Lessons Learned : Giving

I know, I know...all preachers talk about is money. Well, some preachers talk about money to get your money and others talk about it because Jesus talked more about money than He did about heaven or hell. BUT, He (Jesus) never talked about it, in the way it would, get you rich or help you to keep up with the Jones'. When Jesus talked about money, it was to grasp their attention because that is where the people's heart was at when He was talking to them. You don't have proof to back that up, OH YES I DO.

Usually when Jesus talked about money, He talked about not so much keeping the money, but giving it back. 11 out of 39 parables talks on money. He was usually conversing with either the Pharisees, Sadducees or His disciples when He was discussing money. When He turned the tables over in the tabernacle, it was because of 2 things, they had the dove in a cage and selling it for sacrifices (that's for another post) and secondly, they turned the house of prayer into a money making scheme. They were manipulating people when it was time for the burnt sacrifice into purchasing and exchanging animals in the temple INSTEAD of following what God has put into place back in Leviticus. Sound familiar??? We have some that manipulate the scriptures to make money off of the Gospel and that is just plain wrong.

So you might be asking yourself, is this preacher telling me NOT TO GIVE?? NOOOOOO!!! I AM TELLING YOU TO GIVE BUT WITH THE RIGHT INTENTIONS!!

Jesus said in Matthew 22:21, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things of God's." In other words, pay your taxes like you are supposed to and give your tithes like you are supposed to.

Whenever I teach on giving, I teach on the act of obedience. Obedience is BETTER than sacrifice. Let me let you in on something I have learned in my short time, my lesson learned; tithing is obedience and saves you from the curse, BUT your offering is what brings the blessing. Whenever the woman with only 2 mites gave, Jesus said in Luke 21:3, and I am paraphrasing here, this woman gave more than all of these people because they gave from their abundance, in other words they gave what they gave because it honestly didn't hurt them. They had the extra and wouldn't miss it anyways but this woman gave out of poverty and gave all that she had to the Lord. She gave with a heart of gladness and not to be seen. She was giving in the act of obedience.

My wife and I learned a long time ago, that when we give and give with a cheerful heart and not treat our offerings like another bill; God gives us favor in the workplace, in our health, and in our homes. I am not going to sit here and tell that everything was picture perfect and we had money overflowing after we gave, no sir/ma'am. But God always took care of our needs and our necessities.

When we give with the right intentions, and that is out of obedience to the WORD OF GOD and not TO GET ANYTHING IN RETURN; God will take care of you. Giving is not a get rich quick scheme BUT it is a command from God.