Be Fruitful and Multiply

Nov02
by Michael King on November 2, 2012 at 11:23 pm
Posted In: marriage
fruitful

In the beginning God says,

“And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”

Genesis 1:28

And again,

“And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.”

Genesis 9:1

Therefore, when God created the Earth, His express will was for men and women to have many children. Moreover God states,

“Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”

Genesis 2:24

The two shall become one flesh

The one flesh talked about in this passage speaks first and foremost of the “children” produced by the union of male and female. This is how the two become one. Only in a secondary and spiritual sense do a man and women unite spiritually.

From the outset, from Eden onward, God is very keen on children, declaring so over and over in the scriptures. For instance we read,

“As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.”

Psalms 127:4,5

After God’s kind

In fact, I believe that children are the fundamental reason for this creation. God’s desire to have children, i.e. the sons of God, literally inspired Him to create the heavens, earth and mankind.

Do you realize that both Adam and Jesus were the literal sons of God?

God says,

“Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.”

Luke 3:38

And we also read,

“The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God”

Mark 1:1

The literal Children of God

We are also becoming the sons of God through adoption and being “in Him”. In Romans we read,

“For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father”

Romans 8:15

 And in 1 John 3:2 the scriptures state,

“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”

1 John 3:2

Be fruitful and multiply

It has always been God’s desire for His servants to have children. In the natural realm, God considers children so important that giving a man many is a great honor and reward. God rewards Abraham for his obedience in this manner,

“And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.”

Genesis 22:16-18

So we see from the example of Abraham that God wants to bless those who follow Him with many children. Likewise, with believers today, our Father wants many children, desiring for our righteous seed to fill the Earth.

The world does not value children

In the world today and even within the church, the value of children is steadily decreasing. Instead of placing a high priority on having children and “lots of them”, many people view children as something that “gets in the way” of the more important things in life. However, in God’s view, other than personally knowing Him, children are the reason you were created. Having them is a commandment and not just a personal life choice.

God declares,

“And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.”

Genesis 2:18

A help meet for Him

When God created Eve from Adam’s rib, He was showing us a picture of what His desire is for all of mankind. Just as Eve was taken out of Adam and brought back to him as a wife, so too mankind is taken out of God, destined to be returned as a help “meet” for Him. The word “meet” is an old English way of saying suitable, adapted, or complementary. This is why God creates us a little lower than the angels, yet we are destined to be crowned with glory as His queen.

The book of Esther is a picture of this truth. This is why the church is referred to as the bride of Christ. This is why there is a marriage feast. By the way, the marriage supper is not the point, but only the prelude to what God really desires. You can read typologically about God and His fiancé in the Song of Solomon.

God values children

Just as God said that a man would cleave unto his wife to have children, so God wishes to cleave unto mankind and have children through us. In fact He wants us to fill the whole earth, and, if you can receive it, the New Heavens and New Earth, which He shall create. Procreation is central to everything in God’s creation, simply because it is central to Him. It is His nature. If we have the ability to bring forth children, but refuse to do so except through special circumstance or gifting, we disregard one of the fundamental desires of God’s heart. To put it simply, our Bridegroom wants to have children through us.

As the stars of heaven

In God’s view, the more humans there are, the more potential relationships He can enjoy.  Each man or woman is unique, allowing our Father to manifest or reveal Himself to a greater degree. Every baby born has the potential to live forever in blessed communion with Him. Since we are all one of a kind, if God loses anyone, there is a part of Him that will never be realized. This is one of the most basic reasons why abortion is such a grievous sin. Therefore, every child born is very important to God and no baby is unwelcomed by our heavenly Father.

Bare much fruit

Gain God’s perspective on children and know that He still commands us to, “Go forth, be fruitful, and multiply.” Each one of us, that is able to bless God in this manner has a responsibility to do so. If you are into your late twenties and have not married, ask God to bring you the mate of His choosing in short order.

Moreover, most of the time, the person that you should marry is right underneath your nose. It is only because you are overly concerned about your needs that you do not recognize them. If you are truly bought with a price, the price of Christ’s blood, do you really think that you can deny your heavenly Father children because you don’t agree with His choice of spouse?

Marry only as God directs

It is true that our upbringing pre-programs us to marry a certain type of individual. If your childhood was marked by family violence, there is a tendency to gravitate towards that type of martial situation once again. This is why we desperately need God to show us the mate He chooses because, left to our own devices, we do not choose wisely.

Romantic love is like a carnival ring toss where you hope to win the biggest stuffed animal. It is theoretically possible to bring home the big prize, but the likelihood is that your treasure will be lost. This is what often happens in our society when a girl gives her virginity away before marriage to a man in hopes of securing his heart. Yes, you might walk away with a big fluffy toy animal, but chances are you will be disappointed and suffer loss.

A love relationship commensurate with full intimacy

Give a man no choice but to make lifetime commitment before having relations with you. If he is not willing to commit for life, then he is not worthy to be your mate. Your body is the most precious thing you possess, therefore do not give yourself away lightly.

Also, a woman should not remain unmarried well into her twenties if she can find a suitable mate. God wants all women to be fruitful.  Value your reproductive years and use them wisely. God creates us as intimate creatures and commands us to express such desires. Chances are that no matter how dedicated you are, your hormones will get the best of you at some point and you will have a romantic encounter whether married or not.

Brethren, do not cause your sisters to sin

For example, I remember one Christian woman who was in love with an acquaintance of mine. This man, though he deeply loved her, delayed marriage for over 10 years because of other pressing things he wanted to do. This very godly woman ended up bearing the child of an atheist, falling into sin due to her heart being sick from her hopes being deferred.  This pastor refused his duty and the woman he loved bore the child of someone who doesn’t even acknowledge God exists!

Whose fault was this? I think a great deal of the blame rests upon the hesitant Christian man who would not do his duty towards his sister. He missed his chance to be fruitful and pass on his godly genes while a man who actually hates the thought of God, passed on his. Young men, get out there and find their wives before someone else does.

Have children according to your ability

God wants each of us who can to marry and have children according to our ability. God is not talking about just the 1.8 child national average but to be fruitful and have many. We are to look forward to having children so that they can grow up in the fear and admonition of the Lord and become one with Him. God loves us to have children so much that He will bless us with the financial ability to take care of them no matter how many we have. If we neglect to heed this call we defraud God of what He wants most: more people to love and (in return) to love Him.

Marriage is God’s business

Some mistakenly view marriage and having children as “their business”. We think we should decide whom to marry and if and when to have children. But I would like to suggest that these two very important aspects of our lives are not ours to do with as we please. God says,

“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

1 Corinthians 6:9

and in Luke,

“So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.”

Luke 17:10

God fashions a woman to give herself willingly to her husband in order to bare his children. Likewise, we should give ourselves willingly to God to have children for His service and glory. It is as simple as that.

Allowing a sister to remain unwed is sin

Today, there are many single women in our churches who love God and serve Him faithfully. They attend services and do good works year after year, but can find no husbands to marry. How do you think God feels when He knows that a sister could bring forth children that would grow up to serve Him faithfully for eternity, but no man will take them as wife?  It is sin to allow these women to remain barren when they could be fruitful.

The point of creation is children

In conclusion, “be fruitful and multiply.”  The very point of this creation is for God’s children to be a fruitful bow, having many children. Our Father entrusts us with the ability to give Him the desires of His heart.  Therefore, we must take His commandment to be fruitful and multiply seriously.  Through abortion, AIDS and disease, the Devil tries his best to kill as many children as possible.  Just like Pharoah, Satan fears that our generations will grow up to serve God, instead of him. Let us fight the devil by obeying this most blessed of commandments, bringing forth as many godly children as possible.  In this way we bless our heavenly Father with the fruit of our wombs, forever.

Song of the Bride by Paul Wilbur

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And They Were Not Ashamed

Nov02
by Michael King on November 2, 2012 at 11:18 pm
Posted In: garden of eden
not ashamed

God says,

 
 
“And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.”

Genesis 2:25

I want to talk with you about true purity and the nature of Christian intimacy. If I am blunt, it’s only because I truly believe in the importance of speaking directly to this issue that some may be set free. 

The origin of shame

Have you ever wondered why the first consequence of mankind knowing good and evil was the realization that they were naked? This has always seemed a bit odd to me. Perhaps God wishes to convey a basic truth about the effects of sin through the story of the fig leaves.

Adam and Eve lived naked and unashamed. This was how God created mankind and our Father did not deem it necessary that they hide their bodies. The Bible is explicit that Adam and Eve “were not ashamed.” Furthermore the scriptures state,

“And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day…”

Genesis 3:8

Today in our world we rarely, if ever, run around naked. Why is this so? In the beginning, when everything was perfect and very good, everyone was bare. The point I am trying to make so shockingly is that they were both naked and it was not sin. The question that must be asked is “why wasn’t it sin to be naked?”  Furthermore, and more importantly, “why was there no shame?”
 

To the pure all things are pure

 
The central point of this essay is:
 
 

“Where there is no sin in the heart there can be no sin in the action”

 
 
(I am aware of sins of omission but for the sake of clarity I am focusing on sins of commission in this essay)

This principle is found the scripture as follows,
“Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.”

Titus 1:15

If someone is pure (that meaning pure in mind and conscience) all things are pure.  To be pure in mind means that all outward actions stemming from said purity are holy. Adam and Eve’s minds were pure therefore their actions were pure. God never told them they were naked or that it was shameful, so their actions were without sin. This brings us to a very important understanding about the nature of sin. This principle is simply,  

“Sin is mainly of the heart”

Outward purity vs inward holiness

 
In modern Christianity emphasizes how we should think and act in order to keep ourselves pure and holy. To be a member of some churches you must meet their basic requirements.  Members must dress conservatively, talk without swearing, and be very careful about interactions with the opposite sex. Leaders set boundaries to “keep people safe“.  As long as church members stay within these guidelines their church considers them “good Christians”. However, if we look good on the outside does that really mean we are good on the inside?

In Matthew we read:

“But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”

Matthew 5:28

Jesus teaches that sin is not simply an outward act but an inward condition of our hearts. If you lust in your heart you commit adultery. Moreover, if you hate your brother in your heart you commit murder. If you covet a man’s sports car perhaps you are a thief and so on and so forth. People sin whether or not it reveals itself in real world action. Actually, more often than not sin remains hidden from view. Jesus says,

“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.”

Matthew 23:27

The fact is, we are only truly clean on the outside if we are clean on the inside. And if we are clean on the inside by definition we will be clean on the outside no matter how we look or act.
 

Judge Not

Many people may consider what I write unusual.  Christians think sin is what they can taste, touch, hear, see or smell. Unfortunately, our five senses are not very reliable indicators of sin. Only the Holy Spirit can truly judge the hearts and motives of men and women. This is why Jesus said,

“Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man. And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me.”

John 8:15,16

All the outward actions that we commonly consider to be sin have their beginning within our hearts. This is why Jesus said,

“There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.”

Mark 7:16

Back to the Garden

 
It is God’s intention, in a spiritual sense, to bring all those who will yield to His Spirit back to the garden. In bringing us back to the garden we will again regain a sinless heart like Adam and Eve possessed before the fall. How does this take place? Paul declares,

“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”

Galatians 5:16

Through yielding to the Holy Spirit and letting Him live through us it is possible to become pure. The Holy Spirit, which is in fact the Spirit of our Father, is pure and therefore whatever we do by His bidding is also pure.
 

Those who are led by the Spirit are innocent

 
For example, normally a Christian man will not go to a strip club. However, if the Holy Spirit goads a man to go to a strip club and witness to an exotic dancer is this sin? No, it is not sin, because the Holy Spirit in him asked him to perform this mission and so his actions are pure. Does that mean that he should he linger and take in a show? No, the freedom of the Holy Spirit to complete a certain task does not mean he should not avoid temptation.

Again, if a lady missionary feels led to witness to a certain tribe where their women generally go topless is it sin for her to bare her breasts in order to fit in with those she wishes to evangelize? Of course it is not sin, but how many Christians would be open-minded to enough to realize her actions are pure?
 

We will again be not ashamed

 
The day approaches when we will again be “not ashamed”. The love of God will flow through us unhindered and we will spiritually “walk uncovered” before our Lord with purity of mind and conscience. We will do literally anything which God leads us to do. Our actions will not be sin no matter what it looks like on the outward because of the inward purity of our hearts through the Holy Spirit.

At present many are sick among us and some even die because we do not discern the Lord’s body. The reason that we do not discern the Lords body is that we are more concerned about outwardly looking good than doing what is really necessary to help those around us.
 

In my Father’s house there are many mansions

 
Whether we like it or not intimacy is at the core of who we are. Sometimes people act out in inappropriate ways in a desperate search for love. Unfortunately, the only avenues which appear open to them are those which the devil provides. People’s longing for love in their hearts, bodies, and spirits cannot be met through present day Christianity.  This is because the normative church still suffers under the bondage of Calvinistic theology and Elizabethan morality.

Truly, since the garden our intimate nature has been askew.  God brings us back into right relationship and sets right this fundamental area by renewing our innocence. In the coming feast of Tabernacles God will deal with us intimately and bring about healing to His people. The idea of Holiness carries with it a sense of “wholeness”.  God, through His divine love, heals our intimate nature through one another.  This is the only way for believers to become truly whole.  God heals and renews us through the Tabernacle Experience.
 

Our intimate nature

 
We all live in these foundational areas and they must be set right.  God cannot build His temple made without hands unless His people are sound. We can preach about tithing and prayer but those types of sermons never deal with our intimate core in a way that can truly help us. Perfect love casts out fear and divine love is absolutely essential in order for His people to trust each other enough to deal effectively with these sensitive areas. A child will only trust their mother to pull out a painful sliver; likewise, removing our fig leaves will also take divine love and profound trust.  Healing of our intimate natures will be a major aspect of the spiritual fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles and becoming one with God.

Through the knowledge of good and evil we learned shame when in fact there was no shame. We are ashamed of our bodies, our reproductive organs, and our sensual nature.  However, God never intended for us to despise or call unholy that which He created and called very good.
 

The liberty of the sons of God

 
Moreover, the Devil usurped much of human intimacy and turns what God said is “very good” into something exclusively associated with darkness and perversion. The truth is that, the liberty of the sons of God, even in this area, far exceeds anything that Satan has to offer.

Sadly, many, who cannot reconcile their intimate natures with current Christian dogma, fail to make heaven their home.People want to believe, but there is no place found for them within normative religion. However, if you can receive it, through the move of Tabernacles, God will change that which He wishes to change and make room for what He approves of.  To be frank, our Father approves of a lot more than most people think.
 

The natural man cannot judge the things of God

 
The coming move of God’s Spirit will therefore mean that we will not be able to judge one another by the outward appearance any longer. What looks like sin may in fact be the perfect will of God.  Believers will not be able to condemn another man’s servant. Spirit filled saints will only judge according to the Holy Spirit; if He says it is bad then it is bad but if He says it is good then His judgment will be final no matter what it looks like.

You may “in principle” agree with a little or a lot of what I say, but most people are ill prepared for Christians being not ashamed.  Church leaders will not accept how this new move of the Holy Spirit plays out in their congregations. Only those, who hear God’s voice and trust Him implicitly, will see this revival for what it really is: divine healing for a lost and hurting generation. Through the spiritual fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles mankind will collectively emerge from behind the trees, put off their fig leaves, and stand once again before their creator unashamed.
 
Read “Between Two Trees”
 
Suggested book:  “There were Two Trees in the Garden” by Rick Joyner

James Arthur Naked

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