Does God make deals? Does God offer deals like trading one's faith for a sum of money or a bowl of porridge?

We know by historical accounts in Scripture that God does not trade or barter seeking to destroy man's faith. God clearly seeks to build up and restore the faith of His children. He has and still does sanction tests upon the faithful that they may be tried and approved. We also know by scriptural accounts that God allows Satan and other angels to do this testing and sifting is necessary that we may become aware of our own limitations and weaknesses and know our particular strengths enabling us to overcome various trial and tribulation. This, in part, is how God sanctifies us through His Son. "Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience through suffering."

The whole world has declared what "God called good," to be evil and the world mocks wisdom and understanding by creating confusion and disillusionment. Man continues to replace "faith" with science, medicine, law, economics and politics. The mass majority of humans are deceived and duped into believing that certain plants are evil and the use of such is evil. Yet, God had created all these things in nature for us to enjoy and use for our benefit, some providing for our medicinal remedy, others for pure pleasure and most for balanced diet and nutrition.

In 1998, I stood before a congregation of Pentecostal / Foursquare believers and against God's Holy writ, I denied His Word and declared my use of tobacco to be evil and defiling. I quit smoking for six months all the while confessing, "I enjoy smoking, why am I judging evil what God has not judged evil?" That was about when all the trouble began for me in my fellowship at Northwest Church. One ugly conflict after another surfaced between the pastoral leadership and me as I continued to address my concerns with clergy over their continued factious teaching, incorporating mere precepts and doctrines of men and excessive rules and policy making, attempting to restrict and control the undisciplined as they openly declared that obedience to God's simple Word and submission to Christ's teachings alone was not good enough in today's trouble ridden society. The pastors declared, "We need more rules."

Near the end of my six-month absence from smoking cigarettes, while at work one day, the voice of our Lord spoke to me and convicted me for my transgression against His Word and His Covenant. He said to me, "Why are you calling evil what I have called good and sanctified before men?" I began to tremble, as His voice was definite and serious in His inquiry. I took my leave that afternoon from my duties in the Marina Office and went aboard my boat to reflect on the bold question that had just been presented me. I was in a state of shock and fear over what my Lord had just questioned.

Immediately upon arriving, I took up a prostrate position on the deck and prayerfully beseeched my Lord, "What do you mean Lord, 'I am calling evil what you have called good?"

Like a Father speaking to a disobedient son, He said, "You have become like a hypocrite denying your faith and falling victim to the lies and precepts of men. You are being fashioned a hypocrite because you condemn what you still confess to enjoy. Why would you allow the excessive burden of man to be placed upon your back when you know better what I have cleansed? Did I not set you free from the curse of sin because you give freely what I have freely given unto thee. All things I have created have been clean unto you. You are free from condemnation because you attend to the more important virtues of grace, mercy and self-control. Poisons do not affect you like others who attend not to me. You are sanctified and set free from the encumbrance of sin in the flesh. I desire you remain as you are for you are useful to me. What is good for one man is not necessarily good for another man. Each man regards things differently therefore; do not judge with an unrighteous judgment."

At this point, I confess that I was drowning in my own tears for the Spirit was grieving and I was being reproved not unlike a son. The tears were not unlike the many tears I shed in my earlier years of repentance. I was still trembling and somewhat in shock that I had offended God in some way. Then His voice broke through my despair and said, "Open my Book."

I grabbed my beloved Bible and opened it pages without knowing what He was going to show me. The pages miraculously turned to the book of Colossians and glaring at me was chapter two. As if the words leaped off the pages, they took hold of me. Colossians 2:16-23 "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God. Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (Touch not; taste not; handle not; Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honor to the satisfying of the flesh."

Then my Lord said, "Turn the pages." I grabbed a portion of pages and turned them to the book of Matthew. Matthew records Jesus' teachings on tradition and commandment. Matthew 15:7-20 "Ye hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, This people draws nigh unto me with their mouth, and honors me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: Not that which goes into the mouth defiles a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defiles a man. Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying? But he answered and said, every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable. And Jesus said, are ye also yet without understanding? Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever enters in at the mouth goes into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? But those things, which proceed out of the mouth, come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, and blasphemies: These are the things, which defile a man: but to eat with unwashed hands defiles not a man."

Again, my Lord said to me, "Turn the pages." As before, I grabbed a portion of pages and the book fell open to the book of I Corinthians. I began to understand what my Lord was showing me. This particular passage describes Paul's use of liberty. 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 "For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you."

Again, my Lord says to me, "Turn the pages." It was as if the pages were being turned for me and I was marveling at the pinpoint accuracy to which pages were being turned to confirm His spoken message. The Bible opened up to the book of Romans where Paul speaks on principles of conscience. Romans 14:1-23 "Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eats herbs. Let not him that eats despise him that eats not; and let not him, which eats not judge him that eats: for God hath received him. Who art thou that judges another man's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Yea, he shall be held up: for God is able to make him stand. One man esteems one day above another: another esteems every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eats, eats to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eats not, to the Lord he eats not, and giveth God thanks. For none of us lives to himself, and no man dies to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living. But why dost thou judge thy brother? Or why dost thou set at naught thy brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, as I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way. I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteems any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. Let not then your good be evil spoken of: For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. For he that in these things serves Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eats with offence. It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbles or is offended, or is made weak. Hast thou faith? Have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. And he that doubts is damned if he eat, because he eats not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin."

Again, my Lord says to me, "Turn the pages." The pages fall onto Luke where the verse, "all things are clean," is confirmed. Luke 11:39-41 "And the Lord said unto him, now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness. Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also? But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you."

Then, the voice of my Lord says, "Turn back to the beginning." We turned to Genesis and I saw with my own eyes what I truly knew in my heart. Genesis 1:11-12 "And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good."

The voice of my Lord again speaks and says directly, "Turn to I John." I knew before the pages turned what He was going to show me. I understood and was delighted as the tears dried up and He washed away any remaining doubt. This gave way to a flood of wisdom and fresh revelation. 1 John 3:21-24 "Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us."

Then the Lord wanted me to understand more fully why some are harmed by the use of certain plants and allergic or susceptible to sickness while others are not. He assured me that I had a strong immune system and reminded me what I was already aware of, that I was immune to poison oak and ivy and then He showed me where He established this by His Word. Mark 16:15-18 "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."

"Neither shall a snake harm you beyond a mild fever. Do you really think that you can add one more day to your life than that which I have prescribed o'son of man?" Asks the Spirit in me. Matthew 10:29-30 "Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing, and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father? But the very hairs of your head are all numbered."

So you see the Word convicts me, which took hold of me years ago, and God showed me that He was going to use me, a foolish man, to confound the wise. I belong to Him and I am useful to Him. Better that I do not deny my own conscience lest I become a hypocrite like the many churches do of others. God showed me on this day that the many divided houses of man's religion were like manufacturing firms producing countless hypocrites thereby destroying what little faith was in them. God does not want me to practice vanity and neither does He want me to believe that I will live one day longer than what He has ordained and established. This makes no sense in a world, which is blanketed in lies and deception and honors science and medicine over God's proven Word. "The many works of man have glorified himself but he gives me no honor or praise. He depends upon his science and medicine to heal and cure but does not recognize who formed the healing substance." Declares the Spirit of our Lord. The Lord continued saying, "Because he listens not to me, I shall cut him off. The very things they fear shall come upon them like a tempest and they shall not escape their own judgments because they circumvent my judgments and say 'It is the Lord's.' Man contradicts himself and calls bad what I've called "good" and calls good what I've called sin. Nevertheless, let each man live according to how he believes and my Word shall judge him now and on the last day. If my Word does not condemn him then he will be justified and I will hold nothing against him. If what he believes is a contradiction and he teaches error and causes others to stumble by his error then I will hold him accountable for teaching error. Let each man live according to his own faith and purpose not to cause others to stumble. What is good for one man is not necessarily good for another. Each man must live according to his own faith."

These are the words and dictates of the Spirit of God in me and I hereby declare that they are true and my testimony is relevant. Though I am still be a foolish man, God has found use for my foolishness and has indicated clearly that there are many more lives He can touch through me because I walk not as a man condemned by religion and science but I walk as a living witness and testimony to God's power and living Word. The whole world lies in the hands of the deceiver and few are they who walk by faith. I cannot afford to judge what Christ Jesus did not judge. I dare not condemn what He sanctified and made clean for He said, "All things are made clean to those who give freely what is inside them."

Spoken and written with all humility and some reservation. This is not for the purpose of doctrinal teaching for it is one man's faith and application of the Word. There are a few things that God leaves up to each individual and He warns us not to judge one another over those things, which are a matter of "personal use."

With all God fearing humility and conviction, Nicholas A. Stivers