Are You Ready For A Miracle?

ARE YOU READY FOR A MIRACLE?
• In 2007 it was heaven – divine completion
• In 2008 it was great – new beginnings
• In 2009 it was fine – fair judgments, placing things in order
• In 2010 we win – divine perfection

NUMBERS, NUMBERS, NUMBERS
In 2007 the requests came for $70 dollars or $700 dollars

In 2008 it was time to give an $80 offering, or an $800 offering, or those unique individuals who God was calling to give an $8000 offering

In 2010 why not sow one-hundred dollars, or one-thousand dollars, or ten-thousand dollars! Further, why not give your financial gift on 10.10.10? After all, this date won’t occur for another 1,000 years.

Now, please do not misunderstand me. My intent is not in any way to minimize the significance of numbers in the Bible. There are great lessons which can be learned from actively studying the patterns which God uses throughout His Word.

I also do not intend to minimize the laws of sowing and reaping. God is not mocked. Whatever a man sows, that, he shall also reap. Therefore each man should give joyfully and generously according to what he has purposed in his heart, between him and God.

I consistently give tithes and offerings myself. And there certainly are times when God instructs you to give a certain amount or to sow a financial gift in faith. My concern is this - that with some of the messages I see and hear lately, it has the potential to leave people confused into thinking they can buy a blessing or a breakthrough.

The problem is: I cannot begin to tell you how many people I have seen become disillusioned with God because some preacher left them with the impression that if they gave a certain dollar amount, they would receive a breakthrough. Equally as dangerous are the well-intentioned slogans which might not come to fruition in the life of EVERY believer in the way that it was implied. The slogans which I outlined are true. But, when you tie it to finances or material gain or even healings and breakthroughs, there is the potential to leave believers with shattered beliefs. That is simply not the way it works.

God’s heart IS to bless His people. And, in most cases, I do not think that the intent of the messages is to be malicious or manipulative in nature. However, we must keep the following in mind:

To those receiving the messages: Understand that you cannot buy your way out of the season of your life. It will only end when God has ordained it to end.

To those delivering the messages: The hope that we have is Jesus. Christ plus nothing yields everything. The person who truly has a heart for God and who is becoming more like Christ everyday does not have to be offered "slogan hope" or be gimmicked into giving. They know Christ is their salvation. Giving is part of their nature, their spiritual DNA, because they are like the One who created them. God so loved the world that HE GAVE. Gave what? Things? No. Healings? No. Favor? No. God so loved the world that He Gave His Son, His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him would not perish but have everlasting life (Jn. 3:16). He gave His Son, He gave Himself. True believers have a substantive and godly hope. They trust because He has redeemed them. And they give because they are like their Creator.

Christ is our hope of glory. Therefore, we can experience heaven here on earth; we can feel great and fine in the midst of the storm; we can know that we have victory no matter what is happening in our lives at any given time. Recognize that 2007 was heaven, 2008 was great, 2009 was fine and we do win in 2010 - just like we do in every other year - not because of the year or how much we give - BUT BECAUSE OF CHRIST ALONE!

If I have Christ, I have everything -
Because I have the One who holds all things, the One who created it all

Jesus gives us life so that we can enjoy all things. But, sadly, there is a tendency for people to ask for things so that they can enjoy life. He said in John 10:10, 'I am come that they might have life and life more abundantly.' He came so we could experience life to its fullest - not things – although He is not adverse to us having things.

However -

If our joy cannot be complete with Jesus alone, it will never be complete with Him and all the things, to include ideal situations and circumstances. There will always be a searching for something more. And what could possibly be more valuable than Jesus? How can we be any more blessed than we are by having Him present in our lives?

Even I must apologize. You see, I posted a blog a few weeks ago on 'dive-favor' which I noted as a God-favor which explosively invades every area of your life. Yet, the truth of the matter is, God 'cannon-balled' into my life the day I accepted Jesus Christ as my LORD and Savior. The presence of stuff and what we perceive to be favor is no more an indication of His presence any more than the lack of those things are an indication of His absence.
• He cannot NOT be present. He is omnipresent
• It is not possible for Him to be unaware of what you or I am experiencing. He is omniscient
• There is no problem too great for Him. He is omnipotent

Faith in Him and His character are all that are needed. 'And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.'(Heb. 11:6)

No Gadgets, No Gimmicks, Just Jesus