Angelic Conflict part 152: Human history (Sabbath) – Luk 12; 11:5-13; Act 30:25; 2Co 9:6-15; Phi 4:4-9; 1Th 5:1-11.

Title: Angelic Conflict part 152: Human history (Sabbath) – Luk 12; 11:5-13; Act 30:25; 2Co 9:6-15; Phi 4:4-9; 1Th 5:1-11.  

 

 

Luk 12:31 "But seek for His kingdom, and these things shall be added to you.

 

Satan and the KOD will put people in your path that will attempt to warn you against this "absurd trust in God." They often do so unknowingly, but are useful to God's enemies when they do not have truth or faith. This is designed to make you doubt. Whenever a person gives you advice, ask yourself, "Do I want to be just like them?"

 

Mat 6:33

"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.

 

Rom 8:32

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?

 

Overcoming fear and worry is simple. We believe that God knows our needs and will fulfill them. I don't need a seminary degree to do that. God describes us as His flock, His sheep, His children, His slaves, Christ's brethren, royal family, royal priests, and Christ's bride. Is it even possible that God could not take care of such ones?

 

Psa 23:1

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

 

Luk 12:32 "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly [well pleased or good pleasure] to give you the kingdom.

 

What kingdom did He gladly give? He did not give an earthly one. My kingdom is not of this world, Christ said. This kingdom is in heaven and in it are unfailing treasures that cannot erode or fade away.

 

To the frail little flock, God had the good pleasure to give them the kingdom of heaven. If that then why not bread?

 

Luk 11:5 And He said to them, "Suppose one of you shall have a friend, and shall go to him at midnight, and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves;

 

Luk 11:6for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him';

 

Luk 11:7and from inside he shall answer and say,' Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.'

 

Luk 11:8"I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs.

 

When the Exodus had no water or food or were being attacked by other peoples or saw that there were formidable nations in the Promised Land all they needed to do was to keep soldiering on. They simply needed to keep walking, seeking, knocking, asking and hence in all of it we find the application of endurance.

 

Every time the people came to Moses with their complaining he would go to the Lord in prayer. He kept seeking, asking, knocking.

 

Yet this passage reveals why Christ informed us to keep going to God and persisting in prayer. It is not because God wants to hear it over and over, nor is it because God will finally get annoyed with you and cave in. The Lord uses this example, but leaves us through our own study to come to the conclusion that God is not a man and that God heard these requests in eternity past. So why keep asking for the same thing? It is here as it is with all statutes, commands, and instructions - it is for our benefit. When we ask and cast we receive rest. [ask, cast, and rest] Do you think we will get anxious about that very same thing again, maybe even in a few minutes? We will take these burdens back upon our own shoulders again and when we do, rather than condemning yourself for your immaturity or weakness, the Lord instructs us to go right back to the throne of grace and ask and cast again, and again, and again!

 

Luk 11:9 "And I say to you, ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you.

 

Luk 11:10"For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it shall be opened.

 

The negative believer simply misses the blessings that are under his nose. Doors are closed because he does not see them and even if he got a glimpse, he refuses to open them. The positive believer who keeps returning to the throne of grace keeps finding rest and in his rest he is able to see blessings and receives them with joy, he is able to see opportunity and is not in fear of walking through open doors, and he is able to seek out God's solutions that are in His word and so finds peace. All this in returning to God's throne over and over to hear doctrine, make requests, ask for instruction and listen to solutions, which practice over time gives him more time spent enjoying God's rest.

 

Now Christ gives an example that we can easily identify with.

 

Luk 11:11"Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he?

 

Luk 11:12"Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he?

 

Luk 11:13"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?"

 

Matthew’s account:

Mat 7:11

"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!

 

Luke includes the Holy Spirit because Christ was instructing the disciples to ask for His ministry, yet they refused to since they likely thought it to be impossible. Luke writes to the Gentiles in order for them to understand that the Holy Spirit will baptize the Gentile as well as the Jew at faith in Christ.

 

Luk 12:32 "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly [well pleased or good pleasure] to give you the kingdom.

 

Luk 12:33 "Sell your possessions and give to charity [be a gracious and joyful giver] - ; make yourselves purses which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near, nor moth destroys.

 

Act 2:44-45

And all those who had believed were together, and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions, and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.

 

Act 4:34-35

For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales, and lay them at the apostles' feet; and they would be distributed to each, as any had need.

 

Act 20:35

"In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"

 

We live in a world that has always been conflicted and plagued with greed, or hording, or at the least, fear of going without - all of which causes a person to place a tight, kung-fu grip on his possessions. People take advantage of gracious people and pretend to need and some steal and some squander what is valuable to you, but never let that change your heart from gracious to a cynical, closefisted, cheap, hoarder.

 

Never let unprincipled people who take advantage of grace change your heart from gracious to a cynical, closefisted, cheap, hoarder.

 

2Co 9:6 Now this I say, he who sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly; and he who sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully.

 

2Co 9:7Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver.

 

2Co 9:8And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;

 

2Co 9:9as it is written, [Psa 112:9; written of the man who "fears the Lord" with a reverent fear]

"He scattered abroad, he gave to the poor ,

His righteousness abides forever."

 

Pro 11:24

There is one who scatters, yet increases all the more,

And there is one who withholds what is justly due, but it results only in want.

 

The Corinthians were cheap.

 

2Co 9:10Now 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;

 

2Co 9:11you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God.

 

This adds another dimension to "don't be anxious for your needs" which is "don't be anxious about gracious giving, for if you have a gracious attitude then God will supply or enrich your liberality."

 

2Co 9:12For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God.

 

Not only are needs being met, but God is being glorified through the givers and the receivers.

 

2Co 9:13Because of the proof given by this ministry they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all,

 

2Co 9:14while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you.

 

2Co 9:15Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

 

Luk 12:34 "For where your treasure is [the priorities of your conscience], there will your heart be also.

 

A heart fixed upon itself, as was the man asking the Lord to divide the inheritance, never sees another person in need.

 

Eyes must first be off self; worry and anxiety about self must be gone in order to see the need of another.

 

As we saw in:

Jer 17:5-6

"Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind

And makes flesh his strength,

And whose heart turns away from the Lord .

"For he will be like a bush in the desert

And will not see when prosperity comes,

But will live in stony wastes in the wilderness,

A land of salt without inhabitant.

 

There is tremendous prosperity in giving. The gracious, happy giver is blessed due to his mental attitude more than the one who receives.

 

Act 20:35

"In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"

 

Luk 12:35 "Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps alight.

 

Luk 12:36 "And be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks.

 


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