Finances 202 - updated :)

Embrace your Destiny and walk in His Grace - He is your Strength when you are weak, He lifts you up when you can't reach.....

Okay, my friends, here is the next step regarding finances - this weeks sermon at church was a continuation of last weeks sermon - our pastor had derived the message from 2. Corinthians 8.....and basically, Paul urges us, to give to the church honestly - yet, it's not to rip you off your money. God wants to bless you, but in order to do so, he tests your affiliation to the church (the body of Christ, the Kingdom of God) - for where your treasures are, there your heart is also. And where your money goes, there your compassion goes, too. Generally speaking it is also an obedience issue - we are called to give the tenth of our monthly income - the first fruit actually, at the beginning of the month or of the week, not which is left at the end of the month.

In October, November last year, I asked God, if it was okay to divide the 10th between different causes concerning the body of Christ (in my particular case, the church, the school my children go to and other causes I contribute to.....) and he said it was. For the months of October - December, he told me exactly, what he wanted me to do with the tenth.....and so I did. But somehow my conscience was not entirely satisfied.....I had divided the money according to his prompting, yet I feared, that the church was going to judge - cause they had seen the cheques throughout the year, and I didn't like that one bit. But then again, it's got to be okay, if God tells me - so I really shouldn't worry about who judges me, right? Yet, I caution you, if you can't hear him, telling you, what to do......give the 10th to the church you go to or cause that means something to you, if you don't attend a church.....just to not forfeit his tremendous blessings, that he so wants to shower on you - he needs your obedience and he needs to know, where your treasure is....

You might remember, that my resources have somewhat dimmed since last summer, and with all the many responsibilities, I counted it all out, so that I wasn't giving less than I had to, but I also didn't give more, as I thought, I couldn't afford it anymore.

Now, here is the astounding answer, God gave me last week, when I brought this issue up again after last weeks sermon: Listen Girl, he said, if you give more, I can bless you more - Wow, that was an interesting statement...... - and Pastor Paul confirmed this in this week's sermon...  There is a connection with what you give to the body of Christ and how much you can be blessed - I didn't know that.....the tithing was more something I did out of obedience to his word, but I never fathomed, that it could have something to do with how much my Daddy in Heaven could and would bless me.

Remember, what I said last week, I will not look at the numbers in my bank account, but give generously to all the different causes and I will not cheat any of them of their due amount. And since he wants us to put him to the test - I will do it - stay put, my friends, I will tell you in due time, how that whole thing played out.

Here is a story from many years ago: When I lived in Canada from 1994-1996 towards the end of my stay, due to an accident with my car, I had lost my job,.....so finances really were tight. I had 2 credit cards, and I filled them up to the rim with cost for living and little extras, like my fav. drink (mind you never going over board) at my favourite bar ever so often. When the time came, to make the minimum payment, I had none left......but guess what: my Daddy provided the exact amount, that was the minimum payment through a cheque that I received in the mail right on time to make the deadline - so I guess, I can say, that he has already proven to me, that if I am obedient to all he tells me to do (for I sure did that, no matter,  how hard that often seemed), he will fill my storehouse - maybe not to overflowing at that time, but definitely to make ends meet.

There was another lesson in it for me as well: A sweet friend of mine from the US actually helped me, by sending me money straight to my account, to buy food, another one, gave me $60.- to buy my sweet dog, who had been a dear companion for almost 12 years, before he passed away in 2007, and a bag of food for him - how I got my beloved beagle,  that's another miracle right there, which I might get to in a different post.... 

Just on the financial aspect of things: God does prompt people to help you financially, if you are in need, and have given to his kingdom, even if it's only in obedience to the nudgings of the Holy Spirit. I honestly do not remember where the check for the minimum payment came from, but it doesn't really matter.....all that matters, is that it was the exact amount that I needed. I had to learn to receive money from friends, which was actually quite hard, but I was forced to graciously accept it, or else I couldn't have made it through this difficult time - hard lesson, but a good one - today I can receive and even ask for help much easier - even if there is still room for growth, since so far I still felt guilty, that I never paid my friend in the US back - it wasn't that I didn't want to, but it was that each time, that I wanted to, cause that's how I was brought up, if you owe something you make sure to pay it back at the earliest convenience - a song would pop up, it's actually just a line of a song: 'if you don't know me by now, you will never never never know me....., telling me somehow, that I shouldn't even attempt to pay it back. The guilt of not having paid it back, severed the friendship for I never since tried to connect with her - today, God pointed out to me, that by helping a friend of mine in her financial difficulty, I have actually paid my debt forward, with interest - showing me, that this is, how his kingdom works. It's not by worldly standards that you can reason in the kingdom of God. Ok, Lord, I got it - I won't do it anymore......and you know what, I will look up my friend in the US, hoping she is still alive, and hopefully meet her again SOON!!! It actually also refers back to what Jesus did for us on the cross - we can never ever repay him, but we can pay it forward and lay our life down for the people he puts in our reach....thus letting him touch their lives through us - again, paying it forward - that's the principal that is paramount in the kingdom of God.

Please friends, I urge you, try him, please, don't be stingy - because he cannot bless you, if you are not obedient to him, and give to the furthering of the Kingdom of God - we all want Heaven or Paradise on Earth, but we don't want to do what it takes, to bring Heaven on Earth - thankfully Jesus did, and he showed us the way. I don't know about you, but I want ALL he has for me, therefore I will do all he asks of me (in a nutshell, all he really wants is, that I love him, and that I am obedient to the prompting of the Holy Spirit) - and loving him, I do.

Let's do, what it takes, let's go the extra mile in obedience to his call - let's bless the body of Christ, and see, what God has up his sleeve for us, then. Oh, and if you are currently not frequenting a church, then, put this money aside and give it to a cause you strongly believe in, or ask God in prayer, what he wants you to do with it - I believe, he will tell you. I am sure, that in due time, he will lead you to a church, that fits your desire to be seen, to be accepted and where you can grow up in Christ.....(in a story I read, a master was asked by his apprentice, what the pitcher full of money was for - the master, who was not a regular church goer, explained, that this was the 10th, which was for the kingdom of God - and he would deposit it sooner or later, where it belonged, and the man was deeply blessed with a flourishing business), and if there is other places, you have committed or are obliged to give, don't be stingy about it, be generous!!! God wants to bless you abundantly, but he wants to make sure, that your treasures and your loyalty are where they bear much fruit for you. For, again, where your treasures are, there your heart is also - so tithing is not, that the church needs you, for God will provide for her needs, but it gives you abundant blessings.

Blessings to you today, my dear friends, I hope you had an amazing Monday - 'talk' to you soon. I love you lots.
Big Hug