• Recruited
  • Before the foundations of the world. Ephesians 1:4 he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love
  • In our mothers womb Jeremiah 1:5, Isaiah 49:1
  • While we were yet in our sins. (Romans 5:6-11)
  • Called and drawn by God John 6:44
  • At the right time
• Inducted –Federal law requires everyone who enlists or re-enlists in the Armed Forces of the United States to take the enlistment oath.
  • Baptized in water and the Spirit Matthew 28:19
  • Receiving the Holy Spirit as an earnest Ephesians 1:13,14
  • Becoming Sons and Daughters of God, subjects of the Kingdom John 1:12,13
• Trained
  • Taught by the Holy Spirit 1 John 2:27
  • Taught by trials and sufferings James 1:2-4 (esprit de corps group spirit; sense of pride)
  • Taught by the elders in the faith Ephesians 4:11-16
  • Taught by obedience though and through suffering Hebrews 5:8 *Jesus’ example
• Commissioned
  • Disciples given “Great Commission” to preach the gospel of the Kingdom throughout the world. (Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) varies)
• Equipped
  • Weapons II Corinthians 10:3-4 (Kathairesis destruction/extinction)
  • Signs and wonders follow verifying the word Mark 16:15-18,Acts 4:30
  • God equips us for the work He commissions us for
  • Spirit guides us into truth, directs, shows us things to come John 16:13,  Isaiah 30:21 (errors to the left)
  • Spirit gives us word to speak Matthew 10:19,20  1 Corinthians 2:4
  • The scriptures our guide II Timothy 3:16,17  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
  • Elder members of the body as guides
• Deployed
  • Everyone a mission field determined by God Acts 1:8 ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judæa, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
  • Jerusalem
    • The home front
    • Churchianity
  • Judea
    • Believers who need the their faith fanned
    • Babes in Christ
    • Those wandering from the faith
  • Samaria
    • The so-called heretics, apostates
    • The pseudo-Christian faiths (JW, SDA, Mormons)
  • The ends of the earth
    • The unsaved
    • The new age, the Muslim, Hindu, animist, pagan, Wiccan, Buddhist, the atheist/agnostic
    • or those with no religion at all
• Promoted
  • Humility rather than aggressiveness or a competitive spirit is rewarded
    • Luke 14:11, For everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled. And he who humbles himself shall be promoted.
    • James 4:10, “Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will promote you.”
    • 1 Pet. 5:5-6, God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. 6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
  • Self-control
    • 1 Corinthians 9:24,25  Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. 25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible
  • Endurance
    • Endurance and patience are attributes of a winner
    • ”The race is not given to the swift nor the strong but to those who endureth to the end.” ??? no such bible verse, but
    • Ecclesiastes 9:11 11 ¶I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.
    • Zechariah 4:6: … Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.
  • Obedience
    • I Samuel 15:22: And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
    • 1 Peter 1:14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:
    • God does the exalting (Thou shalt toot thine own horn lest it shall  be tooted not)
    • Joshua 3:7  “And the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses.”

• Commended
  • II Timothy 4:7-8  I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing
  • God is glorified in promotion: Revelation 4:9-11  9 And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, 10 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
  • Matthew 25:23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 24
  • Matthew 24:14:And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

]]> http://expectedend.com/2008/11/22/soldiers-in-the-army-of-the-lord/feed/ http://expectedend.com/2008/11/16/mens-moment-encouragement/ http://expectedend.com/2008/11/16/mens-moment-encouragement/#comments Sun, 16 Nov 2008 20:30:19 +0000 allen http://expectedend.com/?p=118 Although the fig tree shall not blossom,
neither shall fruit be in the vines;
the labour of the olive shall fail,
and the fields shall yield no meat;
the flock shall be cut off from the fold,
and there shall be no herd in the stalls:
Yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.
The Lord God is my strength,
and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet,
and he will make me to walk upon mine high places.
Habakkuk 3:17-19

I watch in amazement sometimes at the things professional athletes are able do with their bodies when the situation calls for it. To the runner’s left is the sidelines, to his right and in front of him are defenders, dug in and with outstretched arms. The runner with the ball then leaps up and over the defenders into the end zone. Likewise, in basketball, I’ve seen  players dives for  loose balls:  leaping over the scorer’s table and into the stands. Momentum carries him forward, yet the player avoids stepping on spectators or tripping over seats, rails, or steps. The amazing agility athletes possess  is  due to their natural athleticism and, more importantly, the years of practice and drills. When the need arises, atheletes are able to make their bodies do what their mind decides must be done in the present situation. And their bodies perform because they are disciplined.

Habakkuk makes a bold declaration of faith in the Lord. In good times and in bad times, he determines to rejoice in the Lord. It is easy to rejoice in the Lord when things are going well. But when bills are due, the economy is bad, little Jaquan or Quandrica wants a laptop or iPhone for Christmas and the money is not there: It is hard for the praise to come out. It gets stuck in the throat somewhere.

Perhaps there is a need to practice praise, practice rejoicing. Paul says to “Rejoice Always, again I say Rejoice!” We should strive to make praising, rejoicing, and thanksgiving a  constant part of your life. We should discipline our minds to  bless God continually for small things and big things. We should practice rejoicing in the Lord for the victories we experience daily and for all the times we are delivered out of tough situations.  We must train our minds  — our praise and rejoicing  muscles so to speak — to be able to spot all the big and small ways we are blessed each and every day.

Making rejoicing  a regular practice will help us see that day by day, we are becoming more agile, our reflexes sharper, our peripheral vision wider, and we become more able  to handle sticky situations which use to defeat us in the past. We are able to act Godly and victoriously in any situation. We become confident – not in ourselves  — but in the fact that God is our strength and he will make us as agile and as fast, and as alert and as strong as a deer, so that we are able to avoid the tricks and traps of the devil. We are able to climb over mountains which would have limited, frustrated, or crushed us in the past. We will be able to over come in the midst of worlds troubles because our foothold is sure, our faith is strong, and our God is our strength.

We need to learn to see Him. We need to learn how to be conscious of His presence and His workings at all times. A phrase some Christians use is “Practicing the  Presence of God.” The following are some verses which can help us detect our Lord and increase the strength and accuracy of our “Godar.”

• Genesis 17:1: God is behind me.
  • And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.
• Deuteronomy 13:4: God is before me.
  • Ye shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.
• Psalm 91:1 : God is above me.
  • He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
• Psalms 40:2 Beneath me as my rock
  • He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.
• Genesis 6:9 &  Genesis 5:24 , Revelation 3:4:God is beside me.
  • And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.
  • Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy
• Psalm 16:8 : God is on my right.(south)
  • I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
• Job 23:9 : God is on my left (north).
  • On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him:
• Psalm 34:7 : God is all around me.
  • 7 The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them
• Colossians 1:27 : Christ is in me.
  • To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

(adopted from http://www.ministrylive.org/index.php/2008/09/15/practicing-the-presence-of-god/)

If we know that God is:

• Before us
• Behind us
• Beneath us
• Above us
• To our right
• To our left
• With me and,
• Within me

We can understand what the Apostle Paul says in Philippians 1.6:

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

And also Philippians 4:6,7

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus

We don’t realize how special we are to God. We don’t fully appreciate how He is at work in our lives 24/7/365 tweaking us,  teaching us, loving us, molding us, shaping us, conforming us, and even singeing us till we reach our expected end – when we become full-fledged sons and daughters who look like him, talk like him, and act like him.

He accomplishes this through many means:

• Guidance through His word (Rhema, illumination, revelation of scripture). When we get that flash of insight as to how this scripture applies to our life.
• Other believers, preachers, teachers, prophets, and angels who guide, goad, and sometimes rebuke us.
• Sometimes He puts obstacles in our way which force us to take the necessary detours.
• Finally God shakes us up.

During the shaking it seems our world is falling apart and God is far from us. Sickness, financial strain, issues with our marriage, our children.  The car breaks down or the roof leaks. Someone we love dies, etc.

It may not seem obvious to us that God is at work in our lives. We make a bad decision such as buying a  house we can ill afford, quitting one job for a better one, taking a short cut home from church then all hell breaks loose.

Here is an example of a decision gone bad. In 1st Chronicles 21:15, King David decides to take a  census of Israel. David had been warned against doing so by his commander, Joab - not a particularly spiritual person -  but the king goes ahead. This decision by David leads to the death of tens of thousands of innocent men, women, and children.

God shook David, but he didn’t destroy him. If we look at  Psalm 30, we see that God’s chastisement of the king was not with out effect.  Certain ungodly attributes of David were shake out and destroyed. He was shaken that only his God-like characteristics might remain. Psalm 30 shows the following transformations:

• Psalm 30: 6,7  Self-sufficiency was shaken out so that faith and reliance upon God remained
• Psalm 30: 9-11 Pride was shaken out so that humility before God and man remained
• Psalm 30: 12  Self glorification shaken out that sincere praise and gratitude remains.

When God shakes it seems that our world is falling apart, but He shakes only that the true you remains. The real, unshakable  you which remains is a man or woman who manifests the fruit of the Spirit. Not clones, but  unique, individual expressions/reflections of the divine.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: Galatians 5:22,23

And knowing this, let us welcome and rejoice in the shaking when it comes – and it is coming.  But don’t despair. When the shaking comes we should remember what David said in Psalm 30: 5:

For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning

But then I saw these Ads on TV and in the magazines Ads for “Male enhancement  pills.” You know the ones I mean. They promise to enlarge my appeal with women and my standing among men. A Chrysler 300M or an Escalade with 22 inch rims.  Fine homes, fine cars, fine clothing, big screen TV. Must haves for a player ( retired player I might add) A beautiful Beyonce-style trophy wife or girlfriend. A few  women on the side.  All this I needed to be a real man in this society. And it could all  be mine if I would just take that little pill.

And I bought it and I swallowed it. It promised “natural male enhancement” and sure enough I gave me  the strength, the stamina, the endurance, and the desire to grab life by the…. horns and be  all that I could be. Have all the things I desired. To live life to the max. Of course, I would need to work some over time or take another job. I had to develop my hustle skills to earn some money on the side. Maybe I’d turn over a little weed and picked up a few extra bucks. Did some side jobs and took money under the table. Did not miss an opportunity to turn a profit. I did have less time  for my wife and kids, but they say it is not the quantity, but the quality of the time that matters.

I planned the work and worked the plan. And it worked. The pill worked just as advertised. It seemed of. Well, heres what really happened..  The pill  promised hours of satisfaction and it delivered  - at first, but over time, those hours became filled with tedium and exhaustion. That feeling become just friction. Pain and weariness took the place of any pleasure I derived from having all the things the   media said I had to have to be considered a successful man.

Working 50, 60 hours a week. Too tired to enjoy my quality time with my family. Seeing  my children  grow up and away from me. Things are going on in their lives that I never knew about. Issues my son or my daughter was dealing with that I could have helped with if I only knew: or had the time. I wanted to teach my son about women, about life,  but he has had to learn it  from the streets..

I wanted to protect my daughter from boys who would use her and toss her away.  I bought her designer clothes. She has her own room. I-Phone, laptop, a credit card.  And a car for her 16th birthday. But she is seeing this lowlife loser who is too lazy to buy the pill and take it himself. He would probably try to talk her into taking it instead.

When my wife and I married, I had nothing. She has to be proud of the man I’ve become. I provide for my family well. I am a man’s man. I am dead tired some nights. The mortgage on the house and the car payments make the end of the month very stressful I know.  It’d be nice if she had a full time job.

Sometimes though. When I  drive from my first shift job to my part time job or at 4:30 in the  morning when I’m delivering papers, a wave of tiredness hits me.  A literal wave of fatigue sweeps over my whole body. And for a moment,  I wonder,  what  am I doing? What’s going on? How did I end up here?
I think: Even though I have all the  things I  ever wanted — somehow, it isn’t  enough.  My garage is so  full of stuff there is no room for my car. Closets overflowing.  I am not satisfied. I  feel empty. I feel numb. I feel a sense of loss. Though  I am gaining things but I’m losing  relationships. My relationships are  hemorrhaging, rotting, drying up.

I suspect I been lied to. I’ve been hoodwinked. I’ve been had. I’ve been took. I’ve been led astray, led amok. I’ve been bamboozled. And now I am  hearing  voices. Two voices like those of angels. One on each shoulder.

One angel says, “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.  Go for it. You need a pool. And a Porsche you need to become a mason. ” And this angel holds another pill out for me to take.

And the other voice, the other angel says:

16 And this also is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind? 17 All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness. Ecclesiastes 5:16,17

15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. Luke 12:15

I know what Covetousness is. The selfish desire for or pursuit of money, wealth, power, food, or other possessions.  We can never get enough things. Is Bill Gates satisfied with his billions? Is Warren Buffet, David Murdock, Donald Trump? The second angel says:

He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity. Ecclesiastes 5:10

I’m caught up under the influence of this pill. I am not thinking straight. I need something: but what. The second angel says again:

For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Mark 8:36

I found out about a better way. Who can rescue me from this emptiness and futility? There is a way  offering True Male Enhancement. And God can show us the way.

33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.  Matthew 6:33

Seeking the Kingdom. The Kingdom includes that part of space and time where the will of God reigns supreme. Not just in the physical world but in the spiritual world. Not just among the angels but among the people of God. There is a a true synchronicity because the Spirit of God is the underlying force, the motivator through which everybody and everything works together to manifest the nature of God and His nature.: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Peace. Shabbat. The Sabbath where man rests from his work. God rested on the 7th day according to Genesis 2:3. But Jesus said that God is still at work even on the sabbath.

John 5:16,17. And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day. 17 ¶But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.

Is this a contradiction? Resting? Working? Which? Both!
The rest I am speaking of is that kind where your spirit is quiet and attentive to God. Where you can hear Him speak and can see Him at work. At work in your life, your family’s lives and in the world as comforter, guide, healer,  provider, teacher and protector. “Be still and know that I am God”, He says . He is not in the rat race. The long hours, the travel, the putting up with bosses who disrespect you or customers who wear and grind away at your last nerve. The seemingly endless pursuit of prosperity with little true and lasting reward or purpose. He is not in any of this. He is not motivating you to do any of this, but He is in that still small voice that you are either too burned-out or  too distracted to hear.

We are seeking the Kingdom. I’m not talking about joining a monastery. Or quitting work. Paul says the man who won’t work, shouldn’t eat.. In the midst of our work: in the hustle and bustle we listen.  As we listen, We see God at work and  our work takes on a new dimension. We work not for a paycheck but for true, lasting  rewards.  If we listen, through our work, God develops within us at least 5 things:

• Godly Strength:
• Godly Adornment:
• Godly Confidence:
• Godly Provision:
• Godly Service:

What do I mean by this.

Godly Strength: When we work as if we are working unto the Lord, we are strengthened in the inner man. We learn to deal with the stress and pressures of the workplace. We learn to develop an excellent spirit.
Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm. Daniel 6:3

Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean (obscure) men Proverbs 22:29

Godly Adornment: We represent Christ in all our dealings at work. When our co-workers or our customers or clients see us, they see Jesus manifested in us.  No need to ask WWJD, they see us in action.
Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. 15 For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: 16 To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? 2 Corinthians 2:14-16
Godly Confidence: God is our sure foundation. We know that He is working for us, with us and in us. We can boldly work as unto the Lord. Loving but Uncompromising. Again with a spirit of excellence.

¶Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. Matthew 7:24-27

Godly Provision: We know that it is God who gives us the power to get wealth. It is God who owns the cattle on a thousand hills. Our God is able to supply all our needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. It is God who is ever attentive to our needs – even before we pray, even if we  don’t know how to pray.
Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. Matthew 6:31,32
Godly Service: We are not slaves, but in a way, we are if we work for others. Our bosses tell us when to come to work, when to leave, when we can eat lunch and where. They set our pay and benefits and we work for them at their pleasure.

Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: 23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; 24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. Colossians 3:22-24

Seeking the Kingdom. In this true rest, we strive for Kingdom things. We toil to renew our minds. We labor to crucify the flesh. We work overtime – not to pay a debt of the financial kind but a debt of  love – especially towards the family of God. We don’t hustle to posses, we consent to become: To manifest in our bodies in our souls and in our minds the new man, the new spirit God has created within us. This spirit is in perfect agreement with God’s will and God’s ways. Our  spirits are made in the image of God.

We trust. We believe that as we seek first the Kingdom of God all things we need to live in this world will be provided for. God knows we have need of them. But He wants more for us

I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. John 10:10
That word  abundant in Greek is perissos ; superabundant (in quantity) or superior (in quality); by implication, excessive; exceeding abundantly above, more abundantly,  beyond measure, even wastefully beyond needs( superfluous)

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us Ephesians 3:20

More than enough. Excessive. Large Life. Larger than Large life. However, we don’t think about these things as the world thinks about them. We no longer seek things to fulfill. We seek things to enjoy. We no longer pursue status symbols. We are kings and priests. God said so. I believe it. My spirit gives witness. That settles it. We are His beloved. Status beyond any rap star, rock star, pro athlete, politician, or billionaire. We can enjoy our blessings with His approval.

Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God. 20 For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart. Ecclesiastes 5:19,20

Seeking the Kingdom. True male enhancement. In the Kingdom,  we trust that God is working in us, through us, for us. All things are working together for our good because we are the called. He places people and circumstances in our lives for our benefit. He did not stop me from marrying that woman or taking that job. He did not stop that salesman from selling me that car, or that house that I can barely afford. He allowed it. It is all that I might learn and grow. To  be made perfect and complete through suffering, trial and error, successes and failures.

But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. 1 Peter 5:10

So I do want to sell you a pill  alright: the GOSPILL. Seeking the Kingdom of God  is True Spiritual Male Enhancement. Its not found in a little, blue pill, but in a transformed mind. It doesn’t promise material assets, but spiritual riches. It is not an enlargement of the outer man, but the growth and expansion of the inner man. God’s Spiritual Male Enhancement Program gives you the ability to overcome in this society, which  puts so much pressure on men to perform at artificial and unrealistic levels for rewards which are as solid as smoke, as durable as pudding, and as long-lasting as an eight ball.

In conclusion, Spiritual Male Enhancement raises the whole man, mind, body, soul, and spirit. It leaves you with a  new, larger perspective  of what  life is really about. God is not out to take you r things from you. From the Kingdom viewpoint it is not the size of the paycheck, square footage of your house,  or the rims on your car, that you are working for. It is the enjoyment you get from these things and the gratitude you feel to the God who gave you the power to get them in the first place. Spiritual Male enhancement says it is not how many hours you can work it,  but whether or not, after all the hours of work you put in, God is glorified, your family blessed, and you can enjoy the fruit of your labor and  peace of mind .

The beloved disciple, filled with the Holy Spirit said this:

Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth III John 2

The wise king who experienced the rat-race himself had this to say:

Then I commended mirth (praised exceeding gladness), because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun. Ecclesiastes 8:15

All that I have been talking about is for the believer. You a believer needs to do is go to God in prayer and asking if there is anything to what you just heard. God will answer. Just listen.

For the non-believer, someone who does not know Jesus son of Mary,son of God as your savior, you need to learn of him.  He was actual man who was born over 2 thousand years ago. At the age of 30, he began his ministry teaching the presence of the Kingdom of God, the mercy and forgivess of God. He healed the sick, raised the dead. By word and deed he should that God was with him, that he was the Son of God, the Messiah promised to Israel.  He was kill by the Romans at the instigation of the Jewish leaders. But after 3 days, he was resurrected. He was seen by hundreds of people including his chosen disciples who spread the good news of salvation: deliverance from bondage to sin, forgiveness of sins, the Holy Spirit within all believers, and everlasting life. Accept Him today!

That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost. Romans 15:16:

If we are acceptable to God and sanctified – set apart, a thing of value and utility put aside to be used in the manner it is designed for – then let us live out the full meaning of this. The Just shall live by faith. The just shall live as if they believed every promise of God to be true and applicable to them – and especially them because they are accepted and sanctified.

If we truly believed something, we would act upon it. If I believe this chair can hold me, I won’t hesitate to sit down when I need to. I leave my house every day, confident that I can breathe the air. If my friend, Bill, says to me, “Anytime you need some money, let me know.”  I will not hesitate to go to him if I am in need.

If I go to the ATM and check my balance, if it says I have $50.00 and I need $40.00, I will go ahead withdraw my $40.00. Wait thought: what is some checks haven’t cleared yet, or my last gasoline purchase hasn’t gone through. Even though my ATM balance says I have $50.00, I may not have in fact have the $50.00. To be confident of this, I need to examine my receipts,  then reconcile my account. Only then will I know whether to proceed or not with the withdrawal.

Does this describe our faith in God’s promises? We know what the word says, but we think we have some transactions that haven’t cleared yet: sins we haven’t confessed or even sins we are not even aware of.

What if we knew that if we went to the ATM, saw our balance, withdrew the money we need based on that balance and we knew that the bank would not penalize us. In fact, the next day, someone from the bank would call us and alert us to the problem and give us an opportunity to put in more money. Or give us over-draft protection. With confidence, we would withdraw the money we need. Because we appreciate the banks policies – we know how it was at our old bank– we don’t take advantage of the overdraft protection and deliberately take out took much money. We respond in kind to the bank.

Likewise, in our Christian walk. We appreciate, we are thankful that God has cleansed us, justified us, sanctified, and still sanctifies us. We respond in kind. We accept God’s promises –Faith. We Boldly walk in them. In finances, in health, in family, in our spiritual family here at Latter Rain (my home church), what ever area of our life in which we have need. In every part of our life, We walk by faith (not by our sin account because we know that the Holy Spirit works in believers to correct). God has justified us, so we live by faith.

I am not there yet, but God is working in me and in all of us to take us from “faith to faith”. From a little faith to water walking faith: from “now I lay me down type faith” to believing God for your home, your future mate, your children, your business, the economy, your health, your finances, your ministry, your next meal. The Just (us) will live by faith.

Sarah came up with a plan: through her hand maiden Hagar, Abraham would have his firstborn son. Abraham went along with the plan and Ishmael was born. But God told Abraham that his covenant would be with the Abraham’s son born to Sarah not Hagar.

What did Ishmael do wrong? Was he a man like Cain, bitter, disobedient, and full of hate? No God blessed Ishmael in Chapter 16,17, and 21. It says that God was with the lad. His presence, his provision, his protection, his guidance was with Ismael, but his covenant was through Isaac, the son of the promise.

Both Isaac and Ishmael enjoyed Gods blessing, but it was through Isaac that the Word of God and the Messiah would come and the world would be blessed. Can we by our works, our prayers, our fasting, and our tears alter the plan of God for our lives? Ishmael’s name means “God has heard.” Yes God heard. He did not ignore Ismael. God heard his tears and the tears of his mother, God provided for him and blessed him, but it did not change the fact that the promise was to go through Isaac.

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Jeremiah 29:11

Can we trust that God will direct us to our expected end? Or do we tell Him about all the training and preparation and trials we have been through to prepare us for the ministry that we have in mind? This web site, Expected End, I set up originally back in 2002. At first it was to be a prison ministry. Later, I changed the focus to spiritual gifts, later I changed it to diet and health, then back to spiritual gifts, most recently, on faith and prayer. Each time, I focused on what I thought was my gift or area of expertise rather than what God had in mind for me. All those things were a part of who I am and what I wanted to do for the Kingdom. But I missed the deep down in my heart joy that comes from service that is in the perfect will of God and the anointing that follows to perform God’s will.

At any rate, Cain was the firstborn. Cain followed his father Adams profession and was a farmer. Brother Abel raised sheep. At a certain time, the boys presented their gifts to God. Abel offered the firstborn of his flock. Cain brought God an offering from the fruit of the soil. God respected – had regard for or looked with favor upon — Abel’s offering but not Cain’s.

Cain and Abel. Twin boys. Same parents. Same religious upbringing. They must have known what God expected as far as offerings were concerned. Cain brought the fruits of his labor, Abel brought his. Yet Abel’s was accepted, Cain’s wasn’t. Why? Some teach that God required that all offerings must be blood sacrifices Cain would have had to get an animal from Abel or from some other source in order to make an acceptable offering. From this side of Sinai and the resurrection, we know that without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin (Hebrews 9:22). But there is nothing in Genesis chapters 1 through 4 which hint of what God required at all. Both boys appeared to be making free-will offerings.

Why was Cain’s offering rejected? Here is my speculation. Remember that the bible is a spiritual book. What the Spirit say? God regards the heart of man. God regards obedience over sacrifices. Cain had no regard for the word of God. Rather than reflecting, meditating, offering prayers to God over the matter of his rejected offering, Cain became angry. Angry at God, angry at his brother. Murderous rage. Where did this come from? God could see the roiling seething blackness of Cain’s heart. With such a heart, Cain came before God with an offering and to praise!

Cain and Abel, if they were twins would have shared DNA (Adam and Eve were genetically pure) and therefore would have been identical physically. Same looks, same height, same voice but they had two different hearts. Cain ignored the warning of the Spirit, let his anger fester and and finally he killed his brother. And He lied to God. Lied to the Holy Spirit in effect. He also was insolent to God Cain said, Am I my brother’s keeper. The Hebrew word translated keeper is Shamar. This word originally was applied to a Shepard out in the field erecting a fence or barrier made of thorn bushes around his sheep to protect them.

Cain was in effect was saying, “Why you asking me where Abel is? I am not the one watching over him and protecting him. You are!” Is it still a mystery why Abel’s offering was accepted but not Cain? Still God was gracious to Cain and spared his life from avengers.

Our works. Our tithe and offerings, our bible study, our church attendance, our witnessing, all our work for the Lord matters not a thing if our heart isn’t right. When we come to the alter for prayer, offering, or praise yet there is within our hearts anger, unforgiveness, or the knowledge that we have wronged another, should we expect God to hear our prayers, accept our gift or our praise? We should at once confess our sins and repent, ask forgiveness, or make amends with the brother we have wronged. Then we can enter into the presence of our God.

The operative word is seek. Here is a list of words with meanings synonymous with seeking:

• hunt
• look
• search
• pursue
• attempt
• endeavor
• strive
• try

It is God’s desire that we, as His children, share in His Nature and Righteousness. I believe the parable of the talents told by Jesus in Matthew 25:14-30 illustrates what I am trying to convey here. I will paraphrase this parable.

Bossman had to go an an extended business trip to the Orient. Before he left, he gave special assignments to 3 of his workers. To worker A, he gave 5 gazillion dollars to invest. Worker B was given $2 gazillion. Finally, to worker C he gave $1 gazillion to invest however he pleased.

After 6 months, Bossman returned and called his workers in for a status report on their investments. The worker A, who was given 5 gazillion dollars earned an additional $5 gazillion- a return of 100%. Bossman was estatic. He congratulated him and gave him a promotion and a raise. Then worker B gave his presentation. He also made a profit of 100%. Bossman congratulated worker B and also gave him a raise and a promotion.

Finally, it was worker C’s turn. His presentation started out bad. He had created a Power Point slide show and accompanying hand outs which showed how hard the employees worked to maintain the company while Bossman was away on business. In his professional assessment, Bossman’s investment expectations for him were unrealistic. His spreadsheet calculations and graphs showed that the risk of loss was high and the probability of successfully investing so much money was negligible. He concluded that the prudent thing to do was to put the $1 gazillion in a bank safe deposit box.

At first, Bossman seemed stunned. His mouth was open but he didn’t say anything. After what seem like forever, Bossman stood up and walked over to the worker C. In front of everyone he said, “If you knew I was such a demanding SOB, requiring more than my employees could possibly deliver, why didn’t your fear of me move you to do SOMETHING with my money. Anything. If you had put my money into a savings account I would have at least earned a little interest. You have cost me money and you’ve insulted me. You’re fired! Clean out your desk. Don’t insult me by asking for a job reference.”

Forgive me for my paraphrase. The point of the parable I believe is that God pleased -very pleased- when we make an effort to walk in His ways and bear fruit. God knows each of us intimately. He knows what we are capable of. He expects us to do what we can: not what we cannot. And when we do what we can do – however much or little — we please Him and He is pleased to bless us by adding all things that we need and desire for a prosperous and abundant life.

35 In all things I gave you an example, that so laboring ye ought to help the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that he himself said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. Acts 20:35 ASV

During my morning devotional, I am often floored by revelations the Spirit gives me about the real meaning of some cherished and oft-quoted Bible verses. Today, while reading from Acts, I came across verse 20:35 and the famous quote of Jesus, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Like many of you, I had often heard this verse given to encourage the congregation to more faithfully give tithes and offerings. And this verse is irresistible, because Jesus said it.

But this particular morning, as I was rereading the verse I was aware of the context of it. Paul was giving a recount of his service to God since his conversion. He preached and taught faithfully despite suffering and persecution everywhere he went. He ministered solely to serve God and His people: his reward was that he finished his course and that his conscious would be clear. What was his motivation? It was certainly not money because he worked to support himself and his ministry. Not only himself, he help the those who ministered with him. His desire was to be self supporting and able to help the poor and infirm (Galatians 2:10).

It is within this context that Paul quotes Jesus, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Paul is not asking the elders listening to him to give to Paul and Paul’s ministry, but rather that they should follow his example be able to financially give to their flock rather than take money from them.

I am not going to get into the issue about whether clergy should be paid or receive other forms of financial compensation from their congregation. I feel this is up to each individual congregation to decide. I wish rather to apply this to the issue of asking and receiving finances from God.

The popular teaching in Christendom today is the belief that God wants all His people to be prosperous (wealthy, rich, loaded, healthy, popular, happy, influential, etc). This is the so-called “prosperity gospel.” I would not argue that God wants His people to be poor, sick, downtrodden, and miserable. No scripture supports this position. I would like to posit that God - like Paul in Acts 20 - wants us to be prosperous in order to be a blessing to others.

God set in motion a plan whereby He would raise up sons and daughters who are in His image and reflect His nature and holiness. One facet of God is that He is a giver. He is eager to bless His people who ask and believe they will receive. If we are truly children of God, that should be our principle as well.

God gives us the power to have wealth. This wealth is first to support ourselves and our families. We are also able to help others in need: widows, orphans, the sick, and the weak. We are blessed to become burden bearers and load lifters.

We have the quantity and quality of faith which enables us to go before the Creator of the Universe and ask for money or the things money will buy. Let us also determine in our heart that because the God ( the Universe) has so freely given to us all that we asked, we will likewise be the vessels through which the prayers of the needy are answered by God.

My Determination:

And let not my prayers be quid pro quo - if you bless me Lord, I will give a portion of my finances to the poor and infirm. Rather let my prayers be full of praise and thanksgiving that you have blessed me to be able to support myself through work and to participate in Your ministry of Agape: that through me - and my brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus - the whole world might be blessed.