The Original 3 Rs

[God speaking] Ever since the days of your ancestors, you have scorned My decrees and failed to obey them. Now return to Me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of Heaven's Armies. 

Malachi 3:7 NLT

With so many schools closed due to the quarantine, there's a renewed focus on the 3 Rs of education; Reading, wRiting, and aRithmetic. There is some disagreement on when, where and by whom that particular phrase was coined. However, I'd like to take you back to the 3 Rs that were written sometime around 430 BC and apply them to the churches that are also closed due to the quarantine.

Now, I know when you start talking about people's money they tend to get very defensive. Especially in times like these, when the market is crashing and the global economy is in so much trouble. However, I have lived long enough to have put God to the test when it comes to tithing and my finances, and I can tell you that He DOES open the windows of heaven and He DOES pour out blessings so great that there's not room enough to take it all in (verse 10) to the point that you have to share what God has given you!  

I can't take credit for pulling these 3 Rs from Scripture; I wish I could because they're that good! But I heard Robert Morris's sermon titled, This is a Test, and these 3 points came from his teaching about tithing. If you read in Malachi 3 you'll find the promise of these 3Rs when it comes to tithing.

1. When we tithe our 10%, it removes the curse off the other 90% of our money. (vs 9)
2. When we tithe, God rebukes the devourer from our lives for our sakes. (vs 11)
3. When we tithe, God restores the blessing. (vs 12)

Many times, I have heard people say, "I can't afford to tithe."  I promise you - I have lived long enough and through enough recessions to unequivocally testify that I can't afford NOT to tithe. God has always seen me through since I returned to Him (see our text for today). Perhaps I should've called this the 4 Rs, for we certainly want God to return to us.

Prayer:

Father, 

          Thank You that You have plans for us that are for our good and Your glory. Give us wisdom and generous hearts, O God! The Bible says that we should bring our tithes and offerings into Your storehouse and that You will respond by opening the windows of heaven and sending down blessing upon blessing.  You said, “Give, and it will be given to you; for in the same measure as you give, it will be given to you again”. We give to You today as a response to Your goodness to us. We ask that You receive our tithes and offerings and continue to supply all our needs. May Your peace be in our hearts, Your grace be in our words, Your love be in our hands, and Your joy be in our souls. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Let's Talk Percentages

Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins.

Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on.” 

Mark 12:41-44 NLT

Relax - I'm not going to ask you for money! Let's talk percentages. 

The two coins the widow dropped in the collection box were lepta. Two of them equaled one quadrans. One quadrans equaled 1/64th of a daily wage. So, if she'd 128 lepta, she would have had equal to a day's wage. She had only two. It was all she had and she gave it all. That's 100%.

In today's time, for a little perspective, multiply your hourly wage by 8 (or 10, depending on how many hours per day) and divide by 64.  That's all you have. What would you do with it? Selah...

When it comes to money, God doesn't require 100%. He calls for a tithe - 10%. However, when He calls for your heart, He wants it all. 

Prayer:

Father, 

          We want to be cheerful givers in every way. We want to love You with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength, and we want to love our neighbors as ourselves. Teach us to love, Father. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

The Twenty or The One +

You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. As the Scriptures say, “They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.”
2nd Corinthians 9:7-9 NLT

Here's how the story goes:
A well-worn one-dollar bill and a similarly distressed twenty-dollar bill arrived at a Federal Reserve Bank to be retired. As they moved along the conveyor belt to be burned, they struck up a conversation.  The twenty-dollar bill reminisced about its travels all over the country.

"I've had a pretty good life," the twenty proclaimed. "I've been to Las Vegas and Atlantic City, New Orleans and San Francisco, the finest restaurants in New York, performances on Broadway, and even a cruise to the Caribbean." 

"Wow!" said the one-dollar bill. "You've really had an exciting life!" 

"So, tell me," says the twenty, "Where have you been throughout your lifetime?" 

The one dollar bill replies, "Oh, I've been to the Methodist Church, the Baptist Church, the Lutheran Church..." 

"Wait! Wait!" The twenty-dollar bill interrupts, "What's a church?"

Well, we all chuckle, but sadly, if money really talked, this conversation could very likely have taken place! (Uh oh! Messing with the money now.) Relax! I'm not here to take an offering or beg. But I would like to remind you that tithing and giving is a covenant relationship, and according to Malachi 3:10, we are to "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!"

I have come to learn that the giving principle works in every area of life, and that receiving isn't all about the bucks. If I sow my time by volunteering or helping a friend, invariably, I wind up with enough time for what's on my schedule and then some to spare to do it again. If I sow kindness, I will receive kindness in great measure. If I sow love, I reap it in bundles too large and overwhelming to comprehend. If I sow mercy and/or grace, I will get it abundantly in return...and I need it. And when He sees I need some more of any of it, He pours out! Scripture reads, "Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands." 

I don't want the representation of the life that precedes me to Heaven to be a one-dollar bill equivalent. I want to pour it out and give it my all. That's what Jesus did AND does!

Prayer:

Father,
         Help us to see the beauty of Your majesty, to receive Your great love to us and to us through others. Teach us to give ALL, just as You gave all for us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen