Hello Mike,

Thank you so much for your encouraging letter.
I have learned a big lesson regarding the “worship of angels” who are actually only “fellow servants … who are mindful of and practice the messages of this book”. And that is that if I set you up, Mike, as an “angel”, then I am setting both of us up to fall. Because eventually the “star” will fall and both of us suffer. That is why I think it is important to see this site and its people as just a precious gift from God, but not to be worshipped. I never want to worship men ever again, and I really really would like the Lord to help me not do that anymore! “Worship God!”
Anyway, just wanted to share with you another mini- earthquake or aftershock of mine. Please don’t feel you need to respond, it’s just nice to share because you will understand.
This morning I finally, eventually understood the shocking truth, “THEIR INHERITANCE WAS BY LOT” (Jos 14:2)
BY LOT, not by merit!
My inheritance is also not by merit, and had the Lord not chosen to reveal these things to me, I would never even have had it in me to obey Him or spend so much time in the Word to lay up treasures in heaven. Oh, what a revelation! I knew it, but I didn’t KNOW it.
The poor old man of sin inside is not liking this! But the Christ inside of me is chuckling!
We deserve all these “tricks” the Lord has performed on us because of our terrible pride!

U____

Hi U____,

I know you said that I need not respond, but I want to congratulate you on realizing that angels are not worthy of worship. I am so encouraged when I see anyone recognize that the angel who shows us these things is nothing more than our fellow laborer who read, hear and keep the things written in God’s Word, and who knows that all worship goes to God through His Son.

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me

My prayer is that all who come to this website come to see what you have come to see. The very fact those words are written in the book of Revelation, and the fact that John twice attempted to worship the angel that showed him these things, tells us that we all do so at first. But we must all grow past giving undue honor to men. None of what I am saying denies that those who “labor in the Word are worthy of double honor”, but it does deny that any man on earth is above trying the spirit of that man, to see whether it is of God.

1Ti 5:17 Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.

Of course the words ‘rule well ‘ should be “highly esteemed”, but the message is that those who labor in God’s word are worthy of our respect. Here is a URL dealing with the often abused scriptures which seem to give ministers authority of their flocks, when no such authority exists: http:// www. iswasandwillbe. com/ Do_ ministers_ rule_ us. php
I very much appreciate that you have come to see that your inheritance in Christ is by “lot”. I feel certain that you know that you were called in Christ “before the world [ Greek – ages] began”, and ‘every day of your life was written in God’s book before any of those days were’, and that therefore the word ‘lot’ has nothing at all in common with the word ‘chance’ or the word ‘lottery’, as some very learned men teach concerning the fact that our “lot” is in Christ.

Psa 139:16 Thine eyes did see mine unformed substance; And in thy book they were all written, Even the days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was none of them.

So the “lot” that falls to us was all “written in God’s book” and was known to God in advance.

Eze 47:22 And it shall come to pass, that ye shall divide it by lot for an inheritance unto you, and to the strangers that sojourn among you, which shall beget children among you: and they shall be unto you as born in the country among the children of Israel; they shall have inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel.
Act 13:19 And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Chanaan, he divided their land to them by lot.

As the Lord would have it, our ‘lot’ and our ‘inheritance’ are one and the same thing, and they are both determined for us all in advance by our sovereign God. Notice that the Greek word for “casting lots” is the same as the Greek word for our inheritance in Christ.

Mat 27:35  And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots. [ Greek, kleros]
Act 26:18  To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance [ Greek, kleros] among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me [ Christ].

Paul uses this same Greek word when referring to the inheritance of the saints.

Col 1:12  Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance [ Greek, kleros] of the saints in light:
Col 1:13  Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

When was all of this decided?

2Ti 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,
Tit 1:2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

The Greek in these verses is “before chronos aionios”, meaning that “before times aionian” our lot was “given us in Christ”.
It really is a blessing that you are sharing this revelation with us. I hope these few verses serve to confirm in your heart the sovereign work of our Lord in all things.

Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

God bless you as you grow in your knowledge of our Lord and His Father (Joh 17:3).

Your brother in Christ,
Mike