Look At Your Giving

Can the love you have for God be measured?

Malachi 1:6"A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?" says the LORD Almighty. "It is you, O priests, who show contempt for my name. "But you ask, `How have we shown contempt for your name?' 7"You place defiled food on my altar."But you ask, `How have we defiled you?' "By saying that the LORD's table is contemptible. 8When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?" says the LORD Almighty.9"Now implore God to be gracious to us. With such offerings from your hands, will he accept you?"--says the LORD Almighty. 10"Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you," says the LORD Almighty, "and I will accept no offering from your hands. 11My name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to my name, because my name will be great among the nations," says the LORD Almighty. 12"But you profane it by saying of the Lord's table, `It is defiled,' and of its food, `It is contemptible.' 13And you say, `What a burden!' and you sniff at it contemptuously," says the LORD Almighty. "When you bring injured, crippled or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands?" says the LORD. 14"Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. For I am a great king," says the LORD Almighty, "and my name is to be feared among the nations.

From a distant when you look at the people of Israel during Malachi’s time, they seem to be very religious. Bringing their animal offering to the temple of God. Wearing the priestly costume walking toward the temple, with their animals, for sure at one look these are the people belonging to God. Faithful in their religious obligation. However as you come closer to them and look at the animals they bring before God, you will be able to see their heart. What do they give to God? The crippled, the blinded, and the sick animals. These are their offering to the Almighty God. It is so obvious that their hearts are as corrupted as the animals they brought before their God.

You will be able to measure the love you have for God by looking at what you give to Him. The people of God gave to God what they themselves do not want, what they themselves do not offer even to the governor. Friends, giving a corrupted offering is worst than not giving at all. Do you pay your tithes? Do you give your best offering to God? Do you give Him the first fruit of your income? Do you give happily or reluctantly? When come giving for mission, are you in or are you out? What is your attitude toward giving to God?

Abraham’s Heart

When Abraham prayed for a son, God answered his prayer, by giving him Isaac. However, in Genesis 22, you see, this same Isaac God asked from him, as a burnt-offering. See Genesis 22: 2 Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.". Abraham obeyed this command. The next verse says See Genesis 22:3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. There is nothing that is too hard for Abraham to give to God.

The Poor Widow Gave Her All

Mark 12: 41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins,J worth only a fraction of a penny. 43Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything--all she had to live on."

Comparing to the many of the givers, this poor widow could afford only to give two very small copper coins to the temple treasury, while there rest threw silver coins and the bible says, in large amount. However Jesus consider her gave the most, because she gave her 100%. She gave her very best. She did not know where will her next penny be. Nevertheless she did not even think of herself, she wanted to give the best to GOD. So she gave her all. It is not so much of the amount you give to God that matters. But your attitude. In physical sense, this woman just gave her coins. But in the eyes of the Lord, she gave her whole heart and soul.

The woman gave the perfume that she has earned for one year wages.

Mark 14: 3-9

While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. 4Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, "Why this waste of perfume? 5It could have been sold for more than a year's wages and the money given to the poor." And they rebuked her harshly.6"Leave her alone," said Jesus. "Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. 8She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. 9I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."

There is no word that is good enough to express her love for Jesus. After all the sins she has committed and received forgiveness from the Lord. She was made clean. And canceling all her debts that she could never be able to pay, how could this woman ever thank Jesus? She anointed Jesus with the best perfume, which she has labored for one year of wages to buy it. Jesus saw her heart. Jesus saw her love for Him. It is not because it is a “PERFUME”. It is not the fragrant of the ointment that Jesus smelt. But rather the fragrant of her heart. Is your giving as fragrant as your heart?

Do you know how much you love Jesus?

Look at your giving.

Amen.

Why Christian Sin?

God gave man conscience so that man knows what is right and what is wrong. There is no need for anyone to tell you, that stealing is wrong, yet you know it is wrong. There is no need for anyone to tell you killing is wrong, yet you know it is wrong. How do you know? You know it because your conscience say so.

For born again Christians our consciences are even more sensitive. Because the Spirit of God lives inside us. Many times when we sin, or we do something displeasing to God, our conscience immediately tells us that we are wrong. The uneasy feeling, lost of peace, and restlessness are the few indication that we have walked away from the track. If we take a step to repent and confess our sin before God, He is faithful and just to forgive us our iniquities. Then we will get back our peace and joy again. When David repented of his sins, he prayed, “ Restore unto me the joy of my salvation.” You see, each time when you sin against God, you will lose your joy.

If you choose to ignore your conscience; for a while, you thought you are free. Temporarily you will not be alarmed by it anymore. Because the Spirit of God works within our conscience, Paul warned us in his epistle that we do not quench the fire of the Holy Spirit. And we do not grieve the Spirit of God. And you must know He will never give you up. He will continue to speak to your heart. However if you continue to ignore Him and to ignore your conscience, He is gentleman enough to leave you alone. Until the day you realize that you can’t live without Him.

Hebrews warned us, if we as believers of Jesus Christ continue to sin, there will be no more sacrifice that is able to redeem us. See Hebrews 10:26-31 “26If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. 28Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30For we know him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," and again, "The Lord will judge his people." 31It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

There are two main reasons why Christian sin.

1. No more fear of God in their heart.


2. No more love for God.

To live a God’s fearing life and God’s loving life is a matter of choice. No matter where you are, and in which community you live in, you have to make up your mind, to live a God’s fearing life. We have to decide in our heart that we will not compromise.

Daniel lived in Babylon the most corrupted world of his time. Full of idol worship and lust. However Daniel, right from the start had made up his mind that he will not defile himself. See Daniel 1:8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the king`s dainties, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

Daniel 1:3-4 Tells us what kind of man Daniel is. 3 And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring in certain of the children of Israel, even of the seed royal and of the nobles; 4 youths in whom was no blemish, but well-favored, and skilful in all wisdom, and endued with knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability to stand in the king`s palace; and that he should teach them the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego are another example of men who, no matter what, will not compromise their faith in GOD. Read the story below and see how the refuse to bow down to the golden image made by Nebuchadnezzar.

Daniel 3:14 Nebuchadnezzar answered and said unto them, Is it of purpose, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, that ye serve not my god, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? 15 Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made, well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that god that shall deliver you out of my hands? 16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer thee in this matter. 17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace; and he will deliver us out of thy hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. 19 Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace seven times more than it was wont to be heated. 20 And he commanded certain mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 21 Then these men were bound in their hosen, their tunics, and their mantles, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 22 Therefore because the king`s commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. 23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste: he spake and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. 25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the aspect of the fourth is like a son of the gods. 26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace: he spake and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, ye servants of the Most High God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego came forth out of the midst of the fire.
27 And the satraps, the deputies, and the governors, and the king`s counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, that the fire had no power upon their bodies, nor was the hair of their head singed, neither were their hosen changed, nor had the smell of fire passed on them.28 Nebuchadnezzar spake and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king`s word, and have yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God. 29 Therefore I make a decree, that every people, nation, and language, which speak anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill; because there is no other god that is able to deliver after this sort. 30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego in the province of Babylon.

Our mind is the place where all decisions are processed. That is why we need to have our mind renewed. Replacing our thoughts with the thought of GOD. The Bible says in Romans 12:2 “And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of yor mind, and ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

Knowing the Law, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, chose to live according to the Word of God. They chose to fear God rather than man. They That says “Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image, nor any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them, for I Jehovah thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, upon the third and upon the fourth generation of them that hate me, and showing lovingkindness unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.”( Exodus 20:3-6)

Decide in your heart today, that you will not compromise, that you will live by the the Word of God. Not by the pattern of the world.

Lack of Love

In Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus mentioned two commandments that all the Law and the Prophets hang on. Jesus said "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: `Love your neighbor as yourself.All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

Lack of Love for God and His people will cause us to disobey Him. And disobedient is sin. In John 14:15 Jesus said “If you love me, you will obey what I command.” Love, like faith can never be separated from obedience. If we say we have faith yet we disobey Him, we are not telling the truth. The same goes when we say we love Him, yet we disobey Him, we are liars.

Check your heart today. Is the love for Jesus still as strong as before? This could be the reason why you sin. Because if you truly love Him, you will not in anyway disobey Him.

Amen!

You Can Overcome

Romans 7: 18-19 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing.

Many Christians struggle with sin. And do not know how to overcome them. Deep within their heart is the desire to live the life that is pleasing to God; a holy life. Yet at the same time they could not say NO to the desire of their flesh. They know exactly what to do, they know what the Word of God says, they know the life they live is wrong. However they just can not overcome it. This make their Christian’s life become like a yoyo, up and down.

The Bible says in Hebrews 12:4 “In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.”

The good news is, in Christ Jesus you have a victory! There is no sin that is too great that ties you down that God can not set you free. The resurrection of Jesus Christ from death, is the prove that not even death has the power over Him. He has paid the price in full on the cross for our transgression and iniquities. If you allow Him to help you, He is ever willing to say YES to you. In fact the Bible says in 1 Cor 10:13 “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”

How to be set free? These are the seven steps to your freedom.

Step 1 Confess and acknowledge your sin before God.
Step 2 Replace all the lies you have belief in by the TRUTH.
Step 3 Saturate your mind with the Word of God. – Read 10 chapters a day.
Step 4 Avoid situation that could cause you to fall again.
Step 5 Have fellowship with other believers.

If you still fail, try Step 6 and Step 7.

Step 6 Allow someone to watch over (literally watch over) you.
Step 7 Get someone or a group of believers to intercede for you continuously.

Never say you can’t, never say it is impossible, with God all things are possible.

Amen!

Are you hurt?

You are not alone. Everyone of us has experienced of being hurt. Just that, the degree is varies. Some people can take it easy. Some people no. Hurt can be physical or verbal. Both are no good. Both cause damage to the soul. Many people could not experience the fullness of joy in their life because of bitterness, grudges, and revenge. What does the bible says about this? Ephesians 4:31 All bitterness, anger and wrath, insult and slander must be removed from you, along with all wickedness. It says “Remove them from you!” Is it possible? Oh yes it is. God would not ask you to do something that could not be done. The key is very simple. FORGIVE. Jesus said in Matthew 6:14 "For if you forgive people their wrongdoing, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well. 6:15 But if you don't forgive people, your Father will not forgive your wrongdoing.”


You may ask “how could I ever forgive the person whom has hurt me so much?” My friend, it is for your own good that you do it. When you release someone from your anger, revenge, and bitterness, you are actually releasing yourself from bondage. Click here to see the story of the unmerciful servant Matthew 18:21-35

You may think, this person deserves to be punished for what he/she did to you? Yes, you are right. However, it is not your duty to punish them. See Romans 12:19 "Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for His wrath. For it is written: Vengeance belongs to Me; I will repay, says the Lord. Romans 12:17 Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable." 1 Peter 3:9 “Don't repay evil for evil. Don't retaliate when people say unkind things about you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God wants you to do, and he will bless you for it.”

Now, take this simple step today. Ask God to show you by names or by faces the peoples who had hurt you. As the Lord shows you, write it down. And now, begin to forgive each and everyone of them. Never mind if the memories of the past coming back to your mind. Never mind even if you need to cry. Let it be. Continue your step to freedom. Pray to God to give you strength. For you don’t do it by your own strength, but the Lord’s. Just pray this simple prayer;

“Lord, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I choose to forgive (mention the person’s name) because you’ve first forgiven me. I release him/ her from my anger, bitterness and revenge right now in Jesus’ name. Lord, even as I choose to release him/her, I pray that Lord, you’ll also release me from all kind of bondages in my life. Grant me victory Lord! And heal me right now. In Jesus’ most precious name, I pray. Amen.”

We have not come to the point where we are stoned to death or being crucified. Stephen was stoned to death, however, at the last of his breath, he prayed to Jesus, see Acts 7: 59 And as they stoned him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." 60 And he fell to his knees, shouting, "Lord, don't charge them with this sin! "And with that, he died. (Context Acts 7:54-60)

In Luke 23:34 You could hear Jesus said a prayer for the people who crucified Him. Jesus said, "Father, forgive these people, because they don't know what they are doing."

As you choose the way of God, God will surely heal your heart.

Amen!