The Heave Offering

The Heave Offering

With the massive erroneous indoctrination with regards to the principle of tithing it is essential for everyone to note that, the allocation that was given to the Levites the priests as their portion or inheritance was not the whole tithe but 10% of the tithe known as a heave offering.

So the logical question is, why give only 10% of the tithe to the Levites! And, what became of the other 90%? The crux of the matter is that, the children of Israel gave only a heave offering to the Levites as their inheritance because, among the twelve tribes of the children of Israel only the tribe of Levi that was without an inheritance, and by the other eleven tribes each giving a heave offering, Levi would end up with a tithe which the Lord had appointed to them as their inheritance and would have and additional heave offering which they also had to offer to Aaron the High Priest as a heave offering.

For this is what the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak thus to the Levites, and say to them: 'When you take from the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them as your inheritance, then you shall offer up a heave offering of it to the LORD, a tenth of the tithe. And your heave offering shall be reckoned to you as though it were the grain of the threshing floor and as the fullness of the wine press. Thus you shall also offer a heave offering to the LORD from all your tithes which you receive from the children of Israel, and you shall give the LORD's heave offering from it to Aaron the priest” (Numbers 18:25-28).

So the portion of tithe that is allotted to the Levites or priests is 10% of the tithe known as a heave offering and the other 90% of the tithe is for the people to appear before the Lord with their households on the Lord's festivals to rejoice before Him and learn to fear Him always. As we have been duly instructed saying; “You shall truly tithe all the increase of your grain that the field produces year by year. And you shall eat before the LORD your God, in the place where He chooses to make His name abide, the tithe of your grain and your new wine and your oil, of the firstborn of your herds and your flocks, that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always.”

But if the journey is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry the tithe, or if the place where the LORD your God chooses to put His name is too far from you, when the LORD your God has blessed you, then you shall exchange it for money, take the money in your hand, and go to the place which the LORD your God chooses. And you shall spend that money for whatever your heart desires: for oxen or sheep, for wine or similar drink, for whatever your heart desires; you shall eat there before the LORD your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your household. You shall not forsake the Levite who is within your gates, for he has no part nor inheritance with you (Deuteronomy 14:22-27).

So here it is made quite clear and simple, the rationale or prime objective for tithing is a system which the Lord has ordained on how to support the Levites (the priests) by giving them 10% of the tithe and the other ninety percent for families to be able to come and appear before the Lord and celebrate His Feast days at the time He has appointed. Unfortunately, the majority of those who are clamoring for the tithe and not just for the heave offering, but the full 10% are not even observing the Lord's festivals. What a travesty!

To be continued

Stay tuned

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

Second identifying sign of the true church (contd)

The principle of Tithing

Associated with the second identifying sign of the true church is the handling of the principle of tithing. Many churches in order to promulgate and justify their false doctrine of error and greed will quote scriptures such as is found in the book of Malachi which reads; “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ' In what way have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings.

You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me, even this whole nation. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this," Says the LORD of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.

"And I will rebuke the devourer for your sake, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field," Says the LORD of hosts; And all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land," Says the LORD of hosts” (Malachi 3:8-12).

Very encouraging words indeed, but what truly is tithing! And what is the rationale for tithing? I personally spent twenty five years in a religious organization where I was taught to give 10% of my income to this organization, I also had to save another 10% of my income to observe the annual biblical festivals, and every three years I had to give an additional 10% of my income to this organization to support the widows and the poor.

But what exactly is tithing? The first mentioned of tithing is when Abram met with Melchizedek king of Salem who brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. And He blessed him and said: "Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand." And Abram gave Melchizedek a tithe of all” (Genesis 1:18-20).

This Melchizedek to whom Abram gave a tithe of all is no other than Jesus Christ Himself before He became man, for it is written; “For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being translated "king of righteousness," and then also king of Salem, meaning "king of peace," without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually. Now consider how great this man was, to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils” (Hebrews 7:1-4).

In reference to Jesus Christ being the Melchizedek to whom Abram gave a tithe of all we are further instructed saying; “And it is yet far more evident if, in the likeness of Melchizedek, there arises another priest who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life. For He testifies: "You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek."  “And inasmuch as He was not made priest without an oath (for they have become priests without an oath, but He with an oath by Him who said to Him: "The LORD has sworn and will not relent, ' You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek' ") (Hebrews 7:15-17, 20-21).

Now, the second mentioned of tithe is when the Lord gave a command to Moses for the children of Israel saying; “And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD's. It is holy to the LORD. If a man wants at all to redeem any of his tithes, he shall add one-fifth to it. And concerning the tithe of the herd or the flock, of whatever passes under the rod, the tenth one shall be holy to the LORD” (Leviticus 27:30-32).

What is clear in this command is that the tenth (tithe) is holy to the Lord, but the logical question now is, since the tithe is holy to the Lord how are we instructed to offer to the Lord His holy tithe? God ordained His holy tithe for His people to appear before Him on His holy days and to support the Levites who had no inheritance and to also support the widows and fatherless.

For this is what the Lord said to Aaron the high priest, “Then the LORD said to Aaron: "You shall have no inheritance in their land, nor shall you have any portion among them; I am your portion and your inheritance among the children of Israel. Behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tithes in Israel as an inheritance in return for the work which they perform, the work of the tabernacle of meeting.”

“But the Levites shall perform the work of the tabernacle of meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity; it shall be a statute forever, throughout your generations, that among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance. For the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer up as a heave offering to the LORD, I have given to the Levites as an inheritance; therefore I have said to them, 'Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance " (Deuteronomy 18:20-21, 23-24):

Please note carefully that, the tithes which the children of Israel offered to the Lord were given to the Levites as an inheritance because they had no inheritance among the children of Israel and what they received was called a “Heave Offering” which is 10% of the tithe and not the entire tithe of their produce or their income.

It is therefore imperative that we make a clear distinction between the tithe which is 10% of one`s income or produce and a heave offering which is 10% of the tithe. It is also very important to know why only a heave offering or 10% of the tithe was given to the Levites and not the whole tithe and what happened to the other 90% of the tithe.

Stay tuned, to be continued.

With brotherly love

Second identifying sign of the true church

2. The Church does not peddle the Word of God for profit

The second identifying sign of the true church of God is that it does not peddle the word of God for profit. Because the Church has been instructed saying; “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? (Hebrews 13:5-6).

According to the apostle Paul, “For we are not, as so many (again not the few), peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ” (2 Corinthians 2:17).

As a matter of fact we have been warned saying; “There were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Sovereign Lord who bought them bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up” (2 Peter 2:1-3).

The apostle Paul distinguished and disassociated himself from the false apostles of his day, he wrote; “Was it a sin for me to lower myself in order to elevate you by preaching the gospel of God to you free of charge? I robbed other churches by receiving support from them so as to serve you. And when I was with you and needed something, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied what I needed.

I have kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so. As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, nobody in the regions of Achaia will stop this boasting of mine. Why? Because I do not love you! God knows I do! And I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about.

For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve” (2 Corinthians 11:7-13).

This is contrary and quite the opposite to what is being promulgated and manifested today in many religious circles, what we are hearing is all about breakthroughs, sowing seeds and material blessings. Whereas, the instructions the Lord gave to His twelve Apostles is as follows: “And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts, nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food.”

"Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out. And when you go into a household, greet it. If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you” (Matthew 10:7-13).

And to the seventy He sent out into the field He instructed them saying; "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves:

“Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals and greet no one along the road. But whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house.' And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you. And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house. Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you. And heal the sick there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you” (Luke 10:2-9).

These instructions are quite in contrast to what is being promulgated in today´s religious circle despite the fact that many of the laborers possess so much material wealth, what a tragedy!

To be continued

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

First identifying sign of the true church

There are seven (7) distinguished signs that distinguish the true church of God from all others and they are as follows:

1. The Church is small in comparison to that of the World

From Jesus’ own words we have been instructed saying; “Enter through the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it, because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their deeds you shall recognize them.”

Jesus Christ went on to say, “Not everyone who say to Me, “Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name: and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you, away from Me: you evildoers!” (Matthew 7:13-16, 21-22).

Again thus says the Lord; “I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.’ “For where two or three are gathered in My name, I am there in the midst of them” (Matthew 18: 19-20).

This does not sound like a big mega establishment, for thus says the Lord again, “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” And He warned them saying; “Take heed that no one deceives you, for many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am Christ,’ and will deceive many” (Luke 12:32; Matthew 24:5).

 It is to the many and not the few that the Lord said; "But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say?” The question is what it is that the Lord asked us to do as being Lord and the many are not adhering or submitting to it? What the Lord requires of us for being Lord and the many are not submitting to is the instructions the Lord gave saying; “You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary: I am the LORD” (Leviticus 19:30. 26:2).

Jesus also said to His disciples, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath" (Mark 2:27-28).

Observing the Sabbaths therefore, is the first identifying sign of the true church of God, on multiple occasions the Lord made mention of the Sabbaths as being an outward sign to identify Him and His people for this is what the Lord said:

a.       "Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you. You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people.”

b.      Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed" (Exodus 31: 13-14; 16-17).

c.        “Moreover I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them.” And, “I am the LORD your God: Walk in My statutes, keep My judgments, and do them; hallow My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the LORD your God” (Ezekiel 20:12, 19-20)

And to those who would venture to say that this perpetual sign/covenant applies only to the Jews, this is what the scriptures say, “Therefore receive one another (Jews & Gentiles), just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God. Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers, and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, as it is written: "For this reason I will confess to You among the Gentiles, and sing to Your name." And again he says: "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people!" And again: "Praise the LORD, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples!" (Romans 15: 7-11).

Therefore, without being judgmental and allowing the word of God to be the judge, it is absolutely clear that if we are not rejoicing and glorifying God together with His people in accordance to the perpetual covenant He made with them, then it is without a shadow of doubt that we are not the true church. The root cause of the many disparities, confusions and divisions in the church the body of believers is in the area of worship and failing to take into consideration that Satan`s quest is to be worshiped just as God is worshiped.

To be continued

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

Identifying the true church

Where is the church that Jesus Christ built? Is it possible to distinguish it from the midst of the babble of confusion that exists today! Since He said that, “The gates of hell shall not prevail against it,” it must be somewhere still in existence, and one should be able to identify and distinguish it from all counterfeits.

Since God is not the author of confusion, but a God of peace as in all the churches of the saints, it is for certain that most of the churches we see today do not represent the church which Jesus Christ built. I know that it is quite convenient for people to say that, God has His people everywhere, but that still does not make them the church, the body of Christ which Jesus Christ built.

Let us also not ignore the warning which Jesus gave saying; “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many” (Matthew 24: -5).

How then can the Church which Jesus Christ built upon Himself be identified and differentiated from the many counterfeits? First and foremost, the church is not a worldly organization, it is not a denomination: As a matter of fact, having the preconceived notion or idea of belonging to a particular sect or religious denomination is already a sin called sectarianism.

In pleading for the unity of the church the apostle Paul wrote; “Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe's household, that there are contentions among you. Now I say this that each of you says, “I am of Paul, or I am of Apollos," or "I am of Cephas," or "I am of Christ." Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? (1 Corinthians 1:10-13)

The apostle Paul further admonished the church by stating; "For you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? For when one says, "I am of Paul," and another, "I am of Apollos," are you not carnal?" (1 Corinthians 3: 3-4).

The church in true perspective comprise of believers who forms the body of Christ. The word church refers to all who have been redeemed, and also groups of Christians assembled for worship. In reality, people do not go to church as it is commonly said, but rather the church meets at a particular time and place.

The church, the body of Christ is a kingdom of priests with Jesus Christ being the High Priest and head of that kingdom. As it is written; “God placed all things under His feet and appointed Him to be head over everything for the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way” (Ephesians 1:22-23).

Jesus Christ is the head of the body, the church, the kingdom of priests, who is the beginning, the first born from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. He is the chief corner stone that was rejected by men. He is the noble man who went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return, but his citizens hated him, saying, ‘we will not have this man reign over us’ (Luke 19:12, 14).

He is the son of the owner of the vineyard whom when the vine dresser saw, reasoned among themselves, saying, ‘This is the heir. Come let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours” (Luke 20:14-17).

To this end there has to be definite prescribed sign/s that distinguish the true church, the body of Christ, the royal priesthood, the holy nation which Jesus Christ built, from all other counterfeits.

To be continued

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

Is there hope for our future generations (part four)

2. Be transformed by the renewing of our mind

For the future generation to have any glimmer of hope the individual has to be transformed by the renewing of the mind because the examples Jesus Christ gave us on how to live, is diametrically opposite to how we live our lives today.

Furthermore, the natural mind that we all were born with is carnal and is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. Also, the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

This necessitates therefore, a change of mind from being carnal to becoming spiritual, from being at variance with the law of God to becoming in harmony with the law of God and being able to receive and discern spiritual things, because to be carnally minded is death: But to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

After affirming the fact that we cannot serve God and mammon, Jesus said, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?”

According to Jesus Christ the kingdom of God and His righteousness takes precedence over the cares and concerns of this life. We are not to worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble (Matthew 6:25, 33-34).

We have been asked to withdraw ourselves from the, “Useless disputes of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain, because godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing with these we shall be content” (1 Timothy 6:5-8).

The type of transformation that is needed is that of having a different mindset, a different perspective on how to evaluate earthly things and how to use them not placing them before the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and so we have been admonished saying: "Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:2-3).

The Lord’s perspective of wealth is diametrically opposite to the world’s perspective of wealth. To the elect few the Lord says, “Do not fear, little flock, for it is the Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches or moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Luke 12:33-34).

We should therefore be focusing on the spiritual aspect of life which in general term known as the fruit of the Spirit which consist of love, which is two-folds, love towards God which is expressed by giving Him the honor and glory that is due to Him as LORD, and the love of our neighbor expressed by loving them as ourselves, with the inclusion of joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

To be optimistic about the future, we must not be conformed to the system of this world, and be transformed by the renewing of the mind, by learning how to become a servant of God and not be a servant of mammon, or servants of men, because no one can serve two masters. We can only love one and hate the other, or be loyal to one and hate the other.

Remember, we were bought with a price we are no longer our own therefore, we are to glorify God in our body and in our spirit which belongs to Him.

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

Is there hope for our future generations (part three)

 The changes that are required to give our future generations hope for a better future are basically two-folds:

1. Do not be conformed to this world.

The question is, why should we not be conformed to this world? The simple answer is that one must take into consideration the fact that, the whole world is under the sway of the devil, the system by which the world operates is not of God but it is of Satan. He is the god of this age who has blinded the minds of those who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

One important thing that we should bear in mind is that, the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. Therefore, when God said; "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." This is irrevocable,

But unfortunately, Satan seized control of the world from Adam, when he deceived Eve, and she fell into transgression and supported by Adam. God again reinstated the ruler ship and dominion of the world to man through a dream by king Nebuchadnezzar and a vision by the prophet Daniel. With Nebuchadnezzar's dream he dreamed of an image whose head was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay, which Daniel interpreted to represent four ruling kingdoms on earth, until the stone struck the image and became a great mountain, representing the kingdom of God and filled the whole earth.

Now in the case of Daniel´s vision, he saw four great beasts coming up from the sea, each different from the other: Those great beasts, which are four, he said, “are four kings which arise out of the earth”, and with regards to the fourth beast Daniel said, “The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all other kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, trample it and break it in pieces” (Daniel 7:23).

Now it is clearly stated that; “The dragon (Satan the devil) gave him (the fourth beast) his power, his throne, and great authority”. Now history shows that this fourth beast or kingdom is the Roman Empire because, the first ruling empire was the Chaldean or Babylonian Empire ruled by king Nebuchadnezzar, the second was the Persian Empire; the third was the Grecian empire and the fourth kingdom beginning from 200 BC is the Roman Empire with its many rise and falls.

When Jesus Christ was led by the Spirit into the wilderness being tempted for forty days by the devil who took Him to a high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time and said to Him, “All this authority I will give you, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if you will worship before me, all will be yours.”

Note carefully that the Lord did not refute or disprove Satan's claim of ruler ship but simply responded by saying; “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only you shall serve” (Luke 4:5-8).

On three occasions Jesus Christ confirmed the fact that He is not the ruler of this world. On the first occasion when the time had come for Jesus to be glorified, He said to the people, "Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself." On the second occasion when Jesus Christ promised the disciples the Holy Spirit Jesus said to them, "I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me" (John 12:31-32; 14:30).

And on the third occasion Jesus again promising the disciples the help of the Holy Spirit and said to them, "Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged" ( John 16:7-11).

But there is good news in that, the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.' Therefore, our admonition is to “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.”

Jesus Christ in praying to the Father on behalf on His disciples said, “I have given them your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that you should take them out of the world, but that you should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world” (John 17:14-16).

As believers therefore, although we are living in the world, we are however not of the world and should not be conformed to it by practicing its customs and traditions.

To be continued

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

Is there hope for our future generations (part two)

It is stated categorically; “Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.’

“You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:1-4).

It is because our system is established and operates on Satan’s method of ruler-ship, Jesus Christ had to fore-warned us saying; “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24).

It is quite evident that our society worldwide is controlled by mammon. Without money to solicit the services of a professional competent lawyer, it is almost inconceivable to find justice in a court of law, regardless of how much evidences and facts one may present in court.

It is quite apparent that without the power of mammon, one who requires surgery or treatment for certain diseases, sickness or accidental injuries may not be that fortunate to survive which somehow portrays God as one who favors the rich, and neglects the poor. Even our modern day preachers are inclined to portray God in this light.

But contrary to their prosperity gospel, the word of the Lord says; “If there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within any of the gates in your land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother, but you shall open your hand wide to him and willingly lend him sufficient for his need, whatever he needs.”

“You shall surely give to him, and your heart should not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the Lord your God will bless you in all your works and in all to which you put your hand. For the poor will never cease from the land; therefore I command you, saying, you shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and the needy, in your land” (Deuteronomy 15:7-8; 10-11).

We are admonished by the Lord to, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses” (Luke 12:15).

Now to those who are fortunate to be possessors of the riches of this world, the instructions to them are as follows:

a.        “And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home. He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much: Therefore, if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in what is another man's, who will give you what is your own?” (Luke 16:9-12).

b.      “Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life” (1 Timothy 6:17-19).

The spirit of covetousness and pride is not of God, it originated from the prince of the power of the air, hence the reason why we have been duly admonished saying; “Do not love the world or the things in the world: If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world --- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life --- is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:15-17).

Living through the COVID 19 pandemic should be a vivid example and experience to everyone as to how fragile and insecure the material things are and how we should be focusing on the spiritual aspect of life instead of the materialistic things, for what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? And how fast can someone leave behind everything he/she has worked and toiled for.

Since something drastically has to happen in order to give hope to our future generations, and this change will certainly not come from the system, it will necessitate that the change or changes that are required comes from us individually. So then, what are the drastic changes that we are required to do in order to give hope to our future generations?

To be continued

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

Is there hope for our future generations

With the world in such turmoil, high cost of living, financial crisis, global warming, aids epidemic, wars and rumors of wars, violence, massive frauds, hunger, famine, drugs and human trafficking, exploitation, deceptions, sickness and flue epidemics, COVID 19 pandemic is there any glimmer of hope for our present and future generations?

For any glimmer of hope a dramatic change in the way we live must be effected, and must be effected without delay.

But one thing is certain let no one expect the changes to come from the system, it is programmed on autopilot heading to destruction, and possible annihilation of the human race. Our system is set on a course which is irreversible, and instead of expecting a lull, we are forewarned saying, “Evil men and imposters will grow from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2Timothy 3:13).

Jesus Christ also warned us saying, “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be: And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened” (Matthew 24:21-22).

Our system is the root cause of our present dilemma. The premise on which it is established and operates did not originate from the principles which God has ordained for humanity. It originated from another source apart from God’s, hence the reason we have been admonished saying, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.’

‘For all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who dos the will of God abides forever” (1John 2:15-17).

Our present system and sin originated from Lucifer the fallen cherub who was given ruler-ship of the earth. The prophet Ezekiel gives a vivid account of what transpired with Lucifer, he wrote; “You were the anointed cherub who covers. I established you; you were on the holy mountain of God; you walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones.’

‘You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you. By the abundance of your trading you became filled with violence within, and you sinned; therefore I cast you as a profane thing out of the mountain of God; and I destroyed you, O covering cherub, from the midst of the fiery stones.’

‘Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground, I laid you before kings that they might gaze at you. You defiled your sanctuaries by the multitude of your iniquities, by the iniquity of your trading; therefore I brought fire from your midst; it devoured you, and I turned you to ashes upon the earth” (Ezekiel 28:14-16).

As one can see from all indications, sin originated from Lucifer and the root cause was covetousness, which came about because of the abundance of his trading; and pride because of his beauty and splendor.

Lucifer became so vain and covetous, he was not satisfied with just the earth as his domain, he said in his heart, “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars (angels) of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High” (Isaiah 14:13-14).

It was in this attempt by Lucifer to overthrow God on His throne that Jesus said, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.” From all indications Satan will once again attempt to take control in heaven. For it is written; “And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him” (Revelations 12:7-9).

The first time Satan was cast out from heaven he fell like lightning because he was the light bringer whose light instantly dissipated as the flash of lightning, but the second downcast he was cast out as the great dragon the devil and Satan who deceives the whole world, and so we have been admonished saying; “We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one” (1 John 5:19).

Therefore, it is our compliance and subjection to this sinful system of life which originated from Satan that produces our woes and calamities and so the warning to God´s people is; “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues: For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities” (Revelations 18:4 -5).

To be continued

Glorious Everlasting life (contd)

Eternal Salvation

The life which mankind has standing in Christ after His death and resurrection is spiritual and eternal. But when one believes and receives Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, he receives the right or authority to become a child of God, an adopted son. He is then translated from the kingdom of darkness, into the kingdom of the Son of God’s love. At the point of acceptance, and translation from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light, the individual receives eternal salvation. Christ gives them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of His hand (John 1:12; Colossians 1:13; John 10:28-29).

Eternal Salvation is to believe and accept what transpired on the cross. It is to believe in Jesus Christ as the Beloved Son of God who divested Himself of His divinity to become the Son of Man, so that, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life” (John 3:14-15; Romans 10:8-13).

Those who choose to believe Jesus Christ and receive Him have been born again, “not of blood [human life], nor of the will of the flesh [human passion and desires], nor of the will of man [one’s determination], but of God” (John 1:12-13).

It is, by grace we have all been saved through faith and that not of ourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works lest anyone should boast. Eternal life is Jesus Christ, who is also the substance of faith, He is God’s gift to all mankind, and in whom we all stand.

Eternal Life therefore constitutes two things:-

• Eternal existence of the spirit:

• Eternal salvation of the spirit

Everlasting Life however is different from both the eternal existence of the spirit, and the eternal salvation of the spirit. It is the everlasting existence of the human body, which has a beginning and would have naturally ended, for it is appointed unto man to die, but it will be made to live forever. In contrast, eternal life has eternally existed, and will continue to exist forever. Eternal death is not the cessation of life as with physical death, but it is separation from God.

Everlasting life therefore, is the immortality of the human body which Christ alluded to by saying, “Most assuredly I say to you, unless one is of born of water [flesh] and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5).

In order for anyone to inherit the kingdom of God, the mortal must put on immortality, and the corruptible must put on incorruptibility, because Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God: nor does corruption inherit in-corruption” (1 Corinthians 15: 50-53; Romans 8:11, 23).

Everlasting life or immortality is guaranteed only to those who, not only believe in Jesus Christ as the Beloved Son of God, who became the Son of Man and died for the sins of man, but who also believes in Jesus Christ as the Begotten Son of God who became our resurrection and the life.

While eternal life is a gift, everlasting life however is a reward for righteous living, which leads to holiness, and at the end one reaps the reward of everlasting life or the redemption of the body. For it is written; “Now that you have been set free from sin, and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is everlasting life.” Whereas eternal life is a free gift, for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:22-23).

Furthermore we have been warned saying; “Do not be deceived; God cannot be mocked, a man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature will reap destruction (corruption), and the one who sows to please the Spirit, will from the Spirit reap everlasting life” (Galatians 6:7-8).

It is those who believe in Jesus Christ as the begotten Son of God, the resurrection and the life and who walks as Jesus Christ walked that should not perish but have everlasting life. The truth of the matter is, Christ became the begotten Son of God at the resurrection when He was; “Declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness” (Romans 1:4).

As God alone, Christ could not have saved humanity, because as God He cannot die. As man alone He could not save us either, for He could have only saved Himself. He had to be both God and man.

As the Son of Man, Jesus Christ was made lower that the angels for the suffering of death. As the begotten Son of God, He is crowned with glory and honor. “For to which of the angels did God ever say; ‘You are My Son, today I have begotten you? And again, ‘I will be to Him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? But when He again brings the first born [from mortal to immortal] into the world, He says; let the angels of God worship Him” (Hebrews 1:5-6).

The Son of Man became the Begotten Son of God by the quality of life He lived as the Son of Man. This life is indicative of how His followers ought to live because, He came to set us an example that we should follow His steps and, “He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked” (1 Peter 2:21; 1 John 2:6).

Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of the Father, but became the first born [from mortal to immortal] among many brethren who will receive the adoption as sons. And so we are told that, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted (Romans 8:29; Hebrews 1:6, 2:10, 17, 18; Galatians 4:4-5).

Everlasting life therefore, is the immortality of the human body which will differ from one degree of glory to another, as there is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in in-corruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.