Beware of the Crouching at the Door
Gen 4:6-7

I recently heard a speaker talk about the story of Cain and Abel. I’d read this story plenty of times but never stopped to see the personal responsibility that the scripture was trying to tell us. In Genesis 4 after Cain and Abel had brought their offering to God, the Bible says that God “looked with favor on Abel and his offering” but did not do the same for Cain. That made Cain very angry. In verse 6, God essentially asked Cain why he was so angry and then he said “If you you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you don’t do what is right, sin is waiting at the door and it desires to have you”. What an interesting response, I was expecting the second part of that statement to be something like “But If you do what is right you will be accepted”. However, God told Cain that if he doesn’t do what is right “sin is waiting at the door”.
There’s only one option outside of what the Lord wants from us and that is sin that leads to death. When the Lord speaks to us, we have to run to what He has commanded us to do. The consequences are not just a little separation from God, it is the birth of sin in us that is wanting to engulf our lives. We are always bound to be slaves to something, to be consumed by something, whether we like it or not. That thing will either be righteousness or evil. Disobedience is something that we might consider “a small matter” that leaves a foothold for the evil that is waiting. May we always be directed back to the Lord and obey the direction He’s given to us through the power of the Holy Spirit. May we always be directed to give Him our best.

God calls us to fellowship with one another on earth because it reflects the fellowship we will have with one another in heaven.  The mission of the gospel is to big a task for us to do on our own; that is why he collectively calls us to a sharpening standard of unity.
How we serve God is how we serve those around us - the hurt, the broken, the weeping, the neglected, the voiceless, and frankly, that defines all of us. The more we open our eyes to see each other as children of the Highest, the clearer we will be able to see the common cord that binds us together: the hope and glory of Christ.
 
Hebrews 10:24-25 - 'Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. ' Hebrews 10:24-25
 
We have a new life in Christ when we put our trust in him, and this gives us direct access to God with no complications or systems and we get to know him more and learn deeper truths about him.
At the same time, we can inspire and cheer one another on while we worship together.
To neglect Christian fellowship would mean giving up the encouragement, motivation, and help of other Christians that we need
We gather to learn from each other, refresh our faith, and strengthen one another in the Lord.
So as we are on the final stretch of our fast, I encourage you to stay in community and reach out to grow stronger and take on each other’s burdens.

2 Cor 2:14 NKJV
Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, AND through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.
Through us!

What a privilege it is to have been sought by God!
What a privilege it is to be loved by God!
What a privilege it is to be used by God!
To seek and save the lost, to love the lost just like He did to us.

Thru us God diffuses the fragrances of His knowledge in EVERY place.

To everyone, everywhere!

Let our love today be evident in our words, are actions, and our attitude the His love would fill every room with the sweet smelling aroma of His love drawing the lost it Him !

As a parent you get a glimpse of what God feels for us as His children. You get to watch them grow, learn from you, and find joy in the small things. When my daughter was first born she would try to find comfort in grabbing things and holding them tight. One night she was fighting to find something to grab. She finally found her hair. As she grabbed onto her hair and began to pull it she then proceeded to scream because it hurt. We were trying to help her let go but as a lot of you know the grip of a baby is very strong. As the parents we are sitting there trying to help her and direct her to something that is not going to hurt her. This is how I think God feels about us. We are His children and he knows what's best for us. However, we sometimes reach and hold onto things that are not good for us or can hurt us. We hold on to that sin to ‘comfort’ us but He alone is our only comforter. We can fill ourselves with things that are of this world but ultimately it will lead to death. Just like a child we need to trust that our parents are doing what is best for us. Luke 12:29-32 “And don’t be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don’t worry about such things. These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and He will give you everything you need. So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.”

I pray that as a church we will take today and give it all to you Father. That we will come back to that childlike faith and lean on you for all our needs and wants.

…that they may be one just as We are one… —John 17:22
Personality is the unique, limitless part of our life that makes us distinct from everyone else. It is too vast for us even to comprehend. An island in the sea may be just the top of a large mountain, and our personality is like that island. We don’t know the great depths of our being, therefore we cannot measure ourselves. We start out thinking we can, but soon realize that there is really only one Being who fully understands us, and that is our Creator.

Personality is the characteristic mark of the inner, spiritual man, just as individuality is the characteristic of the outer, natural man. Our Lord can never be described in terms of individuality and independence, but only in terms of His total Person— “I and My Father are one” (John 10:30). Personality merges, and you only reach your true identity once you are merged with another person. When love or the Spirit of God come upon a person, he is transformed. He will then no longer insist on maintaining his individuality. Our Lord never referred to a person’s individuality or his isolated position, but spoke in terms of the total person— “…that they may be one just as We are one….” Once your rights to yourself are surrendered to God, your true personal nature begins responding to God immediately. Jesus Christ brings freedom to your total person, and even your individuality is transformed. The transformation is brought about by love— personal devotion to Jesus. Love is the overflowing result of one person in true fellowship with another.

If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. —2 Corinthians 5:17
Our Lord never tolerates our prejudices— He is directly opposed to them and puts them to death. We tend to think that God has some special interest in our particular prejudices, and are very sure that He will never deal with us as He has to deal with others. We even say to ourselves, “God has to deal with other people in a very strict way, but of course He knows that my prejudices are all right.” But we must learn that God accepts nothing of the old life! Instead of being on the side of our prejudices, He is deliberately removing them from us. It is part of our moral education to see our prejudices put to death by His providence, and to watch how He does it. God pays no respect to anything we bring to Him. There is only one thing God wants of us, and that is our unconditional surrender.

When we are born again, the Holy Spirit begins to work His new creation in us, and there will come a time when there is nothing remaining of the old life. Our old gloomy outlook disappears, as does our old attitude toward things, and “all things are of God” (2 Corinthians 5:18). How are we going to get a life that has no lust, no self-interest, and is not sensitive to the ridicule of others? How will we have the type of love that “is kind…is not provoked, [and] thinks no evil”? (1 Corinthians 13:4-5). The only way is by allowing nothing of the old life to remain, and by having only simple, perfect trust in God— such a trust that we no longer want God’s blessings, but only want God Himself. Have we come to the point where God can withdraw His blessings from us without our trust in Him being affected? Once we truly see God at work, we will never be concerned again about the things that happen, because we are actually trusting in our Father in heaven, whom the world cannot see.

Be still, and know that I am God… —Psalm 46:10
Perseverance is more than endurance. It is endurance combined with absolute assurance and certainty that what we are looking for is going to happen. Perseverance means more than just hanging on, which may be only exposing our fear of letting go and falling. Perseverance is our supreme effort of refusing to believe that our hero is going to be conquered. Our greatest fear is not that we will be damned, but that somehow Jesus Christ will be defeated. Also, our fear is that the very things our Lord stood for— love, justice, forgiveness, and kindness among men— will not win out in the end and will represent an unattainable goal for us. Then there is the call to spiritual perseverance. A call not to hang on and do nothing, but to work deliberately, knowing with certainty that God will never be defeated.

If our hopes seem to be experiencing disappointment right now, it simply means that they are being purified. Every hope or dream of the human mind will be fulfilled if it is noble and of God. But one of the greatest stresses in life is the stress of waiting for God. He brings fulfillment, “because you have kept My command to persevere…” (Revelation 3:10).

Continue to persevere spiritually.

Galatians 5:13 “For you were called to be free, brothers and sisters; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love.” Being free is something I feel that us Christians take for granted. Thinking about all the men and women in this world who have to walk miles and miles to hear the word or live in a place where it is illegal to own a bible. Freedom with Christ is such a powerful all consuming feeling. It is something that hurts my heart to realize that people aren’t given the same opportunity to  feel this freedom like we can in America. However, there are those of us who so freely have the opportunity to walk in Christs’ freedom and still do not choose to walk in it. That's why it is our job to spread the love of Jesus Christ to all the world. In the bible the word love is found over 300 times. As we can see in the verse above it is telling us to serve through love, and God is love. So as long as we are walking this life following His calling we will be able to walk in the spirit and not  live in the flesh. The flesh is not simply the physical body. It includes the mind, will, and emotions. Are you going to live by the law, which does not have the power to help us resist the flesh or are you going to be led by the Spirit, which results in righteous behavior and spiritual attitudes? Later on in Galatians 5: 21-22 “...that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Notice how Paul is saying practice. We have to be putting to practice the fruits of the Spirit. James 1:22-24 “But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like someone looking at his own face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.” We need to be making ourselves doers of the word and by doing that it takes practice. In Joyce Meyer’s book, Making Good Habits, Breaking Bad Habits, it talks about how it takes 30 repetitive days of practice to make a habit. I pray that as a church we will take the word and be doers of the Word by creating a habit of imitating the Lord.

Ecclesiastes 9:14-15 There was a small town with only a few people, and a great king came with his army and besieged it. Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and by his wisdom he delivered the city. Yet no one remembered him.

The more I read the bible I am consistently challenged to make sure that my heart's motives behind my actions are lived out for the Lord and him alone. I know it is a lot so please bear with me but upon reading this verse questions and scenarios began to flood my mind.

-Do you do the right thing because of the results that come from your efforts or do you do the right thing because it's the right thing to do? 
-Do you find that you step up to the plate only when there is an audience or are you willing to give your absolute best even when no one is watching? 
-Do you do things in your life so that you would be remembered, leaving a name for yourself?
-As a Pastor/worship leader/church volunteer…..If I knew in advance that only one person would be showing up to church for service would I still work just as hard preparing my sermon/ worship set/ or setting up for church as I would if I knew there would be thousands in attendance?

These are some challenging questions that help to keep our hearts in check as Christians. We are the reflection of Christ to everyone around us and we must remember that it is not my ability to imitate Christ that saves lives, it is my ability to let Christ live through me. Do you find that in your life your reasoning for imitating Christ is because you're looking for the result of an unbeliever's life being changed. If it is, I encourage you to not let the results be the driving factor in why you serve the Lord. We should be serving the Lord because we are in love with Him and Him alone. Yes he has asked us to go into the world and spread the gospel and we should. But our reason for serving the lord should be because we love the Lord so much that it is his love for me that compels me and not the results of our efforts that compel us. If the results of our serving the Lord is the driving factor for serving the Lord we must ask ourselves “ what happens to our motivation for serving the Lord when we begin to not see the results we hoped for?” If we are not seeing the results we hope to see, does that mean we stop serving the Lord? Absolutely not. If I serve Christ because of the people then I will at some point grow weary because people will inevitably fail me at some point. Am I willing to serve God the rest of my life even if no one I minister to decides to follow Jesus? In Ecclesiastes This poor wise man saved a city that had been captured and put into slavery and it says that not a single person remembered this poor man or what he did for them so again I ask, “Am I willing to be this poor wise man.” Do I truly love the Lord with all my heart enough to sing the old hymn, “even though none will go with me, still I will follow.” I find this very short story in Ecclesiastes to be a great opportunity to keep my heart in check as to why I serve the Lord.  Our church motto is “A King and His Cause” but let us believers not forget one simple truth…….the results I see from the cause that I serve should never be more important to me than the love I show to the King.  

”Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you. He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun. Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭37‬:‭3‬-‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The ways of your heart…. Why would I ever want the desires of my heart? I think of this section of the Bible and think back to all the times I prayed to God and everything begins with I want or me me me. However, the word says take delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Notice something very important here, delight comes before desire. When I’m consumed by Him I will want His ways! If I’m living in the world I will want my fleshly desires. But how much greater is our God than what we would want or desire?  When I am living as Jesus has called me to be I will want His will for my life. I have to daily commit everything to Him and the cause He has for my life. There is so much power and direction in these verses. I love the saying God is everything I never knew I always wanted. This world holds so much weight on us when we let it. That’s why verse 5, trust Him and He will help you, is so important as we walk this life with Christ. When we hold doubt, insecurity, hate, bitterness, and anxiety that’s not from Him or what He wants us to do. He wants to hear us and help us. We serve a God that is for us!

I pray for you and our church that we would rest on these verses. That we would trust Him and take delight in His ways. That we would radiate His light through us. I pray that we would be still and wait for Him to move on our lives.

" See, I have set the land before you; go in and possess the land which the Lord swore to your fathers: to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give to them and their descendants after them. " Deuteronomy 1:8.

There has been stories of heirs of tremendous wealth who lived in abject poverty because they didn't know of what was willed to them, and so didn't make the move to possess it. In other words, they had ownership of the riches but ignorance kept them from enjoying what had been rightfully theirs.
In Christ Jesus, the Father has granted us exceedingly great and precious promises. The believers are adopted sons and daughters of the King, and so heirs with Christ of heavenly riches while on this earth. It is our responsibility to search out what promises of God we must claim for every situation. We must also take the necessary step of faith to take hold of that promise!!!


Prayer: Heavenly Father, I come to You in the name of Jesus Christ. I thank You that I am completely accepted as a child of God. Thank You Jesus for all that You have purchased for me through Your death and resurrection. I pray that You open the eyes of my understanding to all that is rightfully mine through Your grace. Help me to take the steps of faith as I claim and take possession of what is rightfully mine. May the fruit of Your Spirit presence be manifested in my life, to the glory of God. In Jesus Christ mighty name I pray. Amen.

People naturally wonder why they are here, who they’re supposed to be, and what they’re supposed to do. They want to know that their life has meaning, a purpose. The answer can be found in the Bible!  Let’s look at Jeremiah 1:4-10.
”The Lord gave me this message: “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.” “O Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I can’t speak for you! I’m too young!” The Lord replied, “Don’t say, ‘I’m too young,’ for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you. I, the Lord, have spoken!” Then the Lord reached out and touched my mouth and said, “Look, I have put my words in your mouth! Today I appoint you to stand up against nations and kingdoms. Some you must uproot and tear down, destroy and overthrow. Others you must build up and plant.”“
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭1‬:‭4‬-‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬
We were created for a purpose, verse 4 and 5. As humans, we are created for a purpose, and that purpose comes from God.  God created us for a well-established purpose, and gave us the means to accomplish that work. Your calling and my calling were put into place before we were even formed. Often we recognize our purpose, our calling, but try to run the other direction. Humanly speaking, there are often excuses one can use to avoid the purpose that God may have for you. Maybe you can make more money elsewhere. Perhaps embracing your purpose will make a less comfortable life for you and your family. Like Jeremiah, you may not feel adequately equipped for the task, too young, too old, unskilled. Dan is constantly reminding our youth that it doesn’t matter your age. You were made for such a time as this!  If you truly want to find your purpose you may need to step out in faith, become uncomfortable and offer yourself to be used by God. God is not going to call you to a purpose without giving you the tools you need to accomplish His plan. God gives us purpose, and then equips us for His purposes! Follow God’s purpose for your life, get past the excuses, and allow Him to work through you.
God gives us purpose, but you have to know Him to find yours.

Waiting can be the hardest thing for us to do, especially when we can't do anything to shorten the wait time. With technology advancements, gratification is instantaneous. If we “can’t” wait, we can pay to expedite the process. We can get what we want when we want it. Sometimes it can feel like we can’t do anything until we have that item or answer. To sit in a state of not knowing is uncomfortable. It can be exhausting. It can cause a lot of anxious thoughts to invade our minds, making us feel like the wait for what we assume the end result is going to be (based on our understanding) isn’t worth it. 

Andrew Carnegie said, “Anything in life worth having is worth waiting for.” A very true quote, but what Carnegie didn’t have in the waiting, was God. God uses the waiting to teach us, mold us, and remind us to fix our eyes on Him. Through the waiting He instills patience and trust in the plan He has for us. Carnegie also used an earthly measure for the value of things in this life. What God has planned for us on Earth is far greater than anything we could possibly imagine or ask for (Ephesians 3:20). Simply, if we rush the process, the result may meet our expectations, but will only bring us temporary satisfaction. But when we wait and trust in the Lord, the result is greatly beyond our expectations and the satisfaction will last forever. Why settle for less, when God is more than capable and willing to give us more? His promises will always be fulfilled so this wait may be uncomfortable right now, but it is temporary. His promises are eternal. 

It’s like building up a roller coaster ride in our head as we wait in line for an hour, finally getting strapped in, and 2 minutes later the ride is over and you think: that was it? We can pay for a fast pass to avoid waiting in line, but the ride is still only 2 minutes and the satisfaction still fades. The roller coaster in this analogy is something we can see and the result is something we can infer based on our knowledge. We may think we know what the result of our waiting will be, but if we trust in God's timing, not only does it bring Him glory and foster our relationship with Him (which by itself is an incredible gift), it also ensures that we have the amazing, wonderful, and beautiful life he has planned for us. 

Don't give up. Praise him in the waiting. If you feel like you are getting impatient in your season of waiting, ask your Heavenly Father for support and guidance, read 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, and listen to Stay Strong by Danny Gokey and/or Take Courage by Bethel.

Hello church! No matter what you have chosen to sacrifice in this time, I pray that it is a fruitful 21 days. Fasting is an important biblical practice seen all throughout the Bible people like Daniel, Esther, Paul, and many more fasted in times of prayer, seeking God, and to grow a more intimate relationship with God.

As we take this time of 21 days and fast I want us to remember to use this time to draw in close, to simply sit in God's presence. During a time of fasting you will most definitely find yourself in moments of want. It is in the moments when we are fasting that we are called to deny our flesh and rely on God. I believe that taking intentional time to sit and worship and simply be in his presence is a good practice during a fast because you can really find yourself in this raw and vulnerable place with God.

Psalms 62:5-8 says
”Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him. He alone is my rock and my
salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken. My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me. O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge. Interlude“
Let us sit in the truth of that verse, let sit and worship quietly at his feet. As you take time this week i have a song for you to listen to.
”With You” By Elevation Worship

There are three points that Community fosters Kindness, Healing, Christ likeness.

Do you think that community is important?

In our individualistic society, many of us often feel alone. Sometimes we are actually alone; at other times we simply feel lonely. Some of us, conditioned by our culture, believe we are better off by ourselves and think we do not need the help of others. However, the gospel—and all of Scripture, for that matter—reinforces the truth that we were created for community. God created us not to be isolated beings, but rather people who live life with others. The primary way that we as Christians live in community is by belonging to the church.

When our culture thinks of community, it often thinks of a social club or an organization formed around a specific interest or cause. But the church is something much greater. It is Christ’s “body” (Colossians 1:24). And the nature of our relationships with other Christians is described in the New Testament as koinonia, a Greek word often translated as “fellowship.” It means that we as Christians have communion with one another and participate in life together. Not only that, but we also have communion with Christ and participate in his life and mission. We are members of his body.

That also means to love one another.
A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. – John 13:34

Be the friend you want to have in others. Be the community this society needs. Be Christlike. 

For some of us, maybe not currently but at some point in the past, the concept of obedience causes a knee-jerk reaction, a cringe or wince. A type of reaction that makes you want to run in the opposite direction. A reaction that feels unnatural to our flesh and our human nature. You never hear anyone utter the words “I just love to obey” or “Obedience is my love language” To obey would mean to deny yourself the right to do as you please and to submit to the will of the one who is asking.

Obedience has been asked of us from the very beginning of time, as seen in Genesis when the Lord commands Adam and Eve not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, Genesis 2:6-17. We also see the Israelites being given the 10 commandments in Exodus and again in Leviticus with various  commandments. Many of these laws were given to protect the people from harm. Some were also given to set the Israelites apart as God’s chosen people

Obedience requires trust- to trust in the One who sees what we can’t see and knows what we can’t even begin to comprehend. It also requires faith- faith to believe that the One who is asking has a plan that is for good.  By trusting and having the faith to obey, we will inevitably be in communion with our Lord and be in right relationship with Him

Our flesh will always put up a fight, but there is power and freedom in obedience when we surrender Him and say “not my will but yours be done”.

My Sacrifice is Someone Else’s Blessing

Sacrifice - giving to the Lord whatever He requires of our time, our earthly possessions, and our energies to further His work.

We were never created to be our own provider or sustainer, fasting always reminds me that it's Him alone that sustains us. We are sacrificing ourselves, our pleasures to bring us back to where God wants us to be. Taking up your cross isn’t a weight designed to burden and constraint you, but an opportunity to live in the presence, peace, and purpose of God. There is freedom in store for you through sacrifice. As Billy Graham once said, A sacrifice that costs nothing is worth nothing. As we take this time to sacrifice ourselves as a church I encourage all of us to think of the lives we have impacted in 2023 through our faith promises. All of the children that your dollar helped keep with their families. The men and women who are able to see again through eye surgeries. Wells  that have been dug to give water to the thirsty. All of the churches that were  planted because of motorcycles given.

In Hebrews it says, Don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God. Hebrews 13:16. As I look into this scripture, why would we not sacrifice? We have been given so much just from the country we live in. To quote my husband, someone else’s sacrifice became my blessing so will my sacrifice bless someone else.

I urge all of you to choose to live sacrificially today. Ask the Holy Spirit to make the will of the Father known to you as he did for Jesus, and commit to following whatever he is asking you to do.

This past summer, my youngest daughter was invited to participate in an Under 8 girls soccer team. This team was different than any other team she had been a part of until this point from the coaching to the competition, to the skill level of her teammates, and to the dedication of the parents. When I got the schedule for the games for the season, 2 things stuck out to me.  First, there would be practices 3 days a week and second, there would be multiple games out of the state that would cost a large amount of time and money. I immediately realized that I was not ready to be devoted to that amount of time and money.

The Oxford Dictionary defines devotion as “Love, loyalty, and enthusiasm for a cause, person, and activity”. In that sense, we all are currently devoted to something in our lives. The difficulty sometimes is realizing what we are truly devoted to. As followers of Christ, we are called to be devoted to Christ Himself, not His cause or any activity that He might be doing. Don’t get me wrong, those things are essential when following Him, however, they are not the main course.

When the disciples asked what the greatest commandment was, Jesus answered in Luke 9: 59-62. He told them that if they followed Him, they might not have somewhere to lay their heads, or might not have the time to bury their loved ones or say goodbye to their family. In other words, to be devoted to Him means you might not get the comforts of this world, it means fighting the urge to have worldly relationships that mean more than our relationship and devotion to Him. We must beware of these things that rob us of our devotion to Him because the reward of being devoted to Him far outweighs the cost.

Well Good Morning Church or whatever time you are reading this daily devotional. I just want to share with you a quick encouragement centered around God’s word as we push on during this fast in hopes to draw closer to God or see God move in an area in our life. Whatever you are fasting I’m sure God will continue to strengthen you and guide you in this season.

Genesis 22:1-2 NLT – 'Sometime later, God tested Abraham’s faith. “Abraham!” God called.
“Yes,” he replied. “Here I am.” “Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so
much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the
mountains, which I will show you.”

In this time of Abraham's life, he had just received the promise God promised him. His son Isaac born of his “old wife” Sarai. And like Abraham maybe God has asked you to give something up – whether it is something that has been a hindrance between you and your relationship with God or maybe it’s something that is not direct disobedience, but it has become more valuable to you than your relationship with God and maybe he has asked you to offer that to him. Whatever it may be, God wants your obedience and ultimately your heart.

God tested Abraham, not to rip him up and watch him fall, but to deepen his capacity to obey God and thus to develop his character. Just as fire refines ore to extract precious metals, God refines us through difficult circumstances. When we are tested, we can complain, or we can try to see how God is stretching us to develop in us the character necessary to be his followers. At whatever point you read this during the fast and you are wondering if 21 days may seem much too long to give up this specific thing, know this, Abraham and Isaac traveled 50-60 miles from Beersheba to Mount Moriah in about 3 days. That is equivalent to 120,000 steps Abraham took towards obedience in something he did not want to do. One step at a 8me and One day at a time as you press on towards Godliness and Holiness.

Matthew 26:40-41
40 And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter,
“So, could you not watch with me one hour? 41 Watch and pray that you may not
enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak

Jesus had fasted 40 days and nights in preparation for what laid before Him,
satan’s temptation. Jesus left that test triumphant but satan would return again to
torment Jesus in the garden. In this passage Jesus is entering into the garden to
pray. He knew that what the father had for Him to bear was almost too much. To
become sin, though he knew no sin, only to take upon his back all the wrath of
God. Jesus agonized and prayed “if there be another way Father, take this cup
from me” Two times He asks the Father to take the cup away, each time the
Father said no and each time Jesus returned to the disciples only to find them
sleeping. “ ye of little faith can you not pray with me one hour” The third time
Jesus asks, “take this cup from me” “never less not my will but thy will be done”

Imagine not praying for Jesus in His most critical time of need. Having seen all
that He had done, knowing full well that He was the messiah, the Son of God,
And He needed you to pray, otherwise He would not have asked. Yet the flesh
was willing but the spirit was weak.

Well Jesus isn’t in the garden anymore but He is seated at the right hand of the
Father and He is praying, praying hard, the Bible says interceding on our behalf
and on behalf of the lost. And do you know what His desire is? That the Father’s
will would be done, “that known should perish” Wow Jesus is praying and He is
asking us to pray, to pray and fast. What a joy, what an honor to serve at the
pleasure of the King and His cause. We wrestle not with flesh and blood, no we
fight in Spirit and in Truth, with His Word on our lips with take down all the high
places, and the works of the Devil!

So join me and your IN Church family as we fast and pray for the next 21 days,
for His Kingdom come and His will be done

God certainly calls us to be generous with our time, talent and treasure, all of which He gave to us. We are clearly called to steward all that we have been given. To use it, sow it, grow it and share it. All for the glory of God’s Kingdom.
There are two views on giving when it comes to tithing.
- One, those that believe the tithe went away with the law when Jesus fulfilled the law and all the requirements against us, at the cross.
- Two, those that believe that the tithe is still required of us today. Both Abraham and Jacob gave a tithe and they predate the law, leaving some to believe that means the tithe did not go away when the law was fulfilled.

Which view is more faithful to God’s Word? That is the question.

This certainly isn’t a matter over which believers should SPLIT CHURCHES. Love is far more important than our view on tithing (1 Cor. 13) and so is reaching the perishing. Still, I would argue tithing isn’t required or even encouraged for believers in Jesus Christ. But this opinion needs to be explained.
1 Corinthians 9:6-7 6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully[a] will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
2 things to consider:
*It is difficult to be cheerful when commanded to give out of obligation.
*If the tithe was still required of a New Testament church, why did the early church (acts) come together and give everything they possessed and not just a tithe?

Tithing in the Old Testament
What does the Old Testament say about tithing? Abraham gave a tenth of his spoils of war to Melchizedek (Gen. 14:20), and the book of Hebrews appeals to this account to support the superiority of Melchizedek’s priesthood over Levi’s  while pointing out Jesus superiority to Melchizedeks(Heb. 7:4–10). In fact I would argue that if 10% was good enough for Melchizedek then it is most certainly not enough for Jesus
God met Jacob at Bethel and promised him covenant blessings; the patriarch promised God a tenth of everything granted him (Gen. 28:22).

ABRAHAM AND JACOB PREDATE THE LAW!

A tenth of Israel’s seed, fruit, and flocks were given to the Lord (Lev. 27:30–32; Deut. 14:22–24; cf. 2 Chron. 31:5–6; Neh. 13:5, 12). The people gave a tenth to the Levites to support them (Num. 18:21–24; cf. Neh. 10:38; 12:44), and the Levites, in turn, were to give a tenth to the chief priest (Num. 18:25–28). Those who didn’t tithe were threatened with a curse, while those who did tithe were promised blessing (Mal. 3:8–10).

HARSH BUT TRUE..

Though we might assume Old Testament Israel gave a total of 10 percent, it’s actually difficult to discern how much was given. We can’t linger over details, but some think the Israelites gave 14 tithes over seven years; others believe they gave 12. Regardless, when we add the required tithes together, the amount certainly exceeded 10 percent. In fact, the number was probably somewhere around 20 percent per year.

Why Tithing Is Not Required Today

There are seven decisive reasons for saying Christians are not required to tithe.
1. Believers are no longer under the Mosaic covenant (Rom. 6:14–15; 7:5–6; Gal. 3:15–4:7; 2 Cor. 3:4–18).
The commands stipulated in the Mosaic covenant are no longer in force for believers. Some appeal to the division between the civil, ceremonial, and moral law to support tithing. Yet these divisions, I would observe, are not the basis Paul uses when addressing how the law applies to us today. And even if we use these distinctions, tithing is clearly not part of the moral law. It’s true the moral norms of the Old Testament are still in force today, and we discern them from the law of Christ in the New Testament, but tithing is not among these commands.
2. The examples of Abraham and Jacob are not normative patterns.
Some think tithing is required because both Abraham and Jacob gave a tenth, and they both lived before the Mosaic covenant was in place. Such examples hardly prove tithing is for all time, however. Abraham’s gift to Melchizedek was a one-time event; there is no evidence he regularly gave God a tenth.
Jacob’s giving of a tenth signified his gratefulness to God for promising to be with him and to protect him. His gratefulness and generosity still speak to us today, but a historical description of what Jacob gave doesn’t support the idea that all believers must give God a tenth of their income.
3. Tithes were given to the Levites and priests, but there are no Levites and priests in the new covenant.
Levites and priests were tied to the sacrificial system of the old covenant. Now all believers are priests (1 Pet. 2:9; Rev. 1:6; 5:10; 20:6), with Jesus as our Melchizedekian high priest (Heb. 7).
4. The tithe is tied to the land Israel received under the old covenant.
Israel was supposed to celebrate a tithe every three years in Jerusalem. But that requirement cannot apply to Christians today. It related to the Jews as a nation—to Jews who lived in the land of promise. With the coming of Christ, the Jewish nation is no longer the locus of God’s people, though individual Jews are part of the church through faith in Jesus.
The earthly Jerusalem is no longer central in God’s purposes (Gal. 4:25). Believers are part of the heavenly Jerusalem (Gal. 4:26) and look forward to the city to come (Heb. 11:10), to the new heavens and new earth (Rev. 21:1–22:5). Abraham isn’t heir of the land of Israel, but of the whole world (Rom. 4:13).
5. If tithing is required today, how much should we give?
As noted above, the number was certainly more than 10 percent and closer to 20 percent. Those who advocate tithing should probably settle on 20 percent.
6. When Jesus affirmed the tithe, it was before the dawn of the new covenant.
Some defend tithing by saying Jesus praised tithing, even if he said it was less important than other things (Matt. 23:23; Luke 11:42). This argument appears strong, but it’s not persuasive. Jesus also mentioned offering sacrifices in the temple (Matt. 5:23–24), but Christians don’t think—even if the temple were rebuilt—that we should do that. Our Lord’s words are understandable when we think about his location in redemptive history.


Jesus spoke about sacrifices and tithing before the cross and resurrection, before the dawn of the new covenant. He used tithing and sacrifices as illustrations when addressing his contemporaries. He kept the law since he was “born under the law” (Gal. 4:4). But we can no more take his words as a commendation for tithing today than we can his words about offering sacrifices.
7. Nowhere is tithing mentioned when commands to give generously are found in the New Testament.
When Christians are instructed to give to the poor, they aren’t commanded to give “the poor tithe.” Instead, they are instructed to be generous in helping those in need (Acts 2:43–47; 4:32–37; 11:27–30; Gal. 2:10; 1 Cor. 16:1–4; 2 Cor. 8:1–9:15). For example, 1 Corinthians 16:1–4—a passage often cited in popular circles in support—doesn’t mention tithing; it relates to a one-time gift for poor saints in Jerusalem.

Give Generously!

Even though tithing isn’t required today, it does not follow that believers should hoard their possessions.

We are commanded to support those who preach the gospel (Matt. 10:10; Luke 10:7; 1 Cor. 9:6–14; 1 Tim. 5:17–18). And while we should enjoy the good things God gives us, we are also called to be generous to those in need (1 Tim. 6:17–19; 2 Cor. 8–9). Wealth can so easily become an idol, leading us to abandon the Lord.
Since God is to be our treasure, believers are to give generously and freely. For many in the West, this will mean giving more than 10 percent.
Still, Scripture doesn’t command Christians to give a tenth—and Scripture, not tradition, is our rule and authority.

Lets close with this.
Hebrews 7:18-22
18 The former regulation (the law) is set aside because it was weak and useless 19 (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.
20 And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, 21 but he(Jesus) became a priest with an oath when God said to him:
“The Lord has sworn
    
and will not change his mind:
    
‘You are a priest forever.’”
22 Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant.

The better covenant is love not law, and it is the love of Christ that compels us!

may all that we have, all that we are, and all that we can, be available to Him for HIs Glory amen!