GOD IS YOUR SOURCE AND SUPPLY
Sunday, November 29, 2009
“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. 25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Matthew 6:24-34 NKJV
From the beginning of creation, before the Father even created man, He prepared the earth to sustain man and provide for him. Man was God’s crowning creation, made in His image and likeness. God gave mankind the dominion over the earth to exercise authority over it and reap the blessing of it (Genesis 1:26-31). They had everything they needed; they lacked nothing; the Father was their complete source and supply. You could say that they lived in the lap of luxury! All they did was spend time with the Father, worshiping Him and enjoying their life. Because they lived in God’s presence, they had no idea what lack was—or hunger; or pain, or sin; or guilt; or fear. Then they sinned and the devil took dominion over the earth and over man and they began to suffer lack and loss. The earth became cursed. Instead of being a home for man where they were completely protected and provided for, it became hostile territory for them. Back in the Garden, they just picked their food off the trees, but now thorns and thistles grew up to choke the trees.
In the Garden, God was man’s complete source and supply, but now suddenly, they had to work really hard to get their food. Now they had to work with their own hands to provide for themselves and their families. However, Father God wanted them to remember that He was still there for them. The Father always has been and always will be man’s source and supply. He loved Adam and Eve before they sinned and He loved them the same afterwards. Even though they were under the devil’s dominion, God still wanted to have a relationship with them and fellowship with them; He still reached out to them to bless them every opportunity that he could. Many people have the wrong idea about God, when they think that God doesn’t care about man, because He cares very much. He wants to be our provider; He wants us to call on Him for the things we need; He wants to bless us, but He can only do it if we allow Him to by serving Him only. Before sin came, man lived on the earth, but was Heaven-focused; however, after sin entered in he became earth-focused. God wants us to remain Heaven-focused—our heart must belong only to Him. If our heart belongs to God, then we will love Him more than earthly things.
Jesus told us that there are only two things that people can worship and they can’t worship both at the same time—only one or the other. If you love one, then you will hate the other, or you will be loyal to one and despise the other. These two things are God or mammon. Mammon is earthly possessions or wealth. The only way to tell if you love Father God is if you love Him with your possessions. From the very beginning, after the fall, God showed man that he would be blessed if he honored God with his offerings. Even though God’s people were in enemy territory, as long as they served God and honored Him with their possessions—with their tithes and offerings—God was able to protect and provide for them. If they would not honor God, the devil was able to take advantage of them.
Before you knew Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you were your own source and supply—you looked to your own ability and resources to take care of your own and your family’s needs. Some people work really hard to provide for their families—some people don’t work and just hope they win the lottery—but they all look to the earth to provide for them. Father God wants you to work, but He also wants you to completely trust Him fully and look to Him as your source and supply. In other words, your job is no longer your source, but it becomes just a channel that God can use to bless us. You must realize that God is bigger than your job and He can bless you with way much more than your job can. All you need to do is put God and His Kingdom first in your life. You do that by giving to Him first—by not being afraid to give what you have in our hands to Him. God tells you to not even worry, because He knows what you need. He says if you seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness—all the things you need and want WILL be added to you!
Recent:
Righteous Now
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV
Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come! 2 Corinthians 5:17 AMP
“Therefore if any man be in Christ…” What does it mean to be “in Christ”? Galatians 3:27 says, “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” You are baptized into Christ when you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Romans 10:9-10 says, “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” And Romans 10:13 says, “For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” The moment
Defeating Strife
These six things the Lord hates, indeed, seven are an abomination to Him: 17 A proud look [the spirit that makes one overestimate himself and underestimate others], a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that manufactures wicked thoughts and plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, 19 A false witness who breathes out lies [even under oath], and he who sows discord among his brethren. Proverbs 6:16-19 AMP
Faith Facts
Faith is persistent
Luke 11:9-10 AMP
So I say to you, Ask and keep on asking and it shall be given you; seek and keep on seeking and you shall find; knock and keep on knocking and the door shall be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks and keeps on asking receives; and he who seeks and keeps on seeking finds; and to him who knocks and keeps on knocking, the door shall be opened.
John 16:24 AMP
Up to this time you have not asked a [single] thing in My Name [as presenting all that I AM]; but now ask and keep on asking and you will receive, so that your joy (gladness, delight) may be full and complete.
Faith is single-minded
James 1:5-8 AMP
If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him. 6 Only it must be in faith that he asks with no wavering (no hesitating, no doubting). For the one who wavers (hesitates, doubts) is like the