Sowing and Reaping

Today our Pastor Dave and Pastor Fred did a tag team effort on their sermons about tithing.  Both pastors brought great insight and knowledge about what tithing is and isn't.  One thing that is very clear in our tithing, is that we need to do it for God and not for ourselves.  What I mean is that when we give, if we are giving to get something from God, we have already lost what we were hoping for.

We need to give out of an abundant heart of love towards God, not for what we can gain.  I have always loved tithing, and I even had some trouble once, because I gave some pennies, and for some reason, it was a problem.  I don't know why, I just remember everyone asking me if I had given that money, and I told them, "yes, I did, but I didn't understand what the problem was."  I guess it might have been a specific amount given that blew them away, or I have no clue, but it left me with a determination to give, even if no one else understood why I gave, or how I gave.  I was going to give, like God always led me to give.  Freely and completely.

There is a verse in the Bible that talks about us reaping what we sow.  The world calls it "Karma", but it has been in the Bible a long time.  It is a truth that many of us are just learning about, but it is true nonetheless.  I have been led by God to give flowers from time to time.  I never know why He has led me to do so, but I have done it in faith.  In the years since I have done that, I have reaped lovely bouquets of flowers of all kinds.  Star of Davids, fresh flowers from gardens, these lovely Narcissus blooms that a friend gave me for a birthday gift.  Flowers from my husband and children, tulips, and so many more precious blessings.  I have found that the kindness of remembrance to ease a hurting heart, has been more than replenished in my life, at times when I, too, needed those lovely blooms to help me along.

What have you sown lately?  Good or bad?  Truth or lies?  Help or a turned back?  Have you sown into God's Kingdom by tithing?  Truly that is the most awesome gift given to us.  I recently sent a tithe to someone who God had laid on my heart to give to.  This person ministers to the Lord, by helping others with no hope of being given payment for her time and effort.  God told me she is His minister, and that I was to seed into her life.  The gift I gave to her, has enabled her to get a computer to help in even more ways.  She had been trusting God for the money, and Isolino and my obedience, helped her to do that.  Now, we have a part in her ministry, because of that seed that was sown.  When we give to our local church bodies, we help them to help others that need help.  Because of our little church body, people in disaster areas have been helped.  We have a few husband and wife teams that go out and help in these disaster areas and their help is vital to those in such need.  One husband went to Haiti a few times, and his sharing of that time was tremendous.  We are part of that, through our fellowship together, and how our church seeds into this ministry.

You may not always agree with how the money is spent or what its going for, but your job is to not give to the church because you agree with them, but because God has placed you there, and you are called to support your local body.  You are to be giving to God, not man anyway.  So, if you think you are giving to man, by tithing to the church, then you have already gotten it wrong.  What the people of the church do with that money, is even a greater place of obedience.  You see, once you give, they are answerable to God in how they use that money.  You are the one that has acted in obedience to give as God lays on your heart to give.