The Grace, The Law - Defining words and concepts

Hello Friends,

Let's continue the discussion where I left it last time.

"For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." (The Gospel of John 1:17)
One of the way theologians, bible students and the authors of the New Testament have rightly divided the word of truth has been to put the holy writings in two categories. First, the ancient testament (aka Old Testament) and the New Testament. In the Old testament the main way God dealt with people was with the Law. In the New Testament, the main way God dealt with people was with the Grace. The principal spiritual player in the Old Testament was Moses because it is through his prophetic ministry that God gave the divine Laws to the children of Israel. The main player in the New Testament is the precious person of Jesus because through him that God gave the divine grace to the children of Israel first and to the rest of world consequently.

Here are two exceptions: in the Old Testament books, those living before God gave the Law to Moses did not function with the Laws of God, example: those in the book of Genesis.

A/ What is the Law of God and what is the Grace of God?

As this can easily be seen in the scriptures, the laws given by Moses were sets of commandments and edicts of God that He expected the Children of Israel to follow. Why was the law given?

1. It gave them their identity as the people of God, as a nation that belonged specially to God contrary to all the other nations around them.
2. It was given so that the Israelite may know how to function as society that pleases God.
3. The Law was given to the Israelite as a pedagogue - to teach them about God's plan and personality as well as God's unique holiness and the absolute wickedness of their human nature.

In brief the law was given as a mean for people to know how to relate to God, i.e how to approach the fiery God in a pleasant way without being guilty of judgement or even death. The last point 3 is the specific one that the New Testament capitalizes on, hence it will be the one I'll use also to discuss this issue (Galatians 3:19-24).

On the other side, Grace means favor. The Greek word used in the verse above is 'charis' which means favor. So the Grace of God means the favor of God. By Grace we mean what Men receives without deserving it. As I heard it once in South Africa, Grace is when God give you what you do not deserve. There is an other word which is similar to grace, it is Mercy. Now Mercy is the reverse of Grace but not the opposite of grace. Mercy is when God does not give you what you deserve.

Why was the grace of God given? So that people of all nation may have the opportunity to approach the fiery God in a pleasant way.

Author Watchman Nee said in his book, 'The Normal Christian Life' that the Law is what Men do for God. While Grace is what God does for Men.

Here is a popular example to illustrate this: In the Old Testament Men needed to bring a sacrifice of blood to the alter that Men can be forgiven of their sins by God. In the New Testament God brought His blood to the alter so that Men can be forgiven of their sins.

If you are attentive and familiar with the Bible you'll say, but I see God's grace i.e favor both in the New Testament and the Old Testament as well as God's laws i.e demands/commands both in the Old Testament as well as in the New Testament. What's the big deal?

Well, indeed both testaments shows a gracious God and a demanding God. But if this is all you see, i'll invite you to pay more attention on what you are seeing.

To understand that better, I'll start treating them in the light of the New Testament in my following post on this issue.

Have a nice evening and week in Jesus' name.
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Relationship and marriage advice

There are times when we mess so bad in life that we wish that someone would have told us things ahead of time before the great blunder was experienced.

This is a bit the role of the evangelist when he talks to the unbelievers so that they won't have to say one day: "If i only knew!" However, we forget often that Eternal life is not the only thing that if we miss we will be hurt. There are other things that hurts us so bad in this life and Marriage is among them.

So i took liberty to bring some links from Dr. Bill where he gives his advices about relationship and marital life. Since he has decades of experience and he is quite a good storyteller and writer, i suspect that what he has to say will be most valuable for our married couples and those who will be so in the near or far future.

First, this link will be quite a revelation if you hold diverging views about how to live long and peacefully with someone else in your life. http://www.reasonablefaith.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=7344

Second in this link, he does explain through a simple story what a woman's role could be in the life of her man. Not long ago (last week) i spoke with two lady-friends of mine about what could be the role of a woman for in her husband life. Mostly, the husbands role is often clear as most preaching revolve around him, however for the ladies it is usually simply summarized under this word "submission" without further concrete example save the usual housekeeping expectation. In this link, you'll find how one woman gave us through her diligence one of the best analytical christian thinker and apologist of our time. http://www.reasonablefaith.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=6727

Thirdly, this link answers or should i say, clarifies some important issues about the core value of the coveted marriageable lady or gentleman. http://www.reasonablefaith.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=5795

I hope you find wisdom, knowledge, direction and valuable advices as you read those links above. Remembers, he is just sharing his life and conviction. If you disagree, remember you have the right to do so. After all it is your life.

Best Regards and have a nice and productive day in Jesus' name.
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So Like That You Don't Like Banana?

Did you know that banana has health benefit?

One medium banana contains 1.29 grams of protein, 105 calories and 3.1 grams of dietary fiber. Proteins are essential to the structure and function of all living cells. Here is a broad list of the type of vitamins you can expect to get when you eat bananas.

Vitamin A - 76 IU
Vitamin B1 (thiamine) - 0.037 mg
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) - 0.086 mg
Niacin - 0.785 mg
Folate - 24 mcg
Pantothenic Acid - 0.394 mg
Vitamin B6 - 0.433 mg
Vitamin C - 10.3 mg
Vitamin E - 0.12 mg
Vitamin K - 0.6 mcg

It is said that banana is the only raw fruit which can be eaten without distress
in chronic ulcer cases. It neutralizes the over-acidity of the gastric juices &
reduces the irritation of the ulcer by coating the lining of the stomach.

It is also appropriate for those who wants to eliminate weight. Maybe that's
why i can hardly gain a pound. I should maybe reduce my banana intakes. *joke*

In brief, Banana has numerous beneficial effects on our lives, we will be robing
ourselves of some of God's natural health cure by not eating it.

Here is a link that might give you an overview on this.

May God bless you and have a nice day.
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Skeptical to the Miraculous

In 2010, I was in Kampala for a work meeting. while there, during my evening time in my room, i watch christian related programs. That's when i came across a crusade from the noted Ugandan Evangelist Robert Kayanja. I didn't know him, i just heard his name mentioned couple of times as an equivalent of Benny Hinn or the Pastor Chris version of Central Africa. Though i never even watched him before, i was filled with antagonistic assumption about him. Here's where i got surprised. I watched his first broadcast crusade that day, then the day after i watched another one, i couldn't believe that i was actually agreeing with him.

Then i asked myself, why on earth was i suspicious of him. I guess it is an old story. Early in the year 2000, i had concluded based on my locale experience that God didn't really use black folks for miraculous intervention in the realm of healing and so on. My prejudice was accentuated but the poor quality of teaching and fake speaking in tongues seance and unfulfilled prophecies i participated or i heard of. And after all, which book of black folks did i read that could reverse that? All the books on signs and wonders were from our Caucasian (white) brothers or sisters. I only gave exception to two black preachers i knew and who impressed me, but i saw them as exception rather than a possible hope for the future African young Christians. I knew at least that we African know how to expel out demons. That i saw and knew that it was the only continental gift we can empirically demonstrate we had. But forget about healing and the baptism of the Holy Spirit. If it happened, for sure it was by an extraordinary grace that it will be the only story that preachers will use for the rest of the following years to illustrate that God does miracles.

But i started changing my views when i lived in South Africa. I heard, saw and lived some pretty fascinating experiences with Christians of different races there, that my previous suspicions started to crumble under the weight of empirical evidence of the Lord doing the kind of things that i 'knew' he couldn't do with black folks. However since that prior belief was ingrained in me, my first reaction when i hear about miracles/prophecy/ etc. from a black preachers, my first reaction is that he could be manufacturing all these
marvelous stories. However given my experiences, thank God, i keep reminding myself of what i have seen, heard and experienced. My staunch skepticism to the miraculous has been eroded. I am free now to honestly assess people stories/testimonials with less prejudice than before. As for Kayanja, he is just a good evangelist, educator and civil servant. He does well and the testimonial i heard of him from an unbeliever is what convinced me that he also does what is reported in his crusades. I don't know to which extend all of the miracles in his crusades are real or happened but i am glad for him that at least some of the claimed miracles really does happen.

May God grants us to be rich in divine experiences so that we may understand those who are usually attacked unjustly for what they have claimed to have experienced with God's grace.
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Le Sabbat (French)

Bonjour tout le monde!

J'ai pris un peu de retard ces derniers temps ! Je m'en excuse humblement devant les saints et les saintes de Dieu ! By the way le week-end que j'ai passé à Butare a été très plaisant et la Grâce de Dieu a été sur nous ! Nous avons vu Sa main à l'œuvre et nous étions tous dans l'émerveillement ! C'est vrai que Dieu fait tout à merveille !! Qu'Il continue à nous épater en amenant des gens à Lui par la Foi en Jésus Christ notre Seigneur et Roi !

J'aimerai donner un dernier mini exposé sur la Loi et la Grâce en parlant du vaste et intéressant sujet du sabbat ! Nous rencontrons souvent des gens qui nous tiennent d'observer le 4e commandement du décalogue (Ex 20 :8-11) en nous disant que Christ a annulé les lois cérémonielles mais non les lois morales dont le décalogue ! On nous dit que l'apostasie a déjà atteint le monde chrétien en remplaçant par dimanche le saint sabbat c à d le samedi. Le septième jour de la semaine étant le samedi, pourquoi nous appelons dimanche le jour du Seigneur ? Avons-nous tordu les écrits saints à notre avantage ? Avons-nous abonné la foi des pères de la foi ; ou sommes-nous victimes d'un nouveau système apostat ? Afin d'être sure si nous sommes sur la bonne voie nous ne pouvons qu'interroger la Bible sur ce sujet de controverse pour avoir une idée claire et précise.

Quel est le véritable jour du Sabbat

Par une démonstration théologique intéressante Pierre Courthial, pasteur de l'Eglise Réformée de France et doyen honoraire de la Faculté libre de théologie réformée d'Aix-en-Provence, affirme ceci : « …il est erroné, selon la Sainte Ecriture, d'affirmer que le «jour de la semaine» du sabbat biblique était le samedi. Notre samedi «moderne» ne date que de 359, lorsque le calendrier solaire d'Israël a été remplacé par le calendrier solaire-lunaire adopté par les Juifs comme par les chrétiens. ». (Revue Réformée N° 227 – 2004/2- MARS 2004 – TOME LV- Observer le sabbat ?)

D'après lui le fait d'attribuer le samedi au sabbat juif est une erreur, vue que le calendrier que nous avons maintenant est différent du calendrier juif de l'époque. Cela changeait aussi le jour de la semaine où tombait le sabbat.

Qu'est ce que le sabbat

Le sabbat (repos, cessation) est le septième jour de la semaine, observé par le juif pour se commémorer l'achèvement de la création et le repos de Dieu. Le juif ne devait faire aucun ouvrage en ce jour saint. Ni lui, ni son fils, ni sa fille, ni son serviteur, ni sa servante, ni son bétail, ni l'étranger n'était autorisé à travailler. Il y avait même un sabbat pour la terre (Lévitique 25:2-6). On ne devait porter aucun fardeau (Jérémie 17:21-27), ni faire du commerce en ce jour (Néhémie 13:16). Celui qui le violait était puni de mort et tout le peuple le lapidait hors du camp ou de la ville (Exode 31:14-15 ; Nombres 15:32-36). C'était un signe pour distinguer Israël des autres peuples (Exode 31:13-17).

Qu'en est il du chrétien

Le chrétien n'est pas tenu d'observer le sabbat juif parce qu'il n'est plus sous la loi mais sous la Grâce. En Christ il obtient le véritable sabbat et se repose de ses propres œuvres.

De la même façon qu'Adam est entré dans le repos de Dieu en jouissant de tout ce que Dieu avait créé pour lui ; nous aussi nous entrons dans l'achèvement de l'œuvre de Christ. Nous recevons gratuitement, par la foi , tout ce que Christ a créé pour nous. Comme Adam dans la première création, nous entrons dans la nouvelle création en nous émerveillant dans la découverte des choses nouvelles de Christ.

Il est interdit au chrétien de porter le fardeau de ses propres œuvres qui ne sont que péché devant Dieu. Il est tenu de se décharger de tout fardeau devant les pieds percés du Seigneur en répondant positivement à son appel : « Venez à moi, vous tous qui êtes fatigués et chargés, et je vous donnerai du repos… » (Mathieu 11 :28).

Nous devons pratiquement dans notre vie de chaque jour respecter ce sabbat en nous reposons de nos propres œuvres et laisser Christ pratiquer ses œuvres de justice en nous. La chair nous dit toujours de pratiquer nos propres œuvres mortes mais Christ nous dit « …sans moi vous ne pouvez rien faire. » (Jean 15 :5). Ce n'est plus moi mais Christ en moi (Galates 2 :20). La condition pour vivre la nouvelle vie est de nous reposer de l'ancienne par la mort. On entre dans ce repos par la foi et on le refuse par incrédulité (Hébreux 3 :18-19 ; 4 :1-12).

On est tout de même libre de faire distinction des jours comme un engagement personnel envers le Seigneur. « Tel fait une distinction entre les jours; tel autre les estime tous égaux. Que chacun ait en son esprit une pleine conviction. » (Romains 14 :5)

Pourquoi le dimanche

La Bible ne nous ordonne pas de mettre particulièrement un jour à part pour le Seigneur mais un lecteur attentif du nouveau testament remarquera que le premier jour de la semaine était particulier pour les juifs et surtout pour les premiers chrétiens.

a) les juifs

J'ai aimé ce commentaire de Pierre Courthial :
« La Pentecôte, la fête des moissons (Lv 23.9-21). La dédicace de la gerbe a lieu le lendemain du sabbat juif (11 et 14). Les sept semaines sont comptées à partir du lendemain du sabbat (15-16). Ce lendemain (1er jour de la semaine) est le jour de la «sainte convocation», sans aucun ouvrage comme au jour du sabbat. Ainsi, même sous l'ancienne disposition, le peuple de Dieu a observé des repos, des sabbats, du 1er jour, anticipant la venue de la grande Moisson, l'accomplissement de la rédemption.

La fête des Tabernacles (Lv 23.33-44), avec ses sabbats des 1er et 8ème jours (35,39) annonçant que Jésus-Christ, Parole de Dieu incarnée, «tabernaclerait» chez son peuple (Jn 1.14).
Le Jubilé (Lv 25.8-17). Le Jubilé était la cinquantième année (suivant l'année sabbatique) annonçant la consommation fidèle, l'achèvement de toutes choses en Christ.

Les trompettes. Elles annonçaient, le 1er jour du 7ème mois, l'approche de la présence divine (Lv 23.24). »
Wou-Hou ! Trop fort le frère !

b) les croyants du Nouveau Testament

Les premiers chrétiens se réunissaient le premier jour de la semaine pour rompre le pain, enseigner, prier, communier, s'exhorter, s'entretenir, discourir, se faire baptiser, faire les collectes et distribuer leurs biens (Actes 2 ;20,1 Corinthiens16 :2… ). Ils se rappelaient de la résurrection de leur Seigneur qui a eu lieu le 1er jour de la semaine (Marc 16:2; Luc 24:1; Jean 20:1).

C'est devenu une coutume qui a été gardé par les pères de l'église, l'église catholique romaine et beaucoup d'autres jusqu'à aujourd'hui…

Sur ce point il y a beaucoup de commentaire à faire sur la version historique erronée d'Ellen G. White sur la conservation du sabbat par les premiers chrétiens. Elle stipule, sans preuves bibliques et historiques, que le samedi a été remplacé par le dimanche sous Constantin par ordre du pape de l'église catholique romaine….

Ces citations des pères de l'église prouvent le contraire (Éric, Enjoy !!)

Ignace (environ 110), Antioche (Syrie), Asie mineure
« Si donc ceux qui vivaient dans l'ancien ordre de choses sont venus à la nouvelle espérance, n'observant plus le sabbat, mais le jour du Seigneur, le jour où notre vie s'est levé par lui et par sa mort, - quelques-uns le nient ; mais c'est par ce mystère que nous avons reçu la foi. » (Ignace d'Antioche, Lettres aux Magnésiens IX, 1)

Barnabé (c'est un pseudonyme) (entre 100 et 150), Alexandrie ou Palestine
« Voyez comment il s'exprime : ce ne sont pas les actuels sabbats qui me sont agréables, mais bien celui que j'ai fait et dans lequel, après avoir tout mené au repos, je ferai le commencement d'un huitième jour, c'est-à-dire le commencement d'un autre monde. Voilà bien pourquoi nous célébrons comme une fête joyeuse le huitième jour pendant lequel Jésus est ressuscité des morts et, après être apparu, est monté aux cieux. » (Epître de Barnabé, 15.8, 9)

Justin (110-165), Palestine, Rome.

En réponse à un interlocuteur juif, Justin répond :
« Y a-t-il un autre reproche, mes amis, que vous puissiez nous faire, en dehors du reproche de ne pas vivre selon la loi, de ne pas nous faire circoncire la chair à la manière de vos ancêtres et de ne pas observer le sabbat comme vous ? » (Justin, Dialogue avec Tryphon, 8.10)
« Nous nous assemblons tous le jour du soleil, parce que c'est le premier jour, où Dieu, tirant la matière des ténèbres, créa le monde, et que, ce même jour, Jésus-Christ notre Sauveur ressuscita des morts. La veille du jour de Saturne, il fut crucifié, et le lendemain de ce jour, c'est-à-dire le jour du soleil, il apparut à ses apôtres (…) » (Justin, Apologie, I 67.7)

Irénée (130-202) Asie mineure, Gaule
« C'est pourquoi aussi nous n'avons plus besoin de la Loi comme pédagogue : (…) et il ne recevra pas l'injonction de s'adonner au repos un jour durant, celui qui observe le sabbat continuellement, c'est-à-dire qui célèbre le culte de Dieu dans ce temple de Dieu qu'est le corps de l'homme et qui pratique la justice en tout temps » (Irénée, Démonstration de la prédication apostolique, 96)

Ptolémée (entre 150-200) Italie
Pour lui, les rites de l'Ancien Testament, y compris le sabbat, sont symboliques et doivent être vécus spirituellement et non littéralement:
« Tous ces rites, n'étant qu'images et symboles, ont une signification différente après la révélation de la Vérité. Quant à leur forme extérieure et quant à leur application littérale, ils ont été abolis, mais, dans leur sens spirituel, leur signification est devenue plus profonde, parce que les vieux termes ont reçu un contenu nouveau. (…)
De même il demande de nous la circoncision, non du prépuce corporel, mais de notre cœur spirituel. D'observer le sabbat, car il veut que nous nous reposions à l'égard des œuvres mauvaises. » (Ptolémée, Lettre à Flora, 5.9-12, p. 65)

"J'ai été crucifié avec Christ; et si je vis, ce n'est plus moi qui vis, c'est Christ qui vis en moi; si je vis maintenant dans la chair, je vis dans la foi au Fils de Dieu, qui m'a aimé et qui s'est livré pour moi."Galates 2:20

by Ngabe - le sanctifié
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Debate at Radio 10 - 87.96 FM - Islam, Bahaie Faith and Brahnam Message

Hello friends,

I hope you are all doing fine and great. 0k, this is a short notice for those who are still following the 'Help Me Understand' Show at Radio 10 every Sunday from 9am-10am.

This Sunday it is going to be just it. I am having on the platform a Muslim, a follower of Brahnam message and a Bahai'e faith representatives. All of the were in my show for the past 2 months in solo, now they have agree to come back together for their first inter-religious dialogue and debate on Radio 10.

1. The Muslim is an Amir i.e a leader of Islamic preacher in Kigali, he is also a vice-director of an Islamic school in Gitarama. Maybe it might interest you to also know that he used to be a Methodist pastor and a member of the Assemblé de Dieu before he converted to Islam.

2. The Brahnamist is a pastor and a language expert and lecturer at one of Kigali educational institute. He also happened to have been Ngabe, Brice, Stephan and my English teacher in High-school, and he also was the first person who taught us how to formally debate in one of our English classes.

3. The Bahai'e faith member has been first a catholic, then a protestant pentecostal, then a Brahnamist and almost a muslim. Finally he found spiritual solace in the Bahaie faith. He has come highly recommended by the Universal House of Justice (Bahai'e's faith center).

So let's give them a big round of applause for manning up and accepted the invite and show up to share and defend what they believe. Now i know i am missing a Christian on the show. I contacted one, and after some days of reflection he declined to be part of the dialogue, for he believes that he is not yet ready to discuss the topic i suggested for this dialogue.

The topic is almost similar to what Tigana initiated yesterday at his Facebook page. The topic is: Divine Revelation. What is it, and how do we access it?

The dialogue will be in French, and i am again launching my last call. Is there any Christian who will be interested to Join us for this topic? If yes, please let me know on time so that i can make room for one more person in the studio.

Best Regards,

God Bless You all in Jesus' name.
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God's Abundance: Receiving the Promise - By Derek Prince

In my previous two letters in this series, I provided a list of five basic principles concerning God's provision. Principle 1: God's provision is in His promises. Principle 2: The promises are our inheritance. Principle 3: God's promises are the expression of His will. Principle 4: All God's promises are now available to us through Christ. Principle 5: The fulfillment of God's promises does not depend upon our circumstances, but rather upon our meeting God's conditions.

**Two Specific Promises**

As a practical application of these principles, I want to consider two specific promises of God, both found in the Psalms.

"Oh fear the LORD, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing." Psalm 34:9–10

"For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly." Psalm 84:11

Both of these are clear promises that God will provide everything good that His people may ever need. However, before we plunge into claiming the promises, let's take the logical step of examining the conditions. Neglecting this step is where many people go astray. They say. "Oh, that's a beautiful promise. I want that," but don't pause to examine the conditions. Most of God's promises are conditional: "If you do this—I will do that." Of course, there are some unconditional promises of God. For instance, "In the last days . . . I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh" (Acts 2:17). Another is God's promise of the restoration of Israel. These are unconditional promises of God related to a certain time. There are some promises that God will do unconditionally when it suits Him. However, God's conditional.

 A. The Conditions

Before we claim the promises contained in the verses above, then, we need to do some simple biblical analysis to discover the conditions that are attached to the promises, bearing in mind that the promises are only given to those who fulfill the conditions. Combining the two passages, we find that there are altogether three simple conditions stated. Can you pick them out?

We must: 1) fear the Lord; 2) seek the Lord; and 3) walk uprightly. Provided we meet these three conditions, then the Scripture says God will not withhold any good thing from us. Isn't that exciting?

However, some further analysis in the realm of logic is still needed. The key word in these promises is "good." No good thing will God withhold from those who meet His conditions. Before we decide that
something we are claiming from God on the basis of these promises is "good," we need to ask ourselves two further questions. First of all, is the thing good in itself? Or (to use philosophic terminology) is the thing absolutely good? This is the invariable in the situation. A thing that is absolutely good is always good.  Secondly, however, we need to ask: Is the thing good for me in my particular situation? To use philosophic terminology once again, is the thing relatively good? This is the variable in the situation. Something that is good in itself may not be good for us in our particular situation. In other words, it may be absolutely good but not relatively good.

This distinction between that which is absolutely good and that which is relatively good must be examined in light of the subject at hand. How does Scripture evaluate wealth, riches, abundance, and prosperity? In themselves, are they bad? Or are they absolutely good?

It is most important that we ask ourselves this question and that we find an answer that is both objective and scriptural. In the background of most Christians there is a religious attitude that anything nice is sure to be bad. Conversely. anything that is good for you cannot be enjoyable. That attitude was instilled into us as children regarding the medicines we were required to take: the worse they tasted, the more good they did for you!

I know something about this from personal experience. When the Lord saved me and baptized me in the Holy Spirit, I went through a tremendous personal struggle to change my thought pattern that maintained: "If
you are going to be a Christian, prepare to be miserable." I once heard Pat Boone give a similar testimony. As a high schooler, he came to the conclusion that if he were to become a committed Christian it would mean seventy years of misery and then heaven at the end. And he wasn't sure that heaven would be worth
seventy years of misery!

 B. Good or Bad?

The questions I want to pose in this letter are: "Is poverty good or bad?" "Are riches good or bad?" Rather than an answer based on emotions or religious tradition, I want a logical, objective and scriptural answer—one that will have a decisive effect on the way we live. If riches are bad, we should dissociate ourselves from them and not be involved in any activity or process that would generate wealth. However, it is my conviction that Scripture clearly and consistently gives the opposite answer: riches, or wealth, are essentially absolutely good. There are multitudes of Scriptures we could use to support this conclusion, but I must content myself with just a few.

The first is Revelation 5:12. In this verse the angels and the living creatures and all the hosts of heaven are speaking. They are voicing the unanimous consensus of all heaven, and their evaluation is absolute and
unchanging. With a loud voice, they are saying, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain [Jesus Christ] to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!"

My conviction is that every one of those seven items is essentially good, and they all belong by eternal right to the Lord Jesus Christ. The second one mentioned there is riches. Let's look at the others: power, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, blessing. That puts riches in very good company, doesn't it?

All these seven items are essentially absolutely good. On the other hand, nearly all of them can be misused and abused. Obviously, power can be misused and abused, and very often is. Strength, riches, wisdom—they, too, can be misused. I believe Solomon is an example of a man who had tremendous wisdom and misused it, for he ended up in idolatry. The fact that something is absolutely good in itself does not mean that it cannot be abused or misused. But we would be very foolish to refuse the thing simply because it can be abused. And yet, this is one of Satan's favorite tactics—to make us refuse something good because we have seen it abused.

For instance, I worked in East Africa for five years with a Pentecostal missionary organization based in Canada. After about a year, I realized that they almost never exercised any gifts of the Spirit. So I asked,
"Why don't we have any gifts of the Spirit in operation?" They responded, "Oh, in Canada they've been misused." But that's not logical! So what if they have been misused? Does that mean we are not to use them?
If that is sufficient reason for not availing ourselves of God's provision, then there will be nothing good left to us, because the devil can always find people to misuse any good thing. Yet multitudes of Christians are influenced by this kind of reasoning to the point where they no longer appropriate what is good and what is theirs by right because somebody has misused it. For my part, I cannot accept such reasoning. No matter if the whole world misuses riches! If it's good, I want it! Likewise for wisdom, power, strength, honor, glory or
blessing.

C. The Source Is God

One important factor in evaluating something is to determine its source. In 1 Chronicles 29:12, David is praying to the Lord and he says very simply, "Both riches and honor come from You." What is the ultimate source of riches and honor? God Himself! We need to lay hold of this scriptural fact: God is the ultimate source of riches and honor. Anything that originates from God must be good in itself. There are many other passages in Chronicles which confirm that, but we will not look at them here. Rather, we will look at a parallel text in Deuteronomy 8:18: "And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers." It is God who gives us power to get wealth. Many men misuse that power, but it comes from God.

Why does God give it to His people? "That He may establish His covenant." It is part of God's covenant commitment to His people. Let us therefore focus on the covenant-keeping faithfulness of God, rather than on the unfaithfulness of men who often misuse the power given to them by God. When I look at the people who are wealthy, it is evident to me that it does not depend primarily on their level of education. Many educated people are financial failures, while others, who can't even spell their name right, become very wealthy.

There was a man in Britain some years ago whose interview appeared in the newspaper. He couldn't read or write, so he applied for a job as a janitor. They said, "You're very suitable. Just sign your name on this application form." But he said, "I can't sign my name—I don't know how to write." So they refused to give him the job. Having been turned down as a janitor, he started to sell cigars. The result was he became a millionaire. The man interviewing him said, "Isn't that remarkable? You can't even sign your own name
and you've become a millionaire. Why, think what you would be if you could sign your name!" To that the man replied, "I'd be a janitor!"

If you think about the wealthy people you know, you will find that wealth does not necessarily go with education. The most unlikely people get rich. Doubtless there are some overall principles that apply. Nevertheless, the ability to gain wealth is not to be explained purely in natural terms. Ultimately, its source is God.

D. The Obedience Factor

This leads us to a basic principle that is consistently emphasized through out Scripture: Obedience to God brings prosperity and abundance. Consider, for example, what God says in Deuteronomy 28. This chapter is
divided into two portions. The first part, verses 1 through 14, lists the blessings that follow obedience to God. The second part, verses 15 through 68, lists the curses that follow disobedience to God. In a moment we'll look at both—the blessings first, and then the curses. But before we do that, we need to understand the first, essential requirement of obedience itself. This is stated in the opening words of the chapter:
"If thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God" (Deuteronomy 28:1KJV). Obedience begins with listening to God's voice. Conversely, we see in verse 15, which opens the list of curses, that disobedience begins with precisely the opposite: "If thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God" (KJV).

Here, then, is the point at which the two paths divide. The path to all blessings begins when we listen to God's voice; the path to all curses begins when we do not listen to God's voice. The same principle runs all through Scripture. In Jeremiah 7:23 the Lord tells Israel what He, as their God, requires of them: "Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people." What marks out the people of God? Simply this, that they obey His voice. This principle is carried over, unchanged, into the New Testament. Jesus says, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me" (John 10:27). Here is the one essential mark of those who truly belong to Jesus: They hear His voice, and so follow Him. In the last resort, everything depends upon whether we hear God's voice or not.

Now let's look at the list of blessings for obedience that commences in Deuteronomy 28:2: "All these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God: Blessed shall you be in the city, and . . . in the country. Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. . . . The LORD will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land. . . . And the LORD will grant you plenty of goods, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your ground. . . . The LORD will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the
rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. (vss. 2–5, 8, 11–12)

Notice how all-inclusive are the phrases used: "all to which you set your hand," "all the work of your hand." The same all-inclusive phraseology is repeated in Deuteronomy 29:9: Therefore keep the words of this covenant, and do them, that you may prosper in all that you do. The blessings promised are in exact proportion to the obedience required. Total obedience brings total blessing. No area of our lives is excluded. No room is left for failure, frustration or defeat. There is no room for anything but success.

Now let's look briefl y at the opposite—the curses for disobedience. "But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the LORD your God . . . all these curses will come upon you and overtake you" (Deuteronomy 28:15). We have already seen that the basic point of departure from God is not listening to His voice. If we trace the history of men or tribes or nations that have gone away from God, it always begins there. They cease to listen. Often the beginning is subtle and hard to detect. We can still maintain outward conformity to God's commands for a long while after we've really ceased to listen. But if we trace our problems to their source, they begin when we no longer listen to God. The list of curses is very lengthy, but one that applies particularly to our subject is in verse 29: "You shall grope at noonday, as the blind man gropes in darkness; and you shall not prosper."

The Bible is consistent with itself. Just as prosperity is a blessing, so not prospering is a curse. This aspect of the curse is described again more fully in verses 47 and 48: "Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of everything. verse 47 Let us pause here for a moment and notice that this verse states the positive will of God for His people—that we serve Him with joy and gladness for the abundance of everything. However, if through unbelief and disobedience we do not enter into God's positive will, then the negative alternative is set before us in the next verse: Therefore you shall serve your enemies, whom the LORD will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in need of all everything. verse 48 Look at that list for a moment: hunger, thirst, nakedness, and need of all things. Picture it. No food, no drink, no clothes, nothing. Sum that up in one word: Poverty! In fact, I would say: absolute poverty. Which is it—a curse or a blessing? The answer is, absolute poverty is a curse.

Taken from a New Wine Magazine
article dated October 1978.
By Derek Prince

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