THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND THE BLESSING OF THE LORD !

THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND THE BLESSING OF THE LORD ! God established that relationship with the and gave them the opportunity to maintain the by retaining ownership of one tree in the Garden. He put everything else on earth under their Lordship. Every other aspect of creation was theirs to partake in, enjoy and have dominion over. But that one tree--- the tree of the knowledge of good and evil--- belong to the God, and He told them not to eat the fruit of it. "For in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die" (Genesis 2:17). God command was so simple, you wouldn't think anyone could misunderstand it, but somehow the woman did. However it happened, she got the idea that they weren't even supposed to touch the tree. But that wasn't true. They were supposed to touch the tree. God has commanded them to tend and keep it just like they did the other trees in the Garden. Instead of staying away from that tree, they should have given it extra attention. They should have been especially committed to caring for it because it belonged to God. It represented God's fatherhood and headship over mankind. That's why God placed that tree in the center of the Garden: because their relationship with Him was supposed to be at the center of their lives. Although Adam fouled things up before God had an opportunity to teach him about it, God intended His tree to be a place where He and his That family could fellowship with each other. He meant for Adam and his wife, and ultimately their children and grandchildren, to harvest the fruit of it and bring it to Him as an act of obedience and a confirmation of their love for Him. God wanted them to have the time of their lives returning to Him the fruit of His tree and celebrating the fact that He was then, and is now, the source of THE BLESSING that was upon them. If you're wondering how I know that, I found it out by reading the rest of the Book. I found it out by studying what the Bible says about tithing, which is the practice of bringing to God the firstfruits that belongs to Him. Throughout scriptural history, God's people have drew near to Him and connected with him His covenant of BLESSING, through the tithe. Contrary to what some have taught, the concept of tithing didn't originate with the Law of Moses. It originated in the Garden of Eden. That's why in (Genesis 4) We Find Able bringing God the firstborn of his flock. Although Able live thousands of years before the Law was given, somehow, he learned to tithe. Who taught him ? There's only one possible answer. It must have been his father, Adam. Apparently, Adam wanted his children to avoid the heartbreaking, life wrecking sin he had committed, so he instructed them to give God the first and best portion of their increase. Able understood and applied what Adam told him. His brother Cain, however, didn't. What happened between them as a result, reveals just how vital the principle of tithing truly is. It proves there's more to it than dividing a paycheck by 10% and plucking it into a bucket, or legalistically Keeping an Old Testament Law. Tithing is a covenant interaction between God and man. It represents a spiritual reality that is so powerful, the devil will do everything he can to stop it. That's the reason the first murder in human history was committed over the tithe. You probably remember the store. When Cain and Abel brought their tithes, God accepted Abel's and refused Cain's. That threw Cain into such a rage that he killed his brother. Why was it so critical to Cain that God accepted his tithe ? Because tithing is an act of faith that confirms THE BLESSING him--- and Cain wanted that BLESSING. He understood that it is the most powerful thing on earth.