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GLEANINGS FROM THE WORD Experiencing an extraordinary God in ordinary life Issue #1,061 March 18, 2004 Sharing As Genni the wonder dog and I walked along the path, we were startled by a sudden shadow that passed overhead. It was a flock of several hundred cedar waxwings out looking for dinner. Waxwings are usually solitary birds, but several times a year they flock up and descend on whatever fruit or berries are in season and make short work of them. Today's delicacy was the berries on a mountain ash tree. Mountain ash seems to be a favorite, perhaps because its berries stay on the tree right through the winter, providing the birds with a plentiful food source. Other than the birds, I've never seen anything else eating mountain ash berries, although I have been told that some people make a wine similar to that made from elderberries from them. It doesn't take a flock of waxwings long to strip all the berries off a tree. They have huge appetites and are very methodical in their approach to a tree. They attack it in waves, with a portion of the flock in the tree and the rest in nearby trees waiting their turn. As they eat, they share. They often pass berries from one bird to the next until a hungry one eats it. Suddenly, as if on cue, all the birds take to the air and there is a shift change at the berry tree. The process is repeated until they've had their fill or the tree is stripped of all its fruit. Then as quickly as they arrived, they're gone. Their habit of passing berries along until a hungry bird eats it is a behavior I've never seen in any other bird species. It's a habit that people would do well to emulate. We've adopted he habit, but unfortunately only in reference to our giving to God. We eat our fill of what God provides then, only there is any left over by the time it hits the end of the line, we give it to God. Our offerings are far too often leftovers when we're called to give our first fruits. We have lots of reasons why we only give God what's left, but the truth is that they only excuses not valid reasons. You've probably heard or used them. "I'll tithe when I can afford to give more." "The tithe is Old Testament stuff." "All the church talks about is money." If you wait until you can "afford" it, you'll never tithe. Even secular financial planners recommend taking 10% off the top for savings. They tell us that we never miss it. The tithe is still valid in the new covenant (I know some don't agree). The tithe was used to support the Levites, and we don't have Levites anymore, but the work of the kingdom still costs. All the church talks about is money. Actually it's been my experience that most pastors are quite uncomfortable talking about money. They know that what we spend our money on is where our hearts are and they are afraid to find out that our hearts aren't on God. Perhaps afraid to find out is a little harsh, let's say they don't want to admit what they already know. They don't want to put up with a bunch of flack from people who are walking in disobedience, but parading in self righteous robes. A preacher who doesn't give you the opportunity to give is robbing you of the opportunity to worship God. True worship costs. It might be money, time, persecution, a changing heart or something else, but if there isn't some form of cost, it's not true worship. When you're not giving your share, the work of the kingdom still somehow manages to get done, but you are walking in disobedience and disobedience always comes with a price. "Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, `How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse--the whole nation of you--because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the LORD Almighty. "Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land," says the LORD Almighty. Malachi 3:8-12 NIV Some of you will be offended by my next comment, but it comes from God's lips not mine. When we don't give our tithes AND offerings, we are stealing from God. To make it worse for some of us, He not only wants us to give, but He wants us to give with a generous and cheerful heart. Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 NIV Whether you agree with me on the necessity of tithing or not, God wants what you give to be from a joyful heart. Even if you give more than the tithe, but do it reluctantly, it's not a gift that's pleasing in His eyes. Until next time, give generously to the work of the kingdom. Show God your gratitude in your gifts and in the state of your heart. Hallelu Yah (Praise God) Be blessed Kevin Never let the enemy tell you that you are worthless or insignificant. You have value in the eyes of God so great that it was worth dying for. You are a blessing to the world. You are so precious to God that heaven will not be complete without you. HELP FOR THE HURTING I can hear some of you thinking "Here we go again. The church is only after my money." Not true. The church is first and foremost concerned with bringing lost souls into Jesus arms. It's concerned with saving people from hell, healing their hurts, training them and sending them out to save more lost souls. It also has a mandate to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, seek justice for the powerless and more. The reality is that to do any of these things costs money. God doesn't expect non-believers to give, after all they don't yet understand the blessings of being His. On the flip side of the coin, it costs nothing but humility to become a part of God's chosen people. All it takes is a realization that there is more to life than what you have been living. It takes a realization that you've messed up in life and need His help. It takes humility to open your heart to Him. It's worth it though. The eternal benefits far outweigh the costs. Will you open your heart up to Him today? You can simply begin the relationship by honestly and completely opening your heart; admitting you need God's help; turning away from your sin and saying a prayer along the lines of the one below. There isn't any "magic" in the prayer, it's simply a way to open up to the gift that Jesus already bought for you with His very life. You can't earn it. You don't deserve it. He freely offers it to all who will accept it: Jesus: I have made many mistakes in my life and done things I am not proud of. I have sinned. I need your love and forgiveness. I believe that you came into this world and gave your life on a cross to pay for my sins and that you defeated death and rose again. Please forgive me, and be the Lord of my life. I give my life to you Lord. Amen
If you pray this prayer for the first time let me know so I can rejoice with you. Did you know that at Gleanings, we have a dedicated team of prayer warriors and all prayer concerns are kept strictly confidential? Your comments, your questions and your joys are shared with the prayer team, to keep me accountable as the head of the ministry and to encourage them as they see God at work in your life. As with prayer all these things are kept confidential within the Gleanings team. To share your questions, comments, thoughts, prayer concerns and praise reports email us If you enjoyed this issue of Gleanings From The Word, email it, in its entirety, to a friend. For information on use of Gleanings in your church newsletter or other situations please visit the permissions page . You can write to us at Gleanings From The Word Ministries International 114 Oak St Sherwood Park, AB Canada T8A 0V8 © 2003 K.F. "Kevin" Corbin Gleanings From The Word Minististries International - All Rights Reserved
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