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Filtering by Category: Bible Topic
Smith Wigglesworth said that in the last days, the Spirit and the Word would agree more than ever. He simply meant that what we have always known, that the Word does not contradict the voice of the Holy Spirit, will be better understood and practiced just before the coming of Jesus Christ.
Read MoreYour strength is perfected in the trouble when you pull out the sword of the Spirit, when you use the shield of faith, when you practice to become adept with all the weapons of your warfare. Would God have given us weapons if there were no battles to fight? Not only did he give us the supernaturally powerful weapons, He Himself promised to be our present help in the midst of the trouble. Glory!
Read MoreHave you ever wondered why God made Heaven’s streets out of gold or built the foundations of the heavenly city out of diamonds, rubies and other precious gems? The answer is so obvious that it is easily missed – in Heaven there is no place to cash in the gold or gems or to spend money, so why not use them for building materials!
However, on earth we can spend gold and it is God’s will that we have it to spend. He wants us to be financially prosperous so that we can use our wealth to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ!
It is God’s ultimate will that our soul prospers and then, as God can trust us with His riches, our outward man will also prosper and walk in divine health (3 John 2).
God’s plan is not a get-rich-quick scheme, but that it is a growing process. In this process we move from the good to the acceptable, and finally, to the perfect will of God by the renewing of our minds. This growth is similar to the seeds which are sown into the ground and produce some thirty, some sixty, and some a hundred-fold return (see Romans 12:2).
In Psalm 1, David tells us that, if we take delight in the law of the Lord and meditate on it day and night, whatsoever we do shall prosper. Psalm 112:1, echoes this, “…blessed is the man that fears the Lord, that who delights greatly in his commandments.” In verses 2-10, we find a commentary on this which elaborates the blessings that will come to this man who renews his mind with the Word.
The Blessings
The first blessing is found in verse two, “His descendants shall be mighty upon the earth …” The point of this blessing is that financial prosperity is meaningless if your children are an ungodly generation who will squander your wealth. Satan preys upon young people so that godly parents will have no one godly to inherit their wealth and blessings. By patiently waiting to destroy the next generation, Satan can steal all that God has given us. This is why it is imperative that we instruct our children in the Word of God!
The second blessing is found in verse three, “wealth and riches shall be in his house; and his righteousness endures forever.” Notice that righteousness endures forever. It is passed from generation to generation so that those who have the riches will also have the strength and abilities necessary to handle and keep them.
Verse four tells us of another part of prosperity. “Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.” This “light in the darkness” is the guidance God gives us in Satan’s dark world. This includes, what to do with our families, what to do in the affairs of life, as well as what to do with our finances. The reason this man in verse four is prosperous is because he is a giver at heart. The ultimate goal of prosperity is not self-gain, but to be able to be a giver to those in need.
This idea is carried into verse five. “A good man deals graciously and lends, he will guide his affairs with discretion.” As God has graced you, you should grace others. As God’s nature, which is of love and mercy, comes inside you, it should become your nature to reach out as He does and bless others no matter what they look like, live like, or act like. You love them simply because it is your nature to love.
The word discretion means “judgment.” Good judgment is another facet of prosperity. This enables you to assess, evaluate, and judge the affairs of life so that you can maintain all the blessings God has given you.
Furthermore, when a believer remains in the Word and reaps God’s blessings, he becomes stable, and as verse six tells us, “Surely he will never be shaken…” In the time of testing he will not be moved away from God’s Word. Thus, he will be victorious.
This verse also says, “… the righteous will be in everlasting remembrance.” Prosperity encompasses the righteous man’s being remembered after he dies. Because of his righteousness people will desire to understand what he had in life. Because of this, he will leave an everlasting remembrance on this earth.
Whereas verse six was speaking of standing fast in times of testing, verse seven is telling of how to deal with evil tidings, “He will not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.” When calamity strikes, outward prosperity is of little consequence and often is impotent. However, the key to overcoming calamity is to keep your heart fixed and steady on the Word of God.
Verse eight tells us about another benefit of prosperity – patience – when it says, “his heart is established, he will not be afraid, until he sees his desire upon his enemies.” When you see your enemies prospering even though they are evil, you don’t go running after their way because your heart is established and fixed. Then, when they fall, as they eventually will, you will still be moving on one step at a time because of the patience in your heart.
Verse nine reveals another secret of this man’s (and our) success, “He has dispersed abroad, he has given to the poor….” It’s told to us again; he is a giver! This reiteration is used to emphasize the fact that we prosper when we are givers.
This verse goes on to say, “… his righteousness endures forever; his horn shall be exalted with honor.” When a horn is exalted, it is turned so that it can catch the blessings that are poured from heaven.
The reaction of the unbeliever to this believer’s receiving all these blessings is graphically described in verse ten. “The wicked will see it, and be grieved; he will gnash his teeth, and melt away; the desire of the wicked shall perish.” It is God’s will that this prosperity grieve the wicked. The ultimate purpose of a believer’s prosperity is to provoke the sinner to jealousy so that when his man-made schemes have failed, he sees God’s prosperity and wants it enough to turn from his own ways to God’s way!
Prosperity Involves More Than Money
Now I realize that we all know sinners who are financially prosperous, but remember, prosperity involves more than money. These same rich people may have poor health, marriages that have fallen apart, or any of a number of problems in their lives. No amount of money can buy freedom from these problems. Freedom can come only from God’s Word.
There are many supposedly “scriptural” arguments against prosperity. I say, “supposedly” because the Word does not contradict itself and we need to rightly discern the Word of God.
One scripture often quoted as “proof” that God is against every believer’s becoming prosperous is 1 Samuel 2:7, “The Lord makes poor, and makes rich: He brings low, and lifts up.” Opponents of the prosperity message interpret this as meaning that prosperity lies totally in the realm of God’s sovereignty. In other words, He makes rich only those He chooses.
Hannah
The Bible does say this. Taken as is, it sounds very convincing, but before we jump to conclusions, let’s look at this verse in context. Hanna, the mother of Samuel, began to prophesy and sing to the Lord when she found out that she was pregnant. In fact, in verse one she says, “My heart rejoices in the Lord'; my horn is exalted in the Lord …” Remember what we said, an exalted horn catches the blessings of God. Hannah may not have had much money, but she was prosperous because she found the key to receiving blessings from the Lord—rejoicing before the Lord. Hannah’s prosperity, like ours, began in her inner man. Then her outer man could turn up her horn to receive God’s blessings.
Hannah goes on to say, “…I smile at my enemies; because I rejoice in Your salvation.” Hannah’s barrenness had been ridiculed by other women, but Hannah was undaunted by the ridicule and was patient, keeping her heart right before the Lord. Because of this, God saw to it that her praises were enlarged over all her enemies and then she became pregnant.
We find out in verse two that by establishing her heart on the Word, Hannah found a place of security in her life. “No one is holy like the Lord, for there is none besides You, nor is there any rock like our God.” Many of the women who were laughing at Hannah were sinners. They looked down their noses at her because she had no children. In the fullness of her joy at being pregnant, she says, “talk no more so very proudly; let no arrogance come from your mouth: for the Lord is the God of knowledge; and by Him actions are weighed. (1 Samuel 2:3) She warned against talking proudly because, “… God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6)
Hannah goes on to say in verse four, “The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength.” The phrase, “mighty men” refers to those who think they are self-sufficient and do not need God. We still have men who boast that they are self-made, but that boast is erroneous. We all need others to teach us and train us. We don’t automatically know everything. These “self-made” people merely took advantage of the opportunities that were given to them. What they don’t realize is that God made those opportunities come to pass for sinners as well as for Christians. Furthermore, these sinners will eventually fail if they are leaning on their own strength. If they come against the righteous, God will see to it that they fail.
When these “mighty men” load their bows against the righteous, God will snap the bows like toothpicks. Literally the bows are weapons of warfare. Metaphorically they are people’s mouths. A mouth can be just as deadly a weapon when it is loaded with words against you. In order to preserve the righteous God will destroy a mouth as readily as he will break a bow.
In verse five Hannah tells how things can be turned around by God. “Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, and the hungry have ceased to hunger." The basic idea behind this verse is that overnight success brings overnight failure.
Verses six and seven seem to be full of paradoxes, but in light of the entire text the meaning is clear. “The Lord kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up. The Lord makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up.” Whom does the Lord kill? The wicked, the proud, the arrogant. Whom does He make alive? The humble, the righteous, those whose horns are exalted and whose hearts are right before Him. Whom does He bring down to the grave? The wicked. Whom does He lift up? The righteous. We can surmise who is made poor and brought low – the wicked, the arrogant, the proud, the self-righteous. On the other hand, the believer is made rich and exalted before God.
The reason for my covering these scriptures is to show you that while Hannah did say, “The Lord makes poor and makes rich,” she did not mean that God arbitrarily exalts one person above another. What she was saying is that God deals with sinners one way (makes poor) and believers another (makes rich).
Can you see the danger of taking a verse out of context? A scripture out of context may sound entirely different than God intended.
Verse eight and nine tell us how the Lord treats believers. “He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the beggar from the ash heap, to set them among princes and make them inherit the throne of glory. For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and He has set the world upon them. He will guard the feet of His saints, but the wicked shall be silent in darkness. For by strength no man shall prevail.”
Then verse ten reiterates the fact that God deals with His adversaries and His anointed in different ways. “The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken in pieces; from heaven He will thunder against them. The Lord will judge the ends of the earth; and He will give strength to His king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.”
The Word of God declares over and over that if you increase in the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, it is His desire that you also prosper and be in health.
When Jesus was three days and three nights in the heart of the earth, He was literally delivered into the womb of the earth. Jesus was taken down into the very region of Satan, and the Word says that He was loosed from the birth pains of death.
Read MoreHe took His eyes off of man’s ways and focused squarely on the plans and purposes of God. His thoughts were for others, and He interceded for them. He was never concerned with His reputation as a prayer warrior, but His desire was to see the lives of lost and dying men transformed by the power of God through His intercession.
Read MoreWhich Door Would You Choose?
If two doors were placed in front of you, one marked “Miracles” and the other marked “Blessings,” which one would you choose? If you are like most Christians, you would choose the “Miracles” door, but that would be the wrong choice.
We have assumed for many years that miracles are the goal and pinnacle for the Christian life. We hear stories of supernatural protection against death, money provided through supernatural means, or cars running for days without gas.
We long for those things to happen again in our lives as they did when we first met the Lord. We feel as if we are no longer “spiritual,” but because miraculous things occur to us now only on rare occasions.
Those types of miracles may have happened quite often in your early Christian walk, but would you want to return to those days? If you are like me, your answer is no.
God has something planned for our lives which is better than miracles; it is a life filled with His blessings.
The Longest-Running Miracle in the Bible
God gave a miracle to the children of Israel which lasted the entire 40 years they were in the desert. Each morning, manna fell supernaturally from heaven, and each evening quail filled the camp for meat. All the people had to was walk outside the door of their tent to find food catered by God. What room service!!
God gave man food from heaven for 40 years! But was this God’s best? Had the children of Israel arrived at the peak of their spiritual walk with the Lord? The answer is no.
God had originally intended that Israel stay in the wilderness for no more than one year. At the end of the first year, the entire congregation came to the border of the Promised Land but retreated in fear and unbelief when they heard the report of the 10 spies.
For 39 more years, they wandered in the wilderness until their generation died and their children could go into the land given by God. Yet the miracles of the quail and the manna continued each day, even when they were in unbelief and rebellion to the will of God!
God’s best was for the congregation to eat the crops which grew in Canaan. His desire was to bless them with bigger and better crops than they had ever had before.
The blessings of Canaan did not stop after a period of time, as the manna had; they were to continue and increase. Manna was God’s will for only a short period of time.
God’s best was for Israel to live on His blessings, not His miracles.
The Difference Between Miracles and Blessings
~Miracles are God’s “jump start” into a life of blessings. It is wonderful when they happen but we do not want to live on jump starts.
~Miracles come in a crisis, but blessings keep the crisis from coming.
~Miracles come in small amounts, but blessings come in great abundance.
~Miracles are only enough for you and your family, but blessings are enough for you and others, too.
~Miracles can come even when you are in unbelief, but blessings demand responsibility and obedience.
~In a miracle, God works for you; in blessings, God works with you.
~By definition, a miracle is a divine intervention into the laws of nature. In miracles, God works against nature; but in blessings, God works with natural laws.
~Miracles are temporary, but blessings are eternal.
God only parted the Red Sea one time. The children of Israel only crossed over Jordan miraculously one time. Fire was called down from heaven in Elijah’s ministry one time. Jesus turned water into wine only one time and performed the miracle of the loaves and fishes only twice.
People did not receive loaves and fishes multiplied every day, but ate of the fruits of their labor. As we grow and mature, God wants to bless the works of our hands.
A Life of Blessings
When we are in need of a miracle, our mind is continually occupied with the need. The crisis consumes our time and thoughts. Thank God, He has not lost the recipe for manna. He can still come through with a miracle for us! But this is not God’s best.
God’s desire is for us to be consumed with Him, not our needs. If we are constantly thinking about our needs and how we are going to eat and pay our bills, how are we any better than sinners? Jesus told His followers:
“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things.” (Matthew 6:31-34)
When praying, we often place the emphasis on our being there and forget that the spirit is greater than the body. The spirit is eternal and unhindered by time and space, but the body is temporal and bound by circumstances. The truth is, no matter where we are or what our circumstances, our prayers of faith are not bound.
Read MoreIn parts of the world, and in most all times, a blood covenant was the strongest type of covenant two people could enter into. It has been used in civilized as well as primitive nations to unite two people together in marriage, business or friendship.
The covenant was made when the blood of two individuals was mingled. It could be done by cutting the palms of the individuals and then the shaking of hands combined the blood. It could also be that a few drops of blood from each person could be mingled in a glass of wine and then drunk by both, although the Bible forbid the drinking of blood. In either case, the blood was mixed, thus indicating that two lives were mixed. Or finally, an animal’s blood could be shed as representative of both individuals mingling their lives together. After all, “the life is in the blood.” The cutting of the skin and mingling of blood left a permanent scar as a reminder of the covenant from that time on.
God’s Covenant with Man is Symbolized by Blood Covenant
In Genesis fifteen, when God entered into covenant with Abraham, substitutes were used. After all, how could God bleed except through a substitute. God introduced the covenant by saying He now would be Abraham’s “shield and exceeding great reward” (Genesis 15:1). God would be Abraham’s protector and provider from that time on. Since God and Abraham were in covenant with each other, they shared each other’s assets and liabilities. Abraham had nothing but liabilities and God had nothing but assets. Abraham certainly got the better end of the covenant with God. The blood of a heifer, goat, ram, turtle dove and pigeon were mingled to represent the blood of Christ shed for us on the cross. Through this act, God and Abraham began a covenant which is still in effect today, faith in Jesus’ sacrifice for us. The innocent shed His blood for the guilty and has given God’s life to mankind ever since. We have been saved today "through the blood of the everlasting covenant" (Hebrews 13:20).
The Covenant Between David and Jonathan
“The soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. Saul took him that day and would not let him go home to his father's house anymore. Then Jonathan and David made (cut) a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan took off the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, even to his sword and his bow and his belt” (I Samuel 18:1-4).
The Hebrew word for “made” a covenant means to cut. David and Jonathan cut a blood covenant with each other because God brought them together, they recognized it, and mingled their blood, thus joining their lives to each other. Like Abraham with God, David had more to gain from this covenant than Jonathan. But, they were not in this covenant to take, but to give. David was a shepherd, Jonathan was the son of the king. David had few possessions to give. Jonathan had the riches of the kingdom at his fingertips. David had a slingshot for his protection and Jonathan had the military of Israel. They exchanged their robes, armor, sword and belts. This meant that now, by the robe, the power and authority of the kingdom was as much David’s as it was Jonathan’s. So it was with the armor, Jonathan would be David’s protection. By the sword and bow, Jonathan would be David’s defender. And, by the belt, all children to come in their loins, would be included in the covenant. David and Jonathan were more than friends, they were covenant friends. Jonathan and David loved each other as much as they loved themselves (1 Samuel 20:4, 41, 42).
Mephibosheth
After David took the throne, he began to look for an heir of Saul and Jonathan to bless. The blood of his covenant with Jonathan was demanding that he find if anyone was still alive he could share Jonathan’s generosity with.
“David said, "Is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul, so I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?" And there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba. So when they had called him to David, the king said to him, "Are you Ziba?" He said, "At your service!" Then the king said, "Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, to whom I may show the kindness of God?" And Ziba said to the king, "there is still a son of Jonathan who is lame in his feet." So the king said to him, "Where is he?" And Ziba said to the king, "Indeed he is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, in Lo Debar." Then King David sent and brought him out of the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo Debar. Now when Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, the grandson of Saul, came to David, he fell on his face and prostrated himself. Then David said, "Mephibosheth?" And he answered, "Here is your servant!" So David said to him, "Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father's sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather; and you shall eat bread at my table continually. 13 So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem for he ate continually at the king's table. And he was lame in both his feet." (2 Samuel 9:1-7,13)
Mephibosheth was the son of Jonathan. He was included in the blood covenant with his father and David, but he never knew it. He grew up hating David. He believed all the reports put out by his grandfather Saul, that David stole the kingdom from the king he served and from Jonathan, David’s best friend.
When Saul and Jonathan died, Mephibosheth’s guardian grabbed him and ran for their lives. While she was running she dropped Mephibosheth and he was crippled in his feet from that time on. He was raised in poverty among Arabs and grew up all his life knowing he was the one surviving heir to the throne but thinking David had stolen it from Saul, Jonathan and him. He had spoken badly about David for years and secretly feared the day David would find out about him, discover his location and have him killed. Then one day his worst fears came to pass. He was taken by David’s servants and brought face to face with David.
Seen Through the Eyes of the Covenant
But David saw Mephibosheth through the eyes of the covenant he had made with Jonathan before he was killed. David looked on Mephibosheth and saw Jonathan. What Jonathan had poured out in love to David, David got to pour out in love on Jonathan’s son. When Mephibosheth saw the benevolence of David poured out on him, he was shocked. He then called himself a “dog” (vs. 8).
I’m going to take a small amount of liberty with the story at this point. Putting a few things together from what is written, I want to address what must have been going through Mephibosheth’s mind. It must have first struck him that he had David figured out all wrong. He had believed a lie about David. David was a man of love and not of vengeance. David was thinking of Mephibosheth above himself. Why would David do this to a poor son of Jonathan? Why would David treat a lame man with such honor and give him back so much of what his father and grandfather used to own? Why would David make Mephibosheth like one of his own sons?
As Mephibosheth laid in the floor, David reached down to lift him up. Mephibosheth saw in David’s hand a scar. That was the same scar he remembered in the hand of his father, Jonathan. And suddenly he understood it. David and his father were in blood covenant together. He was receiving a blessing into his life today that began before he was ever born.
“But the king spared Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan and grandson of Saul, because of the Lord’s covenant between David and Jonathan the son of Saul” (2 Samuel 21:7).
He was not blessed by anything he had done or could do. He was wealthy and powerful since birth and did not know it. He lived poor because of ignorance, not because of David’s hatred.
Our Blood Covenant
So it is with our covenant. We received God’s righteousness, not because of our own worth, but because of a covenant made long before we were ever born. We are crippled in our feet because of a fall also, the fall of Adam. God overlooked it when we came and bowed before Him in total submission to Jesus Christ. God called us by name as David did with Mephibosheth. God has given us an inheritance and called us to eat at His table every day. Even though our feet are still crippled, we can eat at a table which covers our feet. All we do is continue to feast at Jesus’ table and our crippled feet will never be seen. Oh, the power of daily fellowship with God.
This covenant can never be broken. It was really not drawn up between Abraham and God, but between God and Jesus Christ. Neither one can break the covenant.
God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath “that by two immutable (unchangeable) things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us” (Hebrews 6:7,8).
Our covenant can never be broken because it was drawn up by two sides which will never change or break the covenant, God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. We joined an unchangeable covenant. We are one with God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. You can’t tell where the Father stops, and Jesus begins or where Jesus stops and we begin. We are truly united as one. And besides, how do you unmingle blood?
In the Psalms of Degrees (Psalm 120-134), King David gives us principles for success and promotion which he has proven in his own life. Whether a king, business manager, pastor or head of a household, these principles are timeless and will always work.
David is an example of a man who did many things wrong, but still enjoyed great promotion, fortune, fame - and a special place in the heart of God. Despite his episode with Bathsheba and a score of other sins, David was still called "a man after God's own heart" (Acts 13:22). Many believers today wonder, "How can this be?"
Read MoreHis power is embodied in the Holy Spirit, who lives in you. Knowing the Holy Spirit lives in you is the rock-solid foundation of your understanding and security about your authority as a believer.
Read MoreGod is not confined to working with things that already exist. God can make things exist out of nothing and then make those things into something! God created the universe with nothing.
Read MoreWhat God lost in this earth through the fall of Adam was not His power. When Adam fell, God did not become weaker. He was as powerful as He ever was. What God lost in the fall was a channel of authority (man), through whom He could release His power in the earth
Read MoreHow deep are His stripes? Not only are they deep enough to bring physical healing, they are deep enough to heal controversy, to heal strife, to restore peace and to heal emotions. The stripes of Jesus run deep!
Read MoreSome people think having grace means they can live an ungodly life and do anything they want. This is simply not true! Grace is never a license to sin; it’s a license to serve. In fact, grace teaches us not to sin. Grace teaches us to reject the world’s viewpoint and to live sober, righteous, and godly lives.
Read MoreAfter the great revival at Samaria, Philip was sent by an angel to the desert to minister to an Ethiopian eunuch. He came at just the right time to find the eunuch reading from the book of Isaiah. Philip began to read at the same verse "... and preached to him Jesus" (Acts 8:35). As the eunuch saw how Jesus Christ fulfilled the scriptures in Isaiah, he believed and was saved.
Jesus is often spoken of in the Old Testament. He Himself confirmed this in John 5:39, "You search the scriptures... these are they which testify of Me."
Jesus Came to Fulfill All That Was Written
When Jesus Christ came into the world, He spoke to God the Father concerning the Old Testament scriptures: "Then I said, 'Behold I have come - in the volume of the book it is written of Me, to do Your will, O God.'"
Not only is Jesus spoken of in the Old Testament, He came to fulfill all that was written.
Did you know that Jesus can be found in every book of the Old Testament? In some cases, it is as straightforward as the prophecy from Isaiah that Philip and the eunuch read. Other times, Jesus is found as a shadow or type - a sort of "visual aid" God gives His children to reveal His great redemption plan. Studying these Old Testament scriptures can give us powerful insights into what God has provided for His Church.
Two Trees in the Garden
Jesus appears many times in the book of Genesis. One example can be found in Genesis 2:9, "And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil."
What a lavish God we serve! He did not make just a few trees for Adam and Eve - He made millions! And they were not all for food; many were just beautiful to see. Since we are both practical and emotional creatures, God mad some trees for food and for beauty.
Two trees stood alone in the Garden: the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. God told Adam he could freely eat of every tree except the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
The Tree of Destruction
Why did God place a tree in the Garden which could doom His plans and curse His creation? He had to. What good is a creature with a free will if there is no test for that will? God does test His creatures, but always for our good. God also slants His tests toward what He desires. He gives us the right answers before we choose. When He places before us life and death, cursing and blessing, He tells us to choose life and blessing (Deuteronomy 30:19).
In the Garden, there were millions of "yes" trees and one "no" tree. By their sheer number, God was telling man to choose life and blessing, not death and cursing. God also told Adam the benefits of eating the acceptable trees and the curse of eating the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Yet, Adam and Eve chose to eat of the tree God forbid. Why?
How was Satan able to tempt two people who were perfect and had everything they needed? They could not sin in the same manner as we can today. They could not covet or steal - because everything belonged to them. They could not commit adultery - because there were no other men or women on earth.
Satan had to convince them that there was something God was keeping from them; that although it seemed like perfection, God had left something out. Satan convinced Adam and Eve that the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was keeping them from being like God or from being gods themselves.
The Tree of Redemption
Isn't it interesting that the cross is also called a tree? This tree is not a tree of destruction, but a tree of redemption.
"The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree." (Acts 5:30)
"...Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree..." (1 Peter 2:24)
The two trees could not be any more different. God had a plan through the cross to bring us back to Himself. This second tree was able to reverse all the damage inflicted by the first tree.
The Difference Between the Tree in the Garden and the Tree of Calvary
1. The first tree was planted by God, the second by man.
With the first tree, man rejected the plan of God and substituted his own plan. With the cross of Jesus, God rejected man's plan and introduced His own answer: full forgiveness of sins.
2. The first tree was inviting, the second was not.
The tree in the Garden was pleasant to the eyes, but in the cross we have nothing of beauty. The cross was the place of Jesus' death, a place of pain, covered with blood. "He has no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrow and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him" (Isaiah 53:2,3).
3. God forbid man to eat of the first tree, but He invites us to the second.
God told Adam "of the tree... you shall not eat." But of the cross He tells us, "taste and see that the Lord is good" (Psalm 34:8). Man is so much better off when he listens to God and obeys His voice. His word is as true and vital for our daily life after the new birth as it is for salvation. In Matthew 4:4, Jesus said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God."
4. Satan tried to get man to eat from the first tree, but tries to keep him from the second.
Satan told Adam and Eve, "You shall not surely die." He called God a liar and they believed him. With the same amount of effort Satan tried to get man to eat of the first tree, he now works to keep man from the cross. The Bible tells us, "Whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, ..., should shine on them" (2 Corinthians 4:4).
We must put all our effort into rejecting the words of Satan and obeying the words of God!
5. Eating the first tree brought death, while the second tree brings life.
God warned Adam, "In the day you eat of it you shall surely die." But today God encourages us to put our trust in Jesus and be born again: "Whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). In spreading the gospel, we stand on God's side, as His representatives, calling people to lose their sins and gain eternal life
6. The first tree removed man from Paradise, the second tree brings us back.
When Adam sinned, "the Lord God sent him out of the Garden of Eden" (Genesis 3:23). Man could no longer live in God's presence and had to be banished. But when the thief accepted salvation on the cross, Jesus said to him, " today you will be with Me in Paradise" (Luke 23:43). We have been brought back into the Garden and are accepted in God's presence again.
7. The first tree took us away from the Tree of Life, the second brings us back.
Adam and Eve had to be banished from the Garden to prevent them from eating of the tree of Life and living forever in a fallen condition. Angels guarded the Tree of Life, keeping men out (Genesis 3:24). But at the point of the new birth, we again have access to the Tree of Life.
Although the Tree of Life will be found in heaven (Revelation 2:7), we also have access to it in our daily, earthly walk with the Lord. Proverbs 3:13-18 says, "Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding; for her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, and her gain than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies, and all the things you may desire cannot compare with here. Length of days is in her right hand, in her left hand is riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of here, and happy are all who retain here."
The Tree of Life is the Word of God. After the Fall, Adam and Eve could not eat of it. To come back to the Tree of Life, man must receive eternal life through the Lord Jesus Christ. The Word of God is said to be "foolishness to those who are perishing" (1 Corinthians 1:18). They cannot understand God's Word because it is spiritually understood.
However, as believers, we can understand the Word and God freely invites us to eat of it. As we do, He promises it will bring us happiness, wisdom, understanding, riches, long life, and peace.
We learn more about entering the kingdom of heaven from Matthew 18:1-3, "At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven."
Read MoreThe Word of God is filled with hope. We have had the wrong impression of hope for too long. I have laid hands on people for healing and asked them if they were healed, they have replied that they hope so. That is not even hope; that is wishful thinking. Hope is not wishing.
Read MoreProverbs 4:20-22, tells us these same things. "My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh." When you attend to the Word, you plant seeds and the reward exceeds what you put into it. You are always going to reap more than what you sow. So if you sow time into the Word and attend to it, you are going to reap back tremendous benefits.
Read MoreGod does not send temptations, trials, and afflictions into our lives. James 1:13 tells us, " Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone." Rather, God is who sends the relief and the power to rebuild. The Bible assures us, "...then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations..." (2 Peter 2:9). And God's power to rebuild is always greater than the power of destruction.
Read MoreDo not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil. – Proverbs 4:7 NKJV
I have seen this happen so often. A person comes to church and gets built up in the word, and then begins to stand on the word of God. After a while, there’s almost an arrogance that can come into some people’s hearts and their attitude becomes that it’s their faith, and their great wisdom that’s getting them healed. Folks, God healed you. In fact, the closer you draw to Him and the more of the word you have, you should end up walking in more humility toward yourself and greater praise toward God.
The Bible tells us that Abraham became strong in faith. It didn’t say Abraham became strong in faith by taking all the glory for himself. It says Abraham became strong in faith giving glory to God (Romans 4:20). The stronger he became in faith, the less he thought of himself, and the more he thought of God.
I don’t believe people that come to me and say, “Hey, I’ve grown in faith.” And all you hear is about them. “I did the four points. I did the seven things here. I fasted. I prayed.” It’s all I…I…I…. I think the more you grow in faith the more you should talk about the goodness and mercy of God…the grace of God. Because really when it comes down to it, I don’t care how strong in faith you are it’s still not your faith that makes you whole. It’s God working through your faith and His power that makes you whole. Of course, the two work together, and you are to walk in faith, but in the end strong faith always glorifies God because He is the one who heals us. He’s the one who brings deliverance.
The more I know of the word, the more I should fall in love with Jesus. Fall in love with His grace, and thank Him for His stripes, and thank Him for the shed blood, and thank Him for the things He did for me so that I can walk in the abundant life that He has for me.
“Show me your ways (notice they’re plural), Lord, teach me your paths (notice they’re plural). Lead me in your truth. Teach me, for you are the God of my salvation (or my deliverance); (notice this) on you do I wait all the day” (Psalm 25:4-5, paraphrased).
Notice, here’s a guy that has all the verses and has all the ways shown before him, but he needs to wait on the Lord all day long to finally get the peace of the Holy Spirit as to what to do. God doesn’t want us to choose what we’re going to do with our life. He wants to guide us into all these things He shows us from the Word. The same thing is true with methods of healing. We are to wait on the Lord throughout the day, and let Him guide us into the right way we are to go.
Once we have the word, we should meditate on it. Why? Verse 15 says, “I will meditate in thy precepts (that’s the word), and have respect unto your ways” (Psalm 119:15 paraphrased).
The precepts are the word, and the ways are the direction of the Holy Spirit. We need to wait for both and not just have the word, but also wait on the Holy Spirit. The word brings healing, but also the anointing of God brings healing. The two work together to cause that powerful effect in our lives.
If you discover you have sickness in your body, find scriptures on that and meditate on them. But then wait on the Holy Spirit for His direction, and He will show you how that is to be accomplished in your life.
