There really is something deep deep deep to worshipping God recklessly with your substance. The connection between the treasure and the heart is way more literal than we really understand.
worship? enjoyment? Priority? Love? Does God really expect a full committment on our parts of any of those things? Even considering His knowledge of our selfish/carnal hearts? I suppose that’s why the forgiveness Jesus offers is so vital to us.
what i’m getting at is that the kingdom of God is an unseen realm for most people, and even most believers treat it like something you can think about but can’t touch. but what you own and what you earn is very tangible to you. so God says “come pour that out on me.” if we live in a place where we tip God with our offerings (10% at most), and we tip him with our time (an hour of church a week), we can expect his kingdom to seem very theoretical and unreachable. but if we’re willing to break open the safebox and start taking what’s really valuable to us and lavishing it on God…
there are times where if you’re really listening the Holy Ghost may ask you for your entire paycheck. believe it or not, you can live without it. the Holy Ghost moved a woman to pour a year’s worth of wages out on Jesus feet. The Holy Ghost moved a widow to put everything she had to live on in the offering. the Holy Ghost moved Barnabas to sell a piece of land and give the whole sale to the church. the Holy Ghost moved David to publicly give millions out of his own personal treasure for the building of the temple, and then stand back and say “who’s with me?”
this generation of faith-people could live with enough faith to just get by. or we could rise to a place in God where whether we live or whether we die, the kingdom of God is radically first. we wouldn’t file in and out of buildings and drop something in the offering basket to fulfill an obligation - we’d tip over earthly kingdoms of finance and media, we’d go hard after orphanages and strategic relief, we’d see wherever God is moving in the earth and literally pour out our lives to see the gospel written so large and plain that every living person has a chance to see Jesus as he is.
remember this: Jesus broke open his own body to wash your feet.
Are the things and sacrifices we can give to God able to measure up to what He expects? Micah 6:8, Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, and 1 Thessalonians 5:14-22 are some verses that come to mind that are explicit in God’s expectations of us. Maybe I’m a pessimist but I can’t see how we, as Christians, can be effective agents (or messengers) of His love on a worldwide basis without casting down sins stranglehold. I’m not saying anyone’s attempts are in vain, just not equivalant to God’s attempt (which would be immense).
I’m just hung up on the notion that I don’t know if I have anything to give to God. He’s given me my life, and I don’t even know if I am able to reciprocate the love He’s shown me.
you’re right - of yourself you can do nothing, especially when you put it comparison to what God can do or what God expects.
this is exactly why Jesus consistently told people that he could do nothing of himself, that what came out his life was the Father performing the works. the Holy Ghost wants to teach you 3 things: total dependence on his leadership, total distrust of your own human ability, and total confidence in God’s ability to perform what he’s promised to perform in you.
you’ve got the total distrust in your own human ability part down! now in Jesus’ name you begin to experience an overwhelming confidence in the Holy Ghost to lead you into the full measure of what God’s called you to. & it’s no coincidence that you quoted 1 thessalonians 5…just read a little further!
Our total enjoyment of Him.
There really is something deep deep deep to worshipping God recklessly with your substance. The connection between the treasure and the heart is way more literal than we really understand.
Priority.
our uninhibited love
worship? enjoyment? Priority? Love? Does God really expect a full committment on our parts of any of those things? Even considering His knowledge of our selfish/carnal hearts? I suppose that’s why the forgiveness Jesus offers is so vital to us.
The forgiveness Jesus offers is the permanent cure for selfish/carnal hearts >>
And what Father’s looking for isn’t so much full commitment as abandonment!
what i’m getting at is that the kingdom of God is an unseen realm for most people, and even most believers treat it like something you can think about but can’t touch. but what you own and what you earn is very tangible to you. so God says “come pour that out on me.” if we live in a place where we tip God with our offerings (10% at most), and we tip him with our time (an hour of church a week), we can expect his kingdom to seem very theoretical and unreachable. but if we’re willing to break open the safebox and start taking what’s really valuable to us and lavishing it on God…
there are times where if you’re really listening the Holy Ghost may ask you for your entire paycheck. believe it or not, you can live without it. the Holy Ghost moved a woman to pour a year’s worth of wages out on Jesus feet. The Holy Ghost moved a widow to put everything she had to live on in the offering. the Holy Ghost moved Barnabas to sell a piece of land and give the whole sale to the church. the Holy Ghost moved David to publicly give millions out of his own personal treasure for the building of the temple, and then stand back and say “who’s with me?”
this generation of faith-people could live with enough faith to just get by. or we could rise to a place in God where whether we live or whether we die, the kingdom of God is radically first. we wouldn’t file in and out of buildings and drop something in the offering basket to fulfill an obligation - we’d tip over earthly kingdoms of finance and media, we’d go hard after orphanages and strategic relief, we’d see wherever God is moving in the earth and literally pour out our lives to see the gospel written so large and plain that every living person has a chance to see Jesus as he is.
remember this: Jesus broke open his own body to wash your feet.
i really like the “priority” answer; it sticks…..connect this with the purity He brings and there is catalyst for effectiveness…
Are the things and sacrifices we can give to God able to measure up to what He expects? Micah 6:8, Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, and 1 Thessalonians 5:14-22 are some verses that come to mind that are explicit in God’s expectations of us. Maybe I’m a pessimist but I can’t see how we, as Christians, can be effective agents (or messengers) of His love on a worldwide basis without casting down sins stranglehold. I’m not saying anyone’s attempts are in vain, just not equivalant to God’s attempt (which would be immense).
I’m just hung up on the notion that I don’t know if I have anything to give to God. He’s given me my life, and I don’t even know if I am able to reciprocate the love He’s shown me.
you’re right - of yourself you can do nothing, especially when you put it comparison to what God can do or what God expects.
this is exactly why Jesus consistently told people that he could do nothing of himself, that what came out his life was the Father performing the works. the Holy Ghost wants to teach you 3 things: total dependence on his leadership, total distrust of your own human ability, and total confidence in God’s ability to perform what he’s promised to perform in you.
you’ve got the total distrust in your own human ability part down! now in Jesus’ name you begin to experience an overwhelming confidence in the Holy Ghost to lead you into the full measure of what God’s called you to. & it’s no coincidence that you quoted 1 thessalonians 5…just read a little further!