There is a clear spiritual principle about giving and receiving in the Bible. Luke 6:38 says,
‘’Give and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye meet withal it shall be measured to you again’’
There are many promises of prosperity in the Bible for those who give to God and to the work of God; to ministers, the poor, the widowed and the orphans and other purposes. Giving attracts blessings based on the principle of sowing and reaping.
But why do some Christian believers still suffer lack and want despite years of sowing as commanded? Why have they not experienced any financial harvest despite huge sums contributed to the church and its projects? Some have given out cars, houses, furniture and are still suffering lack and want despite the abundant promises of reward for giving.
Are God and His Word liars?
In the Old Testament or under the Old Covenant, the Jews were commanded to present their offerings in form of animal sacrifices to God in the temple. The sacrifices were to be without any blemish: sick, lame, blind and crippled animals were not to be offered (Exodus 12:5) (Deuteronomy 17:1) as these are an abomination before God.
Malachi 1:7-8 says:
‘’You offer polluted bread on my altar, and you say, ‘wherein have we polluted you?’
In that you say, ‘the table of the Lord is contemptible.’
And if you offer the blind as a sacrifice, is it not evil?
And if you offer the lame and sick, is it not evil?
Offer it now to your governor, will he be pleased with you, or accept thy person?
Saith the Lord of hosts
Blemished offerings were unacceptable to God and hindered the flow of His blessings into the lives of the people. God rejected blemished offerings in the Old Covenant because those offerings were a symbol of the coming Redeemer who would come to offer His life as a final sacrifice for the sins of men.
The coming Redeemer, Jesus Christ; was pure, sinless, perfect and unblemished. The animal sacrifices in the Old Testament had to be perfect and spotless before God.
The same spiritual principle is carried over into the New Testament or New Covenant. In the New Covenant, our sacrifices in form of tithes and offerings brought to the house of God must be unblemished else the sacrifices are in vain.
When we bring our tithes and offerings, God judges by the motives and attitudes of the giver rather than by the amount. Is the giver giving to God with a pure heart or a polluted heart? Giving should be done cheerfully, voluntarily and from the heart (2 Corinthians 9:7).
The heart is not in it in the following situations:
When one is giving just because others are giving
When one is giving because he thinks his rank or position demands it
When his giving is engineered or prompted by pride
When he gives merely from respect to a pastor or because he was warmly importuned to give; or because he was shut up to a necessity to give and must give, not to lose his dignity before men, and become an object of scorn.
In the above situations, the giving is not cheerful and voluntary, therefore not acceptable to God. Giving must be done with simplicity (Romans 12:8). The giver must not become purse proud before the assembly. There should be no parade in Christian giving and not for recognition, not grudgingly or by compulsion (2 Corinthians 9:6-7).
Therefore, the first key to rewards for giving is the spiritual condition of our hearts towards God and our neighbors. Are we hypocrites whose light shines only in the church but live like devils outside the church? Are we devils looking like saints?
Are we bearing the name of Christ but have hearts that are rotten and filled with all manner of iniquity: unforgiveness, bitterness, lusts, envy, pride and the other works of the flesh? If our worship to God comes from our lips only and not from our hearts, then we offer Him what He does not want and will not receive.
Matthew 5:23-24 says,
‘’therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar and there remember that thy brother hath ought against thee; leave thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.’’
The principle in the above verse is very clear that we must present our offerings to God from a clear conscience and a pure heart; else we will not experience the harvest that follows obedience.
Our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit in the New Covenant and the blemishes are in our thoughts (Mark 7:21-23), our words (Matthew 12:36-37) and our actions (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
If we are active in preaching the gospel, singing in the choir, serving the church as prayer warriors or in any other capacity but have a critical attitude and hearts that are dark and unclean, God will certainly not accept and bless our worship and giving.
If we are organizing rebellions against those who have spiritual authority over us, especially against a Pastor; God will not accept our worship and giving since our sacrifices are blemished with strife, bitterness and unforgiveness. It is clear that God is much more concerned by our attitudes and condition of our hearts than the amounts we are giving.
Offerings made from the proceeds of corrupt enrichment, false weights and balances, proceeds of robbery, extortion and other illegitimate activities constitute blemished offerings and an abomination before God (Isaiah 61:8).
The above are among the reasons why some Christians have not experienced any financial harvest despite years of sowing into the church. The church accepts the offerings but God rejects them.
Blemished offerings are in vain and attract no rewards!
Ayodele Adegbulugbe
www.xtianrace.blogspot.com.ng
‘’Give and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye meet withal it shall be measured to you again’’
There are many promises of prosperity in the Bible for those who give to God and to the work of God; to ministers, the poor, the widowed and the orphans and other purposes. Giving attracts blessings based on the principle of sowing and reaping.
But why do some Christian believers still suffer lack and want despite years of sowing as commanded? Why have they not experienced any financial harvest despite huge sums contributed to the church and its projects? Some have given out cars, houses, furniture and are still suffering lack and want despite the abundant promises of reward for giving.
Are God and His Word liars?
In the Old Testament or under the Old Covenant, the Jews were commanded to present their offerings in form of animal sacrifices to God in the temple. The sacrifices were to be without any blemish: sick, lame, blind and crippled animals were not to be offered (Exodus 12:5) (Deuteronomy 17:1) as these are an abomination before God.
Malachi 1:7-8 says:
‘’You offer polluted bread on my altar, and you say, ‘wherein have we polluted you?’
In that you say, ‘the table of the Lord is contemptible.’
And if you offer the blind as a sacrifice, is it not evil?
And if you offer the lame and sick, is it not evil?
Offer it now to your governor, will he be pleased with you, or accept thy person?
Saith the Lord of hosts
Blemished offerings were unacceptable to God and hindered the flow of His blessings into the lives of the people. God rejected blemished offerings in the Old Covenant because those offerings were a symbol of the coming Redeemer who would come to offer His life as a final sacrifice for the sins of men.
The coming Redeemer, Jesus Christ; was pure, sinless, perfect and unblemished. The animal sacrifices in the Old Testament had to be perfect and spotless before God.
The same spiritual principle is carried over into the New Testament or New Covenant. In the New Covenant, our sacrifices in form of tithes and offerings brought to the house of God must be unblemished else the sacrifices are in vain.
When we bring our tithes and offerings, God judges by the motives and attitudes of the giver rather than by the amount. Is the giver giving to God with a pure heart or a polluted heart? Giving should be done cheerfully, voluntarily and from the heart (2 Corinthians 9:7).
The heart is not in it in the following situations:
When one is giving just because others are giving
When one is giving because he thinks his rank or position demands it
When his giving is engineered or prompted by pride
When he gives merely from respect to a pastor or because he was warmly importuned to give; or because he was shut up to a necessity to give and must give, not to lose his dignity before men, and become an object of scorn.
In the above situations, the giving is not cheerful and voluntary, therefore not acceptable to God. Giving must be done with simplicity (Romans 12:8). The giver must not become purse proud before the assembly. There should be no parade in Christian giving and not for recognition, not grudgingly or by compulsion (2 Corinthians 9:6-7).
Therefore, the first key to rewards for giving is the spiritual condition of our hearts towards God and our neighbors. Are we hypocrites whose light shines only in the church but live like devils outside the church? Are we devils looking like saints?
Are we bearing the name of Christ but have hearts that are rotten and filled with all manner of iniquity: unforgiveness, bitterness, lusts, envy, pride and the other works of the flesh? If our worship to God comes from our lips only and not from our hearts, then we offer Him what He does not want and will not receive.
Matthew 5:23-24 says,
‘’therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar and there remember that thy brother hath ought against thee; leave thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.’’
The principle in the above verse is very clear that we must present our offerings to God from a clear conscience and a pure heart; else we will not experience the harvest that follows obedience.
Our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit in the New Covenant and the blemishes are in our thoughts (Mark 7:21-23), our words (Matthew 12:36-37) and our actions (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
If we are active in preaching the gospel, singing in the choir, serving the church as prayer warriors or in any other capacity but have a critical attitude and hearts that are dark and unclean, God will certainly not accept and bless our worship and giving.
If we are organizing rebellions against those who have spiritual authority over us, especially against a Pastor; God will not accept our worship and giving since our sacrifices are blemished with strife, bitterness and unforgiveness. It is clear that God is much more concerned by our attitudes and condition of our hearts than the amounts we are giving.
Offerings made from the proceeds of corrupt enrichment, false weights and balances, proceeds of robbery, extortion and other illegitimate activities constitute blemished offerings and an abomination before God (Isaiah 61:8).
The above are among the reasons why some Christians have not experienced any financial harvest despite years of sowing into the church. The church accepts the offerings but God rejects them.
Blemished offerings are in vain and attract no rewards!
Ayodele Adegbulugbe
www.xtianrace.blogspot.com.ng
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