Part 5B

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The Acts of the Hebrews – Part 5B

The witness of Ananias and Sapphira reveals the window from heaven close to them, in contrast the witness of Stephen lead to an open window to heaven.

The bible and money – the open or closed window to heaven.

5:1 And a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. Act 5:2 And he kept back part of the price, his wife also knowing, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet. Act 5:3 But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart for you to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back part of the price of the land?

8 points to understanding the bible and money, leading to an open window to heaven. Last week I touched on the first 3, this week I want to share the last 5. 

1. The law of the sharecropper vs the law of cause and effect. (just because it comes to me doesn’t mean it belongs to me! 
2. Money & Generosity – (it’s yours to manage but you don’t posses it.)
3. Owning up to the Extra (To be generous or dead? Total loss, complete loss…for those who aren’t rich toward יהוה.)
4. Recognizing the origin of our finances and ability.
5. Have יהוה move in your direction; enacting the law of the window of heaven!
6. The three laws of financial balance
7. Killing Discontentment.
8. Ten tenants of tithing

# 4. Recognizing the origin of our finances and ability: 

יהוה was living in a Tabernacle, David couldn’t build the temple because of blood on his hands. 

David prepared the way for Solomon, finances, master craftsmen.

1 Chr. 29:10 Wherefore David blessed יהוה  before all the congregation: and David said, Blessed be thou, יהוה elohim of Israel our father, for ever and ever. 11 Thine, O יהוה, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O יהוה, and thou art exalted as head above all. 12 Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. 13 Now therefore, our elohim, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name. 14 But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? For all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.

Objective: honor יהוה 

#5. Have יהוה move in your direction;  enact the law of the window of heaven

Who’s on the top of your list?

Matt 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon…But seek ye first the kingdom of יהוה, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

An open window to heaven = the rule of 3: 1.Give; 2.Save; 3.Live (live on the rest).

A closed window to heaven = the rule of 5: What the majority do with their money:

1. Spend (me; my kingdom)
2. Pay off debt (me)
3. Pay taxes (me and ‘the man’)
4. Save (me)
5. Give (others) 

Mal 3:7 Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith יהוה Tzaba/of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return. 8 Will a man rob Elohim? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. 9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. 10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith יהוה Tzaba/of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

Mal 3:11  And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith יהוה Tzaba/of hosts.

#6. Three laws of financial balance 

The margin to lend and not to be in debt is יהוהs desire for us, the blessing: lend don’t borrow. 

1. Deut 28:12 יהוהshall open unto thee his good treasure, the heavento give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow And יהוה shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; An open heaven to YHWH’s good treasure is contingent upon not being in debt. 1. point of reference (where are we/ where is our money going)

2. Prov 25:28 He that hath no rule over his own life/spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls. Being broken down/broke is due to a lack of self control. 2. constant corrections (debt-spending-giving)

3. Exo 20:17 Thou shalt not covet hy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s. 3. a clear objective (what are we trying to accomplish ? To honor יהוה)

Covetousness breeds debt and debt prevents you from being generous. 

You can’t be. Why be a slave; when Yahusha has set you free?

Gal 4:7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through Elohim. 8 Formerly, when you did not know Elohim you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. 9 But now that you have come to know Elohim, or rather to be known by Elohim, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?

Prov 22:7 The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender.

slack-lining-Yosemite

1. Point of Reference (get across the valley/where’s our money going) 
2. Constant Corrections (balance/get out of debt-change your spending and giving) 
3. A Clear Objective (to live-not fall to the valley floor/honor יהוה)

#7. Content or Discontent; that’s the question

Awareness fuels discontentment. Until we were aware of somebody else’s stuff we were content (covetousness). 

1 Tim 6:6 But piety with contentment is great gain, (Yirah/holiness/the fear of Yah-Prov 1:7)

Satan has brainwashed people into thinking that great gain is a better car, a bigger house, a nicer vacation, a bigger nest egg. 

Great gain = Surrendering your life to יהוה thereby being content! 

The world tells you great gain = more stuff – thereby discontentment.

1 Tim 6:7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

Discontentment is dangerous…it’s a trap! 

It’s time to re-orientate and redirect your pursuit if you’re a follower of Yah! V. 11 But thou, O man of יהוה , flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

Become aware: V.17 Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living Elohim, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; 18 That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; 19 Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

Covetousness fuels the flames of discontentment: If all you’re aware of is what you don’t have it’s going to fuel your discontentment, it’s going to fuel your spending, it’s going to fuel your debt, it’s going to fuel your unhappiness because it’a an appetite that can never be fully satisfied.  

Biblical equation = Holiness + contentment = great gain! It’s the only real gain, it’s the only way to enRICH your life! 

1.What do we need to become less aware of? (what we don’t have)

2.What do you need to become more aware of? (Surrendering ourselves and our stuff to יהוה; good works and distributing generously) 

#8. Ten tenants of tithing. 

1. Tithing was before Moses, it’s a Malki-tzedik requirement (Gen. 14:19–20)
2. Jacob offers a tithe/tenth (Gen. 28:20–22)
3. The tithe law of commandments contained in ordinances, is introduced under the BoL (Lev. 27:30)
4. The tithe law of commandments contained in ordinances, is established for the Levites (Num. 18:21) 
5. The Levite’s tithe (Num. 18:26)
6. Nehemiah reestablishes the tithe (Neh. 10:35)
7. The principles of plenty (Prov. 3:9)
8. Testing יהוה  in the tithe (Mal. 3:10)
9. The faithful giver (Mark 12:41)
10. 10.Full circle-tithing to Melchizedek (Heb. 7:1–2)