Publishing in the Eyes of God Part 2
“The Publishers Clearing House”
God spoke to me saying, “The secret of publishing is revealed in Hebrews 11.” So, let’s dig into the secret things by the Holy Spirit… Hebrews 11 is traditionally known as the “faith chapter.” Yet, God is saying that it is THE “Publisher’s Clearing House.” Unlike the gamble and scheme of the natural publisher's clearing house, God’s richest blessings are accessed by faith! It is not a gamble, but an investment of a fully surrendered life. God is THE PUBLISHER who chooses to publish His Word, will and way through the living epistles of every day men and women of faith. Hebrews 11 is THE “Publisher’s Clearing House”, because truly God (THE Publisher) is CLEARING His HOUSE through the TESTIMONY of a great cloud of witnesses, whose lives STILL SPEAK to us today.
Hebrews 11 (Amplified)
Vs. 1 - Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].
A title deed is “a record; the evidences or writings whereby a man is enabled to defend the title to his estate; title deeds and papers” (Webster). Therefore, faith is the legal written evidence (It is written) of the spiritual things yet to come. We are living epistles of faith through which God continues to publish Truth.
Vs. 2 - For by [faith— trust and holy fervor born of faith] the men of old had divine testimony borne to them and obtained a good report.
This testimony and good report was not of mere men, but the very testimony of God who published the lives of these men! Let us not seek the testimony of man on our behalf, but let us HEAR the very testimony of God concerning us. He desires to PUBLISH us as His Living Epistles of Faith, Hope, and Love that He may PROCLAIM who He is through us! What an honor and a privilege to be PUBLISHED by THE Publisher of all Truth.
Vs. 3 - By faith we understand that the worlds [during the successive ages] were framed (fashioned, put in order, and equipped for their intended purpose) by the word of God, so that what we see was not made out of things which are visible.
All of creation was PUBLISHED by God’s Word for HIS Purpose. It was PUBLISHED (created) by the Spirit. The physical was BORN out of the spiritual. Likewise, those who are PUBLISHED and BORN of the Spirit, take on the very nature of the Spirit of God.
Vs. 4 - [Prompted, actuated] by faith Abel brought God a better and more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, because of which it was testified of him that he was righteous [that he was upright and in right standing with God], and God bore witness by accepting and acknowledging his gifts. And though he died, yet [through the incident] he is still speaking.
Abel was PROMPTED by God to WORSHIP, and He obeyed bringing a sacrifice that was ACCEPTED by God, because it was PUBLISHED by God’s command. Abel WORSHIPPED according to God’s Divine Governmental Order. Though he was MARTYRED, his BLOOD (life) still SPEAKS having been PUBLISHED by God. He is a part of THE Publisher’s Clearing House. For God is CLEARING His HOUSE of all FALSE WORSHIP, which is born of RELIGION… published by flesh and breathed by ANOTHER familiar spirit, but NOT the Spirit of God!
Vs. 5 - Because of faith Enoch was caught up and transferred to heaven, so that he did not have a glimpse of death; and he was not found, because God had translated him. For even before he was taken to heaven, he received testimony [still on record] that he had pleased and been satisfactory to God.
Enoch WALKED with God. God PUBLISHED a testimony of INTIMACY through His Living Epistle, Enoch. God “translated” Him into His Heavenly language. God gave testimony concerning Him, because He was PLEASED with His intimate WALK. Enoch is a part of THE Publisher's Clearing House, because God is CLEARING His HOUSE of all false testimonies that proclaim a MESSAGE, born of hypocrisy… but lack the Faith (evidence of things hoped for) WALK with THE Publisher of that MESSAGE.
Vs. 6 - But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out].
Without Faith (the EVIDENCE of THE Publisher’s BREATH), it is impossible to please Him! THE Publisher is CLEARING His HOUSE of ALL words without the EVIDENCE of His BREATH. For ONLY God’s Word is God-breathed. And ONLY God’s Word will escape the wrath of THE Publisher’s Clearing House!
Vs. 7 - [Prompted] by faith Noah, being forewarned by God concerning events of which as yet there was no visible sign, took heed and diligently and reverently constructed and prepared an ark for the deliverance of his own family. By this [his faith which relied on God] he passed judgment and sentence on the world’s unbelief and became an heir and possessor of righteousness (that relation of being right into which God puts the person who has faith).
Noah was PROMPTED by God to WORK, and He OBEYED, building an ark of DELIVERANCE for His FAMILY (legacy). He wore the mark of the FEAR of the LORD upon His heart. Therefore, God PUBLISHED His WORK, which became a JUDGMENT against an entire generation who rejected God’s warning and chosen PUBLISHED WORK. Noah is a part of THE Publisher's Clearing House, because God is CLEARING His HOUSE of every WORK of the flesh, not born of Faith (the Fear of the Lord) EVIDENCED through obedience to THE Publisher’s command.
Hebrews 12:1 - Therefore then, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us,
We are SURROUNDED by God’s Published Word… His Testimony of Truth! Therefore, we must STRIP OURSELVES of EVERYTHING that is not God-breathed… Published by God! God is CLEARING His HOUSE! He is separating those PUBLISHED by His breath and command from those published by another voice… the voice of a stranger… Choose ye this day whom ye will serve. Choose ye this day the publishing house to which you belong, because THE Publisher is CLEARING His HOUSE.
God is showing me something more... In Noah's day, there was not even the Torah -the Written Word of God! Therefore, Noah was THE ONLY published Word of God given to his generation. So, when the people rejected the PUBLISHED Word of the Lord, an entire generation was condemned to death! It was as drastic as rejecting Jesus Christ Himself - The Living Word of God! We speak of Old Testament types of Christ. Noah, being one of these, PROPHESIED (through his WORK of obedience in building an ark exactly according to God's specifications and measurements (scribal - as a form of COUNTING)) concerning the Coming Redemptive WORK of Jesus Christ... I am still digesting... Praise be to God! And I'm still examining myself -What am I PUBLISHING? This word came with much conviction keeping me up most of the night till early morning...
Oh, God is still speaking... Can a book publish itself? No. It can only publish (proclaim) what it's author has IMPRINTED upon its pages. Whether we realize it or not, we are ALL published works... So, the real question is... WHO is publishing our lives? For that individual is both our AUTHOR and GOD (LORD)... The second question is like the first... In whose publishing house do we DWELL and BELONG? For THE Publisher is Clearing His House...
Respectfully Submitted,
By one who's heart has been seared by the conviction that THE Publisher is Clearing His House
By one who's heart has been seared by the conviction that THE Publisher is Clearing His House
© 2012 Christine Lombard, All rights reserved, Use only with permission
