Christian Veiwpoint

This blog is about the fact that when it really comes down to it – we (the children of God) are all people of ONE race and ONE family. Furthermore, it is about the fact that we are dependent on one another for just about everything - whether we like to admit it or not. So we need to stop the "insanity" of denial about this and act according to the facts.

We need to start acting towards one another like a good, loving, caring family should. For example, if you have a need and I am able to meet that need - then that is what I am supposed to do. This is nothing more than "enlightened" self-interest. That is because you reap what you sow. What goes around - comes around. If you give - you will receive etc.

These are immutable Universal Laws that are always in operation. It may seem for a while that we can be selfish and "get away" with it - but that is only a delusion. Somehow, in some way and at some time - we will "pay" for that - whether we recognize at the time that this is what is happening or not.

Contrary to popular opinion - Jesus did not start a new religion. He knew this truth and therefore was one of the greatest social activist that has ever lived. In fact all that He said and did was done not only to teach this truth and to give the perfect example of it. It was also to start a "movement" of people who in their own way corporately practiced this as a communal way of life.

He was attempting to address the fact that all of the problems of His people could be solved by this endeavor if enough of them would "get with the program". He was attempting to start a subculture of people who practiced this. A new culture within a culture or a new society within a society.

If I may say so He simply taught the best "self-improvement" or "potential development" course that has ever been taught. It addressed the whole man. It was not only "spiritual" but it was also very "practical". When major disasters occur and people are needy and vulnerable - they tend to ban together to survive etc. Jesus was just saying that we should live like this all of the time because it is the best way to live.

The reason for that is that any other way is actually counter productive and ultimately will be self destructive. Consequently, the WAY of life that Jesus taught and practiced and the way of life that those whom He personally mentored - taught and practiced - is the ultimate expression of "enlightened" self-interest. In other words it is in your best interest to live this WAY.

 
This philosophy is embodied in the "Golden Rule". "Do to others the very same thing that you would have them do for you if you were in there place." The perfect example of that being practiced by a group of God’s children can be found in in the Bible in the book of Acts in chapter 2:42-47 and in chapter 4:32-37. It provides us all a perfect pattern to follow.

Selfishness and self-centeredness does not consider others. It takes advantage of others. They resent that and will ultimately revolt against that. That is why I said that it was counter productive and ultimately would be self-destructive. It is like shooting your own self in the foot or biting the hand that feeds you. Neither one of those are in your self interest.

Yet this is what most of the people in the "world" believe and practice. Since that way of life is not in your best interest - it is referred to as darkness. It is the way of the "unenlightened". They either do not know any better or else they have subscribed to a belief that the way they are living IS in their own self-interest.

The best way to enlighten them to the truth is by your example. The best recruits are the needy. Others who think they are doing just fine as they are - think that they have no need to change their way of life.

However, right now we are facing uncertain and possibly desperate times. A time when perhaps some, most or even all that we have depended on and trusted in could fail us. Therefore, the wise thing to do (from the viewpoint of "enlightened" self-interest") is to begin to share what we have with others who are willing to the same with us and attempt to do so as much as we can independently of the structures or systems that may fail us.

God is the creator of heaven and earth and all that is in them. That includes us and all that we have under our control or influence. He owns it all. We are His stewards or managers. Strictly speaking as acting managers - we do not actually own anything that is at our disposal. We just manage it for Him. How are we doing with that? Do we even know what He wants of us and our resources? If not - what are we doing to find that out? If so, what are we doing with what we know? Do we even care? If not, what are we doing about that? If so - how much do we care about it? And what are we doing about that? I ask these questions because our responsibility and accountability for this NEVER ceases or goes away and have eternal consequences.

Most of us understand the concept of stewardship or responsibility. However, most of us honor our responsibility to our employer more than our responsibility to God. That is because they are the ones that we look to for our provision (money). As such they are in competition with God for our loyalty. The only way to change that is to begin to look to God for your provision. Can one practically do that? Yes. However, realistically most of us are not taught how to do that in church nor do we see it practically demonstrated to us by other believers. So how do we go about that?

First we have to see God as our Father as well as the Creator, Owner and Ruler of all that is. That means that we not only realize that we owe Him our allegiance but that we also belong to His Family. This gives us some very valuable benefits that will help us carry out our responsibilities. As a child of God we are an heir to His estate and property. This makes us an OWNER as well as a manager. How does this help us? Well, we are basically selfish or self-centered by nature. Therefore, we tend to take care of our own things better than we do the things of others.

So just by changing the way we look at our relationship to what God owns - we automatically change the way we relate to and manage those things. WE now live and work not only for God but also for ourselves. The management of God's estate (the earth) and all that is in it (people and the earth's resources) is God's "business". It is the "family" business of God and His children. Since you are a member of the "family" of God then it is now YOUR "business".

Since you are an heir of God and an Equal-Heir with Jesus Christ as well as all other "children" of God then you benefit as much as anyone else from how well the "family" business of God is run. On the other hand you equally suffer the loss if it is not run well. As you can see from the state of affairs - it is not being run very well at all. There is no EQUALITY of benefit or responsibility. It is being run in the same way the world runs things. Selfishly and without equal consideration of the other members of the "family" or "business".

How should it be run? Let me give you a little background in order to help you better understand that. When Satan rebelled and turned a third of the angels against God - God learned two very valuable things. (1) Benefits held exclusively for oneself (inequality) cause resentment in those who do not share those benefits. This produces rebellion that can cause an attempted overthrow of that inequitable system and result in the loss of those benefits to those that have them. (2) Those angels had always had whatever benefits they enjoyed and so they did not know how to appreciate them and stay loyal to the one who provided those benefits.

Consequently, God devised a new system of administration of His affairs that would correct those deficiencies. He created mankind in a weakened state (flesh and blood) so they would not be a threat, set them up so they would fall into disfavor with Him and then after a while offered them a complete pardon and some incredible benefits. Those benefits were, equality with Him and with each other. First, we appreciate what we have because we know what it is to be without it. That appreciation makes us loyal to God. Second, because we share everything that He has equally with Him and the rest of His family, there is nothing to be discontent or resentful about and therefore, no reason for rebellion or treachery. Finally, we come to understand that this system produces the most of what one could want for the longest duration of time. This is perfect, bliss, utopia or heaven on earth. So we wholeheartedly support it with everything that we have available to it and defend it with our very life!This opportunity and responsibility is not a "hobby" or a "part-time" job.

Did you ever wonder what God's WAY of doing things was. Well this is it. Consequently, this is the WAY that we are to run God's family business on earth. How is that practically demonstrated? It is all about the manner in which we share or enjoy what we have and the WAY that we distribute and or use God's resources. First, we look around and see how many of God's family have less than we do and become willing to share what we have with them - to the point of equality. Our primary objective is to be sure that their basic needs are met. Next we teach them God's WAY of handling things and give them some extra to see how they share it with the less fortunate that they become aware of.

To the degree that they do so is the degree that they can and should be trusted with more - to the point of equality. That of course is the same measurement that God uses when He gives more to us. You can literally have as much as you want at your disposal. It all depends on how you handle it. There is no lack with God. How much do you want to have at your disposal and enjoy? What are you willing to do in order to obtain those things God's WAY?

For more about this see Your Unfinished Business

We have a serious problem in the “body of Christ”. We all NEED and WANT “money”. And there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with that! After all – you gotta eat – right? So usually in order to get the money that we need and want we - “go to work”. And it is true that when we “work for a living” after the fashion of the world - we are ONLY doing it because we NEED and WANT money; or at least the things can money can obtain for us. In doing so we are giving our energies to the acquisition, accumulation and personal use or consumption of MONEY or the thing that money can get us.

When we do that, in effect we are “serving” money – NOT God and are “trusting” in money – NOT God! THAT my friends  is what is WRONG with “working for a living” after the fashion of this world. Jesus Christ Himself (our Lord and Savior) said that we CANNOT “serve” God and MONEY - AT THE SAME TIME! (We are EITHER loving one and hating the other, serving one and NOT serving the other or we are “trusting in” the one and NOT “trusting in” the other. Then He said that the reason for this is that the things that are highly valued among men (the LOVE OF MONEY) are detestable to God and are actually an abomination to Him! (Luke 16:13-15 Amplified Version) 

So what do we do? Starve to death? Or do we resort to begging, borrowing, stealing or killing in order to get what we need and want? Of course not! You see all of these things (including “working for a living”) are nothing more than the various ways that sinful mankind have come up with to get their needs and wants met. That is ONLY because they are cut off from God’s provision. Well since we (redeemed) are NOT cut off from God’s provision – how do we tap into it? What is an alternative way to get what we need and want that is pleasing and acceptable to God? That alternative is to simply give your energies to the “work of the Lord” and then He will supply your needs and wants. (Luke 12:31-34)

Contrary to what you might have been led to believe – we “serve” God, “minister” for God, “work” for God and “live” for God by serving others, ministering to others (the Greek word for minister simply means to serve), “live” for others and “work” for others. This all simply means that you use your time, attention, energy, talent and other resources for the benefit of other BORN AGAIN members of God’s family. You do that in a way that relieves their suffering and removes their burdens. That power is at the disposal of everyone of us  – ALL OF THE TIME. Consequently, we are ALL without excuse before God if we CHOOSE NOT TO DO THIS – but instead continue to primarily live for ourselves just like sinners are doing.

(1) Are you WILLING to quit your "money making" JOB right now and start using your attention, time, talents, energy and resources EXCLUSIVELY to serve others FREELY as Jesus commanded you to (Matthew 10:8) without "charging" them (a usury fee) for the “use” of these things that God has so FREELY given you? (Proverbs 28:8) (If you are WILLING and OBEDIENT you shall eat the GOOD of the land. Isaiah 1:19) If not (and MOST of you aren’t because of your unbelief!) (Luke 12:28) - will He not deal with you as He did with the “unjust steward” who FREELY received GRACE from his master but refused to FREELY share that same GRACE with others? (Matthew 18:21-35) This passage is specifically referring to “forgiveness” but in principle it applies to ANYTHING that you FREELY received from God.  

(2) Or do you know of a group of OBEDIENT Christians that you can join who are WILLING to "share" their "assets" FREELY with each other as a "community" AND their “inheritance” (which they FREELY received from God) with the rest of their SPIRITUAL “family” - so that there is no INEQUITY (which is the SAME thing as “iniquity”) and INEQUALITY among them? (Acts 2:42-47 & Acts 4:32-37) No? Then that is truly a sad testimony to YOUR Faith in the marvelous benefits of the Grace of God which He so FREELY made available to you at such at great cost to Himself! Doesn’t that matter to you at all? Or are you just too callous, hard hearted and cold hearted for it to matter to you? If it does matter to you – then what are you doing about it to SHOW that it matters? This is also a VERY serious indictment against the “church” and how “worldly” it is. 

You see, the main problem with "working" TO "make money" is that it is done to “insure” that we have the "right" to "get", "keep" and "use" it PRIMARILY and/or "exclusively" for ourselves. I.E. "GREED". The second problem with that is that it takes way too much of our thoughts, feelings, words and actions (the only 4 things that you can DO in life). Also it takes up WAY too much of your WILL and TIME. (Our other innate resources that EVERYONE has available to them.)

Instead, these ALL should be dedicated EXCLUSIVELY to fulfilling the WILL (desire and intent) of God being done on earth as it is being done in heaven and towards the establishment of God’s Kingdom (uncontested ruler ship) on earth like it has already been established in Heaven. (Matthew 6:9-10) For this is the very purpose for your existence and your redemption in the first place! (Ephesians 1:3-14; 2:10; 3:10 & 3:14-4:1) When you do this – God will automatically see that ALL your needs are supplied. (Luke 12:31-34) Actually it is no wonder that your needs and wants are NOT being met by God! That is because you are NOT actually '”serving” HIM!

Not only that but “working for a living” after the fashion of this world is not generally something that we do BECAUSE we HAVE “faith” IN God and IN His Grace (as an act OF such Faith) nor is it something that we do because OF our “faith” in God and His Grace (as an act OF Love that stems from our Faith in God and His Grace). On the contrast, it is generally done out of “fear” or “unbelief” that if we do NOT go the WAY of the WORLD in this matter – we WILL go without what we “need” and “want”. (Matthew 6:30)

So far we can EASILY see that “working for a living” after the fashion of this world is ENTIRELY a “fear” and/or “greed” based activity.

Yet the truth is that “working for a living” in this fashion – is ONLY a “result” of the CURSE of God on mankind for Adam’s sin in the Garden of Eden. I.E. “Earning your bread by the sweat of your brow.” (Genesis 3:17-19) Yet Jesus COMPLETELY redeemed us from ALL of THAT curse by becoming a curse for us in order that the BLESSING of God may be ours by Faith. By doing so He ENTIRELY did away with the NEED for us to continue trying to get our needs and wants met the world’s way any longer. (Galatians 3:13-14)

Instead, the Bible tells us that it is the BLESSING of the Lord that makes US rich and (when it does –) He (God) add no SORROW with it. (Proverbs 10:22)  (I.E. No “toil or labor”). Jesus SPECIFICALLY said that we are NOT to “work for our bread” because God has now automatically made His abundant provision available to us by our Faith in His wonderful and complete redeeming GRACE. (John 6:27-29; Luke 12:22-34)

Yes beloved, I know that Paul had his own idea about this but that was His problem – not yours or mine. He said it was because He wanted to have something to BOAST about BESIDES the FREE GRACE of God. (1 Corinthians 9:14-18) I don’t know about you but I am PRIMARILY following Jesus not men. And when I do follow Paul (or any other man or women of God) – I only follow them to the degree that it is EVIDENT that they are imitating or following Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 11:1)

I FULLY understand that none of us were raised to believe this nor were we taught this in church – because it has become so worldly. Yet THIS “is” what the Bible teaches and it “is” what Jesus taught and practiced. He did not work for a living after the fashion of this world but served God with all that He had at His disposal and He called ALL of His followers away the unnecessary distraction of “working for a living” so that they could serve God with ALL of their resources. (Example Mark 1:16-20)

You are now DOING what you BELIEVE in. What exactly is that and from whom did you hear it? Was it from the Bible? And if it was - was it from the parts that pertain to the benefits of the New Testament Grace of God that we FREELY receive by FAITH? If not then you are in UNBELIEF and in DISOBEDIENCE to God about this just as much as Adam was and just as much as anyone in the world is.

So we see from all that I have shared here that our motive for “working for a living” after the fashion of this world will either be fear, greed, pride or ignorance. Which of these are YOUR motives for “working for a living”? Oops! As my dear departed dad used to say, “I had better stop right here because I can clearly see from your response that I have quit preaching and gone to meddling!”

I know that you do not WANT to hear this any more than the “religious” people of Jesus day did and for the very same reasons. But please prove me wrong if you can. If so – I will stand corrected and will gladly retract what I have said here about this. But before you even consider trying to correct me on this matter please read my other blog entries regarding this subject.

http://enlitener.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!244B033F610E4479!696.entry

http://enlitener.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!244B033F610E4479!681.entry

http://enlitener.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!244B033F610E4479!702.entry

http://enlitener.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!244B033F610E4479!649.entry

http://enlitener.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!244B033F610E4479!657.entry

http://enlitener.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!244B033F610E4479!641.entry

http://enlitener.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!244B033F610E4479!698.entry

http://enlitener.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!244B033F610E4479!699.entry

http://enlitener.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!244B033F610E4479!700.entry

Share this post :

 Related articles by Zemanta

• Christian Leaders as Modern Day Pharisees and Sadducees (codybateman.org)

There are two kinds of “works” that are spoken of in the Bible. There is the “works” OF faith that is mentioned in James 2:14-26. However that is completely different from faith PLUS works which I will discuss in a moment. The works OF faith are simply the spontaneous actions that you take based on what you believe. For instance if you need to go to the store and you believe that all you have to do is put the key in the ignition of you vehicle and turn it and it will start and take you where you want to go – then THAT is what you will do. But on the other hand if you need to go to the store but believe that the vehicle is broken – you will not take THOSE actions. Your belief about anything and everything AUTOMATICALLY determines you actions in life.

The Apostle PAUL wrote to people who were adding the wrong kind of “works” to their faith in the belief that this was necessary to gain God’s approval enough to get from Him what they needed and wanted. He reveals to them (and us) that the kind of Faith which is acceptable to God is activated and energized by love. It is expressed through loving acts towards others. (Galatians 5:6 Amp) (Especially by helping our needy brothers and sisters in Christ) So we see that the “works” OF faith that is acceptable to God is Love. Those actions of love automatically spring from the Love of God that is in us in the form of the Holy Spirit.

God is Love or His WAY of being is the WAY of love. Love is His “nature”. (1 John 4:8) God is SPIRIT in His essence. (John 4:24) If God lives in us by means of His Spirit by our faith in the Grace of God that provided to us by Jesus Christ then it will show by our actions of love to others. (Especially in helping our needy brothers and sisters in Christ)

The works OF faith are explicitly revealed in the following scriptures (James 2:14-17 ) “What good is it my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can SUCH faith save Him? (Now James is going to tell us what the REAL works of REAL Faith in God are) Suppose a brother or sister is without daily food or clothes. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well;’ keep warm and well fed, but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, (this is proof that) faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. (it is useless)”

(1 John 3:11; 16-17 & 23) “This is THE message you have heard from the beginning. We should love one another… THIS is how we know what LOVE is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. (How do we do that?) If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in Him?… And this is His command: to believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and to love one another AS (in the WAY that) he commanded us.”

In John 6:28-29 Jesus himself confirmed that trusting in the Grace of God alone through Jesus Christ is the ONLY “work” that is required of us by God. Any “works OF faith” that come from that will be the spontaneous benevolent actions that are produced by the love of God inside us.

You see Jesus already did everything that is necessary to gain God’s approval on our behalf so we can get what we need and want from God. “Jesus fulfilled the righteous requirements of the Law” for us so we would not have to – because we can’t! (Romans 8:1-4) God does not need for you to do anything else to gain or obtain the benefits of the salvation that is FREELY provided to us by the grace (undeserved favor) of God through our faith in Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 2:4-10 Amp)

In fact if you teach that Faith PLUS “works” (human effort) is necessary in order to gain God’s approval sufficiently to get what you need and want from Him – you are actually HINDERING the working of faith. Not only that but you can even make faith null and void and of none effect by doing that! God forbid! (Galatians 2:15-3:14 & Colossians 2:1-23)

Believing that God requires that you do something in addition to having faith in God’s grace (undeserved favor) in order to gain God’s approval enough to get what you need and want from Him – will hinder your faith – because you will always be wondering if you did ENOUGH. That will in turn produce DOUBT which is counter active to faith. In the process you will fail in fulfilling those “requirements” and will feel GUILTY about that which will also produce DOUBT as to whether you will receive what you need and want from God. In this way you are doubly set up to FAIL in obtaining what you want from God by faith! Yet this is what most Christians are taught!

However, the GOOD NEWS is that if you trust ONLY in God’s, marvelous, undeserved grace ALONE – then your heart will NOT condemn you; you WILL have confidence before God and WILL receive from Him ANYTHING that you ask of Him. (1 John 3:21-22) I am referring to asking for anything that is in His revealed Will of course. (1 John 5:14-15)

Spiritual leaders who teach faith PLUS “works” “tie up heavy loads, (that are) hard to bear, and place them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves will not lift a finger to help bear them.” (Matthew 23:4 Amp). What are some of these things? They say you must “go to church” a certain number of times per week, give to the church so much, pray so much, read the bible so much, fast so much, witness so much and do various work in the church so much etc.

In and of themselves these things CAN be beneficial. But they are not a necessary requirement in order to get God’s approval so He will give you what you need and want. Jesus already took care of EVERYTHING that was necessary for that.

In view of this I want to say that I consider myself to be a “Word of Faith” person and I also believe in what the Bible teaches about the “prosperity” of God’s children. However, perhaps without even realizing it many “Faith” and “prosperity” teachers ACTUALLY teach that in order to get what we need and want from God – we must have faith in God’s GRACIOUS and COMPLETE provision of those things through and by Jesus Christ – PLUS we need to add some “works” to that faith. That in effect is an outright contradiction! It is either by Faith in God’s Grace or in our own effort that we get God’s APPROVAL and thus obtain what we need and want from Him. Not by both. Works is the world’s way and faith in His grace is God’s way. Which way are you using to get what you need and want?

The “faith” and “prosperity” teachers say that you have to read and study and meditate and confess the word as much as it takes and as long as it takes – till God is satisfied enough with you and gives you what you need and want. They also teach that you need to give money or “sow seeds” in larger and larger amounts (usually to THEIR ministry) (in order to get a “harvest”) for as long as it takes till God is satisfied enough with you and gives you what you need and want .

However, that is not what the Bible teaches that it takes to get God’s approval in order to get what you need and want from Him. God is completely satisfied with you right now without ANY of that – simply because of what Jesus Christ did on our behalf! (Ephesians 1:3-8 Amp) They have made WORD of GOD of none effect by their traditions (their own teaching about human efforts to gain God’s approval). (Mark 7:13)

God’s GRACE is sufficient ENOUGH all by itself to gain the necessary approval that you need from God in order to get what you need and want from Him. (2 Corinthians 12:9 Amp) God says, “My grace is sufficient for you and my strength and power show themselves most effectively in whatever situation you may face when you trust in my grace alone.” (My paraphrase)

What has God made available to us by His Grace? EVERYTHING that pertains to life and godliness! (2 Peter 1:3-4) This includes Life, Health, Freedom, Prosperity and everything else that is good, enjoyable and beneficial. Without “acceptable” Faith in God and in His Grace it is impossible to please God because anyone who comes to God must first believe that He exists and then they must believe that He is a rewarder….(that He will give us the things that we need and want which He promised He would give us) (Hebrews 11:6)

How are you attempting to get what you need and want in life? Is it by some form of human effort or by faith in God’s grace alone? Anything that is not of faith is sin. (Romans 14:23) That is because it will be disobedience that is produced by unbelief. Hebrews 3:8-4:11 tells us that their is a wonderful SABBATH REST that is available to us by faith and warns us not to fall short of it or we will be damned. Do not let ANYONE deceive you about these things for ANY reason - because God sends the unbelieving and fearful to HELL! (Revelations 21:8)

   Related articles by Zemanta

To be “godly” means to be “god-like” or to have the qualities of a “god” or God. What does that mean for the true believer in the God of all creation?

1. The term by which this God describes itself is “I AM”. In fact THAT is it’s “name”. (Exodus 3:13-14; Isaiah 42:8; John 8:58-59) That is because is it the term or name that best describes the who, what, when, where, how and why of this God. It reveals the most about it’s conception, constitution, function and purpose. That description best describes God’s “nature”.

2. “I AM” refers to pure “awareness” or “consciousness”. “SELF” awareness means that this consciousness is now aware of itself as some THING or some ONE, somewhere, at some time, in some way and for some reason.

3. The reason is simply that it “feels” better to be “self” aware than just to be “aware”. That means that it is much more desirable to be aware of yourself or your EXISTENCE as some THING or some ONE, some WHERE, in some WAY, at some TIME and for some REASON rather than to just “EXIST” - as no THING, or no ONE, no WHERE, at no TIME, in no WAY and for no REASON. The latter is actually NON awareness. You “exist” but you are not “aware” of your existence in a “meaningful” way. To yourself you are VIRTUALLY “non-existent”. In effect it is the difference between being “alive” rather than “dead”.

4. The four progressive states of “self-awareness” are:

A. Survival (being self-aware) B. Security C. Enjoyment D. Perfection (of that enjoyment)

5. Time, Space and Matter were “created” as means of enhancing the experience of “self-awareness”. They provide a means of “measuring” the experience. The capacity to measure this experience is known as “intelligence”. “Feeling” or “Desire” and “Will” allow one the capacity to “improve” or “change” the experience for the better.

6. Mankind was made “like” God with those same capacities. (Genesis 1:27) Man was made as the supreme form by which God chose to experience itself (at least in the earth realm). Earth was made as the place where the experience was to take place.

7. What does God want out of this experience? Or what was the purpose of it in the first place? Well first we see that earth was meant to be two things. As such it was created as a “suitable environment” for this experience. 1. It was to automatically provide everything necessary and desirable for the experience. (I.E. the garden of Eden) 2. It also was to provide a larger “landscape” for conquest, population and dominion. (Genesis 1:28-29)

8. Therefore it can be concluded that these are something that God likes and wants. In fact the entire Bible is replete with references to God ruling in heaven with great wealth, power and glory. It is also full of references that God wants the same thing for His people on earth. In other words this is how He wants to experience Himself in this form (humanity) on earth. (God desires for His will (desire) to be done on earth as it is being done in heaven and that the kingdom of God (the ruler-ship or dominion of God) be established on earth like it has been in heaven. (Matthew 6:9-10)

9. Satan rebelled against God and tried to take over heaven. God overthrow him and cast him out of heaven down to the earth. Now God wants to do the same thing with him on earth through us. That is why He sent Jesus. (Isaiah 14:12-15; Revelation 12:7-9; Luke 10:17-19; 1 John 3:8)

10. But regardless of whether you are familiar with what the Bible says about all of this or not or even whether you believe it or not - if you want to know what God desires – just look at what YOU desire. God made mankind like Himself or with His nature. (Of course we have to understand that the expressions of those desires have been perverted by Satan. However, the bible also enlightens us about those perversions – so that we do not have to wonder what those are.)

The problem with God having what He desires through mankind came about when Adam believed the lie of Satan about who, what and why he was. The consequences of that left man to his own devices. What we know as the world system is the result. (Genesis 3:1-19)

God instituted a progressive plan in order to get mankind back on track so God could finally have what He desires through us. He called Abraham out from among godless mankind and made an entire nation from him. (Israel) What God did to and through Israel was representative of what He desires to do globally through all of mankind. Finally God sent Jesus as the means by which He could have that. At least through those who allow God to have His WILL and WAY in their lives. (Acts 7:2-53)

But first we have to “repent” or change our mind about who, what and why we are. That is our “worldview”. Then we must allow God to have what He desires through us. THAT is what it means to be “godly”.

In view of that – have you REALLY “repented” and become “godly”? Or have you like Adam also been fooled into believing a lie of Satan about that even though it may have been cloaked in the form of “religion”?

Does your life demonstrate that you have been “saved”? The word “saved” is translated from the Greek word “sodzo” meaning whole, complete, nothing missing and nothing lacking. In view of this - are you really allowing God to have His WILL and WAY in your life? By this definition does your life show that you are “godly” or “ungodly”? Whose WILL and WAY is ACTUALLY being done in “your” life? God’s or Satan’s?

To answer that all you have to do is determine which of the 4 states of “self-awareness” that you are in and the REASON for that state of “awareness”. How do you see yourself? Are you just “surviving” (barely getting by – living paycheck to paycheck – not knowing whether or not things will ever get any better). Perhaps you are doing better than that and have become relatively “secure” in your state of existence – believing that everything is going to be OK. You may even be doing better than that and are perhaps able to really enjoy yourself for the time being. However, have you perfected (maximized) that enjoyment and are you doing so for the right REASON and in the right WAY. If not - you are still NOT allowing God to have His Will and Way in your life. Christianity doesn’t get any more complicated than THIS.

Jesus said that He gave us life more abundantly that our joy (His joy in us) should be full. And that we could ask God for anything and He would give it to us (knowing the reason why). He also said that we are to be PERFECT like our Father in heaven is perfect. The bible tells us that it is God who makes our way PERFECT. (John 10:10; 15:7 & 11; Matthew 5:48; Psalm 18:32) God has not only given us the command or responsibility but also the ability to perfect the experience of Himself in and through us. However, as was the case with Adam – it is up to us to believe FOR it and yield TO it. How are you doing in that regard?

I shared this with you not to judge or condemn you. I am still in the process of this being done in my life and probably will continue to be for the rest of my life. But at least I am “working” on it will all of my being. In order to experience this you first have to hear about it in order to believe it and yield to it. That is my purpose in sharing this with you. I will share much more in detail about this in future lessons. Meantime, you will also find that many of my other blog articles have quite a bit of information about this subject if you care to read them.