Friday, 15 August 2014

Former Things; The Concept of Dispensation

God. After God, we have the Past, Present and Future.

Adam came along, Eve followed shortly. It's quite striking that Adam didn't have a SURNAME. Even Eve didn't take up his name after she married him. Maybe because she was created a married woman! That sounds quite WONDERful! In reality though, Adam didn't have a name. The Word Adam means "Man", or "Mankind", or "Red Man". The words "Man" and "Adam" as well as the words "Woman" and "wife" were interchangeably used in Genesis chapter 2. Adam later named his wife "Eve", which means "Mother of all living".(Genesis 3:20) So, the first Adam didn't have a name, but the second and last Adam did; His name is JESUS.

Now that's not what we are discussing today, just thought to start with something interesting.

A Dispensation refers to a divine order, or period or age set by God in which He deals with man according to the revealed dimensions of that dispensation; A divine time-table or schedule. Each dispensation is distinguished by how God dealt with man. It's vital to establish at this point that the Universe and all that is in it, as well as all of creation, is NOT about man, It's solely about God. 
Several scientists who have swallowed massive proportions of Ignorance tend to say otherwise and try to mislead people into believing that man is here "all by himself" and therefore doesn't have to answer to or bother about one "Guy" in the sky called God! I shall address them in a different article.
But anyway, God created Earth FOR man, and put him in it (Psalms 24:1, 116:15). And God has NEVER left man to be all by himself, He is the God that REIGNS and RULES in the affairs of men. (Daniel 4:25, 32, Psalms 47:8). That is the Sovereignty of God.
At sundry times, God dealt with man in different dispensations. All men DID NOT and WILL NOT experience God in the same Dimension because they lived in different dispensations. It is therefore vital to KNOW the Dispensation you are living in, because for every Generation, there is a Dispensation, and in every Dispensation, there is a Dimension. Selah.
You must understand that God cannot be discovered, He's not a scientific breakthrough. You don't take a flight into outer space and then suddenly see one massive being called God! He can only be revealed; If God doesn't reveal Himself, you cannot know Him. Thank God, God did.

Most Bible scholars believe that there are seven (7) Dispensations, others say Eight (8), but whichever one it is, Your focus should be on Knowing, Understanding and Enjoying your Dispensation. These are the names of the Dispensations:

1. Innocence [Before Adam and Eve fell]                   (Genesis 1 - 3)
2. Conscience                                                                             (Genesis 3 - 8)
3. Human Government [Days of Noah]                      (Genesis 9 - 11)
4. Promise [Papa Abraham]                                             (Genesis 12 - Exodus 19)
5. Law [Mr. MOSES!]                                                              (Exodus 20 - Acts 1)
6. Grace/Church [Days of Me!]                                         (Acts 2 - Revelation 20)
7. Kingdom/Millennial Reign [I'm Kinging!]            (Revelation 20:4 - 6)
8. Eternal State                                                                        (Revelation 20 - 22)

Well. There it is. I would have loved to talk about all of them, but that will be too much for this class. However, I MUST of necessity speak about the unnecessary "tug of war" among Christian circles about the 5th and 6th Dispensations! I think it's absolutely uncalled for because it is so simple to understand.

Firstly, The LAW was not given to any other nation EXCEPT Israel, you can ask Moses! No other person/nation dead or alive, past, present or future, were asked to keep the Law apart from Israel. The Law was a Dispensation, and that dispensation is long over! Remember, a Dispensation is a Divine order set by God, and therefore if you live in the present Generation, and choose to live by a past Dispensation, YOU ARE BREAKING DIVINE ORDER! Yes! It's that serious!
It's a Divine Time-table, Attend YOUR classes! Think of it, any student that uses the time-table of the former academic session or the time-table of ex-students who have since graduated from the school, is on a High velocity and constant acceleration in the Highway of Failure! Why? Not because the time-tables are WRONG, but because they are NOT FOR HIM, They were good for the ex-students, but they are not good for him. THE LAW IS NOT GOOD FOR THE CHRISTIAN, IT IS NOT PART OF YOUR CURRICULUM, NEITHER IS IT ON YOUR TIME-TABLE, because every time-table is done according to a Curriculum. You cannot have a LAW time-table on a Curriculum of GRACE.

Now, does that mean God has changed? Well, that begs the question! Because change only exist in the realm of Time, In the realm of the Spirit, things don't CHANGE, they are SO! God is outside Time, so He CANNOT change, but His methods, His "Modus Operandi" changes from Dispensation to Dispensation. 
As a Christian, if you choose to live by the Law, you'll experience lots of failures and struggles, but if you insist, I advise you to book a flight to the Nation of Israel and SETTLE there. You can hang out in the Synagogue often, chill with the scribes and scholars of the Law, say hi to the Pharisees etc. It's gonna be fun! On second thought, there are too many rockets flying above the Israeli airspace at the moment, so stay where you are and wait for your time. Don't worry; it won't be long before you begin to "enjoy" the living conditions under the Law.

BY THE WAY: Let me use this opportunity to state that I STAND WITH ISRAEL even in the light of the recent happenings. They are God's people and a people of Promise. If you stand with God, you MUST stand with Israel and also pray for God's people all over the world especially those been persecuted and killed. I pray that the Counsel of God for Israel shall stand, and that the bloodshed stop, because Jesus loves the Arab world, even though they hate him. They hate Him because they don't know Him, but they will hear our Gospel, We are Coming!

Secondly, every generation on earth dating back to the Acts Chapter 2 belong in the Dispensation of GRACE, including the Nation of Israel. You don't debate or choose your Dispensation, it's not open for dialogue, just the same way you don't choose when you are born, or the family you are born into. Those decisions are in God's Jurisdiction ALONE. The Dispensation of Grace is unlike any other Dispensation that has ever existed, the "best" so far, because it's the ONLY Dispensation where GOD LIVES, RESIDES, and TABERNACLES IN MAN! So, quit struggling with Grace! We will preach it RADICALLY until God changes the Time-table! They accuse us of preaching Grace and giving people a "license" to sin, and that's the reason for all of the arguments and back and forth movements about the Law and Grace. I wonder why people argue about what saved them! (Ephesians 2:8). GRACE GOT YOU SAVED, NOT THE LAW, STICK WITH GRACE!
One post or even 1000 posts won't be not enough to talk about Grace, but I'll highlight a few Truths about the Dispensation of Grace that make some people and even believers accuse us of preaching heresy. You may just join them after reading this!

I won't be blunt, I'll just be sharp.

Under Grace, SIN and its children (Poverty, Sickness, and ALL types, kinds and forms of evil) have NO DOMINION over you. (Romans 6:14)

Under Grace, you are made the Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. If you spend 25 hours out of 24 hours SWIMMING in sin, YOU ARE STILL THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD in Christ Jesus; You are just a Righteous swimmer! (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Under Grace, there is NO CONDEMNATION for you irrespective of the wrong stuff you have done, are doing, or will ever do. (Romans 8:1)

Under Grace, PEACE and TRUTH are vitally synonymous with and engaged in your life. (John 1:17, 2 Peter 1:2)

Under Grace, ABILITY is not in question and MANIFESTATION is not an option. (Philippians 4:13, Romans 8:19)

You can't "OUT-SIN" Grace, because ALL your sins, Past, Present and Future, have been PAID for. I'm talking to you! Yes, You! (Romans 5:20-21, Hebrews 9:11-12, 26-28)

The First Adam did NOT have the Life of God in him, that's why one sin could make him fall, He didn't have to sin twice! Under Grace, One sacrifice of Jesus, the Last Adam was enough to make the Life of God available to you, and no AMOUNT of sin can snuff that life out of you! If you like, BUY SIN from the market and use, The Life of God is stronger than sin, no matter the Concentration! If we must fall (because falling isn't compulsory), we fall into Grace! Hallelujah! The ONLY way to fall from Grace is to live by the LAW (Galatians 5:2, 4).

When the Law is preached, Sin is MAGNIFIED, When Grace is preached, Sin is De-MYSTIFIED. (Romans 5:20, 7:9, 25)

These Truths are the Basics of Grace, as you grow in Grace, you would know what it means to Walk with the Father, and have unrestricted access into the spiritual Corridors of Power where you collide with your angels! Then you would have no time for petty arguments on whether or not we should keep the Ten Commandments (The Big Ten)! 
And just in case you are asking: "Does that now mean that the Christian should live anyhow?" Well, that answer came a long time ago, and I think it summarizes the whole point of this write-up. Here it is:

"Yes. Live ANYHOW as the Spirit of God leads you!" (Gabriel Israel (Rev.) 2012). I couldn't have put it better!
If you are not properly schooled in Grace, you may take this as a license to sin, but the Truth is, IF YOU ARE STRUGGLING WITH SIN or a BAD HABIT IN ANY AREA OF YOUR LIFE, YOUR GRACE INTAKE IS TOO LOW IN THAT AREA (Romans 5:17, Hebrews 4:16). In other words, you haven't taken advantage of the Grace of God in that area (Galatians 2:21). Don't try to stop, you have been trying and it hasn't worked! Meditate more on the Word of His Grace (Acts 20:32), declare consistently, more than ever the Truths of the Finished works of Christ over your life, make a habit of these two things, and watch that bad habit die a natural death. It may be gradual, but it is sure because Grace eliminates ALL struggles!

Now, you've got several choices:
  • Relocate to Israel and live fully by the LAW, 
  • Argue and #hashtag all you want about sin, license, heresy, label us the anti-christ, call us false prophets etc. or 
  • You can forget the FORMER THINGS, forget the past, and choose to live by the new and more excellent way. Make your life easy, LIVE BY GRACE.
If you are not born again, that means you don't believe in Jesus as your Lord, even though we are in the Dispensation of Grace, that Grace doesn't APPLY to you yet. You've got to believe in the Lord Jesus and make Him your Lord, because Jesus is Full of GRACE and TRUTH and is the only one that gives Grace. No religion can offer these blessings, only JESUS can. And he has. Accept Him now by saying this prayer from your heart:

Dear Father, I come to you in the Name of Jesus. Thank you for your Grace and Love. With Faith in my heart, I accept your love, and the proof of it, which is your death and resurrection. I accept your Lordship over my spirit, soul and body. I now receive Eternal life into my spirit. I am born again now; I am the Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. Thank you for saving me. Halleluyah!

If you prayed this prayer, I decree that you are filled with the Holy Ghost right where you are, and established by the Word of His Grace, as you start this glorious journey of Faith, In the Name of Jesus!

GRACE has a name; His Name is JESUS. I didn't choose Grace, Grace chose me.

Yours TRUTHfully,
 PeeJay








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