Getting our needs met by sowing and investing into God's kingdom

Part two

In Luke 18:9-14 Jesus spoke this parable to show the difference between those who trusted in themselves and assumed they were righteous but had contempt for others and those that humbled themselves and had a hunger for God. “Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a Publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God I thank you, that I am not the way other men are, being a person acquiring things through the use of force or threats, unjust, an adulterer, or even as a Publican. I fast twice in the week and I give tithes of all that I possess. The Publican standing afar off would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this Publican went down to his house justified rather then the Pharisee: for every one that exalts himself shall behave in a way that lowers their sense of dignity or self-esteem; and he that humbles himself shall be high in rank, position and be high spirited”

Pharisees are those that have a self righteous attitude and live their lives by rules and regulations. In Jesus day they were the religious group that had Jesus crucified by the Romans. Pharisee represents a religious spirit. You notice that as they prayed, their comments were directed to their behavior and works. Now the publican represents an attitude of (all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.) He wasn’t boasting on his good works but was acknowledging his need for God in his life.

Now here is the real issue, the publican represents the attitude that all people need to have to accept Jesus into their lives and become born again. This type of humble spirit needs to increase with in a born again believer but not with this breast beating of woe is me I am just a sinner attitude. This type of attitude causes them to not be able to keep their head high and walk in God’s courts with praise and thanksgiving. Not only are the majority of born again assembling using force and threats to have the assembly pay their tithe but, they are driving rather then leading God’s sheep and keeping them breast beating with a woe is me attitude. When this is done, it damages the heart of the giver to not scatter his seed over a wide area, which is caused because it lowers their sense of dignity or self-esteem. When this happens they have a lack of appreciation for themselves and they do not recognize that, they are not sinners but God’s Saints.

Now let’s look at what tithing represents as far as scripture is concerned. Is there a place for it, I believe there is but, it must be put in its proper order. In the Old Testament Gen.14: we have the encounter of Abrams coming back from a victory over King Chedorlaomer of Elam and the other kings that were allied with him in the battle. Abram went into battle against King Chedorlaomer of Elam and his cohort kings because, they had taken captive Abrams brothers son Lot and all of his tribe and he wanted to right this wrong. In verse 18-24 the king of Sodom went to meet Abram at the valley of Shaveh which is the king’s dale or a summer house owned by this king and congratulate him on his victory. 

Melchizedak king of Salem who was the priest of the most high God came with the king of Sodom and brought forth bread and wine to Abram at his returning. He blessed Abram by saying, “Blessed be Abrams who serves the most high God possessor of heaven and earth. Also blessed be the most high God, which has delivered your enemies into your hands and Abram gave him a tenth of all he had taken. The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me all the people you captured and you can keep the financial profits and goods. Abram then said to the king of Sodom, “ I have made an oath to the most high God that, I will not even take so much as a shoelace that they stole from you so that you will have no hold on me to say that it was you who made me rich. Only let those who fought with me have what food they have eaten and what they have needed for the victory. “We see here that Abram had a desire to please God and follow His leadings. We must put this verse in its proper context and fully understand its meaning.

Abram in no way wanted to put himself under any obligation and had no fear of him needing the spoils of the victory. He gave Melchizedak one tenth of the spoils because of his jester and benevolence in providing bread and wine to him on his return. High Priests according to the Levitical law and Old Testament doctrine were entitled to their portion or tenth as to the office they held in God’s order of things in the community. It states this in many areas in the Old Testament one being Numbers 18:24.

Now the question is does this principle of law or doctrine hold true today and when a Christian tithes is this a Christian living by God’s grace and the faith of Jesus Christ or in a legalized commandment of strict obedience because of a penalty of if one does not give a tenth of his income to the church organization he is sinning or robbing God as many preach. What are the consequences if we find out that our principle of tithing is an Old Testament doctrine that does not please God and is driving church organizations instead of God’s righteous Spirit. This concept is very scary because if it is true as I believe it to be, a lot of structures or towers of Babel will come crashing down as born again believers come to realize that, they are giving for the wrong causes and for the wrong reasons. That is why this doctrine is so very controversial. This being true, we need to understand how God wants us to be givers the right way.

Let’s remind ourselves that, walking and being obedient to the Lord is not a set of rules and list of instructions that have to be followed and by us thinking that living like this, we will be pleasing God. God is already pleased with us the day we made Jesus our Savior. Not only that, but He loved and died for us while we were yet sinners and alienated from the family before we were saved.

Paul the Apostle in his letter to the Galatian church in Chapter 3 had to reprimand them and called them foolish because after they became saved, they became bewitched because he told them that they were saved by God’s grace and went back to living under Old Testament rules to keep their salvation. The word bewitched means to have a magic spell put on you.  

Paul states in verse 11-24 his reasoning as to why the Galatians got mislead. Let’s reason with him and see if there is the possibility that the born again church of today can be in the same condition as the Galatian church. He states, “No man is justified by obeying the law in the sight of God because, the born again believer must live by the faith of Jesus Christ.” I did not say faith in Jesus Christ but of Jesus Christ. These two statement are entirely opposite from each other. The word in means, laboring in dead life observances of rules and regulations, where of means, a living Spirit of power and exuberant life that one can experience daily. Paul goes on to say, “The law has nothing to do with faith, but the man that does the law is in bondage when he lives in this condition. Christ atoned for our sin based nature by redeeming us from the curse of the Law, because He became the curse for us. Scripture tells us that, cursed is any one that is hanged on a tree.”

The reason a person is cursed and living in bondage to trying to keep the law is because he is not living in the power of the Holy Spirit and allowing the Spirit of God to keep him delivered from attitudes that cause unrighteous thinking which turns into unrighteous actions. Paul goes on to say, “ By Christ redeeming the church, it will be able to enjoy the same blessing that Abraham received in the Old Testament which was the promise of God’s own Spirit through faith. This example that I am using is like a man who makes up a last will before dying and once signed it can not be revoked by any one after his death. This is God’s ordained last will and testament that He put in ordered and it can not be added to or changed. Now this promise made by God to Abraham was to his seed and not to any one else, which is the righteous seed of Christ and all He represents to His body for only those who receive Christ as their Savior.

However, Jesus is now the go between of the New Covenant between God and mankind today.  

Now before faith came, we were perpetually guarded under the Law, kept in custody in preparation for faith that was destined to be revealed. So the Law served as a school master or our guardian that lead us to receive Christ as our Savior that now makes us declared righteous and put in right standing by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under a trainer, who was a guardian of our childhood. Now that we are in Christ we are all sons and daughters of faith. If we now belong to Christ we are considered to be Abraham’s seed and an heir according to the same promise given to Abraham by God when he walked the earth.”

Unless the body of Christ grows up to recognize their position in Christ, they will stay needing a guardian and never flourish with freedom and experimentation in their relationship with the Holy Spirit. Remember we stated this using an example of tithing, but this principle is the foundation that must be driving all of God’s endeavors in all other areas. There is a huge difference between being a tither and being a faithful steward, which is (Somebody who manages the property, finances, or household of their father.) This meaning, God’s inheritance which has already been given to us at our born again birth and we must be following His directions so we can be good managers.

We need to go back and touch on the example given in Gen. 14. You will notice that when Abraham gave his ten percent of the loot he brought back from the battle, his name was Abram not Abraham. Abram means the ability of a father to have children. In Gen. Chapter 15 we have an encounter in a dream that Abram had with the Lord after the battle and him giving Melchizedek his tithe, where God told him “He was his shield and the one who would give Him an abundant compensation and his reward would be exceedingly great.” Abram ask God “what He would give him as he was childless.” God said, “Your heir will be from your own body. He then took him outside into the starry sky and told him as many as the stars in the heaven so will his descendent be.” When this took place Abrams believed God and this is when it was credited to him as being righteous in God’s eyes. This is the same promise God gave to us the day we made Jesus our Savior. After this encounter his name was then changed to Abraham meaning a father who would have many children.

We talked about in part one where Peter’s name was changed from Simon Barjona to Peter and the significance of this change. The body of Christ needs through the word of God and repetitious teaching finally come to understand the meaning stated in 1Cor. 5:17.

“If any man is engrafted in Jesus Christ, the Messiah, he is (a new creature altogether) a new creation: the old (previous moral and spiritual condition) has passed away and behold the fresh and new has come. The body of Christ has stayed in an infant stage of understanding. Even though they are born again believers and have all of God’s characteristics with in them, they have no spiritual understanding how to function with their new name given to them by God.

The born again church teach about giving, but never instruct the believer about receiving because, their need to keep the ship afloat and their security of paying the bills and the people are looked on as trophies. This is not God’s desire and priority of the people sitting in the pews Sunday after Sunday. In these last days, God is preparing a army of believers who He can trust to present a gospel of anointed power and all engulfing love to a sick and dying world. Church assembling is only a nursery of children being guarded and nurtured by God called Pastors so the family being trained can go out in the highways and byways of society to do the works of Jesus Christ.

Church was never meant to be an entity in it self as a play pen of constantly changing diapers of the same people year after year after year. Not only should a sound solid foundation of righteous teaching be going on in the church assembly but, the ones who have grown to the young adult stage, who are strong in the word, maturing and who are ministering in their everyday arenas of life, should be coming back and giving testimony of their works of faith in their walks of life. What really is going on in most assemblies; the people sitting under preaching and teaching are continually in a mode of learning and never coming to the truth of their righteous position in Jesus Christ.

In Hebrews 6:1-3 the apostle Paul tells us “we need to go on and grow up and get passed the basic skill teachings and doctrines of Christ, the Messiah and advance steadily towards the completeness and perfection that belongs to spiritual maturity. Let’s not again be laying the foundation of repentance and abandonment of dead works (dead formalism) and by the faith by which you turned to God. These teachings include purifying the laying on of hands, the resurrection from the dead and eternal judgment and punishment. These are all matters of which you should have been fully aware of long ago. It is God’s will that we now go on to advance teachings.”

Let’s discuss these basic doctrines that we need to leave behind and go on to maturity. The first is the purifying of the laying on of hands. This is an Old Testament doctrine where when the Levi Priest offered up animal sacrifice for the people’s sins in the temple, they would with their hands put in a ritualistic sense the sin’s of the people on the animals and when the animal was sacrificed their sins were burnt up and forgiven by God.

When our righteous position in Christ does not take fore front in our teachings and we harp on our behavior and the fact that we are still sinners saved by grace, this constantly reminds us of our fallen nature with out Christ.  

In turn, this keeps the body of Christ focused on the negatives in our lives rather then explaining to them how their new nature works in unison with the Holy Spirit. We were a sinner before we accepted Jesus into our hearts. In 1Cor 15:56 Paul the Apostle tells us that, “the judgment of God states that, death comes by sin; and the strength of sin comes by us, trying to obey the Ten Commandments.” Now the grace of God which is His (unmerited favor) saved us therefore, our nature is now that of being a Saint not a sinner. We have put the old man shame nature into the ground and it died with Jesus Christ and we have been raised to a new life the same as Jesus was raised from the died to a new life.

This whole concept that I have stated from scripture can not stay as mere head knowledge by making a humanistic evaluation with our natural minds but; it must be spiritually revealed to us by the Spirit of God. The next part of these doctrines is the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment and punishment. A person who has been transformed and now possess the Spirit of God with in him and has been resurrected from the dead the same as Jesus. He can never be judged to an eternal judgment and condemned to hell no matter what happens in his life. Unless this foundation is permanently in place in the believer, you can not go on to build any more revelation of truth with action in the believer.

When we allow God’s Righteous Spirit to continually flow through our soul it produces a giving and loving heart felt foundation of transparency in our entire being in all areas for God causes. It is us experiencing God’s loving kindness which causes this to take place. Scripture tells us that, “We love God because we have learned how to allow Him to love us.” As we experience His love, a joy of exposure to His presence, begins to dominate our lives.

When a person is complacent, they are self absorbed with the lack in their life and their trials of life. This happens because, they are not true God seekers and their spiritual ears have never recognized the still small voice of the Holy Spirit talking to them during the day and night hours. I am constantly amazed in my walk with the Lord how much there is to enjoy and fellowship with God daily and the unending revelation of him showing me His way of thinking and keeping me focused on His face and purposes for my life. It is beyond me how the majority of the born again church can live in such poverty in all areas of their lives. In my understanding and relationship with the Lord, he has continually been delivering me from myself with out condemnation which causes me to run to Him when I fall down. In John 12:32 Jesus says, “If I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men unto me” We know that our Christianity exists because Jesus rose from the dead and is alive today. 

There are no other so called god’s that people worship that rose from the dead and are alive today so you can talk to them. The most grieves thing that can happen to a born again child of God is be saved many years and never have been truly discipled under mature leadership who know what our righteous position in God represents and they sit under a watered down weak gospel example of what kingdom living is all about. We who are born again have been given by God at out new birth all of God’s characteristics and unless we are truly letting the Holy Spirit show us our wealth in all areas and it becomes a physical manifestation that we and people can see, we live far below our positions as God’s children. The bar of teaching must be put up higher so that we and the world can really see a God of total love. As I said earlier, people are getting saved daily. My concern is what kind of family are they getting saved into.

Let’s now discuss this idea of being adorned or clothed with a garment and lay siege or to be enthroned in a position of authority and place.

In Isaiah 61:1-11 we have an account where the Spirit of the Lord was upon Isaiah and he was prophesying to the Jews nation and telling them the prosperity and joy He wanted them to have and this promise to them is the same to us who are God’s born again people. He tells them starting in verse 7, “For the former shame based nature that you had, I am going to give you twofold recompense: instead of dishonor and reproach, you will rejoice with their portion. For I the Lord love justice, and I hate robbery and wrong with violence or burnt offerings and I will give you recompense faithfully in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with you

First, I would suggest that you read and meditate on Isaiah 61 yourselves to get a witness from the Holy Spirit on this promise. You will also notice that only the true interpretation and the inherent power of God’s word will bring this to pass in one’s life. Because you see wealth in a person’s hand that is no guarantee that, it is there from God’s store house. This robe of righteousness from the Hebrew translation represents an attitude of covering over the sin based nature that we had before we became born again. When God looks at us he sees us as faultless and with out sin in His sight. When the church in its quest to disciple people in God’s name with the wrong reasons it misrepresents 1John 2:1 to the church.

This verse states, “My little children I write to you these things so that you may not violate God’s law and sin. However, if any one should sin, remember we have an Advocate somebody who (supports or speaks in favor for us and is a tireless interceder for us) with God the Father. He is Jesus Christ the Righteous who when He physically walk the earth conformed to God the Fathers will in every purpose, thought and action. Jesus being our advocate is a done deal as far as he is concerned. Once we are covered, we can not be uncovered.

This is the reason we observe the Lord’s Supper at the communion table which should be done not only at church services but also at home. This reminds us of our righteous position in Jesus Christ. We fall back under the curse of sin when we forget our righteous position and live back under the shame based nature. These were young newly saved people that John was writing to. They needed to be weaned off this sin conscience nature thinking and understand their new righteous position in Christ. The majority of the born again church is not weaning the church off this attitude but, keeping people in bondage to their childish behavior because, they are harping on their behavior attitudes rather then encouraging their new man and nature in Christ.

This is the main issue that has to be constantly at the fore front of our meditating day and night. This is what the Holy Spirit will constantly bring to our mind and what delivers us from the darts and arrows of the Devil to bring condemnation and shame back into our lives after salvation. The church preaching where ever in its teaching or focusing on sin and behavior causes the body of Christ to constantly look under their white robe of righteousness and focus on their sin and shame based nature that Jesus nailed to the tree at His crucifixion. All doctrine after this is meaningless when we try to build it on human effort and strict discipline to man made endeavors of measuring up for acceptance to the norm of their particular denomination. No where in the bible does God refer to denominations. We are either Greek or Jew and after salvation we are all God’s children Period. As a matter of fact Paul condemns denomination criteria in his discourse in 1 Cor. chapter I.

I Peter 2:9 tells us, “ we are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that we should show forth the praises of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.“

John the Apostle states in Revelations 1:5-6 “Jesus Christ is a faithful and trustworthy Witness and the First person to be bought back from the dead and the Prince ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who ever loves us and has once and for all loosed and freed us from our sins by His own blood and has made us kings and priests to His God and father, to Him belongs power and majesty and the dominion .” We must finally believe and know in our hearts, who we really are in God’s family. We will never know our true position as a being a king and priest if we are being tutored by leadership that keeps us as children on the milk of the word because of their novice position of leadership. 

In Matthew 11:12 Jesus says, “ From the day John the Baptist walked the earth, until this present time the kingdom of heaven has endured violence and assault, and the violent men seize it by force ( as a precious prize). A share in the heavenly kingdom is sought after with a most ardent zeal and intense exertion. For all the Law and the Prophets prophesied up until John. Now if you are willing to receive and accept this, John who is Elijah functioned in their calling before God’s true kingdom had come. Those that have their true spiritual ears functioning let him perceive and understand what I am saying.”

We see here that unless our true spiritual ears are open to hear what the Holy Spirit is saying to His church our labors are in vain. The real enemy to the born again church is simply our ignorance because of our undisciplined life styles of not meditating on the word day and night and having a passionate hunger for Godly priorities. I have found that if I allow God to search my heart and cry out for his wisdom with strong tears and crying, unending requests for His presence and put demands on His promises from His word that, He is not like a man who lies.

You can not put demands on God if you don’t know what your promises are from Him.

We all want to prosper and have needs and wants in our lives because, God made us that way. When a person takes something by force they have to lay siege to a thing. When one lays siege, it is like a military or police operation in which an army or the police surround a place and cut off all outside access to force.

If a born again believer is ignorant of the inheritance that they already possess it’s because, they have no intense study program of discipline in reading the word. Our strength and empowerment is doubled and tripled by God’s power as we practice the presence of God in our lives. You will find that the Holy Spirit will lighten the load of life and there will come a trust and surrenderment to his leadings. It’s like you begin to ride a wind or wave. Your priority becomes a search for peace and joy with a thankful heart in all things. As His righteous spirit in us begins to take over our lives that causes our focus to be on His leadings not on our responsibility of having to do things to get Him to like us. We have the majority of born again believers intensely in siege in warfare but totally deceived in who and what they are fighting.

It is only as we know our rights as kingdom people that we can lay siege and fight the good fight of faith. The majority of the born again church is not fighting the good fight of faith. They are struggling and fighting a fight of trying to stay holy and trying to be good little doers in following a vision of denominational teachings and what they think is the norm of Christianity. The people in the pews Sunday after Sunday are to be commended for their endeavor and effort in trying to mature in knowing God and finding fulfillment.

However, as long as any endeavor in their lives is being motivated by obligation in any form, love can never have its own way and their efforts are in vain.

The true gospel is one thing and one thing only that being, experiencing the love of God in ones life. Sowing and investing into God’s kingdom can only increase and multiple as we experience God’s love and total forgiveness. You can’t buy God’s love or loss it by bad behavior. God doesn’t need our money. He doesn’t want us to be driven by paying tithes or offerings or anything us. He wants us to enjoy our relationship with Him with out worry and fear of disappointing Him. Did you pay your parents as a child to feed you and cloth you and take care of your booboos when you were little? Or did you just go your merry way and smell the roses along the way trusting in their care and love for you. “Thank you Lord for not putting conditions on me as to having to be doing things to experience your love for me.”

It is as we learn and accept the fact that we have a choice with out judgment to say yes or no to the Lord that we will better understand how loving He is. The judgment and what we reap from unrighteous acts in our lives is like a child playing with matches. God never has any ill will for anybody. The God who I follow is one who is a watchful loving Father who warns and instructs me daily and when I fall down not on purpose but because of my enthusiasm, I sometimes get ahead of Him. Scripture tells us that, “The blessing of the Lord is indeed sweet and there is no toiling in it.”

I would suggest you ask God how much loving kindness verses how much obligation of being a good little doer is motivating your life. Remember a joyful giver is one who is being motivated by the Holy Spirit for Godly purposes and is constantly looking for opportunities in all areas and at all times to represent God as an Ambassador of planting His kingdom in the earth. The body of Christ must become independent in their relationship with the Lord and their discretionary discernment in the spirit world must become very clear and bold in recognizing the difference between man building his structures and God building His church.