"To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;" (Hebrews 7:2 KJV)
"While Jesus was in the Temple, he watched the rich people dropping their gifts in the collection box. Then a poor widow came by and dropped in two small coins. "I tell you the truth," Jesus said, "this poor widow has given more than all the rest of them. For they have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has."" (Luke 21:1-4 NLT)
I'm sure everyone is familiar with this, "The Widow's Mites," as it has been shared over and over, in just about every church, all around the world. It gives two very important illustrations, the fact that God really does bless a person that gives generously, and secondly, giving really is a form of worship!
As for that closing Scripture from yesterday's post, we really need to understand that God does give and take away! If we so arrogantly think that we make things happen on our own, as if our work is what makes us successful and prosperous, we really need to think again, because God is the source of all life and He blesses those who bless others, and He can take away from those that don't!
There was one lesson I learned from that book, "Your Money Matters," that God really does care how we give; that those who are cheerful givers, actually do get blessed, even if it isn't financially. Blessings come in several different ways, but giving cheerfully does more than just please God, it is a celebration in our heart to what God has given!
Should every Christian tithe? That would be wonderful if they did! You would be surprised by the percentage of Christian's that don't actually tithe. The largest percentage of giver's only give what they feel that they can afford, without even considering what they should give, they just give a small portion of what they make.
Surprisingly, if it doesn't go towards the church, it will be given to the devil! If you haven't heard that before, then you have not been paying attention to certain sermons on giving, which most people will do, as soon as hear the message is about tithes and offerings.
If you don't believe it, then consider the things that take away from you, like your car breaking down, or anything else that will waste your money. Take a moment to think about what you should have given, and compare that to what was wasted; chances are, they will most likely equal out...
""Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me! "But you ask, 'What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?' "You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me, You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. Bring your tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies, "I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won't have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! Your crops will be abundant, and I will guard them from insects and disease. Your grapes will not fall from the vine before they are ripe," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies."" (Malachi 3:8-11 NLT)
No comments:
Post a Comment