[Hedz Up] “What to Do?”

This week remind yourself of what the Lord has assigned for you to do each day. Don’t be distracted by tomorrow or yesterday. Our God loves you and is looking out for you. If you need to make changes, He will tell you. Remember to test what you are hearing: “Lord, is that You.”

Joy comes in the morning.

Have a great week!

Tithing, Giving and the Scriptures: It’s Not What You Think [Part 17]

THE TRANSITION (New Testament, Pre-Resurrection of Christ, Under Law)

What did Jesus say about tithing?

The Pharisees’ Motives (Matthew 23:23; Luke 11:37-54)

23:23Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.

37And as He spoke, a certain Pharisee asked Him to dine with him. So He went in and sat down to eat. 38When the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that He had not first washed before dinner. 39Then the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness. 40Foolish ones! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also? 41But rather give alms of such things as you have; then indeed all things are clean to you. 42But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. 43Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. 44Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like graves which are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them.” 45Then one of the lawyers answered and said to Him, “Teacher, by saying these things You reproach us also.” 46And He said, “Woe to you also, lawyers! For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. 47Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. 48In fact, you bear witness that you approve the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and you build their tombs. 49Therefore the wisdom of God also said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,’ 50that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, 51from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation. 52Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered.” 53And as He said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to assail Him vehemently, and to cross-examine Him about many things, 54lying in wait for Him, and seeking to catch Him in something He might say, that they might accuse Him.

The Pharisees got mad when Jesus challenged them about why they were doing what they were doing.

Supernatural vs. Spiritual

This may seem like a nit-picky point, but it’s important to distinguish between these two realms. By elevating aspects of the supernatural realm, like angels and demons, we give them much too much influence and authority in and over our lives. We will only begin to walk in authority over these areas in as much as we believe we have the authority. So let’s save the term “spiritual” for those things begotten of God Himself, and “supernatural” and “natural” for those realms God has already put under our authority, even though we may not yet be walking it out.

RESIST THE DEVIL by Ray Prinzing

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7)

The pre-requisite is clearly stated, “Submit yourselves therefore to God”. The Greek word for ‘submit’ is ‘hupotasso’ meaning, to set in array under. Ah, is not this the purpose for all of our present processings? Until every part of our will bows to the will of God, and then we are able to resist the devil and he must flee from us. Fully set in array under the hand of God leaves us as ‘untouchable’ to all other forces. “My Father, – is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand,” (John 10:29).

Submitted, set in array under God, does require chastening to bring about such a submission. “Shall we much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live,” (Heb. 12:9). This is an individual challenge. He is my Father, and my submission to Him is essential if I shall ever truly LIVE. Too many only exist, torn between their own desires, and what they know to be right in God. To resist the circumstance, which He plans for our proving, is to resist the God who planned the circumstance. But as we learn to submit to Him in all things, then are we able to begin resisting the devil.

The word ‘resist’ means ‘to set’ or ‘place over against’. This is easily illustrated in the realm of our thinking. To be sure, God has been, and is dealing much with the ‘mind’, for we shall be “transformed by the renewing of our mind”. The mind has long been the battleground as evil forces seek to brainwash mankind. But we find that as we PLACE TRUTH, a positive thought over against every negative thought that arises, we gain the victory over the negative realm. Deliberately place positive thoughts over against the negative. This action is prompted and enabled by the indwelling of His Spirit. The strength for this work is His but we, through His enablement, “work out our own salvation with fear and trembling”, (Phil. 2:12).

[Hedz Up] Baby Steps

This week don’t get overwhelmed with everything on your plate that needs to get done NOW! Focus on one or two at a time, then re-evaluate. Areas of stress may reveal an unhealed wound or unrealistic expectation. Reminder to ask: “Lord, what is the source of this? Is this something we need to look at?” Then follow through.

Have a calm week!

Tithing, Giving and the Scriptures: It’s Not What You Think [Part 16]

Summary of Additions to the Law of Moses

1. In all of the previous references, tithing is always mentioned as a part of the whole; tithing is still a requirement to fulfill the Law of Moses.

2. Emphasis on caring for those in ministry, the poor and widow, and the foreigner are a constant thread throughout scriptures.

3. As the time draws near to the coming of the Messiah, the scriptures reflect God’s concluding letting the Law define His relationship with His people. As long as the Law is in effect, He can only have a surface relationship with them. He refers again and again to giving His people a new heart, with His commandments written on their hearts, so it’s not doing rightly because they have to, but because it is now in their heart to do it. It is natural, because He changes their nature.

The previous entries are a good place to start in judging what is being taught in many churches as the law of the tithe. As we see where additions and clarifications were made as time passed, we will continue to see God’s intent for instituting the law in general and the tithe in particular, and hopefully bring clarity to its place in Christian life today.

What is “Supernatural”?

The supernatural realm, therefore, is simply a temporary plane of existence that God created for the expression of His love. “Super” simply means “over” or “above.” So “super”-natural is simply over or above the natural realm. We perceive the supernatural realm with our supernatural (or soulical) senses, so it is important to finetune these faculties.