What's in YOUR wallet ?
What's in HEAVEN ???
After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. (Matthew 6:9-13)
Can our need to understand God's will for our life in earth (we are not only on earth, we are in earth, jars of clay) can it be found and known apart from some knowledge of heaven? God's FLAWLESS will is unopposed and uninterrupted in heaven. Can we do His will if we don't know His will?
If then ye were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are upon the earth. (Colossians 3:1-2)
If we do this God will not fail to acquaint us with His will done in heaven. If we don't dire things may result. Where God's will is not pursued, the will of man and the will of Satan operate. God in Christ does abundantly forgive, but would God rather that we cease practicing the sins of the wicked and perverse generation? Sin is the interruption of God's flawless will. Satan first opposed and interrupted God's will. Satan's sin was THE ORIGINAL sin. And for it God turned Satan over into eternal opposition to Him. Every sin we can name flowed out of Satan's presumption, his pride.
But
seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these
things shall be added unto you.
Be
not therefore anxious for the morrow: for the morrow will be anxious
for itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. (Matthew
6:33-34)
If we do not set our eyes on things above, they will be set on things below. Certainly we see the world we live in, and in it we see the will of man and Satan. This can be very attractive and deceptive to our souls when we fail to seek God's will, Kingdom and righteousness. Many of us are quite accustomed to our own will, a will to live apart from God. God's ways are not our ways. God thinks about things very differently that we do.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith Jehovah. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)
A man once said, “Rich or poor it's nice to have money.” Many note that the Bible has much to say about money. We should beware. Money is not a major doctrine. What we do with money is part of the major doctrine of God's righteousness.
Be ye free from the love of money; content with such things as ye have: for himself hath said, I will in no wise fail thee, neither will I in any wise forsake thee. So that with good courage we say, The Lord is my helper; I will not fear: What shall man do unto me? (Hebrews 13:5-6)
Of all the evils connected to the love of money the worst may be those done by those "supposing that godliness is a way of gain." (1Tmothy 6:5)
But godliness with contentment is great gain: for we brought nothing into the world, for neither can we carry anything out; but having food and covering we shall be therewith content. But they that are minded to be rich fall into a temptation and a snare and many foolish and hurtful lusts, such as drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil: which some reaching after have been led astray from the faith, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
(1Ti 6:6-10)
Derek Prince said that one of the greatest challenges to Christians is their success. Bob Mumford says that God uses our failures in ways essential to our discipling.
Jesus continued, “Remember this: The sons of darkness are more shrewd than the sons of light in their interactions with others. It is important that you use the wealth of this world to demonstrate your friendship with God by winning friends and blessing others. Then, when this world fails and falls apart, your generosity will provide you with an eternal reward. “The one who manages the little he has been given with faithfulness and integrity will be promoted and trusted with greater responsibilities. But those who cheat with the little they have been given will not be considered trustworthy to receive more. If you have not handled the riches of this world with integrity, why should you be trusted with the eternal treasures of the spiritual world? And if you’ve not been proven faithful with what belongs to another, why should you be given wealth of your own? It is impossible for a person to serve two masters at the same time. You will be forced to love one and reject the other. One master will be despised and the other will have your loyal devotion. It is no different with God and the wealth of this world. You must enthusiastically love one and definitively reject the other.” (Luke 16:8-13 TPT)
One of the major causes of divorce is “money troubles.” They are a sure indication of a lack of contentment. If we are not content we will want more money. That may result in greater wealth or drive us into debt, and in either case it may result in divorce. God hates divorce. And yet shockingly God speaks of the divorce of Himself and Israel. (See verses on this at the end of this article.) But looking into the scriptures we see that it was Israel who divorced herself from God by unfaithfulness. Israel committed spiritual adultery with pagan gods. (Perhaps sexual adulteries too as pagans “worshipped” their gods with sexual orgies.) Israel was not content with God for THE MANY MATERIAL BLESSINGS He had bestowed on them. Nor were they appreciative of THE MANY DELIVERANCES HE HAD GIVEN THEM FROM THOSE WHO WOULD HAVE DESTROYED THEM. So they separated, that is, they divorced themselves from God. What did they think of the riches with which God had blessed them? I dare say they thought “They are NOT ENOUGH. The pagans seem to have something more, something better.” Could Israel have instead done as Jesus later taught the disciples and used the riches God gave by blessing others generously and hospitably? The world forgets and more than a few believers forget that death is an appointment all must keep. No one takes their mammon to heaven. So many are afraid for their lives and think money the answer.
If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? (Luke 16:11)
What are true riches? They are not money, food, clothes, houses. These temporal things that we need can be ours if we seek first God's kingdom, and his righteousness.
But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33)
If
we do not seek ye first his kingdom and his righteousness we will be as the gentiles (the pagans). They seek what God promises to add to
our earthly lives. To seek means to look for something. But one
does not often find what they look for easily or immediately. Jesus
says later:
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. (Matthew 7:7-8)
Effort, persistence, and patience (asking, seeking and knocking) are needed when things of value are desired and pursued. The pagan (gentile) values food, clothing, houses and money. He worships them, seeks them and finds them. We are to value God, His Kingdom and His Righteousness. When we do we find them and God adds to us what the gentiles need! We need them too. But can we see that the unbeliever worships him/herself?
For after all these things do the Gentiles seek; for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. (Matthew 6:32)
Yet
these things they seek, the things we need, cannot provide them or us
with true riches. No one has the peace of God, of the Kingdom of
Heaven by having money, food, clothes or houses. But trusting God our
Savior, Father and Protector we have peace, and seeking Him, His
Kingdom and righteousness all we need is added
to us!
G4369
προστίθημι
prostithēmi
pros-tith'-ay-mee
From G4314 and G5087; to place additionally, that is, lay beside, annex, repeat: - add, again, give more, increase, lay unto, proceed further, speak to any more.
Total KJV occurrences: 18
Eleven of the 18 times G4369 προστίθημι is used in the NT it is translated add or added. In the remaining 7 verses we find:
Mark 4:24 - given
Luke 17:5 - increase
Luke 20:11 - sent
Luke 20:12 - sent
Acts 12:3 - proceeded further
Acts 13:36 - laid
Hebrews12:19
- more
Be
not therefore anxious for the morrow: for the morrow will be anxious
for itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. (Matthew
6:34)
And he said unto his disciples, Therefore
I say unto you, Be not anxious for your
life, what ye shall eat;
nor yet for your body, what ye shall put
on.
For
the life is more than the food,
and the body than the raiment.
Consider
the ravens, that they sow not, neither reap; which have no
store-chamber nor barn; and God feedeth them: of
how much more value are ye than the birds!
And
which of you by being anxious can add a cubit unto the measure of his
life?
If
then ye are not able to do even that which is least, why are ye
anxious concerning the rest?
Consider
the lilies, how they grow: they toil not, neither do they spin; yet I
say unto you, Even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one
of these.
But
if God doth so clothe the grass in the field, which to-day is, and
to-morrow is cast into the oven; how much more shall
he clothe
you, O ye of little faith?
And
seek
not ye what ye shall eat, and what ye shall drink, neither be ye of
doubtful mind.
For
all these things do the nations of the world seek after: but your
Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.
Yet
seek ye his kingdom, and these things shall be added unto you.
Fear
not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you
the kingdom.
Sell
that which ye have, and give alms; make for yourselves purses which
wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no
thief draweth near, neither moth destroyeth.
For
where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (Luke12:22-34)
Verses RE divorced Israel:
Thus saith Jehovah, Where is the bill of your mother's divorcement, wherewith I have put her away? or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities were ye sold, and for your transgressions was your mother put away. (Isa 50:1)
They say, If a man puts away his wife and she goes from him and becomes another man's, will he go back to her again? will not that land have been made unclean? but though you have been acting like a loose woman with a number of lovers, will you now come back to me? says the Lord. Let your eyes be lifted up to the open hilltops, and see; where have you not been taken by your lovers? You have been seated waiting for them by the wayside like an Arabian in the waste land; you have made the land unclean with your loose ways and your evil-doing. So the showers have been kept back, and there has been no spring rain; still your brow is the brow of a loose woman, you will not let yourself be shamed. Will you not, from this time, make your prayer to me, crying, My father, you are the friend of my early years? Will he be angry for ever? will he keep his wrath to the end? These things you have said, and have done evil and have had your way. And the Lord said to me in the days of Josiah the king, Have you seen what Israel, turning away from me, has done? She has gone up on every high mountain and under every branching tree, acting like a loose woman there. And I said, After she has done all these things she will come back to me; but she did not. And her false sister Judah saw it. And though she saw that, because Israel, turning away from me, had been untrue to me, I had put her away and given her a statement in writing ending the relation between us, still Judah, her false sister, had no fear, but went and did the same. So that through all her loose behaviour the land became unclean, and she was untrue, giving herself to stones and trees. But for all this, her false sister Judah has not come back to me with all her heart, but with deceit, says the Lord. And the Lord said to me, Israel in her turning away is seen to be more upright than false Judah. Go, and give out these words to the north, and say, Come back, O Israel, though you have been turned away from me, says the Lord; my face will not be against you in wrath: for I am full of mercy, says the Lord, I will not be angry for ever. Only be conscious of your sin, the evil you have done against the Lord your God; you have gone with strange men under every branching tree, giving no attention to my voice, says the Lord. Come back, O children who are turned away, says the Lord; for I am a husband to you, and I will take you, one from a town and two from a family, and will make you come to Zion; And I will give you keepers, pleasing to my heart, who will give you your food with knowledge and wisdom. And it will come about, when your numbers are increased in the land, in those days, says the Lord, that they will no longer say, The ark of the agreement of the Lord: it will not come into their minds, they will not have any memory of it, or be conscious of the loss of it, and it will not be made again. At that time Jerusalem will be named the seat of the Lord's kingdom; and all the nations will come together to it, to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem: and no longer will their steps be guided by the purposes of their evil hearts. In those days the family of Judah will go with the family of Israel, and they will come together out of the land of the north into the land which I gave for a heritage to your fathers. But I said, How am I to put you among the children, and give you a desired land, a heritage of glory among the armies of the nations? and I said, You are to say to me, My father; and not be turned away from me. Truly, as a wife is false to her husband, so have you been false to me, O Israel, says the Lord. A voice is sounding on the open hilltops, the weeping and the prayers of the children of Israel; because their way is twisted, they have not kept the Lord their God in mind. Come back, you children who have been turned away, and I will take away your desire for wandering. See, we have come to you, for you are the Lord our God. Truly, the hills, and the noise of an army on the mountains, are a false hope: truly, in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel. But the Baal has taken all the work of our fathers from our earliest days; their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters. Let us be stretched on the earth in our downfall, covering ourselves with our shame: for we have been sinners against the Lord our God, we and our fathers, from our earliest years even till this day: and we have not given ear to the voice of the Lord our God. (Jer 3:1-25) If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith Jehovah, if thou wilt return unto me, and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight; then shalt thou not be removed; and thou shalt swear, As Jehovah liveth, in truth, in justice, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory. For thus saith Jehovah to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns. Circumcise yourselves to Jehovah, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem; lest my wrath go forth like fire, and burn so that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings. (Jer 4:1-4)
