He Doesn't Know The Plan

The moment that Adam committed treason by selling out his God given authority to Satan through disobedience to God's command, he died spiritually. It wasn't for another 930 years that Adam's body had finally succumb to physical death. The apostles Paul reveals mans fallen condition, "among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others..."...having no hope and without God in the world." (Ephesian 2:3, 12)

However, immediately after the fall, God through His love and mercy spoke the promise of the incarnation. "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel." (Genesis 3:15) Notice that there are four important parts of this prophetic promise. First, I will put enmity between you and the woman. Of course this has been realized throughout history with the physical and emotional abuse of women. Second, and between your seed and her Seed. We know that the woman's Seed refers to Christ, but what about Satan's seed; who or what does this refer to? Well, Satan does not have the ability to reproduce, that is create other demon spirits, so who or what is his seed? It is unregenerate, fallen man. Those by nature are children of wrath.  Third, we also see that the woman's Seed shall bruise your (Satan's) head. In other words the woman's Seed, Christ, would break Satan's lordship over humanity. Finally, we see that Satan would bruise His heel. This refers to the church, the Body of Christ, that would face persecution throughout the ages at the hands of Satan's seed, unregenerate, fallen man, nevertheless, Satan and his gang are under our feet.

It is apparent that throughout man's history, Satan did not (nor does not) know God's plan. However, we do know if he did understand it, he certainly would not have had Christ killed. "...which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." (1 Corinthians 2:8) Remember the prophecy, "...He shall bruise your head..." Satan must have thought that by destroying the life of Jesus, he was stopping God's plan from coming to pass. However, what he actually did was become a key player in God's plan by putting to death the one that God chose to bring redemption to humanity, Jesus. Now man's greatest need was met and at the same time, Satan was stripped of his authority over him. In fact, through ones faith in Jesus Christ, man has now been restored to his rightful position in God and through the name of Jesus has the authority over Satan and all of his works, "Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you." (Luke 10:19)

What wonderful news. No longer does sickness, disease, poverty and all manner of sin have dominion, jurisdiction or authority over believers. (Romans 6:14) Now believers can live on planet earth as heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. (Romans 8:17); now believers are free from there past as new creations in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17); now believers can have right standing with God (2 Corinthians 5:21); now believers can live knowing that in Christ they lack nothing (1 Thessalonians 4:12) all because we are complete in Jesus Christ (Colossians 2:10). One of the interesting things about God's wonderful plan of redemption is that throughout man's history Satan must of thought that he was winning when in fact Jesus has  absolutely and thoroughly defeated him. (Colossians 2:15) Now it is up to the church to uphold and enforce what Jesus has accomplished for humanity. PTL

Bad Things Do Not Come From God - Part 5

The next era of mans history as revealed in the Bible begins in Exodus which is the disspensation of the Law or the Law age the lasted for 1500 years. During this time God gives man a greater revelation of Himself.
Not only does He reveal Himself through a visible manifastation of a pillar of fire and a pillar of cloud (Exodus 13:21) and as a Law giver (Exodus 20:1-17), but one of the greatest revelations that God had given to man during this time, is that He reveals His very nature to him (Exodus 34:5-7) This is very important to understand because the LORD does not change (Malachi 3:6, Hebrews 13:8)

The Apostle Paul tells us that the purpose of the Law is to show a sinner their guilt before God and stops them from justifying themselves (Romans 3:19), it brings the knowledge of sin (Romans 3:20) and it defines sin (Romans 7:7). The Law does not give the knowledge of or define God, but sin.

God sets up a temporary system to deal with mans sin (Leviticus 1 - 7, Hebrews 9 - 10) but we see something revealed that shows us God's true nature even though the Law had been given. In Deuteronomy 28:1-14 we see that God is the one who blesses not the one who curses or causes bad things to happen. However, in Deuteronomy 28:15-68 it seems to indicate that God does cause bad things to happen to His people. This is where many people have learned to believe that bad things come from God. After all God does not change and bad things are happening to His people so it must be true for today also. But let's take a closer look at what the Bible reveals.

"But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:" (Deuteronomy 28:15) The first thing we need to note is that this does not say that God will cause all of the curses to come upon them, but the curses are a result of their decision to disobey God, sound familiar doesn't it (Adam and Eve). The curses would come upon them due to their CHOICE to disobey. It was the same thing that happened to Adam when he chose to disobey God and become the slave to sin and Satan. The same principle that applied to Adam also applied to Israel. However, God in His true nature of being merciful, gracious, longsuffering and abounding in goodness and truth, gives Israel the principle to live in His blessings and not the curses of sin and Satan.

"I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them." (Deuteronomy 30:19-20)

All Israel had to do was choose God rather than sin and Satan to live a blessed life on earth free of bad things happening to them. However, if we look through Israel's history we see that they repeatedly rejected God and became slaves to sin which opened the door for Satan to have his way with them. Remember, Adam had forfeited his perfect life and all his authority to Satan and in doing so took himself out from under God's freedom and blessings to become Satan's slave. It was the same for Israel. They did not choose God's authority, protection and blessings to flow in their midst which would bring health, wealth and long life (Deuteronomy 28:1-14) but chose to reject God and let sin and Satan have their way bringing curses and ultimately destruction upon them. We see this very thing occurring throughout Israel's history as recorded in the Bible (Deuteronomy 28:15-68 the curse for disobedience)

We must see things from a correct perspective. God created man in perfection and gave him choice. It was man who chose to reject God and accept Satan as his master and all the evil that came with it. It was Israel that God chose and wanted to bless. It was Israel who chose sin (Satan) to rule over them through their rejection (disobedience to) of God. God does not choose bad things to happen to man, He permits them to happen because He will not encroach man's will to choose. If man chooses sin and Satan then he will reap the destructive nature of that choice. However, if man chooses God, he becomes a benefactor of all the blessings that God has promised, it is just that simple.

There are many believer that might say, "I am a believer and I did not choose this sickness, disease, fininacial problems, etc. so it must be God's will." However, when you look closer you will find that a statement like this is made due to one of two thing. One, is many believers let their body and soul have rule over their life and therefore open the door for sin and Satan to exploit them. The other is because many believers live their life in a natural type of faith that every person has. It is called sense knowledge faith or mental assent. It means that ones faith is based on ones mind and or senses, that is, seeing is believing, (John 20:24-25) and not revelation faith that emanates from the heart (spirit) that is, believing that you have received even though there is no tangible evidence (John 20:29, Hebrews 11:1) These things prevent believers from understanding the fullness of redemption which God has provided through Jesus Christ.

For many believers, redemption has been reduced to accepting Jesus Christ as LORD and Savior for the purpose of eternal life only, rather than seeing that redemption has completely restored man to what Adam was before the fall. This can only be realized through faith in Christ and in the integrity of God's Word. When believers come to realize that "Bad Things Do Not Come From God" they we begin to understand that they no longer have to live in defeat nor will they have to live a life constantly trying to defeat the devil, because he is already defeated. (Colossians 2:15) They will rest in the LORD because their faith has brought them to know that it is "God who ALWAYS leads us in triumph in Christ..."

The War Continues

Memorial Day is a national holiday where Americans pay their respect and heartfelt gratitude to fellow Americans who have sacrificed their lives in wars throughout the world to protect the freedoms that we enjoy in USA. Whether people believe in the one and only true eternal. immortal, invisible all wise God and the LORD Jesus Christ or not, for generations America was, is and will always be "One nation under God."

However, there is another war that is still taking place. This war started shortly after the creation of man and for thousands of years has taken countless human lives. It is a war that has a leader whose sole purpose is to steal, kill and destroy. His arsenal is includes, sickness, disease, poverty and every sin known to man. Sadly enough this leader uses people many time to do his bidding against other people. He is known as destroyer, murderer, liar, deceiver, accuser, enemy of the human soul, the devil and Satan. He is the epitome of all that is evil and there is no good or truth in him. He is the one who causes every bad, horrible, grotesque and unimaginable things to happen to people. It is all due to his great hatred for humanity and the Creator of life. The Apostle Paul tells us, For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12)
But there is wonderful news for all humanity...

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (John 3:16-17)

Through faith in Jesus Christ people no longer have to live under the tyrannical rule of Satan because Jesus Christ took the punishment for every sin of every man, woman and child in His own body on the cross. Satan and sin, which are synonymous, has been defeated and humanity can now be free.

Unfortunately, Satan has blinded the minds of many people from this truth and has created a false reality of life. People have become so attached to the world of sin that they cannot see that they are connected to the god of this age. They have been convinced that good is evil and evil is good. They are deceived to think that God is the one behind all the terrible things that happen in the world. The time has come for believers to be thrust into the harvest field to unplug human lives from Satan's system of the bondage of sin with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Believers must go forth preaching the "Full Gospel" to get the results that the early church received. The Apostle Paul tells us what it means to preach the full gospel...
For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient. In mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have FULLY PREACHED THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. (Romans 15:18-19)

Notice that the full gospel is not only through words but also in actions, that is, a demonstration of mighty signs and wonders by the power of the Holy Spirit. It takes faith to believe that every Christian has the power and authority in the Name of Jesus Christ to walk in this manner. However, the enemy of humanity has and will continue trying his best to convince believers that signs and wonders are not for the church today. If this is so then we must conclude that Jesus mistakenly said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. (John 14:12) But we know that Jesus did not make any mistakes because "He is the way, the truth and the life." So let's exercise our faith in Him, go forth and fight the good fight of faith.

Living in the Flesh?

One of the greatest passages of scripture that believers should embrace daily and be encouraged in is...

Galatians 2:20-3:5 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain." O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? Have you suffered so many things in vain — if indeed it was in vain? Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? —

Paul was not only pressing home the point of what he was in Christ, but also driving home the point of what all believers also have in Christ. Paul contends that dying to Christ, freed him from the Law, because it is by faith, spiritual things, not works, natural things that he has procured his position in Christ. He continues, I do not frustrate, despise, displace, abrogate God working within me, helping me want to OBEY HIM, and then helping me do WHAT HE WANTS. He then rebukes the Galatians (the church) for frustrating, despising, displacing, abrogating Gods grace for their so called rules of life, especially when their faith in Christ was evidenced by the Holy Spirit working miracles. In the same way believers today must use caution when they abide in rules of Christian life (man made laws in the church) rather than the grace that God has poured out in Christ. In doing so they may find themselves frustrating, despising, displacing, abrogating, Gods grace.

But the good news is how the Apostle Paul nails it when he said, "Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by FAITH in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." That's it! If you are born again and filled with the Holy Spirit, then Christ lives in you also. What great news this should be to all believers. Living by grace through faith is freedom, not living by laws that foolish men want believers to live under, this is bondage. As it was in the church at Galatia so it should be today. Our faith in Christ should not be evidenced by laws that we live by, but our faith in Christ should be evidenced by the Holy Spirit working miracles.

I'll Tithe, But...

We've been exploring the idea of tithing for the church. We looked at one of the scriptures used to support tithing in the church prior to the Law which was Abram giving a tithe to Melchizedek. When viewing this in a sound way we see that there is no evidence to support the claim that tithing for the church should be a standard or and obligation. However, to be fair, we will now explore the second passage of scripture that certain sects of the church uses to support tithing as a standard or obligation in the church.

Genesis 28:20-22 we see some serious differences between what Jacob does and the churches approach to tithing...

• First, this appears to be a one time act and not an on going obligation or standard...
• Scripture does not reveal that Jacob ever tithed again for the rest of his life...
• Jacob’s tithe was on the condition that God first blessed and protected him...
• This tithe was voluntary...
• In all that God had promised (Genesis 28:13-15) there was no requirement made by God or nothing said by God that Jacob was obligated to tithe...
• Finally, there is no evidence in scripture the Jacob taught his sons to tithe...

Do you see the similarities with the two passages of scripture Genesis 14:15-24, Genesis 28:20-22? Although these two passages of scripture are used in the many sects of the church to support tithing as an standard or obligation, we can honestly see that what the church teaches and what we actually see in the scripture are quite different.

Just think about this one thing. Jacob’s tithe was on the condition that God first blessed and protected him. So if God does not bless and protect Jacob, then Jacob does not have to tithe. This is completely opposite to what the church teaches on tithing. It teaches that believers are to tithe first then God will bless and protect. What do we suppose the reaction would be if a believer went their pastor and said, “If God blesses and protects me first then I will tithe”. Of course that would be absurd. Believers receive blessings and protection through their faith in Jesus Christ not through tithing.

The point is, Laws keep believers from operating by grace through faith in which there is freedom. The Apostle Paul said in his letter to the church at Galatia, " Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us FREE, and DO NOT be ENTANGLED again with a yoke of BONDAGE". He was talking about freedom by grace verses bondage serving the Law.

Which would you prefer to do, tithe because as a believer that is what you are obligated to do or give cheerfully and bountifully because the grace of God is abounding on you?

A Law in Disguise?

Hold on to you faith, because we are going to address an issue in the church that should not be, but still causes confusion and mixed feeling among many believers today. Believer's today must throw aside the laws that the "wisdom of men" has so cunningly slipped in among the ranks if believer's are to truly experience the freedom that Christ has paid for, that is grace. So, what does the Bible say about tithing? Is tithing the standard of giving in the church? Is tithing an obligation for every believer? Is tithing part of the Law? Naturally this controversial subject will take some time to discuss, but hopefully by the end there will be no more questions or confusion when it come to giving in the church.

In this article we will look at the first of two passages of scripture that the evangelical church uses to support tithing by believer's as a standard and or obligation because both passages of scripture show tithing before the Law.

GENESIS 14:15-24 Abram goes out to rescue his nephew Lot from the king of Elam and other kings that join him to overthrown Sodom and Gomorrah. Abram defeats these kings, take all their goods, rescues Lot and all of Lot’s good and as he was heading back to his dwelling place is met by the priest of God Most High, whose name is Melchizedek. God is about to make a covenant with Abram, so Melchizedek meets Abram with bread and wine, a Biblical symbol of covenant. In turn Abram gives Melchizedek a tithe of all. What is the all that Abram gave him?

HEBREWS 7:4 tells us that the tithe was the "spoils" or the goods that he took after he defeated the kings while rescuing his nephew Lot. This is an important key, because this is one of two passages of scripture that is used to support tithing as an obligation or standard for the church prior to the Law. Let’s not only consider what Abram did, but also what he did not do as well, which is equally important.

• This appears to be a one time act and not an on going obligation or standard...
• Scripture does not reveal that Abram ever tithed again for the rest of his life...
• Note that the tithe (tenth) that Abram gave to Melchizedek was not from his personal possessions or wealth but the spoils that he took from the kings...
• We also see Abram giving the 90% of the spoils to the king of Sodom so that the king of Sodom could not boast the Abram wealth was from him...
• Next this tithe was voluntary. There is no indication that he was obligated to do this. There is no indication that God or anyone else had told him to do this...
• Scripture does not indicate at all that Abram taught his son Isaac to tithe...

You may also find it interesting that for approximately 2000 before Abram the Bible is silent concerning tithing. Now you may have your reason(s) for this but I find it altogether interesting that if tithing was so important to God, why was it not a part of man's economy from the beginning? Why is the Bible silent on this issue over 2000 years? Well as we can see in the above scripture, what is taught in the church concerning tithing being a standard or obligation of giving prior to the Law is not what the Bible clearly shows.

LORD willing we will eventually uncover what the Bible teaches concerning tithing as a standard or obligation verse cheerful, bountiful giving through grace. So what do you think?