Every Good Thing Comes from Heaven
An all-creatures Bible Message

Every Good Thing Comes from Heaven
 
A Sermon Delivered to
The Compassion Internet Church
 
14 February 2016
 
Frank L. Hoffman, Pastor

Scripture References

Deuteronomy 26:1-11
Romans 10:8-13

Every good thing comes from heaven and not from this corrupt world.
 
In Genesis 1, we are told that God created the heavens and the earth and declared that everything He made was very good, and since God spoke the heavens and the earth into existence from heaven, we should recognize that the original creation came from heaven, which was very good.
 
This is why we believe that every good thing comes from heaven.
 
People may want or desire the corrupt things of this world, but such lustful feelings are not in the heavenly will of God.
 
Every good thing comes from heaven because it contains no pain, or suffering, or death, such as the abundance of plant foods which God originally created for us to eat in Eden (Genesis 1:29-30), and which are still available today in abundance.
 
As we look at Deuteronomy 26:1-11, let’s apply it both physically and spiritually to our living in the heavenly will of God here on earth as it is in heaven, and seek out every good thing.

1. "Then it shall be, when you enter the land which the LORD your God gives you as an inheritance, and you possess it and live in it,

This is what really happens when we are born again and become true peacemaking children of God.
 
We become spiritual beings whose real home and inheritance is heaven, even while living here on earth with all its corruption.
 
We are to be God’s ambassadors, and share His heavenly will with others through our lifestyle examples and words; we are to live what we say.
 
And just like it was to be when the Israelites entered Canaan thousands of years ago, today we are to set the example of Godly living, but as those who are new creations in Christ, who also happen to live upon this corrupted earth.

2. that you shall take some of the first of all the produce of the ground which you shall bring in from your land that the LORD your God gives you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place where the LORD your God chooses to establish His name.

Note carefully that there is no mention of raising or eating animals; they were only to raise and eat the produce of the land, just as they ate the vegan manna in the wilderness.
 
God wanted His people to remain on the peaceful diet of eating only plant foods; this was and remains His heavenly intent and will.
 
God wanted the people to soften their hearts and souls and end the killing and eating of animals.
 
And what were they to do with the basket of fresh produce?

3. And you shall go to the priest who is in office at that time, and say to him, 'I declare this day to the LORD my God that I have entered the land which the LORD swore to our fathers to give us.'

This was the land of Canaan, then, which was to be symbolic of the kingdom of heaven where there is no pain or death.
 
This is where we are to be spiritually living today, even while we are physically upon this earth.

4. "Then the priest shall take the basket from your hand and set it down before the altar of the LORD your God.

This was a sacrificial offering without blood or suffering, which was and remains God’s creation and heavenly intent.

5. And you shall answer and say before the LORD your God, 'My father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down to Egypt and sojourned there, few in number; but there he became a great, mighty and populous nation.
 
6. 'And the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, and imposed hard labor on us.

This is also symbolic of confessing the way we were in the world before we were born again and became peacemaking children of God.

7. 'Then we cried to the LORD, the God of our fathers, and the LORD heard our voice and saw our affliction and our toil and our oppression;
 
8. and the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with great terror and with signs and wonders;
 
9. and He has brought us to this place, and has given us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.

The expression, “milk and honey” is not really milk and honey; it is only a symbolic expression meaning, “every good thing”.
 
When people live in the ways of this corrupt world, they look upon ungodly ways and things as being good, such as milk and honey.

10. 'And now behold, I have brought the first of the produce of the ground which Thou, O LORD hast given me.' And you shall set it down before the LORD your God, and worship before the LORD your God;
 
11. and you and the Levite and the alien who is among you shall rejoice in all the good which the LORD your God has given you and your household.
NASB

We are to rejoice in eating only the produce of the land, and be thankful for it and that no other living being had to suffer or die for us to enjoy it.
 
This is living in the heavenly will of God.
 
This is how we show others that every good thing comes from heaven.
 
In Romans 10:8-13, we are told what happens to every peacemaking child of God who lives in the heavenly will of God, and has turned away from the corrupt and ungodly ways of this world; in essence, Paul is telling us that every good thing comes from heaven.

8. But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" — that is, the word of faith which we are preaching,
 
9. that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved;

This also implies that we really believe what we are saying, and live the peaceful life as the children of God that Jesus called us to be.

10. for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
 
11. For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed."

For if we truly believe in Jesus, then we will follow all His teachings and be the peacemaking children of God who live in His heavenly will, and do everything in our power to free creation from its present corruption, beginning with our own lives.

12. For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call upon Him;
 
13. for "Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved."
NASB

This is telling us that God’s salvation is open to every single person in the world, no matter who they are or what they may have done.
 
For if we confess our sinful worldly ways, and turn away from them, and believe in our hearts and souls that Jesus is Lord, then we shall be saved.
 
Every good thing comes from heaven.
 
Amen.

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