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priorities

April 28, 2013

Tithing still has a place in God’s Kingdom

Despite what you may have been told, tithing is mentioned in the New Testament. Yes, the New Testament standard for giving exceeds the legalistic limit of ten percent, but I think tithing is a place to start your life of generosity.

Jesus didn’t call for an end to tithing, but He did raise the bar. His followers cannot just check the tithing box and then go off and do whatever they want with the rest. Truly, God holds us responsible for all our income. Jesus challenged:

What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things. (Matthew 23:23 NLT)

In a recent magazine interview, Pastor Jeff Manion references Jesus’ call for justice, mercy, and faith (Matthew 23:23) as “relational generosity”. I was intrigued by his comments:

A person can be a financial tither but not be gracious in spirit. A generous spirit is cultivated by acting magnanimously; allowing small, insignificant insults to evaporate rapidly; forgiving faster; being gracious with individuals, whether it’s the person in the checkout line or someone taking too much of our time. That generous spirit is called relational generosity—financial generosity is a subset of that. A person who is staggering financially can grow in multiple areas of generosity, knowing that the financial area will flow out of the others. (“Developing a Culture of Contentment”, Leadership Journal, Spring 2013, p. 26)

Do you have a generous spirit?

Patti preached a great sermon “Tithe Consistently” this morning at Valley Fellowship as we finished the God Owns ALL series. You can hear the message online when you visit the media button at www.valleyfellowship.com. Below are some of the highlights.

Tithing (giving the first 10% of income to God) demonstrated the core of the Mosaic law – love for God and love for your neighbor (Lev. 19:18; Deut. 6:4–9; 26:10–15).

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40 NIV)

1. Tithing consistently helps me put God first. When God is first, He’ll take care of everything else. 

  • “The purpose of tithing is to teach you always to put God first in your lives.” (Deuteronomy 14:23 LIVING)
  • “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33 NIV)

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2. Tithing consistently helps me learn contentment.

  • “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” (Philippians 4:12 NIV)
  • “Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth.” (1 Timothy 6:5-6 NLT)

3. Tithing consistently increases my faith in God. Some think of tithing as a duty, but really tithing is an act of faith.

4. Tithing consistently releases God’s blessings into my life.

  • “No good thing will the LORD withhold from those who do what is right.” (Psalms 84:11 NLT)
  • “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.” Then I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of the ground; nor will your vine in the field cast its grapes,” says the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 3:10-11 NASB)
April 22, 2013

5 Benefits of Putting the Lord First

Keep first things first; set kingdom priorities. Jesus teaches His followers, “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33 NIV)

My wife and I have tried to live by that Matthew 6:33 principle – seeking Him first. At times, we have gotten fretful, but we remind one another that God is faithful. Our life together isn’t usually easy, but guess what? Over and over and over, Patti and I have experienced God’s blessing. Praise the Lord! Sometimes God uses people who love us. Just last week, I received an unexpected, anonymous gift to buy clothes for my upcoming trip to Tanzania. Whoever you are – THANK YOU VERY MUCH! A little over two years ago, Patti and I celebrated our wedding anniversary in Hawaii, because of the generosity of friends. The picture below was the sunrise view from our shoreside window.

I am not promising you a Hawaii vacation for putting the Lord first, but I am reminding you that God wants to bless you. Instead of centering your life around personal interests, base desires, family relationships, or take-home pay, arrange your priorities around God first!

#1  When you put Him first, THE LORD DIRECTS.

  • “In everything you do, put God first, and He will direct you and crown your efforts with success.” (Proverbs 3:6 LIVING)
  • “I will instruct you (says the Lord) and guide you along the best pathway for your life; I will advise you and watch your progress.” (Psalm 32:8 LIVING)

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#2  When you put Him first, THE LORD PROVIDES.

“For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.”  (2 Chron. 16:9a NASB)

#3  When you put Him first, THE LORD PROTECTS.

  • “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.” (Psalm 34:7 NIV)
  •  “He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.” (Psalm 91:4 NLT)
  • “God’s looking after me, keeping me safe in the kingdom of heaven. All praise to him, praise forever! Oh, yes!” (2 Tim. 4:18 MSG)

#4  When you put Him first, THE LORD CALMS.

“Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.” (1 Peter 5:7 AMP)

#5  When you put Him first, THE LORD HELPS.

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10 NIV)

No problem is too big for God’s power. Don’t underestimate the greatest of your Heavenly Father.

“Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16 NASB) What a picture of God’s sovereign authority and His great love for people! The needed supply is unleashed with your willing choice to seek Him. Stubborn refusal restricts you from the very resource you so desperately need.

Don’t push it off; put the Lord first.

February 10, 2013

Words Reveal Heart

To discover what’s inside a bucket – watch what is poured from its lip. To discover what’s inside a person’s heart – listen to the words poured from the lips.

  • “For whatever is in your heart determines what you say. A good person produces good words from a good heart, and an evil person produces evil words from an evil heart.”  (Matthew 12:34b-35 NLT)
  • “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”  (Proverbs  4:23 NIV)

The content of a person’s heart is exposed by their speech.  Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34). Hearts surrendered to God overflow with words marked by wisdom.

  • “Words of wisdom come from the wise, but fools speak foolishness.” (Proverbs 15:2 CEV)
  • “The mouth of the righteous flows with wisdom, But the perverted tongue will be cut out.”  (Proverbs 10:31 NASB)

My words reveal what I treasure in my heart. Like it or not, what I say expresses what I am inside. What I value, I speak. What I believe, I say. What I love, I express. “Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be.” (Matthew 6:21 NLT) What I respect, I communicate. I cannot separate what I say from what I think and believe.

What do your words reveal about what’s in your heart?

February 5, 2013

Point Your Kids in the Right Direction

The best thing a parent can spend on their child is time, not money. Time with a child is critical for children tend to pursue the goals they see modeled. The reason some parents don’t lead their child in the right direction is because the parents aren’t going that way themselves. Children tend to follow in their parents’ footsteps, even the footsteps thought to be covered up. Do your children mirror you?

Point your kids in the right direction—when they’re old they won’t be lost. Proverbs 22:6 MSG

Kids want to live up to expectations. If through my life I imply that the aim of adulthood is a big-screen television or an expensive car or an amusing hobby, guess what aim my children are likely to have?

Ask yourself, “I am passing along a goal that my child may pursue with more vigor than the pursuit Christ’s Kingdom?” If we want to raise our families to love and serve God, we have to be clear about our priorities. Like Joshua, we have to face up to those around us and say: “If serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, them choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve. . . . But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”  (Joshua 24:15 NIV)

In the first scene of a Nancy  comic, Nancy states, “Things will be different when I’m an adult. When I have kids of my own, I’m going to let them do whatever they want, whenever they want.” After a frame to reflect, Nancy completes her thought, “As long as they do it my way.” (John Maxwell, “What Children Owe Their Parents (and Themselves),” Preaching Today, Tape No. 140)

Okay, we can’t force our kids to turn out great! Every child has a free will and individual responsibility. But, as parents, we can shoulder faithfully our God-given responsibility to discipline and instruct our children.

Some years ago, the National Research Bureau, Inc. published a list of Ten Things for Which You as a Parent Will Never Be Sorry (Illustrations Unlimited, 1988, p. 395).

TEN GOOD THINGS:

  1. For doing your level best even when discouraged.
  2. For hearing before judging in family quarrels.
  3. For thinking before speaking when emotionally upset.
  4. For not harboring unkind thoughts of a talebearer.
  5. For being generous to an enemy, perhaps the next door neighbor.
  6. For stopping your ears to gossip over the fence.
  7. For standing by your principles in dealing with your teenagers.
  8. For asking pardon, when in error, even of your child.
  9. For being square in business dealings with the newsboy.
  10. For accepting the stewardship of “another” child.

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