T#067 CONTINUING WITH OUR PRESENT OCCUPATIONS & SOURCES of INCOMES or not!

>>Colossians 3:23-25

• • 
    
  “Whatever you do

do your work heartily

as for THE LORD rather
than for men knowing
that from THE LORD

you will receive the
reward of the inheritance.
It is THE LORD THE CHRIST

WHOM you serve.

For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality.” 

After GOD made man

• HE gave them the job of keeping the garden from which they were to be fed for their lives.

• They were assured of life

• without having any need for different kinds of living

• as we have now(!).

After they sinned

• the garden no longer was to render them life

• without them to labor harder by the sweat of their face

• (>>Genesis 3:19)

• as carried on to us,

• as consequence to our sinnings, even until now(!).

We have to till the ground

• (make it more productive)

• in order for that ground to yield food for us.

• In other words,

• by the dignity of our labors,

• to a certain extent as HE willed it,

• [under HIS permissive will]

• (>>>T#058)

we have been made
co-providers for ourselves.

• Because we are under HIS permissive will only on this matter,

• we have to be most careful to obey HIS directive will

• that automatically follows.

Cain was the farmer and Abel was the herdsman

• occupations in mutuality

• for the enhancement of food production from the soil.

• Here we can even see how,

• in totality our nutritional requirements as we have come to know now:

• carbohydrates, protein, cellulose, vitamins and minerals

• were to be sourced from their complementary produce.

There would have been absolutely
no need for any other
means of living.

• However, because of man’s declaration of independence from GOD by partaking of the tree of knowledge of good and evil,

• THE FIRST entrepreneurship ON RECORD,

• entrepreneurship since then characterized even more our different facets of living

• as people grew in number on earth.

Metal forging (bronze and iron)

• and resultant metal crafting

• (>>Genesis 4:21-22)

• became other means of living.

• By the time our forebears constructed the tower of Babel,

• there were huge numbers already of expert brick manufacturers, bricklayers, masons,

• perhaps-- carpenters and different kinds of artisans

• necessary for constructing a tower and a city

• (>>Genesis 11:3-4).

Before GOD destroyed by flood every fruit and glory of man’s labors under HIS permissive will,

• GOD chose Noah to be HIS instrument

• for HIS directive will to get once again followed here on earth.

• What took long to accomplish before GOD made the rain fall

• was the safekeeping of the male and female of each animal

• inside the ark

• through whom HE planned

to sustain as well as increase
the productivity of the land
after the flood. 

• We all know that GOD

• -- after all the unabated independence of man from HIM

• and their living under HIS permissive will (only)

• in entrepreneurships,

• and after having promised never again to destroy life by flood

• -- chose Abraham, THE HERDSMAN,

• to get HIS decretive will restored upon man again.

GOD made Abraham
with a story for a purpose
for us to learn many lessons from,
as a herdsman.

• Yet, when Abraham’s descendants eventually found themselves in Egypt,

• they worked there na naman,

• as craftsmen for Pharaoh.

• After they came out of Egypt however,

• they were promised a land of milk and honey.

Very clearly, this was to be a land whose people’s living and occupation was farming and livestock raising

• --- two endeavors complementing each other

• for the sustenance and increase of productivity of the land,

• for their continued enjoyment!

This enjoyment was however
based again on Israel's
appropriate behaviour in
reponse to GOD’s jealousy
directed at human
entrepreneurship!

(>>Leviticus 26:1-18).

• ‘And I will also break down your pride of power;

• I will also make your sky like iron and your earth like bronze.

• And your strength shall be spent uselessly,

• for your land shall not yield their fruit.

• If then, you act with hostility against ME

• and are unwilling to obey ME,

• I will increase the plague on you seven times

• according to your sins.

• And I will let loose among you the beasts of the field,

• which shall bereave you of your children

• and destroy your cattle and reduce your number

• so that your roads lie deserted.

• >>Leviticus 26:19-22.

Here we see that GOD
was telling them then
that because of their
entrepreneurship

• HE would cause the heavens and the earth to cease

• as their source of productivity and pride of living.

• Even their artisan skills put on bronze and iron

• will not be of any beneficial consequence to them.

GOD has declared that
the heavens and the earth
is not to be the source of
their pride and power
in their artisanship.

• In THE NEW COVENANT,

• we are particularly shown in

• >>Matthew 13 & >>20, >>Luke 17, & >>John 10

• how farm production and livestock raising

• ought to be our occupations in life

• and its careful practice

• our living in the spiritual realm

• as these parables taught!

How consistent, after all,
GOD’s plan is for man
as written in THE BIBLE!

• As GOD’s final stroke of recovering

• HIS original WILL of  increased  productivity

• not just of the land but including as well now the sea

• where all the wastes from the land have gone

• and are still going,

HE called out disciples
constituting HIS Church

when HE established her
on that Pentecost Day
of A.D. 33!

• The Church consisted at the beginning

• mainly of fishermen, a physician, a tentmaker, and among them a tax collector

• whose occupations HE apparently ordered to abandon!

• (>>Matthew 9:9). 

Thus far, we have seen how in
GOD’s written WORD (tugon)

• we are to comprehend HIS mind

• what specific occupations HE had

• for HIS followers

• especially every time HE started with new reckonings

• every time man fall into

• and lives merely under HIS permissive WILL

• in complacency at it

and does not listen to
HIS directive WILL.

I shall invite you now into considering just my hypothesis of what can be considered principles for GOD-sanctioned OCCUPATIONs for man until proved otherwise:

1.    GOD’s direct provision for our living is to be taken straight from nature.

2.    From nature, we are to initially extract just a few but eventually we are to take as yield much more sustainable quantities from it.

3.    Principles 1 & 2 are meant to manifest his 100% providential role not by HIS 100% giving of all we want but based on our perfect dependence on HIM as HE designed our relationship to be!

4.    Our belief in the above three principles ought to produce in us a testimony of continued, undisturbed, and increasingly stable dependence on HIM.

5.    GOD has an unlimited supply for all of us; yet, we are only to extract and receive, each time, just a few of it with which by our input we are to be GOD’s source for the rest of the world to enjoy as coming from HIM.

6.    We are as entitled as we are to each other to extract a few of these goods from nature but HIS encompassing purpose is to get all of mankind, the just and the unjust among us all, (>>Matthew 5:45) to benefit from the yield of such small withdrawal as coming from HIM.

7.    Our >>>GIVING TO ONE ANOTHER is depended upon by GOD for the distribution of HIS wealth among all people (>>2nd Corinthians 8:13-15).

Without an iota of doubt, this is
the reason why AGRI BUSINESS

is such the undoubted occupation

GOD has sanctioned
for HIS chosen!

• And this includes FISHING

• as it takes its produce from the rivers to the shores to the seas and oceans

• as receiving from nature

• with only an insignificant and inexpensive bait to start with

• and/or expensive but definitely cost-effective profit-generating fishing gears

• which gives in return as yields millions worth of catch!

To varying degrees and extent
of time in tolerance within
HIS permissive will on
a person-to-person basis

• --- according to THE FAITH HE has given us,

• the following additional principles

• are for our closer scrutiny for consideration

if they are really of GOD:

1.    Under GOD’s permissive will, our occupations are definitely to acquire for us personal gain but just as definitely --- HIS DIRECTIVE WILL is that: absolutely no one including nature is to incur loss or deprivation in the pursuit of such occupations.

2.    Under GOD’s permissive will, our occupations may make us richer but only if we do not make any one of our fellowmen --- particularly our neighbors, suppliers, service contractors, employees, even our government and the environment any deprived, poorer, hungrier, or more miserable.

3.    GOD’s permissive will for our occupations is conditioned on increased productivity and usefulness to what originally would have been nature’s natural yield. By our inputting added value into them such as in our time the business of manufacturing finished and semi-finished agricultural products is well within the purview of this will.

4.    Paul’s tent-making was based on the principle that by his labor, skill, artistry and time given to cutting, sewing, dyeing what otherwise was mere piece of fabric, this occupation resulted in increasing the usefulness of a mere fabric to the usefulness of a tent thus entitled him to a gain in value for himself. 

5.    Our occupation’s inputs should actually increase the value of the starting material itself (whether coming direct from nature or from vendors as semi-finished products) to a more useful finished product instead of values just in people’s minds resulting from threats and empty advertising claims and warranties.

6.    Our occupation’s claims and warranties should not be hidden in the name of juridical personalities and organizations. Many claims in our time have to be pursued laboriously yet emptily in the end, yet they who escape from such responsibilities in this world are not really freed of such responsibility because GOD reckons with real peoples’ responsibilities and acts (>>Galatians 6:7-10).

7.    Our personal gain should even more, at all times without exception, lead us to even more gracious giving leading to equitable distribution of GOD’s wealth to all people (>>2nd Corinthians 8:4, >>13-15).

Far many of us are simply
paid peoples working in relation
to TIME SPENT and others

IN TERMS OF KNOWLEDGE &
SKILLS PUT ON THE TASK
in entrepreneurial ventures.

• For us,

• the following principles are for our cross-checking

• if at all they are really of GOD,

• our situation being more under the expressed laws of government and people

• and such laws supposed therefore to-be of GOD

• (>>>Romans 13:1-2):

BUT ARE NOT SO ---- until
democracies acknowledge
THE AUTHORITY OF THE
GOVERNMENT EMANATES
FROM GOD and not from
THE PEOPLE;

more critically, NOT JUST
FROM THE MAJORITY
of the people from PARTISAN
now even highly RELIGION
-colored ELECTIONS! 

1.    Wage rates we are entitled to are to be directly related to responsibilities reposed on us, value of the working tools and facilities with which we discharge our services, kind of need for which our service is categorized and the “equal pay for equal work” policy.

2.    Our asking rates are to be in keeping with the dignity of labor and equitable distribution of GOD’s wealth among all people.

3.    There is yet much to be desired of our workers to have more in law than those capitalists and employers hiding in the names of business corporations and partnerships operating by virtue of the laws promulgated by these governments around.

4.    Given 1-3 above, we should learn to be content in whatever circumstance we may find ourselves (>>Philippians 4:11) but are free to look for better opportunities as the private sector and the governments somewhere else has decreed (>>Romans 13:1-5) and we are not to intimidate or accuse anyone falsely but be content with our decreed wages (>>Luke 3:14); and as far as possible live peaceably with all men and do not avenge ourselves but instead leave that to GOD (>>Romans 12:18-19); and all these simply because our living in this entrepreneurial realm is just under the permissive WILL of GOD.

5.    As GOD’s directive WILL, we are better advised to engage in occupations and/or be employed where nature and man is the direct source for our incomes with only a little for our personal sowing but by increasing productivity and usefulness thereof every one shares the benefit of it in the spirit of equitable distribution of GOD’s wealth among all of us.

6.    Whatever our choice, whatever factors and/or time it may take us to achieve and transfer to, our GOD-provided relief decree is that by the giving of those who have surplus in life we can become rich without making them who give us any poorer (>>2nd Corinthians 8:13-15)!

And that is not far-fetched
and by no means
just a dream!

• If only all of us come to realization

• that PURE & SIMPLE STOCK & COMMODITIES TRADING

• as very many in this world are very happy with as their occupation

• are convicted by THE LORD HIMSELF

• in the matter of these realities and principles

• you are invited to honestly evaluate,

if from GOD .... and thereafter
you REPENT o MAGBINAG-O NA
ka:

1.    PURE & SIMPLE STOCK AND COMMODITIES TRADING is the occupation which sole basis for decision is to make money from each and every deal, be he the buyer or seller in each instant. 

2.    GOD has enough for everybody and certainly will not make someone richer by depriving another of what he already has and making him poorer by as much as he has parted with. GOD does not want us to make money at the expense of others but HE wants our occupations to increase the abundance from the land and seas by virtue of which HE will sanction more money for us who do this for HIM.

3.    Love of money is the root of all kinds of evil (>>1st Timothy 6:10).

4.    When one makes money not from his having earlier increased the abundance of the very goods or produce from which he derived his money (what pure and simple traders do!), his making money in those particular instances were only under GOD’s permissive will!

5.    Occupations are to increase the abundance of goods and services in this world and naturally includes those professions directly involved in people's health & knowledge development .... only upon such happenings are all central banks in the world justified to print more money for circulation up to the extent of such increase in gross product! Yes; otherwise, inflation ensues. The only anti-inflation measure that works is after all --- increasing the abundance of goods and services in this world as GOD has decreed!

IT IS FERVENTLY HOPED
AND PRAYED FOR

• that we individually (as employer-employees-business men & women)

• and all the government fiscal policy makers around,

• see soonest the validity and urgent plea

• for the rationalization on the occupations we are having

• IN ORDER THAT WE CAN FOLLOW HIS DIRECTIVE WILL,

• or better yet,

• GO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL or DECRETIVE WILL OF GOD

• before HE COMES!!!                                             

~~~#~~~

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GOD's ATM of GRACE!

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