Trusts, Faith, Alliances and Allegiance

"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15

 

CHURCH TRUSTS

To Trust is to have Faith

The concept and term "Trust" and "English Trust Law" evolved out of the merging of the "Common Law" and "Equity" during the middle ages. The precepts and foundation existed long before. In the late 1800's, Equity became the prevailing system in any conflict concerning what has come to be known as trusts. This was because the kings of men had become in general society the fountainhead of justice, a trend that that has risen and fallen but dates back in antiquity. It became prominent in England around 1066, when the idea was reintroduced at the point of the sword by William the Bastard, also known as William the Conqueror.

If Equity is the predominant supplier of remedy for trusts it might be incorrect to describe a Trust as a 'Common Law' entity. Remedy in Equity is furnished from the top down, either from a single position of authority or an oligarchy of elite rulers and administrative courts. If this were the only ruling system in the world then there would be no "Common Law Trust" nor any remedy but Equity. Common Law is from the bottom up.

What kingdom permits such liberty?

When we think of Kingdom we think of authority exercised by men. Even in a democracy 51% may rule the other 49%. The reality is that  there is another King or line of authority and system that is in opposition to that of the Rulers of Equity and their control at least for the liberty that it provides. That Kingdom and its Authority and Power has an origin that predates that of the kings and the civil and governmental systems of men. Although the term "Trust" has come to mean in the minds of most a trust with remedy in Equity the true source of the remedy of a trust is always held by the originating "Authority" or "Law" under which that Trust is made, formed and established, from which Equity is a departure.

Although equity follows the law it is not an original source of the Law. But even equity recognizes prior claims as a greater claim in its maxim where the equities are equal, the earlier in time prevails. There is another maxim in equity, he who comes to equity must come with clean hands and no one had cleaner hands than the Lord Jesus Christ.

To understand what this has to do with the Kingdom of God or the kingdom of Heaven on Earth and the Church we should also understand the elements of a trust. In looking at the Kingdom through the precepts of trusts a better understanding may develop.

The Elements of a Trust

There are several offices or elements of a trust:

Settlor - The person who owns property conveyed to an estate.

A settlor is in contradistinction to a testator who makes a will or a declarant who makes a living will. A settlor makes a trust.

Trustee - Person or institution that oversees and manages a trust. The Trustee has a duty to ensure that the wishes of the Settlor are carried out and the beneficiaries' interests protected. A trustee is one to whom an estate has been conveyed in trust and that trust estate is not subject to the specialty or judgment debts of the trustee.

The Trustee can be removed and replaced by a new Trustee if for any reason it is deemed appropriate.

Beneficiaries - A person who receives the benefits from a trust. A trustee may be nominated either specifically by the Settlor and their benefits must be clearly defined. However, no specific beneficiaries need be nominated, but merely a class of persons (e.g. sons, daughters, brethren) from which the choice of who is to benefit and to what extent is left to the Trustee (in this latter case, the Trustee is normally guided by the written or verbal wishes of the Settlor).

Protector - The Protector is charged with the power to remove a Trustee, and to appoint new or additional Trustees. The Protector may be a Settlor, Trustee or a Beneficiary.

Trust Property - The Trust derives its existence from arrangements relating to property. It is impossible to establish any trust without Trust Property. The nature of the property is irrelevant.

Except in situations relating to land a Trust is not dependent upon a document in writing, or the existence of a contract, or upon any public registration procedure, although where there is the slightest complexity or room for doubt, a Trust Deed is obviously invaluable. The existence and validity of a trust is judged by reference to the criteria broadly described.

The transfer of the Trust property to Trustees has the nature of a Gift. Since the conveyance of the property to the trustee is an essential part of the creation of a trust, a trust cannot come into existence until the trust property has been so conveyed or, at least, the process of conveyance has been irrevocably commenced.

Once the trust is in existence, additional properties can be added to the Trust Property by additional settlements.

Trusts within trusts

There is a maxim in law that a Trust within a trust cannot stand. A trust within a trust is subject to the terms of the original trust. This is one of the most important aspects to understand in the examination of trust laws, rules and statutes. A trust cannot create a trust that violates the original terms of a trust, if it attempts to do so it is a breach of trust and is a departure and therefore void. In understanding this basic precept of Law you will have unlocked a great secret of Creation, Authority and the workings of the Universe.

Precepts of Trusts

Applying the precepts of Trusts to the purpose and function of Creation

God the Father is the Settlor of the original trust.

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. Genesis 1:26 .

It is obvious that this trust relationship predates all others and is where man is the Trustee and God is the Settlor.

So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.Genesis 3:24

Here we see God as Creator removing the Trustees and appointing something called Cherubims as "Protector" of at least a portion of the Trust property. There was a limiting of the power and authority of the Trustee. This was due to a breach of trust, the willful misappropriation of some of the corpus of the Trust, by a Trustee. The Tree of Knowledge had been lawfully delivered to him in confidence and not for the use of the Trustee.

Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. Genesis 3:23

At that time we see God acting as a declarant making what might be considered a living trust where man's dominion and period of trusteeship is now limited and his duties include tilling the ground to provide for himself and his family, among other things.

In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou [art], and unto dust shalt thou return.Genesis 3:19

During the events to follow there develops two branches of the family of Man. One branch was under the appointment of Seth and his son Enos who honors the terms of the trust and remains in the good graces of the Settlor.

And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD. Genesis 4:26

The other branch stemming down from Cain and his son Enoch is not accepted in its efforts and is eventually restricted from the fruitful use of the land because of his violations against the conditions of the trust and his murder of his younger brother.

When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth. Genesis 4:12

Instead of obeying the direction of the Settlor of the trust, Cain established a shadow dominion of his own whereby he could become a beneficiary of the sweat of others by building a city or civil power. In doing so Cain became a substitute father and even god to those who came under his jurisdictional control. This is a trust within a trust and there are guidelines that must not be breached or the protector of the trust will intervene.

And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch. Genesis 4:17

Although kings, governments and the rulers of men often claim a divine right as trustees of God, the question remains, are they true trustees for The God or are they more in line with that of Cain, Nimrod, Pharaoh and Goliath? Who has created a system in defiance of the wishes of the originating Settlor and who has remained the true trustees of God's Kingdom on earth?

The Bible references what appears to be at least an originating constructive trust between God and man. Since, the trust with Adam would have died with Adam if it was not continued through his son's son Enos we can began to see the importance of following the generations of Adam that were faithful and sought to be obedient trustees of the LORD's dominion on earth until Noah.

These [are] the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man [and] perfect in his generations, [and] Noah walked with God. Genesis 6:9

Following Noah, Shem received the position of trustee. There were conflicts that developed in the line until Abram. Trusteeship was settled on Abram where he received the blessing becoming Abraham and possessor of the title in trust by the righteous title holder in peace.

And he blessed him, and said, Blessed [be] Abram of the most high God, possessor of Heaven and earth: Genesis 14:19

Some have construed God's promise to Abraham as meaning that the country, and specifically the land called Israel, was given to Abraham and his seed or offspring.

For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. Genesis 13:15

It is not just some ground to which he will hold the trust deed to but all the earth that he and his seed would see which was given to Abraham and his descent or family if they remained faithful as trustees..

And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, [then] shall thy seed also be numbered. Genesis 13:16

Though the promise continued through Isaac and Jacob the Israelites went into bondage only to be released again under the guidance of Moses and the coverture of the Levites who were the Church in the wilderness.

This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear. This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and [with] our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us: Acts 7:37, 38

Israel was literally the kingdom of God on earth. The people of Israel were to hold trusteeship for the Settlor, God the Creator. Of course at first the kingship, or dominion, was in the hands of the elders of individual tribes. Some 3,000 years ago Moses managed a society of about three million people. He was led to organize them by establishing captains of ten families and captains of ten captains, etc..

Deuteronomy 1:15 So I took the chief of your tribes, wise men, and known, and made them heads over you, captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, and captains over fifties, and captains over tens, and officers among your tribes.

Although this pattern is repeated in Old and New Testament and throughout history it is some time reversed from top down rather than from the bottom up.

That the princes of Israel, heads of the house of their fathers, who [were] the princes of the tribes, and were over them that were numbered, offered: Numbers 7:2

The word over is from amad translated stood 171 times and stand 137 and is almost never translated over in more than 500 appearances. Amad means to stand, remain, endure, take one's stand. The word does not really mean over as a king or a general might be over his subjects but more in the way enduring or standing or endorsing an office of service, respect and duty. Now the word numbered is from paqad which means to attend to, muster, number, reckon, visit, punish, appoint, look after, care for.

This position of numbering and being over was actually a position of service, duty and caring for those 10 men who selected the captain as their minister. This networking government formed a true republic.

This same pattern was repeated in the early Church as we see in the upper room there were 120 families represented by name, including the twelve apostles.

And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,) Acts 1:15

Israel's early trusteeship was divided into the civil power which remained with the families and the priestly powers which was once held by the first born. The Levites took the position of the first born. Eventually Israel's civil powers were vested in the trusteeship of the King [central government] and then priestly positions came under the power of the high priests through an adulterous corruption of State and Church.

Much of this came in with the Hasmonian Dynasty which also led in a Roman occupation to keep the peace during a civil war. Much of Israel or the seed of Abraham would have little to nothing to do with the line of David from the time of Rehoboam. At the time of the Herods the problem had become acute as to who should take the position of trustee both civil and religious. Jesus came and rose to the change.

The Job of the King

As Jesus came preaching the kingdom of Heaven there were a few things he was going to have to do: ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family. Leviticus 25:10

Under the perfect law of liberty each father was the head of a household and by the nature of that fact he was an elder. The chief elder in a family was usually the grandfather of that family group. When the apostles appointed elders they were not granting the office of elder they were appointing elders to the office of minister. Those ministers were chosen by the people. What has become known today as bishops were chosen by ten ministers. His job was to serve those ministers.

This system continued and was pervasive until Constantine ordered everyone in Milan to become Christian. There the people picked one bishop. That Bishop began to exercise authority and appoint those who ruled that limited Church from the top down and in conjunction with the Kings of the gentiles began to issue edicts and commands. These of course were not true Christians but manufactured christians with more fear of Constantine than love of Jesus. The system that grew out of this departure from the "Way of the Lord" was contrary to the wishes and words of the Settlor of the Trust, Jesus Christ. It was a breach of trust.

THE TITHINGMAN

An example of this system continued in other parts of the world separate from the reach of tyrants like Constantine and his ministers. It was still obvious in 600AD where the Anglo Saxon had formed a government with something called a Tithingman who oversaw ten families, a Hundredman who oversaw ten Tithingmen, and an Eoldorman who oversaw ten Hundredmen. There were a thousand families known as Shire under the overseer of an Eoldorman. This system contributed to a united societies in part because no person was responsible for communicating directly with more than 10 people and each man was free to choose the Tithingman of his choice and each Tithingman in small groups of ten chose their Hundredman etc.. These small dedicated and well bonded net worked cell groups, often related by blood or marriage made for an independent, yet unified force to ward off almost any attack or attempted usurpation.

These Tithingmen eventually evolved into something called constables and under the centralizing power of crowned Kings were appointed from the top down bringing with it all the disadvantages that Samuel had warned us of two thousand years before.

And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you:... he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties;... 1 Samuel 8:11,12

As we said the Trustee is the overseers and manager of a trust. The Trustee has a duty to ensure that the wishes of the Settlor are adhered to. Those wishes are to be carried out and the beneficiaries' interests protected. The Trustee can be removed and replaced by a new Trustee if for any reason it is deemed appropriate. To fail to abide by the Settlors will is breach of trust. To understand this one idea opens your understanding to much prophecy.

Matthew 12:50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

The Ways of Balaam

Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.Jude 1:11

Balaam is from two Hebrew words bal and am or Balaam meaning "not of the people". The government of Balaam was not of the people but of the ruling elite like Cain. Even the word reward in the above text is misthos meaning "dues paid for work, wages, hire".

The kingdom of Judea was the Remnant of the Kingdom of God on earth as opposed to the Gentiles who exercise authority more in line with the principle of Cain's city of Enoch. Those Gentile civil powers whose rulers exercise dominion and are called benefactors are the antitheses of the kingdom of Heaven on earth.

When Jesus arrived Judea was in apostasy. Although it had maintained many of the external rituals and ceremonies it consistently omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith. It had corrupted the temple and brought in oppression in violation of the systems established centuries before by Moses.

If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need [was there] that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?Hebrews 7:11

Moses had appointed the Levites to replace the first born and now Jesus was replacing the Levites with the Apostles and the 120, those anointed of the Holy Spirit. And they in turn anointed or appointed others, spreading and ministering the Kingdom of Heaven on earth according to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law Hebrews 7:12.

Jesus clearly did not emphasize external rituals because it had become a distracting substitute for the true precepts of God's kingdom. Although we know that God is the same and therefore the precepts of His kingdom are the same. Oppression, covetousness, lying, making slaves of men, hypocrisy, fornication and adultery of any kind which includes relationship with institutions that oppose the ways of the LORD are all not a part of His Kingdom.

For precept [must be] upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, [and] there a little: Isaiah 28:10

Jesus did not do away with the precepts and priesthood of the Kingdom but he did alter it. He did not reform the Levites but instead he appointed a new priesthood to minister to His Kingdom. They do not have less duties and obligations as the old but more. What represents itself as the Church established by Jesus Christ defiles in rituals and ceremonies the ways of the Lord. The precepts of the Father are not evident in its fruits.

But ye [are] a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: 1 Peter 2:9

The earlier kingdom with the Levites as ministers was not rich in the meat of God's Way but was one that was only a shadow of things to come, cloaked in ritual and ceremony. The teachings and doctrine of the true Church contains the same tenets because it is created by the same Spirit but because the status of men's minds and the inclination of their hearts differs, so also the outward appearance does not seem the same.

Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? [them that are] weaned from the milk, [and] drawn from the breasts. Isaiah 28:9

 

Other articles

See: Study page Index

See: Index His Church Trusts

See: Equity and Trusts

See: Church Trusts

Factors of a Sham Trust see: Sham Trust

His Church Trust Explained part 1

His Church Trust Explained part 2

 

If we will not be ruled in our hearts and minds by our Father in Heaven we shall be ruled by the Fathers of the "world".