Monday, March 8, 2010

First Fruits of all Your Increase

All the way back beginning in the book of Genesis, God tries to tell us how to give unto Him. What offerings are pleasing unto Him. We seem to all remember the story of Cain and Abel, how one brother killed the other, but the story actually starts out with their offering. Cain offered up to God some produce of his harvest, but Abel offered up the first fruits of his flock. God was not happy with Cain's offering because it was not his best, but then Cain gets angry and jealous with Abel because God respected his offering of his first fruits, because it was his best. God even gave Cain a chance to make it right, and He let him know if he didn't he would allow sin to lie at his door waiting for a chance to destroy him. (which is what happened). AMEN!

Gen. 4 v 3-4....And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD. Abel also brought of the first- born of his flock and of their fat. And the LORD respected Abel and his offering, .........

Gen. 4 v 7...."If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it"............

Then God tells us further over in the book of Leviticus more about giving. Look in the 23rd chapter where he tells us what part of our harvest to save and why.

Lev. 23 v 10...."Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them; 'When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the first-fruits of your harvest to the priest.....

Lev. 23 v 22...."When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field when you reap, nor shall you gather any gleaning from your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the stranger; I am the Lord your God.".....

Who is He talking about here when He says the poor and the stranger? I believe He is referring to those in your community who lack as the poor, and the stranger I believe are the people in the mission field, the people we help across the earth who are lacking. In other words God is saying here, do not spend your last dime just because you have it, but remember those who have not and save some for them.

Mal. 3 v 8..."Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, in what way have we robbed you? In tithes and offerings. .....

Ephes. 4 v 28...."Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need"....

Prov. 3 v 9....Honor the LORD with your possesions, and with the first-fruits of all your increase;....

What happens when you please God with your tithes and your offerings?

Prov. 3 v 10....So that your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.....

Mal. 3 v 10....Bring all the tithes into the store house, 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"...........

Mal. 3 v 11....."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,......

What happens if we do not give as we are instructed to give?

Mal. 3 v 9....You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me, even this whole nation.".....

Remember what the last part of Gen. 4 v 7 says, you shall rule over it......


Gen. 4 v 5.....but He did not repsect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell......

In what spirit are we to give our offerings unto the LORD?

2 Cor. 9 v 6-9.....But this I say; He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly, or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things may have an abundance for every good work. As it is written: "He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor, His righteousness endures forever.".....

So now the question is to you, how will you give the next time you are asked? Better yet will you have to be asked, or will you have already purposed in your heart what to give? Will you give with a cheerful heart the first-fruits of all your increase? What will you purpose in your heart to give unto the LORD? More importantly,how will God receive your offering?

Stay in the WORD!

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