Re-Seed the Nation

Those of you who are around my age may remember the saying, "What came first, the chicken or the egg?" I still remember the first time I read the account of creation and realized it was the chicken! I thought to myself, the Bible really does have the answers for all of our questions! So, God made the animals first. He "made the beasts of the earth after their kind..." (Genesis 1:25). He made the species and they reproduced. Then He made man--male and female. He blessed them and told them to "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it..." (Genesis 1:28). You know the story, right?

Well, the other night in a dream, I heard the words, "Re-seed the nation!" It struck me that this word "re-seed" is in contrast to the word "recede" which means to draw back or retreat. Re-seed means to spread seed throughout the nation--godly seed. This seed is children who are born and raised up in the ways of the Lord. As we re-seed this nation, we are taking land--territory--for the Lord. Of course the enemy knows this. He knows the value of children, which is why he infiltrates our schools, attacks our marriages and distracts parents so they will value careers, money or prestige above their children, if they even have children at all.

The Lord told the first male and female to multiply. This meant they would have more than two children. They would not just replace the two of them with two more, but multiply--fill the earth! I remember several years ago I was going to a fairly large church, and I noticed many young married Christian couples deciding not to have children. The reasons varied anywhere from being so involved in ministry or career that they didn't "have time" to feeling it wasn't "God's will" for them. But He already said it, before everything else--multiply and fill the earth! I realize the earth is pretty full now, but look at what has happened to us in America as we've not placed a high priority on 1. Having children or 2. Loving them enough to make them one of our highest priorities--above big houses, cars, ministries, jobs, vacations etc. I am speaking to myself too!

Our nation needs to be re-seeded! In Ephesians 6:2-3 Paul writes "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise), so that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth." I believe we need to not only honor our own father and mother, but the positions of fatherhood and motherhood. We need to honor all of the fathers and mothers so that we, as a Christian people, will "live long" on the earth. We need to do better honoring the fathers and mothers among us--encouraging them and helping them recognize the high call they have. Christian parents need great encouragement these days!

It may take time to re-seed, but it's better than receding. We may have tares sown among the wheat, but that doesn't mean we stop sowing wheat. We may have to, along with the tares, "grow together until the harvest" but we keep growing, planting and tending to our seed. (Matthew 13:24-43). We can quicken the process when adults are "born again." As these adult spiritual babies are born, experiencing new birth by confessing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, then re-seeding occurs then too. Of course in both cases, the seed needs to be tended to and nurtured so he or she will grow up strong in the ways of the Lord. Let's do it. Let's re-seed the nation, not recede, and take our land back!

"My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you--" Galatians 4:19

The Basis for Right and Wrong

We get ourselves in trouble when our definition of right and wrong is based on something other than truth. If we try to make something "right" that is not truth, we do nothing more than deceive ourselves, and others, creating unexpected and disastrous consequences. Truth cannot be changed. We must surrender to it, embrace it, pursue it, seek it, but never try and change it to fit our opinion of "right." Truth is stronger than us, and making something socially acceptable or legal will not make it true. Getting a group of people to agree with us will not make it true either.

Error is whatever is not truth. Error can show up as:

• Deception. Which is when a person believes a lie--an un-truth. This person thinks they know the truth but really doesn't. However, a person still suffers the consequences of not following the truth, even if they are deceived. Eve was deceived (2 Corinthians 11:3) yet still suffered the devastating consequences of her actions--we all did. Not only does deception effect the life of the person who is deceived, but a person who is deceived will spread lies and not even know they are lying. They are spreading error without being aware of it.
  
• Rebellion. Which is a refusal to submit to the truth. This person may see the truth, even see that it is good. Yet doesn't want to accept it or live by it, and thinks he or she can get away with doing their own thing. They may be arrogant, thinking they can outsmart truth. They may be angry and not care what the consequences are. A person in rebellion will spread lies when they are intentionally trying to deceive others. One day it will all catch up with them.

Whichever kind of error we speak of, it could not exist without truth because if there was no truth, there could be no error. Truth is the standard for all things. Much like if there was no light, there would be no darkness. Darkness is defined as the absence of light, and error is defined as un-truth. The devil has not created anything new. He is a counterfeiter. He doesn't care if you are deceived or in rebellion, he just doesn't want you to know, believe, love or speak the truth.

Truth is an absolute that exists apart from the opinions of man. It is God, and when people try to establish a system of right and wrong that excludes truth (God) from the equation, it does nothing more than spread error, bringing chaos and confusion. It leads to death, where truth leads to life. We must make it our quest to seek the truth, love it and embrace it. We need to choose truth over sin. we need to choose truth over our desire to be "right." We need to submit our opinion of what is right to the truth--to God Himself.

"...that lawless one will be revealed...whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan...with all deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness." 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12

We can't afford to neglect seeking the truth. The price is too high! Ask the Lord to help you surrender your opinion of right and wrong to His truth. Ask Him to shine His light and expose areas of error in your heart, soul and mind.

See also John 14:16-17, John 17:17, John 8:32, 1 John 5:6, 1 John 4:1-5

White Robes

In the book of Revelation, chapters 2-3, we read the message Jesus gave to the churches. He told John to write these messages and send them to seven churches. In two places, He mentions white garments:

To the church in Sardis:

"But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels."  Revelation 3:4-5

To the church in Laodicea:

"I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see." Revelation 3:18

The thing that strikes me about these Scriptures, is that the people have something to do with the purity of their garments/robes. Those in Sardis who "have not soiled their garments" will walk with the Lord "in white." They will not be blotted out of the book of life. Whether or not their garments are soiled is up to them. If they keep their garments from being soiled, they will have the privilege of being clothed in white, walking with the Lord.

He tells those at Laodicea to buy from Him "white garments" so that they may clothe themselves and the shame of their nakedness will not be revealed. Once again, its up to the people whether or not they will pay the price for the white garments, and whether they will clothe themselves in them.

A few chapters later we read of white robes. There were martyrs, those who "had been slain because of the word of God, and the testimony which they had maintained." (Rev. 6:9). They were crying out with a loud voice, asking how long until the Lord would judge and avenge their blood on those in the earth. The response:

"And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also." Revelation 6:11

Further on, we see a multitude clothed in white robes:

"After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they cry out with a loud voice saying, "Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."...Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, "These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?" I said to him, "My lord, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." Revelation 7: 9-10, 13-14

Once again, "they have washed their robes and made them white." The resulting blessing is awesome:

"For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them. they will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any heat; for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to the springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes." Revelation 7:15-17.

How great would it be to have the tabernacle of God spread over you? Every tear wiped away? Serving God before His throne night and day, with Jesus Himself as your shepherd, leading you to the springs of the water of life!

So how exactly do we get these white robes? Does this mean we earn our salvation? That we are only clothed in white when we live perfectly without sin? If that were entirely true, then we wouldn't have needed Jesus to come and pay the price for us would we? No, righteousness couldn't come by keeping any law. But it does mean that we pay the price, whatever price, to keep His word and our testimony in Him--even unto death. Even during times of great tribulation we remain faithful to Him, washing our robes in the blood of the Lamb if we sin.

Consider what Isaiah said,

" For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; and all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away." Isaiah 64:6

"I will rejoice greatly in the Lord, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with jewels." Isaiah 61:10.

These outward garments represent our deeds, and our own attempts at righteous deeds are like filthy garments. Yet God looks at the heart, not our actions alone. He clothes us in garments of salvation. He wraps us with a robe of righteousness. Yes, we have a part to play in confessing our sin, washing our garments in His blood, exposing them to the light and not trying to hide or justify ourselves, but God looks at our hearts, not just our deeds:

"Yet even now," declares the Lord, "Return to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, weeping and mourning; and rend your heart and not your garments."  Joel 2:12-13

Repent from your heart--turn away from evil in your heart--not just in outward appearances.

In the beginning, after the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden, they were ashamed of their nakedness. God made garments of skin for them and clothed them. Then He kicked them out of the Garden so they wouldn't eat from the tree of life and live forever. It was a sad time. (Genesis 3:21-24). But the day is coming, for those who wash their robes, to have access to the tree of life once again!

"Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city." Revelation 22:14.

Take the Lord's advice and go to Him, buy white garments from Him. Keep them washed in His blood. It's worth any price!

"Your lips, my bride, drip honey; 

Honey and milk are under your tongue,

And the fragrance of your garments

Is like the fragrance of Lebanon." 

Song of Solomon 4:11

The bridegroom to the bride

Taking the Initiative

There are times in the Bible when people took the initiative and the Lord was pleased. These are times when people didn't wait for the Lord to tell them to do something, but went ahead with what was in their heart. Of course there are times when people have done things without consulting the Lord with devastating consequences, but yet we see these times where He was pleased with what came from a person's heart.

Jacob was on his way to go get a wife when he laid down and slept with a stone for a pillow. (Genesis 28:10-22). He dreamed of the ladder with the angels of God ascending and descending. The Lord spoke to Him of the land which He would give to him and his descendants. He gave him a promise that He would be with Him and would bring him back to that land. Jacob woke up and said, "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it." He took the stone that had been under his head, set it up as a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. He then named the place Bethel, which means the house of God. This was the first time oil was used as an anointing.The Lord seemed pleased with this because we see many instances of oil used in anointing after this, in the tabernacle, the temple and anointing kings and priests. Yet here we see Jacob anointing the stone with oil and naming that place the house of God.

David wanted to build a permanent house for the Lord. He didn't like that fact that he, David, lived in a house of cedar, but the "ark of God dwells within tent curtains." 2 Samuel 7:2. The Lord said that He had never asked him to do that, yet He said, "Because it was in your heart to build a house for My name, you did well that it was in your heart." 1 Kings 8:18. The Lord was pleased with David's desire, however He told him to have his son Solomon build the house (the temple) instead of David doing it. The Lord didn't initiate the building of the first temple, David did. Yet the Lord was quite pleased with it. He even told David that He would make a house for him. (2 Samuel 7:11, 19).

Both of these instances have to do with building the house of God. It seems God is pleased when we desire a place for Him to dwell among us. Today, we can prepare our hearts for Him. A willing heart that is open for Him to come dwell must make Him very pleased. When we are filled with His Spirit, what comes out of our heart will be in accordance to His will. Our thoughts and ideas might bring pleasure to Him also.

"Thus says the Lord "Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool. Where then is a house you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest? For My hand made all these things, thus all these things came into being," declares the Lord. "But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word."" Isaiah 66:1-2

The house that the Lord will dwell in today, is the heart of a humble, repentant person, one who fears the Lord and His Word. May we prepare our hearts for Him. May every heart, prepare Him room.

Personal Sabotage?

It seems to me that the deaf and dumb spirit that Jesus cast out in Mark 9 was a self-destructive spirit--a spirit of personal sabotage so to speak. This was the spirit that Jesus said would only come out by prayer and fasting. But let's back up a bit. Jesus had taken Peter, James and John up in the mountain where He was transfigured before them. Elijah and Moses appeared and spoke with Him. Peter thought it would be a good idea to make three tabernacles, one for each of them. He said this because "he did not know what to answer; for they became terrified;" (Mark 9:6). Just then a cloud formed and overshadowed them and a voice came out of the cloud:

"This is My beloved Son, listen to Him!" 

I imagine that quieted the disciples for a bit. They came down the mountain and the crowd ran up to Jesus. A man in the crowd told Him that he brought his son who was possessed with a spirit to his disciples for deliverance but they couldn't cast him out. This spirit, whom Jesus called a deaf and mute spirit, would seize the man's son, slam him to the ground and would often throw him into the fire and water to try and destroy him. This deaf and mute spirit seems intent on destroying the person it possesses. It may appear as self-destructive or personal sabotage. 

Jesus said it comes out only by prayer and fasting. I think this kind of prayer and fasting is more than us talking non-stop to God without taking time to listen to Him. This is evidenced by what they had just experienced on the mountain top. God had spoken from the cloud and said to listen to His Son! When we don't know what to say, we may just need to listen. To have victory over the attacks that would try and destroy a person, even self-destructive actions, we need to listen to the Lord.

Jesus spoke of those whose heart was dull, their ears couldn't hear and their eyes were closed. These people would not be able to receive from the Lord. But He said of His disciples, "Blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears because they hear." (Matthew 13:15-16). Lord, may we remember to be quiet before You and listen!

Sowing in Your Own Field

When Abraham returned from Egypt to the land of Canaan after the first famine, he was very rich. When he came into Canaan he was "very rich in livestock, in silver and in gold." Genesis 13:2. Gold represents the wealth among all nations. Silver represents wealth within his own nation, and livestock represents the ability to produce wealth--it's the ability for increase, to produce more seed. It's a protection on wealth because if you are producing wealth you do not use up your "stored" wealth, and the stored wealth is a protection during times when increase is slow.

A similar concept is true concerning seed and bread. Seed gets sown (planted) in the ground and bread gets eaten. The Bible tells us God gives seed to the sower and bread to the eater.

"Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness." 2 Corinthians 9:10

Paul is talking about the Corinthians' generosity towards the ministry to the saints--giving to those in need. Most Christians understand the idea of sowing seed for the benefit of others--such as giving to the poor, supporting ministries that preach the Gospel etc. However, there is a concept of sowing in our own field that many have missed. 

When we cast our bread, not our seed onto the waters, it returns to us after many days. (Ecclesiastes 11:1). Bread is what we eat, not what we plant in the ground to produce a harvest. When we give bread, we are sacrificing what we would normally be eating so others can be blessed. This type of fast is a form of giving.

There is also a sowing seed into our own field to produce a harvest that provides a perpetual supply for us, that we use for our own provision, the provision of our family and future generations, and to preach the Gospel to the poor--the good news of the Gospel. Our wealth also affects our communities as we spend our money on righteous businesses.

What is our own field? It is the ability to produce wealth--like Abraham's livestock. It begins with a heart of righteousness. Throughout the book of Proverbs we see a correlation between righteousness, wealth, and diligence. As we work in the field we are called to, in obedience to God with a heart of righteousness, wealth will be produced in our life. Those who are righteous are also generous and not only use their wealth to help the poor, but use their wealth to perpetuate righteousness in the earth.

"The wages of the righteous is life, the income of the wicked, punishment." Proverbs 10:16

The wages, increase, of the righteous lead to more life. When the righteous spend money it is spent on that which will promote more righteousness. The righteous are not giving to promote evil in the earth. Their hearts are pure so what they spend or give their money on is also pure. Once our righteousness is evident then God gives the increase. When we sow and give to that which will promote righteous living, God increases us. If our money goes towards wicked purposes then punishment is attached to that. 

"Sow with a view to righteousness,
Reap in accordance with kindness;
Break up your fallow ground,
For it is time to seek the Lord
Until He come to rain righteousness on you."
Hosea 10:12

Our righteousness is attached to Jesus Christ. We are not righteous apart from Him. The first recorded tithe was when Abraham gave a tenth of all to the priest of God Most High--Melchizedek. This was right after Melchizedek, of whom Jesus is a priest after the order of, blessed Abraham and gave him bread and wine. Jesus also gave us bread and wine (His body and blood which provides righteousness) and blessing. (Genesis 14:17-20, Hebrews 7:1-3). As we accept the righteousness that Jesus Christ provided for us, and that righteousness is proven in our lives, the blessing of God is attached to that. Our response is the tithe, and really a righteous heart that affects everything associated with our finances.

The very first blessing in the Bible was to Adam and Eve--"God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over  the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth." Genesis 1:28. The very next verse is God telling them what they will eat--His provision. 

What does this mean? As your heart is pure before the Lord, made righteous through Jesus Christ, and as you live according to that righteousness in obedience to Him, you are sowing into your own field which will produce a prosperity--like Abraham's livestock--that will be a perpetual provision. Its the ability to produce wealth, given because you have lived out the righteousness of your heart before the Lord--even during difficult times. Don't give up! If your financial situation seems bleak, continue to live according to the righteousness of your heart that Jesus provided--the new man, the new creation--and receive His perpetual blessing!

The Word of His Power

"And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature,
and upholds all things by the word of His power."
Hebrews 1:3

The purpose of disciplining a child is to teach them there is power backing up words. Kids need to know this at the very core of their being in order to have a strong faith in God. When your child does something and you tell him not to do it, you have used a word of authority to give him a command. If he disobeys, you remind him with your word of authority. However, if he chooses to continue to disobey even though he knows what you've said, then you back your words with physical power. Using your physical strength to stop him, even the rod of correction if necessary. Not abuse of course, but using your greater physical strength to show him that there is a power that backs your words. God designed it this way so children will learn this while they are young--before they have an equal or greater amount of physical strength than the parents.

"But let your statement be, 'Yes, yes' or 'No, no'; anything beyond these is of evil." 

Matthew 5:37

By consistently enforcing your words, your child will learn the power of words, and ultimately, the power of the Word of God. This is vital.

"For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it. For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard. God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will." Hebrews 2:1-4

God "testifies" with the Word that is preached by signs, wonders, miracles and gifts of the Spirit. He reveals the power of His Word, the authority of His Word through the display of His power. This reveals His authority over all. It reveals that He is the Most High--the One deserving of all worship. Children will be better able to believe if they have an understanding of this whole concept of the power of words.