THE LAW, COMMANDMENTS, AND THE TWO COVENANTS

The Law, the 2277 commandments embodying 445 laws that comprise The Law of Moses, provided religious, moral, and civil rules for all of Israel to live by until the Messiah should come to make the New Covenant of Grace. The Law is found throughout the Pentateuch, specific precepts running the gauntlet of human experience from “You shall not commit adultery” (Ex. 20:14) to “Nor shall a garment of mixed linen and wool come upon you” (Lev. 19:19), or “You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.” (Ex. 23:19) We all know... are should know, The Law is not applicable to the New Covenant of Grace, having served its purpose in bringing us to Christ and His Cross of reconciliation. New Testament phrases such as The Law, The Law and The Prophets, The Law of Moses, The Mosaic Law, etc., all point to the Old Testament Law.

There are 1050 commandments in the New Testament covering every phase of man’s life in his relationship to God, his fellow man, now, and hereafter, written by the Holy Spirit to guide the spiritual walk of New Covenant believers. Some of these commandments are modified Old Testament commandments such as the passage in Matt. 5:21-48 where Jesus uses “You have heard that it was said to those of old ... but I say to you” phraseology to modify and reintroduce commandments from The Law into the New Covenant of Grace. When the word “command/commandment” is used in the New Testament one must pay particular attention to the context to determine which set of commandments, Old Testament or New Testament, are referenced. All New Testament commandments are subordinate to the First and Second “Great” commandments to love God and love others, which, by the way, summarize “all The Law and The Prophets.” Other New Testament commands include: “And do not be conformed to the world.” (Rom. 12:2) “Keep yourself in the love of God.” (Jude 21) “Rejoice always.” (1 Thess. 5:16) “Abstain from every form of evil.” (1 Thess. 5:22) “In everything give thanks.” (1 Thess. 5:18) “Forgive and you will be forgiven.” (Lk. 6:37) “Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.” (1 Cor. 15:58) “Be strong in the Lord.” (Eph. 6:10) “Be content with such things as you have.” (Heb. 13:5) ‘Be anxious for nothing.” (Phil. 4:6) ‘Put on the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Rom. 13:14), and so on. There are about 800 categories of things to do, be, avoid, believe, charge, consider, endure, flee, follow, have, hold, keep, lay aside, let, remember, seek, prove, put on, put off, rebuke, think on, walk in, etc. The New Testament commandments are much more general in nature – we have the Holy Spirit to teach us the specifics – but they are no less commandments, and demonstrate our obedience to our Lord’s First Commandment... “If you love Me you will keep My…

USE THE RIGHT ROADMAP

TWO SPEAKINGS, TWO COVENANTS, TWO BOOKS

“God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son…” (Heb. 1:1-2). God has spoken, revealed Himself to mankind, on two distinct occasions, the context not implying two singular speakings but rather two time periods of speaking with distinct methodologies and purposes. “In these last days” since the coming of Christ (implied) -- the writer of Hebrews has now stepped past the cross into the end times, the church age – God has spoken again, and this time He has “spoken to us.” Today, “us” is still “us”. The writer views history, as it relates to divine revelation, as two time periods, “in time past” and “in these last days.”

The Old Testament is God’s self-disclosure; it is God telling man about Himself: The main character is God, the setting is God’s covenant with His chosen people and the speaker is God. It is the revelation of God revealed through man, history and Israel – who He is, His attitudes, attributes, likes, dislikes, what He tolerates, His powers, what He does and how He responds to the human condition – within the legal parameters of the covenant He makes with Israel. The Old Testament reveals to mankind God’s character and nature, His desire for relationship and holiness, and His judgment against sin, within the context of His covenant people, Israel, and His Law.

The New Testament is God speaking forth the revelation of His Son. The prophets spoke as mere mouthpieces, but when the Son spoke it was God Himself speaking, and in a sense it is God being revealed By His Son in and through the Son’s life, the Son’s message, the Son’s redemptive work and the Son’s return to establish His (i.e., God’s) eternal Kingdom. The New Testament reveals to mankind God’s redemptive plan established before the foundations of the world with the foreordained sacrifice of the Son of His love, that we, the “us” of Hebrews 1:2, might be partakers of salvation and know eternal fellowship with God through His covenant of Grace – His indescribable grace.

It is therefore contextually correct to interpret Hebrews 1:1 and 2 as directly referencing the Old Testament and New Testament respectively. The foundation of each covenant is a book, and in each book it is God speaking. The primary reason there are two books is to define these two uniquely different covenants, which are people and time specific. Embedded in the Old Testament historical narratives is a wealth of rich insight into the character and nature of God, providing valuable principles and lessons for living the Christ-life. The Law teaches us about the character of the Lawgiver. The wisdom of Proverbs provides practical moral and spiritual guidance, God’s ageless wisdom to live by, and the Worship Books provide revelation of a relational God, inspiring models of how to communicate with and worship God. This is not the substance of doctrine but rather tools, crib notes, for being a delight to our loving Father. The “new and better covenant” has new and better commandments to regulate the Christian life on the road to eternity with God. All New Testament doctrine must be based on New Testament writings – one wouldn’t use a California Roadmap to travel Missouri – new wineskins require new wine. Any theological precepts or principles drawn from the Old Testament must be filtered through the cross, the new covenant teachings, which will either accept them, modify them, or reject them.

“FOR YOU ARE NOT UNDER LAW BUT UNDER GRACE”

SIX MEGATHEMES EMERGE FROM BARNA GROUP RESEARCH

Change usually happens slowly in the Church. But a review of the research conducted by the Barna Group provides a time-lapse portrayal of how the religious environment in the U.S. is quickly morphing into something new. Analyzing insights drawn from more than 5,000 non-proprietary interviews George Barna indicated that the following six patterns were evident in the survey findings:

1. The Christian church is becoming less theologically literate:

What used to be basic, universally-known truths about Christianity are now unknown mysteries to a large and growing share of Americans – especially young adults. For instance, Barna Group studies showed that while most people regard Easter as a religious holiday, only a minority of adults associate Easter with the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Other examples include the finding that few adults believe that their faith is meant to be the focal point of their life or to be integrated into every aspect of their existence. Further, a growing majority believe the Holy Spirit is a symbol of God's presence or power, but not a living entity. As the two younger generations, Baby Busters (1965-1983) and Mosaics (1984-2002), ascend to numerical and positional supremacy in churches across the nation, the data suggest that biblical literacy is likely to decline significantly. The theological free-for-all that is encroaching in Protestant churches nationwide suggests the coming decade will be a time of unparalleled theological diversity and inconsistency. Take anything you like from anywhere you like, cobble it together and voilà... your own personal religion!

2. Christians are becoming more ingrown and less outreach-oriented:

Despite technological advances that make communications instant and far-reaching, Christians are becoming more spiritually isolated from non-Christians than was true a decade ago. Examples of this tendency include the fact that less than one-third of born again Christians planned to invite anyone to join them at a church event during the Easter season; teenagers are less inclined to discuss Christianity with their friends than was true in the past; most of the people who become Christians these days do so in response to a personal crisis or the fear of death (particularly among older Americans); and most Americans are unimpressed with the contributions Christians and churches have made to society over the past few years. As young adults have children, the prospect of them seeking a Christian church is diminishing--especially given the absence of faith talk in their conversations with the people they most trust. With atheists becoming more strategic in championing their godless worldview, as well as the increased religious plurality driven by education and immigration, the increasing reticence of Christians to engage in faith-oriented conversations assumes heightened significance. And they will know we are Christians by our Love... silence! That smell is from our smoldering baskets!

3. Growing numbers of people are less interested in spiritual principles and more desirous of learning pragmatic solutions for life:

When asked what matters most, teenagers prioritize education, career development, friendships, and travel. Faith is significant to them, but it takes a back seat to life accomplishments and is not necessarily perceived to affect their ability to achieve their dreams. Among adults the areas of growing importance are lifestyle comfort, success, and personal achievements. Those dimensions have risen at the expense of investment in both faith and family. The turbo-charged pace of society leaves people with little time for reflection. The deeper thinking that occurs typically relates to economic concerns or relational pressures. Private spiritual practices like scripture study, prayer, worship, meditation, contemplation, solitude, stillness, etc. are rare. (It is ironic that more than four out of five adults claim to live a simple life.) Practical to a fault, Americans consider survival in the present to be much more significant than eternal security and spiritual possibilities. Because we continue to separate our spirituality from other dimensions of life through compartmentalization, a relatively superficial approach to faith has become a central means of optimizing our life experience. When Self is lord, loves less wild consume the heart... and we build bigger barns.

4. Among Christians, interest in participating in community action is escalating:

Largely driven by the passion and energy of young adults, Christians are more open to and more involved in community service activities than has been true in the recent past. While we remain more self-indulgent than self-sacrificing, the expanded focus on justice and service has struck a chord with many. However, despite the increased emphasis, churches run the risk of watching congregants’ engagement wane unless they embrace a strong spiritual basis for such service. Simply doing good works because it's the socially esteemed choice of the moment will not produce much staying power. Social religiosity is deceptive. Ishmael offerings do not please God whose sacrificial love is demonstrated in righteous works having Kingdom purpose.

5. The postmodern insistence on tolerance is winning over the Christian church:

Our biblical illiteracy and lack of spiritual confidence has caused Americans to avoid making discerning choices for fear of being labeled judgmental. The result is a Church that has become tolerant of a vast array of morally and spiritually dubious behaviors and philosophies. This increased leniency is made possible by the very limited accountability that occurs within the body of Christ. There are fewer and fewer issues that Christians believe churches should be dogmatic about. The idea of love has been redefined to mean the absence of conflict and confrontation, as if there are no moral absolutes that are worth fighting for. That may not be surprising in a Church in which a minority believes there are moral absolutes dictated by the scriptures. Tolerance has become the new moral imperative destroying moral absolutes wherever it is embraced.

6. The influence of Christianity on culture and individual lives is largely invisible:

Contemporary Americans have no problem identifying the faults of churches and Christian people, partly due to the nature of today’s media, but are hard pressed to identify any specific positive cultural value induced by Christianity. In a period of history where image is reality, and life-changing decisions are made on the basis of such images, the Christian Church is in desperate need of a more positive and accessible image. The primary obstacle is not the substance of the principles on which Christianity is based, and therefore the solution is not solely providing an increase in preaching or public relations. The most influential aspect of Christianity in America is how believers do--or do not--implement their faith in private and in public, in the marketplace. Partly due to the nature of today’s media, American culture is driven by the snap judgments and decisions that people make amid busy schedules and incomplete information. With little time or energy available for or devoted to research and reflection, it is people’s observations of the integration of a believer’s faith into how he/she responds to life’s opportunities and challenges that most substantially shape people’s impressions of and interest in Christianity. Jesus frequently spoke about the importance of the fruit that emerges from a Christian life; these days the pace of life and avalanche of competing ideas underscores the significance of visible spiritual fruit as a source of cultural influence. Invisible Christians have invisible fruit... and zero impact on the culture surrounding them.
 

BIRTH OF THE ONE WORLD CHURCH

(Extracted material significantly modified for this thought)

PAVLOV’S DOGS

Pavlov’s dogs were fed by people wearing white coats; the dogs would salivate profusely when they seen anyone in a white coat, unable to discern their real feeders from the other white coats. Theological illiterates, what Peter called “the unstable and the unlearned” likewise lack discernment, unable to distinguish between truth, half-truth and totally false doctrine. Our enemy, the power of earthly darkness, barters in half-truths which so easily satisfy the desires of our nature, Self, we simply want to believe they are true. Lacking the clarity and discernment which diligent study of God’s word provides, it is an easy slide into believing half-truths... and half-truths are, after all... half-false! We live in “windy” times: The world of religion is adrift with religious “white coats” hawking spiritual dribble to pacify and sooth these “itching ears”, itching from misplaced desires... the pleasures of life. Only through proper, diligent, committed study of God’s word can we escape our own gullibility, crucify our wrong desires, and increase in true knowledge of God.

Hear the words of the Apostle taken from the Amplified Bible: “Therefore, my dear ones... work out – cultivate, carry out to the goal, and fully complete – your own salvation with reverence and awe and trembling Self-distrust, with serious caution, tenderness of conscience, watchfulness against temptation, timidly shrinking from whatever might offend God and discredit the name of Christ... Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved and tested by trial, a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing, accurately dividing, rightly handling, and skillfully teaching the Word of Truth.” This is an accurate description of God’s expectations for His children: That we would be “workman” eagerly and reverently pursuing God through the diligent study of His word, working out our salvation with the natural fear and trembling that accompanies the most important activity of our life... a matter of eternal life and death. And yes, it takes work! Many in God’s church have not worked out their own salvation through diligent study of God’s Word. Like ‘fat babies” addicted to milk they are unable to ingest solid food… “unskilled in the word of righteousness” and unable “to discern both good and evil.” Lacking the scriptural foundation for discernment, like Pavlov’s dogs they respond to anything that remotely resembles spiritual food, regardless of the source, salivating profusely at each new Bless Me sound-bit. My brethren, these things ought not to be so!

THE PATHWAY TO STAYING SAVED

IS LITTERED WITH THE CORPSES OF MANY

TOO BUSY OR TOO LAZY TO WORK OUT THEIR OWN SALVATION

(Phil. 2; 12-13; 2 Tim. 2:15; Heb. 5:12-14)

MORE THAN CONQUERORS

When the Apostle Paul says we are “more than conquerors” the context is suffering and evil that cannot separate us from the love of Christ. He never says we won’t go through suffering, and we know by his life he suffered greatly. We “conqueror” because suffering and evil cannot separate us from God’s love. Scripture says God has delivered us from the “power of darkness”, literally the control of darkness, and “conveyed us into the Kingdom of his Son”, which is speaking of salvation. We were born enslaved to sin, but God gives us the freedom to choose. We still live in the world and overcoming is “by the word of our testimony and the blood of the lamb”: We have a testimony because we went through something and prevailed, lived through the suffering, just as Christ lived through the suffering of the cross. And we learn obedience to God from suffering, just as our Lord “learned obedience by the things which He suffered.” Now this is not to say God never intervenes, removing suffering from our doorstep, for He does at times intervene. We must accept His methodologies as His and His alone. And it does seem, from our perspective, God must think adversity is more effective at producing Christlikeness then miraculous intervention. As C. S. Lewis penned, God “shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”

The purposeful God brings good out of all things, even our suffering: God does not “will” every thing that happens to His children – especially bad – but He does “allow” that which He does not will… He is sovereign over everything. God establishes the type and extent of every trial and test, transforming our nature while strengthening our faith. Prayer that does not accord with God’s will is not heard or answered. This is why we have never witnessed someone casting a mountain into the sea. This is not to say that God does not deliver, He does, when it accords with His will and timing. We should and must come against suffering in prayer, but we do so with the full knowledge of who we are and who we serve. We are purchased possessions of the sovereign God, bought with the blood of the Lamb, the most precious and powerful commodity known to mankind. And, we are “in Christ”, in the Beloved of God, seated even now in heaven with our Lord at the right hand of the Father. So, whether God miraculously rescues us out of life’s adversity or gives us the grace to go through it, matters not. In either case we bear witness to the miraculous, we have a testimony, and… we are becoming more and more like Jesus in the process.

PERFECT (RELENTLESS) LOVE CASTS OUT FEAR

(Rom. 8:37; Col 1:13; 1 Jn. 5:14-15; Heb. 5:8; Rev. 12:11; Rom. 8:1,28; Heb. 8:1)

COUNTING JOY

Most of the New Testament writers spoke of the adversity – trials and tests of faith – to which Christians are appointed. This thought takes a look at passages from the Apostle Paul and James the brother of Jesus and compares them in three translations. The correlation of Rom. 5:3-5 and James 1:2-4 is seen in the use of the same Greek word “hupomone” translated “patience” in James and “perseverance” in Romans. James speaks of “trials”, a testing of our faith and Romans speaks of “tribulation”, the “pressure” from trials and afflictions. The Greek work “thlipsis” translated “tribulation” has its origin in the pressure of a wine press squeezing grapes and is also translated adversity, affliction, difficulties, trouble, hardship and the like; doesn’t that give a vivid picture of how we sometimes feel during a trial!

COUNT IT ALL JOY: Rom. 5:3-5 sandwiched into James 1:2-4, John’s translation

“My brothers and sisters in Christ, boast and rejoice when you are surrounded by trials of adversity, knowing these pressures of life, which test your faith in God, produce God’s patience. And God’s patience produces Godly character and Godly character produces hope in God. And God’s hope graces us, because the love of God is lavishly poured to overflowing in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. So let God’s patience completely finish its objective, that you will be spiritually mature and completely whole in mind, body and spirit, never wanting anything.”

COUNT IT ALL JOY: Rom. 5:3-5 sandwiched into James 1:2-4, Amplified Bible

“Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations. Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience. Moreover let us also be full of joy now! let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance.  And endurance (fortitude) develops maturity of character, approved faith and tried integrity. And character of this sort produces the habit of joyful and confident hope of eternal salvation. Such hope never disappoints or deludes or shames us, for God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us. But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be people perfectly and fully developed with no defects, lacking in nothing.”

COUNT IT ALL JOY: Rom. 5:3-5 sandwiched into James 1:2-4, NKJV translation

“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

The passage in James acts as the bread of a spiritual sandwich with the passage in Romans inserted as the meat of the sandwich. The “perfect work” of patience in James is what the Apostle Paul describes in Romans, where patience is seen to produce God’s character, hope and love in us and, ultimately, bring us to that perfect and complete state where we lack nothing.

LACKING IN NOTHING… NEVER WANTING ANYTHING...

THOUGHTS ON THE NEED TO STUDY GOD’S WORD

The single most important thing for a Christian to do to maintain and grow their relationship with God is to read and study their Bible every day. Many Christians fail to do this relying on Church attendance to produce spiritual growth but this is a deception; there simply is no substitute for time spent with God’s word if you want to grow in the knowledge, understanding, and wisdom of God.

The Apostle Paul said “Faith without works is dead”, speaking of the righteous works Christians do to demonstrate their faith, including worship, prayer and, most importantly, study of God’s word. Paul praised the Berean Christians for “searching the Scriptures daily” and condemned the Hebrew Christians for being spiritually immature, unable to discern deep truths because they are “unskilled in God’s word.” Paul likened the Hebrew Christians to fat babies, needing milk but unable to digest solid food, and thereby “unable to discern both good and evil.”

Saint’s, we need to take God’s command to “grow in the knowledge of our Lord” to heart and develop the discipline of diligent study of God’s word. Paul said Christians who diligently study God’s word would find God’s approval and not need to be ashamed, able to correctly interpret God’s word. Notice the implication: Christians who do not study God’s word will be unable to correctly interpret scripture, and will, as James the brother of Jesus said, be like babies – immature Christians – tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of deceitful men. And, these Christians will be ashamed and unapproved before God!

We know the Greatest Commandment is to Love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength… we have to do this! Well, Jesus commanded, “If you love Me, keep my commandments.” We are commanded to demonstrate our love for our Lord through obedience to His words. There are 1050 New Testament commandments which are our Lord’s commandments. How will we keep them if we do not know them through study of God’s word?

God called David “a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.” So, why was David so beloved by God and how did he know God’s will? David absolutely loved God’s Law: “For I delight in your commands because I love them. I lift up my hands to your commands, which I love, and I meditate on your decrees.” It is not hard to see his complete adoration for God’s Word. Scripture states David delighted in the word of the Lord, and in His word David meditated day and night. Now to meditate is to think deeply and carefully about something as the focus of one's mind for a period of time. Meditation is best done from memorization or with ready access to scriptures. Notice also the frequency of meditation, “day and nigh.” David’s thoughts were never far from God. So, if you want to be a man after God’s own heart … meditate day and night on God’s word… let the word circumcise your heart… renew your mind… make you Christlike...

"LET THE WORD OF CHRIST DWELL IN YOU RICHLY"

PETER’S CALL TO SUFFERING

“But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps.” Notice Peter’s main point in this passage: “For to this, IE., suffering, you were called.” The Apostle Paul said it this way: “No one should be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this.” The word “afflictions” is translated from the Greek thlipsis and literally means to crush, being also translated difficulties, trouble, adversity, distress, hardship, anguish, suffering, tribulation, and the like. The writer of Hebrews defines thlipsis as “a great conflict of suffering”, and in scripture thlipse encompasses ill health, poverty, the loss of loved ones, and all the perils, hardships, and persecution that can accompany one’s profession in Christ. And, suffering must be endured… patiently, if it is to be commendable to God.

“For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil … Let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good.” It is better to suffer unjustly for doing good than to suffer justly for doing wrong. Saints are appointed to suffering, and Christ is our example. And yes… our suffering as a saint can be the will of God.

“Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.”

Since Christ suffered in the flesh for you and me, we should arm yourselves with the same thought and purpose by patiently suffering rather than fail to please God. And here is a golden nugget of revelation: For whoever has suffered in the flesh, having the mind of Christ, is done with intentional sin – has stopped pleasing himself and the world, and pleases God. This means we no longer spend the rest of our natural life living by our human appetites and desires… Self, but we live for what God wills! Saints, suffering changes us, enabling us to become Christlike and obedient to God’s will.

Hear the words of the Apostle Paul from the Amplified Bible: “Moreover, let us also be full of joy now! let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance. And endurance (fortitude) develops maturity of character (IE., Christlikeness), approved faith and tried integrity. And character of this sort produces the habit of joyful and confident hope of eternal salvation. Such hope never disappoints or deludes or shames us, for God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us.” Suffering produces Godly character, the nature of Christ within.

Peter said suffering is experienced by the whole Christian brotherhood, and that God would, “after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.” Suffering has a divine purpose, our perfection, to establish us, strengthen us, and settle us.

Hear the words of James the brother of our Lord: “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience … that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” The goal of suffering is our perfection, Christlikeness, that we may be completely free of spiritual imperfections, lacking nothing in the spiritual realm.

SUFFERING… COUNT IT ALL JOY

(1 Peter 2:20-21, 3:17, 4:1-2, 19, 5:9-10; 1 Thess. 3:3; Heb. 10:32-33; James 1:2-4; Rom. 5:3-5)

GIVING TO GOD

So what’s the deal with “tithing”? The word tithe simply means “one-tenth part.” Under the Law of Moses in the Old Testament, the Israelites were required to give three different tithes, totaling a little over 23 percent of their income. The first tithe was 10 percent of all of their possessions (Lev. 27:30–33; Num. 18:20–21), which was given to the Levites for Temple Ministry. A second tithe was taken from whatever produce was left after the first tithe was given. Jewish interpreters consider this to be a second tithe for feasts and sacrifices (Deut. 12:17–18; Lev. 27:30; Num. 18:21). Finally, a tithe was given once every three years to support the poor (Deut. 14:28–29). On top of these tithes were the voluntary freewill offerings given out of their own will and desire above and beyond their normal tithes (Ex. 35:29; Lev. 22:23; Ezra 3:5). 

When it comes to the New Testament teaching on giving, we must realize that the Mosaic Law no longer binds us. This leads us to the question, “Should we still give according to the Old Testament system, or are we able to give less or even more?” 

Concerning this, Paul wrote, “He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work” (2 Cor. 9:6–8). 

As Christians who are no longer under the Law, we give because of the grace that God has given us. In 2 Corinthians 8, Paul commends the believers in Macedonia for what is often referred to as “grace giving.” Paul describes the qualities of this benevolence as being generous (2 Cor. 8:2), willful (2 Cor. 8:3), directed by God (2 Cor. 8:5), shared (2 Cor. 8:6), active (2 Cor. 8:7), and motivated by love (2 Cor. 8:8). This kind of giving should not be done out of a “legalistic” mentality, but as the Lord leads you to give (2 Cor. 8:8). 

In the Old Testament tithing system God set a standard for giving. Under the New Covenant of Grace God allows us, individually, to set our own standard of giving. We are not under compulsion to give; rather, we should give cheerfully and prayerfully as the Holy Spirit leads us. In a sense giving measures both our love for God and our level of spiritual maturity as we align our heart more and more with the heart of God through spiritual growth. Most importantly, giving to God is an act of worship, and God is seeking worshipers!

GIVING: A MATTER OF THE HEART

“CIRCUMCISION OF THE HEART”

“My brothers and sisters in Christ, boast and rejoice when you are surrounded by trials, afflictions and hardships, knowing these pressures of life, which test your faith in God, produce God’s patience. And God’s patience produces Godly character and Godly character produces hope in God. And God’s hope graces us, because the love of God is lavishly poured to overflowing in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. So let God’s patience completely finish its objective, that you will be perfect... spiritually mature, completely whole in mind, body and spirit, never wanting anything.” (Rom. 5:3-5 sandwiched into James 1:2-4, John’s Translation)

These passages carry the same context and word usage, and develop one of the Apostle Paul’s favorite themes, the saint’s conformation... transformation, into the nature of Christ. Notice the progression produced by the Pressures of Life: *Patience, *Godly Character, *Hope, *Love. Godly Character is the character, virtues, values, and attitude of our Lord, His nature living in us as our nature. Jesus commanded His disciples, “You shall be perfect”, speaking of a progressive process of transformation that would grow them into perfection… complete maturity… godliness, “Just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Jesus set the standard of our “perfection” – Christlikeness, and Paul defined the process – the pressures of life.

Jesus said “Narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life”, Paul said we would have need of endurance, and James, the brother of Jesus said to “Count it all joy” when we encounter life changing trials and tests of faith. And yes these “difficulties” will produce a great need for patient endurance.

Submission to the Lordship of Christ and death to Self, our carnal fleshly nature, are the instruments of this heart surgery, our life in this world is the operating room. Our transformation is the number one item on God’s agenda, and He will not relent until the nature of Christ is formed in us… For we are “predestined to be conformed (IE., transformed) to the image (IE., nature) of His Son, that He (IE., Christ) might be the firstborn among many brethren.”

“AND DO NOT BE CONFORMED TO THIS WORLD,

BUT BE TRANSFORMED

BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND.”

(Matt. 5:48, 7:14; Rom. 8:29, 5:3-5, 12:2; James 1:2-4; Heb. 10:6)

REST... PEACE... PATIENCE, AND GOD’S PLAN

If “The Way” stretches before us for ten thousand miles like a timeline, God will show us the next two inches and expect our faith and trust as we inch our way along. This is hard on our flesh… hard on our faith; He knows it and we need it. Faith only becomes a personal possession through trials and tests, the works which challenge, stretch, and purify dead faith into living faith. Remember, “Faith without works is dead.”

Entering the rest of God is apprehending and accessing His peace, the peace that passes our understanding – the peace that is better than knowing why. To apprehend is to know and understand that God has made provisions for our peace through His commands to be content, rejoice, and give thanks in all things, “For this is the will of God for you.” To access... enter, His peace is to put these precepts into practice by the setting of our mind on things above. This “putting into practice” is, of course, an act of living faith. There will be a battle, for our carnal fleshly nature, Self, wants to know “why”, wants to maintain control, wants to make all the decisions, and will keep us bogged down in the mire of life in the thorn bushes if we let him. Patience, which we all need, is endurance under pressure, and is the product of God’s peace, not vice versa: We have patience because we are at peace. Hearts willfully content, rejoicing hearts that offer up a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving – disregarding the circumstances of life – obedient trusting hearts… these hearts find the peace of God. So my prayer is that we will enter God’s rest finding His peace and thereby profiting from a patient heart that lives in the now and leaves the future to God. Amen, So Be It!

We all have need of patience and peace as we live out God’s unique plan for each of us. Joseph spent 22 years in holes, chains, and prisons before stepping into God’s plan. But since the 22 years no doubt prepared him for how God would use him, it was in reality all God’s plan – God doesn’t waste time, He owns time. We will, at times find ourselves in a different place than we expected, but our ever-present Lord is not the least bit surprised or worried. Saints, we should not look at adversity and affliction, the unexpected chunk-holes of life, as a waste, for it is God who works in us, willing and doing of His good pleasure, turning our bad into His purposeful good. As we rejoice and give thanks in all things – bad is a thing – we will enter the rest and peace of God and find the patience to patiently trust God to turn our bad into His good. Our trials and tests are, ultimately, valuable preparation for the “righteous works” God has prepared for each of us, and prepare us for our adoption into the royal family.

“FOR YOU HAVE NEED OF ENDURANCE

(IE., PATIENCE UNDER PRESSURE),

SO THAT AFTER YOU HAVE DONE THE WILL OF GOD,

YOU MAY RECEIVE THE PROMISE.”

(Heb. 4:1-10; 1 Thess. 5:18; Phil. 4:11; 1 Tim. 6:8; Heb. 13:5; Col.3:2; Heb. 10:36; Rom. 8:28; Phil. 2:13; James 2:20)

FEAR OF THE LORD

Twenty eight times scripture uses the phrase “The fear of the Lord”, and multiplied other passages address this precept. In both the Hebrew and Greek testaments to “fear” God carries a strong sense of reverence, respect, and honor. But fear is more than this. Fear is a special motivation to be obedient – a call to obedience – that “the fear of Him might be before you, that you may not sin.” Jesus admonished: “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body … But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him”! We do not fear those whose judgment is merely physical and temporal, we fear God whose judgment is final and eternal. Fear of God is an essential part of faith for our belief in God is based on our knowledge of God – who and what He is – which in and of itself produces fear. The natural response when the finite comes face to face with the infinite is fear: Awe and apprehension of the unknown – what the all seeing, all knowing, ever present, all powerful God might do… trembling in His presence. Mature faith must include a healthy dose of fear – we are talking about the God who lives in unapproachable light – but faith itself rules out anxiety of any sort, producing ultimate trust in its place. Fearing God involves trust, not terror, and promotes confidence. Fear of God becomes a refuge, a shelter from the storms of life. Fear, along with holiness and prayer, is the basic impetus for Christian activity.

Fear is more than an attitude, it is observance of God’s ways and doing what we know pleases Him, for true fear is a response to God’s commandments. As the Apostle Paul said relative to his need to obey God’s will for him: “For necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel”! The Greek word anagke is translated “necessity” here and means compelling force as opposed to willingness. And, “woe” is translate from the Greek ouai and means an exclamation of condemnation. Paul clearly seen fear of the Lord as a special motivation to be obedient and avoid displeasing God, for “the Lord will judge His people … it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Scripture states the fear of the Lord is a treasure of knowledge and wisdom, bringing obedience to His commandments and understanding, as the Spirit of the Lord rests upon those who fear Him. It is wise to fear the one who holds our breath in His hands. To do otherwise is foolish and can lead to a casual disregard of God – a taking of the divine for granted. You see, fear of God is synonymous with the worship of God. It is most unwise to give little attention to our loving Daddy. It is most unwise to underestimate the value of our loving Daddy. It is most unwise to fail to appreciate our loving Daddy. And… It never hurts to sometimes call Him Sir!

“THE FEAR OF THE LORD... IS THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM”

(Job 28:28; Ps. 111:10; Pr. 1:7, 9:10; Is. 11:12, 33:6; Ex. 20:20; Dan. 5:23; Lk. 12:4-5; Acts 9:31; 1 Peter 1:17; 1 Cor. 9:16; Heb. 10:31)

 

WORSHIP IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH

Worship is one of those activities that can be, or become, form without substance, so it is important saints understand what worship as a biblical term, means. Worship is used in the Bible eighty-nine times translated from the Hebrew word shachah (54) and the Greek word proskuneo (35) which have equivalent meanings. Proskuneo is derived from two Greek words, “pro” which means “To” and “kuneo” which means “Kiss”, To Kiss. There were several senses associated with the evolution of proskuneo’s meaning over time including, reverence, homage, adore, to prostrate or kneel with forehead to the floor. Proskuneo’s literal meaning at the time of the writing of the New Testament was to kneel or prostrate oneself while throwing kisses at the same time. Proskuneo is a concrete term, used only of a divine object, and demands visible majesty, being most effective in the presence of God. As containers – temple vessels of the living God – we are, effectively, in His presence 24/7 since He dwells within us. We are never forsaken and never alone. We really should act like we believe this.

The English word “worship” (from the old English “weorthscipe”) is derived from the word “worth” which means “value” and the native English suffix “-ship” which means “condition.” “Worship” asks the question, “What is the condition of value” or, put simply, worship ascribes or declares value on its object. Worship is the willful submission of our body (position) and our soul and spirit (attitude) to a loving God, bring Him worth and openly declaring His value! And, true worship is in Spirit, the product of God the Holy Spirit revealing God the Son in us: As we allow the Spirit’s progressive revelation of Jesus Christ within we become what we behold – changed in degrees of God’s glory – we become Christlike, a pure act of worship! This conformation of our nature into the nature of Christ is the Holy Spirit glorifing God the Father through us. We can worship God at all times and in all places because worship is first and foremost an attitude of the heart captivated by God and ruled by His Spirit – worship in Spirit and in truth. The lifeblood of a saint is worship for everything we do as a Christian practicing our faith is worship… everything! Our life, when focused on things above, becomes a love song we sing in the spirit realm to our loving Savior every moment of every day. A fully submitted life, walking in the Spirit, declares the value we place on the object of our worship: Declares our position of prostration. Declares our attitude of throwing kisses to the one we adore. We all understand worship as a physical act, and yes we may humble ourselves in prostration and we may throw kisses to the Great Lover of our soul. But ultimately worship should become our life – our life become our worship – a love song of 24/7 devotion to our ever present Daddy, His ever present Spirit, and His ever present Son… our Lord and Savior!

DECLARING OUR SAVIOR’S VALUE

MONOSCOPIC ORIENTATION

The Apostle Paul said “For whom He (IE., God) foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image (IE., nature) of His Son, that He (IE., Jesus) might be the firstborn among many brethren.” God’s plan from the get-go has been that all who come into covenant relationship with Him will be transformed… take on the character, virtue, values, and attitude of His Beloved Son. The Holy Spirit has been given this essential task, “for it is God (IE., the Holy Spirit) who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” The Apostle John called our transformation into christlikeness the perfection of Christ’s agape love in our heart: “Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.” Scripture uses the Greek adelphos, translated “brethren” in this passage, 160 times to refer to a spiritual brotherhood of believers, a fellowship of love based on identity of origin and unity of faith, a community of life which God calls His family. “As He (IE., Jesus) is” refers to His nature, and “so are we” indicates His nature should become our nature, “in this world.” Saints, our “Salt” and “Light” is the nature of Christ which we convey to the world in our daily life, for “as He is, so are we in the world.” We reflect the nature of our Firstborn Brother to the world!

The renewing of the mind is a basic ingredient in the saint’s transformation into Christlikeness, for our mind must be made new again, relieved of its attachments and desires for the world and refocused on things above. It is important, therefore, to understand two characteristics of our fallen human nature which greatly affect the Holy Spirit’s work in our heart. First, we humans tend to be monocular – of single vision. Our “monoscopic” orientation causes whatever we focus on to become principle and dominate our life, enhancing our vulnerability to addictive behavior. Secondly, we are very Self-centered, to the point of narcissism. The two great opposing forces vying for control of man’s mind and heart are the power of God’s agape love and the power of man’s monocular Self-centeredness. Most of our time is spent in making sure our “Self” is very well cared for. Coupling these two characteristics, monoscopic Self-centeredness, produces the proverbial worst case scenario: A Self-centered life with a mind singularly focused on that which appeases and gratifies Self, our carnal fleshly nature, to the exclusion of all else. This is why the “lust of the flesh”, “lust of the eyes”, and “pride of life” worked so well on Eve and works so well on us. This is why – as demonstrated in the Sower Parable -- “the desire for other (IE., nonspiritual) things”, “the cares of this world”, “the deceitfulness of riches”, and “the pleasures of life” will choke – literally overpower and suffocate – our spiritual life, leaving us in bondage to the powers of darkness with an empty “Christian” profession. It is essential we understand and deal with these two aspects of our nature as saints of God pursuing the Mind of Christ: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus … Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” Mental renewal can only be accessed through the death of Self enabling Christ-centeredness, and a setting of our monocular vision on “things above.”

WE BECOME “BRETHREN” AS WE BECOME CHRISTLIKE

(Note: the Sower Parable must be read in all three passages to get the full meaning: Matt. 13:3-9, 18-23; Mk. 4:3-9, 14-20; Lk. 8:5-8, 11-15; Phil. 2:5, Rom. 8:29;Phil. 2:13; 1 Jn. 4:17; Col. 3:2)

WHAT NEW CREATION REALLY MEANS

“For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation... Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

Many saints misunderstand being “born again” thinking it is an instantaneous act rather than a process. It is both. By one Spirit we are baptized into the Body of Christ... baptized into His death, set apart unto God to be made holy (IE., sanctification). This is an instantaneous two-fold act act whereby our enslavement to sin is broken and the nature of Christ is implanted in our heart awaiting release. We have become a new creation in the sense that we are no longer enslaved to sin, no longer under the old ways of the law, but walking in the newness of grace with the implanted DNA of our Lord in our heart. Now comes the tedious work of the indwelling Holy Spirit to conform... mold and shape, our nature into the nature of our Lord’s. This is a lifelong transformation process of submission to the Lordship of Christ and dying to Self, the carnal fleshly nature we were born with, that the Christlife may reign supreme in us, literally becoming our life. This is a thorough and dramatic change in our character, virtues, values, and attitude beyond the normal or physical level, a willful act, and it won’t happen overnight. You see, His life must replace our life – Christ living His life through us as our life. This is what the Apostle Paul meant when he said “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” As Paul submitted to the lordship of Christ and progressively died to Self the nature of Christ replaced his carnal fleshly Self nature. He became Christlike. Christlikeness is every saint’s destiny, “to be conformed to the image (nature) of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.”

Frances Frangipane said it best: “As awesome as being forgiven is, the Son of God did not lay down His life only to secure our forgiveness; the eternal goal of His sacrifice was to secure our full transformation. Forgiveness is but the first stage of transformation.” Our metamorphosis is to become new creations, to progressively become beacons of radiant light reflecting the holy nature of Christ to a world drowning in sin’s darkness. “For neither is circumcision now of any importance, nor uncircumcision, but only a new creation, the result of a new birth and a new nature in Christ Jesus, the Messiah.” (Amplified Bible)

FORGIVENESS IS BUT THE FIRST STAGE OF TRANSFORMATION

(2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 6:15, 2:20; Rom. 8:29 Amplified Bible)

GOOD PLEASURE

Five times scripture records the “Good Pleasure” God has in His willing and working in the lives of His saints:

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing... Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will … In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself … Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom … For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure … Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power."

“Good Pleasure” is translated from the Greek eudokia, and means that which seems good or well, with the sense of will, choice, delight, pleasure and satisfaction. God’s good pleasure is not the arbitrary whim of a sovereign, but represents that which in the wisdom and love of God would contribute most to the spiritual well-being and blessing of the saint from God’s perspective and in accordance with His purposes. The delight, pleasure and satisfaction God has in willing and doing in and for His children is derived directly from the fact that what He does for them is dictated by what is eternally good for them. So… sometimes God’s willing and doing in us… hurts!

Father, fulfill all the good pleasure of your will for us which You purposed in Yourself… the good pleasure of Your Kingdom released in us. Will and do in our hearts Your good pleasure fulfilling all the good pleasure of Your goodness… the good pleasure of your work of faith and power in us, in Jesus name, Amen… So Be it!

IT IS THE FATHER’S GOOD PLEASURE

TO GIVE US HIS KINGDOM!

(Eph. 1:5, 9; Lk. 12:32; Phil. 2:13; 2 Thess. 1:11)

TRUST GOD OR FEAR THE STORM

“Yes, though I walk through the deep, sunless valley of the shadow of death, I will fear or dread no evil, for You (God) are with me … For He (God) Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. I will not, I will not, I will not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let you down nor relax My hold on you! Assuredly not! … Fear not, there is nothing to fear, for I AM with you.” (Ps. 23:4; Heb 13:5, Is. 41:10, Amplified Bible)

Overwhelming comfort: Hear the words of Hebrews 13:5 from the Wuest Greek New Testament: “For He Himself has said, and the statement is on record, I will not, I will not cease to sustain and uphold you. I will not, I will not, I will not let you down. So that, being of good courage, we are saying, the Lord is my helper. I will not fear.” “I will not let you down” is repeated three times in the original Greek text for emphasis. This technique only occurs a few times in the Bible highlighting the message in this passage as very important! This is our comfort when our heart is overwhelmed: Our Daddy Himself has stated this in the eternal record of His omnipotent word: “I will not fail you, or give up on you, or leave you without support. I will not! I will not! I will not leave you helpless, alone, forsaken, or let down! I will not relax My hold on you! Absolutely not… Not now… Not ever! So… My beloved child, Be of Good Cheer!

Ultimately, we can either trust God or fear the storm. The strength of faith -- faith that looks at God rather than the storm -- faith that knows our God is greater than any momentary affliction life can throw at us -- is its audacity to hope, giving sustaining evidence of the unseen reality of God’s presence. God’s presence during our darkest hour gives us the audacity to hope … come what may! And hope is hopeless without trust. Faith in the face of adversity is to trust (hope) in God’s goodness in spite of any apparent evidence against it, recognizing His ways are above our ways, knowing He is working all our “Things” into His eternal Good… knowing His love for us is relentless. (Rom. 8:28)

Storms never win: The Cross of Christ proves beyond any doubt… Storms never win! Rather than put our faith, hope, and trust in a certain outcome, we need to put our faith, hope, and trust in a certain Someone. Storms may cast a “shadow of death”, but it’s only a shadow, death has been defeated. Storms test and approve our faith, burning out the dross of doubt as we choose faith, hope, and trust over doubt, fear, and worry, developing “the word of our testimony.” (Rev. 12:11) And Daddy, the great I AM, is always with us… His abiding presence is always enough… more than enough…

STORMS NEVER WIN

SO... BE OF GOOD COURAGE!

TWO OPPORTUNITIES AT LIFE

Christians get two opportunities at life. The first opportunity is finite with a pre-established beginning and end. We can call this life a Dot... a heartbeat... Dot-Life, life as aliens in a fallen sin fabricated world. The second opportunity is infinite with no ending... extending into forever. We can call this life a Line... an infinite line... Line-Life, life as the redeemed children of God. Being a fickle stiff-necked people we tend to live in the Dot... live in the now. We would do well to live in the Line… live in the Blessed Hope we have in Christ. God has given us great and precious promises about Line-Life including the promise of a New Heaven and a New Earth, the new home for the righteous. Assuming the Lord tarries in His return, only two things stand between the drudging misery of Dot-Life and the love, joy, peace and sheer beauty of Line-Life, that marvelous world where we will live happily forever: Only two things: Death and Resurrection. It is a simple and obvious fact, that if we never die we will never be resurrected. As the result of sin’s curse death is an enemy of God’s people, a powerful fear provoking tool of the powers of darkness. And the disease of aging, the curse of sin, is the number one cause of death accounting for more deaths than all diseases, fatal accidents, nature’s catastrophes, and wars combined. But Wait! Romans declares “We know that all things work together for good ... according to His (IE., God’s) purposes.” So while death is an enemy, because of the death and resurrection of our Lord, death has been turned into God’s eternal good, the vehicle by which we receive our glorified bodies and enter the glory of never-ending life... Resurrection Life… Line-Life. If we never died we would never be resurrected into the joy of eternity with our Savior and our spiritual family – we would remain a Dot! Death is not the worst thing that can happen to a saint, for it leads to God’s best! Death is simply the door to Line-Life. Father, teach us how to access the essence of Line-Life now, living purposeful lives as Kingdom builders, never fearing death, ever anticipating the full reality of what awaits us when we step through death’s door.

EndNote:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”

“Death, where is your sting?
O Hades, where is your victory?”

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”

“DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY”

(Rom. 8:28; 1 Cor. 15:54-58)

DON’T STUMBLE OVER THE BRICKS

Life has a way of tossing bricks in our pathway... speed bumps on the road to eternity with our Lord. Now we know from God’s word that adversity has a purpose, for every brick... every bad, will, ultimately, be turned into eternal good for those who love God and are called by His name. The bricks of life arrive in many shapes and sizes, may be physical, financial, relational or emotional, and may be gift wrapped as a blessing. For the saint the Bible speaks of specific categories of bricks: 1) Trials and tests of faith. 2) The transforming work of the Holy Spirit. 3) Reaping what one has sown. 4) Chastening, scourging, and rebukes of the Lord. 5) Persecution for godliness. 6) The devouring attacks of the enemy, who comes to steal, kill and destroy. 7) Tests of the heart. Paul called these bricks “light affliction” that produce an eternal weight of glory... the partaking and sharing in the sufferings of Christ. Bricks are the pressures of life we feel and deal with daily, and they are all, in a sense, tests of faith meant to prod our will toward spiritual transformation -- the shaping of our nature into Christlikeness.

Worry is the way the world responds to the pressures of life, conforming to the world’s way of handling bricks. Worry is fear all dressed up, masquerading as something normal and dripping with anxiety: We all worry, right? But, for the blood bought saint, worry vents our fears, giving fear an inner voice denouncing our faith in God. Worry is unmitigated doubt! This makes worry about the worse thing a saint can do. There are only two ways to respond to bricks, Fear or Trust, and we all know what fear gets us... more bricks, for Christlikeness is at the top of our Daddy’s agenda. We must learn to trust our loving Father unequivocally and depend on Him unconditionally: He has proven His insatiable love for us. He has promised to never leave us forsaken. He has promised to turn our bad into His eternal good. We must never ever doubt that He is with us, in total control, and will take care of us. You see, we are commanded to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. If we truly love God how can we not trust Him… is love without trust even possible? Just as worry bears the fruit of fear, doubt and ultimately depression, trust bears the fruit of love, joy, and peace... even in the worse brick storm. “By their fruits you shall know them”...

THE SECRET TO WEATHERING BRICK STORMS:

TRUST IN GOD UNEQUIVOCALLY…

DEPEND ON GOD UNCONDITIONALLY…

(Rom. 8:28; 2 Cor. 4:17; 2 Tim. 1:8; 1 peter 4:13; Col. 1:24; 2 Cor. 1:5; Heb. 13:5; Matt. 7:20)