FLIPPING THE TABLES FOR THE SAKE OF LOVE
What's your heart condition?
Matthew 21:12 [ Cleansing the Temple ] And Jesus entered the temple [grounds] and drove out [with force] all
who were buying and selling [birds and animals for sacrifice] in the temple area, and He turned over the tables of the moneychangers [who made
a profit exchanging foreign money for temple coinage] and the chairs of those
who were selling doves [for sacrifice].
In Levitical Law, sacrificing an animal was the
atonement for sin. Amidst all the Old Testament
laws, God – who is always the same even says Exodus 25:2
“Tell the children of Israel to take
an offering for Me. From every man whose heart moves him [to give
willingly] you shall take My offering.
Giving has always been about the condition of the heart. Religion loves to taint what God made pure –
so giving has been one of the most controversial issues in the church since the
beginning.
We’ve
all been tainted by the preachers that send out the message - if you want to be
saved, send money. If you want to be
blessed, send money. I liken the sale of
the animals at the temple like a convenient ATM machine; if you forgot to bring
your sacrificial gift, buy a dove now for $29.99 and be healed. It's not about doing it in front of people to
look righteous; it's about your heart with God. It brings it back to that
giving out of obligation how, that's not how God wants you to give. Jesus paid the highest price! He paid with his life and all he's asking us
to do is to take care of his flock. To
take care of his flock cost money so if we can appreciate that immense
sacrifice, and honor the vision he has for the church and give out of a
grateful heart with just our money how much more would it be to give with our
entire lives? Liken it to when someone
has a birthday you didn’t plan for – how you don’t know what to buy them
because you don’t know their tastes very well, you don’t have the time to shop,
or you simply forgot so you flippantly write a check or get some lousy gift
card just to be sure you have SOMETHING… doesn’t it feel better when you have
taken the time to think about and plan out what to give, and when it’s
received, it’s received well? That is
how giving is with God – unlike people – he sees our heart like an x-ray and
knows in which condition we’re giving.
In
times of giving, I think people have trouble understanding what they're giving
for. Do we need to start flashing
pictures of the children that we’re feeding, the lives that we’re changing, the
things that are going on in the kingdom - for them to understand and see what
exactly every single dollar is being used for?
Your giving is not used to buy a beautiful lake house, it's not being
used for ridiculous expenses and riches; it's being used to change lives. You
feel good when you give to the March of Dimes, you feel good when you give to
St. Jude's because you know it's going for a specific cause; so when your heart
is in the giving, a Joy and satisfaction comes.
Knowing that you're giving towards the souls of the kingdom and that
your giving is going into all eternity; it's not temporal it's not temporary,
it's permanent and it will last forever. It's a gift that keeps expanding and growing
and never ceases I pray that the whole entire church body will have a
revelation of where their seed needs to go and that revelation will just break
their heart and cause them to start giving more. Think about it this way. Convert the dollars you normally give into
something visual - such as a loaf of
bread for the youth ministry to be feeding the children and then as you feel
your giving was good then next week, give enough to buy two loaves and three
loaves and four loaves etc.
I think by and large, the church body has seen
giving is a big black hole and they don't REALLY understand it. It's hard to give with a cheerful heart when
all you think you're doing is paying the light bill. I'll be the first to admit I've given out of
religious obligation, I've given out of fear of being cursed, I've given out of
need and I've given out of love, and I choose to believe that none of that seed
has ever been wasted - regardless of the heart condition that I gave and knowing
how much I've given; I still believe for my 100 fold, because God's grace is
sufficient for me and Jesus is blood covers all. And really, honestly, if you’re
concerned about the father of the house having expensive and elaborate things,
then you need to get yourself back in the word and discover for yourself that Proverbs 10:22 The blessing of the Lord brings
[true] riches, And He adds no
sorrow to it [for it comes as a blessing
from God].
Church, it’s time to get back to
giving like in the book of Acts. There
was NO NEED! Acts 4:32-36 Sharing among Believers 32 Now
the company of believers was of one heart and soul, and not one [of them]
claimed that anything belonging to him was [exclusively] his own, but everything
was common property and for the use of all. 33 And with
great ability and power the apostles were continuously testifying
to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace [God’s remarkable
lovingkindness and favor and goodwill] rested richly upon them all. 34 There
was not a needy person among them, because those who were owners of land or
houses were selling them, and bringing the proceeds of the sales 35 and
placing the money down at the apostles’ feet. Then it was distributed to
each as anyone had need36 Now Joseph, a Levite and native of Cyprus, who was surnamed [g]Barnabas by
the apostles (which translated means Son of Encouragement), 37 sold
a field belonging to him and brought the money and set it at the apostles’
feet.
Can you even begin to imagine what
kind of revival would come, what life would come to your brothers and sisters
in the Lord if we did what this early church did? If your neighbor were in need of a car and
you had an extra – and GAVE it without obligation or payment? Would you ever sell a home, or Land to help? What
an act of love it would be if all of us could act like the early church. IT’S ALL ABOUT LOVE! When the body of Christ finally rises up and
can stop being so selfish – the WORLD will start seeing our light more
brightly!
What if we were all so financially
healed that when we see a non-believer in need that we generously give, just to be an act of love? The world is selfish – BUT OUR GOD IS A GENEROUS
GOD. It’s time for us church – to stand
up and declare – I am going to live my life debt free; I am going to be a
generous giver. It’s time we started
aligning ourselves with the vision God has for the world instead of self-seeking
to get all we can get. We were not given
a poverty spirit. In your giving declare
– I am prosperous! I was blessed – so now
I can be a blessing.
Father God – I declare over all the
people reading this a REPENTANT HEART, a REPENTANT MIND, a REPENTANT
SPIRIT. Father in the name of Jesus I
COMMAND souls to LINE UP with the WORD OF GOD and KNOW their TRUE IDENTITY as
BELIEVERS. We walk NOT according to our flesh
but in the spirit. Forgive us for our
selfishness. Thank you for gracing us to
change and be renewed in our mindsets. Thank
you for freeing us from the bondages of oppression so that we can be GENEROUS
JUST LIKE OUR DADDY! Lead us not into
the temptation of stealing your seed God.
I declare today that we as a body REFUSE to participate any longer with
the spirit of the world. In Jesus name –
Open up your storehouses and see the kingdom of heaven flow like it has never
done before. Because we believe in the
name of Jesus WE ARE BLESSED!
“If you [really] love
Me, you will keep and obey My commandments.
but so that the world may know [without any doubt] that I love the Father, I do exactly as the
Father has commanded Me [and act
in full agreement with Him]. Get up, let us go from here.
This [is what] I command
you: that you love and
unselfishly seek the best for one another.
Matthew 22:36-40Amplified Bible (AMP)36 “Teacher, which is the greatest
commandment in the Law?” 37 And
Jesus replied to him, “ ‘You shall
love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with
all your mind.’ 38 This
is the first and greatest commandment. 39 The second is like it, ‘You shall
love your neighbor as yourself [that is, unselfishly seek the
best or higher good for others].’ 40 The
whole Law and the [writings of the] Prophets depend on these two commandments.”
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