A friend of ours, who is staying with us at the moment, read
this yesterday to us and it made me think.
When it came time to build the Old Testament tabernacle, God said to Moses, "Do all things according to the pattern which I showed you". (Exodus 25:40). Whether you're building a relationship, a career, a business or a ministry, it will always require several elements: Sacrifice - the building of the tabernacle begins with these words: "Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring Me an offering. From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart you shall take My offering." Question: why would a God who is rich enough to pave His streets with gold, ask you for an offering? Because only when you have a personal investment in something, will you give it your full attention, treasure it, prioritise it and protect it.
Pastor, ask the Lord for the plan, then ask the people for the money, not vice versa. Teach your people to live by this principle:"Give till it hurts, give till it stops hurting, give till it feels good." Paul wrote about the generosity of the Christians in Macedonia:"They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant of joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity. For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more and they did it of their own free will. They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing... They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do". (2.Corinthians 8:2-5 NLT). So, are you willing to sacrifice?
How far do we give? Do we give until it hurts, or do we give still in the zone of our comfort, where it is not really a burden? Where it makes us feel good, because we have done something, but honestly it didn't cost us anything?
When it came time to build the Old Testament tabernacle, God said to Moses, "Do all things according to the pattern which I showed you". (Exodus 25:40). Whether you're building a relationship, a career, a business or a ministry, it will always require several elements: Sacrifice - the building of the tabernacle begins with these words: "Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring Me an offering. From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart you shall take My offering." Question: why would a God who is rich enough to pave His streets with gold, ask you for an offering? Because only when you have a personal investment in something, will you give it your full attention, treasure it, prioritise it and protect it.
Pastor, ask the Lord for the plan, then ask the people for the money, not vice versa. Teach your people to live by this principle:"Give till it hurts, give till it stops hurting, give till it feels good." Paul wrote about the generosity of the Christians in Macedonia:"They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant of joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity. For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more and they did it of their own free will. They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing... They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do". (2.Corinthians 8:2-5 NLT). So, are you willing to sacrifice?
How far do we give? Do we give until it hurts, or do we give still in the zone of our comfort, where it is not really a burden? Where it makes us feel good, because we have done something, but honestly it didn't cost us anything?
Isn't there a price to pay for everything? For example, a
woman in labor expects to have a baby. If there is no price to pay, what would
be the reward? Didn't it cost Jesus his death, so we can have life in
abundance? What if he would have just looked at the easier option (if there was
ever one?), we could not spend eternity with him together?
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