Acts
20:34-35 Jesus said " It is more
blessed to give than to receive". The Greek word used for blessed is
makarios which means supremely blessed or fortunate, well off, happy. In other
words what Jesus was saying was that we are more than fortunate and more than well
off giving than when we are receiving. This thought process is so very opposed
to the world's view of getting and receiving and accumulating assets. Paul in
this passage of scripture also speaks of the reason for giving, supporting
the weak, a activity that is found to be scarce amongst us as a nation.
In
the world we are taught not to give but sell what we have at a profit so that
we may accumulate and increase in our assets and have a loss through giving it
things away. The hoarding of assets and accumulation for self-gain has bread a
chain reaction of greed for money that opens the doors to most other sins. The
love of money causes us to act out the most terrible of lusts in obtaining
funds to buy a loaf of bread. Nowadays it people will do almost anything for
money, because our society has made money their god.
The
accumulation of money and wealth does not and cannot buy happiness and lasting
joy. True happiness, contentment and joy with a life filled with purpose come
only from GOD.
GOD
DOES NOT NEED YOUR MONEY. GOD wants you.
God is jealous for you.
God
gave the most expensive gift ever. The Life of His own Son. The return that God receives on His extravagant
gift to you, is the nations of the world.
The
Word of the Lord says to you that if you sow sparingly, then you will reap
sparingly. I dare you to extravagantly sow
some seed into good soil.
Do something different and unusual. Do something extravagant.
In Malachi, God told us to gather around the altar
and bring our offering and to come with a highly unusual request, something you
think that could never happen. Don't come with something you've prayed for
before or that may not be challenging. In Malachi 3:10 God says, "PROVE ME
and see 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!"
I am sensing that God wants us to come prepared
today with that HIGHLY UNUSUAL REQUEST joined with our offering, allowing God
to PROVE HIMSELF so that He can pour out on us all blessings that we won't be
able to contain.
THIS IS MOST EXCITING!
I've got mine ready, how about you?
I have made up my mind that I am sowing seed and
going to apply myself to worship the Lord extravagantly. I am sowing my seed
into good soil.
I am going to honor the Lord with all my heart,
with all my soul and with all my flesh.
As an act of my worship, I am going to bless the
Lord.
Bring your offering to the Lord right now and bless
His Holy Name.
You will be amazed at the faithfulness of God.
It is truly way better to give than to receive.