Thoughts on Stewardship – from the Book of Genesis

Seedtime and Harvest
Foundation Scripture: Genesis 8 verse 22

While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.  Genesis 8:22 AMP

1. While the earth remains:

While the earth remains, the rhythms of time, seasons, weather, and temperature will continue on as they always have and seedtime and harvest will continue on without interruption. God promised that we would always be able to count on these things. Sowing and reaping is an eternal principle – it will always be so – in the Spirit realm and this earthly realm.

2. In order to reap a harvest you have to sow a seed:

Whether its fruit or vegetables or grains – if you want to produce food to eat – you must take those particular seeds and plant them in ground that has been prepared for that purpose. Then you must water, and continue to water the seeds, and the plant as it grows, and keep weeds and bugs out of the area. God is the one who grows the plant and brings the increase, but He can do nothing for our harvest unless we first plant that seed in the ground. No harvest can come from an unplanted field!

And He said, The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed upon the ground, 27 And then continues sleeping and rising night and day while the seed sprouts and grows and increases–he knows not how. 28 The earth produces [acting] by itself–first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29 But when the grain is ripe and permits, immediately he sends forth [the reapers] and puts in the sickle, because the harvest stands ready.
Mark 4:26-29 AMP

3. You have to be patient:

You will reap a harvest if you do not give up. Have the faith and the commitment to the word of God to keep doing what you know to do. Do not allow the devil to discourage you or talk you out of the promises God has made to you. Galatians 6:9-10 NKJV says, “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”  The devil will try to rob you of hope. He will try to wear you down and make you tired and then try to convince you to give up, but Isaiah 55:11 says that God’s word never returns void, but it accomplishes what He pleases and it prospers in the thing for which He sent it. So keep your faith out over your seed and you will reap the blessings of patience!

4. Every seed produces after its own kind:

Apples seeds produce apples; corn seeds produce corn; etc. Galatians 6:7 NKJV says, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.”

5. The harvest is inevitable:

1 Corinthians 3:6-7 NKJV says, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.”  If you are faithful to plow, plant, water, and weed, you will see the results; you will see the harvest. This is an immutable law of God!

Pastor Adonica’s thoughts:

God is a faith God – He does everything by faith. We are His children, created in His image. We do what we see our Father do. Obey God; sow in faith; expect the harvest; be blessed!

Pastor Rodney’s thoughts:

I learned a lesson about seedtime and harvest, as a young boy, when I planted my own garden. I decided to plant peanuts, but I was impatient for results. I put them in the ground and watered them, expecting them to immediately begin growing out of the ground. I kept digging them up every day, because I wanted to see why they were not growing and poking out of the ground. I did not realize that I was disturbing the seed and not leaving it to die and then bring forth fruit. Eventually I just washed them and ate them. Well you guessed right – I never did harvest any peanuts! So it is with any seed we sow. Have patience – the law of seedtime and harvest will go into effect. God’s word declares that God is not mocked – whatever a man sows that will he also reap. Be patient – have harvest patience – know that when you plant your seed in the ground a harvest will come to pass.

Prayer and Confession

Father, I pray that you will give me harvest patience as I sow my seed (my finances) into the Gospel. You are the Lord of the harvest and my harvest is inevitable! I have sown and I expect to reap. I WILL REAP! This week is my week of great harvest and increase. I believe this and I speak my faith as I sow my seed.

Drink waters out of your own cistern [of a pure marriage relationship], and fresh running waters out of your own well. 16 Should your offspring be dispersed abroad as water brooks in the streets? 17[Confine yourself to your own wife] let your children be for you alone, and not the children of strangers with you. 18 Let your fountain [of human life] be blessed [with the rewards of fidelity], and rejoice in the wife of your youth.  Proverbs 5:15-18 AMP

In this portion of scripture, God tells men to “drink waters out of your own cistern,” which means they should enjoy a loving, refreshing, fulfilling sexual union with their own wife. He says, “Confine yourself to your wife.” Don’t have sex with other women, so that you do not end up with unwanted children all over the place, who are running wild, with no father to properly raise them and care for them. Stick with your wife – keep yourself only for her before you marry her and after you marry her, so that you will be blessed with the rewards of fidelity and your children will be blessed with a secure environment and a stable, loving family. Children desperately need good, decent fathers, who love and accept them and who provide for them. They need this for their emotional health as much as for their physical health. The absolute best environment for children to grow up in is where there is a father and a mother who are fully committed to one another and their offspring.

The way children are produced is through the sexual union, therefore, for the benefit of children the sexual union should be confined to marriage, and preferably committed marriages. To the world sex is “dirty.” In fact, the more impure and illicit it is, the more “exciting” it is to people and the more entrapped they become. The problem is that impure sex is like taking drugs – you need more and more and you never, ever are satisfied. The devil is in control of this arena of sexual perversion and he will lead you, like a foolish donkey, straight into a hellish life with his “carrots” of lust and temptation. The only pure sexual relationship is inside marriage.  Sex is not dirty if it is practiced God’s way – inside a loving, committed marriage. God told Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply. God gave us His laws to live by and He does not give His laws arbitrarily. God’s laws work for us; they work in our favor; they are there for our protection and blessing. When God’s laws are violated, that’s when people are hurt and damaged. Little people – children – are the most vulnerable in a godless, selfish society.

The current liberal, cultural climate in the world is very detrimental to children and families. Unfortunately, today society is moving more and more toward extreme selfishness. People are encouraged to do whatever feels good, not what is good. People are not encouraged to put anyone else first. These days, because people are so sexually promiscuous, even when they eventually marry someone, they find it extremely difficult to remain either faithful or committed to their marriage partner. Faithfulness and commitment to your marriage partner begins before marriage. Faithfulness and commitment to your marriage partner is also a commitment to your children!

We are not animals – we are people, created in the image of God. We are thinking, feeling, emotional, and spiritual beings. Sex is not just a bodily function that you practice with anyone who happens to be available. You need to think about the consequences to your mind and your spirit as a result of your sexual activities. Brain scientists tell us that when we have sex with someone, a chemical reaction occurs in our brain, which bonds us to the other person. This is really good inside a marriage, but really bad in an uncommitted relationship. You also need to think about the consequences to any children who could come along as a result of your sexual activities. The children, who are not thrown away through abortion, more often than not suffer great rejection in their lives as a result of their parent’s unrestrained sexual activities. You have an obligation to the next generation; you have an obligation to your own children – future and present – to conduct yourself with integrity in this area of your life!   

Researchers will tell you that teenagers who respect their parents and who have a close, loving relationship with their parents are far less likely to drink, smoke, do drugs, sleep around, commit crimes or commit suicide than kids who have no healthy, positive parental influence in their lives. Parents have the biggest influence over their children – more than teachers, peers, or TV – and the greatest responsibility for their children. If you have fallen short in your parenting, if you have made choices that have been bad for your children, then today is the day to change. Today is the day to repent, turn around, and start living life God’s way. No matter what has happened in your past; no matter what mistakes you have made; make a commitment to God and His word, to purify your heart and to discipline yourself and your flesh. Do this for yourself; do this for your spouse (past, current or future); and do this for your children and your grandchildren. The choices you make – good or bad – affect future generations of people. Let the past be the past and let a new day dawn in your life. Your children are depending on you!

A good man leaves an inheritance [of moral stability and goodness] to his children’s children.  Proverbs 13:22a AMP

The righteous man walks in his integrity; blessed (happy, fortunate, enviable) are his children after him.  Proverbs 20:7 AMP

Jesus – the Name above all names – the Name that evokes very different responses in different people. Some people love to hear that Name; some hate it and use it as a curse word. Demons fear and tremble at that Name. What does that Name mean to you? How do you respond to the Name and person of Jesus Christ?

 

John the Baptist and Elizabeth:
As a baby, in his mother’s womb, John recognized the presence of Jesus and responded by moving in his mother’s belly. The anointing of the Holy Spirit came on Elizabeth and she rejoiced with Mary at what God had done in her, because she, herself, had experienced a great miracle – she was pregnant after many years of barrenness. Elizabeth recognized the Baby in Mary’s womb as the fulfillment of God’s promise to save His people.

And at that time Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country to a town of Judah, 40 And she went to the house of Zachariah and, entering it, saluted Elizabeth. 41 And it occurred that when Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with and controlled by the Holy Spirit. 42 And she cried out with a loud cry, and then exclaimed, Blessed (favored of God) above all other women are you! And blessed (favored of God) is the Fruit of your womb!  Luke 1:39-42 AMP

 

The shepherds:
The shepherds in the field were minding their own business when they had a visitation from angels, which initially scared them out of their wits, but after the angel told them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people. For to you is born this day in the town of David a Savior, Who is Christ (the Messiah) the Lord!” they went to see Mary and Joseph and the baby, Jesus. From there, they went out and told everyone what they had seen. They testified about the angels and the baby – born a Savior, the promised Messiah – and people were astounded and they marveled at what the shepherds told them. (Luke 2:8-20)

 

Simeon and Anna:
Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout [cautiously and carefully observing the divine Law], and looking for the Consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been divinely revealed (communicated) to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed one). 27 And prompted by the [Holy] Spirit, he came into the temple [enclosure]; and when the parents brought in the little child Jesus to do for Him what was customary according to the Law, 28[Simeon] took Him up in his arms and praised and thanked God and said, 29 And now, Lord, You are releasing Your servant to depart (leave this world) in peace, according to Your word. 30 For with my [own] eyes I have seen Your Salvation, 31 Which You have ordained and prepared before (in the presence of) all peoples, 32 A Light for revelation to the Gentiles [to disclose what was before unknown] and [to bring] praise and honor and glory to Your people Israel.   Luke 2:25-32 AMP

 

Simeon recognized the Messiah because he was looking for Him. When he saw Him, the anointing of the Holy Spirit came on him and he knew this was the Savior of the world! He prophesied to Jesus’ parents what the future would bring and then he told God that he was ready to depart this world in peace, because God’s promise had been fulfilled. Anna, a very old widow woman, who never went out from the temple enclosure, because she worshiped God night and day with fasting and prayer, also saw the baby Jesus and rejoiced with Simeon and gave thanks to God. She told everyone, who was looking for the redemption of Israel, about Jesus. (Luke 2:25-38)

 

The wise men from the east:
Wise men, from the east, followed a star to find the One born King of the Jews. They obviously knew of God’s promise and sought its fulfillment, unlike the religious leaders of the day, who despised Jesus and sought to destroy Him. When they found the place Jesus was, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy; they were thrilled with ecstatic joy! They fell down and worshipped Him. They gave Him, and His parents, very expensive gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. (Matthew 2:1-12) It does not matter who you are, or what family or what denomination you were born into. It only matters that you have a heart after God and that you recognizes Him when you see Him and that you honor Him for Who He is.

 

Herod and the religious leaders:
Herod tried to kill Him once; the religious leaders tried a few times – all unsuccessfully – until He laid down His own life. They all saw Him as a threat to their power and their leadership. Because they were arrogant and power-hungry, they missed their own opportunity to receive salvation.

 

The people:
The people mostly came around Jesus to receive things for themselves, but they let Him go to the cross alone. They acted selfishly. What has Jesus done for you? Think about it and then ask yourself this: How much do you love, honor and appreciate Jesus? What does He mean to you and what are you doing for Him?

 

 

 

 

 

The saying is true and irrefutable: If any man [eagerly] seeks the office of bishop (superintendent, overseer), he desires an excellent task (work).  1 Timothy 3:1 AMP

He must rule his own household well, keeping his children under control, with true dignity, commanding their respect in every way and keeping them respectful. 5 For if a man does not know how to rule his own household, how is he to take care of the church of God?  1 Timothy 3:4-5 AMP

The same qualities that are required to be the head of the house, to earn the respect of your wife, and to raise godly children, are also the qualities needed to lead God’s people. If it doesn’t work at home – in your own house – don’t export it. Do not ever make ministry your first priority. Make your own relationship with God your first priority and your spouse and children second and third before ministry. Make sure you take responsibility for them. Too many people in ministry are minding other people’s business ahead of their own. Minister to your family – make sure that you love them, provide for them, protect them, direct and correct them. Then you may bring direction and correction to others outside of your family. What good is it if you save the whole world, and your own family goes to hell?

He must not be a new convert, or he may [develop a beclouded and stupid state of mind] as the result of pride [be blinded by conceit, and] fall into the condemnation that the devil [once] did.  1 Timothy 3:6 AMP

People who are newly born again should not be placed in a place of leadership. Even if someone is older in years or a leader in business or the community, that does not qualify them to lead God’s people. Those who want to be in leadership must be mature in the things of God. There are some young people, who have served God all their lives – like Timothy – who are more qualified to lead in the Body of Christ, than an older person who was only recently saved and sanctified.

 

Grey hair does not automatically give you wisdom, but the fear of God, and obedience to Him and His word, is the beginning of wisdom. A spiritually immature person is too vulnerable to pride to be in leadership. A potential leader must learn humility – they must learn the lesson that God is in charge. They must learn not to be moved by persecution or by praise. It all goes to God. The Lord wants to protect you from pride, because pride is the devil’s way of deceiving you and leading you astray.

Furthermore, he must have a good reputation and be well thought of by those outside [the church], lest he become involved in slander and incur reproach and fall into the devil’s trap.  1 Timothy 3:7 AMP

Some people behave one way in church and another way in the world. They are little angels in church, but when they are not in church, they act just like the world, because they are carnal. You will never win sinners to Jesus by acting like them. Those who want to be in leadership must carry themselves in a godly way all the time, wherever they are. Being godly is not being “super-spiritual” or religious. It is just consistently walking in the love of God and being a blessing to others– not promoting one’s self, but putting the welfare of others first.

In like manner the deacons [must be] worthy of respect, not shifty and double-talkers but sincere in what they say, not given to much wine, not greedy for base gain [craving wealth and resorting to ignoble and dishonest methods of getting it]. 9 They must possess the mystic secret of the faith [Christian truth as hidden from ungodly men] with a clear conscience. 10 And let them also be tried and investigated and proved first; then, if they turn out to be above reproach, let them serve [as deacons].  1 Timothy 3:8-10 AMP

Deacons must also adhere to the same standards with a clear conscience. No matter what your level of involvement, no matter what position of leadership you aspire to, the same standards apply. Those who want to be in leadership must not be two-faced or critical of others. Matthew 5:37a NKJV says, “But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.'” and Ephesians 4:15 AMP says, “Rather, let our lives lovingly express truth [in all things, speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly]. Enfolded in love, let us grow up in every way and in all things into Him Who is the Head, [even] Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed one).”

[The] women likewise must be worthy of respect and serious, not gossipers, but temperate and self-controlled, [thoroughly] trustworthy in all things. 12 Let deacons be the husbands of but one wife, and let them manage [their] children and their own households well. 13 For those who perform well as deacons acquire a good standing for themselves and also gain much confidence and freedom and boldness in the faith which is [founded on and centers] in Christ Jesus.  1 Timothy 3:11-13 AMP

Women generally like to talk more than men do and sometimes are more open to temptation in the area of gossip and criticism. Both men and women who desire to be used by God need to put a guard on their lips. Psalms 34:12-13 AMP says, “What man is he who desires life and longs for many days, that he may see good? 13 Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.” and Psalms 141:3 AMP says, “Set a guard, O Lord, before my mouth; keep watch at the door of my lips.”

If you do all these things, then God will be able to use you. You will promote God’s Kingdom – not your own – and be a blessing to all the people whose lives you touch.

 

 

No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stand by and be devoted to the one and despise and be against the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (deceitful riches, money, possessions, or whatever is trusted in). Matthew 6:24 AMP

 

Jesus says that no man can serve two masters—God and mammon. It’s like a see-saw—when one is up, the other is down; when one is down, the other is up. Mammon is riches—money, possessions, or whatever you trust in or rely upon. You either love mammon and hate God or you are devoted to God and despise mammon. If you have made a choice to serve God, it means that you have made a choice not to serve mammon, but if you have made a choice to serve mammon, it means that you have made a choice not to serve God.

 

Some people believe that owning money and/or possessions is bad, but God said that everything belongs to Him, so how can it all be bad? What’s bad is when we worship the creation and not the Creator. It’s bad to make stuff your god; your idol. If you have stuff and stuff does not have you, you are in a good place with God.

 

When you recognize that the purpose of the stuff is to meet needs and to advance the Kingdom of God, then you will be able to have it and use it to glorify God not man. Because God loves people so much, He wants every need of man to be met. He wants us to be at peace, with every need met, spirit, soul and body. He wants us to know how much He loves us.

 

If we know how much He loves us, we will realize how much we have to be thankful for. Everything we have is His—even the next breath you breathe is His. He gave you your very life and breath! When you know how much He loves you, and you know that everything you have is really His, you will have no problem committing it to His care and giving it away to bless someone else.

 

Because you are confident in His love for you, you know that even if you give everything away, you will be okay; you will be provided for; because God will take care of you and get you everything you could possibly need, and then some! If you truly love God with your heart and not just your mouth, then you will want to love and bless God and you will also want to love and bless other people.

 

The litmus test is whether or not you love God and your neighbor, is whether or not you can give your stuff away without a struggle. When you fall in love with Jesus, you become free from the love of stuff—it is not hard to give Him your stuff or your money. At the same time, the more you give, the easier it is to give. The more you obey God in your giving, the more you trust Him to meet your needs. The more you trust Him as your source and supply, the easier it is to give to Him of your substance. It’s a blessed cycle!

 

Now the company of believers was of one heart and soul, and not one of them claimed that anything which he possessed was [exclusively] his own, but everything they had was in common and for the use of all.

 

33 And with great strength and ability and power the apostles delivered their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace (loving-kindness and favor and goodwill) rested richly upon them all.

 

34 Nor was there a destitute or needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses proceeded to sell them, and one by one they brought (gave back) the amount received from the sales 35 And laid it at the feet of the apostles (special messengers). Then distribution was made according as anyone had need. Acts 4:32-35 AMP

 

In the Book of Acts, when people were newly saved and filled with the Holy Spirit, they absolutely fell in love with Jesus. Every bit or selfishness and self-centeredness left them. Suddenly, they only wanted to please God. Suddenly, they did not place so high a priority on their money and stuff. They did not think twice about selling things they owned and sharing it with their fellow Christians who had needs, and they did not begrudge it or regret it afterwards. They were happy to do it.

 

They were so in love with Jesus that money and possessions were way down on their list of priorities. We must ask ourselves this question: Is Jesus our FIRST love or is He way down on the list somewhere? If you are not tithing and you are not free in your giving, you need to re-prioritize. Get a revelation of how much God loves you and how much He has done for you and how much He still wants to do for you.

 

God has always been unstintingly generous with us. He has shown us His grace by giving us what we did not deserve and His mercy by not giving us what we did deserve! Freely you have received—freely give!

 

“To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, ‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands:

 

2 “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars;

 

3 and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary.

 

4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.

 

5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place — unless you repent. Revelation 2:1-5 NKJV

 

When we were living in the flesh (mere physical lives), the sinful passions that were awakened and aroused up by [what] the Law [makes sin] were constantly operating in our natural powers (in our bodily organs, in the sensitive appetites and wills of the flesh), so that we bore fruit for death.

 

6 But now we are discharged from the Law and have terminated all intercourse with it, having died to what once restrained and held us captive. So now we serve not under [obedience to] the old code of written regulations, but [under obedience to the promptings] of the Spirit in newness [of life]. Romans 7:5-6 AMP

 

Every person lives in a body of flesh that they have to deal with on a daily basis. People are not necessarily born either good or bad, but they are all born with sin in their flesh – a sin nature (Psalms 51:5).

 

Before Jesus, God gave us the Law to govern our actions, not only to make us aware of His standards, but also to make us aware of our inability to keep the Law and therefore our need for a Savior. Thank God, through Jesus, we are delivered from mere rules and regulations. Instead we are to yield ourselves to the Spirit, for Him to regulate our lives in joy and freedom. We serve Him because we love Him not just because we have to!

 

If then you have died with Christ to material ways of looking at things and have escaped from the world’s crude and elemental notions and teachings of externalism, why do you live as if you still belong to the world? [Why do you submit to rules and regulations?–such as]

 

21 Do not handle [this], Do not taste [that], Do not even touch [them],

 

22 Referring to things all of which perish with being used. To do this is to follow human precepts and doctrines.

 

23 Such [practices] have indeed the outward appearance [that popularly passes] for wisdom, in promoting self-imposed rigor of devotion and delight in self-humiliation and severity of discipline of the body, but they are of no value in checking the indulgence of the flesh (the lower nature). [Instead, they do not honor God but serve only to indulge the flesh.] Colossians 2:20-23 AMP

 

People, without the Holy Spirit, judge things by outward appearance and they try to control behavior without requiring a heart change. That’s like trying to take a pill to squash a symptom without curing the disease. The disease is still there and it will manifest itself again. There must be a heart change and only God can change your heart.

 

In Jesus, the Law is no longer your schoolmaster – the Holy Spirit has been given as your guide. Because the world has no Holy Spirit, they rely on external things to control the flesh. Indeed, when you were a child, foolishness was bound in your heart, so you needed a rod to correct you, which was applied to your flesh.

 

As you grew up with discipline, you began to learn the difference between right and wrong and the center of control shifted. As an adult, you should have learned to take control of your fleshly impulses from within, with no more need for the rod. In the world, jails and punishments are for those people who have never learned to control their carnal instincts and fleshly impulses.

 

Christians, who try to punish, starve, deprive, injure, and humiliate their own bodies in order to become more spiritual, are thinking and operating like the world. Many of them would much rather torture their bodies than offer themselves as a living sacrifice to the Lord and allow Him to change their hearts!

 

They act humble but it is really false humility – pride masquerading as humility! The Bible says that these practices have an outward appearance of wisdom – they seem really “holy” and “spiritual” to man, but in reality they are completely ineffective in checking the indulgence of the flesh. If you could do it without Jesus, then why do you need Him at all?

 

Trying to deal with the flesh without God, without the Holy Spirit, is both prideful and useless and it in no way honors God. It’s not about stopping bad behavior, thoughts, words, and actions – it’s about starting to do what is good and right in God’s eyes.

 

Being a Christian means that you have died to material ways of looking at things. Under the New Covenant, the Spirit of God sets your boundaries. He will convict you of sin you have committed, so that repentance can come and fellowship with the Father can be restored.

 

He will stop you from committing sin by alerting you to a wrong choice you are about to make. He will also lead and guide you to do the right thing. Your control comes not from without, but from within: from the Holy Spirit Who lives in you, from your own spirit, and from your own senses and mental faculties that have been trained by the Word and the Holy Spirit to discern between good and evil (Hebrews 5:14).

 

Rules and regulations could not save you from hell and they certainly will not make you more spiritual after you are saved. Only the blood of Jesus can save and sanctify you. You must depend on Him and not the flesh! We are to glory in nothing, but GOD and what HE has done, giving all honor and glory to Him!

 

For Christ (the Messiah) sent me out not to baptize but [to evangelize by] preaching the glad tidings (the Gospel), and that not with verbal eloquence, lest the cross of Christ should be deprived of force and emptied of its power and rendered vain (fruitless, void of value, and of no effect).

 

18 For the story and message of the cross is sheer absurdity and folly to those who are perishing and on their way to perdition, but to us who are being saved it is the [manifestation of] the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:17-18 AMP

 

The power of the Gospel – the power to save; the power to heal; the power to deliver; the power to fill with the Holy Ghost – is in the message of the Gospel. It is not in the style of delivery or the eloquence of the speaker!

 

Those who are on their way to hell think that the story and message of the cross are ridiculous, but to those who believe it have experienced and are experiencing the power of God. Salvation is an ongoing process. It starts with the new birth and continues on with the renewal of the mind and the process of healing and restoration in every aspect of your being.

 

For it is written, I will baffle and render useless and destroy the learning of the learned and the philosophy of the philosophers and the cleverness of the clever and the discernment of the discerning; I will frustrate and nullify [them] and bring [them] to nothing.

 

20 Where is the wise man (the philosopher)? Where is the scribe (the scholar)? Where is the investigator (the logician, the debater) of this present time and age? Has not God shown up the nonsense and the folly of this world’s wisdom?

 

21 For when the world with all its earthly wisdom failed to perceive and recognize and know God by means of its own philosophy, God in His wisdom was pleased through the foolishness of preaching [salvation, procured by Christ and to be had through Him], to save those who believed (who clung to and trusted in and relied on Him). 1 Corinthians 1:19-21 AMP

 

For generations, men have tried to discover God and Truth through philosophy – in vain. The more they try to figure things out themselves, the more dead ends they run into. The more they try to figure God out, the less they know of Him; the closer they try to get to Him, the further away they move from Him; the more they try to simplify God, the more complicated He becomes to them. The power of the Gospel is in its simplicity, but its simplicity has become a stumbling block to many. Many, many men have rejected the Gospel because, in their minds, it was too simple. God made it simple enough that even a child could receive it and believe it! Jesus said that we should become as little children if we want to enter the kingdom of God (Luke 18:17).

 

For while Jews [demandingly] ask for signs and miracles and Greeks pursue philosophy and wisdom,

 

23 We preach Christ (the Messiah) crucified, [preaching which] to the Jews is a scandal and an offensive stumbling block [that springs a snare or trap], and to the Gentiles it is absurd and utterly unphilosophical nonsense.

 

24 But to those who are called, whether Jew or Greek (Gentile), Christ [is] the Power of God and the Wisdom of God. 1 Corinthians 1:22-24 AMP

 

Religious Pharisees claim that they are always looking for one more sign or one more miracle before they believe that something is real. The truth is that they won’t believe even though the evidence is before them. They have already made up their minds. Unsaved, “educated” people won’t accept it because they think its all ridiculous nonsense.

 

They won’t even give it a chance. They judge everything by what they can see, and what they see has been shaped by what they already believe. They find no use for faith. Neither of these two opinions will humble themselves to admit that they could possibly be wrong and that they don’t actually know everything.

 

 

[This is] because the foolish thing [that has its source in] God is wiser than men, and the weak thing [that springs] from God is stronger than men.

 

26 For [simply] consider your own call, brethren; not many [of you were considered to be] wise according to human estimates and standards, not many influential and powerful, not many of high and noble birth.

 

27[No] for God selected (deliberately chose) what in the world is foolish to put the wise to shame, and what the world calls weak to put the strong to shame.

 

28 And God also selected (deliberately chose) what in the world is lowborn and insignificant and branded and treated with contempt, even the things that are nothing, that He might depose and bring to nothing the things that are,

 

29 So that no mortal man should [have pretense for glorying and] boast in the presence of God.

 

30 But it is from Him that you have your life in Christ Jesus, Whom God made our Wisdom from God, [revealed to us a knowledge of the divine plan of salvation previously hidden, manifesting itself as] our Righteousness [thus making us upright and putting us in right standing with God], and our Consecration [making us pure and holy], and our Redemption [providing our ransom from eternal penalty for sin].

 

31 So then, as it is written, Let him who boasts and proudly rejoices and glories, boast and proudly rejoice and glory in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 1:25-31 AMP

 

God does not use those of whom the world approves or whom they admire. He uses those who have no reason to boast, so that only His glory should be displayed, and He tells us that if anyone thinks he has a reason to boast, let it be a boast of what God alone has done!

 

 

Proverbs 6:19 says that God hates “he who sows discord (or strife) among his brethren.”

 

A perverse man sows strife, and a whisperer separates close friends. Proverbs 16:28 AMP

 

A person who sows strife is a person who is perverse – a person who is carnal and deaf to the voice of their conscience. This word “perverse” is also translated as “fraud.” Strife grieves the Holy Spirit. If you are a Christian He will bring conviction to you in your spirit when you do or say something to cause strife or accelerate it. If you are disobedient to the Holy Spirit, or if you have a seared conscience and you can’t hear Him, you will continue on in strife and in sin. When you whisper – gossip and tell tales about people – you cause strife between them. God hates this kind of behavior!

 

He who covers and forgives an offense seeks love, but he who repeats or harps on a matter separates even close friends. Proverbs 17:9 AMP

Surely the churning of milk brings forth butter, and the wringing of the nose brings forth blood; so the forcing of wrath brings forth strife. Proverbs 30:33 AMP

 

When you won’t drop something, but you go on and on about it, you are causing strife and division between people. Many times friends have fights or disagreements or misunderstandings, but if they love each other they will work at working it out and repairing the breach. However, if a third person continues to bring it up and harp on it all the time, the strife will continue and even accelerate. If you continue to remind people of the issues that caused the strife and if you work at working them up over it, then you are a strife-causer.

 

However, if you are a true friend, you will be a peace-maker and peace-encourager; you will encourage forgiveness; you will promote peace and reconciliation; you will discourage friends from allowing strife to cause unforgiveness and bitterness, which would ruin their relationships. Husbands and wives need to encourage one another to forgive other people and not be bitter. We are to protect one another from the wiles of the devil. If he can get you into strife he has an open door into your life, to cause havoc and destruction.

 

He who is of a greedy spirit stirs up strife, but he who puts his trust in the Lord shall be enriched and blessed. Proverbs 28:25 AMP

 

Greed and covetousness are a source of strife. Put your trust in God alone and you will be blessed. Don’t be jealous when someone else is blessed – be happy for them – your turn is coming!

 

The beginning of strife is as when water first trickles [from a crack in a dam]; therefore stop contention before it becomes worse and quarreling breaks out. Proverbs 17:14 AMP

 

When strife first starts, that is the time to jump on it and stop it. If you allow it to continue, it will soon be out of control – all kinds of people will be quarreling with each other, and it will be very hard to quench it.

 

It is an honor for a man to cease from strife and keep aloof from it, but every fool will quarrel. Proverbs 20:3 AMP

 

You show yourself to be a fool when you are quarrelsome and argumentative. An honorable man stays far away from strife, and if he happens to be drawn into it, he extricates himself as quickly as he can.

Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fatted ox and hatred with it. 18 A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger appeases contention. Proverbs 15:17-18 AMP

 

A man of wrath stirs up strife, and a man given to anger commits and causes much transgression. Proverbs 29:22 AMP

 

Strife is stress-inducing and soul-destroying. Most sensible people would rather have fewer material goods and a peaceful home, than wealth and strife. When people are hot-tempered, they have a tendency to anger quickly, and anger stirs up strife. So if you have a tendency to be hot-tempered, the first thing you need to do is to learn to control your temper, with the help of the Holy Spirit, and to not be so reactionary. Take a little more time to find out all the facts and do not be tempted to jump to conclusions.

 

If you want to be able to control your temper and if you want to prevent strife, then you need to be more patient and more considerate; don’t be envious or jealous; don’t be arrogant, conceited, or boastful; don’t be rude; don’t insist on your own rights or your own way; don’t be touchy, fretful, or resentful; pay no attention to a suffered wrong; don’t rejoice at injustice or unrighteousness; believe the very best, not the very worst of other people. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

 

He who is faithful in a very little [thing] is faithful also in much, and he who is dishonest and unjust in a very little [thing] is dishonest and unjust also in much. 11 Therefore if you have not been faithful in the [case of] unrighteous mammon (deceitful riches, money, possessions), who will entrust to you the true riches? 12 And if you have not proved faithful in that which belongs to another [whether God or man], who will give you that which is your own [that is, the true riches]? 13 No servant is able to serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stand by and be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (riches, or anything in which you trust and on which you rely). Luke 16:10-13 AMP

 

Before God can anoint you or use you, before you can experience the best that God has for you, you need to deal with a few things. You need to get an attitude adjustment in the area of money and things; you must get free of covetousness; you must lose your fear and you must lose your greed.

 

Jesus said if you have not been faithful with your money and your stuff, then who will entrust to you the true riches? God is not able to entrust the true riches – the anointing and the things of the Spirit – to those who are covetous and greedy and who have made their money their god. The inescapable fact of the matter is that not one person on this earth is able to put God and their money first in their life. It is impossible. The moment you choose one, the other is knocked into last place. So if your stuff is very important to you, then you should know that God, and what He wants for you and from you, is going to be taking a back seat in your life. Your money will be in control of you. But if you put your stuff in the back seat, then you know that God will be the one in the front seat and that’s Who you want in control of your life.

 

How do you put your stuff in the back seat? You put your stuff in the back seat by becoming a generous, cheerful giver. If you can’t give anything away that God asks you to, it is too important to you. Your response to the things God asks of you will be influenced by your attitude toward your money. If you elevate money and stuff in your life, then money and stuff will dictate your choices and your outcome. If you elevate God in your life then He will influence your choices and be responsible for your outcome – and with Him you know it will always be a favorable outcome.

 

You have to become a giver. Your seed is the only evidence that you have mastered your greed! The dictionary defines greed as: An excessive desire to acquire or possess more than what one needs or deserves, especially with respect to material wealth; a reprehensible acquisitiveness; an insatiable desire for wealth. Greed is lust for money and power. Greed is not a fruit of the Spirit!

 

Any godly desire, when fulfilled, is satisfying and brings contentment. You need to know that any urge or desire that comes, not from God, but from the devil, is going to be insatiable. What good does it do you to get everything you think you want, but you have no peace and no satisfaction? When you are driven by ungodly desires, no matter how much you get of what you think you want, you will still be unsatisfied and you will still want more. You will mistakenly think that if you get more of what you lust after, you will feel satisfied, but it will never happen! If you give place to lust or greed in any area of your life, it will drive you. God does not drive you – He leads you. Godly desires lead you into the will of God and the satisfaction, fulfillment and peace that only God can give.

 

If you want God to use you, if you want to walk in peace, prosperity and fulfillment, you must make God number one in your life. You must lose your greed; you must lose your selfishness; you must lose your covetousness; you must lose your fear! Covetousness, greed, and selfishness are motivated by fear – a fear of lack; a fear of loss of control. Fear is not from God. Fear is from the devil – he controls you through your fears. God’s word says in 1 John 4:18 NIV that, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”

 

The only way to be free of fear is to embrace the love of God. God wants us to know that He loves us and He wants us also to love others. If we believe His word that He loves us then we will also believe that He will always protect and provide for us. If we love others then we will want to be a blessing to them. We will become givers and not just takers! Faith is the opposite of, and the antidote to, fear. The only way to be free from fear in the area of money and stuff is to become a giver. The more you give, generously from your hand and cheerfully from your heart, the freer you become and the more God will be able to use you and minister through you!

 

 

But now your kingdom shall not continue; the Lord has sought out [David] a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince and ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you. 1 Samuel 13:14 AMP

 

God called David “a man after His own heart.” What made David a man after God’s own heart? Firstly, David was a humble man and his heart did not change or become arrogant, even after he ascended to the thrones of Judah and Israel. He was the youngest of eight sons and the least regarded. As a young man, he served his father as a shepherd and when the prophet, Samuel, asked for all Jesse’s sons to be brought to him, his family did not even bother to call David. God chose David though. He chose him, not for his stature, but for his heart, and anointed him to be king in Saul’s place.

 

David spent his time with the sheep, practicing with his sling and writing worship songs to the Lord. He was not afraid of the lion or the bear. When they came to kill his father’s sheep, he killed them and gave the glory to God. He did not take the credit himself. When he killed Goliath, it was in the Name of the Lord. When David, as king, brought the Ark of the Covenant back from the Philistines, he removed his kingly robes, and put on the robes of a priest. He danced wildly as he worshipped God before the Ark. He was not ashamed to lower himself before his subjects as he honored his God. His wife, Michal, a true daughter of Saul, was offended by his humility, but he pledged to humble himself even further to honor his Lord. Michal’s attitude caused her to be barren for the rest of her life.

 

O LORD, you have searched me [thoroughly] and have known me.

 

2 You know my downsitting and my uprising; You understand my thought afar off.

 

3 You sift and search out my path and my lying down, and You are acquainted with all my ways.

 

4 For there is not a word in my tongue [still unuttered], but, behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.

 

5 You have beset me and shut me in–behind and before, and You have laid Your hand upon me.

 

6 Your [infinite] knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high above me, I cannot reach it.

 

7 Where could I go from Your Spirit? Or where could I flee from Your presence?

 

8 If I ascend up into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol (the place of the dead), behold, You are there.

 

9 If I take the wings of the morning or dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

 

10 Even there shall Your hand lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.

 

11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me and the night shall be [the only] light about me,

 

12 Even the darkness hides nothing from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You.

 

13 For You did form my inward parts; You did knit me together in my mother’s womb.

 

14 I will confess and praise You for You are fearful and wonderful and for the awful wonder of my birth! Wonderful are Your works, and that my inner self knows right well.

 

15 My frame was not hidden from You when I was being formed in secret [and] intricately and curiously wrought [as if embroidered with various colors] in the depths of the earth [a region of darkness and mystery].

 

16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance, and in Your book all the days [of my life] were written before ever they took shape, when as yet there was none of them. Psalms 139:1-16 AMP

 

David had a revelation of the greatness: the omnipotence, omnipresence, and omniscience, of God. He had a revelation that he owed everything to God. He knew that God knew everything and that nothing was hidden from His sight. Except for the Bathsheba incident, David lived his life like a man whose life was laid out bare before God’s eyes. He practiced integrity publicly and privately. He lived like a man who would need to give an account of his life. His deep love and respect for God is unfeigned and unapologetic.

How precious and weighty also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them!

 

18 If I could count them, they would be more in number than the sand. When I awoke, [could I count to the end] I would still be with You.

 

19 If You would [only] slay the wicked, O God, and the men of blood depart from me—

 

20 Who speak against You wickedly, Your enemies who take Your name in vain!

 

 21 Do I not hate them, O Lord, who hate You? And am I not grieved and do I not loathe those who rise up against You?

 

22 I hate them with perfect hatred; they have become my enemies.

 

23 Search me [thoroughly], O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!

 

24 And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalms 139:17-24 AMP

 

David submitted himself to God and tolerated no one who set themselves against God. He loved God and he loved the Word of God. He valued and treasured God’s Word—it was extremely precious to him. He opened up his heart to receive the Word of God and he also opened up his own life to be scrutinized by God. He invited God to check out his heart, to bring correction to his life, to set him straight, and lead him in the way he should go.

 

If you want to be called a man or a woman after God’s own heart, follow David’s example. Humble yourself before God; love Him; love His word; submit yourself to His word; honor Him; obey Him; and unashamedly worship Him alone.