12/01/2021 - OFFERINGS ARE NOT EVERYTHING

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Give to the Lord the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come into His courts.  Psalm 96:8

Many don’t have time for God, but say they believe in Him and expect from Him the salvation of their souls, as well as the healing of illness and the deliverance of addictions. To prove that their “love” for Him is great, they fool themselves by sending offers to help the church. But does the Word teach us that, or do they only cling to half of the three revelations of the Most High inserted in this verse?

In the early 1980s, a man came to me and said that his boss was very wealthy and needed to quit smoking, but couldn’t stop, despite medical treatments and prayers. He said he had talked to his boss about how God used me, and so he had someone tell me that if I prayed and he was delivered of the addiction, he would donate a million dollars to me.

My answer was biblical. I said that Jesus heals us from incurable diseases, and neither the Lord nor I needed that money. If he came to my services, I would say the prayer of faith. Then, if he believed, he would be healed. If he wanted to make an offer, he should do it according to God’s guidance. After all, the Most High does not accept any payment for His benefits. But the man never came to church. You simply don’t buy divine favor.

The first part of the message is clear: we must give the Father the glory due to His name. The Lord will be ashamed of anyone who is ashamed of Him. When you understand God’s move, pray and receive the blessing, you will understand that He must be honored with your praise, according to the extent of His operation. To whom loves little, little is forgiven – according to the measure that God uses (Luke 7:47).

The second is similar to the first, although it talks about delivering the offer. The Almighty does not work where there is no faith. When healing two blind men who pleaded for blessing, Jesus said that the work would be done according to their faith (Matthew 9:29). Faith comes by hearing, and the offer must be given according to what you have heard from God. When the pastor asks who wants to give a certain amount and you feel like making that contribution, such an offer will surely please the Most High.

The third talks about entering his courts, which in the Bible refers to the place of prayer in the temple. When you pray, you often enter into a spiritual battle and cannot fail to declare what the Scriptures say about the subject you are fighting for. In that case, prayer is a judgment in which the opposing party will make the accusation, trying to prove that you have to suffer because of this and that. You will defend yourself according to biblical teachings. He who does not defend himself in court will be condemned. Stay alert!

If you want to get rid of evil, fulfill these three parts. Failing to give glory to the Lord will deprive you of the blessing; failing to deliver the offering you felt in your heart will rob you of God’s work. Finally, enter God’s courts and defend yourself. Use what you have learned in preaching or reading the Word!

In Christ, with love,

R. R. Soares