark of the covenant in.  Evidently someone in the lineage of Levy forgot to read their bible!!!  They were trying new and exciting ways to bring God's presence into town.  They needed a daily commitment to reading the Bible like our Compass Guide community!

Let's bring this in for a landing.  God wants you.  He has put His kingdom government with executive authority (whatever you ask in my name, type of authority) upon you.  He doesn't care about the man made structures, but He wants you to carry His presence into the mountains of society upon your shoulders as a consecrated one, committed to His kingdom and purposes.

While you'll probably need a corporation for earthly structure, a way to account for the time, money, movements of assets, and general accounting procedures, you will not need a corporation for God's presence and anointing.   I don't dismiss the importance of earthly corporations for earthly structure.  But I'm not talking about earthly structures when I talk about the Kingdom of God and His eternal, creative design, presence, gifts and callings upon your life.  These require no earthly structure to be fully utilized, maintained, activated on earth, and walked out.

Did Elijah have a corporate board?  Did the shepherd boy David have a deacon board to help direct him? Did any of the great men and women of exploit have man made structures around them to direct what God told them to do? NO!  And it's important that you understand to NOT put God's presence on a CART MINISTRY.  Carry it upon your shoulders.

COMPASS GUIDE helps to identify the various anointings and callings upon the life of a true FOLLOWER OF CHRIST.  It's these particular gifts and callings that are built, honored, given time and attention, and which deserve growth and goal setting priorities in a person's life.   Only you can carry your load.  God will not be pleased if you put it on a CART MINISTRY and allow the cart and oxen to carry it along. Guaranteed the oxen will stumble, the cart will fail, and you would be held in CONTEMPT.

Shoulder the gifts that God has put upon you. If you don't know what those gifts are, you MUST take this year and find out so that you are not held in contempt.  Get a COMPASS GUIDE and let's get your training started today!      


Tomorrow's Reading:
2-Mar Numbers 9-10 Romans 3-4 Psalms 1-5 Proverbs 2