Understanding Giving: That thing called ‘The Offering’

So my Pastor has been teaching about giving, and because I’m a good person (he he he), I’ve been reproducing my notes on here for you good people of God. There’s another dimension or teaching on understanding giving here (you’re welcome).

Ready? Quick prayer: Dear Lord, may these letters bring light to our hearts and life to our hands. May we be blessed and divinely guided by reason of your word we’re sharing here today. Amen.

Ok, let’s go for it!
An offering is something precious given to God as part of worship; consistent with the worship of God is the giving of an offering. In Genesis 4, we learn that offerings predated tithes (Genesis 14)
Six elements of an offering

1. The gift, the thing that is brought.

2. The giver, just as important as the gift brought.

3. The receiver. There are two people involved in receiving the offering; the church, and God.

4. The offer. You can give an offering without offering it because ‘the offer’ is of the mind. Ananias and Sapphira brought an offering but it wasn’t offered.

5. The acceptance or the rejection. The receiver reserves the right to accept or reject the offering.

6. The blessing. Every time an offering is offered and it is accepted, there is a blessing.
*It is better to give to the poor than to give to your pastor. Matthew 25: 34-46
Ten thoughts about offerings

1. There are different types of offerings. Worship offerings (typically given at church services), project offerings (Moses collected this from the Israelites when they were building the temple), charity offerings, prophet offerings, partnership, first fruit, etc.
*Every time God calls for a seed, it’s because there’s a harvest ahead.

2. Offerings can either be free willed or commanded.

Don’t give emotionally, don’t ever feel pressured to commit yourself to an offering or pledge you’ve not been led to commit to by God.
3. The first person to bring an offering in the Bible was Cain, but that offering was rejected.

Genesis 3.
4. The second person to bring an offering was Abel, and it was accepted. So Cain was the first to ‘bring’, but Abel was the first to ‘give’.

*Cain’s offering was rejected not because it was grains and fruits and Abel’s was animals, but because it wasn’t his best.
5. There are two components in every gift; the material component which is seen, and the honour component which ascends to God.
*The weight of the offering is not in the material component but in the honour; it’s the heart from which the gift is brought.
6. The heart, attitude, character, and motive of the offering is just as important as the offering brought. Where the heart is malicious, angry, or impure, the offering is lost. Genesis 4:4-7.

Matthew 5:23-24
*Your destiny should be too important for malice.
The most important gift is our hearts and souls to Christ, it is only then we have as it were accounts where our offerings are recorded.
7. The offering is a spiritual seed, the soil is the heart of the giver. Joy fertilises our seed (reason why we’re told to give cheerfully).
8. God is the ultimate recipient of all the gifts we give.
9. Humans are involved in the receipt of any offering, whether it is to the poor, our parents, in church, wherever. Offerings are not only given in church.
10. 2 Corinthians 9:7 Bring what you’ve purposed in your heart.
Plan your giving, and give your best (within your means). Don’t treat God like a conductor.
Be prompt in your giving.
Pay your vows. Better not to vow than to vow and not pay. Ecclesiastes 5: 4-6

I hope this blessed you, and I pray you have a fabulous week!

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Understanding giving… Why, when, how, where, to whom?

Welcome to church!

So my church pastor started a series on giving, and I’ve enjoyed it so much I’ll try my best to share it with you! Ready?

Giving and receiving are cardinal functions of life that cannot be broken or suspended without consequences. Life as we know it operates on the principle of giving and receiving.
Giving and receiving is one of the most misunderstood concepts in the church because people approach God like they approach gambling.

Why do we give?
1. We give because it is a law. Luke 6:38

Most times you don’t reap where you sow, you reap what you sow.

2. We give because we are in love with God.

3. We give because we are alive, to sustain life.

4. We give to honour God, and to honour man. Proverbs 3:9.

*The first fruit principle: By choice, not to be compelled. It is the first increase in anything we’re doing.

5. We give to be of help. Luke 10:33.

The reason why some people are hungry is because some others are greedy.

6. We give to worship God. Exodus 23:15

7. We give to stir the covenant we have with God.

8. We give to stop plagues, to destroy hardship. 2 Samuel 24:17-25

9. We give to provoke a blessing.

10. Giving moves God.

When do we give?
1. According to Ecclesiastes 11:6, we are to give every time.

2. We give in season and out of season.

3. We give when we have, and when we don’t have.

It is not what you give, but the heart behind the gift.

Where do we give?

1. Giving must begin at home.

2. On the street. Giving to people who are disadvantaged and cannot give back to you is one of the most fertile soils.

3. You give in church.

4. You give in the office.

How to give?

1. Give cheerfully. The attitude with which you give is just as important as the gift you give. 2 Cor 9:7

2. Give tearfully. Psalm 126:6

3. Give sacrificially, going beyond the call of duty in giving your seed. It is the giving that comes at a cost.

4. Give bountifully. 2 Cor 9:6 Bountifulness is not in the quantity but in the quality.

5. Give consistently.

6. Give systematically.

7. Give with expectation. “It is a sin to give without expectation” – Mike Murdock.

Who to give to?

1. To God

2. To your family

3. To the house of God

Matthew 5:23

Give to widows. Galatians 2:10

Give to strangers, Hebrews 13:2

*It is better to give to the poor, than to give to your pastor.”
Giving doesn’t have to be money. There are a lot of things we can give!

1. Money. 2. Time. 3. Talent. 4. Material things. 5. Good words. 6. Food, drinks, and water.

7. Shelter. 8. Good smiles!

Give someone a smile today!

#31Days31Writers: Matilda learned her “simplicity is her crown and her cross!”

Whoop! Our entry for today is a very dear friend who is using our hearts to do ‘tumbom tumbom’ by moving between Lagos and Abuja (don’t worry my dear you’re coming back next year)!

Tilly and I have been friends since 2008, and moved from Aso Radio to the working for the Queen (BBC World Service Trust, now Media Action) together. We’ve spent happy and sad times together, and have enjoyed many a turnup together! I’m excited that she’s on the blog today, and hope you enjoy her piece as much as I did!

I haven’t found the appropriate words to describe my year thus far. When it started, I had no resolutions nor defined plans. At the time, I was freelancing at a company where I was working for next to nothing but its attendant experience. A few friends thought I was crazy but for me it was also a period of penance -my Catholic background may have influenced this thought.

You see, I had made a judgement call late last year that cost me dearly and in Pharisee-like manner of over two thousands years past, I was handed over to be judged and I fell short. For a while I battled with self-doubt but had to  perfect the facade of ‘….’ Fortunately, my absolution came in form of a doppelgänger and she is one of the many things I am thankful for as I write. She’s fast become a mentor and friend. My confidence level now nko (you may ask), well it’s shooting through the ozone level!

I am thankful for my family; Iya Wale, Engineer, Wale, Lyna, Daniel & Daniela as well as Phil. We started the year in good health of mind and body, still are in top form and are confident in God that we will end the year happy and healthy.

I am also thankful for the realisation that my simplicity is my crown and my cross. I struggled for a while to accept this as I was often taken for granted but knowing how powerful it can be, I count this gift more than once when counting my blessings.

I am most grateful for my friends and acquaintances, too numerous to mention but especially for these two:
1. Okechukwu Jake Effoduh who has been my trusted partner, friend, cheerleader, style consultant and more rolled into one for many years. Those who know him will understand the depth of pride and admiration that fills my heart to be blessed with such a friend who is not only selfless but also grows in leaps and bounds daily.  Though we don’t see often, the expression “outta sight is outta mind” doesn’t resonate with us. #NuffSaid

2.  Omolola Faleye: her resilience and generosity I am in awe of. She’s been my guardian angel and I am thankful for her everyday and thrice on Sunday!

I am thankful for the unions of friends and births witnessed this year: for Big Mo and Willie; Franque and Oyin; Akin and Jola, Tega and Tracey – to mention a few.

I regret time spent second-guessing myself and a few epic moments when I didn’t tell someone off; they earnestly deserved it! For 2016, I wish and will work towards more laughter, a consistent walk with Christ, opportunities to travel the world and write, but most of all, ataraxia unlimited.

I am thankful for the ability to write this post for my dearest friend, Chico on my cracked-screen phone with 11% battery power on a hot night warding off mosquitoes, it means I can still feel something despite the tiredness that grips my body after a long day at a job I am most thankful for.

Laughter… Gorgeous girl…

I think I took this picture!! I should consider photography as an alternate source of income, whatchu think?

My gorgeous, happy friend! Here’s to a fabulous 2016, full of great joy, the fulfilment of all our hearts desires, and lots of egg on the faces of our enemies!

Mwah!

Forgive me, I’m human!

Greetings from my lodgings in Earls Court, where I am holed up for a few days, trying to collect my thoughts, sleep uninterrupted (by my thoughts) for a few days, and just breathe air that isn’t disturbed by fuel scarcity, PHCN, or expensive data.

I went to church on Sunday, and guess who the Minister for the day was? Pastor Brian Houston! The man himself! No way! I was ecstatic! The title of his message is the title of this post (centered on temptation), and I hope it brings hope, light, and encouragement to you like it did for me!

James 1: 12-15 (and we read The Message version)

¹² Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life.

^13-15 Don’t let anyone under pressure to give in to evil say, “God is trying to trip me up.” God is impervious to evil, and puts evil in no one’s way. The temptation to give in to evil comes from us and only us. We have no one to blame but the leering, seducing flare-up of our own lust. Lust gets pregnant, and has a baby: sin! Sin grows up to adulthood, and becomes a real killer.

There is no shortage of ways we can or are tempted for the sole reason that we are human. For every temptation, there is a pain/pleasure route that presents as options and determines if we have pleasure or pain at the end.

1 John 2: 16

Hebrews 4:5

12 things about temptation

1. Temptation is a control freak and a manipulator. Romans 7: 18 – 20
2. Temptation targets our weaknesses and our most vulnerable seasons
3. Temptation reasons like a seasoned academic or an articulate debater. That’s why there will always be a ‘justification’ for sin. 2 Corinthians 3. Our thoughts lead to Imaginations, which lead to High things (or arguments in favor of the sin) which lead to it taking a Stronghold.
4. Temptation rationalizes the irrational and defends the indefensible
5. Temptation’s seduction is as masterful as its abandonment is stunning.
6. Temptation promises like a friend and disappoints like an enemy.
7. It is overwhelmingly self-indulgent and has no regard/thought for the people you love and respect
8. Temptation is a mocker – mocking God’s plans and desires for us
9. Temptation will inevitably come round for another round

• Temptation magnifies the immediate and clouds the permanent or the eternal.
• Temptation blinds you to wisdom and opens us up to folly. Proverbs chapters 1 through 9.

James 1:5

Here’s the thing though – we cannot beat temptation through fear but by the love of Christ. Understanding God’s love for us and His sacrifice on our behalf and living our lives to show Him our love is a great tool to triumph over temptations.

1 John 5:2

Temptations are rooted in our desires or passions but the truth is not all desires/passions are bad. So how about not killing them but repurposing/refocusing them? How about consciously focusing on God and things of God? There won’t be much room for anything else.

So, a few things

1. Don’t go there in your mind.
2. Don’t underestimate the power of our friends on us – sometimes we need to cut some people out of our lives because they help create a conducive environment for sin to thrive.

I was thoroughly blessed by that word, and it is my hope that this has encouraged you. Another thing during the service that touched me was the encouragement we got before we gave our offerings and I will attempt to share that with you.

The pastor read from Luke 15 (the story of the prodigal son) and talked through how sometimes it is our sacrifices in church that pave the way for others. So, the Prodigal Son had stuff to come back to because others continuously labored. So, when next you’re putting an offering in church, cleaning, or serving in some unit or the other, have it at the back of your mind that your service is preparing the way for someone else to come to Jesus.

 

Have a fabulous rest of the week (fuel, electricity scarcity notwithstanding)!

Light, love, and God’s many blessings!

*Written on the 10th of May.

Secrets to answered prayers a.k.a how/when to pray

“Every time you pray, attach a scripture to it and you are guaranteed an answer from God because He cannot deny/ignore His word.”

This is one of the things Daddy Adeboye started his message with, and I was hooked. Simple logic really, but super effective. Remember school days when we had to write exams? Especially if you schooled in Nigeria where reproduction was promoted over individual thought/reflection, you’re more assured of high grades if you give the lecturer his words in an exam/test.

Same thing with God (except we have free will and are not under any compulsion to do anything) – what does His word say? Are you saying those words back to him?

So question is, do you know His Word? Here’s a few things God has said concerning us:

Mark 16:17-18 – “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” 

Matthew 10: 7-8 “And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.”

Isaiah 41:10-14 – “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous.”

 

What is God to you? Who is His son Jesus to you?

According to Matthew 1:21 He is our savior, Exodus 15:26 calls Him our healer, Psalm 23:1-6 pegs Him as our comprehensive provider, John 15:1-5 says he is the fruitful vine, on and on, and on.

Know your God! Ladies and gentlemen know your God! You can only witness effectively about someone you know intimately. Take time learning and communicating with God!

Mark 2: 1-2 – The reason why my prayers might go unanswered is that the answers I seek do not have anything to add to the kingdom of God. How do your plans fit into the plans of God?

According to the scripture below, where are you ‘bringing joy’?

Acts 8: 5- 8 – “Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was great joy in that city.”

Once I become addicted to soul winning, John 15: 16 takes full effect in my life! What an easy way to get God’s permanent attention!

 

And then we prayed! Ahh! Daddy Adeboye is super proficient in leading prayers o, no gainsaying that at all. Here are the prayer points we used (paraphrased and can just be used as a guide)

 

1. Worship Him generously
2. Thank Him abundantly – for all the things we normally take for granted
3. Lord you always answer people who worship you. As I worship, answer me today
4. Father you commanded that I be fruitful and multiply – let those words find abundant expression in my life
5. Father you promised that everyone who goes out to witness for you would be given whatever they asked for. Give to me (only pray this if you’re actually sharing the word o!)
6. Save millions today Lord – this harvest is ripe – all over the world mighty father
7. You said you came so I can have life and it more abundantly. Let me enter into and enjoy your abundance mighty Lord.

May God hear and bring speedy answers to our prayers in Jesus name!

Have a fabulous week ahead!

xx

Unashamed, I’m going all in!

What are you going all in for?

Believe it or not, this advert was played in my church (Hillsongs, Dominion Theatre, London), the day before my birthday, the 19th of May! This is where you feel bad if you didn’t send me a card or a wish on my birthday!

Back to church, I don’t remember who preached; I know it was a guy and I can see his face in my head but his name escapes my head. Title of the message though was ‘going all in’, hence the advert.

Bibles and notepads out please? Lord let your word take root, germinate, and bring forth fruit in our lives this week, and always, in Jesus name. Amen!

Turn your Bibles to Romans 1:16. It says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

Very quickly, the good news is the gospel of Jesus Christ!

So, how do we go all in?

1. Understand what the good news is all about: if you don’t, you can’t live it convincingly.

We should never forget that Jesus didn’t come to the earth to make bad men good, He came to make the dead alive, and to make the old new.

2. Fall in love with the good news. Love it beyond the thoughts and opinions of your friends and family. How do you show your love?

• With our thoughts – Matthew 9:16
• With our treasures – Matthew 6:21
• With our time – Proverbs 6: 9
• With our talk – Matthew 15:18

*Notice that talk comes last? Simply means we should think and act it before we start to run our mouths about who we are or are not worshipping.

3. Become confident in the good news. We shouldn’t conform or change our beliefs because of the people around us (that’s the reason we really need to understand and love the good news. It makes us unshakeable!)

St Augustine said,, “the truth is like a light, you don’t need to defend it; all you need to do is let it out and it will defend itself”.  That’s a message we all need to take with us everywhere we go. Some times it feels like we want to ‘fight for God’ when it says clearly in the Bible that He is more than capable and ready to fight for us. Let the light of God’s word shining through our thoughts, talk, and actions be all the ‘defence’ we put out for the kingdom, and quit with all the bashing of other religions. It’s that self-righteous, ‘hoity-toity’ that makes people reject us and our message.

4. Become addicted to the good news. When we fall in love, we want to be with our partners all the time, we think of them all the time, we want to talk about them and how wonderful they are any chance we get, we’re sad when we don’t hear from them, etc! It should be the same with the gospel – if we claim we love God, let’s show it!

1 Corinthians 9:27 – ” But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”

5. Give glory to the creator of the good news

The one thing that separates us from the athletes in the advert is that we don’t give the glory to ourselves but to the Lord.

Psalm 108: 1 – 5 – “O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory/Awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early…”

Luke 7: 36 – 48

Jesus isn’t two kings, he isn’t three aces, he’s the royal flush baby!! He’s the best hand we could ever have!

This week, what/who are you going all in for? Choose wisely!

Related articles

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• Eric Ludy – The Gospel (gracefulsalvation.wordpress.com)
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Unveiling the Mystery of Sanctification…..

Welcome to church!!

Sorry this category hasn’t been populated in a little while, doesn’t mean I haven’t been going to church. Ok I’ll be honest and say I have missed a few services in the last few weeks, but we’re back on track now!

Message for this week is titled: unveiling the mystery of sanctification and it was sometime in October 2012. Bible and notepad out yet?

He started by saying that the priority of God for everyone is sanctification. I Thessalonians 4:3-4  “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable,”

2 Timothy 2:19-21. If we are of God, we should be like Him in all things, including holiness. How else are we to walk/work with Him? Amos 3:3 says “Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?”

Note that the righteousness we get by salvation can only be maintained by sanctification. Isaiah 59:1 Zechariah 3:3

Holiness is an observable trait, not a hidden secret; people should be able to see your righteousness in the way you speak and act. 2 Timothy 2:10

2 Thessalonians 3:3-7 There is a war waged against our righteousness day in, day out; that war is waged against our destiny.

In Luke 22:3, we see that “Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve”  and are reminded of the need to always remain too hot for the devil and his cronies to ‘settle on’. The same way flies never settle on steaming food, we should remain too hot for every appearance of evil!

Instruments The Enemy Uses to ‘Paralyze’ Our Lives

1. The spirit of this world. 1 John 2:15-17 “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.  For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”
2. The lust of the flesh; the lust of the eyes
3. The pride of life. Please read Proverbs 6:16 and  2 Chronicles 6:19. James 4:6 says “But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”
   

What Has God Given Us To Overcome All Three?

1. The spirit of love. Romans 8:37. In order for us to please God our love for Him must never be in doubt. Romans 5:5

The commandments of God are only grievous to those who don’t love Him, and Philippians 2:13 posits that this deep love only comes via an encounter with the Holy Spirit. Next time you get an instruction from God and you feel yourself murmuring or complaining, ask yourself if your love for God is still ‘on point’.

2. Keeping right company. 1 Corinthians 15:33 says “Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” The easiest way to miss it is to follow someone not headed in your direction.

How Do I Engage With This Spirit of God?

1. Have a hunger and a thirst for pleasing God. Isaiah 55:1-2
2. Engage your faith. Matthew 11:12

The major reward/result of sanctification is favor. Do you want to enjoy God’s favor? Please Him, by being like Him!

Have a super productive week!

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