When our Facebook group began, it was called the “Courts of Heaven – Worldwide.” At that time, you might have seen and even signed the “Class Action Lawsuit” against the Kingdom of Darkness for financial restitution in our “files” section. I began preparing this for filing in the Courts of Heaven by reviewing the document in the “Agape Tea and Coffee” meeting. When I asked those present to pull up the document in our Facebook group to read along with me, I was shocked to find out that the document was missing!
“The enemy must be in our midst: It seems we are under attack!” I declared. The Holy Spirit brought me up short, bringing my thoughts to a skidding halt with a big “check” in my spirit. I quickly amended my statement, “I’ve had the Holy Spirit send me interesting messages and confirmation on my computer before I amended my declaration.” “We need to pray for wisdom and determine who is behind this.” The group prayed in agreement for God to give wisdom concerning this matter.
I sent a quick internal prayer to my Counselor, “If this is you, Holy Spirit, then the person who deleted this file should step forward when I post about it being missing.” I knew that if this was a malicious attack, the person would hide. God works in the open, so if this was Him, there would be truth and honesty.
On the drive home from the meeting, I felt an uneasiness in my spirit. It was like the presence of the Holy Spirit was agitated. This was a new sensation, and I was unsure of what it meant. Was the lawsuit upsetting Him or was there an enemy in the group and He was giving us a warning? Satan works in darkness; I reiterate my request for the Holy Spirit to reveal who had deleted the lawsuit and if it was done through Him. By the time I got home, there was a message for me on Facebook: someone apologized for accidentally deleting the LAWSUIT file.
If you’ve read the free book, Why Doesn’t God Speak to Me? you know that it is dangerous to follow signs blindly. The next morning when the Holy Spirit woke me up at 5:30 AM: I was thrilled. Before the household was awake and moving, I would be able to spend time praying and talking to Him. It didn’t take long to receive an answer. After praising and worshiping for a while, I broached the topic of the proposed lawsuit in order to sue the enemy for what is owed to us. Immediately two Bible verses came to mind:
Therefore do not worry, saying, "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we drink?" or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your Heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matthew 6:31-33 NKJV)
Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them... the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith? (Luke 12:24-28 NKJV)
Jesus urges us to trust and have faith in God to take care of earthly concerns. We must be fully aware of who God is, to rest in the surety that He will provide. Over and over again in the Bible, we read that “God is just.”
Jesus is contending for you in the CoH. When we remove sin and confess for our ancestors, He will remove any generational curses or charges hindering us. We must trust:
- Jesus will ask for “justice to be done” with cases against us
- God, the Just Judge, knows what is due to us
A “LAWSUIT” against the Adversary or trying to “sue” someone in the CoH is man taking matters into his own hands as if our Father doesn’t know what is necessary. That is an act of pride and very presumptuous. His justice will be sufficient.
Often the reason we seek the Courts is because our finances are hindered. There are some common factors that may be the issue. Taking care of a few items may bring the breakthrough you are looking for.
1. Right Standing in Your Finances
Anytime you participate in the CoH, you will want to be in right standing with God, especially in connection with the topic you are expecting to be resolved. If you are expecting restitution and justice for your finances and property, you will need to have your spiritual house in order.
This is not a popular topic, but we need to discuss tithes and offerings. Tithing merely means “a tenth part.” It isn’t the most that you should do, it is just the beginning, the basics, like elementary school. Many Christians believe that tithing is under the law, so we don’t need to worry about this. Like most things, there is some truth on this. Let us look to the Word of God - the Bible - for our answers.
"A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord" (Leviticus 27:30 NIV).
It isn’t one of the Ten Commandments, but it is a clear instruction to God’s people about what He expects from those in a relationship with Him. Tithes were to be given to the Levites because they had no land and did God’s work as priests. This is so important to God that there is both a blessing and a curse associated with it:
The Curse
In Malachi, God addresses the Levites, the priests who were mishandling the tithe:
"Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob Me.” But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’
“In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me.” (Malachi 3:8-9 NIV)
This was being said to the priests who were using what was brought to them, tithes and offerings, in a wrong manner. This applies to every Christian because we are all "priests" under the order of Melchizedek and under our High Priest, Jesus.
For it is witnessed of Him, You are a Priest forever after the order (with the rank) of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 7:17 AMPC)
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a dedicated nation, [God’s] own purchased, special people... (1 Peter 2:9 AMPC)
As priests, we all have access to God, through Jesus. We can all be blessed or cursed because of what we do with the income we receive.
The Blessing
“Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of Heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.” (Malachi 3:10 NKJV)
We are now "priests" with access to the Holy of Holies through our High Priest, Jesus. The storehouse is a place dedicated to doing God's work. This is one of the times in the Bible where God says to “test” Him: See if His goodness comes when you tithe and follow His ways. Not tithing limits what God can do. It gives the enemy the ability to add a curse to your life.
Tithing did not begin with the Levitical priesthood. It can clearly be seen in the life of Abraham.
Then Melchizedek, King of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of Heaven and Earth. And praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything. (Genesis 14:18-20 NIV)
Because Abraham tithed, he received a blessing. When this occurred, Abraham was still being called Abram: tithing existed before the Law which was started when the Hebrews left Egypt hundreds of years later. The New Testament speaks of this:
“For this Melchizedek, King of Salem [and] Priest of the Most High God, met Abraham as he returned from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, and Abraham gave to him a tenth portion of all [the spoil].” (Hebrews 7:1-2 AMPC)
There was an exchange when Abraham tithed: Melchizedek blessed him and Abraham gave a tenth of all he had. Once Abraham knew God was working through Melchizedek because he had received a blessing: something of material value, then Abraham began tithing there.
Jesus is our High Priest under the order of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 5:10). Since Melchizedek received tithes, then so should those who are fulfilling the role of priest (pastor) under Jesus. If the message you are receiving blesses you, teaches you, or guides you into a closer relationship with the Lord, then you should be tithing, giving to support those who are dedicating their lives to this cause.
Tithes and offerings have been seen in an interesting way in the CoH: many times we hear “mercenary” as a charge. The word means doing a job for pay. How do you get rid of this charge?
The Holy Spirit revealed that tithing acknowledges God as the one who brings the money to you, not man. It declares that what you have received comes from the Lord. This removes this charge of mercenary in the Courts. Many believe that “curses” cannot affect a Christian because of what Jesus accomplished when He shed His blood:
“Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”)...” (Galatians 3:13 NKJV)
Remember these two facts about this verse:
- The word “curse” is singular. The curse of the Law was that you went to Hell for violating any part of it. This is the curse we are redeemed from when we take Jesus as our Lord. The New Testament is full of encouragement for us to remove sin because sin “gives a place to the devil.” (Ephesians 4:27) That “place” is often a curse.
- If you know about the CoH, then you know that redemption must be applied and we must use the blood of Jesus as atonement for our sin. We must declare Christ as Lord to receive salvation and we must “plead the blood” to blot out our sins to be free of the curse. If this were not so, why are Christians just as sick and downtrodden as the rest of humanity? (See the free book, Destroying Curses in the Courts of Heaven for more scriptures about this.)
In order to remove charges in the Courts, we must:
- Confess our sins - see it the way God does
- Repent - turn from it
- Plead the blood over it - blotting it out from all records
In the case of tithing, this means you can confess that you didn’t tithe in the past, and now you know you should have been tithing. Then you must turn the other way: begin tithing. This gives you a fresh start from this point forward.
One of the most common questions is what do we tithe on? Is it gross or net? Here is what the Bible says:
You shall truly tithe all the increase of your grain that the field produces year by year. (Deuteronomy 14:22 NKJV)
In order to understand how this applies, you must consider the time in which it was spoken. In those days, a farmer would hold a portion of the grain to plant in the next year. A New Testament scripture that explains this principle is this:
Let the elders who perform the duties of their office well be considered doubly worthy of honor [and of adequate financial support], especially those who labor faithfully in preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain, and again, The laborer is worthy of his hire. (1 Timothy 5:17-18 AMPC)
“Duties of their office” refer to apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. All are due a wage from the tithes. An ox would eat as it did the work. In other words, you may deduct the wages of employees. All that was beyond that investment, was the increase. The same principle that applies to the church, applies to your life. In my opinion, a modern-day application would be:
Online BusinessSold an item for $25
Subtract:Cost to produce the product: $5
Website Fees: $5 per item
________
Increase: $15
Tithe: $1.5
Brick and Mortar Store
Sold an item for $25
SubtractCost to produce the product: $5
Employee Salary: $1 per item
Basic and essentials (rent, electricity): $4 per item
__________
Increase: $15
I would not suggest using your “taxable” income for this calculation. There are a lot of areas that count against your profit with the government that would not count with God. For instance, marketing and advertising are not basic and essential to doing business. If you are right with God, He will most certainly direct people to you. Often meals or trips are counted as deductions and would not apply either. With God, it is best to err on the side of bringing to Him what belongs to Him.
Another consideration with repenting for tithing is your current situation. If you…
- Are in an earthly lawsuit about past debt
- Have past income you want to receive
You may want to “redeem your tithe.” This means you want all that was due to you in the past which was held back because you were not tithing.
And if a man wants to redeem any of his tithe, he shall add a fifth to it. (Leviticus 27:31 AMPC)
The beautiful aspect of our Father is that He will take you at your word. If you will take time to calculate how much you owe and write up a contract with God about how much you will pay each month, He will honor the true intent of your heart.
There was a case of a wealthy man who was served a tax bill for an exorbitant amount. He was in the middle of negotiations when he sought counsel from a pastor that I know. The businessman had tithed for many years but recently stopped. After hearing about “redeeming” his tithe, he calculated how much he owed God and wrote up a contract with a certain amount to be given each month to make up the difference. The government contacted him, removing the tax debt before he made a single payment.
This is the power of redeeming your tithe.
2. Increase your connection to God
God said that when you rob Him of “tithes and offerings,” that brings a curse upon yourself. Many Christians today have no idea that there is actually more than tithing… there is an offering.
If we have sown [the seed of] spiritual good among you, [is it too] much if we reap from your material benefits?... [On the same principle] the Lord directed that those who publish the good news (the Gospel) should live (get their maintenance) by the Gospel. (1 Corinthians 9:11, 14 AMPC)
Let him who receives instruction in the Word [of God] share all good things with his teacher [contributing to his support]. Do not be deceived and deluded and misled; God will not allow Himself to be sneered at (scorned, disdained, or mocked by mere pretensions or professions, or by His precepts being set aside.) [He inevitably deludes himself who attempts to delude God.] For whatever a man sows, that and that only is what he will reap. (Galatians 6:6-7 AMPC)
These verses clearly show who should receive the tithes: those who are bringing something of spiritual value. It also shows that there is still a curse attached to not giving: “Do not be deceived and deluded and misled; God will not allow Himself to be sneered at.” For this means giving to acknowledge God is not optional. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians backs this up:
“But this I say: He who soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly, and he who soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.” (2 Corinthians 9:6 KJV)
I love that these verses show that God is just. Whichever way we give, that is how we will receive from God. In some parts of the world, giving a single dollar is a big gift and they will receive bountifully for it. Those with abundance would need to give $5000 or more for the same revelation to equal what that single dollar meant for someone else.
There are many different types of offerings that God’s people practiced. To sum it all up quickly, it comes down to this simple fact:
An offering is a way of thanking God for something. It could have been a bumper crop in the field, an answered prayer, or a new baby. Many refer to these as “love” offerings. A way of saying “I love you” when God shows up in your life.
There is a system in place that makes giving an offering essential. Material support was always given when someone brought a revelation from God. This was a gift not to the man, but to God, acknowledging that He was behind the message.
This was so ingrained in God’s people that a group of Christians asked Paul not to come and speak to them because they didn’t want to have to give him an offering for his teaching. (2 Corinthians Chapters 11 & 12) Giving before you receive the information short circuits this system. It hinders the flow of the anointing towards His people.
God’s principles apply with offerings of this type as well. When you give because of the revelation about God that was spoken to you, it opens the door for God to move in a greater way concerning that revelation. He who soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly and he who soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
Many people tithe, but do you give offerings? This is the second half of the equation. It brings blessings from God as you acknowledge Him in all your ways; this includes acknowledging those sent by Him. The amount of the offering should depend on two factors:
- How much you have.
- How much the revelation/blessing/answered prayer meant to you.
Someone who has barely enough to survive might give a very small amount, even pennies - the smallest of currencies. This is like the widow who gave the smallest amount possible. Jesus said she gave more than the rich man who brought a huge sum because she gave out of her lack. (Luke 21:1-4)
When to Give
What you give should always be completely up to you. You should never give until you verify what you have received is from God. You do not want to sow on bad ground. This is not being a good steward of what God has given you. Ask yourself:
- Have you paid for a seat in a conference only to find out that they preached unauthorized authority?
- Has a church you attended passed a tithe basket before the message was given?
- Did you give towards a message that did not come from God?
If you have done either of these, please consider this scripture:
If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine [is disloyal to what Jesus Christ taught], do not receive him [do not accept him, do not welcome or admit him] into [your] house or bid him Godspeed or give him any encouragement. For he who wishes him success [who encourages him, wishing him Godspeed] is a partaker in his evil doings. (2 John 1:10-11 AMPC)
You will need to confess, repent and plead the blood over seeds sown into wrong ground as well as severing all soul ties to those ministries.
If you have read the Old Testament, it is easy to see a pattern. When God’s people did things according to His ways, they were blessed and they prospered. When they did not, a curse came upon them. If you are looking for a financial blessing, the answer is not a man contrived Lawsuit, it is being obedient to what God has already said, trusting that Jesus is contending for us, and ask for justice to be done, in resting in Him and in His love for us. The Lord showed me what this looks like in the spiritual realm with a visit to the Secret Place.
There is a wrong way to sow into God’s kingdom as well. We received a testimony about reaping and sowing that may encourage you to seek God in such matters.
When I joined the Academy in October of 2020 my focus was on health issues. At the very first intercession meeting about my health, one of the prayer team sensed something about money, but she didn't explain. At the second intercession meeting she revealed that the Lord said that I let people manipulate me with money and I knew that was true.
I had friends who would contact me and ask that I pray with them as they needed a certain amount. I would usually help them out and, as I have since learned in the Academy, probably gotten in the Lord's way while He was dealing with them. When I realized the error of my way, I quickly repented for that and also repented for tithing and sowing into ministries that sold the things of God of whom I was a partner, not knowing at the time that this was not God's way.
My finances improved quite a bit in 2021. I am thankful for the Academy and all I am learning. Thankful to be doing things God's Way.
Carin V.
It took the combination of information in CoH Academy and some help from the Holy Spirit for Carin to find out how the enemy was able to block her finances. Praise God for fellowshipping as we work for His kingdom.
Secret Place
A vision of the Secret Place opened up before me as I began to worship. After testing the vision, I relaxed as I danced with Jesus. My vision was much clearer than last time, but what I was seeing was still a bit vague. The longer we danced the more clear I could see: We were in the gazebo, my angelic escort surrounded the structure standing shoulder to shoulder facing away from us.
The Lord asked, “Why have you come?”
“I don’t have any questions today,” I chuckled, “I only came to spend time with you. I cannot do the work You have for me without being firmly connected to the Vine so that You may flow in greater measure in my life. I need to be filled with Your strength.”
He smiled in approval, “Did you notice how clear your vision was when you first entered in? This is because you have come to be strengthened each day.”
I relaxed in His arms, enjoying the feeling of my spirit growing stronger minute by minute. A thought occurred to me, “My Love, it wasn’t my intention to come for this purpose, but I hope you don’t mind me asking…” I began hesitantly, “A certain team member has some family members who are under attack. They are deep in sin and misguided by the enemy. She really needs to be guided by You. I don’t know what to tell her. Could You possibly speak strongly to her? Guide her? I know she loves You so very much!”
Jesus rubbed His cheek against mine, “You are so very beautiful.”
The off-topic compliment caught me by surprise. I pulled back my vision and saw myself in the Secret Place and I was very pretty in my perfect spiritual body. “Thank you” I acknowledged, still a bit confused, “But I’m not sure I understand...”
“I am speaking of your heart,” As He touched my chest, it began to glow. “It is why you were chosen. You have a beautiful heart.” Instantly I understood: He was glad that I asked Him to help another. He was not upset that I had a request. Excitedly He said, “Come, I have something to show you!”
I love it when He says this. It usually means He will take me by the hand and reveal something in Heaven or in the Earth to me. This time, it took an unexpected turn. Instead of Him leading me, I grabbed Him by the hand. There was zero control as the scene played out before my vision.
I led Him from the gazebo to my house. There were rows of beautiful flowers in elevated boxes lining the back of my house. Bending down I plucked a pretty pink tulip growing in the yard. It sang a beautiful song as I placed it in the upper pocket of His robe.
“I want You to have this.”
Jesus looked at me, then at the flower which was singing praises to Him. “Do not all things in Heaven and Earth belong to Me?” He asked without offense, “Why did you give this to Me?”
The answer which I spoke was true even though it did not come from my own thoughts, “I know You created and own all things. I chose this flower for you so that whenever You see this flower, it will remind You of how much I love You.”
He nodded, pleased with my answer. As He nodded, the flower grew brighter and brighter until a light exploded from it. I saw what was happening all over the spiritual realm:
The song of the flower rained down over all of creation. Every living thing looked up and praised God.
The visions now returned to my control. We were back in the gazebo. The Lord said, “Tell the Team Member and My Bride: If they will let go of the world and what they think it should be, if they will focus on their love for Me, I will speak so loudly to them, they will know what to say and when to say it. My words will cause all those in their lives to praise God.”
Interpretation
- Flowers - Love
- Pink - Childlike faith
- Tulip - our two lips
By Him, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name. (Hebrews 13:15 AKJV)
We must sacrifice our loved ones to Him by letting go of them; placing them firmly in His hands. If we will praise Him with our words, not because we want something, but because we have childlike faith that everything will be okay, then He will begin to move into that situation. It took time for the glory to build up, but in due time God’s power exploded onto the scene, fueled by the childlike faith and love we have for Jesus.
This same principle applies to our finances and everything we need in life. It is the way in which we will receive a breakthrough from God. I pray this vision from the Secret Place brings you great comfort while you wait for God’s glory to explode in your life.
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Why Doesn't God Speak to Me?
Eager hearts cry out, hoping for a single word to confirm that He hears us. Yet, many times the only sound is silence. Over the years I have heard several reasons why God speaks to some and not to others. One night, as I tossed and turned, I brought each of these reasons before the Lord, stating why each of them did not line up with who I thought He was.
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Destroying Curses in the Courts of Heaven
Our rights to appear in the Courts of Heaven have been greatly undervalued. The missing key to our authority is here. Jesus has provided the access and the Bible shows us the court procedures. When we learn to operate in our rightful place as children of the Most High, the enemy will be defeated and we will see the victory we have prayed for.
The death of Jesus freed us from the curse of the law. However, we must declare this freedom just as we must make a declaration for our salvation.
Our rights to appear in the Courts of Heaven have been greatly undervalued. The missing key to our authority is here. Jesus has provided the access and the Bible shows us the court procedures. When we learn to operate in our rightful place as children of the Most High, the enemy will be defeated and we will see the victory we have prayed for.
The death of Jesus freed us from the curse of the law. However, we must declare this freedom just as we must make a declaration for our salvation.
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- What are signs of a curse?
- How do you get rid of one?
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