God created the perfect “flawed” creature for His perfect will; so that all will acknowledge His wisdom, knowledge and understanding and by free will comply with His vision on all things temporal and eternal. Now, some may say that man is represented by the number six, being created on this day and where this is fact, it is not one dimensional. The man is an iconic symbol of God’s will towards disobedience having been placed in a garden with satan's presence and with the greatest temptation of value; the tree of good and evil. If one was a betting man, then the odds would be in favor of failure. God knew this and allowed it because He honors His Word of free will. Isn’t it amazing that God allows disobedience towards the perfection of His plans and puts in place for us His Grace so that despite the presence of sin, trials, and tribulations, we are forever considered His family, His purpose and His completion. Consider, a five-legged stool looking rather awkward and seemingly redundant, yet many may see beyond the obvious and realize a transformation of the standard into a new creation; as Jesus was transformed and being the first of many - Rm. 8:29; so will we be transformed. God never looks back but is progressive in His original plans where man is at the center of His Kingdom and essentially will become that linchpin to hold things together between a Spiritual and Physical world.
If we continue with this analogy and satan’s will for his own iconic kingdom, then we result in a sixth leg, which either competes for the center with the fifth leg or equalizing all into six equal spacing around the base of the chair. For satan has said, “I will exalt myself” - Is. 14:13. What is amiss with this picture is what God’s will is; not one of balance but of order. Order has nothing to do with balance or equality but equity where the value of the component or in this case creation contributes to the Kingdom’s purpose, prosperity, and peace. It is why God gives man Grace for we will always be in the center of His Kingdom having a special place in His heart and will; just as a child with favor has having no blood relationship to their benefactor is. So much so is God’s Grace for us, “being created lower than the angels, and having things under our feet” - Heb 2:5-8. We are His icon for His Grace to all those who have rebelled against His throne, His will and especially His Love. That in weakness will be God's strength - 2 Corth. 12:9-10.
Most theologians refer to Heaven as consisting and governed by the Holy Trinity, being God, the Word, and the Spirit; but Heaven before man included one other compliment. This would be the angels. God designed the angels for a specific purpose and to be an essential partner to His will. They are the ones that bring about our Faith confessions, just as they would God’s. - Is. 55:11. To understand this we need an appreciation of God’s ability to be perfect in everything which includes strategic thinking, planning, and implementation, even in the most mundane of things. The number three for the Hebrew represents a “level” of completion or that of stability as with the Holy Trinity. God, the Word, and the Holy Spirit forms that picture, just like a three-legged stool, able to stand up on its own and having the appearance of equality, dependence on each other.
The number four is like a stool with four legs indicating balance, wholeness but more importantly, it’s an indication of demarcation as in the earth’s four poles, seasons and even time. The significance of this can be seen as a metaphor of the angels spanning time between the Earth’s and Heaven’s realm as in Jacob’s dream seeing, “a ladder where angels ascended and descended” - Gen. 28:12; and Daniel’s need being delayed as the angels fought in the Spiritual realm; then Michael appearing in our realm having, “had to fight the prince of Persia” - Dan. 10:13. The angels are that creation used for the manifestation of the invisible, whether as a messenger, deliverer or provider of man. In this “story”; they are indispensable, just as a courier is in this world. Without them, we would not receive our expectations.
God gave, “His only begotten Son, so that whosoever believes will be saved” - Jn. 3:16. God’s perfect will is based on giving; of sacrificing without any ulterior motive. It is why He gave free will, then choice and the redemption plan making giving the opposite to the very nature of satan which is one of taking, “for he comes to steal, kill and destroy” - Jn. 10:10. He made giving, one of the highest forms of Love that no one can ever accuse Him of being bias and He matches the level of your giving with His generosity that cannot be compared as stated in, “give and it will be given to you, pressed down, overflowing.” - Lk. 6:38. God has given His very Kingdom to us, and we being undeserving, is called by His Grace, “sons and daughters of the Kingdom” - 2 Corth. 6:18. He has placed us above His angels and on equal footing with Jesus so much so that “His favor surrounds us as a shield” - Ps. 5:12. Yet, our contribution to His Kingdom’s welfare is only measured by our desire. For we can command angels and every substance of life as Jesus did with the fig tree and the winds, or we can support others who do that and receive an equitable part of the Kingdom promises. God is in the business of looking for ways to give and so should we.
Our giving must be ordered by His methods, nature and not by the worlds. For many give but will never receive. In Jesus’ ministry, He addressed this harshly, especially with those of shepherding a flock. For monetary giving is done mainly in three distinct ways but this spiritual law covers a vast array of purposes with both a physical and spiritual receiving. The main tenet being to give without seeking a reward or recognition. It is better to be known as the silent giver. An oxymoron at best from this world’s perspective, but not from God’s. For God, “sees the heart and intent” - Jer. 17:10; and by this are “treasures laid up in Heaven, where neither moth and rust can destroy” - Matt. 6:20. The main command to give is not of money or talent but of time. God says, “seek first the Kingdom and all will be added to you” - Matt. 6:33. It is not coincidental that this form of giving opens up many aspects if not all of the Kingdom promises. God is true to His will and nature and demands we be as well. That by our actions do we speak more than any mountains of words. For without corresponding action, then “Faith is dead” - Jm. 2:14-26. But more than that we condemn ourselves at the judgment seat, “for we are condemned and will be judged for every misspoken word” - Matt. 12:36-37. God wants accountable people just like He holds His Word accountable above Himself saying, “My Word is above My name” - Ps. 138:2.
God is perfect no matter how things may look flawed, incomplete or without a definite purpose. All war strategists will tell you, the art of deception is a key to winning a war. To keep your enemy’s eye distracted away from the main goal or purpose. Are we saying God is deceptive? We know the answer but many are afraid to admit it and it is why God placed, “the tree of knowledge of good and evil” in the garden - Gen. 2:17. This tree is the object of every desire whether by man or those of the fallen angels. It is why God made it accessible to “lure” satan’s nature into the garden and being blinded did not foresee what seem to be his immediate victory would become his ultimate and fatal demise with Jesus; for if he knew, “they would not have crucified the Christ” - 1 Corth. 2:8; thereby making God’s plan of no effect. One may win a battle but can never win the war with a narrow perspective compared to having a full overwatch of the pieces of war. It is why God is considered the master chess player and why His will is final.
God’s Love is about giving and He has made it His eternal abiding spiritual law that connects, intertwine and fulfills every other law that works in the universe; Spiritual or otherwise. When satan acted, he broke the very essence of Love; which is to give before receiving. He did not put “the needs of many before his own need”. He operated outside of God’s very nature. Many today do that, not realizing that you cannot love before giving as God gives and in the order that love is to be given. The Spiritual law of giving or better known as sowing is not some compliance or checklist that any of God’s creation is to do, but is really at the heart of God’s very nature. So when done under duress or superficially is a discredit towards God’s intent. Just like a child going through the motions; disappoints, and tears the fabric of the father’s love and vision for them.
God never puts anything before His Love for, “God is Love” - 1 Jn. 4:8. But! God runs and is responsible for a Kingdom. Perfection has its price for success and as any CEO of a company will tell you; the parts are never as important as the bottom line. It is why we all are a part of God’s bottom line. You don’t sail a ship effectively unless everyone pulls their weight and work their “line”. From the worker's perspective, he tends to only see his needs but from the captain’s; the needs and welfare of thousands. As with any pivotal movie scene, “the need of the many outweighs the need of the few”.
As a “court” angel, Lucifer would see everywhere God went; there was the Word, and with every plan, the Word was involved. He, the “beautiful one” always looking on but never at the side or involved with the creations of God. Yet, for Lucifer and that third of the angels; they were the ones “really’ doing God’s work and decided to rebel. Just like in this world, those closest to the boss receive more attention than those who actually do the work, which can cause many to be disgruntled. The rebellion of Lucifer was only a matter of time.
Spiritual Awakening
God laid out His plan and in it, He saw the need for man, “having known you before the foundations of the world" - Eph. 1:4. In doing this He wasn’t flippant in His decision nor was He hoping for things to work out. God knew His exact plan and the exact result He would receive, having created and "knowing the frame of a man" - Ps. 103:14. How do we reconcile the truth of a perfect God creating a “flawed” man? Wouldn’t Adam being created in the image of God not know of satan and his rebellious nature and therefore refuse any deception from him. As parents, we warn our kids not to listen or hang out with troubled and rebellious children. Some may even say; Eve did not know and that’s why she was fooled or being a woman did not have the spirit of authority. She, being of his side was made to be in subjection to Adam. But God says, “both created equal” - Gen. 1:27; 1 Corth. 11:11. It is easy to point towards a source for our mistake and we see that from Adam to Eve and then to satan. Then why not to God, after all, He made them all. The real issue of the original sin is not about who lied or who deceived who but why was God’s command, “not to eat of the tree” - Gen. 3:3, disobeyed by His very image manifested in flesh and blood. For that, we need to see what led up to the creation of man.
God is in the past, present but especially the future declaring, "The eyes of the Lord is in every place" - Prov. 15:3. Before man was Lucifer; now satan residing in the heavens above the earth and affecting the very nature of the earth. For the earth was “void and darkness over the surface of the deep" - Gen. 1:2. God is determined to demonstrate His nature over the spirit, blood, and the land and uses the very agitation that contributed to satan and the fallen angels to rebel against God’s sovereignty. The man will be His champion and in the process take and earn His appointment to become and be seen by all the Spirits to be rightfully placed in the judgment seat. - 1 Corth. 6:3. The very nature of man is to earn a place of recognition like he does in this world, but His real appointment is for that of Heavenly places. It’s not hard to imagine Lucifer’s grudge with God having, “been found with iniquity” - Ez. 28:15. Like a jealous adopted sibling, Lucifer may have envied the Word’s relationship with God, for both cannot be separated, as a father to his son with the same blood, but in this case, the same Spirit; the same substance compared to that of angels. Jesus stated, “as you see me you see the Father” - Jn. 14:19. He is not talking about physical appearance but a Spirit, so tied together, it’s impossible to be separated; impossible to divide.
The God we serve is a forgiving God. One who balances His decrees and our self-interests, not out of equality or fair play but of equity (value) and sovereignty. This is what makes Him worthy of all our praises, thanksgiving, and worship. He is an awesome God and when compared to other so-called gods and deities have no equal because who really wants or needs to serve a vindictive superior being. The history of mankind has always been one of struggle, tyranny, and freedom. Of those taking advantage of the humble, less endowed and helpless. This is even reflected in some religions where your future is determined by the status of your birth or the income of your family. Many of these religions condemn you before you are given an opportunity to show your love for the salvation offered or make the criteria so high and impossible to achieve, much less sustain. Our true God gives us everything we need to be worthy of the Salvation He has given so freely as an everlasting gift for all the ages.
Sept. 2, 2016.
God, Grace and Giving.
God seeing in the future knew what was coming and staged the start of His redemptive plan with the creation of man. This plan is not about God’s need for another “type” of son, but for His sovereignty to be demonstrated in the Heavens. No self-worth king will allow dissension within his own ranks but with calculated precision seek to re-establish his reign. What? God has to do this? God is foremost a creator and not a destroyer and therefore takes a road less traveled for His sake and His Word, all the while leaving the demise of His enemies to their foolishness - 1 Corth. 3:19. God will allow His creation; man to redeem His Kingdom’s true qualities of “agape” love, sacrifice and free will. It is interesting that man is now the fifth compliment to God’s rule and is signified by this very “status” with the number five indicating Grace. Grace is the notion that despite any flaw, law or decree, the standing of the person is always held with the perspective of understanding, patience, and forgiveness.
God, His Grace for man and His Spirit of Giving can never be replaced with or outdone by anyone who does not hold all the cards. For if He did not hold all the cards, we could never consider and recognize Him to be the Supreme, Superior and Sovereign Lord of all that is living and is dead. We could never accept His reign or His stretch to be unlimited or His ability and generosity to Love unconditionally to be infallible as His Throne is. When God planned, He foresaw the future and He continues to this as His universe is constantly expanding as His will is, as man is to be transformed as Jesus has been, “into a new creature” - 2 Corth. 5:17 so that no one will ever deny His greatest, His compassion and His Glory for all eternity.
Flush it Out! - God, Grace and Giving!