HELEN SANDERS
5-13-2020
WILL A MAN ROB GOD?
One of the things as a Pastor that I didn’t like to talk about was money. I often would even forget to take up the offering in our Church service. I didn’t want people to think that I was in the ministry for “money.” Yet, this caused the people to be unprepared when it comes to money. Often there is a quote that says, “Money is the root of all evil.” That is not scriptural. It says that the
“love of money is the root of all evil.”
((I Timothy 1:10) Money in itself isn’t evil. It is when all we center our loves around is “money” that it becomes evil.
Do you remember the story of “King Midas”? King Midas asked that everything he touched would turn to gold, and it did. Everything, including his family that he touched turned to gold. The gold destroyed him. I am sure he was sorry that he asked for it. I have seen lack of money destroy a family, and an abundance of money destroy a family. You see, poor families that only think about getting more money are bound in this trap, as well as those that have more than enough and want more.
So, let’s talk about prosperity. The purpose to prosper is not to heap fortunes up and store them in a barn. This was a parable that Jesus taught. In Luke 12:16-20 he tells the story of a rich man that had ground that brought forth plentifully. He didn’t have a barn big enough room to store all of the “increase”. He decided to pull down his small barns and build bigger barns to store it all in. He figured by doing this that he would have enough for himself for many years with the intent of living the eat, drink, and be merry life. God had other plans for him. That night God said,
“Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?”
This let’s us know that storing up for “self” is not the thing to do.
In Deuteronomy 8:18 God reminded the Hebrew children of this.
“But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.”
God brought them into the promised land and gave them homes and lands that they didn’t build, and prospered them in all they did, but it was for one purpose. To establish God’s Covenant. Wealth in the hands of a believer is for one purpose, my friends, to get the gospel out to the world. It takes money to do this, and that is why God has prospered people.
There are many wealthy people in the world today that are ungodly. They have their own agenda, but one day that money will do them no good when their soul is required of them. God calls them fools.
God wants to bless us and wants us to prosper. III John 1:2 says,
“Beloved, (that’s you and I) I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health even as thy soul prospers.”
When your soul is prospering, then God will prosper you in other ways. Your soul is your mind, will, and emotions. We prosper in those areas as we study the Word of God and listen to anointed teachers and preachers that instruct us in the ways of God.
Do I believe in the prosperity of a Christian? Absolutely, if they are going to use it for the right reason. There are ministries that have not used money for the kingdom, but there are many ministries that are using it for God. Most people don’t speak about the ones that are doing good. Most of the time the motive behind badmouthing is really jealousy. Never be jealous of someone or some ministry that is doing right with what God has given them.
It takes money to minister my friends. Even this newsletter takes money. Nothing is free to those that minister. Pray that God prospers those that are doing the right thing so they can continue doing it.
Always make sure you give your
tithe
(10% of all that you earn, whether money or crops or other goods) to the place that feeds you spiritually , whether it is your local church or an online ministry. Offerings are above tithes. In Malachi 3:8 it says:
“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. 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. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.”
Your financial support through tithes and offerings will cause God to rebuke the devourer when he comes. It is a promise you can stand on. Never hold back regardless of your circumstances. God will provide. Remember, God prospers us to establish his covenant! May you be blessed in your giving so others can be blessed also.
