And Moses said to the heads or leaders of the tribes of Israel, This is the thing which the Lord has commanded: 2 If a man vows a vow to the Lord or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break and profane his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth. Numbers 30:1-2 AMP

In this day and age, it is becoming rarer to find a person who always keeps his or her word. So many people today think nothing of promising what they cannot or will not deliver. They don’t ever plan on keeping their word, but they give it anyway. They promise to do something and then “forget” and never show up; they promise to pay something and then default on the loan; they marry and promise to be faithful and then they cheat on their spouse; they promise to give something and then never follow through. It is time for us as Christians to come clean and make a fresh start. If you make a promise or a pledge or a commitment, you should do everything you can to fulfill it.

It is a snare to a man to utter a vow [of consecration] rashly and [not until] afterward inquire [whether he can fulfill it]. Proverbs 20:25 AMP

You cannot and should not make a promise if you have no idea whether or not you have the means to actually keep that promise. If you make it a priority to always keep your word then you will not be rash with your promises. If you commit to keep your vows, then you will be careful to promise only what you are prepared to fulfill.

Vow and pay to the Lord your God; let all who are round about Him bring presents to Him Who ought to be [reverently] feared. Psalms 76:11 AMP

Some people solve the problem of unfulfilled vows, by never committing to anything. This is not a solution. You need to commit to give to the Lord in as many areas as you can—generously. He is so generous with you and me! You need to decide for yourself what you will give—of your time; your effort; your money—and you need to give it freely and joyfully.

I will come into Your house with burnt offerings [of entire consecration]; I will pay You my vows, 14 Which my lips uttered and my mouth promised when I was in distress. Psalms 66:13-14 AMP

Many people make all kinds of promises to God while they are in distress, but when He comes through for them, and when they are all fine and dandy, they just conveniently forget about the vow they made. These people have no respect for Almighty God. It is very important that we acknowledge God’s hand in our deliverance. It is very rude to ignore the One Who saved you. If you made God a promise in exchange for His help, then you must follow through and keep your word to Him. He did what you asked of Him and He expects you to do what you said you would.

When you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not be slack in paying it, for the Lord your God will surely require it of you, and slackness would be sin in you. 22 But if you refrain from vowing, it will not be sin in you. 23 The vow which has passed your lips you shall be watchful to perform, a voluntary offering which you have made to the Lord your God, which you have promised with your mouth. Deuteronomy 23:21-23 AMP

When you make a vow to the Lord, you should not be slack in paying it. God requires that you keep your word. It is a sin for you to be slack in your promise.

Be not rash with your mouth, and let not your heart be hasty to utter a word before God. For God is in heaven, and you are on earth; therefore let your words be few. 3 For a dream comes with much business and painful effort, and a fool’s voice with many words. 4 When you vow a vow or make a pledge to God, do not put off paying it; for God has no pleasure in fools (those who witlessly mock Him). Pay what you vow. 5 It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. 6 Do not allow your mouth to cause your body to sin, and do not say before the messenger [the priest] that it was an error or mistake. Why should God be [made] angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands? 7 For in a multitude of dreams there is futility and worthlessness, and ruin in a flood of words. But [reverently] fear God [revere and worship Him, knowing that He is]. Ecclesiastes 5:2-7 AMP

Don’t be rash with your mouth; don’t be hasty to make promises before God. It’s great to have plans and dreams, but it takes much time and effort to make them happen. Just because you talk about doing something, doesn’t mean it will just happen. You need to work the dream; you need to do what you say you’ll do. Pay what you vow. It is better to never make a promise than to promise and not keep it. Don’t just be a talker, be a doer. If you will keep your word to God, He will keep His word to you.

 

Now the mind of the flesh [which is sense and reason without the Holy Spirit] is death [death that comprises all the miseries arising from sin, both here and hereafter]. But the mind of the [Holy] Spirit is life and [soul] peace [both now and forever]. 7[That is] because the mind of the flesh [with its carnal thoughts and purposes] is hostile to God, for it does not submit itself to God’s Law; indeed it cannot. 8 So then those who are living the life of the flesh [catering to the appetites and impulses of their carnal nature] cannot please or satisfy God, or be acceptable to Him.  Romans 8:6-8 AMP

Without Christ in your life, your mind is carnal, fleshly, and worldly. Even if you do receive Jesus as Lord and Savior, you still need to renew your mind to the word and submit it to both your own recreated spirit and the working of the Holy Spirit so that you can please God, have peace of mind, and live a godly life.

And you [He made alive], when you were dead (slain) by [your] trespasses and sins 2 In which at one time you walked [habitually]. You were following the course and fashion of this world [were under the sway of the tendency of this present age], following the prince of the power of the air. [You were obedient to and under the control of] the [demon] spirit that still constantly works in the sons of disobedience [the careless, the rebellious, and the unbelieving, who go against the purposes of God]. 3 Among these we as well as you once lived and conducted ourselves in the passions of our flesh [our behavior governed by our corrupt and sensual nature], obeying the impulses of the flesh and the thoughts of the mind [our cravings dictated by our senses and our dark imaginings].

 

We were then by nature children of [God’s] wrath and heirs of [His] indignation, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God–so rich is He in His mercy! Because of and in order to satisfy the great and wonderful and intense love with which He loved us, 5 Even when we were dead (slain) by [our own] shortcomings and trespasses, He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ; [He gave us the very life of Christ Himself, the same new life with which He quickened Him, for] it is by grace (His favor and mercy which you did not deserve) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ’s salvation).  Ephesians 2:1-5 AMP

Before you met Christ, you were dead in your sin. If you had died physically, you would have gone straight to hell. Sin and darkness reigned in your spirit, your mind, and your body. You did not know any better. You were just imitating everyone around you and following the ways of the world. You were under the influence of society and demon spirits, your behavior governed by your corrupt and sensual nature; obeying the impulses of your flesh and the thoughts of your mind. Your cravings were dictated by your senses and your sinful imaginations. However, because God loved you so much, He sent Jesus Christ to take your place, to bear your sin and your judgment. You were in Him when He died and in Him when He was made alive. Because of Jesus, your life is redeemed – the first step toward peace of mind and freedom from the devil and the world’s system.

Strip yourselves of your former nature [put off and discard your old unrenewed self] which characterized your previous manner of life and becomes corrupt through lusts and desires that spring from delusion; 23 And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude], 24 And put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God’s image, [Godlike] in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:22-24 AMP

Some people are born again, but they have never given their mind and flesh completely over to the Lord. They are still in bondage to sin, death, and the devil. Sin is deceptive – it promises freedom and happiness, but it delivers only bondage, fear, and darkness. If you want to walk free from the bondage of a carnal mind, you need to make some choices. No one else can choose for you. You are the only one who can make these choices for you.

 

You need to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior in every area of your life: you need to choose to believe God’s word; you need to make a decision to walk free from sin and death; you need to strip off your former nature (your old unrenewed self) that was corrupted through the lusts and desires that spring from delusion; you need to choose life. You need to make a decision to allow God’s word access into your life, daily, to change everything in you and, therefore, everything in your life. You need to work constantly to renew your mind and refresh your attitude. You need to put on your new nature – which is created in God’s image – in true righteousness and holiness, by obeying God’s word.

Ephesians 5:26 AMP says that Christ sanctifies the church, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word, so that He might present the church to Himself in glorious splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such things and so that she might be holy and faultless. Submit yourself to the word. Allow it to penetrate you heart and mind and change you from the inside out. The more you submit your life to the word of God and the work of the Holy Spirit, the more freedom and peace are released into you!

I have been crucified with Christ [in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ (the Messiah) lives in me; and the life I now live in the body I live by faith in (by adherence to and reliance on and complete trust in) the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself up for me. Galatians 2:20 AMP

 

Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 Because we know that Christ (the Anointed one), being once raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has power over Him. Romans 6:8-9 AMP

 

I have been crucified with Christ. I was in Jesus when He died on the cross. I was in Jesus when He was raised from the dead. Death no longer has any power over me. The moment my faith connects with His promise, this becomes my reality. I am transformed from the inside out – a new creature in Christ. My life is not governed merely by external regulations, but it is led, guided and prompted by the Holy Spirit. I don’t live a life dictated and controlled by the flesh. I no longer fear the wrath of God. I live a life of absolute faith and implicit trust with one goal – to please Him and only Him.

 

I am not perfect yet – I am a work in progress. However, the more I come to know Him; the more I come into a revelation of His word, His character, and His plan for me – the more I realize how awesome He is, the more I fall in love with Him, and the more I commit my life into His hands. I no longer live just for me, I live for Him and He lives big on the inside of me. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me, and the life I now live here in the flesh, on the earth, I live by faith in my precious Lord and Savior, Who loved me so much He gave me His all – He gave Himself up for me.

 

For me to live is Christ [His life in me], and to die is gain [the gain of the glory of eternity]. 22 If, however, it is to be life in the flesh and I am to live on here, that means fruitful service for me; so I can say nothing as to my personal preference [I cannot choose], 23 But I am hard pressed between the two. My yearning desire is to depart (to be free of this world, to set forth) and be with Christ, for that is far, far better; 24 But to remain in my body is more needful and essential for your sake. 25 Since I am convinced of this, I know that I shall remain and stay by you all, to promote your progress and joy in believing, 26 So that in me you may have abundant cause for exultation and glorying in Christ Jesus, through my coming to you again. Philippians 1:21-26 AMP

I am in love with Jesus. I have a revelation of what it means to have everlasting life. I will never die, but I will live eternally in God’s presence. I have eternal life right now. If my body dies, I (my spirit) will live on with Him forever. I already died the death of the cross the day I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. That old man is dead. That old sin nature is dead. No one can ever steal from me my resurrection life, purchased with the precious blood of the Lamb. I have glimpsed eternity and I am no longer afraid of death.

 

Because I have crucified my flesh and counted the things of earth as dung, it makes no difference to me if I live here or if I live in heaven. My heart’s desire is rather to be in His glorious presence, but while I still live here on earth, there is work to be done. It is better for those who need Jesus that I remain and labor in the harvest field. For me to live is Christ and to die is gain. Either way I win!

 

None of us lives to himself [but to the Lord], and none of us dies to himself [but to the Lord, for] 8 If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or we die, we belong to the Lord. 9 For Christ died and lived again for this very purpose, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. Romans 14:7-9 AMP

 

Whether we live or we die, we belong to the Lord. We don’t live for ourselves alone – we are accountable to Him. Whether we live or die, we will always belong to Him. We no longer live to and for ourselves, but to and for Him, Who died and was raised again for our sake.

 

For the love of Christ controls and urges and impels us, because we are of the opinion and conviction that [if] one died for all, then all died; 15 And He died for all, so that all those who live might live no longer to and for themselves, but to and for Him Who died and was raised again for their sake. 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 AMP

 

For thus says the Lord of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake and make tremble the [starry] heavens, the earth, the sea, and the dry land; 7 And I will shake all nations and the desire and the precious things of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with splendor, says the Lord of hosts. 8 The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine, says the Lord of hosts. 9 The latter glory of this house [with its successor, to which Jesus came] shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts; and in this place will I give peace and prosperity, says the Lord of hosts. Haggai 2:6-9 AMP

God says, “I will shake the nations and the desire and the precious things – the treasures – of all nations shall come in.” Come in where? Come into the hands of the just.

A good man leaves an inheritance [of moral stability and goodness] to his children’s children, and the wealth of the sinner [finds its way eventually] into the hands of the righteous, for whom it was laid up. Proverbs 13:22 AMP

The wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just! This treasure will come into the hands of the righteous, who have been faithful with their tithes and offerings.

Will a man rob or defraud God? Yet you rob and defraud Me. But you say, In what way do we rob or defraud You? [You have withheld your] tithes and offerings. 9 You are cursed with the curse, for you are robbing Me, even this whole nation. 10 Bring all the tithes (the whole tenth of your income) into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and prove Me now by it, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. 11 And I will rebuke the devourer [insects and plagues] for your sakes and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground, neither shall your vine drop its fruit before the time in the field, says the Lord of hosts. 12 And all nations shall call you happy and blessed, for you shall be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts. Malachi 3:8-12 AMP

God says that His people rob and defraud Him when they withhold their tithes and offerings. Notice that not only do they rob Him by holding back tithes, but they rob Him by holding back offerings too. A tithe is a tenth – the first tenth – of your income and it goes to the place where you get fed the Word of God. If you don’t have a church, you really need to find one. Wherever you are getting fed is where your tithe needs to go. Then – once you have paid your tithe – don’t forget to pray about your offerings and cheerfully sow them into good ground.

If you are stingy, selfish and covetous, not only will you be robbing God, but you will be robbing yourself. It is so important that you and I are faithful with our giving to ensure that we are positioned appropriately for this great end-time transfer of wealth! The purpose of this end-time transfer is for the funding of the end-time harvest – to bring in the greatest harvest of souls that the world has ever seen and the end-time purposes of God will be made manifest!

So be patient, brethren, [as you wait] till the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits expectantly for the precious harvest from the land. [See how] he keeps up his patient [vigil] over it until it receives the early and late rains. James 5:7 AMP

The husbandman (the farmer) waits patiently for the precious fruit of the earth. The precious fruit of the earth is people and it is going to take a great release of finances to get the job done!

Come now, you rich [people], weep aloud and lament over the miseries (the woes) that are surely coming upon you. 2 Your abundant wealth has rotted and is ruined, and your [many] garments have become moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver are completely rusted through, and their rust will be testimony against you and it will devour your flesh as if it were fire. You have heaped together treasure for the last days. James 5:1-3 AMP

The rich people, who trust in their riches rather than in God, have heaped together treasures for the last days. These are the last days! It is now time to see the release of these finances into the hands of God’s ambassadors so the nations can be shaken by the power of God! God says, “The silver and the gold are mine” and also that He is going to fill this glorious end-time church with splendor. God is going to bless His church in a major way, but only as they obey Him and make His priority their priority. As we, the Church, go to shake the nations, God will fill His Church with His splendor and place the silver and the gold into our hands.

The wealth of the sinner is coming into the hands of God’s people for God’s purposes! Make sure that you are doing your part so that God can do His part and the nations will be shaken!

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.  Hebrews 4:12 NIV

So shall My word be that goes forth out of My mouth: it shall not return to Me void [without producing any effect, useless], but it shall accomplish that which I please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.  Isaiah 55:11 AMP

Rodney Howard Browne shows us that God’s Word is alive and active and it is always productive and prosperous. When God wants to do something, He speaks it and it happens. There is power in His Word! God’s Word always produces and what it produces is always positive and always good. It is never useless, ineffective, or unproductive when it comes out of God’s mouth. God’s Word accomplishes what He pleases and purposes and it prospers in the thing for which He sends it. If you believe God’s Word and speak it in faith, it will produce for you too.

The devil knows the awesome power of the Word of God and he knows that he is powerless before, and defeated by, the Word. He does not want you to know the power of God’s Word, because you will use it against him to thwart his evil plans and to defeat him, and so he works to a) keep you ignorant of God’s Word, b) to get you to mix it in and dilute it with religion and tradition, and c) for you not to believe in it. 

IGNORANCE
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.  Hosea 4:6a AMP

God’s Word is the evidence that God is in control and that the devil is defeated. The Word gives you the key to being free of the devil’s influence and control and the key to living a victorious life. If you don’t know what God’s Word says, you don’t know what your rights and privileges are and you have no knowledge and no ability to defend yourself against the devil, giving him an opportunity to destroy your life.

RELIGION AND TRADITION
But He said to them, Excellently and truly [so that there will be no room for blame] did Isaiah prophesy of you, the pretenders and hypocrites, as it stands written: These people [constantly] honor Me with their lips, but their hearts hold off and are far distant from Me. 7 In vain (fruitlessly and without profit) do they worship Me, ordering and teaching [to be obeyed] as doctrines the commandments and precepts of men. 8 You disregard and give up and ask to depart from you the commandment of God and cling to the tradition of men [keeping it carefully and faithfully]. 9 And He said to them, You have a fine way of rejecting [thus thwarting and nullifying and doing away with] the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition (your own human regulations)! 10 For Moses said, Honor (revere with tenderness of feeling and deference) your father and your mother, and, He who curses or reviles or speaks evil of or abuses or treats improperly his father or mother, let him surely die. 11 But [as for you] you say, A man is exempt if he tells [his] father or [his] mother, What you would otherwise have gained from me [everything I have that would have been of use to you] is Corban, that is, is a gift [already given as an offering to God], 12 Then you no longer are permitting him to do anything for [his] father or mother [but are letting him off from helping them]. 13 Thus you are nullifying and making void and of no effect [the authority of] the Word of God through your tradition, which you [in turn] hand on. And many things of this kind you are doing.  Mark 7:6-13 AMP

Rodney Howard Browne teaches us that Religious tradition is the invention of man, not God. The devil uses tradition to dilute the Word of God and also to distract people from what is truly important. People worship God, but the Word says that they do it in vain when they reject the commandment of God and cling to religious tradition. Religious tradition nullifies the Word of God and makes it ineffective in your life, opening a door for the devil to keep you defeated and in bondage.   

UNBELIEF
For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.  Hebrews 4:2 KJV

The Word of God can be preached to you, but unless you believe it and have faith in it then it is dead to you – it will not profit you or benefit you and it will have no value to you. You have to mix faith with the Word of God.

What do you need to do to prosper and be blessed as God has planned for you? A) Study God’s Word and His commandments – believe them, receive them, obey them, and do them. B) Focus on God’s Word and keep your attention on it. Do not allow religious tradition to distract you or disarm you. Keep God’s Word in your mind and heart and mouth. C) Speak it in faith and see it go forth and produce good fruit as you promote God’s will and His kingdom on the earth.

No servant is able to serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stand by and be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (riches, or anything in which you trust and on which you rely). 14 Now the Pharisees, who were covetous and lovers of money, heard all these things [taken together], and they began to sneer at and ridicule and scoff at Him. 15 But He said to them, You are the ones who declare yourselves just and upright before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted and highly thought of among men is detestable and abhorrent (an abomination) in the sight of God.  Luke 16:13-15 AMP

 

Jesus says that a person cannot serve these two masters – God and mammon. Mammon is riches, money, possessions, or anything in which you trust and on which you rely. God and mammon are diametrically opposed to each other and you will always end up choosing one over the other. When you choose to serve one you are in effect rejecting the other. Nobody can avoid this choice. Every single person on the earth makes the choice either for God or their stuff. You cannot love God and love mammon. You cannot trust in mammon and trust in God at the same time. If you trust in mammon it is because you do not trust God to supply what you need or to take care of you.

 

If you truly trust in God, then you will not be dependant on money or possessions – it makes no difference to you whether you have any or not – you know that God will take care of you on a daily basis. If you do not trust God to take care of you and supply your needs, you will be clinging to your mammon for dear life. The Pharisees were supposed to be spiritual leaders, but they did not love God anywhere near as much as they loved money. The very reason that they were angry and offended at Jesus is because they were covetous and lovers of money. If they were not, they would not have been offended at all. Jesus hit the nail on the head and exposed their sin and so they reacted violently. Instead of receiving the word and humbling their hearts before God, they derided Jesus – they sneered at Him, ridiculed Him, and scoffed at Him. This is a religious spirit.

 

A religious spirit hates it when you talk about money and giving and being a blessing. A religious spirit makes the appearance of being humble, but in reality it is very proud at heart. A religious spirit makes the appearance of honoring God, but it is serves and promotes itself. A religious spirit makes the appearance of obeying God, but it does what it thinks is right without asking God what He wants. Many religious people are sincere, but they have been taught wrong principles and ideas by their religious leaders and they just don’t know what the word of God actually says about their situation.

 

The devil likes to cloak himself in religion and deceive people into rejecting the living word of God that will break bondages and bind him up. The devil knows that if you tithe, God will rebuke him and not allow him to destroy you or your family. The devil knows that if you get a hold of God’s word and begin to put God first in your life and begin to obey Him in your giving, that God will begin to bless and prosper you. The devil is going to try to prevent people from getting to the truth because when they know the truth, they will realize that they can take authority over him!

 

Colossians 3:5 AMP says, “So kill (deaden, deprive of power) the evil desire lurking in your members [those animal impulses and all that is earthly in you that is employed in sin]: sexual vice, impurity, sensual appetites, unholy desires, and all greed and covetousness, for that is idolatry (the deifying of self and other created things instead of God).”  Covetousness is idolatry. You worship money and stuff instead of God. 1 Timothy 6:10 AMP says that, “the love of money is a root of all evils; it is through this craving that some have been led astray and have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves through with many acute [mental] pangs.” Covetousness will cause you to sin – to be jealous of what others have, to steal from them, to lie, and even to kill. The devil wants to control and destroy you and if he can get you to make mammon your idol, he can do both!

 

Luke 12:15 AMP says, “And He said to them, Guard yourselves and keep free from all covetousness (the immoderate desire for wealth, the greedy longing to have more); for a man’s life does not consist in and is not derived from possessing overflowing abundance or that which is over and above his needs.”  Covetousness, according to the Amplified Bible, is the immoderate desire for wealth and the greedy longing to have more. Covetousness will cause you to reject God in your pursuit of possessions. The most important thing you need is eternal life and this you can only get from God. Money cannot buy salvation. The devil knows this and this is why he tries to fill you with either fear or arrogance or both – so that you will keep your focus on your stuff and trust in your stuff and neglect to pursue God, Who holds the key to heaven and your freedom.   

   

Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions] and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]; 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 ( relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]  Hebrews 13:5 AMP

For Christ (the Messiah) sent me out not to baptize but [to evangelize by] preaching the glad tidings (the Gospel), and that not with verbal eloquence, lest the cross of Christ should be deprived of force and emptied of its power and rendered vain (fruitless, void of value, and of no effect). 18 For the story and message of the cross is sheer absurdity and folly to those who are perishing and on their way to perdition, but to us who are being saved it is the [manifestation of] the power of God.  1 Corinthians 1:17-18 AMP

 

The message of the Gospel is so simple, so powerful, and so anointed that it does not need to be preached with fancy words in order to be effectively communicated to people. People whose hearts are not open to the Gospel story think that it is absurd nonsense, but those who have opened their hearts to the Gospel and received it, through faith, have seen and experienced the manifestation of the power of God.

 

For it is written, I will baffle and render useless and destroy the learning of the learned and the philosophy of the philosophers and the cleverness of the clever and the discernment of the discerning; I will frustrate and nullify [them] and bring [them] to nothing. 20 Where is the wise man (the philosopher)? Where is the scribe (the scholar)? Where is the investigator (the logician, the debater) of this present time and age? Has not God shown up the nonsense and the folly of this world’s wisdom? 21 For when the world with all its earthly wisdom failed to perceive and recognize and know God by means of its own philosophy, God in His wisdom was pleased through the foolishness of preaching [salvation, procured by Christ and to be had through Him], to save those who believed (who clung to and trusted in and relied on Him).  1 Corinthians 1:19-21 AMP

 

God cannot be found in the multitude of man’s philosophy. Philosophy is a product of the human brain – the carnal mind. They see the Gospel as mere foolishness. The more they try to understand God, the less they do understand Him. The carnal mind is an enemy of God. Romans 8:6-7 AMP says, “Now the mind of the flesh [which is sense and reason without the Holy Spirit] is death [death that comprises all the miseries arising from sin, both here and hereafter]. But the mind of the [Holy] Spirit is life and [soul] peace [both now and forever]. [That is] because the mind of the flesh [with its carnal thoughts and purposes] is hostile to God, for it does not submit itself to God’s Law; indeed it cannot.” Unless you approach the Gospel with an open mind and a heart of faith, you will never receive it or understand it. Philosophy wants to figure it out and understand it before it believes it, but faith simply receives and accepts it as it is, and therefore understands it.

 

For while Jews [demandingly] ask for signs and miracles and Greeks pursue philosophy and wisdom, 23 We preach Christ (the Messiah) crucified, [preaching which] to the Jews is a scandal and an offensive stumbling block [that springs a snare or trap], and to the Gentiles it is absurd and utterly unphilosophical nonsense. 24 But to those who are called, whether Jew or Greek (Gentile), Christ [is] the Power of God and the Wisdom of God. 25[This is] because the foolish thing [that has its source in] God is wiser than men, and the weak thing [that springs] from God is stronger than men.

1 Corinthians 1:22-25 AMP

 

Unbelief will blind your eyes to the truth. The Jews had already decided how the Messiah would come and what He would do. Because of their preconceived ideas and religious conceit, their eyes were blinded to the truth. The Jews closed their minds and would not accept Jesus for Who He was – they did not consider or recognize the fruit of His ministry before or after His death – and they refused to believe that He was Who He said He was. Even though He performed miracles in front of their very eyes, they were not satisfied. Instead of believing in Him for the miracles they had seen, they asked for more miracles. As the saying goes, “There are none so blind, as those who will not see.”  The truth cannot be found by those who do not want to know or acknowledge the truth.

 

The Gospel is diametrically opposed to human wisdom, which has its source in carnality and worldliness. Human wisdom is contaminated by sin, demonic ideas and the lusts of the flesh. The Gentiles value human philosophy, education and intellectual pursuits, which do not accommodate the truth of the Gospel. They stumble over the simplicity of the Gospel. They are so much “in their head” that they cannot receive the truth that is right in front of their face. They have set ideas and cannot receive anything that goes against their view of life. They do not leave room for anything different from what they already perceive as truth. Because they can’t make sense of it, they do not appreciate its value.

 

God never does things in a certain way just because we expect Him to and He is not limited to our idea of Him. It is we who must open up our hearts and accept and believe His word just as it is. It is we who must receive Him for Who He says He is, by faith, in order to experience the power of His word in our lives. 

For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”  Mark 8:38 NKJV

 

We live in an adulterous and sinful generation; a generation which has no fear of God; a generation that calls bad good and good bad; a generation that mocks and persecutes those who serve and fear God and who obey His word. If you want to be popular, you will go with the crowd, but if you want to honor God, you will definitely be swimming upstream against the flow of the ungodly. The devil will not let you just quietly serve God, he will stir up people to get you to back down and deny the blood of Jesus, because that is what you are doing when you are ashamed of the Lord and of the gospel. You have to realize that the darker the world gets, the more even a small light will shine. You cannot hide your light and if you can’t hide it then you might as well let it shine brightly!

 

Sometimes people are ashamed of their family, but they are usually very careful not to act like it in front of them so that they don’t offend them. It hurts to know that a family member is ashamed of you. It is even worse to be ashamed of Jesus, Who poured out His blood for you on the cross. Jesus wasn’t ashamed to hang on a cross and take abuse for you! If you are afraid of what people think of you and you allow their opinions to cause you to be ashamed of Jesus then you trample His blood underfoot. 

 

If you are a Christian, washed in the blood of Jesus, there is nothing to be ashamed of. If you are ashamed of Jesus and His word, He will be ashamed of you when He comes. You don’t want Jesus to be ashamed of you!

 

For both He Who sanctifies [making men holy] and those who are sanctified all have one [Father]. For this reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren; 12 For He says, I will declare Your [the Father’s] name to My brethren; in the midst of the [worshiping] congregation I will sing hymns of praise to You. 13 And again He says, My trust and assured reliance and confident hope shall be fixed in Him. And yet again, Here I am, I and the children whom God has given Me. 14 Since, therefore, [these His] children share in flesh and blood [in the physical nature of human beings], He [Himself] in a similar manner partook of the same [nature], that by [going through] death He might bring to nought and make of no effect him who had the power of death–that is, the devil–15 And also that He might deliver and completely set free all those who through the [haunting] fear of death were held in bondage throughout the whole course of their lives. 16 For, as we all know, He [Christ] did not take hold of angels [the fallen angels, to give them a helping and delivering hand], but He did take hold of [the fallen] descendants of Abraham [to reach out to them a helping and delivering hand]. 17 So it is evident that it was essential that He be made like His brethren in every respect, in order that He might become a merciful (sympathetic) and faithful High Priest in the things related to God, to make atonement and propitiation for the people’s sins.  Hebrews 2:11-17 AMP

 

Jesus is not ashamed to call you His brothers and sisters. Even though you were an unworthy sinner, He was not ashamed to wash you in His blood and forgive you and treat you like family, because that is what you become when you accept Him as your Lord and Savior.

 

Jesus came down from heaven, was born as a human being, lived among us, was anointed by the Holy Spirit, loved and helped people, and in the process, made enemies who tried to kill Him, but could not, until He, Himself, laid down His life. He suffered and endured enormous opposition, persecution, lies, criticism, abuse, beatings, excruciating pain, the weight of the sin of the entire world, and finally an extremely slow and painful death because He loved us and because His mission was to make atonement and propitiation for the people’s sins. He was not ashamed to die for you, don’t be ashamed to live for Him!

 

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control. 8 Do not blush or be ashamed then, to testify to and for our Lord, nor of me, a prisoner for His sake, but [with me] take your share of the suffering [to which the preaching] of the Gospel [may expose you, and do it] in the power of God.  2 Timothy 1:7-8 AMP

 

 

“To the angel of the church in Thyatira write:

 

These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze.

 

19 I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.

 

20 Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.

 

21 I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling.

 

22 So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways.

 

23 I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.

 

24 Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets (I will not impose any other burden on you):

 

25 Only hold on to what you have until I come.

 

26 To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations-

 

27 He will rule them with an iron scepter;

he will dash them to pieces like pottery’- just as I have received authority from my Father.

 

28 I will also give him the morning star.

 

29 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.  Revelation 2:18-29 NIV

 

Thyatira was possibly the least important of the seven cities, located about forty miles southeast of Pergamum, halfway between it and Sardis. It was under the command of Rome from 190 B.C., and prospered under the Roman Emperor Vespasian. It was an industrial center, one of the main industries being that of dyeing and manufacturing woolen goods, and containing a number of corporate (trade) guilds: potters, tanners, weavers, robe-makers, and dyers.

 

Paul’s first European convert, Lydia the purple-seller of Philippi, came from Thyatira. The principal deity of the city was Apollo, worshipped as the Sun-god under the surname Tyrimnas, and a shrine outside the walls was dedicated to Sambatha, a sibyl. It was a center of activity by the Nicolaitans with their idolatry and licentiousness under a false “prophetess.”

 

The Lord Jesus Christ makes an honorable mention to the church of Thyatira of their love, their faith, their service and their patience (perseverance). They practiced the word of God by walking in the love of God. Walking in love requires obedience to the word and the Spirit of God, so they were genuinely committed to Him.

 

Jesus commends them for their growing fruitfulness and says that their last works were better than their first. Some people start off hot and end up cold, but these Christians were doing more than ever before. All Christians should be this way – doing better and doing more for the Lord than they did previously – so that their last works may be their best works.

 

After the praise comes the rebuke. Jesus rebukes them for their tolerance of the woman “Jezebel.” The problem was that they tolerated – they allowed, and did not prevent – this evil spirit represented by the name “Jezebel.” The term Jezebel is used symbolically, referring to the notorious historic Jezebel. She was the daughter of Ethbaal, king of Sidon, formerly a priest of Astarte, and who had made his way to the throne by murdering his predecessor Pheles.

 

Ahab’s marriage with her was the first instance of a marriage with a pagan princess of a king of the northern kingdom of Israel and this alliance was a turning-point in the moral history of the kingdom. Jezebel stands out in Israel’s history as the person who lead them the furtherest away from the God Who loved and protected them.

 

Until Jezebel, the ten tribes had yielded to idolatry in the worship of the calves, however, the true God was still worshipped and the Law of Moses was acknowledged. Jezebel changed all of that. She was a powerful woman and her husband, Ahab, was weak, allowing her to dominate him, his throne and his kingdom. She was ruthless in her ungodliness – she was completely sold out to the devil in her worship of Baal and Astarte or Ashtaroth (the Phoenician Venus).

 

She had no conscience – her ambition was to kill all the priests of Jehovah and institute her priests and her beliefs as the official beliefs of Israel. She had no fear of God and she did not tolerate Israel’s relationship with the Most High God either. A “Jezebel spirit” is a spirit that calls good evil and evil good. It does not allow good in others, but forces evil on them.

 

“Jezebel” of Thyatira calls herself a prophetess claiming that her teaching was an authentic message from God, but it was not – she is lying. This spirit is beguiling – seducing, misleading, deceiving, and leading the Thyatiran Christians astray – leading them away from the true path. She is immoral and impure – seducing Israel to depart from the truth, to commit fornication and to eat things sacrificed to idols – sins of the historical Jezebel. She refuses to repent or to abandon her evil ways and so the Lord will cast her on a bed of suffering, He will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways, and He will strike her children dead (those who yield to her and follow her) – not just a death of the body, but an eternal death.

 

The Lord wants us to be aware of evil people and evil doctrine. He wants us to HATE evil, not to tolerate it or allow it to co-exist with the truth. You cannot control or stop all the evil that is in the world, but you CAN and you MUST keep it out of YOUR LIFE, YOUR FAMILY and YOUR CHURCH. Hold onto the truth until you see Jesus face-to-face.

 

And Samuel said to Saul, You have done foolishly! You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God which He commanded you; for the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever; 14 But now your kingdom shall not continue; the Lord has sought out [David] a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince and ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.  1 Samuel 13:13-14 AMP

 

When the Israelites begged God for their own king, just like the other nations had, God gave them a king – Saul. God warned them that it was not in their best interests to have a king. He wanted to be able to choose and raise up leaders for them Himself, who would be godly leaders and who would lead them into the will and the blessing of God.

 

God knows what is in men’s hearts and He knows who the best man for the job is. If a leader does not honor God, the people would not honor God – as we can see when we read through First and Second Samuel, Kings and Chronicles. This would bring the nation down. Also, after that king died, the throne would be passed to his son, someone who felt entitled to it, and not too someone who had earned the honor and who appreciated it.

 

God’s choice is always the humble spirit and not the proud or arrogant. Having a system of kings would not keep the people in the will of God.

Because Israel insisted, God gave them the king that they thought they wanted. Saul was physically impressive – he stood head and shoulders above all the other men – but, unfortunately, his heart was not wholly committed to the Lord. This was a problem for him, his family and all of Israel. Because Saul was foolish, disobedient and proud, God told him that his sons would not sit on the throne after him, but another man, whose heart was perfect toward Him, would become the king. Amazingly, enough, this did not seem to faze him too much. He did not make an effort to change his ways at all – he just became worse.  

 

God had told Saul to wipe every trace of the Amalekites from the face of the earth. He told him, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, I have considered and will punish what Amalek did to Israel, how he set himself against him in the way when [Israel] came out of Egypt. Now go and smite Amalek and utterly destroy all they have; do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.” (1 Samuel 15:2-3 AMP) This was a fulfillment of a Word that God spoke to Moses in Exodus 17:14 AMP, “And the Lord said to Moses, Write this for a memorial in the book and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under the heavens.”

 

Unfortunately, Saul and the people did not obey God – they had a “better” plan – they did not kill the king or any of the Amalekite’s healthy animals. Apparently, they had spared them so that they could “sacrifice” them to the Lord. But God did not tell them to spare them for a sacrifice – He told them to kill them all!

 

Then Samuel said to Saul, Stop! I will tell you what the Lord said to me tonight. Saul said to him, Say on.

 

17 Samuel said, When you were small in your own sight, were you not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the Lord anointed you king over Israel?

 

18 And the Lord sent you on a mission and said, Go, utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites; and fight against them until they are consumed.

 

19 Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord, but swooped down upon the plunder and did evil in the Lord’s sight?

 

20 Saul said to Samuel, Yes, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord and have gone the way which the Lord sent me, and have brought Agag king of Amalek and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

 

21 But the people took from the spoil sheep and oxen, the chief of the things to be utterly destroyed, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.

 

22 Samuel said, Has the Lord as great a delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

 

23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim (household good luck images). Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king.   1 Samuel 15:13-23 AMP

 

When God confronted him, through Samuel, about his disobedience, he first lied, claiming that he had done what was asked of him and then he blamed the people for it. Because of this, Saul was stripped of his kingship and the kingly anointing that was on his life. Only after it was too late did Saul even begin to cry out in repentance, but even then he did not humble himself before God, instead he asked Samuel to go with him to worship the Lord in front of the people so that he did not lose face with them. He was always too worried about what people thought than what God thought and it was his downfall. Saul’s disobedience changed his own destiny. Because of it, God could never again anoint him or use him.

 

It is always better to obey God than to offer many sacrifices afterwards.