Is tithing for the Believer?

Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it. “And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,” Says the Lord of hosts; “And all nations will call you blessed, For you will be a delightful land,” Says the Lord of hosts.-Malachi 3:10-12

There is much debate in the church world today about tithing: should we, or should we not? So I thought I would add my two cents worth to the debate. 

In my opinion, only a non-tither is debating the issue because God promised that in tithing, we could put Him to the test and find Him faithful. And if you are a tither, and you have put Him to the test, then you know He is faithful and this is not an issue for you. However, if you tried it, was inconsistent with it, or did not bring “all” the tithe into the storehouse, than I can imagine your confusion on the topic. 

I first heard the message of tithing when I was 16 years old. I remember thinking, I could really stand to be blessed, so if I ever get a job, I will tithe. From that day to this day, whenever I have wanted or needed a job, I got one and I have always tithed. And God has always provided for me.

When I was in the military I began to feel lonely and desirous of a godly husband. I can still see me standing in the living room praying to the Lord about it, when these words flowed from my heart and lips: “Father, you promised me that if I would tithe that you would open the window of heaven for me and pour me out a blessing that I would not have room enough to receive. Well God! I’ve been faithful in my tithing and my giving, so where is my blessing?” Immediately, I heard in my spirit, “Call Wade!”

Wade is my current husband of over 30 years. A marriage blessed beyond my wildest dreams. But at that time, he was also serving in the military and we had met once before in Sicily, in an airport about a year before this. Now, I can’t possibly give you all the details in this short post, but suffice it to say, God aided me in finding him. Actually, I went back to work that Monday and was talking casually with a fellow believer who (it so happened) knew him from a previous base. So I called, and the rest, as we say, is history. 

Over the years we have seen God do some wonderful things in our lives, in our finances, and in the lives of our children; because we are tithers and have taught them to tithe. As a matter of fact, one of my criteria for a husband was for him to be a tither.

Just this week, I was speaking with a new believer who works in the same building I work in. She asked me if she should tithe on the net or the gross? She asked me if it was ok to pay it in two installments? I told her how I tithe and what I believe the Bible teaches about tithing. She was excited to hear it and said she would start paying it correctly. I know she’ll be blessed because of it and because of her heart; but mainly because He promised!

I can go on and on about the benefits of tithing that I have personally experienced over the decades of my tithing. If someone started preaching tomorrow that they heard a “word” from God and He does not expect us to tithe anymore, I would call him a lying spirit and continue to tithe. Even if I had at one time highly regarded him as a man of God.

Should believers tithe? Only if they want to obey God and be blessed in the process. More in another post! Wonderful Jesus!

 

Step On the Grasshoppers!

There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”
Numbers 13:33

If you are unfamiliar with this verse, let me give you a little background.

Moses and the children of Israel have crossed the Red Sea and are ready to go into Canaan to possess the land. But before they go in, Moses sends 12 spies to check the land out. When they return, the Bible states that 10 of the men gave an evil report and 2 (Joshua and Caleb) gave a good report.

The evil report had to do with the size of the people and the obstacles ahead of them, but the good report focused on the victory promised them from God. But no matter what Joshua and Caleb had to say, the 10 won the people over to their side when they said, “we were like grasshoppers in our sight, and so we were in their sight.”

God had Moses send the 12 to spy out the land and I can imagine when they left they were excited. Finally, they have arrived to the Promised Land given to them and their descendants because of Abraham! And since it was the Promise Land given to them by God, surely everything would go smoothly. When they arrived the place was beautiful, but as they venture across the land they see giants. And as they come across the giants, the fire begins to dim.

Life is full of giants. But how we view the giants make all the difference in our outcome. The way we view ourselves and think others view us will also affect the end result.

I recently taught my students about the “frame of reference” people write from, make decisions from, etc. We were actually discussing the Ancient Israelites in World History. The “frame of reference” came into play as we discussed the ways that the Jews, Christians, and Islamic faiths tend to view Abraham. And then we talked about the author’s frame of reference and how diligently he tried to ignore the God of Abraham. You can’t correctly teach about Abraham and the children of Israel without speaking of God.

Anyway, when we look at a situation in life, our frame of reference will determine our outcome in the situation. The ten spies frame of reference was what they saw and how they saw themselves; Joshua and Caleb’s frame of reference was-God will be with us, so we are well able to take the land. God was pleased with Joshua and Caleb and displeased with the ten and their ability to lead millions to their death instead of their inheritance.

What is your frame of reference today? Are you looking at your problems and situations through the lens of the word of God, the promises of God; or are you looking at the size of your problems, how you see yourself or how you feel others are viewing you. I know sometimes I have fallen in that trap of thinking that the promise of God couldn’t happen in my own life because of this, that and the other. But I challenge you today, as I have challenged myself, to change your frame of reference to what God has promised and step on those grasshoppers as you cross over into your promise! Wonderful Jesus!

Women History Month-Hero of Faith

Women History Month: Heroes of Faith

If you haven’t figured it out yet, let me just admit, I love reading about the pioneers of faith. As a matter of fact, it was a book named, “Pioneers of Faith” written by Lester Sumerall that got me hooked. If you have not read that book, I highly recommend it.

This month I would like to highlight Maria Woodworth-Etter.

Maria (pronounced Mariah) began full time ministry in the late 1800s at 35 years of age. She is quoted as having said that she didn’t feel qualified to go out and preach. At the time that she went, female preachers were still heavily frowned upon, but she knew she had been called by God to go, so she went.

Maria’s ministry was known for the many signs and wonders, trances, and conversions of the masses. Through many difficulties, such as arrests, death threats, divorce, and accusations of insanity, she spread the gospel under the tent.

In 1912, she conducted a five month long revival for F.F. Bosworth that propelled her ministry to another level. John Lake referred to her as “Mother Etter” while others referred to her as the “Grandmother of the Pentecostal Movemet.”

I found her book, “A Diary of Signs of Wonders” several years ago and I am still impressed with the relationship this woman had the Holy Spirit. She is truly a hero of the faith and someone you should know. Wonderful Jesus!

Consider Job’s Wife

“There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil. And seven sons and three daughters were born to him. Also, his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East.” Job 1:1-3 NKJV

A couple years ago I was asked to speak at a women’s fellowship and to share on the topic of difficult times. As I sought the Lord for a direction, He led me to Job’s wife. Today’s post will be a snippet of that message.

Here we see that Job was a very wealthy man. He had 10 children, 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen (1,000), 500 female donkeys, and a whole lot of servants. And of course, since Job had all of this, so did his wife. The Bible tells us that Job was a man who feared God and shunned evil, a man who was blameless and upright; and I am willing to bet that his wife had the same testimony.

But in one day, Job lost all of his possessions, most of his servants, and all of his children. But so did his wife. Everything and everyone she held dear, except her husband, was gone in a single day. The Bible tells us that Job bowed and worshipped the Lord, but I believe that here is where they differed. In his difficult time he turned to the Lord, but in her difficult time, she embraced her grief and sorrow. And before we start judging her, let’s be honest and say that most of us would have followed her example and not his.

Then the devil attacks Job’s body and now his wife is angry and becoming bitter. “Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!”-Job 2:9

It is at this point that I believe that many people give his wife a bad rap. I am not excusing her words, nor condoning them as the proper response for difficult times, for they are not. But I also don’t believe that these are words that sum up her whole life before God. They are words spoken in the midst of grief and heartache. An extremely difficult time for her.

I have seen wonderful men and women who love God have difficult experiences with the Lord. I have heard them make stupid remarks that was nothing more than their grief and flesh talking. I have heard care givers speak words about their loved ones and vice versa that was nothing more than fatigue and weariness expressing itself. And I sincerely believe that was the case with Job’s wife.

And allow me to give her one more benefit of the doubt: She was not born again and she certainly didn’t have a Bible to comfort her during her hardship. She was serving God to the best of her knowledge, but when this tsunami of difficulties flooded her life, she had nothing to lean on except Job. And where was Job, outside dealing with his pain and sorrow the best way he knew how.

Loss of children, extreme poverty after great wealth, loss of many servants (all who were a part of her household and probably her heart) loneliness, despair, a very sick husband, and a withering faith in God: this was Job’s wife. When God asked Satan if he had considered His servant Job, I believe He was including Job’s wife.  And I believe that just as He knew that Job would pass the test, He knew Job’s wife would.

So the next time you see someone going through and they are not behaving like you think they should, pray for them because you don’t know where they are at and how much your prayers can be used to bring about their deliverance. More on Job’s wife next time. Wonderful Jesus!!

Paul’s Thorn

“And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.”-2 Corinthians 12:7

Paul was used mightily by God to do unusual miracles, and although the letters that he wrote doesn’t bring a lot of attention to that fact, it is noted in scripture. Paul believed in miracles and operated in them. (Acts 19:11-12) But because of the above passage regarding the thorn in the flesh, many people believe that Paul was sick and delighted in being sick. And so justifiably, we can be sick because not everyone is healed.

It is true that Paul had a thorn in the flesh, but it was not sickness. As a matter of fact, Paul tells us that the thorn was a messenger of Satan sent to buffet him. (Rick Renner does a fantastic job of explaining this in his “Sparkling Gems”.) Yet, even with this evidence, (Paul’s own words), many still thinks he is talking about sickness.

“know for certain that the Lord your God will no longer drive out these nations from before you. But they shall be snares and traps to you, and scourges on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land which the Lord your God has given you.” – Joshua 23:13

“Therefore I also said, ‘I will not drive them out before you; but they shall be thorns in your side, and their gods shall be a snare to you.’”-Judges 2:3

The above scriptures are witness to the truth that “thorn in the flesh” is a phrase used to denote something that will plague you in life. Paul, as a New Testament believer correctly places the blame for it at the feet of the enemy. Paul was letting his readers know that the devil was in hot pursuit of him because of the revelations that God had given to him and was relentlessly pulling out all the tricks to stop him. I don’t have space to even get into what it means to be buffeted.

We would be hard pressed to go to a service and find that everyone is walking in health. People are being attacked with cancer, pain, arthritis, and so many other things. Thank God for the doctors, but why be turned off from going to God for healing. He said He is the God that heals!

When the children of Israel came out of bondage, scripture tells us that there was not one sick among them. The God that kept them whole is the same today. Did He do for them what He will not be willing to do for us? God forbid! I encourage you to not let tradition or wrong thinking keep you from pursuing your healing. Reach out in faith and begin to seek Him to be whole. Wonderful Jesu!

By His Stripes!

Isaiah 53:4-5- “Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.”

There is so much packed in these verses, but I want to focus on the end of verse 5: And by His stripes we are healed.

The world is filled with sick people. The medical and pharmaceutical professions are growing by leaps and bounds. No matter how many people die from well meaning doctors, treatments, and prescriptions, people continue to pour their money into getting healed by them. No matter how many devastating side effects medicine has, people are still purchasing them and giving them a try for hope of healing or just plain relief.

Well, Isaiah prophesied that by His (Jesus) stripes we are healed. This chapter is actually foretelling the death of Jesus on the cross. No genuine bible scholar will argue with that. Jesus died to bring us salvation from our sins. This punishment of being whipped was for our salvation. And yet, there is controversy when it is taught that we are healed by His stripes the same way we are saved by them.

The woman with the issue of blood (Luke 8) also spent all she had on medical treatments, and was left with no hope, until Jesus! I know that was a different day and there is treatment for this condition, but I personally know someone who experienced this same condition and was also healed by Jesus!

Psalm 103:5 states that He (Jesus) forgives all of our sins and heals all of our diseases. Again, salvation from sin and healing from diseases are in the same verse. And let’s not forget 1 Peter 2:24 which carries the same theme.

How have we come to a place of trust for salvation, which we cannot fully experience until we transition from this life, but we cannot trust Him for healing, something we can fully experience in this life.

I know there are a lot of questions and a lot of examples that can be referred to about who didn’t get healed, but I can share just as many examples about who didn’t get saved. That doesn’t change the truth of God’s word that He wants no one to perish, and He isn’t the author of sickness and disease, so He doesn’t want you sick.

If you are sick in your body, you need to know that by His stripes you are healed. I am not anti-physician or medicine, but I encourage you to go to God on the basis of His word for your healing. Just as He desires to save all, He desires to heal all. Don’t buy the lie any longer that Jesus no longer heals. Reach out with your faith today and know that by His stripes you are healed! Wonderful Jesus!

 

Hide the Word!

Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.
Psalm 119:11

I am sure that if you attended a Sunday School class or a Vacation Bible School week, you had to memorize this scripture. I know I did. But I have found through the years, that this scripture is not “kids play”.

Christians all over the world are daily struggling with the issue of sin. Some of these people truly love God but can’t seem to get the victory. But here we have David, a man not redeemed, saying the word of God was hidden in his heart so that he might not sin against God. He had a hope of freedom from sin.

The Word of God tells us that Jesus was made sin that we might be made righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21) and yet many people struggle with the entanglements of sin. There are two reasons that come to mind: First, some may not have been taught that we can live free from sin, but I just mentioned two scriptures that say you can. Hiding the Word of God in your heart concerning who you are in Christ Jesus will help. When I say that I don’t sin every day, people think I am being self-righteous, when I am totally relying on the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus!

Meditating on the scripture of Him being made sin so that you can be righteous is one to hide in your heart. Another one would be Galatians 5:1, where Paul writes that it was for freedom (from sin), that Christ set us free. I added the “from sin” part, because that is what he is referring to. You can be free!! So when He sets you free, don’t go back to it, becoming entangled in a yoke of bondage.

Another reason is, people misinterpret Romans 7 as Paul saying that he struggled with sin, that when he wanted to do good, evil was always present. So if Paul struggled, you know we will! Read consecutively with chapters 6 and 8, you see that Paul was not referring to his life after Christ Jesus, but under the law, before Jesus. And if you read throughout the New Testament, you will see the victorious life Paul led for the Master.

And if Paul could live free from the practice of sin, so can we, so can you!! But it will start with the word being hidden in your heart so that when sin is presented to you, like Jesus, you can respond, “It is written” and overcome it every time. Yes, every time you use the Word of God on Satan, it will work.

Jesus wants you free from a life of sin! That’s one of the main reasons He came to the earth, to set you and me free. So let’s decide today to settle that issue so that we can walk free from the bondage of sin. And as you meditate on the Word and begin to overcome sin, ignore the people who refuse to believe that the power of the cross was not enough to make you the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus! Wonderful Jesus!

Just a Sinner Saved by Grace?

 

I read a lot of books, fiction and non-fiction where Christians use the phrase, “I’m just a sinner saved by grace!” It causes me to cringe because, how can someone be a sinner and a Christian?

I get the sentiment behind it. Especially as we witness, letting people know that we too had to recognized that we were sinners in need of a Savior. But once the Blood of Jesus is applied, the sinner becomes redeemed. And the word of God tells us, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy” Psalm 107:2 -NKJV

So I am a Christian, a believer, a saint, a child of God because I am redeemed and that’s what I should say. A sinner, on the other hand, is still being controlled by the enemy. I like how Paul refers to the way I used to be: “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.” Ephesians 2:1-3 – NKJV

Paul said we were once like that, not that we were still like that and always would be. Paul said “we were dead in our trespasses and sin” and therefore we could rightly be referred to as sinners. Christians, however, have been made alive in Christ!  Therefore, to continue to identify as a sinner, is in essence saying the Blood wasn’t enough to truly change you. Either “old things have passed away and all things have become new” or they have not. And if they have not, then you are still yet a sinner. And if you are still yet a sinner, than you have not been saved by grace.

Christians, are called a lot of things in the word of God: saints, believers, redeemed, child of God..but not sinners. As a a matter of truth, we have been translated out of the kingdom of darkness (sinners land so to speak) and into the Kingdom of His dear Son. Jesus came to set us free from the power of sin. Sinners practice sin. And although we as believers may sin, we should not be practicing sin on a level that makes us sinners.

So I just finally wanted to get it off my chest that I think it’s a trick of the devil to have those whom God have redeemed and called by His name because we are His, continue to call themselves sinners. I’m just saying!! Wonderful Jesus!

 

My Story

I received Christ as my Savior after the death of my mother when I was about 9 years old. She died, and then several months later, both her parents died, and my father died when I was thirteen.

By the time I was sixteen I had many suicidal thoughts and attempts, but during one of those attempts, I met Jesus!! The room filled with Light and I saw a form of a man in all white and light. Then He spoke these words, “No matter what you go through in life, my Love is sufficient!” Then He left! But I knew it was Him and my life was forever changed. When I first read 2 Corinthians 12:9 it was so close to what He had said to me that it only confirmed that I had seen Him: “And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”NKJV

Not only did I renew my relationship with Him, but He filled me with His Spirit and I have never looked back. I have not lived a perfect life, but I have lived a stable and dedicated life for the Lord. His Love has truly been sufficient through the things that I have encountered in my life.

If I had to choose a scripture to testify of the life I strive for with Him it would be Galatians 2:20- “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” NKJV

When God told me to start this blog, there was only one title to give it, “Wonderful Jesus!” Because He has truly been wonderful to me, I want the whole world to know it and to experience Him as I have or in a much greater way. Wonderful Jesus!