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Tuesday, April
15, 2008
Identifying Truth
Malachi 3:8-9 Will a man rob God? Yet ye
have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and
offerings. (9) Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this
whole nation. (KJV)
We talked yesterday about identity theft,
which is when one pretends to be someone they are not and use their name
for advantage sake, many times financial ones. While many of today’s so
called preachers and prophets of God claim the problem with the church is
their lack of giving in tithes and offerings, the truth be known, the
reason God is not a part of their equation is because most of their
attention is focused on the financial and not the spiritual thus robbing
the people of truth which truly reveals who God is. While many profess
themselves to be wise concerning the kingdom of God they are actually
fools, because rather than teaching the people who they are in Christ they
lower His standards by twisting and perverting the word of God, thinking
God is like man, more concerned with earthly things than spiritual ones.
That which is highly esteemed among mankind, which the love of money would
definitely fall into that category, is actually an abomination in the sight
of God as well as idolatry when mankind and its worldly preachers put their
own priorities above the Lord’s. God is a spirit and those that wish to
partake of His spiritual kingdom must, not should or maybe, worship Him in
spirit and in truth; anything else and you are just a thief and a robber
trying to access God through the flesh and its fallen desires.
Malachi 3:10-12 Bring ye all the tithes
into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now
herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of
heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to
receive it. (11) And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he
shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her
fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts. (12) And all
nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith
the LORD of hosts. (KJV)
Once you are able to truly identify which
storehouse is the Lord’s then you now have become a partaker of His
spiritual realm as well as all the spiritual blessings that are available
to His people. If you notice verse 12 it refers to His people as a
delightsome land, fertile ground if you would, to plant the seed of God in,
which is Christ, and allow it to bring forth the fruit of the Spirit to
perfection (maturity). God then opens the windows of heaven up for a
downpour of living waters so that you can be rooted and grounded in the
love of God, not in watered down messages and messengers that are more
concerned with their financial outcome than the congregation’s spiritual
one. Your diligence and commitment to God on a daily basis in the word of
God and in prayer will allow you to keep your attention focused on the
things above and not so entangled with the things of this life. Like the
book of John says ‘He must increase and I must decrease’ so that there can
be more of Christ in you manifesting and less of your fallen nature
festering.
Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore,
brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living
sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (2)
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing
of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and
perfect, will of God. (KJV)
Here is another take on verse 2; good,
acceptable, and perfect will equates to the gospels version of bringing
forth fruit, some 30, some 60, to the point of hundredfold, the perfect
will of God. The more you present yourself to God, willingly entering into
His rest and ceasing from your own works, the more you allow Him to work in
and through you building a confident relationship with the Father based on
love and not guilt. While so many claim that the congregation needs to be
giving more to get God’s approval and love, the truth be known, God just
desires more of you, your time and talent as well so that the line of
communication can be opened and stay open so that you can be a partaker of
His divine nature. A true man of God is not conformed to the world and its
way of thinking, which puts money ahead of the true riches in Christ, but
is changed and transformed by a constant renewing of the mind so that they
can learn to operate more with the mind of Christ and less with the mindset
of the world.
Luke 12:27-29 Consider the lilies how
they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that
Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. (28) If then
God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is
cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?
(29) And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be
ye of doubtful mind. (KJV)
Have you truly stopped and considered the
beauty of a lily? Now stop and ask yourself, what did the lily do to get
that beautiful? If the answer is nothing but to let God have His way then
you are on the right path. The seed was put into the ground, the heavens
opened and poured out a blessing of rain and it grew and prospered into
what God intended it to be. The lily didn’t have to tithe and give
offerings to some big name preacher or organization to win God’s favor and
neither do you. If God is willing to do this with a flower which is one of
His many creations, just think what He can do with you if you let Him; and
remember our salvation is based on faith and not works, lest any man should
boast. Quit being so full of doubt and comparing the love of God to the
love of man which is based on a ‘what have you done for me lately’
attitude, but rather know that God loves you for who you are, right now,
unconditionally.
Luke 12:30-32 For all these things do the
nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need
of these things. (31) But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these
things shall be added unto you. (32) Fear not, little flock; for it is your
Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. (KJV)
Do you wish to please your heavenly
Father? Nothing pleases Him more than to see His children walk in truth and
allow Him to give them His kingdom. As a parent raising a child, all you
want for them is the best and not to see any harm come to them, your
heavenly Father desires the same for you. When raising your children, did
you only feed them if they gave you money for a meal or were you willing to
freely feed them because you loved them and they were one of your own? Why
then do so many portray our heavenly Father as some cheapskate who is only
concerned with financial matters and not with what really matters, the true
love of God? Is there anything more disgusting than seeing a bunch of half
baked ministers who claim to be of God selling His word and blessings to
the highest bidders? Talk about identity theft! Except this one has eternal
consequences people. You are not dummies and should not be treated like one
either; we all know or should know the difference between the voice of God
and that other voice of guilt and damnation. We know how we need to support
those that truly are called of God and truly preach His word because it
will be based on love for the flock they are feeding and not on a bunch of
you know what some are feeding the people to make gain of them. Fear not
flock of God, it is our Father’s good pleasure to not only give you an
inheritance in His kingdom, but to see you grow and prosper in it,
accepting nothing less than the true identity of God which is found in
Christ. God bless and expect the best, nothing less.
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