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108 Offering and Tithes
Think about this: Christ loved us so much that he gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering to God.1 He made the ultimate sacrifice for you on the cross, loving you to death and beyond. Even as time marches on, His love stays constant.
It's so important for you to grasp that the biggest sacrifice has already been made. But now, you get to be a pleasing offering to God, too. Let your service, your honor, and your giving be a delight to your Heavenly Father. Know that Jesus has given you everything, and anything you offer pales in comparison to His love.
Giving to God, supporting His work, it's an expression of love. Don't see it as a burden or an obligation, but as a response to God's love and Jesus' sacrifice. It's a way of saying "thank you" for everything Heaven has poured into your life.
1Ephesians 5:2
Then I will forget about their sins and no longer remember their evil deeds."When sins are forgiven, there is no more need to offer sacrifices.
Jesus said this while he was still teaching in the place where the temple treasures were stored. But no one arrested him, because his time had not yet come.
I am the LORD All-Powerful, and I challenge you to put me to the test. Bring the entire ten percent into the storehouse, so there will be food in my house. Then I will open the windows of heaven and flood you with blessing after blessing.
Jesus told him, "Don't tell anyone about this, but go and show the priest that you are well. Then take a gift to the temple just as Moses commanded, and everyone will know that you have been healed."
Let love be your guide. Christ loved us and offered his life for us as a sacrifice that pleases God.
"Wonderful!" his master replied. "You are a good and faithful servant. I left you in charge of only a little, but now I will put you in charge of much more. Come and share in my happiness!"The servant who had been given one thousand coins then came in and said, "Sir, I know that you are hard to get along with. You harvest what you don't plant and gather crops where you haven't scattered seed.
Each of you must make up your own mind about how much to give. But don't feel sorry that you must give and don't feel that you are forced to give. God loves people who love to give.
Jesus was sitting in the temple near the offering box and watching people put in their gifts. He noticed that many rich people were giving a lot of money.Finally, a poor widow came up and put in two coins that were worth only a few pennies.Jesus told his disciples to gather around him. Then he said: I tell you that this poor widow has put in more than all the others.Everyone else gave what they didn't need. But she is very poor and gave everything she had. Now she doesn't have a cent to live on.
Honor the LORD by giving him your money and the first part of all your crops.Then you will have more grain and grapes than you will ever need.
Ten percent of everything you harvest is holy and belongs to me, whether it grows in your fields or on your fruit trees.
But with shouts of praise, I will offer a sacrifice to you, my LORD. I will keep my promise, because you are the one with power to save.
He gave himself to rescue us from everything that is evil and to make our hearts pure. He wanted us to be his own people and to be eager to do right.
God did not keep back his own Son, but he gave him for us. If God did this, won't he freely give us everything else?
If you give to others, you will be given a full amount in return. It will be packed down, shaken together, and spilling over into your lap. The way you treat others is the way you will be treated.
It doesn't matter how much you have. What matters is how much you are willing to give from what you have.
I would welcome an offering from anyone who wants to give something. You may bring gold, silver, or bronze;
But why should we be happy that we have given you these gifts? They belong to you, and we have only given back what is already yours.
Dear friends, God is good. So I beg you to offer your bodies to him as a living sacrifice, pure and pleasing. That's the most sensible way to serve God.
But don't forget to help others and to share your possessions with them. This too is like offering a sacrifice that pleases God.
People of Israel, every year you must set aside ten percent of your grain harvest.Also set aside ten percent of your wine and olive oil, and the first-born of every cow, sheep, and goat. Take these to the place where the LORD chooses to be worshiped, and eat them there. This will teach you to always respect the LORD your God.
That is, each Sunday each of you must put aside part of what you have earned. If you do this, you won't have to take up a collection when I come.
and said to Abram: "I bless you in the name of God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth.All praise belongs to God Most High for helping you defeat your enemies." Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything.
Sometimes you can become rich by being generous or poor by being greedy.Generosity will be rewarded: Give a cup of water, and you will receive a cup of water in return.
You Pharisees and teachers are show-offs, and you're in for trouble! You give God a tenth of the spices from your garden, such as mint, dill, and cumin. Yet you neglect the more important matters of the Law, such as justice, mercy, and faithfulness. These are the important things you should have done, though you should not have left the others undone either.
I am God Most High! The only sacrifice I want is for you to be thankful and to keep your word.
Jesus looked up and saw some rich people tossing their gifts into the offering box.He also saw a poor widow putting in two pennies.And he said, "I tell you that this poor woman has put in more than all the others.Everyone else gave what they didn't need. But she is very poor and gave everything she had."
all the extra offerings were taken there. Hezekiah and Azariah then appointed Conaniah the Levite to be in charge of these storerooms. His brother Shimei was his assistant, and the following Levites worked with them: Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah.
By everything I did, I showed how you should work to help everyone who is weak. Remember that our Lord Jesus said, "More blessings come from giving than from receiving."
I have been paid back everything, and with interest. I am completely satisfied with the gifts that you had Epaphroditus bring me. They are like a sweet-smelling offering or like the right kind of sacrifice that pleases God.
We cried as we went out to plant our seeds. Now let us celebrate as we bring in the crops.
And anyone who gives one of my most humble followers a cup of cool water, just because that person is my follower, will surely be rewarded.
I'll tell you what it really means to worship the LORD. Remove the chains of prisoners who are chained unjustly. Free those who are abused!Share your food with everyone who is hungry; share your home with the poor and homeless. Give clothes to those in need; don't turn away your relatives.
Do all you can for everyone who deserves your help.Don't tell your neighbor to come back tomorrow, if you can help today.
Warn the rich people of this world not to be proud or to trust in wealth that is easily lost. Tell them to have faith in God, who is rich and blesses us with everything we need to enjoy life.Instruct them to do as many good deeds as they can and to help everyone. Remind the rich to be generous and share what they have.This will lay a solid foundation for the future, so that they will know what true life is like.
The LORD is giving you the land, and soon you will conquer it, settle down,and plant crops. And when you begin harvesting each of your crops, the very first things you pick must be put in a basket. Take them to the place where the LORD your God chooses to be worshiped,
Melchizedek was both king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He was the one who went out and gave Abraham his blessing, when Abraham returned from killing the kings.Then Abraham gave him a tenth of everything he had. The meaning of the name Melchizedek is "King of Justice." But since Salem means "peace," he is also "King of Peace."
He does as he chooses in heaven and on earth and deep in the sea.The LORD makes the clouds rise from far across the earth, and he makes lightning to go with the rain. Then from his secret place he sends out the wind.
Make your light shine, so that others will see the good that you do and will praise your Father in heaven.
God can bless you with everything you need, and you will always have more than enough to do all kinds of good things for others.
Instead, remember that the LORD your God gives you the strength to make a living. That's how he keeps the promise he made to your ancestors.
But we are happy, because everyone has voluntarily given you these things. You know what is in everyone's heart, and you are pleased when people are honest.
An evil person borrows and never pays back; a good person is generous and never stops giving.
Sell what you have and give the money to the poor. Make yourselves moneybags that never wear out. Make sure your treasure is safe in heaven, where thieves cannot steal it and moths cannot destroy it.Your heart will always be where your treasure is.
When you give to the poor, don't blow a loud horn. That's what show-offs do in the meeting places and on the street corners, because they are always looking for praise. I can assure you that they already have their reward.When you give to the poor, don't let anyone know about it.Then your gift will be given in secret. Your Father knows what is done in secret, and he will reward you.
What you gain by doing evil won't help you at all, but being good can save you from death.
This rock will be your house, and I will give back to you a tenth of everything you give me."
So Moses sent word for the people to stop giving, and they did.But there was already more than enough to do what needed to be done.
I will bring a gift and offer a sacrifice to you, LORD. I will praise your name because you are good.
Don't you know that people who work in the temple make their living from what is brought to the temple? Don't you know that a person who serves at the altar is given part of what is offered?In the same way, the Lord wants everyone who preaches the good news to make a living from preaching this message.
Jesus replied, "If you want to be perfect, go sell everything you own! Give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven. Then come and be my follower."
One day, Cain gave part of his harvest to the LORD,and Abel also gave an offering to the LORD. He killed the first-born lamb from one of his sheep and gave the LORD the best parts of it. The LORD was pleased with Abel and his offering,but not with Cain and his offering. This made Cain so angry that he could not hide his feelings.
Tell everyone of every nation, "Praise the glorious power of the LORD.He is wonderful! Praise him and bring an offering into his temple.
We cried on the way to plant our seeds, but we will celebrate and shout as we bring in the crops.
Being greedy causes trouble for your family, but you protect yourself by refusing bribes.
I am the LORD your God, and you must bring the first part of your harvest to the place of worship. Don't boil a young goat in its mother's milk.
Church leaders who do their job well deserve to be paid twice as much, especially if they work hard at preaching and teaching.It is just as the Scriptures say, "Don't muzzle an ox when you are using it to grind grain." You also know the saying, "Workers are worth their pay."
Make me absolutely honest and don't let me be too poor or too rich. Give me just what I need.If I have too much to eat, I might forget about you; if I don't have enough, I might steal and disgrace your name.
The king will answer, "Whenever you did it for any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did it for me."
Don't get tired of helping others. You will be rewarded when the time is right, if you don't give up.We should help people whenever we can, especially if they are followers of the Lord.
My friends at Philippi, you remember what it was like when I started preaching the good news in Macedonia. After I left there, you were the only church that became my partner by giving blessings and by receiving them in return.Even when I was in Thessalonica, you helped me more than once.
(A psalm by David.) You, LORD, are my shepherd. I will never be in need.You let me rest in fields of green grass. You lead me to streams of peaceful water,
Giving to the poor will keep you from poverty, but if you close your eyes to their needs, everyone will curse you.
Besides doing all that, I have promised to give part of my own gold and silver as a way of showing my love for God's temple.
Give your food to the hungry and care for the homeless. Then your light will shine in the dark; your darkest hour will be like the noonday sun.
(A psalm by David for the music leader.) You, LORD God, bless everyone who cares for the poor, and you rescue those people in times of trouble.You protect them and keep them alive. You make them happy here in this land, and you don't hand them over to their enemies.
Don't store up treasures on earth! Moths and rust can destroy them, and thieves can break in and steal them.Instead, store up your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy them, and thieves cannot break in and steal them.Your heart will always be where your treasure is.
You should be happy to give the poor what they need, because then the LORD will make you successful in everything you do.
They will always be remembered and greatly praised, because they were kind and freely gave to the poor.
My friends, we want you to know that the churches in Macedonia have shown others how kind God is.Although they were going through hard times and were very poor, they were glad to give generously.They gave as much as they could afford and even more, simply because they wanted to.They even asked and begged us to let them have the joy of giving their money for God's people.And they did more than we had hoped. They gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us, just as God wanted them to do.
All praise belongs to God Most High for helping you defeat your enemies." Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything.
David and the people were very happy that so much had been given to the LORD, and they all celebrated.
If we can encourage others, we should encourage them. If we can give, we should be generous. If we are leaders, we should do our best. If we are good to others, we should do it cheerfully.
When people ask you for something, give it to them. When they want to borrow money, lend it to them.
They only asked us to remember the poor, and that was something I had always been eager to do.
Choose some followers to take the money to Jerusalem. I will send them on with the money and with letters which show that you approve of them.If you think I should go along, they can go with me.
This is because you have taken part with me in spreading the good news from the first day you heard about it.
You will be blessed in every way, and you will be able to keep on being generous. Then many people will thank God when we deliver your gift.
As bad as you are, you still know how to give good gifts to your children. But your heavenly Father is even more ready to give good things to people who ask.
You cannot fool God, so don't make a fool of yourself! You will harvest what you plant.
Instruct them to do as many good deeds as they can and to help everyone. Remind the rich to be generous and share what they have.
God lifts the poor and needy from dust and ashes,and he lets them take part in ruling his people.
Notice how great Melchizedek is! Our famous ancestor Abraham gave him a tenth of what he had taken from his enemies.