Tag Archives: god

“God put his power in our hands”

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

“When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet.”

Psalms 8:3-6

I struggled for many years, thinking my success was dependent on other people rather it was the banker who was willingly to give me a loan or an employer who was willing to pay me a salary. I was dependent on credit cards to put gas in my car.

Sometimes I was successful, other times I burned out on the side of the road. I was stuck working other people’s visions.

I saw something in the word of God that changed my perspective on life. I saw that God had a vision. Although I read this scripture thousands of times, it finally came alive in my heart. It is one of those secrets from the garden of Eden that changed my life forever!

God created man in his image to be like him

“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”

Genesis 1:26 (KJV)

God created man in his image! Genesis chapter 1, show us an image of God of which he was deliberately creating the heavens and the earth. He took pleasure in each created act and he said it was good and he blessed it and said, multiply! You never seen God depressed, angry, bitter or frustrated. The only time this occurs is because man turned the earth into cess pool.

God created us in his image after his likeness! God created us to act like him. When God wanted something he planted a seed, which became a fruit tree yielding fruit.

When God wanted fruit that could produce eternal life, he planted a seed that became a tree that yielded fruit called the tree of life. We see that same process in Revelation 22:2!

God’s Vision for Man

“And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it:and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”

Genesis 1:28 (KJV)

Adam inherited a fully functioning system

Adam inherited a fully functioning system; all he had to was work the system. God gave him dominion, seed and fruit trees for the vision. God said,

“And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.””

Genesis 1:29-30

Seed was designed by God to transmit life. God designed fruit trees for generating fruit which produced a multitude of fruit. Seed is provision. Seed is pro-vision. Seed is for the vision.

Seed communicates vision. God said, to Abraham, ‘your seed shall be as the stars of heaven and as the sand on the seashore’ Genesis 15:5 & Genesis 22:17.

The problem we encounter when it comes to understanding seed is, we only see seed as one dimensional, in its herbal form. Seed comes in many forms. For example, when God addressed the serpent in Genesis 3:15 God said, ‘I will put enmity between thy seed and her seed and the seed of the woman shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel.’

Genesis 3:15 also reveals something else! The serpent gained seed out of the transaction that took place in the garden of Eden. In the parable of the sower sows word, Jesus said,

“He answer and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; the enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.” Matthew 13:37-39

How did Satan birth these children? The same way God birth his children. The seed of the word of God is sown in the heart and a persons believes it and are born again by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Satan has a multitude of people rapping his lyrics (satan’s seed) and people are acting on and giving birth to Satan’s vision.

  • The Word of God is compared to incorruptible seed, 1 Peter 1:23-25
  • The seed which the LORD God hath blessed, Isaiah 61:9

The system that was created in the beginning exists today and is called the kingdom of God. It works on the same principles as in the as in the beginning.

Jesus compared the kingdom of God to the smallest of seed,

“And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth: but when it is sown , it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it.”

Mark 4:30-32

While the world’s system is getting more technologically advance in its money making operations, the kingdom of God will outlast them all.

“Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which can not be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: for our God is a consuming fire.”

Hebrews 12:28

Why is it important that we reconcile the works of our hands in alignment with the kingdom of God? For one thing, all of our works shall be tried by fire. God is going to shake all things.

“For thus saith the LORD of hosts, Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; and
I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of host. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts. The glory of the latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.”

Haggai 2:6-9 (KJV)

There is coming a judgment. God is going to shake all things. He is going to shake the heavens, the earth, the sea and the dry land. There will be a redistribution of wealth. God is the legal rightful owner of all things. The first family, Adam and Eve, were given stewardship responsibility in creation. They were given an assignment and that assignment has not changed.

Sow Seed

“But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: FOR GOD LOVETH A CHEERFUL GIVER. AND GOD IS ABLE TO MAKE ALL GRACE ABOUND TOWARD YOU; THAT YE, ALWAYS HAVING ALL SUFFICIENCY IN ALL THINGS, MAY ABOUND TO EVERY GOOD WORK.”

2 Corinthians 9:6-8 (KJV)

Personal Testimony

There are so many ways to sow seed. I sowed seed for years through volunteer work. But my most effective way of sowing seed has been through giving money. I sow seed into ministries, mission organizations and those ministries who feed the poor. There was one season, where I gave money to the customers of the Dollar Store. I would walk up and ask someone, “Can I be a blessing to you” and I would put a $20.00 bill in their hand. God always multiplied my seed for sowing. He always blessed me to be a blessing!

God’s Vision vs. Man’s Vision

Old Night Vision Meets New by NASA Goddard Photo and Video is licensed under CC-BY 2.0

God’s vision versus man’s vision!

There are three categories of visions:

  1. God has a vision for man.
  2. Man has his own vision.
  3. Satan has a vision for man.

We get stuck in the latter two categories, that is, our own vision and Satan’s vision. God’s vision is the best vision.

If you want to know what Satan’s vision look like, look around you. It is a world full of chaos, pain, sorrow, death, destruction and trouble.

If you want to know what our vision look like, look around you as well. If there is sickness, sorrow, disease, and broken promises; it is because we have had help from the wicked one in crafting our image.

The image of God has been marred in us.

When the image of God is marred, it causes everything around us to be marred. Marred according to the Bible means “to destroy,” “to disfigure,” “to damage” See Nahum 2:2, Leviticus 19:27; 2 kings 3:19; Isaiah 52:14; Jeremiah 13:9

It is difficult to get things right when you function from a marred reality. For example, in my earlier Christian walk, I saw myself as defeated, so I made decisions based on that image. I saw myself as broke and I borrowed heavily to put gas in my car and to finance my ministry.

Proverbs 18:22, “The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.”

I became a servant to the lender. I remember many days standing in line to pay my credit card bill and my house mortgage payment. If I was late, they charged me a late fee. When the credit card provider went up on their interest rate, they said, “if you don’t agree, stop using the card.” I was so dependent on credit that I had developed a lifestyle around credit debt.

Every year I received a credit card statement of the total interest paid during the year. It always came out to over $1,000.00. Now that I am debt-free, I have money in my savings account more than the credit card debt I was carrying. I made about $1.44 in interest off my savings. I could have invested my money in a higher interest bearing account. But what I am talking about is three different visions; God’s vision, man’s vision and Satan’s vision.

God has storehouses in heaven. He instructs us to store treasure in heaven where moth can’t eat, rust corrode or thieves breakthrough and steal.

The difference between the two visions; my vision and the world’s vision is slavery. I was plowing other people’s fields.

“The global debt reached 305 trillion American dollars in 2022, including debt by both public and private debtors.” Global debt- Wikipedia

Coming out of the debtor’s prison

“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.” Romans 12:2

I realized, if I was going to come out of slavery to man, I had to get God’s vision. God doesn’t borrow money. He doesn’t suffer depression. He doesn’t eat out of garbage cans. He doesn’t beg for a loan. He isn’t starving!

I wish I could say the transformation was over night. It wasn’t. It was gradual, little by little, I slowly came out debt! I made a decision that I wasn’t going be in debt to man. I started giving and sowing. The harvests came in and I was able to pay off my mortgage, credit card and put a new roof on my house debt-free.

God created us in his image

In Genesis 1:26, God said, let us make man in our image after our likeness: and let them have dominion over…

You have to accept the fact that you are created in the image of God. God never changed his mind about making man in his image.

The truth is, God did something about the marred image of himself in man.

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

He did something more, he sent his Son Jesus Christ to tell us what his will is

Hebrews 1:2-3,

“Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; whom being the brightness of his glory, and the express imagine of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of his Majesty on high.”

We can also see what God is like by reading the Bible, especially these four chapters among many others that gives us a picture of what is the true image of God; Genesis, chapters 1-2 and Revelation chapters 20-22 presents a picture of the image of God.

Genesis 1:26 (KJV)

“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”

God uses the word “over” five times to communicate his vision for Adam and Eve. For example, God wanted them to manage the earth. They were to reproduce heaven on earth. They were to create things by speaking words! Like God did and still does!

“Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.”

The Communication Void

The communication void is the big issue. There is a chasm between what God created us to be and what we are now! We must fill that chasm by speaking God’s word into void.

Pray for God to open our eyes so that we can see what he wants us to see. Pray for God to open our ears so that we can hear clearly what he wants us to hear.

“And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.”

Today, I encourage you to speak light into your darkness, into the empty void of pain, sickness, disease, and lack. God created you in his image and likeness!

Grace and peace!

How to get 7-fold return from theft

“Men do not despise a thief, if he steals to satisfy his soul when he is hungry; BUT if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.” Proverbs 6:30-31

If the thief be found, HE SHALL RESTORE SEVENFOLD!

The big question that we struggle with, WHO IS GOING TO MAKE THE THIEF PAY BACK?

The Answer:

“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always have all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.”

How:

“And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.” Psalms 9:8

“But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setters up another.” Psalms 75:7 (KJV)

“For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red, it is full of mixture; and he poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them.”

“Arise, O LORD; let not man prevail: let the heathen be judged in thy sight.” Psalms 9:19 (KJV)

“The LORD is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah. The wicked shall be turned into hell, and the nations that forget God.” Psalms 9:16 (KJV)

“Thou hast a mighty arm: strong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand. Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face.”

You must have faith in God’s system

“O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained.“ Psalms 8:1-3

Ordained means, “yasat”, appointed, established, founded, foundation, set, ( Source; the Bible with Strongs #H3245)

Psalms 8 is very powerful chapter. However, Jesus uses this verse to illustrate the power of God to use little children to overthrow the works of wicked crooked people and bring forth the system that he put into operation in Genesis 1-2.

According to Matthew 21:12-16, (KJV)

Jesus kicked out the thieves out of the temple. Jesus sat daily and taught the people. The blind and lame came into the temple and he healed them. Think about the millions and billions of dollars made off of sickness and disease, yet God has already made provision for the lame and blind to be healed. These people didn’t have to pay a dime for their healing. Scriptures declare,

“… the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and by his stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5

“And when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased, and they said unto, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?”

The God created the heavens and the earth to be a mirror of his glory. The system of creation was set in placed, “ordained of God.” A system was set up from the beginning and it is still fully functioning. A river went out of Eden to water the garden and it became four rivers and flowed into the earth.

The temple was to be reproduction of the Garden of Eden. God’s life flowing into the temple out to the people. Ezekiel 47:1-12 is a prophetic image of the temple functioning as the garden of Eden.

Thieve got into positions of power and began masking the purpose of the temple. They turned the temple into a money making operation, profiting off of the people’s misery.

Once Jesus drove the thieves out of the temple and RE-STORED God’s system people were healed and the little children began crying out to God in worship.

God had to by-pass people who have become compromised by the system of man. God worked through little children to manifest his glory. The scriptures declare,

“Let everything that had breath praise the LORD.”

“He created ALL THINGS and for his pleasure are and were created,” Revelation 4:11.

Praise is the saving health among the nations. When you praise God, you acknowledge him and his righteousness.

“Let the people praise thee, O God; let the people praise thee. O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon the earth. Selah.” Psalms 67:3-4

It was always God’s will for the nations to glad and sing for joy. But presently, the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4) turns the nations into wilderness and will not open the doors of his prisoners, Isaiah 14:17.

You have to appeal your case before God

Parable of the wicked Judge, Luke 18:1-8

I had four tires stolen off my car in my driveway in the middle of the night. When I got up in the morning, my car was sitting on bricks. It was a rental car. I didn’t file a police report or an insurance claim. I was in the middle of a hard place. I went to several tire shops and everybody wanted cash, no credit cards. I went to a Good Year shop and they just happened to have four tires with rims setting in the shop. It cost me $2,100.00 to replace the tires and the rims on a rental car. I was extremely angry and mad. But I knew enough to appeal my case before the God of heaven and earth.

God answered my claim for justice. This initial claim for justice opened so many other doors. I am claiming justice and judgment in situations where my ancestors were denied justice and judgment. I am claiming sevenfold of all that were stolen from them. I am claiming sevenfold return from all that has been stolen from me through false insurance claims.

In the parable of the wicked judge in Luke 18:1-8,

Jesus taught a very powerful lesson about trusting God and having faith in his system.

“And he spake a parable unto them to this end that man ought always to pray, and not faint.” Luke 18:1 (KJV)

Jesus said people ought to always pray and not faint. Prayers don’t get fully answered because people faint in the beginning or in the middle of the process of justice! A widow woman, probably the most disadvantaged citizen in any country, sought justice from a wicked judge. A judge who didn’t fear God or man. She kept pressing for justice. She wore the judge down through persistent pursue of justice and she won her case. Jesus said,

“And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” Luke 18:7-8.

We look at our bills and our pay check and there is not enough to cover the cost of living because its been stolen through flawed and deceit. Have faith in God! Have faith in his system!

Grace & peace

Where is your treasure?

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and thieves break through and steal.”

The other side to this set of instructions are, don’t store your treasures on earth, For where your treasure is there will be your heart also.

Theft touches everybody everywhere, no matter who you are and what you do, thieves will rob you because all theft originates spiritual. We have stolen from God!

People steal because it is in their nature to steal. You might not steal candy from a candy store but you might sleep with your neighbor spouse. You might take office supplies from work or cheat on your taxes.

‘You are not your own. You are brought with a price.’ 1 Corinthians 6:14-20

God hates theft

“For I the LORD love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.” Isaiah 61:8

The cost of theft is pass on to everybody through higher insurance rates and the cost of goods sold.

I am making less and paying double and sometimes triple the cost of goods sold three years ago. For example, I’m paying 5000 a year in auto insurance what use to be 2000, which the high end of insurance rates because I live in Detroit.

I learned years ago while serving as a police chaplain, there are rings of thieves. Gun rings, drug rings, and prostitution rings.

Jesus exposed a den of robbers operating in the temple of God. The thieves operated under the direction of the chief priests out of the temple. The thieves made money called money exchangers. They made money selling animals to be given to the priest as sacrifice.

Jesus dealt with thieves in the temple, John 2:13-17

  1. He found them (a) that sold oxen and sheep (b) those who exchanged money.
  2. He made a whip (a) drove them out of the temple (b) he poured out the exchangers money and he overthrew their tables

I hate robbery for burnt offerings, Isaiah 61:3

Will a man rob God? This whole nation has robbed me? You are cursed with a curse! Malachi 3:8-12!

People don’t understand God’s system. It is a partnership. It was created to be an irrevocable partnership! You have to “give” God the fruit of partnership!

Den of robbers, Jeremiah 7:11, “Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes?”

Den of robbers– Matthew 21:2-16

Jesus loves the thief, he hates the sin. He was crucified between two thieves. One found fault in Jesus, the other asked for mercy and found it.

Grace & peace!

I set before you life and death, blessing and cursing, you chose

Photo by Elizabeth Tr. Armstrong on Pexels.com

“I call heaven and earth to recored this day against you, that I have sat before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: that thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.” Deuteronomy 30:19-20

God has restored the tree of life. That gift is found in John 3:16, ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.’

According to John 4:14, ‘the gift of God is a well of living water springing up in everlasting life. It satisfies every thirst and hunger.’

The problem that most people encounter when it comes to receiving the promise is faith. They don’t know how to partake of the promises or the power!

The Spirit of Poverty

Ephesians 6:10-12, says our warfare is not with flesh and blood, but against spiritual principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world and spiritual wickedness in high places.

The spirit of poverty is a personality that strips the soul of any spiritual or moral value.

There are many battles being fought:

Battles of the soul– People who are inwardly tortured, suicidal, bipolar. Mark 9:14-29, young man who was thrown in the Fire and Water.

The man crying night and day in the graveyard and cutting himself with stones, Mark 5:1-19

Outward battles– prince of the power of the air! Demonic influences in and over communities. Matthew 4:16 (KJV) “The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.”

Battles of between the flesh and spirit– Romans 8:5-10  

Spiritual battles– Jesus said, Luke 10:18, ‘I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning’

Cultural battles– The Hebrew & Greek widows, Acts 6:1

Corporate Battles– Union fighting against the move of God, Acts 19:1-41

Political Battles– Herod sought to kill Jesus when he was born! He murdered all the children two years and under that where in Bethlehem, and the coasts, Matthew 2:11-18

Racial Battles– The Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans, John 4:9

Family Battles- Genesis 25:19-23

We are confronted with the same spiritual forces of darkness that our fore-fathers struggled against.

One common excuse I heard as a chaplain in the jail & prison ministry, “I sold drugs to put food on the table. I stripped houses to buy diapers. I gambled my retirement, pension, disability, and social services check to hit the lottery for millions. I’m waiting on my favored number to hit. If you don’t play, you can’t win.”

Global forces of the spirit of poverty, which is of the “power class” of the demonic power structure is driving population shifts

We are in a season where there is a massive flow of people! People are on the move! The spirit of poverty strips people of resources and the ruler of the darkness of world are pushing people into prostitution, sex trafficking, political corruption, drug dealing and much more!

Decisions are being made in high places. The Whore of Babylon, the kings of the earth and merchants are fornicating in high places. They are plotting and planning global commercial endeavors.

“For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.” Revelation 18:3 (KJV)

Watch population shifts– During the late 1880s Europeans migrated to the United States from many different parts of the world bringing their cultures with them. In Detroit, these nationalities were separated into different parts of the city.

During 1900s, stories of extreme poverty had rooted itself all over the nation, especially in the south. You heard stories of extreme poverty but you rarely heard stories of people who honored God, applied his word and prospered. People were pushed into the darker side of life. People prospered off of vice. Their prosperity was always temporary. They had to plunge deeper into darkness in order to sustained the flow of income.

I was born in Detroit Michigan. My father and his brothers migrated from Granada Mississippi to Detroit to find work in the car factories. They were running from racism and economic hardships. The Detroit Rebellion of 1967 was a manifestation of the frustration many felt during those times.

The forces of global of economics

During the 1930s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, even into the 90s, the spirit of poverty drove people into darkness. The lifestyle of pimps and drug dealers was glorified as a way into riches.

Growing up in the north exposed you to a different kind of racism called corporate greed. The system provided certain population groups enough education to work as a laborer in the automobile plants.

As a young Christian, I remembered trying to fit into man’s system. I finished my military enlistment during the recession of the 80s when finding employment was difficult. I knew enough to give tithes and offerings. My faith in God kept me safe and blessed. I prospered but I didn’t know enough to keep prospering. As I look back on that time, I suffered from a lack of vision. I had other people’s visions. I amassed a large amount of unnecessary debt. All of that changed as God opened my eyes to his vision. Once I got God’s vision, means, and method, things changed for me.

Times have Changed

Times have changed, the spirit of poverty is still driving people into darkness. There are more millionaires and billionaires than ever before. A person can play $2.50 lottery ticket and hit the numbers for millions and millions of dollars. The same lie that the serpent sold Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden has not changed.

The Serpent said, “You’re not going to eat ‘Because God said, you shall not eat of every tree of the garden! You shall not die, God knows your eyes shall be opened and you shall be like God knowing good and evil.’

Eve saw the fruit that it was good for food, pleasant to the eye and good to make one wise and she took the fruit ate it and turned and gave it to her husband!

After Adam and Eve experienced the consequences of what God told them would happen, Eve said, “The Serpent deceived me and I ate.”

According to Revelation 12:9, the same Serpent who deceived Adam and Eve is deceiving the whole world.

People are still buying into the lies of the devil and eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They want to be gods. They want to be judges of good and evil. It never works. It was always God’s will for us to eat from the tree of life.

Jesus said this about Satan: He was a murderer from the beginning, he doesn’t abide in the truth, there is no truth in him. He lies to take advantage of you. He is a lair. He is the father of the lie. John 8:44.

How can Satan be a murderer from the beginning? Satan used Cain to kill Abel because Abel was threat to Satan’s future. Satan thought that Abel could be “the promise seed” that would bruise his head, (Genesis 3:15). The truth is, he murders people!

The Lie

Over the years, I have heard the same lie over and over.

The American Pimps calls it “The game or Our Game”

The Mafia call it, “the Black Hand”; “Our Thing”

Adam Smith, the father of capitalism called it, “The Invisible Hand”

Old time Amway distributors called it, “The Business”

Internet scammers call it “The Black Hat”

Internet profiteers call it “The White Hat”

Rappers call it “M.O.E”, Money Over Everything

There are many names but its the same old lie

But really, “What is it?”

God says, “My ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-13

God gave Adam land in two places, in heaven and on earth. God gave Adam seed and fruit trees. Adam was to tithe the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil as a sacrificial offering. Adam’s assignment was to transform earth into the garden of Eden.

God’s vision for earth has never changed. Whereas Adam’s assignment was producing beauty upon the earth; Satan turned the earth into a wilderness. He destroyed the cities and refused to open the doors of his prison (Isaiah 14:17).

Jesus does the exact opposite. He preached good tiding to the meek. He binds up the broken hearted, proclaims liberty to the captives and opens the prison cells of those who are bound, Isaiah 61:1.

Adam broke trust by eating the fruit of the sacrifice. The system judged him immediately because that’s designed of creation the beginning. Death began to manifest in their bodies. They applied the leaves of the garden as a healing balm.

The Serpent is now Adam’s new spiritual head and partner. The Serpent gained seed in the new partnership. The Serpent is enforcing his will on mankind.

God judged Adam’s sin in order to make a way out of eternal damnation. God never walked away from his vision for creation. God redeemed man to original purpose! He still hold people accountable.

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10 (KJV)

He still makes provision for the just as well as the evil, Matthew 5:45. God holds people accountable as in the days of Noah. Every person will judged according to their works, Revelation 20:11-15

Glorious Promise

Isaiah 55:8-12

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the briar shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”

All hell can be breaking out around you but the Word of the Lord shall stand forever. The Bible is full of examples of God’s ability to keep his word. One of the most powerful examples outside of raising Jesus from the dead is bringing 3 million people out of 400 years of bondage. He fed them 40 years in the wilderness. Their clothes did not wear out or their feet swell.

The testimony that came out of the forty year journey in the wilderness is, the people lived by trusting in the Word of God.Jesus spoke to this after spending 40 days fasting and praying in the wilderness. He testified when Satan tempted him to prove that he was the Son of God. Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.”

What is the Word? God so love the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believe in him shall not perish but have everlasting life!

As is often the problem, people don’t go on to perfection.They stop growing. They don’t have God’s vision, “be fruitful, multiply, replenish, subdue, have dominion over the earth.”

Seed is pro-vision, “for the vision.”

They don’t have his means: Seed, fruit trees and eternal life

They don’t have his method: Seed time and harvest

I believe, if the immigrants that are coming to the United States, would invest their energies into the Word of God. They could turn any part of the world into an oasis. Why?

Jesus said, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all those other things shall be added unto you! Creation was designed to be a partnership between God and man!

The Truth is many governmental leaders, as far as partnership is concerned are fornicating with the Whore of Babylon (Revelation 17-18) and the people are suffering the consequences.

Get a bigger vision

Jesus said, I am the vine and my Father is the caretaker. Every branch in me that bears not fruit, he take it away. Every branch in me that bears fruit, he cleans it that it might bring forth more fruit. My father is glorified when you bear much fruit!

“If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” John 15:7 (KJV)

Grace and Peace!

Join me for more content, http://www.secretsfromthegarden.com

Are you rendering or stealing?

Photo by Mike Jones on Pexels.com

Who started the process of giving and receiving?

“These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens.” Genesis 2:4-5

Wonderful thought, the heavens and the earth were not created in a series of six single 24 hour days. Yet, scriptures describes these things as created in the day, meaning it was, “a time for the foundations of the earth to be laid.”

Genesis 2:4, “These are the generations of the heaven and the earth in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens.”

There was not a man

“And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground.”

So God created a man from the dust of the field and breathed the breath of life into nostrils and man became a living soul.

God said to the first man, Be fruitful, multiply, replenish the earth, subdue it have dominion over everything that has life in it. He said, I have given you every seed upon all the face of the earth and every trees bearing fruit!

If you think seed doesn’t matter, wrong! God uses seed on many different levels. For example, He told the Serpent, the seed of the woman shall bruise your head. He gave Abraham a seed that becomes a nation that birth the Messiah. Then He uses the seed to given the gift of eternal life to whosoever believes

“If ye be Christ, then are you Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promises.”

God uses fruit trees! The first sacrifice was the fruit of a fruit tree. The first gift of eternal life came from a fruit tree. Jesus was crucified on a tree. The Tree of Life is in the midst of the paradise of God.

“And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.”

Partnership

Partnership as it relates to God, is probably the most elusive principle of creation. The system of the earth is based on partnership. This concept flows from Genesis through to Revelation. We understand partnership in bits and pieces.

God has been the greatest victim of theft. Man has never fully render to God his due fruits of the partnership. However, God stills holds people responsible for their share of the harvest of the earth.

God asked the question will a man rob God? You have robbed me even this whole nation. You are cursed with are curse!

Parable of the Wine Press (Matthew 21:33-46 KJV)

The parable pf the wine press illustrates the principles of failed partnership. Jesus told the story of a householder who planted a vineyard. He placed a fence around it and rigged a wine press in it. He build a tower in it. He put the responsibility of managing the vineyard into his employees. Last of all he took a long trip to a far country.

When it came time for the harvest to come in, he sent his servants to the managers of the vineyard to collect its fruits. The Managers beat up one servant, stoned one and killed another. The Householder continued to sent messages to collect the fruits of vineyard. The managers continued to treat each messages the same way.

Finally the Householder decided to send his Son, thinking the managers would respect his son more than his messengers. The managers decided to kill the son and take ownership of the vineyard.

Jesus asked the question of his audience, “When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?” His audience responded,

“They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.” Matthew 21:41

Partnership has always been about man rendering God the fruits of partnership. Yet, man took the fruits that were due God and consumed them upon his own desires. Genesis 6:2, “…They took them wives of all which they chose.”

“But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone. Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the LORD our God, that giveth rain, both the former and latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest.” Jeremiah 5:23-24

Jesus quoted scripture,

“Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?”

Jesus said,

“Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruit thereof.”

The parable is about rendering to God his due fruits. People think this parable just applies to the Pharisees. No, it applies to followers of Jesus Christ as well.

The Parable of the talents! (Matthew 25:14-30)

Jesus tells a parable about three servants of a householder. For clarity let change the titles of subjects of this parable. Let make the man traveling to a far country, the president of a company. Lets make the servants employees. The president of this company is about to tell a long business trip. He called his chief employees together and committed the companies resources into their hands.

The first employee was given five pieces of gold. The second employee was give two pieces of gold. The third employee was given one piece of gold. After a long period of time, the president of the company calls his employees to give an account of their stewardship.

The first employee came to the president and said, ‘You committed to me five pieces of gold, I have gained five more.’ The president of the company said, well done good and faithful have you been, I will make you ruler over many things, come let’s celebrate together.

The second employee came to the president and said, You committed to me two pieces of gold, I have gained two more. The president said, well done good and faithful have you been, I will make you ruler over many things, come let’s celebrate together.

The third employee came to the president and said, You gave me one piece of gold and I was afraid of losing it. I knew you as a hard man reaping where you have not sown. So I took the companies resources and buried them in a hole in the backyard, here is your one piece of goal. The president said, You wicked and slothful employee, you should have put my money in the bank at lease I could have gained the interest. Take the talent from him and give it to the employee which gained the most of the resources entrusted to him.

The principle of accountability

“For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Many people are in a dark place simply because they didn’t take advance of seed time and harvest. They ate their seed. They neglected their fruit trees. They slept during harvest times. They were not conscious of the process.

God reserves the harvest! In other word, there is a harvest of increase in your future, simply because that is ow the system was designed to function. Sow seed, plant water and be patient unto God gives rain and increase.

God said, “Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.” Seed is for provision. Seed is pro (for) the vision. God’s vision!

You can’t limit seed to physical food. Seed will/can benefit you in every area of your life.

The power of sowing seed

In Second Corinthians 9:6-15, the apostle Paul encourages the Corinthian Church concerning making provision for the ministry to the saints. He said,

“But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.” 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 (KJV)

If you sown little, you will reap on the same scale. If you sow abundantly, you will reap abundantly. I learned this early in ministry. I learned this valuable principle. I deliberately found as many serving opportunities and started pouring into these field.

I served as a chaplain in the Wayne County Jail, Dickerson Detention Facility, the Detroit Rescue Mission and the Detroit Police Department of which I receive no salary. I also prayed with a group churches called the Detroit Regional House of Prayer as well as pastoring a church.

In my serving I recognized seasons of blessings. I was able to share these lessons with people I ministered to in prison and the homeless shelter. I enjoyed the grace of God in so many ways. The season that I am walking in today, as debt free, came out of those seasons of sowing into others.

Another amazing benefit is the level of your authority and dominion increases as well. What I mean by that, I master money instead of money mastering me. I experience the blessings of God in my body, marriage, home and finances. Why? Not because I am a good person. I have learned the principles of the Garden of Eden and I applied them to my daily life.

(As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever. Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruit of your righteousness;).”

God gives seed to everybody, to the poor

He is righteous always and all the time. He is good to all. He opens his hands and desires the desires of every living thing

-He ministers seed to you

-He multiplies the seed you sow

-He increase the fruits of your righteousness. When God increase the fruit of your works, simply means what you harvest becomes so much that your barnes will break out with abundant increase. He increases it to the point that there is an overflow of abundance. Remember, Satan didn’t create prosperity. God created prosperity as a way of manifesting his glory. All things were made by him and they were created for his pleasure (Revelation 4:11).

The Sower Sows the Word

Matthew 13:2-11 & 14, Mark 4:1-20; Luke 8:4-15

The parable of “the sower sows the word” is based on the same principles of all the other revelations regarding rendering to God his due fruits. Jesus came to reveal mysteries of creation that had been hidden or lost from the beginning of time.

“All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.”

Jesus spoke the mysteries in parables. His disciples asked him, why speak in parables? Jesus spoke in parables because the people continually rejected God. There was a pattern in the nation of people continuously rejecting God’s counsel so the prophesy of Isaiah 6:9 was fulfilled in that generation. The prophesy was

“By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive.”

People receive the blessings of God as they are able to hear, receive and keep the Word God ministered to them. Jesus said,

“He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.”

Of the four groups of people who hears the Word of the Kingdom of God:

  1. The group who hears the word by the wayside
  2. The group who receives the word into stony places
  3. The group who receives the word among thorns
  4. The group who receives the Word in good ground

There is loss of growth in the first 3 groups. The last group who hears, receives, and keeps the word of God in their hearts, reaps a harvest of 30, 60, and a 100 fold more than what was sown. What is the Word of the kingdom? It is the Word of Life, the message of life which was manifested in the life and ministry of Jesus according to 1 John 1:1-5. Jesus healed all who came to him in faith! Jesus said to Martha and Mary concerning their brother Lazarus who had died, “I am the resurrection and the life.”

“One sow and another waters but God gives the increase!”

“And he gave gifts unto men”

The Message of the Ten virgins

Five were foolish and five were wise. Both groups fell asleep while waiting on the marriage feast to start. When the cry came forth, “The bridegroom cometh.” All ten woke up, the five foolish didn’t have oil to light their lamps and asked oil of the five wise virgins. The five wise virgins counseled them to go to the market place and purchase oil. While the five foolish virgin were gone to the market place to buy oil; the bridegroom show up and takes the five wise virgins into the marriage feast. When the five foolish virgins show up, knock on the door and say, “Lord, Lord open up.”

“But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.”

Again the principle is, understand the purpose for seed! Work it, Apply it. Reap harvests intentionally! Become a master of seed time and harvest!

Grace & peace!

“Up, Make us gods to go before us”

Exodus 32:1-2

Photo by Suzy Hazelwood on Pexels.com

“And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gather themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.”

Aaron told the people to break off their golden ear rings, the ear rings in their wives, sons and daughters’ ears. Aaron fashioned the gold into a golden calf. Aaron build an altar to the golden calf upon which they offered burned sacrifices and they worshipped it. Aaron declared a feast and caused the people to strip naked and they danced before at the foot of the golden calf.

Aaron declared:

“These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.”

This same scenario plays to the same tune down from the generations. People seek an alternative system to meet their needs. They made the same decision in 1 Samuel chapter 8. They asked Samuel to appoint them a king to go before them, to fight their battles, and to judge them.

Israel got tired of waiting on Moses and they decided to make a substitute for God. They gave credit for their deliverance to the work of their hands. They build an altar, offered burnt offerings and offerings of peace to the golden calf. Aaron declared a in feast celebration to their new found gods. The Bible said, they sat down to eat and rose up to play. They stripped off their clothes and dance into celebration of progress (Exodus 32:25).

The golden calf fashioned by the hands of Aaron has followed them around for generations, See 1 Kings 12:28. And if you can accept this, the same golden calf sits near Wall Street in the symbol of a Brass Bull. The Brass Bull, “It symbolizes Wall Street and the Financial District.” It also represent “optimism and prosperity.” People rub his testicles for good Luck.

God said,

“For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.” Jeremiah 2:13

What are the two evils:

  1. Forsaken God, the fountain of living waters
  2. Investing in a broken system that can not contain value

Adam and Eve chose the tree of the knowledge of good and evil over the tree of life. They looked at the first lie spoken to a human being, which the serpent weaved for them and to them was granted death in all of its glory!

Mammon

People have made money their god. They celebrate it, worship it, sacrifice family for it, swear by it. The love of money is the root to all evil…You can not serve God and mammon…How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!

The promises of Social Security, Med-care and Medicaid, loans, schemes to get wealth, daily barrage our ears with promise of prosperity. Jesus clearly says don’t store treasures on earth where moth and rust corrode and thieves breakthrough and steal. He said, store your treasures in heaven.

Man can’t fight your battles,

Your battles are spiritual in nature. We are in a warfare against spiritual forces. Jesus said, ‘Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.‘ People are stuck in the details of this love-hate relationship with God and money and they are unable to access life.

Man can’t lead you in this battle. God has put the source on the inside of you!

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and done all to stand.” Ephesians 6:10-13

To finish this article please go my blog at, “secretsfromthegarden.com”

Also please forward your email address so I can send new content directly to your email box!

Grace and peace!

Prototype

Photo by Josh Sorenson on Pexels.com

Think of the Garden of Eden as a model of a future reality. What is important is that the garden as it was constructed worked perfectly. There was nothing wrong with the design or the structure itself. Hebrews 8:2-6 says the tabernacle of Moses was a type and shadow of the pattern of the tabernacle in heaven which the Lord pitched and not man. I was little confused about this tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not man until I understood, when God planted the garden in Genesis 2:8-9, it was the sanctuary that was being talked about. So the Garden of Eden is a prototype!

The definition of prototype is, “a first, typical, or preliminary model of something, especially a machine, from which other forms are developed or copied.” Source: Google Definitions

“A prototype is a test or original, model of a product or technology from which improvements, upgrades or fundamental changes can be made.” Source: Google Definitions

The garden of Eden, as revealed in Genesis chapter 2:8-14, is a prototype of the paradise of God as revealed in Revelation 22:1-6. if you compare the garden of Eden and the paradise of God, you have a similar setup in relationship to the trees and the river. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was the tree where the fruit was offered as a sacrifice. In the paradise of God, you have the tree of life and the Lamb of God. The Lamb of God is a perfect sacrifice. The Lamb of God slain before the foundation of the world, Ephesians 4:1-4, Revelation 13:8,

According to 1 Peter 1:19-20, we were redeemed, “But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifested in these times for you.”

The City of Eden was a prototype

The City of Eden as revealed in Genesis 2:10 is a prototype of the New Jerusalem as revealed in Revelation 21:1-27.

In Revelation 3:12, Jesus made reference to the City of God that is going to be reveal in its in its future glory,

“Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.” Revelation 3:12

Partnership

God always work out of partnership. If you look the setup of the New Jerusalem God, Revelation 21, there twelve gates to the city which are named after the tribes of Israel. The city has twelve foundations which are named after the apostles of the Lamb. This heavenly construction project was always meant to be a shared project between God and man. God supplied the material and man supplied the labor.

The materials for the project

You will see streets of gold and walls encrusted with precious stones. You can see the true purpose of gold and precious gems. Gold was never created to be worshipped. It was meant to be construction materials! For example, in Genesis 2, one of the rivers that flowed out of the garden of Eden into earth was called Pison, and it was a source of gold and precious gems. Genesis 2:11-12

“The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land Havilah, where there is gold; and the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and onyx stone.”

If Adam had finished his assignment, the city of Eden would have moved to the earth. Adam’s assignment was always meant to be a partnership between God and man. God was the architect and Adam was the general contractor. All of the trees in the garden were the source codes, a massive computer system from which Adam was able to gain access to knowledge and wisdom he needed to carry out his assignment. Adam was set up to be the richest man ever because the wealth of the nations would have been at his disposal.

Adam failed in his assignment God had to work around his failure. Israel becomes a prototype of the garden of Eden.

Israel becomes a prototype of the Garden of Eden

Israel is a prototype of the Garden of Eden. Moses was given a vision and in this vision he was given a pattern of things that already existed. This scriptures below, is speaking in reference to Jesus present day ministry as a priest in the temple of God. Jesus is operating in the place of Adam:

“Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens. A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched and not man. For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer. For if were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priest that offer gifts according to the law: who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.” Hebrews 8:1-5

(When did God pitch the true tabernacle and not man? In Genesis 2:8-14, when he planted a garden eastward in Eden where the whole system was set up. In Revelation 22:1 the system is fully revealed! The river comes out of the throne of God and of the Lamb). The river is the source of unlimited unmatched power and it comes out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

And it was always designed to be your source of power, yesterday, today and forever! If you really think about it, the whole journey from the moment Adam ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil until the crucifixion of Jesus Christ was about getting the river restored. The Bible seems to the revelation two trees and It probably will be the story of two trees for eternity. You will look into the eyes of God and see the awesome love of his sacrifice. We will forever see the price he paid for our redemption.

Solomon’s Temple, prototype

Solomon’s temple is a prototype of the garden of Eden

-Solomon was a type of Adam.

-King David had prepared all the material for the construction of the temple of God, 1 Chronicles 29:2

-King David gave God all the credit for providing the material for the construction of the temple, 1 Chronicles 29:16.

-Provision is the original intent of creation, .

-A large labor force was employed to build the temple

-Tons of gold was used in the construction of the temple.

-Solomon was granted extraordinary wisdom to lead the people into fulfilling God’s will.

-Solomon offers the blood sacrifice, 1 Kings 8:5

-God moves into the temple

Christ is a prototype

-He is the Second Adam, 1 Corinthians 15:22 & 44-58,

-He is the Lamb of God, John 1:29 & 36

-His body is the temple, John 2:19

-He makes a new covenant, Matthew 26:26-29

-He gives them their assignment, Matthew 28:18-20

-The river is restored- power, John 7:37-39 & Acts 1:8 fulfilled in Acts 2:1-4

–The Marriage Supper of the Lamb

-Twelve apostles of the Lamb, Revelation 21:14

-The Wars of the Lamb, Revelation 19:11

-The Millennial Reign of the Lamb, Revelation chapter 20

-The New Jerusalem move to a new earth, Revelation chapter 21

“And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.” Revelation 21:22

Summary

You are a type of Christ,

“For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of Christ, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he justified, them he also glorified.” Romans 8:29-30

The system is designed by God to work for you. Christ has redeemed us to our original purpose. Prosperity is designed into the system. Provision is designed into the system. God gave Adam trees and seed on earth for meat; the trees of the garden were created for beauty and utility. In other words the trees were created to reproduce beauty, knowledge and wisdom. They were the source of his power!

“And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. AND OUT THE GROUND MADE HE TO GROW EVERY TREE THAT IS PLEASANT TO THE SIGHT, AND GOOD FOR FOOD; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”

Grace & peace!

Cain & Abel:The Sacrifice, A lesson in the realm of the knowledge of good and evil

In Genesis 1:26, God said, “let us make man in our image and after our likeness.”

Replacement Theology on a whole different level

God never said, let us make man a god like us. Some people have erroneously taught that we were created in the same class with God to be like God.

Adam, the first man, was created to till the ground (Genesis 2:5) and manage the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:15). God never intended for them to know good or evil. God intended for Adam to refashion the earth into the image of the garden of Eden and to enjoy the bounty of his blessing.

The Seventh Day

God created the Seventh Day as a Sabbath. The Seventh Day was designed to be the crowning glory of the works of God’s hands, the completion of creation. In other words, Adam was given ONE creation day, the seventh day, 1000 years, to finish the work of creation on earth.

If Adam had finished the work, Eden, the city of God, would moved to the earth and God would be with man for all eternality. The fruit of the tree of life would have been Adam’s reward. This is going to happen during the millennial reign of Christ. According the Revelation 20, Satan will be bound with a chain and cast into the bottomless pit. According to Revelation 21, after the 1000 year reign of Christ is completed, the city of the New Jerusalem will move to earth and there will be a new temple in the midst of the city. We are told, that God and the Lamb are the temple of it. In Revelation 22, the curse is finally removed and the tree of life is restore.

The knotty problems of Details

God never gave up on his plans. This is the reason he made the Sabbath rest a part of the 10 commandments to the nation of Israel. God is very serious about the Sabbath. The reason why the Sabbath is important, is because through the Sabbath rest people came to depend upon and trust God for his blessings which are vital to growth. The nation of Israel had to give the land a rest period every seventh year. Every 50th year, they had to release their debts. They had to tithe the first fruits of the land. Israel never fully gave the rest. They continued to work on the sabbath. This caused them to be cast out of the land until the land was about to enjoy its full set of sabbath rest.

Sunday is a legal holiday, (holy-day), as far as the government is concern. If a holiday falls on Sunday, it is observed on Monday. Israel’s Sabbath is observed from sun down on Friday to sun down on Saturday, the seventh day. Christian’s Sabbath is observed on the first day of the week, Sunday, the day Jesus was resurrected from the dead. As a matter of employment, workers are given two days rest period. Saturday was seen as a day of rest and Sunday was a day of worship.

This concept of the Sabbath is encoded in our laws and they are called blue laws. The blue laws are dangerous in the sense that God never made a covenant with no other nation beside Israel. The New Testament, is a covenant that is based on an individual personal choice; whosoever wills. It is a covenant based on grace and not the 10 commandments. Christians have been in God’s Sabbath Rest for 2000 years.

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meet and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

You shall be as gods knowing god and evil

The serpent tempted Eve with this reasoning, ‘if she ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, she will become as gods knowing good and evil.’ Eve saw the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, that it was a source, good for food, pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise. She took and eat the fruit the fruit and gave some to her husband. This is the exact reason why they were driven out of the Garden of Eden,

“And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever.” Genesis 3:22

You would think it was a good thing that man has become as God. Adam wasn’t created to be a god. He was created to serve, to be a servant and in this role he enjoyed the benefits of partnership with God. This concept is seen in Jesus coming to earth to serve and not to be served (Mark 10:29). You also see it in Revelation 22:3, in regards to man being God’s servants.

“And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: and they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.”

As far as earth is concern, partnership between God and man is first mentioned in Genesis 1:26-27 and is revealed in Genesis 2:19. The partnership was broken when Adam eat the fruit of the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

“Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way to the tree of life.”

God had to keep Adam from access to the tree of life because its fruit could give Adam the ability to live forever as gods knowing good and evil. God places a flaming sword at the entrance of the garden of Eden, to protect the tree of life. He also place Cherubim’s in the garden of Eden. Cherubim are angels who are associated with worship. The Cherubim temporarily held his until Jesus arrived.

Adam is now in a fallen state. He is in a pace where he can make his own decisions independent of God. In Genesis chapter 4, we see the downward spiral of Adam’s descendants. Cain and Abel is an example of what it means to be a god.

God still demands a sacrifice

God still demands a sacrifice. The system he created demands a sacrifice. The system reward based on obedience.

Cain and Abel brings a sacrifice as did their father Adam when he was in the garden of Eden. God changed the sacrifice from a fruit based offering to the blood of an animal sacrifice.

Cain brings the fruit of his ground as a sacrifice. Abel offers the firstlings of flock as a sacrifice. God accepts Abel’s sacrifice. God rejects Cain’s sacrifice. What’s the difference between the two sacrifices?

Abel’s offering was called a more excellent sacrifice by which he obtained witness that he was righteous. Cain persisted to operate under the old order of sacrifice.

God holds Cain accountable

God asked Cain a question

“And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?’

In other words, God asked Cain, “why are you angry? Why are you depressed?”

God said, “If thou does well, shalt thou not be accepted? The word, “accepted”, means to, ” have excellence”. God is saying, if you do what is required of you, you will be blessed in the work of your hands.

Then God says to Cain,

“And if thou doest not well, sin liveth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.”

God said to Cain, ‘If you don’t do what is required of you, Sin is waiting at the door and it desires you but you must master sin.

Being a god demands that you master sin by doing what is required of you. In other words, give God what he requires of you!

What is sin? Sin is trespassing the bounds that has been set down by God. Who is God? He is the One who created the system.

Cain is languishing, Abel is prospering! Cain is talking with Abel of which the Bible doesn’t go into details. Cain rose up against Abel and killed him. God holds Cain accountable for his choices.

Cain chose to address his problem by murdering his brother.

“For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.” 1 John 3:11-12

Adam’s generations ended at the flood. God was grieved that he had made man. He strived with people to do right.

Genesis 6:5-8

“And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repented me that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.”

The people of Adam’s generation lived 900+ years. Noah and his family were the only ones who escaped the judgment of that period. Men took what they wanted and wickedness was great upon the earth. Every thought and imagination of their heart was only to do evil continually. Man’s whole purpose and desire was to do evil.

One of the consequences of sin in Adam’s generations, man’s life span was cut to about a tenth of its original potential, to 120 years, according to Genesis 6:3. Man’s original life span was 1000 years and with the rewards of the tree of life, its potential was eternal life, everlasting life.

The very first thing Noah does he gets off the ark, Genesis 8:20-22

“And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the LORD smelled a sweet savor; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.”

Noah’s sacrifice of obedience, a blood sacrifice!

  1. God was pleased with Noah’s sacrifice
  2. God granted grace regarding men’s wicked imagination in that he promised to never destroy the earth by a flood.
  3. God lifts the curse off the ground by promising consistent harvest seasons. This is major blessing of grace because Noah fore-fathers struggled with the ground to get it to reproduce. According to Genesis 5:28-29, “And Lamech lived an hundred eighty and two years, and begat a son: and he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD hath curse.”
  4. Noah gives God the required sacrifice! Noah’s name means grace
  5. God blesses Noah and his family, Genesis 9:1

The Benefit of the sacrifice

You need it daily. Your family needs it. Your community needs it. Your city needs it. The country needs it. The earth needs it. The blessing of God is not just in words. It empowers you to carry out the will of God. God’s original vision has not changed. God gave Adam dominion over all the works of his hands. God blessed him and said, be fruitful, multiply, replenish, subdue have dominion over everything that flies, swim, crawl or creep upon the earth. The system was designed around Adam to work for him not against him.

One of the benefits of the cross of Jesus Christ

Jesus redeemed us from the curse being made a curse for us that the blessing…. Galatians 3:13. Jesus disarms principalities and powers, evil forces. He blotted out the ordinances that were contrary to us nailing them to his cross, Colossians 2:14-15. He opens the way to this into the very holy of holies, by this dispensation of grace, Hebrews 10:12-22

The tree of the knowledge of good and evil

The tree of the knowledge of good and evil is still in our midst but also is the message of the cross. Jesus is called the Lamb of God. The book of Revelation, chapter 5, the fullness of the revelation and power is flowing into the earth!