On Tuesday, May 5, 2020, I woke up with the rhema, “It’s time for the church to stop treating Jesus like a commodity!” This was a word to sit on, until recently I got instruction to dust it off, finish unpacking it and post it.
God loves to confirm His tough warnings are truly from Him and not my imagination because He uses vocabulary that requires a dictionary to define!
Commodity couldn’t be unpacked with a single sentence definition so bear with me as we dig into where God wants to highlight the need for repentance.
As per Google, the definition of a commodity is “a raw material or primary agricultural product that can be BOUGHT and SOLD, such as copper or coffee.”
“A commodity is a BASIC GOOD used in commerce that is INTERCHANGEABLE with other commodities of the same type. Commodities are most often used as inputs in the PRODUCTION OF OTHER GOODS & SERVICES. Investors and traders can BUY and SELL commodities directly in the spot (cash) market or via derivatives such as futures and options.”
“The first are buyers and producers of commodities that use commodity FUTURES CONTRACTS for the hedging purposes for which they were originally intended. These traders make or take delivery of the actual commodity when the futures contract expires. For example, the wheat farmer that plants a crop can hedge against the risk of losing money if the price of wheat falls before the crop is harvested. The farmer can sell wheat futures contracts when the crop is planted and guarantee a predetermined price for the wheat at the time it is harvested.
Commodities Speculators – The second type of commodities trader is the speculator. These are traders who trade in the commodities markets for the sole purpose of PROFITING from the volatile price movements. These traders NEVER INTEND TO MAKE OR TAKE DELIVERY of the actual commodity when the futures contract expires. Many of the futures markets are very liquid and have a high degree of daily range and volatility, making them very tempting markets for intraday traders. Many of the index futures are used by brokerages and portfolio managers to offset risk. Also, since commodities do not typically trade in tandem with equity and bond markets, some commodities can also be used effectively to diversify an investment portfolio.
Commodities as a Hedge for Inflation -Commodity prices typically rise when inflation accelerates, which is why investors often FLOCK TO THEM FOR THEIR PROTECTION during times of increased inflation—particularly unexpected inflation. As the demand for goods and services increases, the price of goods and services rises, and commodities are what’s used to produce those goods and services. Because commodities prices often rise with inflation, this asset class can often serve as a hedge against the decreased buying power of the currency.”
How do we treat Jesus like a commodity?
– Buying/selling Jesus instead of introducing the King of Glory, one worthy of dignity and value treats HIM like the prostitute to be used for a price for personal pleasure (offering the blood for forgiveness of sin without teaching the need of the fruit of repentance; using the anointing to produce miracles, signs, & wonders for selfish gain), your offering to be given to the Pimp – the church – sharing His controlled pleasures with whoever appears to bring value to them. Those who are not deemed valuable to the Pimp are prevented from having access to the devalued prostitute. Rebellious Israel was accused repeatedly through scriptures of harlotry. Apparently, she wasn’t always the prostitute. Sometimes the religious leaders were the pimp. (Matt 23:13, Mark 7:11)
– Commodities are used by investors and traders.
A) Investors sow a small amount hoping for compound growth on passive income. Tuck it into the investment vehicle and overtime it will grow (hopefully). No personal labor/effort/time required by me. If I say the salvation prayer, I will secure my ticket out of hell upon death with minimal cost to me. Simply show up at church once a week and act religious. No need to lay down my life in the here and now and die to self. No need to surrender to Thy will, not my own be done. No need to obey His commandments to engage in loving, knowing, abiding with our precious King of Kings at the Tree of Life. (Jn 14:15, Jn 14:23-24, 1 Jn 2:3-4, Rev 22:14)
B) A trader swaps one thing for another. I give this to you and get this in return. I’ll be a pastor for your sheep, but I require the benefits of a hired hand – a predictable salary with benefits. (Micah 3:11) I perform all these religious duties and earn my way into heaven. No faith required in the atoning blood of Jesus Christ to redeem me from my sin, just good hard visible work at being perfect for all to see. (Eph 2:8-9; Heb 11:6)
– Commodities are sold on “future contracts.”
They only deliver the actual commodity when the contract expires, hedging their bets on a theoretical market value for that commodity.
o We are selling for personal gain Jesus’ assumed FUTURE value instead of teaching people to live life in intimacy as His cherished bride with Him NOW. When we die, we hope we will get to go to heaven and THINK heaven will be worth all the “suffering as a Christian we have to endure here on earth.” We go around struggling to hold onto to a hope against hope that we MIGHT qualify to get into heaven, instead of KNOWING that we KNOW God and walk in truth as evidenced by keeping His commandments (1 Jn 2:3-4), instead of EXPERIENCING the power of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit by the evidence of speaking in tongues (Acts 19:6) and the peace, joy, & righteousness of the Kingdom of Heaven in the Holy Spirit manifesting in your heart. (Rom 14:17)
– Commodities are used as inputs in the production of other goods or services.
Instead of Jesus being THE original and only product to be used the way the Creator designed, the church has simply used Him as one piece of creating a man-made product called the Church System that can be marketed for financial gain.
– Commodities as a hedge for inflation
Crisis and disaster hitting a person’s life has a tendency to make them flail around, looking for an anchor. Just look at 9/11 in 2001 when people rushed to churches as a cry for protection in uncertain, fear-provoking times. However, we saw that America as a whole did not repent nor enter into intimacy with their master and Saviour Jesus Christ. They were satiated with the feel-good ear tickling gospel that lulled them back to sleep, instead of drawing them to the foot of the cross on their knees, and the country turned even further away from the LORD’s ways and commandments.
Jesus or Mammon?
We are warned we cannot serve 2 masters. There is coming a purifying fire to test the motives of the heart as to who can be tested w true riches – eternal souls! Will we even recognize it is a test we must humbly pass? Or will we fail like the Pharisees who were lovers of money? Can you be trusted to discern which is the true riches offered to you?
Luke 16:9-17 AMP – And I tell you [learn from this], make friends for yourselves [for eternity] by means of the wealth of unrighteousness [that is, use material resources as a way to further the work of God], so that when it runs out, they will welcome you into the eternal dwellings. “He who is faithful in a very little thing is also faithful in much; and he who is dishonest in a very little thing is also dishonest in much. Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of earthly wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you? And if you have not been faithful in the use of that [earthly wealth] which belongs to another [whether God or man, and of which you are a trustee], who will give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stand devotedly by the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon [that is, your earthly possessions or anything else you trust in and rely on instead of God].” Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were listening to all these things and were sneering and ridiculing Him. So He said to them, “You are the ones who declare yourselves just and upright in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts [your thoughts, your desires, your secrets]; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God. “The Law and the [writings of the] Prophets were proclaimed until John; since then the gospel of the kingdom of God has been and continues to be preached, and everyone tries forcefully to go into it. Yet it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for a single stroke of a letter of the Law to fail and become void.
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