God said in centuries past: "Let Me tell you what is going to happen one day. One day your son is going to come to you: 'Dad, the sheep is having a lamb - the one who's never had a lamb before.'
You run out and see the sheep bear a lamb -- it's first time -- and you take the lamb and cut its throat, just as God commanded you to do with the first animal to come from a fresh womb. At some point as your son grows, he's going to say: 'Dad, we need to talk. I don't know if you realize this, but we're in the ranching business and you've developed a very bad habit of killing our profits.'
And God says, 'When that happens, bring your son to your side and say: 'Son, I've never told you this about our family but I think you need to know it now. Your father hasn't always been in the sheep business. As a matter of fact, our family used to be slaves. And son, I don't know if you remember when you were younger, but your great grandpa took his shirt off in the field and I wondered that day if you noticed the scars on his back - from a whip. We didn't own anything - no sheep - no cattle - no crops - nothing. Someone owned us.
BUT GOD, with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, delivered us. So now our family gladly brings Him the firstborn of our flock because everything we have is because of Him.'
And you, sir -- you, ma'am -- will get to do this one day with your own children, if you haven't already. Joelene and I did it after a fashion with our kids.
A tithe (10%) amount looks like a bazillion dollars to a child. And one day your child will come to you: 'Dad … mom … why do you give so much money to God and to God's House?'
That's when you can take your son or daughter into your lap and say: 'I'm going to tell you something I've never told you before but I think it's time you knew. Your daddy wasn't always a follower of Jesus. Your daddy was in terrible bondage - he was a slave to sin - forever lost.
BUT GOD, with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, delivered us. So now our family gladly brings Him the first fruits of all we have and all we own - because everything we are is because of Him.'"
And I'm asking you a rubber-meets-the-road question. Don't give me a religious answer.
Who's really first in your life? Who do you worship and honor with the first fruits of your increase?
First matters because faith matters.
And be blessed.
You run out and see the sheep bear a lamb -- it's first time -- and you take the lamb and cut its throat, just as God commanded you to do with the first animal to come from a fresh womb. At some point as your son grows, he's going to say: 'Dad, we need to talk. I don't know if you realize this, but we're in the ranching business and you've developed a very bad habit of killing our profits.'And God says, 'When that happens, bring your son to your side and say: 'Son, I've never told you this about our family but I think you need to know it now. Your father hasn't always been in the sheep business. As a matter of fact, our family used to be slaves. And son, I don't know if you remember when you were younger, but your great grandpa took his shirt off in the field and I wondered that day if you noticed the scars on his back - from a whip. We didn't own anything - no sheep - no cattle - no crops - nothing. Someone owned us.
BUT GOD, with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, delivered us. So now our family gladly brings Him the firstborn of our flock because everything we have is because of Him.'
And you, sir -- you, ma'am -- will get to do this one day with your own children, if you haven't already. Joelene and I did it after a fashion with our kids.
A tithe (10%) amount looks like a bazillion dollars to a child. And one day your child will come to you: 'Dad … mom … why do you give so much money to God and to God's House?'
'Who's really first in your life?'
That's when you can take your son or daughter into your lap and say: 'I'm going to tell you something I've never told you before but I think it's time you knew. Your daddy wasn't always a follower of Jesus. Your daddy was in terrible bondage - he was a slave to sin - forever lost.
BUT GOD, with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, delivered us. So now our family gladly brings Him the first fruits of all we have and all we own - because everything we are is because of Him.'"
And I'm asking you a rubber-meets-the-road question. Don't give me a religious answer.
Who's really first in your life? Who do you worship and honor with the first fruits of your increase?
First matters because faith matters.
And be blessed.
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