THE GLORY OF THE LORD REVEALED

THE GLORY OF THE LORD HAS BEEN REVEALED

One day, after seeking the Lord for a period of three years for restored joy, and after much pressing into God and seeking him for all he had for me, he touched me in a way I'll never forget!  The God that was already inside of me, filled me with a great joy and with a glory I had never experienced before. He rewarded my hunger and he rewarded me by filling me with the joy of the Lord!  I will never forget that moment his glory was revealed in ways I had never seen before.  He touched me with glory and no man can take that from me!  I continue to press in and have since grown in the glory of the Lord.  I don't have the time or space to go into that testimony now which is for another time - but I just want to say that when God touched me in that moment, he lifted my pain and sorrow  & he made me laugh again.

He filled me with his presence in a way I had never experienced before; he filled me with such glory I had no more questions (at that moment,) and he left me hungering for even more!

Since then I haven't stopped hungering to know him more and to experience him from glory to glory!  I hunger and thirst for his Word and I hunger and thirst for his presence. I want to know him more!

For born again Christians, the Glory of the Lord HAS BEEN revealed and abides in us.  No matter what season you find yourself in, you can still live and breathe and move in him.  You still have the glory of God abiding in you and resting upon you. You still can truly say you are blessed with all spiritual blessings, and because of him, you live a life of no limits where you are in him and seated with him in heavenly places.  No matter the season, you are seated with him & the glory of God is seen in you and is released through you when you allow him to use you!  Amen!

Ephesians 2:6  and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

The prophet Isaiah prophesied that through the first advent of the coming of the Messiah (Jesus,)  the glory of the Lord would be revealed.

Isaiah 40:5 The glory of the LORD shall be revealed, And all flesh shall see it together; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” 

The word glory in the Old Testament means "heaviness," and describes one's honor, majesty, abundance, splendor and heart. 

The heavy, weighty, splendous heart of the living God! 

The heavy, weighty honor, majesty and splendor of God is revealed in Jesus Christ.

Truly the heart of God is revealed in Jesus Christ.

The glory of a person or a thing is the thing about it that makes it what it is.  The glory is not only the presence of the glorified one but the manifestation and realization of all the glorified on is.

All of that is found in Jesus Christ!

Jesus outweighs them all!

If placed on a scale with any other, Jesus Christ outweighs them all.  Anytime I think of glory, I see a balance/scale with Jesus on one side and any other on the other and Jesus tips the scale every time!

WE'VE OBTAINED GLORY

2 Thessolonians 2:14  to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

To obtain means to preserve and possess.  Through the glory of God we are preserved and through the glory of God we possess all that he is.

I'd so rather be possessed by the glory of God and I'd rather possess the glory of God than to possess or be possessed by another!

Because of Jesus, we have been given the indwelling, Spirit of God, the presence of God, the treasure of God in earthen vessels, the very glory of God, inside of us!

We have his likeness, his image, his glory living right inside of us.

THE KNOWLEDGE OF GLORY

2 Corinthians 4:6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Because of Christ we can know God! Because of Christ the glory is revealed just as was prophesied in Isaiah 40.  In the face of Christ, through the indwelling of the precious Holy Spirit, the glory of God is known. 

WHAT IS GLORY

What is glory?  It's all that is God. It's his manifested presence.  It's all he is that can not be shared. He says he won't share his glory with another. It means weighty in Hebrew and in comparison with another, there is none like him; there is none that carries more weight and when present the glory will rest upon you like a weighty blanket.   It's the manifested, tangible, presence of the living God that is seen, revealed, made clear and known.  One day the whole earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of God.  Today it is reserved for the hungry and thirsty.  If you want to experience more of God and if you want to experience the glory of God you must press into his presence with a sincere desire to know him.  You must abandon yourself and all of your selfish motives and agendas and press into him.  You must cast aside anything that will stand in the way of you pressing in to know him!  You must be willing to have him revealed even if it means you have to change!  You may very well be hanging onto a belief that you have to let go of, a sin you have to let go of, a desire you have to let go of.  You must turn to him with ALL of your heart and hunger and thirst for him like your very life depends upon it.  You must be willing to change in his presence if you are to experience the true glory of the living God because it is through his glory we are changed!

2 Corinthians 3:18  But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

You may have experienced the glory of the Lord at one level or another but according to the above scripture, we are transformed from glory to glory.  There is no stopping to experiencing and being changed by the glory of the Lord.  There is always more of God and there is always greater glory.  About the time we think we've seen or felt it all, God will reveal himself in a whole new way. We must remember God is God and we are not.  It is his glory and we are the ones needing the transformation.  How bad do you want to know him?  How much to you want to grow in relationship with him?  Do you want to know him more intimately than you ever have before?  You must hunger and thirst and press in to your relationship with him. 

The glory is tangibly felt because God is real and God's presence can be felt.  Believe me, when God's presence is manifested in fullness, you will know he is there.  God is forever omnipresent but there are times he makes his presence known and felt.  The glory is revealed in the moment.  Just imagine Ezekiel- one moment sitting by a river and the next moment he looks up and sees the glory of the Lord.  Imagine the moment Jesus takes Peter, James and John to the Mt. of Transfiguration and one moment they are in the presence of Jesus in the way they have known him and the next moment he is shining in brightness in all of his glory.  Imagine Moses, walking around a mountain and the next moment a bush is burning and the voice of God thunders from the bush.  Imagine the children of Israel, at one moment standing in the wilderness and the next moment there is a cloud hovering over millions of people or a huge cloud of fire coming between them and their enemies.  One moment he is ever present but not felt and the next moment, everything changes as he makes his presence known in power!  Glory is felt and when felt, leaves no questions as to who is felt because his presence can't be duplicated.  When released from inside of the born again Christian,  it is weighty and when present demons tremble and flee.  Your flesh may even tremble in  his presence as the atmosphere around him changes and no flesh can glory in his presence.  Yes, when the presence of God fills a temple, whether you or a church, the atmosphere changes!  The glory is the manifested, real, tangible presence of God.  The glory comes with power, presence and revelation. The glory comes with  revelation and manifestation of holiness and goodness.  The glory will cause the humble heart to repent of sin if in sin.  God is real.  God is not an imagination.  God is tangible.  God has substance and can be seen in his glory. The children of Israel saw the glory. Ezekiel saw the glory in an enfolding fire, a whirlwind and a powerful vision.  Moses saw the goodness of God pass before him. The disciples on the Mt. of Transfiguration have seen glory and even at times modern day Christians have had their eyes opened to SEE and have their senses sensitized to FEEL the manifested glory of God.  God is real and not an imagination and God IS ABLE to manifest his presence and make his glory KNOWN! The glory of God is the manifested presence of God that can be felt, sometimes seen, and can not be compared with another.  That's why it's so hard to explain.  You can't say it's like this or like that. There is no comparison.  How do you compare God to anyone or anything?  You don't!  That's why it's glory! It can't be compared and it carries genuine, manifested weight and presence!  The glory of God is the glory of God and when present, there are no questions in the heart of those who are filled or those who are genuinely seeking.

WE HAVE HIS GLORY

John 17: 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:

2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the Excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

The glory is a treasure we have been given to possess.  We hold the excellency of his power inside of us. What an honor and a privilege to be a born again Christian.  Before Christ, man was not able to have the excellency of God on the inside of them.  This is truly a treasure we should be hungry and thirsty to both experience and share.

Because of this treasure, the power inside of us is not our own.  It's his and only he gets glory for anything done through and by him.  Even the new life that we are able to live is all due to his strength and power working in us.  There is nothing in ourselves alone that we should deserve him but because of his great love, he has saved us and changed us and given us his Spirit!

LIFE BY GLORY

Our old life is passed away and in the same way the glory of God raised Christ from the dead, so the glory of God causes us to walk in newness. It's not according to our own strength but according to his glory we are able to live for him!

Romans 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

STRENGTH BY GLORY

Ephesians 3:16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man.

Because of the glory of God, we are made rich in him. Because of his glory we are strengthened daily by the might of God.

JESUS IS THE GLORY OF GOD

To know Jesus is to know God. To understand Jesus is to understand God.  To see Jesus is to see God.  To see Jesus in his fullness and his glory is to see the express image of God!

Hebrews 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:

TO BE FILLED WITH GLORY IS TO BE FILLED WITH JOY

JOY AND GLORY GO TOGETHER

If you don't like joy and if you don't like the voice of joy you will not like glory. The two go together.  If you reject the joy of the Lord you are rejecting the Lord himself and if you reject the joy of the Lord, you are rejecting glory. To reject the joy of the Lord is to say, "Lord, I don't want your glory. I want your salvation and a little dab will do you Christianity but I don't want your joy which is full of glory!"

The joy that comes from God is unspeakable. The joy that comes from God is full of glory. When a vessel is full, it spills over to others.  Every time you see great joy in the bible it comes with a sound!  In fact, in Nehemiah 8:10b where the famous scripture, "The joy of the Lord is your strength," was first written there was great noise heard because of the joy of the Lord.  It says they made great mirth that day and mirth is a word meaning great joy usually with a loud voice!  The joy that comes from God may be manifest in a shout, or laughter, or overwhelming expressions of praise but when the glory of the Lord is present with exceeding joy, there will be a joy that goes beyond earthly joy.  It is joy unspeakable.  It is joy beyond and joy above.  It is joy that is also full of glory.  It is joy with great noise and voice!  It truly is exceeding joy!

The children of Israel had just had the Word of the Lord read to them and they had gained understanding of the Lord in a way that had been lost during their captivity.  The Word of the Lord, revealed in glory, always brings great joy.  Even Jesus said he had spoken words that joy might be full and that his joy might remain in us!  The revealing of the truths of God bring great joy! That's the way it is with us- before Christ we are in captivity and then the light bulb comes on and we see the glory of the Lord revealed.  With the revealing of the glory of the Lord, great joy comes!  You can't separate the revealing of the Lord from the joy of the Lord because when the Lord is revealed there is great joy!

One Christian should never criticize another for how they express their joy!  I just say, "Try rejoicing! You may like it!"  That reminds me of a cheer from my school days,

"Try it, you'll like it! Take a tip from me! I tried it. I liked it- a Jesus victory!"

When Jesus is revealed in all of his glory, there is great joy and it is full of glory inside of you!

1 Peter 1:8  Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:

GLORY AND EXCEEDING JOY GO TOGETHER

Jude 1:24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy

Exceeding joy is extreme joy with exaltation.  Exaltation is extreme elation in raising of another and comes with rapturous excitement.  When you are filled with exceeding joy, you may praise, shout, spin, dance, jump, laugh or display great emotion.  This exceeding joy is not a quiet joy.  The true bible scholar, genuinely seeking truth, who searches this out will find in the most joyous moments, there was always a great noise. This is truly one of the deepest treasures in the bible and is a treasure available to the hungry and thirsty.

God will truly fill your innermost being with joy and laughter and that's good news for those that are or were hurting!!!!!

• I tell you the truth, the joy of the Lord is the answer to all depression and sorrow! 

• The joy of the Lord will turn sorrow into joy.

• The joy of the Lord will completely heal a broken heart. 

• The joy of the Lord will cause you to want to sing, dance, shout, laugh and celebrate the goodness of God!

• The joy of the Lord will cause you to laugh like you've never laughed before!

• The joy of the Lord is far better than anything any drug or drink could ever offer! The joy of the Lord truly is your strength!

Just in case you still don't believe me about noise and celebration take a look at the following scriptures (and there are many more:)

Psalm 126:2  Then our mouth was filled with laughter, And our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.”

Psalm 30:5-12 For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.....11-You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, 12- To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent.  O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever.

There is never silence with great joy.  The joy of the Lord will cause you to laugh, sing, dance, shout- it will cause you to do anything but be silent about God!

Praise God! I thank God that he will fill my mouth with laughter-that he cares enough about me that if I will seek him and press into his presence, desiring his glory, he truly will turn my sorrow to joy and fill my mouth with laughter. That's so much better than depression. 

If you are hurting and if you are depressed, don't let anyone hold you back from believing this!

If you are hurting and depressed, the joy of the Lord is what you need and with glory comes joy because when the glory of the Lord is revealed there is great joy!  This truly is the cure for sorrow and depression and I don't have the time or space right here to share my full testimony but God filled me with his joy and it's too late for anyone to try to tell me God won't make you laugh again!  He'll make you laugh and he'll do it beyond your wildest imagination!

HIS GLORY RESTS UPON YOU

As a born again Christian, his glory rests upon you and can be seen upon you when you allow him to shine through you.  Your stand for Christ and his glory in a public fashion may bring criticism or persecution but don't worry- happy are you because of the glory!

1 Peter 4:14 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. 15- On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.

You see, because of the glory, criticism doesn't matter.  The glory is far better than the approval of man! 

The glory is far better than acceptance in circles. 

I'd rather have God's glory and joy than anything this life can offer. 

That's what it's all about.  When you are willing to abandon all and abandon the approval of all to find him, you will find not only the knowledge of him but you will find glory and you will find great joy!

CALLED TO GLORY

2 Peter 1:3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue.

God's glory is virtuous because he is virtuous. God's glory will never lead us into ungodliness or un-holiness. There may be many that are claiming they walk in glory but if they're living and ungodly life full of deceit, selfishness, wickedness and all kinds of ungodly acts and fruits outcropping from their life, they are not walking in glory.  God's glory will call you to holiness and purity.  God's glory is good.  God's glory is the answer to everything.  Like the Psalmist, I say, "Taste and see that the Lord is good!"  We are called to glory! Amen!

The Tithe- God's Answer Supernatural Answer For the Economy

TITHE- GOD'S ANSWER ON ECONOMY

The tithes and offerings are God's answer in a failing economy!

God has an economy that works.  God's economy is working well when man's economy fails.  When men through covetousness, jealousy, greed and self-reliance find themselves in a failing economy, there is a Kingdom of God economy that is high above this world that will deliver a man from the worst of circumstances.  Man's systems fail but God's systems never fail.  If a man will allow God to bring him through a transition where his own ways and the ways of man are put to death and the ways of God are implemented, God will lead that man into blessing and success that will see him through the storms of life and bring unexpected abundant blessing.  It is God's desire that his people be blessed.  It is my desire that this Old Testament story will draw a picture of an eternal truth- that when a man chooses God's way, that man will be blessed not only in the life to come but in this life as well!

TEXT:

Malachi3: 8-12

 8 “ Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say,  ‘ In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. 

9 You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me,  Even this whole nation. 

10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, 

And try Me now in this,” Says the LORD of hosts, 

“ If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.11 “ And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes,  So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground,  Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,”  Says the LORD of hosts;   12 And all nations will call you blessed,  For you will be a delightful land,”
Says the LORD of hosts.

THE JERICHO FACTOR

Who remembers the Battle of Jericho where Joshua led the armies of Israel to defeat an entire city?  This was a city fortified with high, thick walls with armed men and guards both on the walls and inside the city protecting it.   Under God's command, an army with no weapons was able to cause the walls to fall by completely following God's instructions.

Before the battle of Jericho God had commanded that all the silver, gold, bronze and iron would be brought to the treasury of the Lord.  The above passage from Malichi talks about the tithe but in Jericho God wanted it all!  To bring all is obviously more than a tithe.  The actual definition of the word tithe in both the Hebrew and the Greek is 10% but there are times when God asks for more!  In the case of Jericho, the booty didn't even belong to the people, but rather, it belonged to God!  It wasn't their money to give a tithe off of.  It was the booty of the land and God was requiring all of what they took in their victory to be dedicated to the house of the Lord.  This is far more than a tithe.  God wanted it all!  That's what God wants with us.  He actually wants our all!  When God has our all, then he can direct us and we will have a more successful life but greed, covetousness, and fear restrain some from giving their all.  If God asked you to empty your pockets would you trust him?  If God asked you to give half of all you own would you?

Joshua 6: 19 But all the silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron, are consecrated to the LORD; they shall come into the treasury of the LORD.” (NKJV)

There was great victory in Jericho.  The fortified walls of the city had fallen after the army of Israel circled the city for 6 days and on the 7^th day at the sound of the trumpet, at God's command, the walls fell and the city was won, AS GOD HAD PROMISED!

MORE BATTLES

After Jericho there were more battles to fight.  The promised land was an entire land, not just one city.  Although there was victory at Jericho there were more battles to fight.

There are giants in the land and as they are defeated we gain territory and take land.

Every act of obedience results in land taken for God!  We graduate to new places and are able to come into all God has for us.  The promised land represented and was the inheritance of God for the children of Israel.  One of the biggest problems Israel would face and they still face today is a result of not fully obeying God in taking all the promises.

CONTINUAL OBEDIENCE

After the massive victory at Jericho, Joshua and the armies were so confident, they proceeded to the next city.  They even sent in fewer men after seeing how easily the walls of Jericho fell. Just picture it- men circling a fortified city with nothing more than a line of priests with trumpets and ordinary people following them with a shout!   With God on their side, how could they lose.  With the shout of a unified army bringing down the walls and with the power of God on their side, why should they send all the men?  At this point Joshua did not know that a sin had been committed in Jericho that would affect future battles.

Joshua 7: 1 But the children of Israel committed a trespass regarding the accursed things, for Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed things; so the anger of the LORD burned against the children of Israel. 

Here, in Joshua 7:1, Joshua still did not know Achan had taken some of the accursed thing that God had warned the children of Israel to stay away from in Jericho.  This was the first mention of the sin that took place in Jericho, the place of a past victory.  Ai was to be the next city taken after Jericho.  Sometimes we think that one victory ensures the next victory but it doesn't.  The obedience before the battle is what guarantees present victories which is why we have to have continual obedience to God.

GOD SEES WHAT MAN DOESN'T SEE- GOD KNEW

It was God that told Joshua about the sin but God didn't tell him until they had lost a battle.  After all the children of Israel had been through and after all they had seen you would think every single person would have learned to obey but Achan's temptation and covetousness overtook him and it affected the entire army.  God had commanded in Joshua 6 before going into Jericho to stay away from the accursed thing and Achan had taken the accursed thing for himself, thereby troubling the entire camp.

Joshua 6:18 And you, by all means abstain from the accursed things, lest you become accursed when you take of the accursed things, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. 19 But all the silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron, are consecrated to the LORD; they shall come into the treasury of the LORD.” (NKJV)

DEFEAT IN THE NEXT CITY

Now after such a victory in Jericho, Joshua was ready to send an army into the next city.  After all, God had told them to take an entire area, not just one city so in Joshua's mind, it was onward and upward toward the high call of God into victory after victory and then more victory!  The story continues but not according to planned.  The unexpected loss was a surprise for the bold leader, his army and his camp:

Joshua 7:2 Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth Aven, on the east side of Bethel, and spoke to them, saying, “Go up and spy out the country.” So the men went up and spied out Ai  .3 And they returned to Joshua and said to him, “Do not let all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai. Do not weary all the people there, for the people of Ai are few.” 4 So about three thousand men went up there from the people, but they fled before the men of Ai. 5 And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six men, for they chased them from before the gate as far as Shebarim, and struck them down on the descent; therefore the hearts of the people melted and became like water.

THE TRUTH COMES OUT-THE SIN OF ACHAN

  
Joshua fell on his face to seek the Lord. After all, God had promised victory in the promised land!

Joshua 7:10 So the LORD said to Joshua: “Get up! Why do you lie thus on your face? 11 Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. For they have even taken some of the accursed things, and have both stolen and deceived; and they have also put it among their own stuff. 12 Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they have become doomed to destruction. Neither will I be with you anymore, unless you destroy the accursed from among you.

GOD TOLD JOSHUA TO GET UP!

GOD TOLD JOSHUA THE REAL PROBLEM!

SOMEBODY WAS ROBBING GOD AND HIDING IT BUT GOD KNEW IT!

ACHAN HAD TO DIE! (This represents the sin of man that hinders the blessing!)

THE TWO SINS OF ACHAN

Joshua 7:20 And Achan answered Joshua and said, “Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and this is what I have done: 21 When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. And there they are, hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent, with the silver under it.”
22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and there it was, hidden in his tent, with the silver under it. 23 And they took them from the midst of the tent, brought them to Joshua and to all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the LORD. 

Achan had taken what was appointed to be consecrated to God and hidden it among his own stuff.  There is always a tendency to hide sin but there is especially a tendency to hide sin when that sin involves robbing God!  What would tempt a man to rob from God?  Why would a man not trust God, give him what rightfully belongs to him, keep his own hands off of it and as a result see the victories God has for him?  

HE COVETED AND HE STOLE

COVETED:  Verse 21 says saw the Babylonian garment, the silver and gold.

HE TOOK: Verse 21 says that after he saw it, he took it!

WHAT WAS THE ACCURSED THING AND WHY WAS IT CURSED

Accursed defined:

1)a thing devoted, thing dedicated, ban, devotion

2) a net, thing perforated

3) have been utterly destroyed, (appointed to) utter destruction

The accursed thing is something that has been set aside, devoted and banned to utter destruction.  It is something that has been perforated from man, or set apart as untouchable.  Isn't that what the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was in the garden?  It was the ONE untouchable thing in the garden yet mankind (both male and female) just could not leave it alone.  They coveted and they partook.  Here, Achan coveted and he took.  God did not want the children of Israel craving in any way the idols, the wealth or the belongings and practices of the people in the opposing camp.  He also required obedience if they were to be victorious in every city.  We are there to take the city, not for the city to take us!  We are there to take the city, not to become like the city.  The world should crave what we have!  We have God, yet, so often rather than be an example and a witness for God, we allow our own covetousness to destroy our testimony!

This was about things that were set apart for God. God had said to put all the silver and gold in the treasury of the Lord. 

Joshua 6: 19 But all the silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron, are consecrated to the LORD; they shall come into the treasury of the LORD.” (NKJV)

TITHE WITHHELD AND KEPT EQUALS A CURSE

Now let's bring it all together.  Back at the starting text, we read about the tithe.  Throughout the story of Jericho and Ai, we have read about a man that took the accursed thing.  Let's look and see what the cursed thing is.  The cursed thing is anything about which  God has said, "Don't touch!"  In the case of the tithe, it belongs to God and God has said, "If you touch it, you are robbing me!"  However, not only is there a command not to touch but there is a promised blessing for obedience. 

Malachi 3:9 You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation. 10- Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this," Says the LORD of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.

God had said all the silver and gold were to go into the treasury of the Lord.  This was not only a tithe, meaning ten percent, but this was a first-fruit, meaning all of the first!  Jericho was the first city and this was the first of the silver and gold that was to be transferred out of the hands of the wicked and into the hands of the people of God.

THE TITHE BLESSES YOU WHEN GIVEN, AND CURSES YOU WHEN WITHHELD

People withhold the tithe claiming churches just want their money but that's just an excuse to withhold the tithe.  God promises that when we tithe he will open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing.  Achan's sin was in robbing the first-fruits that were dedicated to God.  God's economy is that the first tenth of a person's increase is set aside for the work of the house of God!  This is in the place of worship that you attend.  I don't have time to teach on the place and where your tithe goes, but just to say it goes to the place you worship and the minimum principle taught in the Word of God is ten percent off the top of your increase belongs to God!  Beyond that God does require offerings that are over and above the tithe.  That's why he said people had robbed him in tithes and offerings.  Whatever God asks you to do you do. Even in the New Testament, Mary, the mother of Jesus said, "Whatever he says to do, do it!"  It all belongs to him after all and with each act of obedience, there is an attached blessing but the tithe is the minimum and the tithe belongs to God!  The word tithe in the Old Testament and in the New Testament means 10%.  It is the definition of the word in both the Hebrew and the Greek language.  Whose money was it that Achan saw, coveted and kept?  It was God's!  The question in the Malachi passage is, "Will a man rob God?"  Think about it.  Do we really want to rob God?  Do we want to rob the creator of the entire earth?  Do we really believe we can hide it?  Achan apparently believed he could hide his act from God!  God had said to take all the silver and gold and put it in the treasury of the Lord.  Was this the people of Jericho's gold?  No, it was God's to give just as the land was God's to give.  God was the creator and can give it where he pleases.  In case there's any question about who owns the silver and the gold:

Hagai 2:8 'The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,' says the LORD of hosts.

Some say the New Testament changed everything and we were delivered from every curse when Jesus hung on the tree.  The following scripture is just one of the base scriptures for that false belief:

Galatians 3:13 ¹³ Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), ¹⁴ that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Now how can I argue with the fact that the bible clearly says that through Jesus, we are delivered from the curse?  I can't!  We are delivered through the cross.  Does that mean that the principles of God are no longer in effect because we have been delivered from the curse?  Emphatically I say no!  Can we continue in adultery, cheating, lying and stealing just because we have been saved by Jesus!  Absolutely  not!  Sin is still sin but Christ has delivered us from the penalty of sin!  Now we are free to live by the Spirit with the power to live our lives for God!  Now we live for him because we choose to walk according to the Spirit of God! We obey the principles of God and therefore see the blessing of God in our lives.  We cannot continue to live in sin just because we have been saved and I would say that just as surely as robbing from man and businesses is a sin, so is robbing from God!  Look at what the New Testament book of Romans says about continuing in sin after salvation:

Romans 6: ¹ What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? ² Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? ³ Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? ⁴ Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Let me just make some points about the tithe.  Those who believe they don't have to tithe will probably continue believing that.  Those who hold wholeheartedly to the principle of the tithe will continue doing so.  Maybe this will help anyone that may be wavering concerning the tithe:

·         In the New Testament, Jesus said we should tithe and not neglect weightier matters such as love and justice! (Luke 11:42)

·         Abraham tithed before the "law of God" was instituted because it was the right thing to do, recognizing that the high priest was greater than himself! (Hebrews 7:4-7)

·         Jesus is now receiving tithes in heaven which is better than the Levitical priesthood receiving them by law!  Hebrews 7:8 a Here mortal men receive tithes, but there he receives them...

DOES GOD ROB US?

Man withholds the tithe believing they will have less.  This is the perfect example of unbelief in the supernatural ability of God to bless man, not according to sight but according to faith.  God does not rob man.  Unbelief and self-reliance must be put to death with the old man if we are to live by faith in God and his principles.

THE BLESSING OF OBEDIENCE

After this sin was put to death and the accursed thing was burned in the fire, God speaks to his leader once again and this is what he says:

Joshua 8: 1 Now the LORD said to Joshua: “Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; take all the people of war with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land. 2 And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king. Only its spoil and its cattle you shall take as booty for yourselves.

Once again God speaks to Joshua, but not before the sin in the camp was dealt with!  He once again, as in times past says not to be afraid.  He also makes a precious promise- that the place that had become a place of defeat was now to be won!  He also promises that the booty of the next city would be theirs to keep!

That's how living by faith is!  Before you can see the next blessing, you must put to death the sins of the past!  You must choose to walk in the promises of God, but not on your own terms.  Instead you walk in obedience to God and his principles.

Key points:

• The coveted thing was burned.
• The thing withheld was no longer withheld.
• They gave God what was rightfully his.
• God released a blessing far beyond what was coveted and withheld.

THE PROMISE OF THE TITHE- BETTER TO FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE- THE BLESSING OF GOD!

As we can see in the story of Jericho and then Ai, once obedience was observed and the sin was put to death, God had a much greater blessing in mind that they didn't previously see.  The tithe brings the same sort of promise.  God says that if you don't rob him and withhold the tithe he will release a blessing you can't contain.

Malachi 3:10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, 

And try Me now in this,” Says the LORD of hosts, 

“ If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.

I have a great idea!  Why don't we all lay aside covetousness, trust God and renew our commitment to tithe!  Let's also commit our entire lives and tell him all that we have is available to him.  Let's not only commit to the tithe but let's bring him an offering as well.   When we commit to a lifestyle of tithes and offerings we will surely see the windows only heaven can open come flying open and pouring out a supernatural blessing on our lives!  I'd say that's a choice I want to make!

THERE IS NO LOSS

INTRO- THERE IS NO LOSS
Many  have gone through what they view as great losses in the last few years, especially in the area of the economy. There have been loss of jobs, businesses, homes, land and dreams!  I’ve come to tell you that no matter what your circumstance, as a Christian founded on the principles of God and with a life hidden with Christ, THERE IS NO LOSS!

THERE IS AN ENEMY

For the Christian, we look beyond natural circumstances.  We know that in addition to the ebbs and flows of life and the things that just happen, there is a God and there is a devil and they are at war.  The devil from the beginning has been trying to stop God and stop his plan. While it may seem like an ancient truth and while it may be an ancient truth it is still the truth and not a lie! There’s no question there is a God and there is a devil and there is a war over you! The good news is that when we stay rooted and grounded in the love of God and the foundations of Jesus Christ, no matter what things look like in the present circumstance, the reality is  THERE IS NO LOSS!

THE TEMPORAL LOSS IN RAMAH

When Jesus was born the women of Ramah suffered what looked like a great loss. Herod had all the children under the age of 2 killed.  Of course they were grieving.  I’m not here to minimize the grief those that lose children suffer.  There’s a time for grief.  Any loss brings grief.  It could be death, divorce, loss of business, loss of relationships, etc.  Any loss brings grief, however the loss of loved ones is probably the greatest grief a person could bear, especially the loss of a child.  Whatever the cause of grief, there is a time to grieve but there’s a time to get up and start again. There’s a time to laugh again!

Matthew 2:16-18
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:
18 “ A voice was heard in Ramah,
Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children,
Refusing to be comforted,
Because they are no more. (Message Bible)

Their loss was real but in light of eternity and in light of the long haul, THERE WAS NO LOSS!


THE FAILURE OF HEROD'S EVIL PLAN

Herod was jealous when he heard that the expected Messiah had come on the scene. He feared loss of position and set out to kill every child under the age of two thinking he would destroy the Holy Child.

He succeeded in taking away their natural life but he did not succeed in what he set out to do.

The devil has always sought to kill the plan of God!
That's the reason the devil tries to destroy nations.
That’s the reason for the Holocaust, the reason for the slaying in Ramah
That’s the reason for the betrayal of Judas that led to the capture of Jesus.
That’s the reason for the cross.
That’s the reason there is a devil that attacks the child of God!
That's the reason for abortion:  As I address this area of great controversy, this is the facts that need to be faced because we have a nation of grieving women.  Many would like to say these women walk away and don't blink an eye but that's a lie of the devil.  For those who have done this, there is forgiveness in God but for the babies, they are alive and THERE IS NO LOSS!


I believe in this nation we will see an end to Roe v Wade, which is a plan of the devil to bring destruction, death, grief and sorrow to this nation!

The spiritual person knows for certain there is a devil and that devil is out to destroy you and everything about you.

1 Peter 5:8  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

The devil is jealous of God and his goal is to stop the plan of God and exalt himself!
FAT CHANCE! HA HA!


THE GOOD NEWS- THERE IS NO LOSS

The good news is that there was a resurrection and that resurrection ensures restoration!

For the mothers in Ramah, they could be assured that although there was a loss of earthly relationship, their children lived on in the arms of God. Even aborted and miscarried babies live on in the arms of God.  I don't have time or space to teach on that now but I can assure you from the Word of God- THERE WAS NO LOSS!

For Jesus;  God wisely protected him from Herod’s plot and the very child the devil sought out to destroy became the very child that destroyed the works of the devil. THERE WAS NO LOSS

For us, God promises that though we fall seven times we get back up. God promises to restore many times over what the devil stole.  THERE WAS NO LOSS

INCREASE:  God is ever increasing and we are ever increasing in him!  Although we are pruned we grow back stronger.  Although we are shaken, only what is strong remains and we are rebuilt stronger.  We can go through storms, loss of temporal things but God restores it all and always gives us more than before!  We may lose loved ones but we are assured of restoration and reunion.  In God, THERE IS NO LOSS!

THERE IS NO LOSS TO THE CHILD OF GOD WHOSE LIFE IS FOUNDED IN HIM!


THE DEVIL NEVER SUCCEEDS- HIS IMAGINATIONS ARE IN VAIN

The devil never succeeds and we never lose when our life is founded in Christ.
Let’s join God and mockingly laugh at the devil at his futile attempt to stop the child of God because in God,
THERE IS NO LOSS
Psalm 2: 1-8
1 Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together,
Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying,
3 “Let us break Their bonds in pieces
And cast away Their cords from us.”
4 He who sits in the heavens shall laugh;
The Lord shall hold them in derision.
5 Then He shall speak to them in His wrath,
And distress them in His deep displeasure:6 “Yet I have set My King
On My holy hill of Zion.”
7 “I will declare the decree:
The LORD has said to Me,
‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.8 Ask of Me, and I will give You
The nations for Your inheritance, 
And the ends of the earth for Your possession. 

THIS IS WHY I LAUGH IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY

I’M LAUGHING WITH GOD AND I’M ASKING FOR NATIONS AND FOR EVERYTHING HE’S PROMISED IN MY INHERITANCE.  I’M LAUGHING BECAUSE I KNOW GOD HAS GREAT THINGS IN STORE FOR ME.  I’M LAUGHING BECAUSE GOD IS ON MY SIDE AND WILL GIVE ME WHAT I ASK OF HIM, EVEN IF IT’S ENTIRE NATIONS!  I’M LAUGHING  BECAUSE IN HIM:

THERE IS NO LOSS!