Willing

Are you willing to lay down your life for the gospel?  I wonder how many in the western world would be willing to do this!!  Possibly, because we were the most prosperous nation in the world at one time, which I think is changing rapidly, because we have forsaken God, we have been hoodwinked into believing a lie and have been taught a very shallow grace by some in the Christian world which is not what God intended at all.  The prosperity religion has blinded our eyes and, instead of us thinking it is better to give than receive, we have turned that around to thinking it is better to receive than to give.  I might be typing this but believe me I am just as guilty as anyone and I am ashamed of myself.   It seems like the more you think you know, the less you really do know.  Yes you may have head knowledge, but if it hasn’t affected your heart then all it is knowledge unapplied.

Read what it says in Matthew 8:20, “And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’”

It says something very similar to this in Luke 9:56.  Jesus didn’t call us to an easy life, He called us to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him.  If you were able to look into many believers homes you would see right away that many have not denied themselves but they have things in abundance, living high on the hog so to speak.  I am not saying it is wrong to have anything but what most of us call moderation has become the abundant life, living far beyond our means and many of us think nothing of maxing out our credit cards to the point that we can’t even pay our bills and what kind of a witness is that to our creditors?  

This isn’t an easy lesson and it may be a hard pill to swallow, you might say, but once it is swallowed I hope it may bear much fruit.  Jesus said if you know the truth, the truth will set you free.   

When people can’t pay their bills they bring much stress on themselves and their families and this can cause sickness, strokes and even heart attacks because of high blood pressure.  It can also be the cause of fights and all kinds of problems, also cause marriages and relationships to disintegrate and be destroyed.  The Lord wants us to have the abundant life, yes, but I think many of us have believed the lie that it just means more and more material blessings, just an overabundance of things.  Maybe we need to rethink this - who comes to steal, kill and destroy?  It is our enemy, so could he be behind all this materialistic way of thinking?

Here is another problem with this way of thinking; many that call themselves believers are robbing God.  You might say, how are we robbing God?  Let me ask you a question; are you paying your tithes and have you got anything for offerings?  Compared to the number of people that claim to be believers very few pay their tithes.  

Read what God said to the Israelites about this in Malachi 3:8-12, “Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.”

In Malachi’s day the people ignored God’s commands to pay tithes and offerings and I am afraid that many are doing the same thing today.  Look at what God said He would do if His people paid their tithes and offerings.  Does God need our money?  No, it is our obedience He wants.  God loves a cheerful giver, but is it God’s fault when we over spend and can’t afford to give to God what belongs to God, or if we are just plain selfish?  Of course not, it is our fault.  God’s purpose is to prosper us and not harm us but to give us a hope and a future, which we all like to claim, but some of these other things we would like to ignore but we can’t, and still be right with God.  The way I think, from what I have read, is the abundant life is His peace, love and joy given to us at our rebirth and also our freedom from sin.  It is not just material blessings, although He does also bless us that way at times, but we may not receive some of these blessings until we stand before Him in His kingdom someday.             

Like I have said before, I am not a pastor, so check these things out for yourselves and find out what the real truth is.  I have given you something to think about.  Have a super day and may the good Lord bless you and yours and you might want to thank and praise the Lord for He is worthy!!