|
The Bible above all things is a book of charity. The bible doctrines on charity, tithes, and offerings are too rich not to share with as many believers as you can. Jesus told us how if we learn how to give, God will see to it that we receive blessings from above. The best Scripture that I know of is in Malachi, where God pronounces that the Jews were a cursed people, because they rob God in tithes and offerings (see Malachi 3:9). So let us first look at the law of tithing.
“Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” - Malachi 3:10 Now I learned how true this doctrine of tithing is in recent times, but after I gave my first tithe the Holy Spirit spoke to me in my sleep, about how Abraham paid his tithe to Melchisidek the Priest, and received blessings from God just as Malachi prophesied. A person does not need to give their tithe to every good preacher, but definitely, if they desire God’s blessing, they must tithe to a spiritual ministry that is responsible for feeding spiritual food and spiritual drink. Many have blindly given their tithes to a local church out of an act of compulsion, and they receive no blessing. God appointed Melchisdek, an immortal Priest of God, to receive Abraham’s tithe (Genesis 14:18-20). So we must conclude that the greater of a Priest that receives tithes, then there will be a more substantial blessing from God, especially if God appoints a spiritual leader in your life who brings God’s riches with him. The Apostle Paul preached a lot on giving, but he did not refer to the tithe, because the law of Moses was expired, but he still preached of the riches and blessings of those who give to the cause of God’s work. Let us look at what Paul taught the Philippians: “Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only. For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity. Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.” - Philippians 4:15-17 So here the Apostle Paul was showing the Philippians how God would indeed bless them for their giving unto him, and then he said, “My God will supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (see Philippians 4:19). This promise of riches and abundance were given to the Philippian Church, because they had Charity in their hearts for God and the Apostles of Christ, and for the Church of Christ. Their love and consideration for other people is what attracted Paul’s favor upon them, and so that is like the law of life. A person shall reap what they sow. Paul also taught the Corinthians that money can be like unto a seed, and he said, “he that soweth sparingly, shall also reap sparingly, he that soweth bountifully, shall reap bountifully”: “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work…” - 2 Corinthians 9:7-8 So after looking at a few of these New Testament examples of giving, you can start to see the divine FAVOR that comes upon a giver of charity, as a spiritual law, it will not fail, that is why God says “test Me in this matter” (see Malachi 3:10). Test Him with true tithes or true offerings, and see if He doesn’t open His windows. It’s best to pray about the purpose of the tithe, and ask God concerning the ministry He desires to use in your life. There are Ministers of Jesus Christ who are real and legitimate, and there are also fraudulent people who use Christianity to gain luxuries and excessive living. People who walk in the Spirit of God ought to be watchful and discerning that ministry funds are not being wasted, but given unto God for His purpose. There are also many Christian ministries that are legitimately used to help the poor and needy, and as the proverb says, “to give to the poor, is to lend unto the Lord” (Proverbs 19:17). “He that is born of God overcomes the world, and this is the victory that overcomes with world, even our faith.” (1 John 5:4).
This is one of my favorite Scriptures in the Bible, because it equates faith with the state of victory. Such things I’ve found to be true, especially when circumstances of life are calamitous, there must be the faith of Jesus Christ that is a stronger force operating in our hearts. Each child of God, the moment they are born again by believing in Jesus Christ, they now possess His gift of faith in their heart. Faith is something that grows in the human heart, as Paul taught in the epistle of Romans, “the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith”. (Romans 1:17) The more faith we have in our heart, the more victory we have over the world, and the more joy and peace we have in our salvation (see Romans 15:13). The Holy Spirit dwelling in our hearts will produce more faith, as we learn to yield and hear His Word being spoken and received, as Paul taught, “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. (Romans 10:17). Those who are His sheep are those who hear His Word. Jesus said, “My sheep know My voice and follow Me” (John 10:27) and He also said, “He that is of God heareth God’s words.” (John 8:47) It’s important to know that “hearing” is the fore-most commandment above all of God’s commandments, because without hearing, no one can receive the faith of the Gospel in their heart. Religious people have a desire for self-righteousness, law-keeping, and memorizing Scripture, but disciples of Jesus have a desire for true life and joy that comes only through faith in God’s living Word, even glorying in the Cross which shows forth the Grace of Jesus Christ. Those who hear the Word are blessed, but those who are committed to the joy of private prayer, devotion and obedience to their faith are even more blessed. It’s important to yoke the Word of God with a life of prayer, because without prayer and quiet communion with God, there can be no illumination (which is to understand to the Truth of God). The Holy Spirit is the Promise of the Father, and is given to each Christian believer to guide them in knowing the truth of God, but they must be committed to winning the race of life, the endless promises and joys of marriage to Christ. Faith, the Holy Spirit and a disciplined will, will bring joy and victory, as people accept that they are dead with Christ unto sin, and their life is hidden with Christ in God, and their day of glory could be just around the corner (Colossians 3:3-4). Faith lays hold on dreams, and God is able to give each person the desires of their heart, exceedingly more than we ask. (see Psalm 37:4-5, Ephesians 3:20) Our father Abraham was justified only by faith during his life. The works he did were only proof that his faith was legitimate and real (As Paul taught, not proof before God, but before the angels and watchers of heaven). When Abraham offered Isaac as a burnt offering, his willingness to obey was not only proof that he believed God, but also that he knew His voice (see Genesis 22:3). Abraham is a fantastic story of true faith, but also a man who obey God’s voice and waited upon Him daily with expectancy. A good chapter to read concerning Abraham’s “justification by faith” is Romans chapter 4 and Galatians chapter 3. Paul taught concerning Abraham that he was an example of God’s plan of justification, which is by faith and grace, and not by works (Galatians 2:16). God’s plan is that the Gentiles will receive the promise of the Gospel by following the pattern that Abraham walked in. Because his blessing involved childbearing and also marital love, he was given the sign of circumcision, which, according to Paul, was a seal of the righteousness of faith that he walked in before he was given the promise (Romans 4:11). At the age of 100 years old, him and his wife Sarah conceived a son by the power of God’s enablement, which is a figure of the resurrection of Christ. Their bodies were as good as dead, but thank Jehovah God, he caused them to bear children and become a happy family, and revived their bodies and their youthful vitality (Romans 4:19-20). All but one of Abraham’s children were born after the age of 100; God gave him more children by other choice women, and much wealth, and he saw the promise of God fulfilled in his life. Abraham pleased God with his faith, and God blessed Abraham with abundant life. God is able to renew youth to human beings. As the Scripture says, “Bless the LORD, o my soul, and forget not all His benefits…Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” (Psalm 103:5). The reason I wrote this message is because, according to the Bible, to know the value of wisdom is the highest priority and of chief importance to any Christian who has a calling upon their life to serve Jesus Christ and to receive their eternal inheritance. The Scripture says, “Wisdom is the principal thing” (see Proverbs 4:7). God commanded me to write anything He shows me and to hold nothing back, so I’d like to elaborate as to why God’s Wisdom is truly the “principal thing” of life. A lot of people have not known the value of the Word of God, but it is evident in the Scriptures that the Apostle John identifies Jesus as “The Word” who was in the beginning with God and “was God” (see John 1:1). In this statement, God is identifying His Word as a living Person, even God Himself! King Solomon also wrote a lot about the importance of Wisdom, even personifying it as a female, who ordered and directed God as He created all things (see Proverbs 8:22). The purpose of this writing is to convince the Body of Christ of their desperate need of God’s Wisdom and knowledge, and to know that abundant life, success, and total happiness can be attained in no other way. Some people have forsaken this path of life in pursuit of worldly pleasure, or money, or an earthly career, or seeking a wife, and they’ve thought that happiness can come to them in some other way than seeking and abiding with God’s Living Truth. How foolish and unbelieving! Did not Jesus essentially say to His disciples, “The Gentiles seek all these things (earthly blessings such as food, clothing, money, entertainment, a spouse, a home, land), but you believers ought to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you (even one hundred fold)”? (see Matthew 6:33, Matthew 19:29) They laugh at anyone who truly desires to discover the riches of the Kingdom as their highest priority, not knowing they are following the unbelieving ways of the world, which go no where and end in frustration of soul. A college degree may be good for some people’s career, or an intellectual religion, but there is not one iota of life or peace for the soul found therein, because it’s not centered in the living pool of Christ’s Life or the doing of the will of God. God’s will, which is eternal life, is to seek His Kingdom first, and not let any idols replace Him, also receiving all the spiritual blessings in Christ by faith and obedience (Ephesians 1:3). Finances come with waiting upon the Lord, preparing for the work of ministry, and finding your God-given assignment and talent, using your hands, mind and mouth to create useful things for others. Wisdom and understanding take full dedication, they take much time waiting, praying, and delighting in God’s presence, but they will bring life to the soul, and they will bring enrichment and joy as people confess and believe the truth of God. Solomon, the wealthiest man in history, discovered this in his life: “…the excellency of knowledge is that wisdom giveth life to them that have it” (Ecclesiastes 7:12). To work and labor for perishable things like money is a life of unbelief, which is okay for some people, but not the true believing Church of Christ, which is the Seed of Abraham (Galatians 3:29). God’s people do not labor for perishable things like money, they labor and receive honest wages only for God’s glory, according to the skills God gives, and are partakers of God’s joy. Their reward is heavenly, and they do not gain this inheritance when they die, but when the Testator died on the Cross, and left us as heirs in His will, to obtain His glory (Hebrews 9:16-17). What a person seeks after is an indication of what their focus in life is, or what their heart and mind value, so it’s important true Christians study the Bible and pray, knowing that God will bring the unspeakable rewards according to the riches of His grace. As Jesus said, “you can’t serve two masters, God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24). It’s only singleness of mind and heart, singleness of tongue and a single eye that pleases God, even an eye single to His glory.
Here are a few Scriptures that will help explain this: “Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.” - Proverbs 23:4 “Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.” - John 6:27 “To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.” - Acts 26:18 “And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.” - Hebrews 9:15 |
Gospel Archives
February 2021
|