GOD LOVERS AND CHEERFUL GIVERS
Sunday, September 03, 2006
No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stand by and be devoted to the one and despise and be against the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (deceitful riches, money, possessions, or whatever is trusted in). Matthew 6:24 AMP
Jesus says that no man can serve two masters—God and mammon. It’s like a see-saw—when one is up, the other is down; when one is down, the other is up. Mammon is riches—money, possessions, or whatever you trust in or rely upon. You either love mammon and hate God or you are devoted to God and despise mammon. If you have made a choice to serve God, it means that you have made a choice not to serve mammon, but if you have made a choice to serve mammon, it means that you have made a choice not to serve God.
Some people believe that owning money and/or possessions is bad, but God said that everything belongs to Him, so how can it all be bad? What’s bad is when we worship the creation and not the Creator. It’s bad to make stuff your god; your idol. If you have stuff and stuff does not have you, you are in a good place with God. When you recognize that the purpose of the stuff is to meet needs and to advance the Kingdom of God, then you will be able to have it and use it to glorify God not man. Because God loves people so much, He wants every need of man to be met. He wants us to be at peace, with every need met, spirit, soul and body. He wants us to know how much He loves us.
If we know how much He loves us, we will realize how much we have to be thankful for. Everything we have is His—even the next breath you breathe is His. He gave you your very life and breath! When you know how much He loves you, and you know that everything you have is really His, you will have no problem committing it to His care and giving it away to bless someone else. Because you are confident in His love for you, you know that even if you give everything away, you will be okay; you will be provided for; because God will take care of you and get you everything you could possibly need, and then some! If you truly love God with your heart and not just your mouth, then you will want to love and bless God and you will also want to love and bless other people.
The litmus test is whether or not you love God and your neighbor, is whether or not you can give your stuff away without a struggle. When you fall in love with Jesus, you become free from the love of stuff—it is not hard to give Him your stuff or your money. At the same time, the more you give, the easier it is to give. The more you obey God in your giving, the more you trust Him to meet your needs. The more you trust Him as your source and supply, the easier it is to give to Him of your substance. It’s a blessed cycle!
Now the company of believers was of one heart and soul, and not one of them claimed that anything which he possessed was [exclusively] his own, but everything they had was in common and for the use of all. 33 And with great strength and ability and power the apostles delivered their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace (loving-kindness and favor and goodwill) rested richly upon them all. 34 Nor was there a destitute or needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses proceeded to sell them, and one by one they brought (gave back) the amount received from the sales 35 And laid it at the feet of the apostles (special messengers). Then distribution was made according as anyone had need. Acts 4:32-35 AMP
In the Book of Acts, when people were newly saved and filled with the Holy Spirit, they absolutely fell in love with Jesus. Every bit or selfishness and self-centeredness left them. Suddenly, they only wanted to please God. Suddenly, they did not place so high a priority on their money and stuff. They did not think twice about selling things they owned and sharing it with their fellow Christians who had needs, and they did not begrudge it or regret it afterwards. They were happy to do it. They were so in love with Jesus that money and possessions were way down on their list of priorities. We must ask ourselves this question: Is Jesus our FIRST love or is He way down on the list somewhere? If you are not tithing and you are not free in your giving, you need to re-prioritize. Get a revelation of how much God loves you and how much He has done for you and how much He still wants to do for you. God has always been unstintingly generous with us. He has shown us His grace by giving us what we did not deserve and His mercy by not giving us what we did deserve! Freely you have received—freely give!
“To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, ‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: 2 “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; 3 and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. 4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place -- unless you repent. Revelation 2:1-5 NKJV
Recent:
Righteous Now
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV
Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come! 2 Corinthians 5:17 AMP
“Therefore if any man be in Christ…” What does it mean to be “in Christ”? Galatians 3:27 says, “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” You are baptized into Christ when you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Romans 10:9-10 says, “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” And Romans 10:13 says, “For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” The moment
Defeating Strife
These six things the Lord hates, indeed, seven are an abomination to Him: 17 A proud look [the spirit that makes one overestimate himself and underestimate others], a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that manufactures wicked thoughts and plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, 19 A false witness who breathes out lies [even under oath], and he who sows discord among his brethren. Proverbs 6:16-19 AMP
Faith Facts
Faith is persistent
Luke 11:9-10 AMP
So I say to you, Ask and keep on asking and it shall be given you; seek and keep on seeking and you shall find; knock and keep on knocking and the door shall be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks and keeps on asking receives; and he who seeks and keeps on seeking finds; and to him who knocks and keeps on knocking, the door shall be opened.
John 16:24 AMP
Up to this time you have not asked a [single] thing in My Name [as presenting all that I AM]; but now ask and keep on asking and you will receive, so that your joy (gladness, delight) may be full and complete.
Faith is single-minded
James 1:5-8 AMP
If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him. 6 Only it must be in faith that he asks with no wavering (no hesitating, no doubting). For the one who wavers (hesitates, doubts) is like the