Introducing The Book

Jesus simply said to me, "Here is a book to help you with your problem". This book that you are now reading is that book. It focuses on the key areas of his teachings that the churches have fallen away from. In 1993, I had the incredible honour and privilege of having our Lord Jesus appear to me. He appeared to me through a dream. He looked very happy to see me as though he was meeting a close personal friend after a long time apart from each other, but I was completely overwhelmed as he kept coming towards me. How could such a sinner as me even stand in his presence let alone talk with him? Every part of me seemed focused on the fact that there was sin in my life. This was not sin as you would imagine it to be. I was already careful to make sure that there was nothing in my life that would stand between God and me. However, by the conviction of the Holy Spirit, I knew that there were certain sins that I would definitely commit again. How could I stand there and try to pretend to the one who knew me better than I knew myself that all was well? I threw myself at his feet and pleaded for mercy. Any previous ideas I had about all the things that I would ask God if I ever had the chance did not even enter my mind. Jesus responded by simply saying, "Here is a book to help you with your problem".

It will helpful for you to know that God’s hand has been upon me very strongly throughout my life. At the time of my birth, he declared my name through a sign. When my mother returned to the hospital after deciding to no longer have me up for adoption, she was amazed to find that the nurses were already calling me by the name that she had decided on the way back to the hospital to give me. Also, in the first year of my being a Christian, God spoke audibly into my mind on three occasions while I was sleeping and taught me about three areas. The first area he taught me about was the importance of complete replication in evangelism. The second area was about the importance of individuals being true to their unique giftings, and the third area was about the danger of religion as opposed to a living faith. Two years after my encounter with Jesus, God supernaturally anointed me with his holy anointing oil. There was no human hand or man-made oil that was used. God, himself was responsible for the anointing. Although I’m not focusing on these experiences in this book or a number of other experiences over many years, I want you to understand that the Lord’s hand is upon me. This is not because of anything that I’ve done but because of his great love and desire to impart truth to you.

At first, I was waiting expectantly for some book to come from somewhere that would help me with my problem after Jesus had appeared to me. It wasn’t until many years later that I realised what Jesus had actually meant. Surprise, surprise, I found the meaning for my experience in the Bible. In the Bible, when God gives someone a book (or a scroll as they were called back then), it actually produces what equals to a book through the person that God gave the book to. There are two examples in the Bible of God giving someone a book. The first one was to Ezekiel, who wrote the book of Ezekiel and the second one was to the Apostle John, who wrote the book of Revelation. Ezekiel’s experience reads as follows.

Then I looked, and I saw a hand stretched out to me. In it was a scroll, which he unrolled before me. On both sides of it were written words of lament and mourning and woe. And he said to me, "Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the house of Israel." So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat. Then he said to me, "Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it." So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth. He then said to me: "Son of man, go now to the house of Israel and speak my words to them. (Ezekiel 2:9-3:4)

The Apostle John’s experience reads as follows.

Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me once more: "Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land." So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, "Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey." I took the little scroll from the angel's hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. Then I was told, "You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings." (Revelation 10:8-11)

In both of these examples, God gave them a scroll, which they ate, and a message resided in their spirits which they later wrote down. Some may say that the message I received was for me and not for others. Firstly, this is not consistent with the character of God who blesses one with the purpose of blessing many. Secondly, truth is truth. If God has opened truths of the Bible to me, they are still truths of the Bible. And as truths of the Bible, they are of value to all.

Ezekiel and John both received scrolls which later produced books. However, the scrolls are only symbolic of the one-off encounter with God. It was the impartation of his grace during the encounter with him that produced the words of God which they later wrote down. In the case of Jeremiah, the same thing happened, but the symbol was not a book. Jeremiah’s lips were touched only once by a hot coal from the fire of the Lord, and the result was a lifetime of ministry and a lengthy book of the Bible. His experience read as follows.

Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, "Now, I have put my words in your mouth… (Jeremiah 1:9a)

In these three examples that I have given, the people were awake. Is it only experiences while being awake that are valid? According to the Bible, it isn’t. Solomon was not awake when he received what would later become the books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and the Song of Songs. Jesus appeared to Solomon in a dream and through the dream, supernaturally imparted wisdom to him. The wisdom from Proverbs that some of us know so well was first imparted through a dream. It says the following in 1 Kings.

At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you." Solomon answered, "You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day. Now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?" The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. So God said to him, "Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for - both riches and honor - so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. And if you walk in my ways and obey my statutes and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life." Then Solomon awoke - and he realized it had been a dream. (1 Kings 3:5-15a)

I came to realise that the Lord imparted the equivalent of a book to me during my encounter. Just as Ezekiel and Jeremiah did not suddenly have complete books that they were ready to write, it was a process over time with me. However, like them, the hand of the Lord was upon me so that eventually the work would be produced. Through this book, my experience with the Lord is not only about me. It’s about you as well. It’s about you too receiving a book to help you with your problem. Is a problem with sin unique to me? Obviously, it isn’t. It is a universal problem that is relevant to all. I present to you here the book that the Lord Jesus in his absolutely awesome and amazing grace has allowed me to give to you.

A Holy Heart

All must be ready

It doesn’t matter who you are. You need to be ready for Christ’s return. When Jesus told everybody to be ready for his return, Peter asked him if that applied to them as well.

You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him." Peter asked, "Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?" (Luke 12:40-41)

As you would imagine, Jesus said that it certainly did apply to them as well. Have you walked with Jesus physically on this earth for the last few years? Has Jesus declared to you that you are a rock and on this rock he will build his church? These things were true for Peter. Nevertheless, what was Jesus’ warning to him? He said to him that if the servant who knows his master’s will is not ready when his master returns, he will punish him severely and assign him a place with the unbelievers.


The Lord answered, "Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose the servant says to himself, 'My master is taking a long time in coming,' and he then begins to beat the menservants and maidservants and to eat and drink and get drunk. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers. (Luke 12:42-46)

Peter was certainly a believer and one that had a great knowledge of his master’s will as revealed to him by the Father. However, his believing would amount to nothing if he was not ready when Christ returned. He would receive the punishment that is due to unbelievers even though he was a believer. In fact, he would be punished more severely than the unbelievers because those to whom God has given much but do not meet its demands will be beaten with many more blows than those who have not been given much according to the Bible.

"That servant who knows his master's will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. (Luke 12:47-48)


This is not to say that there will be any comfort for those suffering eternal torment. However, there are differing degrees of the same torment reserved for people. It doesn’t matter who you are on the earth, who you are in the church world or how seemingly great your calling is. The same standard applies to all. It is the state of your spirit that will be the determining factor at the pivotal points of God’s judgement in relation to you. If you are not ready for the rapture when it happens, you will not be raptured. If you are not ready to go to heaven when you die, you will not go to heaven. It is not stagnant belief that determines the eternal place that you are given but a living faith. Believing without being ready will have the same negative reward as not believing. In fact, it will be worse.



Renewed mind

Paul said that we are to be transformed through the renewing of our mind.

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2)

This is the determining factor in whether we live right or we don’t. All of us who have accepted Jesus as the Lord of our lives have an incredibly strong desire to live right for God. This incredibly strong desire to live for God is sometimes opposed by an incredibly strong desire to serve sin in one or some of its many forms. We may be torn between two incredibly strong desires. The outcome of our warring desires is ultimately determined by our mind because our will ultimately sides with the part of us that has control of our mind. All of us have abiding attitudes to certain issues as determined by our thought processes. If we are loving people, it is because of a type of world-view that we have that produces this disposition within us. All of us in Christ Jesus want to be loving, but not all of us are. This is because it is our world-view that produces our disposition, which guides our actions. Simply knowing that you should be loving doesn’t give you the power to be loving. It is adopting the way of viewing the world that produces a loving disposition that will give you the power to be loving. This is providing you have been spiritually regenerated by the Holy Spirit. It is the Bible that is the most powerful force on earth for renewing your mind. If you drink deeply of its truths, it will change your outlook on many things. However, some sins are harder to budge than others. For those sins, you will need to take time to renew your mind through a focused study on those issues that you are struggling with. Paul said that those who live according to the flesh do so because their minds are set on the flesh and that those who living according to the life that the Spirit requires do so because their minds are set on the Spirit.

Those who live according to the sinful nature (or the flesh) have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. (Romans 8:5)

When he says that their mind is set on one or another, he is talking about a mindset. You may have a good mindset in some areas but a bad mindset in others. The areas where you have a good mindset will be producing good fruit and the areas where you have a bad mindset will be producing bad fruit. Yet, the state of your being before God is always either good or bad, acceptable or unacceptable. It is only one. When your mindset is working for a certain sin, you will fall to that sin even though you may set your will against it. Setting your will against a certain sin may not be sufficient enough to overcome that sin. Some people find out from the Bible that something is wrong, so they decide that they will not do it any more. Yet, they fail. However, others decide that they will not do it any more, and they are successful. What is the difference between the two types of people? The difference is in their mindset or world-view that relates to that area. One views the commandment or law as compatible with his or her view on life whereas the other views the commandment as undesirable but necessary. When we view a commandment as undesirable, it highlights the sinful state of our hearts and minds in that area. While we view a commandment as undesirable, it is simply a law for us. The New Covenant that God has given us not only involves a new heart but a new mind as well (Hebrews 8:10). As long as our mind sees God’s laws in an area as undesirable, it is not the new mind but the old mind. It is not the new mind that God has provided for us through the New Covenant. So many of you wonder why your life is not working. It is because you have not received a new mind. The mind of the New Covenant is not something that simply falls from heaven. Rather, it is produced by your renewed spirit as it feeds on the word of God and looks to Jesus.



Repentance is foundational

In many ways, holiness is the beginning and not the end. The very first step in the Christian life is to repent. In Mark’s gospel, the first thing Jesus says is "repent". He says to "repent and believe" (Mark 1:15). The two of them cannot be separated for they are one. If you keep repenting but stop believing, you do not have faith because you don’t believe any more. In the same way, if you keep believing but stop repenting, your faith no longer has any value. It is a dead, meaningless faith. Of course, God will forgive you if you’ve sinned. If you sin again after that, he will continue to forgive you. Your standing before God is determined by what you believe as shown by the actions that the current state of your heart is reflecting. If your heart is right with God, it means that you have made the decision to stop sinning. You don’t need to wait until the consequences of your sinful actions ‘feel all right’ to be forgiven by God. Your forgiveness is not based on external circumstances, feelings or how other people feel about you. Your forgiveness is based on the state of your heart right now. You can always be forgiven right now. The Bible tells us that repenting of acts that lead to spiritual death and having faith in Christ is an elementary, foundational truth of the Christian life. It is ridiculous that some people think of repentance as some kind of optional extra in the Christian life. Repentance along with faith in Christ is completely foundational. There is no foundation that any real Christian life can be built on other than that. To build your life on a faith foundation that does not include repentance is like building your house on sinking sand. Our Lord clearly said that he will tell such people to depart from him (Matthew 7:21-23) and go to the place prepared for the devil and his angels forever and ever, which is hell. There is no other foundation. There is no other way. There is no other place that you can go and still be in eternal life. Jesus holds out eternal life to you. Receiving it includes not only maintaining your belief but the state of your heart as well. According to Hebrews, the steps are: 1) Repent and believe; 2) Be baptised; 3) Receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands; 4) Put your hope in the final resurrection of all from the dead and live with the knowledge that every action will come before the great throne of God’s judgement.

Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. (Hebrews 6:1-2)

Baptism

We need to stop only giving lip service to the significance of baptism and start really taking to heart what it means. Paul said that we left our sinful lifestyle in the water and came out of it as a people who live a new and completely holy life to God.

We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. (Romans 6:2b-4)


He said that the sinner that came to Christ is still there in the water. The you that came out of the water is not the same person that went down into it. You must come to the proper understanding of the significance that baptism demonstrates.

For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin - because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. (Romans 6:6-10)

You died through the power of the Holy Spirit when you put your faith in Christ alone to save you from your sins. Through this death, you were set free from the power of sin to control you. Just like Christ who was raised physically from death, you were raised spiritually from death by the Holy Spirit’s inward work within you when you came to faith in Christ. This truth is demonstrated in baptism. What happens if I turn from this truth and take up my old sinful lifestyle for a time you may ask? You need to make the same decision again. This is not the decision to be baptised but to turn from your ways of sinful independence from God. This turning that you choose to make after you sin is through the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will cleanse you and renew you every time you’ve rebelled against him and you turn to God in repentance. However, not all sin is an act of rebellion against God. It is only the type of sin that is rebellion against God that actually produces spiritual death (1 John 5:17). Rebellion against God is when we consciously choose to sin. When you turn from your rebellion, your spirit is made righteous and holy before God. This righteous and holy spirit that you now have gives you the power that you need to overcome all sin.

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:2-4 – New American Standard)

However, you process your renewed spirit’s power through your mind. If there are Satanic and fleshly strongholds in your mind, you will fall into sin again because your mind is unable to harness the incredible power that the Holy Spirit has given you to live right.

Those who live according to the sinful nature (or the flesh) have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man (or mind set on the flesh) is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind (or the mind set on the flesh) is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. (Romans 8:5-7)

Nevertheless, it is important to remember that a right mindset is not the only issue. There will be no power in the first place from the Spirit if your spirit is not right before God. It is the Holy Spirit’s empowering of your spirit that gives you the power that you need to live right. You will try and try and try to be free from sin, but you never will be.

and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. (Romans 8:8 – New American Standard)

You can keep trying to convince yourself that Christ has set you free from sin but until you appropriate his blood effectually you never will be. The blood of Jesus will not effectively work in your life if you have sin in your life that is a product of your conscious decisions. The blood of Jesus is the foundation for being free. You cannot continue to be free without the renewing of your mind. However, if you don’t continue to be free, there is no limit to the number of times the blood of Jesus can cleanse you. Yet, the power of the Holy Spirit has perfectly delivered you from committing wilful sin. You do not need to be cleansed again and again by the blood of Jesus from wilful sin. In fact, if you are continually being cleansed by the blood of Jesus from wilful sin, you are also continually not ready for his return. Ultimately, this means that if you are not ready when he returns for you, you will not go with him. In the same way that if you are not ready when you die, you will not go to him.



Arguing

The Apostle Paul told us that our actions come from two primary sources. They are either the spirit or the flesh.

For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. (Galatians 5:17 - New American Standard)

When you fight as in argue with someone, you are in the flesh.

Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, (Galatians 5:19-20 – New American Standard)

Do I mean that you cannot disagree with somebody? No, of course not, if you never disagreed with anybody, you wouldn’t have any integrity. You wouldn’t stand for what is right while others are standing for what is wrong (or at least, they appear to you to be standing for what is wrong). It’s fine to disagree, but it’s not fine to argue. The difference is the way you are treating the other person while you are taking your stand. If you take your stand in the wrong way, you are wrong even though you may be right. Our natural instinct when we feel threatened is to eliminate the threat, but God teaches us to manage and harness our natural instincts, so we are civilised and conform to reason rather than being wild or savage. Therefore, we can see that there are two ways to respond to someone when we disagree with them or feel threatened by them. One way is good, and the other way is bad. One way is in conformity with the Holy Sprit that God gave us when we were born-again, and the other is not in conformity with the ways of the Holy Spirit that God gave us when us were born-again. To reject the way of the Holy Spirit in a situation is to reject the Holy Spirit himself for he is holy and it is impossible for him to be a partaker of evil. You need to deal with adversity properly instead of shooting your mouth off. Your marriage, children or family will certainly provide you with many opportunities to practice these things. You should continually ask yourself though whether you are using your practice to get better or worse.



Will not share in Christ’s inheritance

Why should you stop giving people ‘a piece of your mind’? Why should you even look at so and so again, let alone speak a word to him or her? Am I saying that it is not wise to try and steer clear of certain people? There are definitely people in the world that the less time you spend with them, the better. Am I saying that you should never rebuke someone? If you care about someone, there are times when you will need to give them the truth right between the eyes. However, if you hate someone or you refuse to talk to someone, you are in sin. You are not walking in the Spirit. You are walking in the flesh. "Well, if that’s what it is, I like it a lot more than the alternative of putting up with them" you might say. What alternative? You mean to tell me that you like hating and being hated, that you like being nasty and people being nasty to you and that you like being cold and others being cold to you. That’s ridiculous. Of course, that’s not what you really want. However, you simply don’t want to go through the pain and self-discipline of breaking out of the negative cycle that you’re in due to the death that has attached itself to your tongue. Yet, if you continue to allow that death to attach itself to your tongue, you will not go to heaven. The Bible says, "enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions" are "deeds of the flesh". It also says that those who have them as a part of their life will not share in Christ’s inheritance that he will share with God’s people.

Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21 – New American Standard)

Certainly, God will forgive you, but you need to repent.



Deeper than the Ten Commandments

Despite the clear standard of the Bible, some people seem to think that Jesus saw how hard it was for everyone to keep the law, so he came down to the earth to keep the law for them. Therefore, they don’t have to keep the law any more. However, Jesus actually came to take you to a higher level in regards to the law.

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:17-20)

Jesus certainly didn’t come to take you to a lower level in regards to the law. People think that Jesus understands their sin, so it’s all right. Jesus certainly understands our sin and empathises with us. However, under no circumstances is our sin okay with him. Keeping the Ten Commandments is a simple view of the much higher level of understanding that God requires of us. He requires us to go far beyond simply keeping the Ten Commandments. They are the tip of the iceberg.



"You fool"

The Ten Commandments tell us not to murder, but we can commit a thousand sins against someone and still be nowhere near wanting to murder them. What if we call them a so and so? Is that okay with God? "Well, they deserved it" you may say. What? They deserved you sinning by saying something displeasing before God. That doesn’t make sense. How can anyone deserve you doing something that displeases God? Displeasing God is sin. Do you deserve to sin? When did you get the right to sin, and who gave you this right? Did God give you the right to sin? He’s the one that forbids you to sin. Did the devil give you the right to sin? The devil doesn’t have the right to give that to you. Besides, the devil wants you to sin regardless of any so-called right to it. The actual reason you sin is because you choose to sin. Obviously, some circumstances are more conducive to leading you to sin than others. The reality is that you called someone a so and so because you chose to sin, and we choose to sin because we do not honour God enough to refrain. Friend, there are no excuses. If you have chosen to sin, it is purely and simply because you have chosen to sin. Well, what if I don’t call them a so and so, but I choose a more polite term like ‘idiot’ or ‘fool’. The terms ‘idiot’ or ‘fool’ may hurt their feelings less and have less dramatic ramifications for you but according to the Son of God these terms will take you close to a particular place that you don’t want to go to, and that place is hell.

"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca, 'is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell. (Matthew 5:21-22)

The point is that whether you purposely choose a big sin or a little sin, you have still chosen to rebelliously sin against God with your tongue in relation to the way you speak about your neighbour. Big sin or little, you are not to speak against another person in that way whether to their face or behind their back. Does this mean that I cannot warn somebody about somebody else? Of course, you can, but it is God that judges the intentions of your heart. If you go around running people down sinfully with your words either to their face or behind their back, you need to repent. Your tongue has made your whole person unclean. You are not holy, and without holiness you will not see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14). Stop choosing to sin with your tongue and choose to walk in love.



Rifts

Of course, it is bad enough that we speak to someone like that in the first place, but to leave the rift between another for days, years, etc… is totally unacceptable to God.

"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift. (Matthew 5:23-24)

You can and should apologise to those that you have wronged to their face. Does this mean that they will be all sweet to you when you repent just like God is? They will probably be sweet to you, or they may hate you to your face. It is not unacceptable to God that someone hates you because of what you’ve done to him or her. You cannot stop someone from hating you. You cannot stop someone from holding unforgiveness towards you. Just because a person or people haven’t forgiven you for the wrong that you did to them doesn’t mean that God hasn’t forgiven you for what you did. However, you need to do what is in your power to make right the death that you produced in others with your tongue. Don’t make excuses. If you’ve done wrong, make it right. It is not God’s will for you to be in strife with those around you when it is in your power to set things right. This especially relates to family. Of course, the best avenue however is to hold your tongue and express your view properly in the first place.



Right hand

The tongue is not the only part of the human anatomy that needs to be controlled properly if we are to walk in the holiness that we need to in order to see the Lord. Holiness also involves our sexuality. In the context of sexuality, Jesus spoke of our use of our right hand in causing us to sin.

But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell. (Matthew 5:28-30)

I don’t think it requires that much abstract thought to work out what he was referring to. He didn’t say that the use of the right hand is sin if you are following me here. He said that the use of the right hand in producing adultery in the heart is sin. You need to understand that if anything is immoral in your heart and you act on it in a physical way, you have sinned. Whether that be with your hands, eyes, ears or whatever. You have moved from the temptation to an expression of the act of the sin. I am purposely remaining veiled here. If the act that involves the right hand does not produce immorality in the heart, is it sin? When I say immorality in the heart, I am talking about a desire that is not for the one person that we desire in a holy way in the context of marriage. Let me repeat that. If the act that involves the right hand does not produce immorality in the heart, is it sin? No, it is not sin. We did not choose to be sexually driven beings. We were created as sexually driven beings with the good of humanity in mind. We must understand that our sexuality is good and holy and that it is not bad and evil. However, we must also learn to manage our sexuality for by default, it will manage us if we don’t. If our sexuality manages us instead of us managing it, it will kill us spiritually because it bypasses the mind and heart where God has placed his laws. Sexuality was purposely designed to be all consuming because of its consequences. What I mean is that we might choose to not produce the next generation of humanity if the incentive felt like eating a small piece of chocolate. With this in mind, we must learn to manage this all-consuming, intense pleasure giving gift from our creator through the renewal of our mind and the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.



Eyes

Our eyes, of course, also form an integral part of our sexuality. The saying, "I can look but not touch" is not true for you. It is not okay to look at a woman or a man with the purpose of feeding the sexual immorality that is in your heart. Jesus said,


But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Matthew 5:28)

As I wrote earlier, if you’re only focused on the Ten Commandments, you’re a long way from the new heart and mind that God requires of you in Christ Jesus. God wants us to completely change our whole mindset in regards to other women and men. God created a person to meet your need to not be alone. He has a wonderful plan for the two of you should you decide to marry. He has a wonderful plan for your intimacy. He wants you to drink deeply together of the intimacy that he has for you. He doesn’t want you to view intimacy as solely for the purpose of procreation. He wants you to view it as a celebration of life and love together (Song of Solomon 5:1). He wants you to be completely in love with one another and not simply bear with one another. He wants you to change your wrong ways of thinking towards each other. Any problem that we may have with our eyes is the result of a faulty mindset. We are simply responding to our basic instincts like an animal does. That’s not what God wants for you. He doesn’t want you walking around like a horse in a paddock trying to find whatever is available. He wants you live life fully. He wants you to learn how to truly love another. He wants you to experience what it really means to be loved by another. Will you sell your life short just to respond to a basic instinct that is common to all animals? Instead, rejoice in your instinct and allow your heart and mind to drink deeply from it. Enjoy life in its entirety instead of one small aspect of it. Increase your vision. Look beyond the tiny little picture to the big picture. You will not be able to overcome the flesh while your mind is set on accomplishing its desires. You must change your whole way of thinking to conform to the Spirit of God that God has placed in you. Jesus said that you would be better off going blind than to continue in your sin. Why was that? Hell awaits you.

If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. (Matthew 5:29)

If you’re a part of the problem in our society and not a part of the answer, repent before God, and be cleansed. Receive a new heart and a new mind. God has declared that if you do not deal with your eyes, hell will deal with your body. Choose life and not death.



There is no licence to sin

Ministers of Jesus Christ, what do you think it means when you tell people that any sins they commit can never have any impact on their salvation? Wake up! Of course, if you tell people that no sin that they ever commit can have an impact on their salvation, they will sin. The exception is if their mind is right. In that case, they won’t sin simply because they understand that sinning is a stupid thing to do regardless of eternity. If you tell people that their sin doesn’t matter, guess what people will think? They will think that their sin doesn’t matter. Is it really that hard to work out? You, yourselves don’t even fully believe this. Otherwise, you would go out and fully sin. You believe that if you’re going to serve God, you need to be making an effort to repent of your sin. Wrong theological teaching has brought you into bondage to sin. It’s even caused you to wrongly separate your own practices in living your life to that which you teach. You try to live right because you know that it’s very important to God, and you shouldn’t teach anything contrary to that. As Jude wrote, you must take a stand for what is right.

Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. (Jude 1:3-4)

We are not to give people a licence to sin. Such a licence does not exist. However, we do have the grace of God that is always available to us regardless of how many times we may sin before our minds are renewed. This grace works its power after we sin in restoring us to right standing before God even though our actions and character don’t warrant it. It is actually the blood of Jesus applied in repentance in every circumstance which highlights the incredible grace of God.

A Holy Lifestyle

Three types of people who have accepted Jesus

Jesus taught us a very basic teaching on the four types of people in the world.

"Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times." Then Jesus said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. He told them, "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that, "'they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!'" Then Jesus said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? (Mark 4:3-13)

Which kind are you? "I’m one of the ones that has accepted Jesus". Do you mean that you are one of the three kinds that has accepted Jesus because there is not one kind that has accepted him but three? In fact, two of those kinds are not right with God at all. Therefore, are you one of the ones who has accepted Jesus and is right with God or are you one of the ones who has accepted Jesus and is not right with God?

The first kind that has accepted Jesus and are not right with him are the ‘deniers’. They come to a point in their life where they deny their faith. Certainly, they may have really accepted Jesus at one point in their life but no longer.

Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. (Mark 4:16-17)

Even when a person has had a born-again experience, the Lord Jesus will deny that person to those around him if that person denies their faith in Jesus to those around them (Luke 12:8-9).

Secondly, there are the ‘compromisers’. They don’t deny their faith in Jesus, but at the same time, they return to their sin.

The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. (Luke 8:14)

They may be one of several things. They are sexually immoral. They don’t give to God the money that they owe him for the purposes of his kingdom. They compromise their faith and put it on the shelf so that they can get more money than they could if they stayed true. They pray to demons imitating saints instead of God. Their tongues are an abomination that continually have negative, critical things to say about people or to people, or they’re addicted to drugs or alcohol. These people live what they believe, and what they believe is not the truth but a lie that ultimately Satan has sold them.

Finally, there are the ‘doers’. They do what is required of them now that they have become receivers of eternal life.

But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop. (Luke 8:15)

Although they may not be perfect, they are forgiven. They understand that they have been delivered from eternal torment in hell, and they are extremely grateful to God. They may struggle with sexual immorality, but they have not given in to it. They may owe God money, but they’re committed to paying it. They may bow to the pressures of being dishonest in their work, but they make it right. They may not have learned how to control their tongue properly, but they certainly know how to apologise and say that they shouldn’t have said such things. They may have a problem with drugs and alcohol, but they continually do their best to keep away from temptation. They know that their actions deserve hell and if they continue in them, they will certainly get what they deserve. It is the fear of the Lord that is moving them to walk in wisdom.



The doers sinning

Of course, not all doers of the word fall into sin again and again. When we fall into sin, it is because of a wrong understanding of reality. The choice to sin was not the best option in that situation. We’ve believed some of Satan’s lies, and that is why we are displaying devilish behaviour. Doers of the word need to deconstruct the strongholds that the kingdom of darkness has established in their minds through the renewing of their minds to the truth and wisdom as shown in the Bible if they want to grow out of those things. They need to learn to do what is right because it is right and that doing what is wrong is not the best thing for them to do in their situation. They need to really learn it, which means that it will change the way they behave.

You might ask, "How are the doers and compromisers any different if they both commit the same sins?". This is certainly a valid question as they are not any different while they are committing the same sins. They are both exactly the same. They are both sinners on the way to hell. They have both thrown the blood of Jesus behind their backs and thrown themselves headlong into a sea of sin. Therefore, the doers are the ones who are doing the word and the compromisers are the ones who are compromising the word. It’s that simple. When we’re not compromising the word, we’re not compromisers. When we are compromising the word, we are compromisers. Therefore, change your behaviour and become doers of the word instead of compromisers. Nevertheless, God will always forgive providing the person has let go of the sin.



Faith without works is dead

It is only faith that is working that is actually faith. A faith that is not working is a broken faith. The Bible says that faith without works is dead.

In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. (James 2:17)

Imagine that you are freezing cold in a remote place and you have no way to keep yourself warm. If you imagined that you had warm clothes, would it help you practically? You would still be freezing. In the same way, imagining that you have faith when you don’t is completely useless. Your meaningless faith may bring some comfort to your mind, but it has no practical value to your spiritual condition. You are shamefully naked before God, and the only way that you are going to be able to cover up is through receiving his robe of righteousness. This is done by letting go of all the sins in your heart when you ask God to cleanse you through the blood of Jesus.

I behave in the way that I do because of what I believe, and it’s impossible to behave in a way that is not determined by the thought management structures that I have chosen to have established in my mind. I am in control of my mind, and my mind is in control of my actions. Believing that God exists, that there’s a hell, and that God has sent his laws to the earth is not enough to change the way that you behave. Even the devil believes those things, but he is not in the faith. You also are not necessarily in the faith if you believe those things. You are in the faith if your faith is you and you are your faith. Is the you that you are compatible with the faith that God has given to the world through Jesus? If it is, you are in the faith. If it isn’t, you aren’t. It’s that simple.



Jumping back and forth between life and death

A person who is walking in their faith has faith, but a person who is not actually walking in their faith isn’t in faith. This means that a person can change from being in faith to not being in faith and from not being in faith to being in faith. A person may change back and forth even in the space of an hour. God declares people righteous because of their faith in Jesus, and he declares them unrighteous when they turn from their faith in Jesus.

I will illustrate with a story. There was a young American man who went to India as part of a church outreach. He was moved by the great poverty and suffering he saw there, so he decided in his heart to commit his life to helping them after he had finished his university studies. While at university, he married. Then, he and his wife went to India. He dedicated his entire life to these people and went through huge personal sacrifice to help them. Tragically, after many years, his wife went insane there and died there in great personal turmoil. He was devastated at what had happened to his wife and turned to a woman of very dubious character for comfort. A relationship developed with this woman, and he fell away from God. Eventually, he died and went to hell and experienced great suffering. This suffering was even greater than others because he had once known the Lord. After some time, the woman of dubious character became very ill with cancer and drew near to death’s door. Because of her previous relationship, she asked Jesus to save her from her sins while drawing her last breath. She went to heaven where she was happier than she ever imagined she could be even in her wildest dreams. Was God just in this story? The man who sacrificed his life for what was right went to hell, but the woman who ultimately led him to hell went to heaven. God has given us our lifetime to get right with him. We must be right with him before death because judgement is set at death. Nothing that we do in his name will fail to be rewarded providing we pass the test of death. The man failed at the most crucial point in his life, but the woman succeeded. If God put every person who sinned to death immediately, we would all be dead. Instead, he has placed us on this earth to lead others away from death to life. However, we must be careful of course to remain in life ourselves as otherwise our efforts will have been in vain. God is not unjust for he offers life to all if they are willing to accept it.

"But if a wicked man turns away from all the sins he has committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, he will surely live; he will not die. None of the offenses he has committed will be remembered against him. Because of the righteous things he has done, he will live. Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign LORD. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live? But if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked man does, will he live? None of the righteous things he has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness he is guilty of and because of the sins he has committed, he will die. Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' Hear, O house of Israel: Is my way unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust? If a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin, he will die for it; because of the sin he has committed he will die. But if a wicked man turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he will save his life. Because he considers all the offenses he has committed and turns away from them, he will surely live; he will not die. Yet the house of Israel says, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' Are my ways unjust, O house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are unjust? Therefore, O house of Israel, I will judge you, each one according to his ways, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!" (Ezekiel 18:21-32)

How could God ever condemn the woman in the story if he was not willing to condemn the man? God could condemn no one if he was not willing to condemn all. In fact, if God was not willing to condemn anyone, he would ultimately be a collaborator with the evil that is in the world. It is clear now that it is possible to jump back and forth between life and death. God has placed that choice before you.



Pressing on

We need to press on toward the goal of eternal life even if we feel that we’re not where we should be in the race. If we press on, we will get there. If we don’t press on, we will go to destruction.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained. Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. (Philippians 3:12-21)

"Oh, it’s just too difficult", or "I’m just not good enough", you may say. What are you talking about? Of course, it’s not too difficult. Of course, you’re good enough. Do you think you’ll feel comforted while you’re in burning flames forever with worms continually gnawing at you that you had valid grounds for why it was too difficult or why you weren’t good enough? You’ll think about what an idiot you were to not just keep going. If a thief who has blasphemed the Son of God to his face (Matthew 27:44) not long before having a change of heart and coming to faith can go to heaven (Luke 23:43), you can get there in the end as well. You can do it. You can get to heaven. Never give up. Never surrender. The devils will laugh in your face if you give up on their account. They’re the ones who continually come against you. Are you really going to give in to them? They are nothing in comparison to you. Jesus has given his followers authority over them. Don’t give up. Don’t go to destruction. Imagine you wanted to win an Olympic gold medal. Do you think it’s just going to fall in your lap? People dedicate years of their lives to win Olympic gold medals. People dedicate years of their lives to accomplish their personal goals. Do you not have the goal of living forever in Paradise? Do you not have the goal of escaping the eternal flames of torment to pay the price for your many sins? Dear people, there is no alternative. Giving up is not an option. Hiding your head in the sand will not make the danger go away although you can’t see it any more. What foolishness to think that pretending something doesn’t exist any more will actually cause it to really not exist. You’re a Christian. You know the truth. You can never really turn your back on the truth. It will always be with you. You will always know in hell that you shouldn’t be there. What a great tragedy that people turn back when they are actually so close, but you are not like that. You will not turn back. You will dust yourself off and get up again and again for as long as it takes because you have been chosen in Christ before the foundations of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. He who has called you is faithful.



God is faithful even when we are unfaithful

Even when we have proven to be unfaithful to God, he will prove himself to be faithful to us.

if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself. (2 Timothy 2:13)

By accepting the blood of Jesus to cleanse us after we have sinned each time, we are cleansed by the blood of Jesus after we have sinned each time. However, the blood of Jesus called upon by faith is only effectual if we have let go of the sin when we call upon him. Calling upon him faithfully even when we have been unfaithful causes us to be united with him. Through the blood of Jesus, we are spiritually united with everyone in the world who has also been cleansed by his blood. We are not only united together spiritually with everyone who has been cleansed by his blood, but we are also made one with Jesus spiritually even though he is in heaven and we are on the earth. Although we may not be considered a good person by others because of the bad that has characterised our life, we are good in God’s sight through our faith in that blood. In fact, even though our character may be questionable, we are one with God through the atoning blood because our heart has been purified. We have no desire to sin again although sadly, we will sin again if we fail to renew our mind in that area. Because we have been united with God and have become one with him, he will never denounce us even though others may condemn us, even rightfully, because of our bad actions. This means that we should never give up because God will certainly never give up on us. As surely as tomorrow will be called today, God will never give up on you.



Passing through the Red Sea

Dear people, our time to live in the Promised Land is at hand. This long, arduous journey through the desert is about to end. We shall not wait any longer. Of course, if we are in the desert, it means that we have passed through the Red Sea. Have you passed through the Red Sea? In one place, the Bible tells us that the Red Sea symbolises baptism.

For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. (1 Corinthians 10:1-2)

In another place, the Bible tells us that baptism symbolises our initial commitment to repent of our sins and trust Jesus to be our saviour (Romans 6:2-3). Did you repent of your sins and trust Jesus to be saviour? If you didn’t you are lost, and you have no inheritance with God’s children. You can change that by saying from your heart, "God, cleanse me by the blood of Jesus, and I choose to stop doing all the bad things that I’m doing in my life right now". If you do say that from your heart, you will immediately come to saving faith. In the same way, it is this type of simple faith that has seen people healed of all manner of amazing things all over the world. Also, you must forgive others for their sins against you. Say the following. "God, just as you have forgiven me for my sins through the blood of Jesus, I choose to forgive others." That’s it. You’ve crossed a giant chasm from death to life if you did that from your heart. Even if you didn’t, it’s not too late. As a demonstration that you have come to faith, seal it by submitting to baptism.



God’s heavenly food and drink

We remain in the body of Christ by partaking of the blood and broken body of Jesus. The Israelites too partook of the food and drink that Christ provided for them.

They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. (1 Corinthians 10:3-4)

We must continually recognise any sins that we have committed and repent of them. We must judge ourselves and bring our judgements to God’s throne through prayer by asking him to forgive us as we have forsaken those sins. Continuing to partake of Christ’s broken body and blood without judging ourselves brings God’s judgement upon us resulting in such things as sickness and premature death (1 Corinthians 11:28-31). Whereas, turning from that and properly recognising Christ’s broken body and blood brings restoration and healing from sickness and premature death because Christ not only died for our sins but our sicknesses as well (Isaiah 53:5). Therefore, if we want to see deliverance from our sicknesses through a miracle of God, we must stop partaking of Christ’s body and blood in a manner that is unworthy of it. The only way that is worthy of it is for us to repent of our sins and accept his atoning sacrifice for our sins and sicknesses with a simple child like faith. This simple faith should be pure and not conditional. We must first repent because repenting is right. Then, we can accept Christ’s wonderful atoning blood to completely deliver us from the sickness regardless of how serious or life threatening it is (James 5:14).



The Promised Land

Many people think that coming to faith in Christ and being united to a local church means that they have entered the Promised Land and everything is finished. This is not correct. Being forgiven of your sins and made right with God through a faith that demonstrates repentance is not the end. You are just like one of the Israelites that Moses led out of Egypt. Their passing though the Red Sea is just like your original death to your sins and unification with Christ. Their eating and drinking of miraculous food and drink is just like your eating and drinking of the broken body and blood of Jesus that he has provided for you. Yet, in all this God was not pleased with most of them because of the sins they continued to commit.

Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert. Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. (1 Corinthians 10:5-6)

Tragically, the reality is that God is not pleased with most of you yet. However, through the power of the Holy Spirit, God is going to do a mighty change in you, and God will be pleased with you. God is going to purify you because God is going to do a mighty purifying work in his church. The time has come for Christ to return, and the Spirit of God will prepare his church for the soon coming rapture. Through it, they will be delivered from the greatest ever hour of trial that is going to come upon the earth. This will not happen for those who are not ready. They will not be delivered from the worst trial that the world has ever seen. Remember though, God has been pleased for you to be called his child, and he will now prepare you for the great wedding banquet that he has prepared.



Worldliness

You must stop looking for excuses to go out to the wrong places to have so-called fun. You’re not looking for opportunities to sin. You’re looking for opportunities to drink deeply of life. The Israelites in the desert were looking for opportunities for so-called fun at the wrong places, and they missed the incredible life that God was wanting to give them.

Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: "The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry." (1 Corinthians 10:7).

Sexual immorality

You must stop looking for ways to be sexually immoral even if it is only with your eyes. Your eyes are a part of you, and if you are using them to feed a sexually immoral heart, you are being sexually immoral. Twenty-three thousand of the Israelites who were symbolically equivalent to the average Christian church member were put to death by God in one day alone because they were sexually immoral.

We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did - and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. (1 Corinthians 10:8)

If you engage in sexual immorality, God will not be pleased with you for God does not change. The sexual immorality that displeased him in them will still displease him in you. You are no exception. The wages of sin are death. If you engage in sexual immorality, death will certainly come upon you. Like Adam and Eve, you will die spiritually, and if you do not repent, you will remain dead eternally. Satan is looking to chain up your heart through sexual immorality. Once he has your heart, he will begin to fill your mind with lies. You will lose touch with the truth and begin to mistake truth for lies and lies for truth. You will die in your sins, and there will be no one to save you.



Respect for the Lord

You must have great respect for the Lord as shown by your words. Jesus died on a cross for you, and you’re complaining to your brothers and sisters in Christ about how God let you down, how God didn’t do this and how God didn’t do that even though you have supposedly been so faithful. You are working against the faith of others whether you realise it or not. You are being actively used by Satan to work against other people’s faith and trust in God. Do you think God is pleased with such things? Repent! Turn from speaking about what God hasn’t done for you and begin focusing on what God has done for you. Stop foolishly working against the faith of your brothers and sisters in Christ, and start to build them up and encourage them in their faith as is appropriate for somebody that has received Christ’s death on the cross for them. The Israelites also had plenty to say about what God was not doing, and he sent deadly snakes among them to stop them from continuing to drink the spiritual venom that they were drinking.

We should not test the Lord, as some of them did - and were killed by snakes. (1 Corinthians 10:9)

Deadly snakes have crept in among God’s people once more. They are poisoning people’s faith in God through people that belong to the same church as them. Do you really want to be a tool in Satan’s hand that stands condemned before God? Of course, you don’t. Turn from this. Repent before God, and he will forgive you.



Respect for God’s leaders

Also, you must not destroy the work that God is doing among you by tearing down the leaders that he has placed over it with your harsh and critical words. You think that you’re justified in speaking against God’s leaders while you are a complete hypocrite. You love to gossip about how bad this leader or that leader or your pastor is. You love the admiration of men and women so much that you would even destroy the work of God to make yourself look better than the leaders God has placed over it. You think you have good judgement like God does. Do you really think that God is like you? God is nothing like you. God is building his church to stop sinners going to hell forever and ever. He sent his son to die on a cross so that a body of believers could rise up and proclaim a united truth to the world that they may be saved. You grieve God’s heart through the selfish motives of your words. Build up the church. Build it up. Repent of speaking against God’s leaders! Show respect. The Israelites in the desert didn’t respect God’s leaders. They were destroying God’s work. However, it was they, themselves who were destroyed.

And do not grumble, as some of them did - and were killed by the destroying angel. (1 Corinthians 10:10)

In the same way as the Israelites, you may have some success in destroying God’s work through your grumbling against its leaders, but be warned, for it is you, yourself, that is really being destroyed, and you are headed for destruction if you don’t repent. Repent of destroying God’s church, and begin to build it up. Repent of destroying God’s leaders, and begin to get behind them and pray for them.



Do not be deceived

Dear people, it should be one hundred percent crystal clear to you that nobody who is sexually immoral with another or while alone will share in the inheritance of the saints.

For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person - such a man is an idolater - has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. (Ephesians 5:5-6)

It doesn’t matter how orthodox his or her confessions may appear to be as their heart is a total heretic. They will absolutely never be allowed to share in the good things of God’s people in his kingdom. The same is true for those who serve money instead of God. That is those who do not give God what is his due and those who put their faith, ethics and what is right aside simply for the purpose of making money. They too will never, ever share with God’s people in Christ’s inheritance. A great deception has come upon the church. Some believe that it is only what you believe that determines where you will spend your eternity. Others believe that it is whether you have had a certain experience, which determines where you will spend your eternity. Still others believe that it is whether you belong to the right church or group that determines where you will spend your eternity. These things will not determine where you spend your eternity. What will determine where you spend your eternity will be whether you have a living faith in Jesus Christ or not. A living faith in Jesus Christ turns from disobedience. A dead faith in Jesus Christ operates in league with the great spirit of disobedience, Satan himself. Dear people who I care about deeply and have made so many sacrifices for the sake of Christ for, hear God’s call to you today and repent of your sins. Get your life right sexually. Get your life right in the area of money. Call upon God to save you. Will you really sacrifice so much to gain so little? Put away your old life. Put on the new life of light that God has given you in Christ. Do not think to yourself that it is too difficult for you. The truth is that you can do this. The blood of Jesus can pull you through.



He who does what is right is righteous

It really is simple. If you do what the devil does, you will receive the devil’s reward, which is eternal punishment. If you do what God wants you to do, you will share in Christ’s eternal kingdom. If you stop doing what the devil does and turn to God, he will forgive you. If you stop doing what God wants and turn to doing what the devil does, your faith in the blood of Jesus will no longer be effectual in your life. The reason Jesus came to the earth was to undo what the devil had done. The devil had established his kingdom throughout the whole world, which led people into sin and idolatry. While they remained in sin and idolatry, they remained in the devil’s kingdom. Christ came to deliver them from the devil’s kingdom by paying the price for their sins on the cross. Delivering them from the devil’s kingdom means that they no longer function in the world in the same way that the devil does. Quite simply, this means they stop choosing to sin. If you stop choosing to sin, God will graft you back spiritually into the body of Christ. Your joy and first love will be restored to you. However, you cannot remain God’s child while choosing to walk in sin because God’s children do not choose to walk in sin.

No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. (1 John 3:9 – New American Standard)

If you are choosing to sin, it shows that you have thrown behind you the fact that you were God’s child. Nevertheless, it is God’s will that you come back to him and do not remain in your sin because his delight is in repentance not punishment. He loves you deeply and wants you to be saved. The teaching that both the person who does right and the person who does not do right are righteous before God is wrong. The Bible says,

Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work. (1 John 3:7-8)

This wrong teaching has led you astray and made you weak and vulnerable to Satan’s sin. If you embrace the truth, you will ultimately be set free from your sins. Remember this truth that the person who does what is right is righteous whereas the person who does what is sinful is of the devil, and the reason Jesus Christ came to the earth was to destroy the devil’s work.

Giving Money

What is your focus?

Do you want to get rich or do you want to serve God? This is the choice that every one of use has to make? If you serve God, you can be rich. However, if your focus is on being rich, you are not serving God. Whatever the eyes of your heart are focused on will determine what fills your being. If your eyes are focused on serving God, God’s light will fill your being. It won’t matter how much wealth you gain. It will not distract you from fulfilling God’s purposes on this earth through your life. However, if your eyes are focused on being rich, great darkness will flood your soul for you are focusing on selfishness and living for the lusts of your flesh instead of living for God.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. (Matthew 6:21-24)

It is impossible for this darkness to turn into light. It is God who gives light and unless your focus is on him, you will be unclean before him and not worthy of the kingdom of God. Don’t make it your goal to be rich. Make it your goal to serve God with your money! If you are serving God with your money, you are doing a great service to the world. However, if your money is serving you, whether you are rich or poor, you are not a servant of God. Is it difficult to be a servant of God? It certainly can be. However, what is the alternative? It is an eternity in torment filled with regret every day of your life. There is no alternative to serving God. Is it unreasonable for him to want you to be concerned about others? What about if it was you who was in need and you could see no way out of it? Dear people, you are very important. You have a great role to play in this world. Break out of your little world into the big world. Learn to love with all that you have, which includes your material possessions.



Financial blessing poured out

God has promised to open the heavens to you and pour out so much financial blessing that you won’t have room enough to contain it. You don’t tithe because you want money, but you don’t realise that God has the ability to give you wealth. When God spoke through Malachi, he said, "I, the Lord, do not change" (Malachi 3:6). Tithing has been an integral part of what faith in God entails from long before Moses came with the law. Abraham’s faith in God included tithing. Even from the very beginning, Cain and Abel knew that they were obligated to give of their substance to God. This has not changed. He also said through Malachi,

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. (Malachi 3:10)

God is not against you walking in financial prosperity. Who do you think is going to give food to the hungry, water to the thirsty and clothing to those without it? Who do you think is going to give spiritual food to those dying an eternal death and spiritual drink to those dying an eternal death? It is you. You are his chosen vessel and instrument to release wealth on this earth to those who need it. Go forth in the power and blessing of God. No longer think in such a small way. Have faith and rise up in God’s mighty plan for your life! Open your tight fist with the one dollar that you have so that God can replace it with a hundred dollars. You are the Israel of God. You are the mighty and blessed nation out of all the nations of the earth. Rise up in the peace and prosperity that God has for your life.



Paying God’s taxes

I can’t see how Jesus could have made it any simpler or clearer than he did. He said, "You cannot serve both God and money" (Matthew 6:24). The people who love money store it up here on earth, and the people who serve God store up their money in heaven. Where is your money? Is it in heaven or on earth? It is the answer to this question that the Bible uses to determine whether you love money or not.

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also… "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. (Matthew 6:19-21,24)

If you are giving money to God, you are storing up money in heaven. However, if you are spending on earth what belongs to God, you are hoarding your money here on earth. Certainly, it may go out of your bank account as quickly as it comes in, but you are still hoarding it here on earth. You must give to God what is God’s in the same way that you must give to governments what belongs to governments. If you do not pay taxes that you owe, governments will punish you when they find out about it. If you do not give to God what you owe him, you will come under his wrath for you are a lover of money and not God. Do you need God to send his police to your house before you will pay him what you owe him? God doesn’t work like that. He has given you a choice; life or death, blessings or curses. If you did not perceive the real threat from governments over paying taxes, you probably wouldn’t pay taxes. If you don’t perceive the real threat from God about giving to others, you might not give to others in his name as he requires.



Acceptable tithing

Ninety percent of what you receive is for you to manage before God. It is out of that ninety percent that you are to fulfil your obligations to others including your children and parents. The remaining ten percent is only acceptable to God if it is given to Jesus and his work. Taking care of your parents is your work. Taking care of your children is your work. Giving twenty dollars to your friend Johny is your obligation as a friend. Giving money to a beggar is something appropriate that you choose to do in a situation. These are not examples of tithing, but they are examples of God required giving. The tithe is collected by Jesus on behalf of his workers and his poor children. It is only for his children who are poor or for his children who are his workers. In the law, it says,

When you have finished setting aside a tenth of all your produce… Then say to the LORD your God: ‘I have removed from my house the sacred portion and have given it to the Levite, the alien, the fatherless and the widow, according to all you commanded. I have not turned aside from your commands nor have I forgotten any of them. I have not eaten any of the sacred portion… I have obeyed the LORD my God; I have done everything you commanded me. Look down from heaven, your holy dwelling place, and bless… (Deuteronomy 26:12a,13-14a,15a)

It must be given to Jesus as anybody else is unacceptable. There is teaching in the New Testament about not giving the tithe to people who die but to him who lives forever (Hebrews 7:8). That is Jesus. Of course, you cannot catch a train to heaven to take your tithe to the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Father. You are going to have to give in faith to him through a human vessel. This choice of how you give is to be determined by your faith. Your faith is to decide who you will give what portion to.



Led by the Spirit

Of course, there are Scriptural boundaries that you must remain within when you make your decisions. The Holy Spirit will never lead you to violate his will as he has expressed in his Word. If you feel your faith is leading you to disobey the Bible, it is not your faith but something else. I am not saying that you will necessarily understand every decision that you believe you are led by the Holy Spirit to make. You do not necessarily have to understand it, but you do need to ensure that it is not in violation of the teachings of the Bible. God will allow demonic spirits to lead you into error if you cast his Word behind your back (Ezekiel 14:4). He did not say that you are to be led by the Spirit without testing that it actually is the Spirit. One of the nine spiritual gifts that the Holy Spirit provides for the church is the discerning of whether a spirit is from God or from the devil (1 Corinthians 12:10). Even Peter was led by the spirit of Satan when he said to Jesus that he must not choose to go the way of the cross (Matthew 16:23). You are not exempt from demonic leadings, which is why you must evaluate everything that you get in light of the Bible. You might think that you are better off keeping away from all supernatural leading if this is the case, but you will rob yourself of great blessing if you think that way. Peter, himself, derived his great place in history through accepting the leading of the Father into the truth about Jesus (Matthew 16:17). You are to be led by the Holy Spirit in your decisions of who to give to and how much to give. You are to come to the Lord first in your giving. Then, give in accordance with his will.

they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will. (2 Corinthians 8:4-5)

However, where you give your tithe must be acceptable. If you give your tithe to an unacceptable source, you have simply wasted your money. Don’t throw your brain out the window when you decide to give, and don’t automatically tithe like a robot! Make a difference for the kingdom of God with your money, and remove the curse that is upon your very soul as a result of not giving to God what is God’s.



Preach the truth

It says in Proverbs,

One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. (Proverbs 11:24)

This is a very good lesson for many of the pastors that we have within our beloved church. People don’t tithe because they think it is inappropriate to pay ten percent of their income for simply attending a church service. Come on. Be honest. They have a very good point. Use fair scales and balances with the people. The answer to financial problems within the body of Christ is getting more money to the right places. Firstly, this comes through people giving more money because you teach them the truth that not tithing is because they love money. Secondly, this comes through people giving the money to the places that need it most because you teach them to prioritise their giving instead of only focusing on your own needs. If the body of Christ comes to maturity in the area of giving, it will unleash a mighty force upon this earth. Pastors, grab the vision here and run with it. It is God’s will for all his servants to have enough money to go out and do what they’re called to do. If you will trust God’s Word in this area of giving and hold on to what is fair and honest, you will not go backwards but forwards. When the truth of God’s Word is preached at any cost, he will bestow great blessing.



Giving to the local church

Doesn’t common sense teach you that giving all your money to the local church doesn’t make sense? What if you live in a remote area, and the only local pastor is a strong advocate of homosexuality being an acceptable practice according to the Bible? Do you think your giving to his work pleases God? People, don’t be blind sheep. Follow the true shepherd. He will show you where to give. Do I mean that you should give none of your tithe to your local pastor because Christian children in Africa have a greater need for the money? I definitely do not. You need to appropriately support those whose work is over you. Do I mean that pastors cannot have nice houses? Can you have a nice house? "Yes," you may say "because I go out and work for the money". Of course, pastors too go out and work for the money. They have jobs just like you, and they have rights to their income just as you do.

The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, "Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain," and "The worker deserves his wages." (1 Timothy 5:17-18)

Poor in Christ

It should be noted though that one of the most fertile fields for giving is your brothers and sisters in Christ who are poor and in need around the world.

As it is written: "He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever." Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. (2 Corinthians 9:9-10)

You should never neglect your local pastors. However, God is also very concerned about you giving to the poor who know him. This does not mean you should ever harden your heart to human suffering. It is God’s will for us to show mercy to all poor people who are being deprived of the basic necessities of sustaining food and drink, and appropriate warm clothing whether they know him or not. Nevertheless, our priorities are with our own brothers and sisters in Christ first. Know that God bestows great blessing when you share your bread with the hungry, and your drink with the thirsty, and your clothing to those who need it because they know him. God wants to use you like Joseph to provide for his people in need.



Good soil

Jesus promised you that if you are generous to God, God will be generous to you. He said,

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." (Luke 6:38)

There is a wonderful opportunity for you to prosper as a result of giving money to others in God’s name. Your giving that you give is like seed that a farmer plants. If the farmer plants seed in good soil, it will produce a good crop providing everything is in order. However, if a farmer plants good seed in bad soil, he is just wasting the seed. In the same way, choose carefully where you give because how your money is used will obviously be a significant factor in the blessing that God provides you with. You are God’s source of blessing to others. If you are blessing something that is a high priority to him, the supernatural prosperity over your life will be greater than if you are blessing something that is a low priority to him.



The office of the giver

While it is God’s will to bless all of his children, some of his children walk in a special office of providing for his work (Romans 12:8). If you want to walk in that office, you need to have some insight into where the money should be going. Which church you give to and what purposes the money will be used for are extremely relevant to your supernatural blessing from God. This is an extremely valuable contribution that you can make to the body of Christ. In fact, it is absolutely necessary for the well being of the church that some people are out there making money with God and for God. As it is written,

You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. (2 Corinthians 9:11)

God doesn’t have a problem with you becoming extremely rich, but he does have a problem with how you get there and what you do with it when you are there. The church needs you if that’s your calling. The body of Christ needs you if that’s your calling. John Wesley rightly stated, "make all you can, save all you can, give all you can".



Dishonesty

If you don’t give to God from what you receive, you love money. It’s quite simple. However, if you tithe, it doesn’t automatically mean that you don’t love money. You may be giving ten percent of your money to the Lord, but if you are gaining some of it unethically or unjustly, you are an oppressor or a thief or a swindler or simply dishonest. Do you think it’s okay to be a believer in our Lord Jesus Christ and be dishonest? Of course, it isn’t. Dishonest people will spend eternity with other dishonest people unless of course, you repent and ask God to cleanse you through the blood of Jesus.

nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:10-11)

Do not sin for the sake of money for the wages of sin are death, but the gift that God has offered you is eternal life. You don’t need to worry about money. God will take care of you. Don’t lust after money, but understand that it is God’s will to prosper you.



You cannot live on false wealth

It was when Zacchaeus had actually decided to set things right that Jesus said salvation had come to his house. Zacchaeus was a wealthy man who had gained his wealth while neglecting the poor and being involved in dishonest business dealings. However, Jesus’ presence in his house changed the way he viewed his wealth.

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner.'" But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount." Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." (Luke 19:1-10)

You must understand that it is not acceptable to God to stop sinning financially but continue to live off the benefits of previous financial sins. If you have gained wealth with dishonest means or have neglected to give to God what is God’s, the house that you have built is not right before God. You need to make a decision to do something about it. You cannot keep living from this tainted source. In Zachhaeus’ case, firstly, he decided to share half of his wealth with those who had really needed it while he was building up his wealth. Secondly, he decided to deal with his dishonest business dealings by paying back four times what he had taken dishonestly to those he had sinned against out of his remaining half. It is clear that he got his wealth right with God. God is not against you getting wealthy, but he is if you climbed on people’s heads up to it. Nevertheless, you cannot be right with God if your wealth is not right with God. It is impossible. It is clear from Zacchaeus’ example with Jesus that the Lord declared him right when he made the decision to do right. If you make the decision to do right today, God will declare you right today. You do not have to wait until you have set everything in order to be right before God because you can be right before God today, even at this moment, through faith in the blood of Jesus to cleanse you. Set everything right in your heart. After you have set everything right in your heart, purpose in your actions to follow through with your plan. Wealthy people, be right with God with your wealth as otherwise you cannot enter the kingdom of God. What price will you pay to hold onto your money? Will you sacrifice your eternal soul? Will you derive any comfort in your torment from a distant memory of once living in luxury and ease? You will curse your stupidity at not being moderate and being content to live on what was right. Repent today for today is your day of salvation!



The hungry, thirsty and naked

Jesus said that when he returns, he will divide all of humanity into two basic categories: those who give and those who don’t. Of course, you can give all you want and still go to hell. To be found worthy of the kingdom of God involves more than just giving money. However, giving money is evidence that you are worthy of the kingdom of God. How do you get right with God and come and into his kingdom? You surrender your heart to what is right, which is God’s will, and you ask him in faith to forgive you through the shed blood of Jesus. Getting right with God is very simple, but staying right with God may involve a lot more. Getting right with God involves your heart, but staying right with God involves your actions. Salvation is never more than a prayer away and being right with God is never more than a prayer away. Nevertheless, when Jesus returns, he will sort out those who give from those who do not give. What basis will his judgement be founded upon? It will be founded on the fact that there were great needs in the world, and you were unwilling to contribute appropriately to them being met. People were hungry, but you didn’t give. People were thirsty, but you didn’t give. People were cold and without clothes, but you didn’t give. People were sick and in need of care, but you didn’t give. People were unjustly persecuted and imprisoned, but you didn’t give.

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' "They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' "He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." (Matthew 25:31-46)

God has commanded you to put aside ten percent of your income for the sake of his work and his people. You are to provide for his workers and his poor and suffering people with this money. Do you think it is okay to simply say, "my church has more money than me, so I need it more?" If there are issues with your local church, it is no excuse for not giving to God what is God’s. Wake up people of God, and walk in Christ’s salvation! Walk in the great blessing that God has for his children of obedience. If you are children of disobedience, you will depart into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. Of what use is it if you are obedient with your words but not in your actions in the area of money? Certainly, you will have some degree of blessing if you have control over your tongue, but you are walking in serious disobedience in the area of money nevertheless. Get the vision dear people, and run with it. We can have a huge impact on this world. We can bring in the greatest revival that this world has ever seen. You can make a huge difference by using ten percent of your income for God’s good purposes on the earth. Repent today, and rejoice in God’s goodness towards you by sharing it with others!



It is God’s will for you to learn to manage your money

The Bible says,

A good man leaves an inheritance for his children's children, but a sinner's wealth is stored up for the righteous. (Proverbs 13:22)

It is God’s will for you to learn to manage your money properly so that you may do good on the earth and take proper care of your family. It is the devil, who wants you to be poor and hopeless with money. Being hopeless with money does not give glory to God, but being a good steward of that which God has provided for you shines his light to unbelievers. It also enables you to live the type of life that God has provided for you.



Honouring parents

We are obligated before God to take care of our parents and grandparents when they need us in their old age.

But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God. (1 Timothy 5:4)

It is quite simple really. We didn’t die because they provided us with food, clothing and shelter, or we are alive today because they provided one of our parents with food, clothing and shelter. They didn’t leave us to die, and we are not to leave them to die. Their providing for us was not based on our character but based on the fact that we were their flesh and blood or their responsibility before God. You owe them appropriate care because of the care that they gave you. Your debt is not based on their character but based on the practical care that they gave you or your parents. Turn from your unforgiveness and bitterness, and pray for their salvation. Eternity is for a long time, and hell is never without a moment of regret. Bring them to Christ, and provide for them practically in the frailty of their old age.



Suffering for Christ is an honour

All the promises in the Bible basically provide us with complete deliverance from everything that is evil. However, you must realise that suffering for the sake of Christ is actually a great honour. If you lose all the wealth that you have spent your entire life gathering to a wicked, oppressive ruler, who says that you have no right to it because you are a Christian, you are greatly blessed. There is no greater honour for God’s children than to suffer for the sake of the Name.

The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. (Acts 5:41)

Just as every person has been created differently, every person who will ultimately live in Christ’s kingdom will have a different role to fulfil in it. This role will be determined by their works during their lifetime. The greatest inheritances are reserved for those who have suffered or sacrificed to see his purposes established on the earth. This is not to say anybody will be unhappy in Christ’s kingdom for every tear will be permanently wiped away. However, there will be different roles based on what you have done here. In summary, you have full deliverance from all evil, but to have your money confiscated because of your faith in Christ should be seen as a great honour. Everything that you have ultimately belongs to God, and if he calls you to such a high honour, rejoice greatly for he is treating you like his most esteemed servants.



Make it right

Being right with God with your money is only one prayer away. "Dear Father, I have sinned by not setting aside ten percent of my income for your purposes. Forgive me now through the blood of Jesus for I purpose in my heart to make this right, amen". It really is that simple. Do not stumble like the wise and well educated in our society, who could never accept such a simple solution to a problem. It is so simple. Change your heart, and be right with God now. Don’t wait. Just do it. Right now, make things right. God will give you the power that you need to see your actions through if you will simply surrender your heart to the best of your ability. He understands the circumstances that have contributed to you getting in the mess that you’re in. He loves you. He is the father that you always wanted to have. It is his Spirit that is upon you right now moving you to surrender your heart to Christ. If you don’t do it when his Spirit is upon you, when will you do it? Don’t deceive yourself. Do it now. Make the best decision of your life. You will never regret making this decision now, but you will always regret not making the decision when it was right there in front of you. You may say, "I’m not ready". It is God who makes you ready. He can make you ready. Surrender, and pray today.