Tithing The Devil
Posted: January 24th, 2009, 2:49 am
HEALING SHELTER MINISTRIES #131t Re-Written 24JAN09 http://groups.msn.com/AHealingShelter/welcome.msnw
Save Me Today—Part Twenty: Tithing The Devil
by rev dave c
From 1970 until 1982 I was a two or three pack-a-day cigarette smoker. By the grace of God, I was brought to Christ and, as a part of my being reborn, I was healed of the tobacco addiction. Then in 1985 I became disappointed and disillusioned with a church, but rejected the Church, and fell before the temptation to rebel. Within days I was chain-smoking again. By the end of almost 12 more years, Jesus mercifully allowed me to reach a point of despair that finally brought about my making a real commitment in faith to the Lord of my salvation. Once more, God healed me of an over-whelming desire for tobacco.
I am convinced that this second healing touch came about in response to my then four year old son’s prayers that his Daddy would stop smoking. The Lord had begun to wake me at 3:00 in the morning and to speak to me quite clearly regarding the slow suicide that I was embracing cigarette by cigarette. The Holy Spirit explained to me that I was guilty of “tithing the Devil.” I was participating in Satan’s perverted counterfeit of the Godly tithe; that is to say, Christian sharing and giving.
God asks of us a commitment to freely give a portion of our resources to the Kingdom. This giving is to include not just our money, but also our stuff, our talents, and our time. In Second Corinthians 8:6&7, Paul admonishes us, Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver (NIV). Prayerfully listen to Christ’s exhortation to all believers: If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear." "Consider carefully what you hear," he continued. "With the measure you use, it will be measured to you--and even more. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him" (Mk 4:23-25; NIV).
Is God faithful in His promise to honor materially the believer who is a cheerful giver? Ask any Christian who has developed the habit of regular giving. I am not advocating a “name it and claim it” faith, far from it, but this I know: There is an inordinate number of “coincidences” that seem to follow the routine “tither” regarding the meeting of worldly needs. Don’t believe me? God, Himself, says, "Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, `How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse--the whole nation of you--because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the LORD Almighty. "Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land," says the LORD Almighty (Ma 3:8-10; NIV). Something else I have learned: If you do not give to God His portion, that portion will not serve you well. Unexpected expenses and/or foolish expenditures will eat it up. Here we are entering the realm of addictions and the nature of the Devil.
For every Godly manifestation, Satan has his counterfeit. The Lord asks for us to give freely to the House of God—Satan has established a seemingly endless list of addictions intended to force from us the substance of our lives. Tobacco, strong drink, drugs, pornography, illicit sexual experiences, gambling, adrenalin rushes, public acclaim, power, spiritual highs and material possessions are to name just a few of the traps set to ensnare us in the weaknesses of our flesh. The Lord promises us an abundant return in the future that far exceeds our giving—Satan not only takes from today, but he also steals from our future through resultant illnesses, death, and the destruction of our persons mentally, spiritually, socially, financially, and physically.
Let us consider one of my personal favorites: Smoking. In burning an average of at least two packs per day for 25 years at a median cost of $1.00 per pack (a modest price by today’s rates of over $3.00), I spent $18,250.00 (or $60,000 in today’s economy). What is the return on my investment? A life span that is probably shortened by at least 10 years with progressively diminishing health; that is, if God is merciful and I escape an early painful death through smoking related diseases (these may include, but are not limited to, lung cancer and emphazema) concerning which someone has to pay for all those medical bills during the last part of my life: Bills that could amount to a literal millions of dollars. Add to these the insult of what that almost $20,000 might have brought in interest if it had been wisely invested…not to mention if the money had been given to the Kingdom of God, instead of to the tobacco industry.
Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey--whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? (Ro 6:16; NIV). “God forgive me for wasting so much of the resources you entrust to me, and thank you for your grace and mercy. I ask you, Lord, to write upon my mind and heart Jesus' words in John 10:10, The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full (NIV). Amen.”
Save Me Today—Part Twenty: Tithing The Devil
by rev dave c
From 1970 until 1982 I was a two or three pack-a-day cigarette smoker. By the grace of God, I was brought to Christ and, as a part of my being reborn, I was healed of the tobacco addiction. Then in 1985 I became disappointed and disillusioned with a church, but rejected the Church, and fell before the temptation to rebel. Within days I was chain-smoking again. By the end of almost 12 more years, Jesus mercifully allowed me to reach a point of despair that finally brought about my making a real commitment in faith to the Lord of my salvation. Once more, God healed me of an over-whelming desire for tobacco.
I am convinced that this second healing touch came about in response to my then four year old son’s prayers that his Daddy would stop smoking. The Lord had begun to wake me at 3:00 in the morning and to speak to me quite clearly regarding the slow suicide that I was embracing cigarette by cigarette. The Holy Spirit explained to me that I was guilty of “tithing the Devil.” I was participating in Satan’s perverted counterfeit of the Godly tithe; that is to say, Christian sharing and giving.
God asks of us a commitment to freely give a portion of our resources to the Kingdom. This giving is to include not just our money, but also our stuff, our talents, and our time. In Second Corinthians 8:6&7, Paul admonishes us, Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver (NIV). Prayerfully listen to Christ’s exhortation to all believers: If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear." "Consider carefully what you hear," he continued. "With the measure you use, it will be measured to you--and even more. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him" (Mk 4:23-25; NIV).
Is God faithful in His promise to honor materially the believer who is a cheerful giver? Ask any Christian who has developed the habit of regular giving. I am not advocating a “name it and claim it” faith, far from it, but this I know: There is an inordinate number of “coincidences” that seem to follow the routine “tither” regarding the meeting of worldly needs. Don’t believe me? God, Himself, says, "Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, `How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse--the whole nation of you--because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the LORD Almighty. "Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land," says the LORD Almighty (Ma 3:8-10; NIV). Something else I have learned: If you do not give to God His portion, that portion will not serve you well. Unexpected expenses and/or foolish expenditures will eat it up. Here we are entering the realm of addictions and the nature of the Devil.
For every Godly manifestation, Satan has his counterfeit. The Lord asks for us to give freely to the House of God—Satan has established a seemingly endless list of addictions intended to force from us the substance of our lives. Tobacco, strong drink, drugs, pornography, illicit sexual experiences, gambling, adrenalin rushes, public acclaim, power, spiritual highs and material possessions are to name just a few of the traps set to ensnare us in the weaknesses of our flesh. The Lord promises us an abundant return in the future that far exceeds our giving—Satan not only takes from today, but he also steals from our future through resultant illnesses, death, and the destruction of our persons mentally, spiritually, socially, financially, and physically.
Let us consider one of my personal favorites: Smoking. In burning an average of at least two packs per day for 25 years at a median cost of $1.00 per pack (a modest price by today’s rates of over $3.00), I spent $18,250.00 (or $60,000 in today’s economy). What is the return on my investment? A life span that is probably shortened by at least 10 years with progressively diminishing health; that is, if God is merciful and I escape an early painful death through smoking related diseases (these may include, but are not limited to, lung cancer and emphazema) concerning which someone has to pay for all those medical bills during the last part of my life: Bills that could amount to a literal millions of dollars. Add to these the insult of what that almost $20,000 might have brought in interest if it had been wisely invested…not to mention if the money had been given to the Kingdom of God, instead of to the tobacco industry.
Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey--whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? (Ro 6:16; NIV). “God forgive me for wasting so much of the resources you entrust to me, and thank you for your grace and mercy. I ask you, Lord, to write upon my mind and heart Jesus' words in John 10:10, The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full (NIV). Amen.”