Who do you see?

As a believer when God looks at you he sees Jesus.  He does not see your faults, mistakes, and failures God sees you as a winner, level headed, and perfect.

2 Corinthians 3:18 (NKJV)

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Who do you see when you look in the mirror, face to face, more than that do you like what you see? 

While coaching little league baseball I have told the players that the worst condemnation is self condemnation.  If you see yourself doing bad than you are going to do bad… Same as if you see yourself as doing well you will do well.

Most everyone has read Romans 8:1 and what it says about condemnation but I want to take a minute and read it from the Message translation.

The Solution is Life on God’s Terms

Romans 8:1-2   

With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ's being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death.

My desire is that from here on out that when you look in the mirror you see Jesus… even Jesus said “he that hath seen me hath seen the Father”.

As I have said before right believing produces right living so in some ways I feel like we need to just go back to the basics.  To find this I look to Jesus and his teachings.

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world” he went on to say in.

John 8:12 (KJV)

Then Jesus spake again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life?

As a child I was taught a song that spoke about not hiding it under a bushel… “Let your light shine”.  My interpretation of that is let people see Jesus in you.  So if people are supposed to look at you and see Jesus, wouldn’t you think that when you look at yourself you should see Jesus as well?

How do we do this? By beholding Jesus… by believing that we are more than conquerors... that all things are possible! 

Stop focusing on what the devil is trying to get you to believe about yourself… focus on Jesus, behold the Glory of Jesus and everything that this means for you today!

God wants you to behold as in a mirror the glory of His Son who is in you by His Spirit. As you do this, His Word says that you are being transformed from glory to glory — from poor to rich, sick to healed, loser to winner!

Jesus is in you.  So next time when you look in the mirror see what God see’s “Jesus”!

God Loves You!

"GOD MY PROVIDER"

Resting in God’s Grace is so liberating, giving believers the freedom to live life the way God meant it to be.  The Grace message is a relationship message that makes each one of us part of Christ’s Family!


This message is going to be somewhat a history lesson and bringing to light a subject that most Christians try to avoid and that is the subject of Tithing.  Don’t click to that next page yet because you are going to like the truth because the truth will set you free indeed!


Galatians 3:29 (The Message)


In Christ's Family


 28-29In Christ's family there can be no division into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free, male and female. Among us you are all equal. That is, we are all in a common relationship with Jesus Christ. Also, since you are Christ's family, then you are Abraham's famous "descendant," heirs according to the covenant promises.


Hebrews 5:9-10 (KJV)
 9And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
 10Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.


Let’s take a minute and look at what really happened in;


Genesis 14:14-24 (KJV)
 14And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan.
 15And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.
 16And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.
 17And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's dale.
 18And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.
 19And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:
 20And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.
 21And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.
 22And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth,
 23That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich:
 24Save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men which went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.


There are three things I want to point out here:


#1 – Abram gave a tenth from the spoils, he took nothing from his personal treasury.


#2 – Abram kept nothing he gave the other 90% away as well!


#3 – To me the most important is when in verse 18 when the priest of the most high God brought forth bread and wine. 


The tithe as it is being taught is wrong and I am going to show that the tithe has been paid!  The Lie being taught is the last stronghold of mixture within the Gospel of Jesus which is the message of Grace.


What is the true meaning of the Tithe?


The tithe was introduced by God to Moses; the first of every animal belongs to God, and the tithe was brought to the temple and sacrificed to redeem the curse. 


Malachi 3:10 (KJV)
 10Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.


Have you ever wondered why this passage was in the last book of the Old Covenant? 


Jesus is the tithe the sacrificial lamb that while on the cross redeemed us from the curse, opened the windows of heaven, and God is pouring out the blessings!


You partake of the tithe by believing in Jesus and when you eat the bread and drink from the wine!


History of the tithe as taught in most Christian Denominations:


The tithe was introduced by the Catholic Church during the 6th century. Later church fathers felt that their followers lacked Christian charity. During this time the Catholic Church embedded the practice in canon law. A thousand years later it was added if you did not tithe you would be excommunicated.


The practice of tithing came to America in the 1800’s.


Jews don’t tithe today because they know the tithe can only be collected by the Levites.
Jesus himself could not receive tithes; he was from the tribe of Judah not the tribe of Levi.


The right way – Free will Giving – because you are Free:


It should come to no surprise that the early congregations of Christianity were financed the same way the early Israelite society was financed – through free will offering, which according to Moses, was more than ample to provide that which was needed.


Exodus 35:22 & 29 (KJV)
 22And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing hearted, and brought bracelets, and earrings, and rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold: and every man that offered an offering of gold unto the Lord.


29The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the LORD, every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work, which the LORD had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses.


Jesus was financed through free will offerings – gifts from the heart.
For example in;


Luke 8:3 (Amplified)
3And Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's household manager; and Susanna; and many others, who ministered to and provided for Him and them out of their property and personal belongings.


To be in Christ is to be like Him.  Jesus is a giver so it is easy to say that being a giver is the way God meant it to be.


Give from your Heart as the Holy Spirit leads to give not just of your money but of everything God has given you.


Don’t ever give out of fear or manipulation… Give from the heart out of the love of God.


God Loves You!

God Loves You!

Grace is a simple message and over time people have complicated it.

The problem is the mixture of the law with grace.  Paul tells us that is a perverted message.

John 1:17 (KJV)

 ¹⁷For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

Grace is knowing that God Loves you! In John 3:16 (KJV) the Bible says;

 ¹⁶For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

When you understand how much God loves you, that is all you need.  All that God requires is for us to believe and yes it is that simple.  The limitations that we place on God are by what we choose to believe. 

Ephesians 2:8 (KJV)

 ⁸For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

The gift that God gave because of his love for us is Jesus;

Jesus becoming a human, obeying the law on our behalf, died on the cross and took on all the sins, sicknesses, poverty of the world, His resurrection conquering death, and his soon return is the gift that God speaks of. 

While Jesus was in the upper room he also gave us a gift, the gift of Peace… In

John 14:27 (KJV)

 ²⁷Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Remember that when Jesus said "my peace" he spoke the Hebrew word Shalom which means Completeness, wholeness, health, peace, welfare, safety soundness, tranquility, prosperity, perfectness, fullness, rest, harmony, the absence of agitation or discord.

I close with this… 

Live each day declaring over yourselves that you are greatly blessed, highly favored and deeply loved!

God Loves You!