Greetings! (---Wrapped up in Huge Red Bows!) & A Holly Jolly Christmas to all my Team Mates And Fellow Beez1 Yes, Becky we can carry the Christmas Spirit through the whole year. I see that as a doable thing to be as giving and as charitable as we can give. It's not love and sacrifice if it doesn't hurt us because that shows the true Spirit of Love. 10% of our earnings is a beautiful gesture!! I think we will be blessed by doing this. In Malachi in the Bible it quotes the Lord as saying "Test me on this & see if I won't pour from heaven a blessing so much that the Windows of Heaven will open and you will not be able to contain it. Unshaken, Pressed Down and Overflowing. Your storerooms will not be able to receive it.
The strongest chain is only as strong as its weakest link. When we fail
to tithe, we become that weak link. Statistics show that approximately
20% of Christians tithe. That means, 80% of Christendom is not in
covenant with their God, but are like beggars and thieves looking for
handouts and what they can steal from Him.
I have said many times, it would be better to rob the First National
Bank than to rob the bank of Heaven. I'm sure most Christians don't see
it this way, because most Christians steal from God. Malachi 3:8 asks the question "Will
a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we
robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for
ye have robbed me, even this whole nation."
The Old Testament records two other tithes; one tithe was called the
"festival tithe," when they came to Jerusalem three times a year for
fellowship. The expense for the festival, (travel, food, etc.) was
taken from this tithe. The third tithe was given in the third year and
was a tithe holy unto the Lord. It was a tithe of almsgiving for the
poor and needy. All of these tithes were brought to the storehouse, and
the priest oversaw the distribution of same. The first tithe was for
the upkeep of the priests, since they had no inheritance. All of their
income and portion was to be given to them by God's people. This tithe
in and of itself, is not considered an offering. It is the minimum
requirement for all of God's people.
The
reason God instituted the second and the third tithe through Moses, was
that His children needed to give above and beyond this tithe. It is
these tithes that God is referring to in Malachi 3:8 where His people have robbed Him in tithes and offerings. In verse 10 of Malachi 3, you will notice that it states "Bring
ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine
house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will
not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that
there shall not be room enough to receive it."
I
am convinced that when people see the tithe as an instrument of
blessing they will not be looking for a way to give less, but a way to
give more. God will help them so that they can be generous on every
occasion. This seems to be the only place in the Bible that says to us that we can actually test God.
I think we can consider this and see what will happen with our Hive Team because of it. I can see ourselves successful because of this.
Please don't think that I am a Bible-thumper. I'm only trying to tell all of us that we're missing the boat. Most millionaires follow this 10% guideline but that does not limit us in our giving. We can give as big as our heart allows us to.
Love &
God Bless you & me
Merry Christmas
Thanks for all the beautiful Chruistmas graphics, Len & Thomas!!
Terry
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