In Joshua 6 we have the exciting story of how the Lord gave Jericho and all it contained into Joshua’s hand, but before these events came to pass, the Lord gave them a command:

“¹⁷ And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the Lord: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.
¹⁸ And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.
¹⁹ But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the Lord: they shall come into the treasury of the Lord.
²⁰ So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.
²¹ And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword,” Joshua 6:17-21 (KJV).

I wanted to set the stage. The Lord had rolled away the reproach of Egypt, and the children of Israel had moved into the land which the Lord had given them. The Lord had given Joshua great favor and anointing to lead the children of Israel, no man would be able to stand before him. The Lord was blessing them mightily…..

“But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan,the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel,” Joshua 7:1 (KJV).

What was this accursed thing Achan took?

“²⁰ And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done:
21 When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it,” Joshua 7:20-21 (KJV).

Remember, EVERYTHING IN JERICHO (except Rahab and her family), was ACCURSED (it should be destroyed, it is a net or snare for the people, it would trouble them). It was a Canaanite city, and subject to Babylon….the children of Israel were to have nothing to do with them, for they worshiped foreign gods. The Babylonish garment, was a mantle (robe) of the land Shinar (where the tower of Babel was constructed). The garment was famed for its beauty, divers colors, and great worth. This Babysonish garment most probably was found laying over or wrapped around the gold and silver, and all the these items were found in an idols temple or shrine.

Beloved, more and more I know you see the world coming into the church, and the church suffering as a result. The very lines are becoming grey, and holiness unto the Lord above all seems to be a thing of the past. This is as serious of a matter for us today as it was for the Israelite’s then, for we are still in fleshly bodies, and a war goes on continually to do that which is not of the Spirit. In the New Testament in 2 Corinthians we read:

“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.
And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty,” 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 (KJV).

When Achan saw the idol he should not have, he sinned and coveted (desired and longed for) it and took it, and brought it home with him, and buried it in the ground in his tent, and even made his family accomplices in the crime. When he took it unto himself he was cursed because of it, and when he took it home with him he cursed the whole camp and brought trouble, and ultimately the whole family died. The Lord had warned him and all the others about it.

When you reach out after, and long for the things of the world, you are inviting death into our own lives and into the camp. You are a peculiar people a special treasure to the Lord, you cannot depart from the scriptures and receive a blessing. You have to stop riding the fence and fooling around with accursed things, and come out from what’s commonly accepted, and approved by the world as appropriate and be SEPARATE, and be clean.

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth,” 2 Timothy 3:1-7 (KJV).

This is a very particular thing, and often not easy. If you don’t have the okay from the Lord about something, don’t do it, and don’t hang around those that do, for it will rub off on you eventually.

You are the temple of the living God, and He is Holy, and He calls us to holiness. Why are you trying to fit in with them when you have nothing in common with them?

What have you coveted of the world, and taken home with you that you can’t seem to get along without, yet you know you should not have it. The lines become greyer and greyer. Your devotion and love for the Lord should be becoming stronger and stronger. For example, where is the reverence and honor for the Lord in the way you dress (men and women), in daily life or in church to worship the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, beloved may the Lord convict you on these matters that appear on the surface to be so trivial. After all, the Lord only looks at the heart, RIGHT?

What a cop out, of course the Lord cares about how you dress, it revels an attitude of your heart. I dare say you ARE WEARING YOUR HEART ON THE OUTSIDE FOR ALL TO SEE ITS UGLINESS, AND YOU REALLY DON’T CARE ABOUT WHAT THE LORD THINKS AFTER ALL.

It’s time to come out from the world, its time to come to the word of God to have ears to hear what He says about the issues of the day.

“But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works,” 2 Timothy 3:14-17 (KJV).

The word of God is your plumb-line to gauge your life, and we should not depart from it. Still, you already know that you won’t be popular with the world if you stay obedient to the Lord. But He says, ‘come out from among them, be separate, and I will receive you, I will be your Father and you will be my sons and daughters. Are you willing to undergo difficulty, to be a special treasure of His?

“¹⁷ But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; ¹⁸ How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.
¹⁹ These be they who separate themselves, sensual (earthly), having not the Spirit.
²⁰ But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
²¹ Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
²² And of some have compassion, making a difference:
²³ And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
²⁴ Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, ²⁵ To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen,” Jude 17-25 (KJV).

You are here to be a light for Him, to radiate His glory, so others will be saved and changed. If they don’t see you truly living for the Lord, they will wonder about this God you say you belong to. Do you really know Him and love Him, He gave His life for you, won’t you give your life for Him.

“Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, ² That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
³ Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; ⁴ Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
⁵ Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
⁶ And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
⁷ For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way,” 2 Thessalonians 2:1-7 (KJV).

“¹¹ And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: ¹² That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness,” 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12 (KJV).

Beloved, this is a call to you who are not ready to meet the bridegroom, you are not ready for His coming – you have counted the things of this world as more valuable than Him. Do you say you believe and follow Jesus, and the fruit of your life is rotten – this is where the flies gather. The Antichrist of the end times is coming, and it says that if possible the elect could be deceived. There are hard times ahead, much deception, what looks right, if you do not know the truth, could be a trap set for your very life. Turn to Jesus now and repent that times of refreshing may come upon you. Pursue righteousness today.

He says,

“If you think I will allow anyone in My presence, you are wrong. I AM holy. You are treading on Holy ground. This is a very serious matter, for you must be clean. I cannot move in that type on environment, but other spirits will take it up. Holiness, that is what I require, that is what I want, and you should want it, too.

When did you change your opinion and think the things of the world were permissible. Upward, you must be always aiming upward. The call is higher than anything you could come up with. Don’t second guess Me on this, there is no rebuttal, it cannot be. A change must happen within the body of Christ, or I can not fill it with My all in all.

I have had enough of a half-way response to a fervent call of mine. This is not debatable, not ever.”

 

~ Celeste Dewey

---

Celeste Dewey