Offering

This past Sunday, my pastor Brian Hughes, taught about money. Specifically about our money and living generously.

Mine.

Yours.

It is a hard subject both for him to teach (by his own admission) and for us to hear. It is NOT ours. We spend our money as if it is...but it is not. We would never dream of spending somone else's money recklessly or at all. Why don't we look at our own money that way? But we will throw ours away on foolish things when we are really throwing away GOD's money on such things.

Bigger this, bigger that. More of this, more of that. Designer this, designer that.

I know that today, in this economy, things are hard. Families are struggling. People are struggling to make ends meet. Maybe we are not quite as reckless as we have been in the past. But are we still spending on temporal things? or Kingdom things?

I guess it really boils down to faith and trust. That is what is really about. Faith that God means EVERYTHING He says in the bible, not just parts of it. If we believe some of it, we really must believe all of it.

I am reminded of the passage in Matthew 6:26:

"26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

OR this one:

"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." Malachi 3:10

Today I am challenged. Hope you are too.

2 Samuel 24:24

" I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God that cost me nothing.”

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong, a perfect plea:
A great High Priest, whose name is Love,
Who ever lives and pleads for me.

My name is graven on his hands,
My name is written on his heart;
I know that while in heaven he stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart
No tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair,
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look, and see him there
Who made an end of all my sin.

Because a sinless Savior died,
My sinful soul is counted free;
For God, the Just, is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me
To look on Him and pardon me

Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Praise the One,
Risen Son of God!

Behold him there, the risen Lamb
My perfect, spotless righteousness,
The great unchangeable I AM,
The King of glory and of grace!

One in himself, I cannot die
My soul is purchased by his blood
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ, my Savior and my God
With Christ, my Savior and my God

(Before the Throne of God)