Hello, I'm Wes
McDonald and I would like
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to welcome you
today to Faith Chapel.
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I'll be sharing with
you a message in a few
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moments from the
God's word but before
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we go to God's word,
let's go to God in prayer,
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shall we bow our
heads? Father in heaven,
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thank you that we
can go to your word and
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learn from you, I
pray that you will grant us
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knowledge and
wisdom from your word and
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give me the words
to speak that will be a
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blessing to the
viewers and hearers today,
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in Jesus name,
amen. Today's message is
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entitled Holey
Bags. Now that's not Holy,
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isn't something
divine, but that's holey.
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Kind of like a
bag with holes in it.
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It's kind of like your pockets.
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Have you ever felt
like everything that you
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put into your
pockets as far as money was
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running out the
bottom as fast as you could
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put it in, like your
pocket was a bottomless
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hole through which
everything that went in,
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went out as fast as
you could earn your money.
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Are you getting ahead
or are you always behind.
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Can you use some
of God's blessings?
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Have you ever felt as
though God's frown was
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upon you? Today's
message will be for you.
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Today we wanna
talk about some of God's
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great blessings
that are found through
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stewardship and
that's being faithful and
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returning to God
that which is his.
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Now today I'm going
to begin our passage in
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Haggai, the first
chapter. Haggai is near
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the end of the Old
Testament. If you go to
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Matthew and then
back up one book,
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two books, three
books that's Haggai.
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Now the Israelites
had been held captive and
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they were now being
allowed to return to
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their land to
rebuild the house of God and,
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God is speaking to
them. And beginning with
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verse 2, Thus
speaketh the Lord of hosts,
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saying, This people
say, The time is not come,
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the time that the
Lord's house should be built.
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Then came the word
of the Lord by Haggai
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the prophet,
saying, Is it time for you,
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O ye, to dwell in
your ceiled houses,
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and this house lie
waste? Now how many
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of you attend a
church where the upholstery
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on the pews is not as
good as the upholstery
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on your couch? How
many in fact have the
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upholstery in
their car better than the
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upholstery of church.
Hopefully that is not the
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case for you but is
it clear that sometimes
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our set of priorities
is not God first but it's
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me first, it's you
first. Haggai is speaking to
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us as well as to the
people in his time and he
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continues on. He
says consider your ways,
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Ye have sown much,
and ye bring in little;
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ye eat, but ye have
not enough; ye drink,
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but ye are not
filled with drink; ye clothe
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you, but there is
none warm; and he that
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earneth wages earneth
wages to put it into a
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bag with holes. Thus
saith the Lord of hosts;
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consider your ways.
Go up to the mountain,
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and bring wood,
and build the house;
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and I will take pleasure in it,
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and I will be
glorified, saith the Lord.
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We need to be
more concerned about
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glorifying God than
glorifying ourselves.
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And you know
everything we earn we
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buy a new car, we
buy a new house it all
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depreciates our time
and in fact it depreciates
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so much at the end of
the time that it burns
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up when Jesus comes.
Now that's depreciation
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friends. Jesus
counsels us to lay up treasure
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in heaven where
moth and rush or fire or
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anything else will
corrupt it. So anything we
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put into heaven will
never be lost everything
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we put into here on
this earth will all be lost.
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Where do you want
to put your funds?
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Where are they
gonna do the most good,
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or the least
good? So he tells us,
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ye looked for much,
and, lo it came to little;
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and when ye brought it
home, I did blow on it.
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Why? saith the LORD of hosts.
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Because of mine
house that is waste,
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and ye run every
man unto his own house.
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Therefore the
heaven over you is stayed
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from dew, and the
earth is stayed from her
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fruit. And I called
for a drought upon the
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land, and upon the mountains,
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and upon the corn,
and upon the new wine,
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and upon the oil,
and upon that which the
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ground bringeth
forth, and upon men,
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and upon cattle, and
upon all the labor of
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the hands. That's a
bad drought friends,
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far better to do it
God's way and be faithful
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to him and glorify
him rather than having to
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deal with all of
that. And in verse 12,
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then Zerubbabel
the son of Shealtiel,
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and Joshua the son of Josedech,
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the high priest,
with the remnant of the
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people, obeyed the
voice of the Lord their
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God, and the words
of Haggai the prophet,
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as the Lord
their God had sent him,
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and the people did
fear before the Lord.
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Then spake Haggai
the Lord's messenger in
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the Lord's
message unto the people,
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saying, I am with
you, saith the LORD.
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You know when
God's people repent,
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God is instantaneous
in his response to bless
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them, he may
withhold his blessings when
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we go our own way
but he always blesses
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us with the life and
health and breath and
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sunshine and
all of those things.
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But when we
repent to God we get the
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full blessings of
God when we do things His
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way. And friends we
need to be doing that.
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Let's focus in just a
little bit on verse 6,
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let's read it
together as we go to verse 6.
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Ye have sown much,
and ye bring in little;
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ye eat, but ye have
not enough; ye drink,
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but ye are not
filled with drink;
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ye clothe you, but
there is none warm;
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and he that
earneth wages earneth
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wages to put
into a bag with holes.
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Friends, I don't
want to be doing that I've
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done that in the
past but I'm not doing it
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now and I want to
put, help you to be on
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the right track
with God. In order to be
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on the right track
with God we need to learn
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a few things about
stewardship, we need to
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learn a few things
about returning the tithe
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to our Savior. In
Malachi, we find the passage
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in Malachi 3 verse 7
through 12 and I want
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us to take a look
at that and read that
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together, let's
read it together.
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Even from the days
of your fathers ye are
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gone away from mine ordinances,
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and have not kept
them. Return unto me,
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and I will return
unto you, saith the Lord
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of hosts. But ye
said, wherein shall we
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return? Will a man
rob God? Yet ye have
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robbed me. But ye
say, wherein have we
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robbed thee? In
tithes and offerings.
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Ye are cursed with
a curse: for ye have
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robbed me, even
this whole nation.
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Bring ye all the
tithes into the storehouse,
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that there may be
meat in mine house,
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and prove me now
herewith, saith the Lord
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of hosts, if I will
not open you the windows
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of heaven, and
pour out a blessing,
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that there shall
not be room enough to
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receive it. And I
will rebuke the devourer
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for your sakes, and
he shall not destroy
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the fruits of your
ground; neither shall your
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vine cast her fruit
before the time in the
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field, saith the LORD of hosts.
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And all nations
shall call you blessed:
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for ye shall be
a delightsome land,
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saith the LORD of
hosts. In Malachi,
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we find that God is
not pleased with his
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people because they
have not been faithful
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in returning to God
that portion which he
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has claimed as his
own. Indeed everything
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belongs to God in
the first place, amen.
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Is there anything
that, let me tell you this,
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do you wanna know
how you can tell if
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you really own
something, you really own
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something if you can
take it with you when
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you die. So now
how much do you own?
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Nothing. Right? You
came into this world
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with nothing, you
go out with nothing,
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therefore someone
has to own everything
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and it is God. And
God owns everything and
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yet is a way of our
expressing our love and
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allegiance to our
Savior and our master,
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and our King and
our God. He says give
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me back the tenth,
give me back ten percent
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you can keep 90
percent and do what you
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want to with it. I'm
just asking for the 10th.
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And so God is now
telling Israel that they
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have been unfaithful
to Him, in that little
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tiny little
commandment just to return
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ten percent, it's
not that much considering
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He owns everything
and He allows us to
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keep 90 percent. And
so He is telling them
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He's upset with
them, He is withholding
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His blessings because
of that but if they will
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be faithful in
returning to Him what already
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is His to begin with
that he will be faithful
00:10:11.25\00:10:14.26
and returning
back to them tremendous
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blessings. You may
say Wes what about if
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I do not agree
with what the leadership
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in the church maybe
doing. Should I still
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return my tithes
because I don't wanna be
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held responsible for
anything that they might
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do that I don't
fully see as right.
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What should I do
Wes? What should I do?
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It's interesting if
you read all of Malachi
00:10:39.22\00:10:42.09
together. The
first two chapters of the
00:10:42.22\00:10:45.70
Book of Malachi,
God is quite upset with
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some of the
leadership in the church at
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that time, not all
of them were bad but
00:10:51.12\00:10:52.76
there were some problems there.
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And he is showing
his displeasure towards
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that but then in
chapter 3 God is very
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upset with the
people for not supporting
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their church even
though there were in
00:11:03.44\00:11:05.85
some cases some
leadership who were not
00:11:05.86\00:11:09.35
in harmony with
everything that God
00:11:09.46\00:11:11.89
designed for them
to be in harmony with.
00:11:11.90\00:11:14.34
And still He holds
his people responsible
00:11:14.96\00:11:17.02
for supporting the
church at all times.
00:11:17.03\00:11:20.38
I'm reminded again
of another instance in
00:11:20.90\00:11:23.29
scripture in the
New Testament. Jesus and
00:11:23.30\00:11:26.12
His disciples were
there in the temple.
00:11:26.13\00:11:28.82
This is three days
before the crucifixion,
00:11:29.11\00:11:32.33
it's a Tuesday. And
Jesus and His disciples
00:11:32.50\00:11:37.01
are observing the
people come by the treasury
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and put in their
gifts into the treasury box.
00:11:39.50\00:11:42.37
They see the rich
people come in and they
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have a lot of money
and they were giving
00:11:45.23\00:11:47.37
some generous,
what we were think of as
00:11:47.81\00:11:50.00
generous gifts. And
then he see a little
00:11:50.01\00:11:52.72
widow come up and
she put in two small
00:11:52.73\00:11:56.22
coins called mites, two mites.
00:11:56.23\00:11:58.80
And she was
giving all that she had,
00:12:00.49\00:12:02.43
she had nothing
left and she gave
00:12:02.44\00:12:04.63
everything that she
had to the very church
00:12:04.71\00:12:08.24
that would use that
money part of it would
00:12:08.25\00:12:11.60
go for the support
of the very Scribes and
00:12:11.61\00:12:14.62
Pharisees and
priests who would be
00:12:14.63\00:12:16.94
responsible for
condemning Jesus to death
00:12:16.95\00:12:20.06
only three days
later. And Jesus in support
00:12:20.41\00:12:25.10
for his church and
in support of this woman
00:12:25.20\00:12:27.68
basically said,
she did a good thing.
00:12:28.40\00:12:31.83
And that this story
would be told around
00:12:32.56\00:12:34.63
the world for all
time because she gave her
00:12:34.64\00:12:38.06
all and He
pronounced a blessing upon her
00:12:38.07\00:12:40.86
for having
returned money to the very
00:12:40.87\00:12:43.40
church that might
in some cases some of
00:12:43.41\00:12:46.49
their leadership are
going to misuse it and
00:12:46.50\00:12:48.43
in fact have Christ crucified.
00:12:48.44\00:12:50.64
In my mind this
should forever and I hope
00:12:51.44\00:12:54.07
in your mind should
forever relieve us of
00:12:54.08\00:12:58.10
any burden that we
might have regarding
00:12:58.11\00:13:00.57
the support of the
church. We're to support
00:13:00.58\00:13:02.39
the church at all
times with our tithes and
00:13:02.40\00:13:05.88
with our offerings,
as God blesses us we
00:13:05.89\00:13:08.78
need to bless
others. Well how do you
00:13:08.79\00:13:11.35
calculate the
10th? Well it's simple.
00:13:11.36\00:13:15.82
You have ten fingers;
one of them is the 10th.
00:13:16.18\00:13:19.12
Now with God's
church we don't have a
00:13:19.72\00:13:21.68
lot of loop holes and
things like that which
00:13:21.69\00:13:24.45
would allow us to
get out of certain
00:13:25.06\00:13:26.84
obligations it's
a very simple thing.
00:13:26.85\00:13:29.00
The 10th is the
10th is the 10th.
00:13:29.26\00:13:31.84
10 percent is easy
to figure, move the
00:13:31.95\00:13:34.14
decimal point one
that's what you give to God.
00:13:34.15\00:13:37.11
To help us
understand a little bit more
00:13:37.99\00:13:40.04
clearly let's go to
Genesis 28th chapter
00:13:40.05\00:13:44.02
and the 22nd
verse, let's turn to
00:13:44.36\00:13:47.47
Genesis 28:22, And this stone,
00:13:47.48\00:13:51.63
which I have set for
a pillar, shall be God's
00:13:51.64\00:13:54.17
house: and of all
that thou shalt give me
00:13:54.18\00:13:57.60
I will surely
give the tenth to thee.
00:13:57.61\00:14:00.38
We find here that
Jacob has decided to return
00:14:01.21\00:14:07.32
back home and to the
land and he is afraid,
00:14:07.33\00:14:12.86
he is afraid, he is
going to suffer some evil
00:14:12.87\00:14:16.13
along the way and
he asked God for his
00:14:16.14\00:14:17.74
blessings and he
says if you bless me,
00:14:17.75\00:14:19.39
if you bring me back
I will surely give the
00:14:19.40\00:14:21.90
10th to you. Let's
go to Leviticus 27 and
00:14:21.91\00:14:26.49
verse 30 and we'll
read that together.
00:14:26.50\00:14:28.72
And all the tithe
of the land, whether of
00:14:29.99\00:14:32.58
the seed of the land,
or of the fruit of the
00:14:32.59\00:14:35.34
tree, is the Lords:
it is holy unto the Lord.
00:14:35.35\00:14:39.71
There was an
agricultural work economy at
00:14:40.80\00:14:42.96
that time and they
literally returned tithe
00:14:42.97\00:14:46.51
and the seed of
their land or the fruit of
00:14:46.52\00:14:48.75
the trees. Now
in Leviticus 27:32,
00:14:48.76\00:14:53.49
two verses later it's
an interesting story there,
00:14:53.50\00:14:57.07
let's read that
together. And concerning
00:14:57.08\00:15:00.22
the tithe of the
herd, or of the flock,
00:15:00.23\00:15:03.08
even of whatsoever
passeth under the rod,
00:15:03.85\00:15:06.75
the tenth shall be
holy unto the Lord.
00:15:07.01\00:15:09.86
Recently in church
I was listening to a
00:15:10.85\00:15:14.07
gentleman tell a
story about when he was
00:15:14.08\00:15:18.34
in Zimbabwe. He was an educator,
00:15:18.39\00:15:21.27
he was an academic
dean of a religious
00:15:21.38\00:15:25.73
college there in
Zimbabwe and once a year
00:15:25.74\00:15:29.82
they used to go
out to different very
00:15:29.83\00:15:31.57
remote areas and
take the theology students
00:15:31.58\00:15:34.19
so that they could
ever camp meeting in
00:15:34.20\00:15:36.27
different individual
villages. They went out
00:15:36.28\00:15:38.82
to one village
which was very remote and
00:15:38.83\00:15:40.91
they had several
days of meetings with the
00:15:40.92\00:15:43.32
people to give
them the benefit of the
00:15:43.33\00:15:45.84
spiritual instruction
and as they were about
00:15:45.85\00:15:49.32
to leave the chief
of the village says wait
00:15:49.33\00:15:51.47
pastor, it is time for
me to return the tithe.
00:15:51.48\00:15:55.55
You must take it with
you I have raised cattle
00:15:55.70\00:15:59.08
this year, I have had
an increase of 30 cows.
00:15:59.09\00:16:03.40
Three cows are for
the Lord. So you got
00:16:03.94\00:16:06.90
all of the cows in a
big pin and he started
00:16:06.91\00:16:10.16
to stir them up in
and the cows went round
00:16:10.17\00:16:12.84
and round and round
this pin in a circle and
00:16:12.85\00:16:15.63
they opened up a
gate and one by one the
00:16:15.64\00:16:18.18
cows came up and
they went underneath
00:16:18.19\00:16:20.49
the rod. And
they counted one cow,
00:16:20.50\00:16:23.61
two cows, three
cows, four cows until they
00:16:24.19\00:16:29.36
came to the 10th
cow, he pulled them aside
00:16:29.37\00:16:31.75
and he said this
cow is for the Lord.
00:16:31.76\00:16:34.49
And the cows were
continuing to go around
00:16:34.89\00:16:37.32
and around and
around in circle and one
00:16:37.33\00:16:39.40
by one they would
filter out as they came
00:16:39.41\00:16:41.32
to the 10th one,
that one would be for
00:16:41.33\00:16:43.81
the Lord. And then
they continued on and
00:16:43.82\00:16:47.34
on and on and on
and now they came to
00:16:47.35\00:16:51.74
the time when the
10th one would come
00:16:51.75\00:16:53.89
out and there was a little boy,
00:16:53.90\00:16:56.31
the chief's son, his
eyes caught big as he
00:16:56.76\00:16:59.67
saw that cow leave
and he was so excited
00:16:59.68\00:17:02.03
and the missionary
wanted to know why he
00:17:02.76\00:17:04.42
was so excited, so
they called to him and
00:17:04.43\00:17:06.25
the little boy was a
little bashful says why
00:17:06.26\00:17:08.88
were you so
excited when that last cow
00:17:08.89\00:17:11.01
came out. He says my
Father gave me several
00:17:11.02\00:17:15.44
heifers to raise
this year and he says that
00:17:15.45\00:17:18.58
one was my heifer
and I was so excited
00:17:18.59\00:17:21.57
that my heifer had
decided to be the Lord's
00:17:21.58\00:17:24.04
heifer. Friends,
isn't that wonderful,
00:17:24.05\00:17:27.29
isn't that
wonderful shouldn't we be so
00:17:27.89\00:17:30.15
pleased and so
excited that we have the
00:17:30.16\00:17:32.19
privilege of
returning to God in response to
00:17:32.20\00:17:36.19
his faithfulness and
love and kindness for us,
00:17:36.20\00:17:39.04
I think so. Let's go
now to Proverbs 3 and
00:17:39.52\00:17:44.58
verse 9. Honor the
Lord with thy substance,
00:17:44.59\00:17:49.24
and with the first
fruits of all thine increase.
00:17:49.27\00:17:52.95
If you try to return
to God your tithe and
00:17:53.60\00:17:57.65
you wait until after
you pay your bills you
00:17:57.66\00:18:00.37
will always have
trouble. But if you give God
00:18:00.38\00:18:04.11
that which is his
first you will always have
00:18:04.12\00:18:06.75
enough. Do the most
important thing first
00:18:06.76\00:18:09.86
everything else
will fall into place.
00:18:10.11\00:18:12.03
God is more
important. Now I know your
00:18:12.44\00:18:15.43
creditors think that
they're most important
00:18:15.44\00:18:17.28
but God is
really most important.
00:18:17.29\00:18:18.94
You return to him
and he promises you that
00:18:19.62\00:18:22.96
he will give you
blessings like the windows
00:18:23.20\00:18:26.30
of heaven being
opened. In fact friends
00:18:26.31\00:18:30.27
let's just go to
Malachi 3 and read it for
00:18:30.28\00:18:34.02
ourselves. In
Malachi 3 verses 8 to 11,
00:18:34.03\00:18:38.85
Will a man rob God?
Yet ye have robbed me.
00:18:39.67\00:18:43.63
But ye say, wherein
have we robbed thee?
00:18:44.08\00:18:46.58
In tithes and
offerings. Ye are cursed with
00:18:47.24\00:18:50.05
a curse for ye have
robbed me, even this
00:18:50.06\00:18:52.36
whole nation. Bring
ye all the tithes into
00:18:52.37\00:18:56.29
the storehouse,
that there may be meat in
00:18:56.30\00:18:59.48
mine house, and
prove me now herewith,
00:18:59.49\00:19:02.82
saith the LORD of
hosts, if I will not open
00:19:02.83\00:19:05.24
for you the windows of heaven,
00:19:05.25\00:19:07.58
and pour you out a
blessing, that there shall
00:19:08.43\00:19:11.02
not be room
enough to receive it.
00:19:11.03\00:19:13.32
There is only one
place else in scripture
00:19:13.91\00:19:16.45
where it mentions
the windows of heaven
00:19:16.46\00:19:18.79
and it was in the
days of Noah when God
00:19:19.15\00:19:21.60
send a flood and
he opened the windows
00:19:21.61\00:19:23.51
of heaven and the
earth was drowned with
00:19:23.52\00:19:26.17
the water. So when
God opens the windows
00:19:26.18\00:19:29.29
of heaven to bless
you is it clear that the
00:19:29.30\00:19:31.54
blessings are more
than you can receive it.
00:19:31.55\00:19:33.77
In the days of
Noah when God was not
00:19:34.28\00:19:36.44
blessing the earth
but he opened the windows
00:19:36.45\00:19:38.11
of heaven to pour
out water upon it and to
00:19:38.12\00:19:41.49
flood the earth, the
earth could not receive it.
00:19:41.50\00:19:43.92
So I want to have
the blessings of God that
00:19:44.33\00:19:46.91
are just like the
deluge of God, I want to
00:19:46.92\00:19:49.06
be swapped in his
blessings. Friends, we can
00:19:49.07\00:19:53.01
have that when we
maintain faithfulness
00:19:53.07\00:19:55.80
to God and
faithfulness in our stewardship
00:19:55.81\00:19:58.88
in returning our funds to him.
00:19:58.89\00:20:01.28
In every way we are
to be faithful to God.
00:20:04.26\00:20:06.84
God promises us
in Deuteronomy and
00:20:07.56\00:20:10.70
verse 7, excuse me
chapter 7 and verse 15
00:20:11.07\00:20:15.72
that he will keep
us healthy even as we
00:20:17.38\00:20:21.07
return our bless as
we return our tithes
00:20:21.08\00:20:23.96
and obey his
word. And in verse 15,
00:20:23.97\00:20:27.25
and the Lord will
take away from thee all
00:20:27.26\00:20:30.86
sickness, and put
none of the evil diseases
00:20:30.96\00:20:34.00
of Egypt, which
thou knowest upon thee;
00:20:34.01\00:20:35.94
but will lay them upon
all them that hate thee.
00:20:35.95\00:20:38.58
Even blessings upon
our health are because
00:20:39.10\00:20:42.54
God is blessing
us in response to our
00:20:42.55\00:20:46.00
faithfulness to him.
Now is money the only
00:20:46.01\00:20:50.46
thing we need to
be faithful with God,
00:20:50.47\00:20:52.59
what about our
time? How much time do
00:20:53.10\00:20:56.15
you really have?
God asks us for a 7th of
00:20:56.16\00:20:59.45
our time. He asks us
to reserve the Sabbath
00:20:59.46\00:21:02.36
day, the seventh
day of the week for him.
00:21:02.37\00:21:05.33
One minute less
than the whole day is not
00:21:06.14\00:21:08.49
the whole day.
Imagine what a privilege it
00:21:08.50\00:21:11.22
is to have a 24 hour
appointment like a 24
00:21:11.23\00:21:16.09
hour date with God
where he has granted
00:21:16.10\00:21:19.53
you the privilege of
this undivided attention
00:21:19.54\00:21:22.21
where you and
him can become more
00:21:24.31\00:21:25.28
intimately
acquainted. As we give that time
00:21:25.29\00:21:28.44
to him and we're
faithful the rest of the
00:21:28.45\00:21:31.41
week with our time.
God blesses us as well.
00:21:31.42\00:21:35.51
How much time do
you have throughout
00:21:36.02\00:21:37.71
the rest of the
week, let me ask you.
00:21:37.72\00:21:39.31
Well you say Wes,
there's 24 hours of day
00:21:39.78\00:21:42.14
but you're in bed at
least eight hours and
00:21:42.88\00:21:45.98
then you work at
least 8 hours and then it
00:21:45.99\00:21:48.28
takes a certain
amount of time to all go
00:21:48.29\00:21:51.67
about your daily
duties, you have to get
00:21:51.68\00:21:53.40
dressed, you have
to bathe, you have to
00:21:53.41\00:21:55.04
eat, you have to drive to work,
00:21:55.14\00:21:57.15
you have to take
care of the children and
00:21:57.16\00:21:59.53
all these many other things,
00:21:59.54\00:22:01.05
when everything has
been subtracted that
00:22:01.46\00:22:03.62
you must do. I think
most of you will realize
00:22:03.63\00:22:08.04
that you have at
most one to two hours
00:22:08.05\00:22:10.86
left of discretionary
time, time in which you
00:22:11.45\00:22:14.48
can actually make
a choice what you're
00:22:14.49\00:22:16.00
going to do with it.
Since time is so limited
00:22:16.01\00:22:19.59
for us and since the
earth's time is so limited
00:22:20.01\00:22:23.91
and since there are
so many thousands of
00:22:24.22\00:22:26.37
people who have
not accepted Christ as
00:22:26.38\00:22:28.37
their Savior, who will
be lost for eternity with
00:22:28.38\00:22:31.30
unconfessed sin,
would it not be who of us
00:22:31.31\00:22:35.18
to make the best
use of that time.
00:22:35.98\00:22:38.65
Friends, I believe
that each one of us must
00:22:39.84\00:22:42.43
give a higher commitment in our
00:22:42.44\00:22:45.16
resources. If it's
time we need to give it
00:22:45.17\00:22:49.03
to God. If it's
money, we need to give it to
00:22:49.04\00:22:52.44
God, if it's our
health we need to give it to
00:22:52.45\00:22:55.83
God, if it's our
influence, we need to give
00:22:55.84\00:22:59.43
it to God. Because
the world is not doing
00:22:59.44\00:23:02.93
that and the world
is going to perdition
00:23:02.94\00:23:05.04
very rapidly,
we're in the last days.
00:23:05.05\00:23:07.70
There are two classes of people,
00:23:07.72\00:23:09.33
those who are
drawing closer to the
00:23:09.85\00:23:11.44
Savior and those who
are going the other way
00:23:11.45\00:23:14.10
and the difference
widening and it's becoming
00:23:14.14\00:23:17.29
greater and greater
all the time between
00:23:17.36\00:23:20.07
those who serve
God and those who
00:23:20.08\00:23:22.17
serve Him not.
Friends, in our stewardship
00:23:22.18\00:23:25.63
we need to be
faithful. The gospel is free
00:23:26.07\00:23:29.06
but you know the
last time I checked it
00:23:29.07\00:23:31.55
didn't go around
the world for free.
00:23:31.56\00:23:33.18
It takes money to
bring this broadcast to
00:23:33.35\00:23:35.18
you here at home.
It takes money to pay
00:23:35.19\00:23:37.73
ministers to bring
the gospel to people who
00:23:37.74\00:23:39.76
have never heard it,
in mission lands where
00:23:39.77\00:23:42.13
they will, where
they've never even heard
00:23:42.14\00:23:44.12
the name of
Christ. You know on the
00:23:44.13\00:23:45.97
developed countries
we've heard of Christ.
00:23:45.98\00:23:47.77
We almost take it
for granted and we should
00:23:47.78\00:23:49.96
not. But friends, we
need to be faithful in
00:23:49.97\00:23:53.43
that. In Luke 9 and
verse 23 and he said
00:23:53.44\00:23:59.21
unto them all, if any
man will come after me,
00:23:59.22\00:24:02.12
let him deny himself,
and take up his cross,
00:24:02.55\00:24:08.08
and follow me.
Friends, have you denied
00:24:08.78\00:24:12.46
yourself anything
for God. Have we actually
00:24:13.08\00:24:17.32
followed God by
sacrifice, sacrifice is when
00:24:17.77\00:24:21.79
we give up
something that we really want,
00:24:21.80\00:24:23.91
it's not giving
God our leftovers.
00:24:23.92\00:24:26.15
It's giving God our firstovers.
00:24:26.69\00:24:29.37
It's not giving him
what is it the tail,
00:24:29.88\00:24:32.19
we're giving him
the head, we are giving
00:24:32.20\00:24:33.96
him the first
fruits, not the last thing.
00:24:33.97\00:24:36.83
We write out the
tithe check, the first
00:24:37.03\00:24:39.45
check after we
receive our check that goes
00:24:39.51\00:24:42.24
to God then everyone else.
00:24:42.25\00:24:44.30
If God has our love
he will have our heart.
00:24:46.45\00:24:51.37
My question is,
does he have your heart?
00:24:52.77\00:24:56.41
You know I can tell
where your heart is and
00:24:57.91\00:25:00.70
God can tell
where your heart is,
00:25:00.71\00:25:02.26
I should just say he
can tell, by observing
00:25:02.27\00:25:05.62
how we spend our
time and by examining
00:25:05.63\00:25:08.54
our checkbook. The
Bible tells us for where
00:25:08.55\00:25:11.99
your treasure is
there your heart will be
00:25:12.00\00:25:16.47
also. Have you
examined your own checkbook
00:25:16.86\00:25:20.48
lately to see where
you're spending your
00:25:20.49\00:25:22.67
money? Do a little
calculation on how you
00:25:22.68\00:25:27.27
spend your time and
ask yourself have you
00:25:27.28\00:25:30.41
devoted enough of that to God?
00:25:30.42\00:25:32.19
Are you eating and
drinking to glorify God
00:25:33.01\00:25:35.79
or you eating and
drinking based upon
00:25:35.90\00:25:38.05
other reasons?
Friends, we need to give
00:25:38.26\00:25:41.33
everything all to
Jesus. It all burns up
00:25:41.43\00:25:45.45
anyway soon when Jesus comes,
00:25:45.46\00:25:47.85
nothing more matters
other than the number
00:25:48.19\00:25:50.82
of souls that we can
bring into the kingdom
00:25:50.83\00:25:52.82
of heaven. How is
it with you at home?
00:25:52.83\00:25:55.92
Do you find that you
need a little help in
00:25:56.85\00:25:59.08
this area? Are you
like Israel that you've
00:25:59.09\00:26:02.81
held back from God
that which is rightfully
00:26:02.82\00:26:05.41
his with respect to
your tithes and your
00:26:05.42\00:26:07.57
offerings? If so
God's message to you is to
00:26:07.58\00:26:11.82
return it all to
God, that which you've
00:26:12.38\00:26:15.21
robbed you need to
return. And you need
00:26:15.22\00:26:18.14
to be faithful from
this point forward as well.
00:26:18.15\00:26:20.69
And if you've
robbed him more than you
00:26:21.74\00:26:23.02
can possibly ever
return. Trust yourself
00:26:23.03\00:26:27.01
in the, into the
arms of loving savior who
00:26:27.02\00:26:29.98
will forgive you of
your sins and will have
00:26:29.99\00:26:32.57
compassion because he loves you.
00:26:32.71\00:26:35.43
But friends, let us
all be faithful to God
00:26:36.17\00:26:39.56
from this point
onwards. Those win
00:26:39.57\00:26:43.01
everything make God
first and last and best
00:26:43.02\00:26:47.54
are the happiest
people in the world.
00:26:47.97\00:26:51.64
Friends, I want joy
to the full, how about
00:26:52.86\00:26:55.93
you? We can only do
that if we are fully
00:26:55.94\00:26:59.27
committed to God.
Would you pray with me,
00:27:02.50\00:27:03.47
would you pray with
me today that we will
00:27:03.48\00:27:04.95
give our hearts fully
and completely to God?
00:27:04.96\00:27:08.26
I would like to ask
you to pray with me now.
00:27:09.35\00:27:11.39
Father in heaven, I
ask for you to come into
00:27:11.91\00:27:15.69
our hearts, help us
to not reserve anything,
00:27:15.70\00:27:20.00
help us to give all to
you, our heart our soul,
00:27:20.43\00:27:24.64
our mind, our
body, our resources and
00:27:25.02\00:27:28.43
everything. Help us
to be faithful so that
00:27:28.44\00:27:31.80
Jesus can come
soon and then we may all
00:27:32.15\00:27:35.38
be up together in
heaven with thousands
00:27:35.39\00:27:37.54
that maybe saved
because of our faithfulness
00:27:37.55\00:27:39.70
and your spirit
working through us,
00:27:39.71\00:27:41.53
in Jesus name,
amen. Friends, I'm so
00:27:42.00\00:27:46.70
glad that Jesus
loves us. And he's given us
00:27:46.71\00:27:50.06
all these things
to honor him with,
00:27:50.07\00:27:52.01
let's be faithful.
00:27:52.48\00:27:53.50