Whether you have walked consciously with God for 20 years or for one month, one thing we must all agree upon is that our God is one of principles and patterns. Throughout the Holy Scriptures, we can observe a consistent pattern of principles given to the people of God, whether it concerns giving, consecration of children, marriage, parenting, wealth and so on. The same God that gave these principles to our forefathers is still the same God today. Most of these principles still govern the world and the success of men regardless of how much modernity insists on crafting ‘acceptable’ alternatives. The Word of God above all else is TRUE. It means that whatever God says, goes and if you are a student of the Word, you will always realize that none of his blessings goes without an instruction, just as none of his instructions go without a blessing tied to it.
On Giving
And the first of all the firstfruits of all things, and every oblation of all, of every sort of your oblations, shall be the priest’s: ye shall also give unto the priest the first of your dough, that he may cause the blessing to rest in thine house. kjv
One of the most heated debates in and outside of the church concerns giving. Some believe that giving is a scheme for pastors or priests to enrich themselves, others do it just because they were taught to do so, while others don’t do it at all because they don’t understand it. Our theme scripture is an excerpt from a conversation between God and His prophet Ezekiel concerning the way priests shall live.
In the second letter to the Corinth church, Paul says that ‘these treasures are in earthen vessels’- meaning God is a spirit that dwells in mortal bodies that have welcomed Him as their Lord and Savior. As such, He will always manifest Himself through us while on earth. When you bring your first fruits, or tithes or offerings to the church/priests you are fulfilling a principle as it was given to you by God and likewise your blessing is present in the same text ‘that He may cause the blessing to rest in your house’. This is a true principle because it was given/ spoken by God and has its reward when done right.
Naturally, priests, although chosen by God to lead His flock, are still human beings and are not exempt from sin. As you have fulfilled your principle of offering your firstfruits to God, what the priest in the house of The Lord does with it,is completely out of your hands and is a matter that they must take up with God concerning the fulfillment of their own principles given unto them by God. That is why you should not be provoked into the error of taking the judgment matter into your own hand for vengeance belongs to God . And because God is principled, your failure to fulfill his principle given as truth does not remove your chastisement or frustration of the blessing to rest in your house regardless of the reason which you withheld. An even deeper mystery on this matter is the exercise of our souls into not idolizing our source of income by entrusting the provision to be of God and not the channel He uses to provide for us.
On Marriage
Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit it hath gathered them.
When Paul taught on marriage in his epistles, he did mention that some people desire marriage while others do not. He was a perfect example of that himself. He also said that those who do so, should marry to avoid the sin of lustful adultery and those that can keep themselves likewise should do so. This implies that if you desire marriage, it is something planted in your heart by God himself and He cannot put a desire He won’t fulfill. Our theme scripture is a conversation between God and His prophet Isaiah and the true word given by God is that ‘none shall lack their mate’. In other words, you and I must not go in and above our heads to try and fulfill ‘by fire by force’ something that God has already predestined for us to walk into.
Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favor of the LORD.
The truth in the scripture above is that if you have found a good wife you do obtain favor from God but the principle is that this wife must be found. That is why a woman cannot go and seek out for herself but at all times must ask herself ‘am I being found in this situation’. The same is true for our men. They must seek God concerning their mates because three things disquiet the earth and one of them is an odious woman when she’s married.
Society has established age groups which qualify for marriage, an income range which should be great for you to marry and more social constructs than we can write on paper; however important these may be, they must always be weighed against the Word of God which is the Word of Truth, especially for believers. A marriage has the capacity to cripple someone’s destiny for good because this is the only institution where two become one. Moreover, it should be the one we trust God with the most and yield to His guidance and plans for He alone is outside of time.
On Parenting
Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. nasb
Every individual you will meet in this life is a sum of the seeds that were planted in their hearts from the time of their birth. If you consistently tell your children how great they are, how smart they are, how creative they have the capacity to be, how eloquent and capable they are, there is nothing that could convince them otherwise because the primary seed that was planted is the one that gets watered first. The opposite applies. If you consistently tell them how stupid they are, how fat or skinny they are, how inadequate they are, undoing that is much harder when they grow and become what they choose.
The greek word for provoke used in our theme scripture is prokalo and one of its literal meanings is call forth meaning that, what you declare over your child, you are calling it forth and because we know that the power of life and death is in the tongue. That which you call forth, you create. So when Paul says do not provoke your child, he simply means do not call forth anger in your child. Another thing with children is that they imitate. This is why you will find little girls trying on their moms’ heels, handbags or lipstick. Young boys often want to drive or wear big watches like their fathers.
The same goes with bringing them up in the discipline and instruction of God, don’t focus on the telling, instead show. If you go to church with your toddler, and you stand up to go give, give them a coin to give as well and they will grow in the same understanding. If you spend time reading the scriptures, invite them in your place of fellowship with God, pray, dance, cry and cast your cares on God in their presence that they may know my mother/father handled their problems this way, therefore it must be the right thing to do. You cannot expect the child to model the part time person you are outside of the walls of your home, when they see you being ‘yourself’ at home, especially when that ‘self’ differs from the one that is portrayed outside of home.
Likewise for children, the scriptures are clear on the true principle of your responsibility to honor father and mother that you may have a long life. You cannot expect to disrespect or dishonor your parents at any point of your life, irrespective of their treatment towards you and expect a troubleless and long life.
On Consecration of Children
In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. 11 And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.” niv
The consecration of a child to God originated from the vow Hannah made in the temple as she pleaded with God to open her womb. And when God did so, she too kept her vow and consecrated the son she asked God for and He added her even more sons and daughters after the consecrated one was given to be raised at the temple. When we consecrate children, we are entrusting them to the guidance of God because we cannot always be there with them all their lives.
Some parents do not realize that in ‘loving’ their children, they risk making them idols, or make themselves indispensable as though God is not the one in whom we live, move and have our being. When you consecrate your child, trust and believe that the words you have spoken to God will create the hedge your child needs all through their lives because God keeps all that is entrusted to him until the day of Christ .
In the book of Acts 2:38, the Bible says “repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Some are in the habit of baptizing infants, however an infant cannot make a conscious decision to obey Christ nor to repent – which renders this baptism null and of no understanding. This is why there indeed should be one baptism, that is conscious and declaring outwardly what has been accomplished inwardly.
Concerning all Scriptures
For the whole Scripture is given by inspiration from God; and is profitable for teaching, convicting, correcting, and instructing in righteousness.
David is known as the man after God’s own heart because of one peculiar attribute: He knew his way back to God, NO MATTER WHAT. We cannot enumerate all the truthful principles of God in one article – but one thing remains, His Word is unchangeable. It was true then, it is true today and will be true forever. As believers, what is profitable for us is to always search for these treasures in this Word, to abide by them, to be corrected by them and to be instructed by them because this will always make our days fruitful and enjoyable – and most importantly pleasing to God.
I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
If you have never given your life to Jesus Christ, and you feel that this is the perfect time, pray this prayer:
“Lord Jesus, I thank you because you died for my sins and you were raised for my glory. Today, I receive you as my Lord and Savior. I am born again. Amen.”
