Giving to the Kingdom

 Deuteronomy 14:28-29
bring all the tithes” so the Levites, “foreigners, the fatherless and the widows,” could come and “eat and be satisfied”.

There has been a lot of debate and discussion about tithing. Does the Bible require that Christian tithe to the church? There are many who believe that part of following Jesus is to give at least 10% of your income to support the work of God. There is no doubt that the Old Testament instructed God’s people to bring their tithe to help support the needs of the ministry and to help those who were not able to help themselves. One would argue that we are no longer under the law of the Old Testament and there is no such mandate given to believers in the New Testament. Much is said in the New Testament about giving of your means to help the spread of the gospel of Jesus, but there appears to be no commandment or set rule on how much you should be giving. We know that Paul encouraged believers to give and often thanked those who gave to support the work he was doing to tell others about Jesus. We also know that, in our present day, it requires money to maintain a church ministry, or any kind of ministry that desires to reach out and help people who have physical and spiritual needs.
Let it first be established that it is not possible to buy the favor of God, or give enough to pay for salvation. Salvation comes only through believing Jesus paid the price for our sins and confessing our sins and believing He is God who can reconcile us back to Him. But when a person has given their life to Christ, a transformation of desires begins. We seek to be more like Him and the things that we once desire to please ourselves are now turned toward the things of God. We now want to give all that we can to support the work of the Kingdom. We take inventory of how we are spending our resources. “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinth. 10:31)Our life is no longer ours, but it belongs to God, All of it! Our money, time, effort, emotions, and spirit now belong to Him. God does not want 10% of you, He wants all of you. I believe that we are stewards of what we have and none of it belongs to us. What we do with it all depends on what kind of relationship we have with Him. If we love Him, out of a cheerful heart, we give to see others come to Christ. We desire to help those who are in need of a helping hand. We don't give so that God will bless us, we give because that is what Jesus would do. Don’t hold back what God has blessed you with to fulfill your selfish desires, but let Him take full control of everything you have. Don’t be in bondage to only give 10% but give to please the God you serve. Live in moderation, provide food and shelter for your family. Enjoy life, but remember, everything you have belongs to Him, and His desire is for us to first seek the kingdom of God. 

Thankful for What Matters

 Psalm 100:4
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

Even during our worst days, we can think of things we can be thankful for. The fact that we are alive and breathing is enough to stop and give thanks to the creator of life. Most of us are prone to complain about the things that we have very little control over. The weather, the traffic, the workings of politics, and the price of eggs (and thank God they have come down). It sometimes takes work to give thanks in “everything” But being thankful is more than counting our blessings. It is an attitude that is grounded in how we view God. We are creatures of comfort, and often view our blessings by how comfortable we are. But I purpose to you that being THANKFUL is to look through the looking glass of the Kingdom of God. The things in this life will fade away with the passing of time. The things we should be thankful for are eternal.
 On this Thanksgiving Day, be thankful for the many blessings, family, friends, material things, and good health, but let us not forget to be thankful to God for what really matters. Be thankful for the TRUTH of His word, thankful for a HEART that can be made clean, be thankful for being an ANCHOR in the Rock of Ages, that He will NEVER leave us alone. Thankful for His KINDNESS toward us, His FAITHFULNESS  to keep us day by day, and thankful for His UNCONDITIONAL LOVE regardless of our sinful condition, and knowledge that we can have eternal LIFE, and live in His presence for eternity. BE YE THANKFUL FOR ALL THAT HE HAS DONE.

Spiritual Blessings

Eph. 1:3
 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

Often, at the end of a written communication, the salutation of the writer ends their writing with, “God bless you.” To be blessed by God is to have the favor of God and His good will. Many view the blessing of God as the material possessions that they have been given, or the good health they may have. It is true that every good thing comes from the Father above. James writes, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” We are to be thankful for these gifts that are given to us. But, the abundance of material health does not indicate God’s favor or blessing. The most important blessings that are given to us are spiritual blessings.  The blessing that comes to us from the Father through Christ. The forgiveness of sin, being free from guilt of sin, the peace that passes understanding, and the unfailing love of God. The Spiritual blessings are not of this world and are not seen by those who are spiritually blind. This is why a person who has lost everything this world has to offer can say, “God is good, and He is blessing me.” Our blessings transcend the treasures of this world, for our treasure is set on things above in heavenly places. So, even when life is difficult, and you don't see God working, He is there, and His spiritual blessings are all around us.

Praise & Thanksgiving

Psalm 9:1-2 I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works. I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.

We praise God for who He is and give thanks for the things He does for us. Praise is always in order, even when things are not always going the way we think they should. We show our thanksgiving or gratitude to Him by praising Him for all His marvelous works. He has blessed us with many things in life that we often take for granted. But even if such blessings were not given, we can still be glad and rejoice because He loved us and bought us with His blood. When we receive such a gift from Him, we then lift our hearts in thanksgiving for the grace and mercy He bestows on us. Thanksgiving and gratitude are reciprocal, it applies that there is a giver and a receiver. Praise is not depended on receiving. We praise Him because He is worthy of our praise, and thank Him for giving us salvation. “I will enter His gates with thanksgiving in my heart, I will enter is gates with praise.”

Words That Hurt

James 3:10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be…But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. Mat 15:18

Out of frustration and often out of fear words are spoken that hurt and damage the spirit. Harsh words spoken in anger and things said that once out are difficult to take back if at all. These things ought not so to be. They are indicative of a heart that is controlled by fear and reveal the true character of a person. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit fills the heart with love and love will cast out fear and anything that desires to hurt others. The unbeliever who has not been redeemed by God grace will intentionally use malicious words that are indented to cut and hurt, but the believer who is not filled with the Spirit of God is subject to the carnal nature that fights to preserve self. The cure to a polluted fountain is to let the Holy Spirit come and fill the heart with God’s love and take control of self. We overcome evil with good, words of blessing and not cursing.

Thanks For All He Has Done

Roman 11:36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

We often take the things around us for granted. We get use to having things happen and they become just apart of normal life. The reality is that life is not the way we see it in many parts of the world. It is not until we are stripped of our comforts and the things we take for granted are taken away from us, that we realize how good we have it. I sit in my beautiful home and thank God for providing such luxury. My coffee is ready to go at the push of a button, the water in my shower is heated to a nice refreshing temperature, and my home automatically will warm up and take the chill out of the air. All things are given by Christ and we are recipients of this blessing. It is good to often push the pause button of life and reflect on the goodness of God. We don’t do it enough, I don’t do it enough. To God be the glory for all He has done. 

Give Thanks

1 Thess 5:18  In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

On this Thanksgiving day we take time off from our daily work activities and give thanks for the bountiful blessings that God has provided. It is a season of giving thanks not only to our Creator, but to all who have impacted our lives and made a difference. We have so much to be grateful. It is easy to give thanks for the material things in our lives that are all around us. We give thanks for the roof He provides over our head, the bread we eat each day, and for the many extra things that are beyond necessities. But life is more than the things that He provides, but also for the people He brings into our lives. Paul says, “giving thanks to God always for you”. Close relationship are truly one of the greatest blessings that God gives us. As we celebrate this season of Thanksgiving, let us pause to give thanks for family, friends, and for those around us that put a smile in our lives.

Giving Thanks To God

Col. 3:17 “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father by Him.”- 

In everything you do, give thanks to God. Life brings a lot of ups and downs and it is tough to give thanks when the hard times come. I have never been in need where I was in a state of starvation, or where I would lay my head for the night. God has not allowed me to go through such testing. I would pray that even if He had me go through such difficult times, that I would still be thankful to God for His love and mercy. An attitude of a thankful heart is to give praise to God for all things. For all things work together for good to them that love God and are called to fulfill His purpose in our lives. For our purpose in life is to glorify the Father, and to give thanks in everything. Yes, even in times of distress and unpleasant situations. Knowing that nothing happens by chance, that God is in Control and we can rest and be thankful that He knows what is best. 

Count Our Blessings

Psalm 139:17.18 “How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them!  If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with Thee.”

Count our blessings one by one, it will amaze you how high you can count. Remembering to count is often forgotten when we are in the mist of things happening that cause us despair or stress. It seems at times that everything is going wrong and nothing seems to be going the way we like it to go. Broken vehicle, flooded basement, late for an important appointment, car accident, and many other things that happen because we live in a broken world. But God, who knows what we are going through and sees our frustration still shows His love to us in many ways. The good things He provide cannot be numbers, they are as the sands of the sea. We should stop and start to count when it seems that all is falling apart. Daily He floods us with His benefits and His love is everlasting. Take time today and begin counting. 

Spiritual Blessings

Eph. 1:3   “ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ...”

Spiritual blessings are given to those who are faithful and put their trust in Christ, They are chosen of God, adopted into the family of God, accepted by Christ, redeemed by His blood, our sins have been forgiven and He has given us wisdom that is not of this world. Spiritual blessings are given for the purpose to fulfill the will of God for each one of our lives. God’s plan for our lives is to glorify Him, to live holy through the blood of Christ. It is only through the Holy Spirit that we are able fulfill this plan. He was the promise of the Father received on the day of Pentecost to endued us with power, cleanse from sin, and to walk a life of holiness (a witness to the world that Christ is alive and lives in our hearts). We are blessed.

Contentment in Life

Philippians 4:11 “Not that I speak in respect to want, for I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.”-

Contentment in life seems to come when all is going well and everything is at peace in our lives. No conflicts, no stress, the bills are all paid up, and tragedy has not touched our lives. We sit on our porch drinking our favor beverage and contemplate the goodness of God and His blessings. Unfortunately, this is not the real world we live in. Conflicts and stress happens. We don’t always get our way, and things take place in our life’s journey that frustrates or irritates us. The circumstances we face can cause us to complain and grumble. Life is somehow not fair, and bad things are happening when we seek to do that which is good and pleasing to God. Real contentment is a process, it is a willingness to grow and trust God that He is doing what is best for us. Circumstance do not dictate whether a Christian is content or not, As we submit to the will of God, He fills our heart with contentment. We learn that giving it all to Him and resting in the arms of Jesus brings a peace that passes human understanding. Human nature, the natural man, finds contentment in the circumstance of life, but a life committed to God will learn and find contentment in the center of the will of God.

The Lord Delights in Us

Numbers 14:8 “ If the Lord delight in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land which floweth with milk and honey.”-

The conditions of blessing from God often hinge on us doing what is right. To receive the approbation of God, we must first show ourselves willing to be obedient to His voice. To disregard the words of God is to rebel against His desires. He cannot delight in us if we are not willing to listen and obey. The land of milk and honey is before us and to obtain this blessing we must trust God to fight our battles and go before us. 

What is This?

Ex 16:15b “What is this?” For they knew not what it was. And Moses said unto them, “This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat.”-

God does not always give us what we expect. We pray and ask God to provide us with our needs, and when He answers, it is not always in the way we thought it would be. We may ask like the Israelite did, “What is this? This is not what I asked for”. Following God wherever He goes will often require us to accept things that are out of the box or out of the norm. God works in ways that are beyond our understanding and He always knows what is best for us. The next time God does something for us beyond what we expect, our attitude should be, “What is this blessing that God has provided, He is so good!”

The Heart of Thanksgiving

1 Thess. 5:18 “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”-

 To give thanks is to express gratitude in every things in life. Not always an easy things to do when all seems to be going wrong. The key word in this passage is “in” and not “for”. When we face things in life that are unpleasant, we trust God that He will be glorified. We give thanks that God has all things in control and it will all work out to His purpose. For this we are thankful. In spite of all the bad things that can happen, the heart of thanksgiving finds those things that are good. When we find ourselves complaining about life, we need to stop and consider all the blessings that Christ has bestowed on us. His blood that was shed for our sins, His grace that extends beyond what we deserve. He is God and is worthy of our praise and thanksgiving. This day Lord, we offer up our sacrifice of praise, and give you thanks for your love and mercy. Praise His name, for He is God and worthy to be praised!

Do it for Jesus

Col 3:17 “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father by Him.”- 

It is not what we do that counts, but why we do it. No matter the deed and no matter how insignificant it may seem, if it is done out of a heart of mercy and kindness, then God is pleased. The acts that we do may not be seen of men and acknowledge, but God sees them and He will shower His blessings. Such is the life of a true believer. He will access what he does in light of what God desires. It is important that we examine our life to make sure that “whatsoever” we do in life that it will honor Christ and meet with His approval. 

Gracious Invitation

Isaiah 55:1-11

“The windows of heaven are open, The blessings are falling tonight; There's joy, joy, joy in my heart, Since Jesus made everything right; I gave Him my old tattered garment, He gave me a robe of pure white; I'm feasting on manna from heaven And that's why I'm happy tonight”. What better chorus illustrates what God desires for you and me. The Invitation is given to all who desire the water and bread of life. Let us stop and turn our hearts toward Him for He will satisfy the desires of our heart.

Thirst for God- every on that thirsteth

• Desire more of God
• Panting after God- Fulfilled, but still desire
• Water that springs from within- Living water

Taste of the Lord - eat ye that which is good

• He is the bread of Life- Will satisfy the hunger
• The world will not bring any satisfaction
• Feasting on manna from heaven

Tune Your Ears - incline your ears

• Stop and listen to what God has to say
• Get in tune – harmony with God
• Listen- He is wanting to give you a promise

Testimony of God – for a witness for the people

• He gave of his son to be a witness
• God is willing and wanting to pardon
• Jesus our leader- He will show the way to truth
• Jesus our commander- He will direct our path

Turn Back to God –let him return unto the Lord

• Seeking God- The Spirit draws- will not always strive
• Turn from the sinful life-

• Your thoughts- a man thinks so he is.
• Out of the Heart of Men- evil thoughts of…
• The mercy of God to pardon

Thoughts of God – my thought are not your thoughts

• What does God think of you?
• Thought of peace, not of evil
• Let this mind (Thoughts), be also in you

Times of Blessings-the rain cometh down

• There shall be showers of blessings
• God will deliver, no power on earth can stop Him
• More than just physical suffering