Blessings or Curses

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Introduction: God has always set a choice before his people. Obedience brings Blessings, and Disobedience brings Curses. The choice is strictly yours ! God made man in his image to have "Dominion" (Heb. radah: to subjugate, reign, rule over) his creation. Genesis 2:15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. ( To work the garden, and guard, protect, and be a watchman over it)

(1) GOD HAS A WONDERFUL PURPOSE FOR EVERY PERSON, BUT ALL IS SUBJECT TO YOUR OBEYING THE COMMANDS OF GOD.

(A) God, with all his power, knowledge, wisdom. With millions of angels to worship him, still chose us to represent and rule over his creation.

(B) God wants us a business partners in all his earthly investment. Dominion: Is stewardship, a trustee over things put in your care. Dominion: Is not ownership ! Adam never owned the Garden at any time, it was only placed in his care. So are the things we think we "own".

(C) Adam was given permission to eat of every tree, "Except One"!

(D) God had to place at least one restriction as a reminder of his "ownership".

(E) Adam, as a Steward, a keeper, had "user priviledges" defined by the owner.

(F) Adam was given the opportunity to exercise his "will" and "choice."

(G) Adam failed to keep the Owners contract and was evicted.

THE TWO TREES IN THE MIDST OF THE GARDEN WERE A TEST OF GOD'S OWNERSHIP !

(1) The Tree of Life: He could eat and live forever.

(2) The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil: He could eat and die. (Instructions were clear!)

(2) GOD STILL HAS A SYMBOL OF OWNERSHIP OF ALL THINGS ! ( THE TITHE ) THERE ARE STILL TWO "TREES" SET BEFORE US TODAY !

(1) The "Tree" (Cross) where Jesus died that whosoever will could come, eat, drink, live and have life abundantly.

(2) The "Forbidden Tree" (The Tithe) is still a symbol of his ownership of all entrusted to us.

What Do I Mean By, The Tithe Is Forbidded To Us ?

(A) Adam was commanded "Not to Eat" ( Heb. aw-kal': means to consume, devour, use up) This belongs to God !

(B) To Us, The tithe is not to be consumed, used up, because it is the Lord's ! Leviticus 27:30-33 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 unto the LORD. And if a man will at all redeem (USE) ought of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth part ( 20%) thereof. And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the LORD. He shall not search whether it be good or bad, neither shall he change it: and if he change it at all, then both it and the change thereof shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.

(C) God considers it "robbery" to use His tithe: Malachi 3:8-9 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.

(D) Men Say, "All I have is Mine"! How wrong you are ! Remember, He has put you in His Garden down here and he can take you out anytime he wants.

Jesus Spoke A Parable: Luke 12:16-20 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? ( Fool: Gr. aphros: froth or enslaver)

These Men Did Not Have Riches, Their Riches Had Them ! ( Enslaved )

(3) BUT WASN'T TITHING "LAW" ? NOT AT ALL!

( A) Abram (Abraham) paid tithe to Melchizedek the priest of the Most High God, 430 years before the Law.

(B) No where was the "tenth" ever changed. It is still Holy unto the Lord !

(C) In the New Testement, why did Jesus say: Luke 11:42 But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

** Hebrews 7:8 And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.

(4) I'M STILL TALKING ABOUT GOD'S PLAN TO BLESS YOU.

(A) All God's material blessings are in your care, but the tithe is not yours to use !

(B) Returning God's tithe is showing God's Ownership of all, our source, our security.

Until You Realize This, God Will Always Be To Small, Untrusted As Your Source

 

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