First Blood

Everytime I become a new employee, there is this so-called "First Blood" thingy. A ritual that "requires" you to give a blowout of some sort to new co-employees when you have received your first pay in the company.

Proverbs 3:9-10 reads "Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine."

Wow. Even God needs that sort of engagement. :) And we benefit from it.



Thank you Lord!

Yes, we can challenge God!

Malachi 3:10 reads "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it." And this scripture is a key to harboring so much blessing in my life.

I. What is Tithing

It is giving the ten percent of what you have to the work of the Lord. It is generally accepted that tithe should be given to the organization which nurtures your spiritual life. To some extent the tithe is given directly to the head pastor. But in all these the principle reamins: since you are supporting these workers of the Lord, it is the Lord's obligation to throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have enough storage to contain them.


II. What to Tithe

Since we can give only what we have then we can tithe from three categories:

• Time - everyone of us have 24 hours in a day and as such 2.4 hours each day much have been offered to the work of the Lord - prayer, worship, evangelism, discipleship, etc...

• Treasure - financial gains from salaries, bonuses, profits, commissions, etc... WARNING: the economies of scale seem to drag us from tithing. Imagine you are earning ten thousand pesos a month, it would be easy to tithe one thousand. And God will bless you of course! Hence the next year you are earning fifty thousand pesos a month, would it be easy to tithe five thousand pesos? Of course! And God will bless you even more! So the next year you are earning one hundred thousand pesos per month? The ten thousand peso tithe would not worry you, right? How about God blessing your business with one million peso profit per month? It should not burden you to give one hundred thousand pesos each month to the work of the Lord.

• Talent - your unique abilities that provides help to the body of Christ. WARNING: almost all presume they have none but God is telling you otherwise.
  

III. Benefit of Tithing

When I tithe, I am spared of being accused of robbing God. Remember, tithing is NOT optional rather it is REQUIRED of God's people. It is really God's amusing way of getting us to riches/abundance/prosperity.

Imagine: God will throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that I will not have room enough for it! That is incredibly incredible!

Finally, this is the only act that God dares us to challenge Him. Funny isn't it? Yes we can challenge God!



Lord, thank you so much!

Living a Life of Holiness

God is calling His people to live a holy life. Holiness is a requirement and NOT an option for God's people.

1. The Necessity of Holiness
   
   
   
   1. Because God is Holy (Lev 11:44)
   
   
   2. It is the kind of life God requires (Heb 12:14; 1 Thes 4:7; 1 Pet 1:15-16)
   
   


2. The Way to Holiness
   
   
   
   1. Setting us free from sin and becoming slaves to God (Rom 6:22)
   
   
   2. By Christ's physical body through his death (Col 1:22; Heb 10:10; Lev 20:8)
   
   


3. The Result of Holiness
   
   
   
   1. You will be anointed by God (1 John 2:20,27)
   
   
   2. You will be used by God (Luke 4:18; 1 Sam 10:1)
   
   
   3. You will be protected by God (Ps 105:15; 1 Chron 16:22; 1 John 5:18)
   
   

Holiness is the way to live a life that pleases God.

Lord Jesus, may you find me holy in your sight.